Let them do it!

So I had one of those s-10 blazers in my shop. I had to tint the front 2 to match the back then put a simple windshield strip. So I bang out the front windows in 30min looking perfect. Right after i pop the panels back on I start looking at the rearview mirror. There is no hex head screw or anything to get leverage. My worst fear is breaking someones vehicle and having to fork up the money so i take a step back and decide I cant do it. Well I call up the dude to come pick up his car. He arrives and I inform him that I couldnt do his strip because I couldnt take his mirror off. I tell him if he can get it off I could tint it but I didnt want to break anything. I hand him a screwdriver and he pries the mirror and the metal piece right off the mirror. I kinda giggled when he did that. He seemed frustrated. Im so glad he did it and not me. So after that I spend about 15 min explaining how he needs to put it b ack on haha So glad I let him do it!!! Has anybody else been that lucky?

12 some odd years in the biz and I havent broke one yet, but I may be a little more paranoid than the rest. No set screw, no sun strip. You take it by a glass shop and have them remove it, and I will tint it no problem.

I agree with you totally. I really dont like to give away money I think thats going to be my motto. No screw, no sunstrip.

This will cover most mirrors with no set screw

GM and Nissan with a little notch in the bottom of the base of the mirror, you can tap it up form the bottom with a hammer or something similar. There is a too that you can slide under the mirror and slide it up but usually a couple light taps will slide it up too.

Ford is a common misconception that you pull it off, which can work, but can also backfire. You need to pry on the spring clip a small amount, and slide it up, there is also a tool for this though that is not the mirror I am talking about in the picture, you know which I am talking about, I think they are on some of the GMs too like Cadillacs and S10 blazers and stuff.

Later model hondas will usually slide down if they have the big black brackets

Subarus, BMW's Audi/VW usually will twist off and back on.

On that style mirror just stick a flathead on the bottom pry just a little bit enough to see the bottom move out and slide up. no special tool needed.....now as for the newer ford mirrors, I dont touch....Cracked an Edge front glass and had to replace...got real lucky though I didnt have to shell any money out the guy was in a wreck in the suv 3 days before tinting it and had his insurance dude cover the w.s.

yes i slide a small allen key into the slot and slowly move the mirror side to side and it comes off same with a ford

i know the fealing, been tinting for 20 yrs now and 3 yrs ago doing a sun band on a new 95 ford, i told the boss that i can not remove that peice of sheet mirror, customer was their and told him the same thing, he said go ahead, i busted the mirror mount from the windsheald and took the glass with it. custoer was watching and he said he was coverd and was able to get the insurance company to pay for it and tinted it the following week. he told me i was a 900$.
both of thos tools are crap, screw driver works great on the standard mirror.
i will allways pre cut with a seem around that crappy mirror.
also found a ford mirror on a 98 corvett

I use both those tools every day, it's not the tool, it's how you use it, ask your wife.

I use the ford tool for those dumb f150s. The 2 prong tool I don't though. Funny I can't pull mirrors from the driver side, only when I'm sittin in the passenger side

I rarely pull mirrors when doing a windshield strip. Don't really see the need unless they are just that low. Majority of them don't even come to the bottom of the mirror. Very Illegal here.

I haven't and never will break a w/s as i will not do visor strips.

You might save yourself a little headache with not ever doing visor strips but Its really easy to slap one on. Besides, its usually the scrap pieces that I would normally throw away. Money in your pockets!

True, but figuring the cost of 1 windshield and a Po'd Customer..............

If You can't take the mirror off, hang the strip above it, or learn to cut Your splice on the top side of the mirror, not the bottom.

We don't remove mirrors on Ford cars for this very reason...

i got the tools and know how to take all the mirrors off, but the only one i dont mess with is the S-10's. i wish they were all the twist off from the hondas and with the black edge around it.

Eh... I hate the F-150's.. had an 04 F-150 come in just to have a strip put on. and my worker used the ole tiny flat head screw driver pry and wiggle trick and cracked the windshield.... The guy had just gotten the windshield put in 4 days earlier and handed me the reciept I wrote him a check and to this day he still has a cracked windshield.

lol you should be very happy with yourself for declining that strip. although the customer got lucky with just the metal coming off... its when the metal takes a small piece of the glass that sucks....

I learned my first year of tinting f 250's how to break and f250 windshield... $250 down the drain... oh well I am more cautious now and I do decline a few (or jack them up higher)... I won't do it if I think its going to look dumb... I've bought all of those tools and none of them work that great for me.. I use a tiny flat head screw driver for taking off any mirror that does not screw or twist off now...

In 14 years Ive broken 2

one on a vette, that is just like the s-ten. I got all the right tools, this one just was older, 95 or so, HUD MPH, 3k installed, florida has a one windsheild a year from insurance law, so I gave the man a free tint job and another gift card for another tint job to file under his insurance, no deductable or anything, and I broke one on a new ford truck this year. they demanded a dtrip i told them what was gonna happen worse case. boss said nah it wont break, used the right tool wrapped in a towel and a hard card for the base, soon as I put pressure it popped. then I got my arse chewed by the same guy that said it wouldnt break and to go ahead. ass monkey fat boy....