well i just got my autodim mirror installed, and i cant stand seeing the button, and the big piece of the mirror mount. is there any special glass paint, the kind that the manufacturer uses, that will adhere better than spray paint? i tried spray paint, but it will not hold on enough to hold the mirror. i know that newer cars with this type of mirror have paint to block out the button.

 

Some vehicles have a tinted or shaded area where the mirror attaches (ie F250, etc), but I don't recall ever seeing a T4R that did.

 

im just talking new cars in general, i saw some that had that black paint type stuff, like whats on the edges of the glass. behind the mirror mount. Do the new t4r's have autodim/compass mirrors stock, do they just show the mount through the glass or have it blocked out?

 

just thought of using chalkboard paint, would that adhere well to the glass?

 

If you can get your hands on a spot sand blasting gun your could mask off the area, blast it lightly to leave a slightly rough surface which should enable any subsequent paint to adhere well.

The gun type with the rubber cup for blasting spot rust should be ideal as it won't throw sand all over your interior.

 

wait, wont that make the windsheild crack in very cold temps?

 

i dont have access to a sand blaster anyways, I wouldnt go that route, wouldnt feel comfortable sandblasting my windshield.hahaha

 

I shouldn't think so, here in Ireland when Hilux Surfs (4Runners) are imported from Japan, many are sold as commercial vehicles as this attracts a much lower rate of import duties, to convert them to commercial, along with a few other changes, the rear side windows and rear seats must be removed, rather than remove and blank the windows in the rear doors and rear panels, it has become common practice to sandblast and paint them to match the bodywork. We don't really get extreme cold here, but minus 8 Celsius or thereabouts can be occasionally reached in the winter, doesn't seem to cause a problem.

 

are there any chemical products that would do the same thing? etch the glass enough to take paint well?

 

why not use tint? and yes there is acid etch for glass, but i don't know if it will help the paint stick anymore or not

 

tints a good idea, but would it have the strength to hold the mirror on, and would the mirror epoxy adhere to that?

 

it shouldnt be a problem, but if you want, just cut the piece out of the tint where the mirror adheres (do a test fit with it all.) if your worried about edges, make the cut-out slightly smaller then the mirrors surface, at least 90% will be in contact with the actual glass

*edit* lol, i see that you are trying to hide that piece though...

 

seems like the tint and etching are my best two options. is there any such thing as something like a transparency but with adhesive on one side? That way if i went with the etch, i could cut out the pattern before i put it on the windshield, then just peel off the back and stick it up there.

 

Go to the tint shop and get an estimate. Theyll do a good job and it wont be much $$$ or time fartin around with a "sand blaster".

They make a windshield 4" tint roll that you can get at PepBoys or WallyWorld for like 7$ if you gotta do it yourself

 

I dont need to tint the top of the windshield, theres already the toyota tint there. All i need is the darkest tint behing the little mounting plate/button for the mirror. so i can easily do it myself

 

Most craft stores sell etching kits with a mask that adheres to glass and the etching gel. My wife has made some custom flower vase designs using it. It's easy to use and should put just enough 'tooth' on the glass to accept paint. However, I'd try the 'reversable' tinting option first.

 

hey, why not just put alot of pigment in the adhesive? then you dont have to worry about all this other stuff? (not sure how it adheres, might work?)

 

Thats a good idea, but on the autodim mirrors, the part i am trying to hide is way bigger than the actual mounting button. Im just going to go get some tint at walmart or try to get a scrap at a tinting shop around here. I really dont need a whole roll.