Chevy van mirrors are not all equal. Neither are numerous other automotive parts exactly just what they seem to be. Here’s the story.
A family van in this household is a 1992 Chevy Van. It’s a short wheelbase conversion van. These aged vans were built on the 3/4 ton frame and are durable as could be. A valuable thing.
My wife eased from the road at about 50 miles per hour and the right side mirror trimmed a road sign. Then the right rear of the van kissed the sign post. Needless to say when the mirror hit the sign, it collapsed back toward the van and travelled through the shut window, barely missing my small daughter in the passenger’s seat. Whew!!!
My spouse eased back on the road and brought it all on to the house. The small side-swipe was barely noticed. The mirror seemed to be a complete loss. No problem, I concluded. This mirror construction should have been used on thousands and thousands of trucks and vans.
I ordered a replacement from a major mail order listing. It would be stainless steel, just like the original. When it showed up, I was a little puzzled. The framework base for the mirror wouldn’t match the radius of the van fender. It seemed nearly like the original, but it simply really didn’t adapt. At least not without some serious twisting of the mounting bracket. Give it back…
Just head for the nearby auto parts store. Yep, they are in stock. Bring it home. Uh oh… Exact same funny looking bracket which does not quite match. Well. Just bend the thing. Bent it to fit the fender and it looked OK. Actually, the adjustment was a slight amount different. Maybe it’ll be OK.
Time passes.
A little rust starts to show up… It’s not really like you can simply put some bedliner paint on it after all.
Next more. It’s generated from inside the mirror. The older mirror on the driver’s side is now 17 years old and definitely not a touch of rusting. Clearly the designers at GM stipulated either stainless fasteners or galvanized on the inside of the mirror bracket. The aftermarket people created a mirror that looked like what came with the van, but the less costly fasteners alter the entire mirror into a rusted mess.
If I want the right mirror, seems as if it’s back to the dealer and pay up for high quality.
A Vintage Chevy Van simply goes on and on. They are inexpensive to buy and cheap to drive. Too bad they don’t make ‘em as they use to.