VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1949-1954 Viewer for 54 Visor

I picked up a viewer, dash mount, for my 54 that has a visor. I have looked in the installation book and fine only the visor install. What is the correct way to mount a viewer in a 54.

The traffic light viewer came out in mid 1950. For 1950-1952 it was mounted by one of the lower windshield garnish moulding screws. The one just to the left of being centerd over the steering column. I would suspect the 1953-54 would be the same.
I took mine off because it was useless.

Incorrect Chevy NUT.

Both of the GM "Guide" traffic light viewers were avaliable when GM changed to the new car body style in 1949.

That pic is not a Chevy dash or Chevy location.

Bob

There was one on our 54 when we purchased it. It is mounted as Gene says.

Well I understand the location but mine is like the shell-type viewer but has a 1/4-28 stud with nut to mount it. You would have to remove the trim, drill out the hole and install the nut on the back side of the trim and then reinstall the trim. Maybe the guide viewer I have is for something else. Maybe I'm missing a bracket or something.

Would have been nice if you had also included some factual information on the correct location Bob.


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Guide made a multitude of different mounting systems for their viewers. The actual viewer plastics were identical but mounting arms were different.


The placement is identical on all viewers... Either mounted directly to the dash or to the inner windshield trim....
Directly in front of the driver.

The viewer/speedometer pictured is from a 1949 and up Pontiac.
They always had theirs mounted above the speedometer. For some reason almost every Pontiac with a visor had a viewer. The dealers must have promoted them as a package.

The first CHEVROLET to have a viewer was in mid 1950. From the 1951 Engineereing "Three new accessories, introduced late in the 1950 model year, are a larger prismatic mirror, extra-capacity coat hooks, and a traffic light viewer."

The mounting bracket for the 1950-52 Chevrolet has a screw hole so the garnish moulding screw can go through the hole.
The 1955-57 viewer has a threaded stem on the base as it was necessary to drill a hole in the dash to mount.

The 1950 and up Guide version used by Chevrolet was the ribbed type viewer. The early one were smooth.

Some where I have more info. but can't find it right now.....will keep looking.

That is correct Gene.
I have an NOS Pontiac sunvisor in the original GM box & the traffic light viewer is included with the visor.....along with specific directions on how to mount it.

Well that makes sense.
Here in the Milwaukee area we seldom installed a viewer on a new Chevrolet. Probably ecause our stop and go lights were on a corner stand and not the type that were suspended over the center of the intersection.

Looks like you may have a viewed for a 1955-57 Chev. I recall seeing a viewer like you describe with a mounting bracket and an extension to position the view in the correct place. Seems like that was on a Cadillac. I've seen what you are looking for at Swap Meets from Guide and Fulton. Happy Hunting !!

Just wanted to point out your illustration had no bearing on the 1954 Chevy, as you thought.

Bob

Yea right Bob. LOL
My brain still hurts from processing all the relevant information you have posted on this topic.

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The GM "Guide" traffic light viewers are rather generic compared to the Fulton traffic light viewer {Made by the same Company that made the Fulton outside visors}.

The Fulton viewer sports 2 articulated arms which allow for a multitude of different adjustment possibilities.

This Fulton viewer is the gold standard of viewers.

I had the stud on my light viewer and didn't want to drill / tap for this stud. Being a toolmaker I just removed the stud and used a large enough center drill bit to create a countersink and was able to use the windshield trim screw. Yes sometimes this viewer is useless and other times it works great. I think it just depends on your position to the light.
just my $.02 cents worth, Bill

Mine works as well, but I find I can see the lights just as well or better in the reflection on the painted hood. Another thing that may affect the view is in the placement of the lights. Here in Ontario, most of our traffic lights are found on a post on the opposite corner from where you stop (other side of the intersection) I have been in many places in the U.S.A. where the lights are on the same side of the intersection as where you stop. If you stop too late, it is almost over your car and near impossible too see. Maybe the traffic viewer helps in this case?