’34 Ford Coupe: Details Part VIII — Mirrors and Electronics

We’ve been trying to figure out a solution for the mirrors on Bill Evans’ coupe. The ones seen in previous posts were placeholders. Borrowed from a Ducati, their miniature size and integral turn signals were stylish, but worthless for actual rear view vision. The coupe’s radical chop dictated something more practical. As usual, the best solution was to build it.

Bill wanted remote adjustability so the first thing we needed were some motorized guts. Bill took up the hunt and came back with the finest the Internet had to offer:

Gary blew the mirrors of the millenium (sic) apart, liberated the motors, and began hand-shaping new mounts and buckets.

We saw the addition of these motorized mirrors coming. The coupe sports a variety of creature comforts — heat and air, power windows, power doors, power trunk latch, power gas cap release — which are all controlled through banks of switches in the overhead console. Many can also be controlled remotely through a pocket key fob. Power mirrors are part of the package.

It’s been removed in this photo, but the overhead console has stainless trim and carbon fiber inserts. It’s also home to a top-shelf Pioneer AVIC audio/video system. A touch-screen head unit provides GPS, AM/FM and XM radio, along with a CD/DVD player. It also synchs to Bill’s iPhone and iPod, is Bluetooth-compatible, and can be controlled by voice commands. The AVIC Users Manual – I kid you not – is 233 pages long.

The screen on the head unit also provides video from a miniature back-up camera. Hidden below the rear carbon fiber bumper in a bank of high-intensity back-up lights, the camera is actuated by a control module in the push-button shifter.

Remember when hot rods had lights and a horn? Bill’s coupe employs systems from literally a Who’s Who of auto electronics manufacturers: Ron Francis, Watson’s Streetworks, Dakota Digital, American Autowire, Dynaudio, and an array of smaller, specialty manufacturers. While these components don’t always cooperate with each other, individually these companies have been great in helping us develop workarounds. The detailed diagrams we’ve done of the car’s various circuits have proven to be indispensable with the vendors. They eliminate finger pointing and help get us to solutions quicker and more efficiently. They’re also helpful on Monday mornings when I’m trying to remember where the hell I left off on Friday afternoon.

With the exception of a one little signal-to-trigger voltage issue, the electronics are up and running. Our next job will be to tackle the Engine Control Module. It’s only a computer, four plugs and a couple of dozen wires. Piece of cake. We’ll keep you posted.