Design Issues

[Philippe COURANT <accf_clb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

About rear view mirror, you're lucky for two reasons:
- You haven't a '57 !!  '57 cars have the mirror in the center of
the windshield lower molding  so if you have someone in the
center of the rear seat you see only his face and not the cars at
rear .. It's the reason why Chrysler moved the mirror to the
right of the instrument panel in '58 and later.
- You haven't a convertible: the back "glass" is narrower than on
"hard" top, especially the clear vinyl is less high so you see
the lower area of the soft top material (area between the "glass"
and the trunk panel). If you move the mirror to see higher, you
see the upper of the top !!
And fortunately i've a new top so the vinyl is still very clear
..

About brake level, there are two solutions: two persons, one in
the car, with engine running, who depress the pedal to retract
the bellow and the other checks the level.
The other solution isn't an original factory "option" but was
mandatory on export cars, at last for France. French laws
requires a clear brake level tank so i've addded a small clear
bottle (these bottles were sold for this purpose in France and
you find them now in swap meets). This bottle has a fitting at
the bottom to put a hose. I soldered a fitting on the cover of
the master cylinder, clampsed the hose, and fixed the bottle on
the firewall slighly higher than the master cylinder. Now i can
see easily the level and i have 50 % more fluid.On non AC cars
ther's a perfect location at right of the bellow ! Itsn't very
easy on AC cars because at this location ther's (in '57/58) the
ac power piston solenoid.
And i'm sure i have an original "french" car.

--
Philippe COURANT (Pau, France)
Imperial 57 Crown convertible
Buick 58 Roadmaster sedan

- American Car Club de France (ACCF) : http://www.accf.com

- Chrysler Imperial France : http://www.ifrance.com/c-i-f

- Cadillac " Standard of Excellence " :
http://www.ifrance.com/accf-cad

- SportsCars : http://www.ifrance.com/accf-sprtcar