Gentex rear view mirror group buy

[Malibu Rapper]

Ok, just an update on the button situation. I got a call back from Ron (pretty funny guy) and he informed me that they do not and will not make an adapter for our cars. The aftermarket business for them is just so small compared to their OEM market.

I talked to him a little bit about mounting the button. First, he recommends having a professional remove the button. He said he broke the windshield on his CEO's car when it tried taking his button off . Next, also have them professionally mount the button with their glue and not to use the glue from the kit as in his own words "Your mirror will be hanging on from a string."

These are both things you would have picked up from reading this thread but I just thought some of you might save yourself from buying a new windshield if I re-iterated Ron's points.

 

[socalx]

I want to tell you guys that in my opinion the mirror button is not that big of a deal. i have so far done three installations of this mirror (2 nsx and one s2000) and in all cases the glass guy was able to remove the mirror button without any damage. Actually the nsx buttons seem to come of a lot easier then the ones on some other cars. In the case of my s2000 so much heat had to be applied to the windshield that i thought for sure it would break or atleast the safty glasss film inside the windshield would be discolored. Amazingly no problems. -- these windshileds can handle much more head then i ever had thought. Point being any competent glass guy can remove the button. I also found that the smaller (independant) glass guys are the ones to have do this work. The large shops are not interested in this kind of work.

thanks

tom

 

[Malibu Rapper]

I figured out a heatless way to remove the button. It involves a channel-lock type pliers and 2 razor blades. The glue is soft so the blades have no problem penetrating. The idea is to cut into as much as the glue as possible to create separation. It is difficult to remove the blades after they've been inserted so that's why you use two and they get removed when you twist the button off. You use the pliers to squeeze the blade into place. Once both of the blades won't go any further, you can use the pliers and grab hold and twist the button off. The rest of the glue is a cinch to scrape off.

The only thing you have to be careful of is thwacking the glass somehow with the pliers.

 

[Malibu Rapper]

Just wanted to give a quick update. I took my car to the local windshield place several weeks ago. They had Loctite 312 primer and glue. The windshield was scraped clean, the prime applied and let to dry. Then they glued on the button and it dried quickly. I drove off happily with my mirror attached and the top was down. The minute I hit some road markers, it shook the mirror off.

I drove back to the windshield place, same procedure. This time more glue. Drove off, got further, and the dang thing falls off again. The glue would stick to the button but not the black spot on the windshield. We try again, I drive off and make it close to home and it falls off yet again. I'm tired now and I felt bad for the windshield guys so I let the car sit sans rearview.

I found this Permatex Extreme formula rearview adhesive. This is different than the Permatex in the blue package, it cost a buck extra. I follow the procedure and attach the button. I waited a week before I put the rearview on and it held the rearview when I attached it. Then when I closed the door the darn thing fell off again! Same problem, the glue just would not adhere to the black spot on the windshield.

I was getting desperate. I misread a post by D'Ecosse where he mentioned super glue so while I was at the local hardware store, I bought some Krazy glue. I put just one drop of the stuff on the button, attached it and I really liked how the superglue seemed to adhere to the black spot.

Well, now it's been about 4 weeks, the mirror has held on through all the cowl shake, bumpy roads, etc. I think it's stuck on there good...

I'm not sure if there are any drawbacks to using Krazy glue. It's probably not as UV resistant as the Loctite is supposed to be but the button hides behind that black spot so it isn't as exposed to UV as on other windshields. Time will tell but I am very satisfied so far.

So if anyone runs into a teflon black spot like on my car, don't waste your money on rearview adhesives if Loctite doesn't work. Give Krazy glue a shot, remember, just one drop!

Oh, the mirror is great. I would recommend if you have an NSX-T that you get the model with the map light. It's really nice!

 

[D'Ecosse]

Hey Malibu - I had missed your post with the blades/channel locks till now - very neat trick! I had tried to slide the blades in mine but couldn't get any force on them - the pliers with the button for leverage is brilliant!

So ..... who left their channel locks out in the rain & didn't clean them up afterwards?

 

[Malibu Rapper]

So ..... who left their channel locks out in the rain & didn't clean them up afterwards?

Actually I have a lot of my tools powdercoated rust. Gives them a unique look I think... Mother Nature does a great job, I highly recommend her. :wink: You see all that blackness on the button? That was me using a candle because I forgot to bring my blow torch down.

Yeah so if you use that little trick and use Krazy Glue, this could be done by yourself completely. One blade slipped under is not enough to allow you to twist it off, you need two. Another blade that might work and let you slip it all the way under is pictured below:

For Xactos

 

[Malibu Rapper]

One final touch I did on my mirror installation was tinting the glass near the button so that the bottom part of the mirror mount doesn't stand out. I had some 20% tint lying around to play with.

I took a pen and marked the mirror off on the outside of the glass. Then with a pair of scissors, I shaped it roughly the way I wanted it. Then I just proceeded to peel the tint, wetted it and applied it.

Now the bottom part of the mirror mount doesn't stand out as much. I wish I had pure black tint. But it doesn't bother me like it used to.

 

[calexand]

After installing this mirror, do any of you have the factory one to sell inexpensively? Mine has picked up a rattle on the freeway, so I am looking to replace it. I considered getting one of these, but would prefer to avoid the mounting issues and just pop a non-rattling one on.

