Reproduction Guide Y-50 Mirrors

[Brooks G.]

Guys, I need to buy a Y-50 for my '56. Both Paragon and Corvette Central advertise having correct reproduction mirrors. I am wondering which if either judge the best. Thanks in advance! Brooks Glover (2141)

[Frank P.]

Re: Reproduction Guide Y-50 Mirrors

My mirror on my 58 is from Paragon and has not lost any points.
Frank

[Michael H.]

Re: Reproduction Guide Y-50 Mirrors

My side mirror is also a repro and did lose points at the National. The judges said that the reflective layer is supposed to be behind the glass, rather than on the outer glass surface. They held a credit card up against all of the early C-1 mirrors to determine whether the reflective material was on the outside of, versus behind, the glass. I also understand that the pivot balls on original mirrors would attract a magnet (and also rust), whereas the repro pivot balls are non-magnetic. All that said, the repros are quite close in appearance, and the deduction is small. But if you're going for perfection, I know of a guy who will rechrome original mirror casings (which you must provide) and replace the glass with the proper mirror material. Send me a private message if you'd like his contact info.

[Brooks G.]

Re: Reproduction Guide Y-50 Mirrors

Michael, thanks for the tip. Unfortunately the original mirror was long gone when I purchased the car back in 1967. Back in the day I purchased a couple of GM service replacement mirrors but they are not correct. I will probably end up purchasing one from either Paragon or Corvette Central.
Brooks Glover (2141)

[Chuck W.]

Re: Reproduction Guide Y-50 Mirrors

All mirrors have the reflective material on the back of the glass. It is the thickness of the glass that determines how an object touching the glass appears. I would presume therefore that they are saying that originals had thicker glass.

[Bruce B.]

Re: Reproduction Guide Y-50 Mirrors

Mirrors are either front silvered or back silvered.
When you hold a pencil point against the front surface if the point touches the point of the reflection it is front silvered, if there is a gap between the pencil point and the reflection the mirror is back silvered and the distance between the images is the thickness of the glass.
Typically mirrors are back silvered to protect the silvering.
Optical mirrors are front silvered to eliminate loss caused by the glass.
The reflective material used these days is aluminum.

[Gary C.]

Re: Reproduction Guide Y-50 Mirrors

53 through 60 the mirrors were silvered on the back. Same process as today's interior mirrors. Best checked and shown to someone with a credit card or business card held perpendicular to the glass. Before used pencil tips which were always hard to show someone the images not touching. In 61 processed change to front silvering on exterior mirror. 62 both interior and exterior mirrors were front silvered. Some of the reproduction mirrors have stainless steel center ball - originals were raw steel. Original mount base leading edge is sharp, not round. Gary....

[Dennis C.]

Re: Reproduction Guide Y-50 Mirrors

53 through 60 the mirrors were silvered on the back. Same process as today's interior mirrors. Best checked and shown to someone with a credit card or business card held perpendicular to the glass. Before used pencil tips which were always hard to show someone the images not touching. In 61 processed change to front silvering on exterior mirror. 62 both interior and exterior mirrors were front silvered. Some of the reproduction mirrors have stainless steel center ball - originals were raw steel. Original mount base leading edge is sharp, not round. Gary....

Gary,

Am I understanding correctly that all interior mirrors through '61 were silvered on the back?

Thanks,

Dennis

[Gary C.]

Re: Reproduction Guide Y-50 Mirrors

Dennis, don't know that all '61 interior mirrors were silvered on the back. Best source would be the '61 Team Leader Dave Heitzman. Gary....

[Joyce B.]

Re: Reproduction Guide Y-50 Mirrors

Hello, we restore corvette mirrors and when it comes to the Y-50 mirror we get requests to restore them in regards to the pencil point test of the gap or no gap as to what our customer wants. Because we can do them either way GAP or NO GAP in mirror glass.If you would be interested in our services we are in driveline page 101. We Restore Corvette Mirrors And Also Have Some Original Y-5o Mirrors In Stok. So you don't haft to settle for a reproduction. Thanks, Joyce