Who's running West Coast style mirrors? Pics please
 

Getting ready to put some mirrors on my '66 fleet lwb, bbw. I'm thinking of going with the west coast style mirrors and would like to see what others have. I like the style that fits tighter to the cab as I'm not towing any type of trailer, etc. Any pics and product info would be greatly appreciated.:metal:
thanks,
Tim

Re: Who's running West Coast style mirrors? Pics please
 

I love west coast mirrors! I went with west coasts on my '62, think these are called Jr. west coast actually. I found them on Ebay, not sure what brand they are however. They don't seem stick out too far in my opinion, in fact I went out of my way to find ones that fit as close to the door as possible otherwise my truck would not fit through my 8' wide garage door! These give me about 3" clearance on both sides. Here are a couple of pics hope they are helpful to you. If you need more info or measurements let me know.

Re: Who's running West Coast style mirrors? Pics please
 

Factory installed West Coast Jr's as part of the Custom Camper package. Stainless was also available.
EDIT: Jury is out on when the stainless version of this mirror was available from the factory, if ever. Perhaps a dealer
accessory?

Re: Who's running West Coast style mirrors? Pics please
 

I love the west coast jrs!! I wish I could get my hands on a pair of the original dealer installed versions. Were the non-chrome ones less popular?

Re: Who's running West Coast style mirrors? Pics please
 

I also have a set of this style with the chevron pattern on them. I prefer this style but I am missing some of the mounting brackets so I went the the other set I had. These have the name "Coronado" stamped at the top, not sure if the were original dealer installed mirrors or aftermarket.

Re: Who's running West Coast style mirrors? Pics please
 

Murphy,

I have been looking for a set of those Coronado mirrors for a while now! Hold on to them if you can, they are hard to find. I have a thing for chevron emblems. They are such a symbol of 60's.

[IMG]http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps95da6865.jpg

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps60077e30.jpg

Re: Who's running West Coast style mirrors? Pics please
 

Good photos Murdoc, that's exactly what I have, just missing some of the mounting hardware & two of the short extension tubes. I agree, I love the chevron look too! I hope to try and fit my chevron mirror heads to my current brackets sometime, if they work I will replace the heads I have currently with the Coronado. Do you know what makes these harder to find? Were they a dealer install or a generic aftermarket.

Re: Who's running West Coast style mirrors? Pics please
 

I believe that they were dealer installed, but I haven't seen them in any of Aerotruck's option pages of the era that he has posted on the forums. I have seen them on Ford trucks too, maybe they were 60's ford dealer options?

I'm more inclined to think that they sold them to all makes and models, but that there just weren't as many produced, or they didn't get as much traction as the West Coast Jr's.

Re: Who's running West Coast style mirrors? Pics please
 

Some great info and pics? The rides are absolutely beautiful!!! I believe this style mirror is winning me over compared to others.
thank you,
Tim

Re: Who's running West Coast style mirrors? Pics please
 

In my experience, stainless/chrome jr. west coast mirrors are the minority. Seems the vast majority of our trucks had painted bumpers, grilles and mirrors.

Re: Who's running West Coast style mirrors? Pics please
 

I just put these on mine. I dont know anything about them ,I took them off a ford a the junk yard.

Re: Who's running West Coast style mirrors? Pics please
 

Forgot the picture.

Re: Who's running West Coast style mirrors? Pics please
 

http://www.truckandcarshop.com/trucks60_72/t60_018.html There are some west coast jr's here on the bottom of this page. Dose anyone know if they are any good or not. They are $30 each.

Re: Who's running West Coast style mirrors? Pics please
 

Here is the page.

Re: Who's running West Coast style mirrors? Pics please
 

Here's mine kinda hard to see them they are the stainless and they do have fomoco stamped on them. I do have some painted ones also. I'll have to see which ones I like best..
http://i1168.photobucket.com/albums/...psd63ec6c4.jpg

Re: Who's running West Coast style mirrors? Pics please
 

From what I can see I acually have those same mirrors.. Except mine have the Ford Oval stamped on them.

Re: Who's running West Coast style mirrors? Pics please
 

Here are mine. :chevy:

Re: Who's running West Coast style mirrors? Pics please
 

haha im half in the club hahaha

http://i1152.photobucket.com/albums/...psdf543076.jpg

Re: Who's running West Coast style mirrors? Pics please
 

Awesome truck, love it !!

Re: Who's running West Coast style mirrors? Pics please
 

My truck is unrestored, with optional factory west coast jr. mirrors.

Re: Who's running West Coast style mirrors? Pics please
 

Thanks for the close-up shot. This is the type I believe I'm going with.

Re: Who's running West Coast style mirrors? Pics please
 

thanks, W.....great shots of the mountings

Re: Who's running West Coast style mirrors? Pics please
 

Anyone have the story on why these mirrors are called "West Coast" style mirrors? Surprised I've never run across that explanation before.

Re: Who's running West Coast style mirrors? Pics please
 

Jim,

Wish I had a pair of those!!! They are hard to find. I cant find any at least. Seems that a lot of the ones that came stock on our trucks had the four screw mounting bracket on the bottom, with only two on the top bar.

Can you read any information stamped on the mirrors? Brand? Make? Model?