Thanks,
Chip

 

[MLmotorsport]

I figured out a heatless way to remove the button. It involves a channel-lock type pliers and 2 razor blades. The glue is soft so the blades have no problem penetrating. The idea is to cut into as much as the glue as possible to create separation. It is difficult to remove the blades after they've been inserted so that's why you use two and they get removed when you twist the button off. You use the pliers to squeeze the blade into place. Once both of the blades won't go any further, you can use the pliers and grab hold and twist the button off. The rest of the glue is a cinch to scrape off.

The only thing you have to be careful of is thwacking the glass somehow with the pliers.

Be very careful using this method - or maybe use a combination of heat and the blades. The glue was apparently too hard for the blade to penetrate on my car as it broke (the blade) sending about 8 cracks down the glass - some 12 inches long. Wouldn't be to big a loss (as I'd like a new windshield anyway) but I can't get a windshield up here in IA! :frown:

 

[Malibu Rapper]

Be very careful using this method - or maybe use a combination of heat and the blades. The glue was apparently too hard for the blade to penetrate on my car as it broke (the blade) sending about 8 cracks down the glass - some 12 inches long. Wouldn't be to big a loss (as I'd like a new windshield anyway) but I can't get a windshield up here in IA! :frown:

Ooh, sorry to hear that. The glue on mine was actually quite soft, about the consistency of hot melt glue. I got a PM from another member who said it was a piece of cake. Maybe the cold weather in IA made the glue hard? I remember after taking the button off, I just took another blade and scraped the rest of the glue off and it came off in a floppy little piece the shape of the button.

 

[MLmotorsport]

I liked your idea because I had been warned that if I tried the heat & pull method that there was a risk of pulling an actual chunk out of the windshield (which I had never heard of - but this was from a window installer). This method did away with that risk. I did it in a heated shop (~70) so it wasn't cold. Not sure what went wrong. This was on my '92 so the glue may have hardened more with age? Oh well I've got a few mos to figure out how I'm going to get a windshield up here before I really need one. :wink:

 

[Malibu Rapper]

Ok, I'll just add to update this thread that it should be a pretty easy affair to squeeze the blades in. If the glue is hard, you might try a little heat to get it soft. Mine was soft in the ambient temperature. Then just gently squeeze with the channel lock pliers and it should cut in but at all times use caution being careful not to thwack the windshield with the pliers. Also make sure you use brand new razor blades since they are cheap and the sharper the better.

Age and perhaps sun/heat exposure could have made the glue hard over time.

 

[NSXSOON]

After reading this I had to get one for my baby! I have a 95-T so I bought the GENK60 model with everthing in it. I found a great source after several emails and internet searches that I thought I would pass along. I also learned that any of the GENTEX products with Home Link are restricted from being sold on line and that is why they arn't on Ebay and there is no pricing listed on web sites that offer the product. Apparenty an email or phone call gets around this restriction!

I paid $320.00 including ground FedX which is only $10 more than the group buy a year ago. I got it yesterday, new in the box with all the wiring and sensor.

The source is: BRAND-NEW Electronics, email: [email protected] , http://www.brandnewelectronics.com/ phone # 302 351-4419 and I delt with Rob Farrell. He has access to all the GENTEX models and can probably provide as competitive a price as I paid for mine. From order placement to delivery it was only 4 days! Great service and an outstanding price.

 

[MLmotorsport]

I paid $320.00 including ground FedX which is only $10 more than the group buy a year ago. I got it yesterday, new in the box with all the wiring and sensor.

Hey good find NSXSOON! I'm getting a 60 for my '95 too and this is a great price! This is one of my fav little mods - up there with the HID's.

 

[NSXSOON]

After I posted above I emailed Rob at Brand-New Electronics to give him a heads up that some of us from Prime would likely be calling and to treat us right. He sent the following email back that anyone thinking about a K60 should consider:




Thanks so much Mike

A word about the GENK60 -- Gentex has announced that they will no longer be providing this model so we will only have them for about another month.

I will certainly look after anybody that calls - I am a strong believer in old fashioned service - I guess that comes from 25 years in retail - most of which was in small towns where you know everybody.



Have a great one



Rob


I hope this helps,

Mike (NSXSOON)

 

[MikeC_587]

I just spoke with Rob and ordered the GenK50 for $300.00 shipped. I know its only $20.00 less than the GenK60, but I don't need the map lights since I have a Coupe.

Now the question is, who has the skills to integrate my Valentine One into the GenK50?

Mike

 

[D'Ecosse]

I just spoke with Rob and ordered the GenK50 for $300.00 shipped. I know its only $20.00 less than the GenK60, but I don't need the map lights since I have a Coupe.

Now the question is, who has the skills to integrate my Valentine One into the GenK50?

Mike

Try this guy - send him e-mail to see if he will integrate the display into your gentex.

 

[MikeC_587]

Try this guy - send him e-mail to see if he will integrate the display into your gentex.

Hi Ken,

Thanks for the info...

Mike

 

[orbusrex]

Quick update for those that may have ordered the K42 with Homelink and maplight only...

There are three wires: one with a round connector for ground, a black wire, and a black wire with white stripe...

The black wire is the maplight/ homelink wire... to be used in the third wire slot (constant on) while the black/ white is for the auto-dim and should be connected to the second power slot (ignition only)

Don't forget the fuse in the engine bay... KEN, is a 15A fuse the proper fuse?