Digital Compasses

[ProBoy]

Those neat digital compasses that Ive seen on dash boards and the like.

Where do you get them from?

Any advice when looking into a brand?

[tiwing]

why don't you get the full on auto dimming rear view mirror with compass and outside temp? Mazda part # 0000-8C-A07C I believe. $379 from the dealer. The one without outside temp is $307. (0000-8C-A06)

(can you tell I already looked into this? Planning to do it one of these years...)

[RobbieTheStiff]

Respect you for finding the part number... I knew this mirror existed but I couldn't remember where I'd seen it...

Very swooby mirror... http://ib2.toprotege.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[pigpen]

i changed to a self dimming mirror with compass:

http://members.rogers.com/tmpftp/mirror.jpg

and no, i don't have a Protege...

[Naveed74]

I have a dash one (not installed) that I bought at Costco for about $50. I think Radio Shack sells them too.

[ProBoy]

Id love the mirror one, but damn, $$$.

[tiwing]

Update: just ordered the rear view mirror with temp & compass from the States: Rosenthal Nissan Mazda in Virginia (http://www.finishlineperformance.com/cgi-bin/shopper?preadd=action&key=PRO5-8CA07B). Shipping is $15 UPS ground to Canada. The mirror is $185 US. Total cost including shipping based on today's exchange rate will be about $275 CDN (plus probably getting Lockdown to install). Hopefully i w

[CrazyCaker]

Sweet! Kevin, I'd like to check that out once you get it installed. http://ib2.toprotege.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/thumbs-up.gif

[tiwing]

(went to add a pic and the board cut off my msg. doh) Hopefully i won't get killed at the border. The price for the same mirror I was quoted at the dealer at $379 PLUS TAX, so $435.(I verified by Rosenthal via email to be the same part as the canadian part number and that the temp is switchable to Celcius.)


http://www.finishlineperformance.com/tribute/mirror.jpg

[tiwing]

UPdate: received in the mail today my auto-dim mirror!!! http://ib2.toprotege.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif Lockdown will be doing the installation for me on Monday night. What I was concerned about was getting screwed at the border.... and I got screwed for another $85. Still, the overall cost is less than the dealer price before tax. Oh well, it's here. If you have a US address you can mail it to it would be MUCH better and cheaper...

[CrazyCaker]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (tiwing @ April 23 2004,12:21)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">UPdate: received in the mail today my auto-dim mirror!!! http://ib2.toprotege.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif Lockdown will be doing the installation for me on Monday night. What I was concerned about was getting screwed at the border.... and I got screwed for another $85. Still, the overall cost is less than the dealer price before tax. Oh well, it's here. If you have a US address you can mail it to it would be MUCH better and cheaper...[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Could you not have asked the shipper to mark it as a 'Gift'? I have asked for this a couple of times now when ordering from the US, and I have not had to pay duties quite a few times now.

[MS MSP]

FWIW.
I think the border guards have caught on to the &quot;gift&quot; scam.
I have ordered a lot of parts from the US, and I just ask the shipper to mark the value way down.
For example, I bought a used exhaust for $300 USD, i asked the seller to mark the package as &quot;used exhaust pipe&quot; with a value of $75.
That way, I &quot;should&quot; only have to pay duty (15%) on the $75.
For smaller obscure items like MBC, FPR etc, they mark a value of $10 and there is no duty.
Another good idea is to send via USPS. I haven't had to deal with the brokerage BS that commonly occurs with UPS, Fed Ex etc.

[Naveed74]

The USPS thing works well. No duty on it at all. The downside is that it is sssssssllllllllloooooooooowwwwwwww.

Otherwise, its a great way to get out of duty.

Nice trick with the declared values Mike!

[MS MSP]

Thanks Phil. The thing you have to watch is if they open the box at the border, the value you place on an item has to be realistic.
Anything that looks bling bling, with a value of $10 will be questioned.
In my case, a used exhaust, they won't know what its worth.
I ordered new bike parts last year, and one shipper listed the value of my brand new Fox Float 100 RLC and a set of tires as $100 and $20 respectively. The real price was more like $700 USD and $80 USD.
It saved me a bunch and made ordering from the US affordable.
On the flip side, when i bought my bike frame, I got hit with duty, brokerage of $40 from UPS, etc. My &quot;great&quot; deal didn't look quite as rosy after that.


EDIT Sorry for the threadjack, back on topic.
Tiwing, that mirror is $$ but looks uber cool !

[Mike_Moss]

use &quot;WARRANTY REPLACEMENT&quot;

[CrazyCaker]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (mike_moss @ April 23 2004,10:23)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">use &quot;WARRANTY REPLACEMENT&quot;[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
AHhh... I like your thinking! I'm going to ask the shipper to try that with the gauges I just ordered!

[MS MSP]

I hadn't thought about that.
Man this place rocks!

[Mike_Moss]

I called UPS once about a shipment and started chatting with the very friendly customer service woman. I just asked her flat out what I should write not to pay brokerage/tax/etc. and she told me to write &quot;WARRANTY REPLACEMENT&quot; in the description box. hehe...she was real nice. http://ib2.toprotege.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[thekid]

Another tip for shipping when dealing with UPS, is NOT to ship via Standard Service (instead use Express, Expedited, etc), while there may be Duty Charges with any of the above, Brokerage Services are supposed to be included with Express or Expedited services, so at least you avoid the Borkerage Fee portion of all the border charges.