Bongo Fury

... I don't know if this is a pimp or a practical solution to an individual problem.

Please forgive the dusk piccies...

I have to reverse the bongo backwards up my drive, then round the back of the house into the garage... There is a hard full right lock reverse turn where the front nearside corner of the bongo almost brushes against the garden wall it's only a matter of time before i scrape it

Remembering my time behind the wheel of HGV's in the past i borrowed an idea utilised on lorries to aid parking and turning in tight spaces... A kerbside mirror.

Finding one of a suitable scale for a bongo was tricky, the mirror had to be convex to give a good range of vision, and universal for a none specific application.

I decided to give the driving instructors favourite "frog eye" mirror's big brother a try... It fits onto the top of the side mirrors on a van typically, so the scale was about right.

DBO assisted me in knocking up a bespoke bracket to attach the mirror through the nearside wind deflector. (I ruled out the top edge of the door frame as there wasn't the clearance)

Now don't expect to be blown away by the looks of this thing! It's a practical solution to a problem first, aesthetics takes a lower priority...

And after a week or so of trials, i can say it really does work a treat! The extra mirror, shows a downward view halfway along the sliding door, right up to the corner of the front bumper I can now also park inch perfect along a kerb without the fear of scraping the alloy wheels

Making the tricky parking manouevre at night is now childs play with the combination of the kerbside mirror, and the corner marker lights, i can negotiate easily within half an inch of the wall, the marker lights indicating where the bumper edge is, and the light illuminating the wall edge a bright orange.

Like i said, it won't win any pretty awards, but that wasn't the purpose...







Thanks to DBO for the help with the bracket fabrication, i couldn't have done it without you.

Nicely executed idea Ste, looks very jap as well

I suppose it does Dave, thanks!

It doesn't look at all out of place Ste. nor does it detract at all from the looks of the Bongo or any pimp that anyone would do to said vehicle

Cheers Mike! I barely notice it's there now, but use the mirror daily

thought you were gonna say you put a scrape barrier on the wall rofl as a fellow HGV driver, can confirm the usefulness of such mirrors

Julian

The missus pet her foot down and said no to a black/yellow chevroned strip of old armco on the Garden wall Julian