Re: Who's running West Coast style mirrors? Pics please
 

OK Jims, you have our interest. Let's see some more pics and hear the backstory on that awesome green survivor of yours. Maybe start a new thread to introduce us all to your truck. Survivors are the BEST!

Re: Who's running West Coast style mirrors? Pics please
 

Hey Murdoc,
Found these on Ebay (not my listing), thought they might appeal to you since you like the chevron style. They are not cheap! But they are very cool looking! Mounting brackets seem more involved but they could most likely be simplified rather easily. If you do an Ebay search for "west coast mirrors" quite a few come up in various styles. Funny thing though, most of the ones that come up which look like the factory GM truck style posted here are listed as Ford truck mirrors. They all seem to have the 2 bolt mounting brackets however. I've added a photo of the Ebay listing as well.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RETRAC-WEST-...bb4a6d&vxp=mtr

Re: Who's running West Coast style mirrors? Pics please
 

If you're looking for something more unique, just found these on Ebay as well (not my listing)
Never seen this style before, extra cool! Love the visor at the top of each mirror.

Re: Who's running West Coast style mirrors? Pics please
 

Wow, not cheap is right, murph98. FYI, I Googled Retrac, and it will come up with the company that still makes the yellow chevron mirrors. Called them to find a local place that I could buy them. They gave me 3 or 4 phone numbers. Called them, and the new prices ranged from about $70 apiece up to about $120 apiece. I ended up buying some on the classifieds here, but it's a good option to look into.

Re: Who's running West Coast style mirrors? Pics please
 

So where did the name "West Coast " come from and Junior ??

Is there another name for this factory mirror, like Senior ? :lol:

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/j...20Docs/004.jpg

These were on my 63 and Im wondering if I should put them back on ? After I took the camper off in spring I removed them and went with the single arm drivers side.

Re: Who's running West Coast style mirrors? Pics please
 

The "Junior" refers to these smaller versions of the larger west coat mirrors used on Big Rigs & larger trucks. The Junior or smaller versions are usually found on smaller pickup trucks & vans. The only explanation I have found for the name via Google search is as follows.

"Because bigger mirrors were needed to see around corners for the winding highways along the Pacific Ocean on the "West Coast" of America."

I figure this style of mirror was first developed & used on the west coast, thus the name.

Re: Who's running West Coast style mirrors? Pics please
 

I have some too! I am planning on going with something smaller in the future (way future as that is going to be a full new paint job and fixing some " hidden" problems). I like the ones that have been on ebay that came on the vans but are just a little too pricey for me. I dont have big dreams or anything!

Re: Who's running West Coast style mirrors? Pics please
 

A little more west coast mirror information. Copy of dealer invoice with "W/C mirrors" listed. And photo from factory dealer brochure of truck with the mirrors.

Re: Who's running West Coast style mirrors? Pics please
 

Back in the 50s west coast trucks (semis) were allowed, by law, to be a lot longer overall length than the east coast trucks. The length laws were much looser out west. So west coast trucks often had very long wheelbases. You see this in a lot of early Peterbilt and Kenworth trucks vs. Mack or Autocar trucks, for example. I presume west coast mirrors were necessary just to be able to see all of the trailer that was so far behind the cab. Amazingly, a lot of old tractor-trailers in the 50s still only had tiny mirrors like the stock ones on a Chevy c10, maybe 6" round. That must've made life interesting!

Re: Who's running West Coast style mirrors? Pics please
 

Guess I should have looked in the Data Book 1st, there Is a Junior and a Senior mirror listed for all C10 K10 and up trucks.
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/j...B8B360AC94.jpg
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/j...5CB58DF9A9.jpg

Re: Who's running West Coast style mirrors? Pics please
 

Murphy,

Thanks for those ebay postings. I have seen them on there before, as I am now in the habit of searching every day on ebay for w/c mirrors. You aren't kidding, really spendy! I would never had thought people would ask so much for them.

I know a guy that has a set of 4 hole bottom bracket w/c mirrors on his truck. He drives it to work every day downtown. Im tempted to ask him if will sell them to me.

What's the big deal about the 4 hole? I know its a bit OCD, but I love the bend of the tubing on these mirrors. Up top, the tube bends at a 90 degree angle down to the mirror, and then as it passed through the mirror, it bends back inwards towards the door at a 30 degree angle.

Thanks to Jims1965c10 for this excellent picture that shows what Im talking about..........

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...s69f47a8d.jpeg

Re: Who's running West Coast style mirrors? Pics please
 

Heres more of an explanation on each mirror available as an accessory from a Chevrolet 1966 Accessory book.
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/j...69D9BFBA86.jpg
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/j...606DAD3480.jpg
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/j...7E9C491D9B.jpg

Re: Who's running West Coast style mirrors? Pics please
 

Looks like this is the Senior West Coast Mirror, best picture I could find. I think the mirror head was replaced but the brackets are factory.
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/j...n67427/493.jpg
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/j...n67427/494.jpg

Re: Who's running West Coast style mirrors? Pics please
 

Well done 60-66!!!

You hit the nail on the head! We got a GM part number and the mirror dimensions to boot!

Thanks for shedding some light on these mirrors, much appreciated!

Re: Who's running West Coast style mirrors? Pics please
 

Another pic of the big ones.

Re: Who's running West Coast style mirrors? Pics please
 

Thanks Murdoc ! And thanks Sodly and Woogaroo for the background on the origin of the term West Coast