Simple upgrade of original non-tinted exterior mirror lenses.
US and Australian specification .:R32's came standard with non-tinted exterior mirrors in the larger 175 mm size mirror casings.
Some earlier Golf's were supplied with blue tinted lenses to reduce night time glare from the headlights of following traffic.
I also took the opportunity to convert the driver's side lens to the aspherical design from the flat (yes, flat!) stock lens.
VW exterior mirror lenses come in three different sizes, depending on the market and application.
Nominally speaking, they are approximately either 175 mm; 150 mm or 125 mm across.
The 175 mm size mirrors are fitted to the Australian and US market .:R32 on both the driver and passenger side.
The 150 mm size mirrors are fitted to the European market.:R32 on both the driver and passenger side.. These mirrors are also known as the Jubilee ("Jubi") or Anniversary ("Anni") mirrors due to their first appearance on these models.
125 mm size mirrors are the famous "Stubbies"
The lenses themselves can be either flat, convex or aspherical depending on application.
The aspherical lens is split into two segments with different convexities to aid blind spot vision.
There is also a very rare (read expensive) option of exterior dimming mirrors fitted to some european Sharan's, which are the 175 mm size as well. These lenses are easily identified by a rather ugly thick black plastic surround on the edge of the glass.
Due to the sheer number of different lenses available, I have only listed the direct replacement blue tinted lenses applicable to the standard .:R32 mirror housings. All these mirror lenses are also electrically heated.
Left mirror lenses (i.e. LHD Driver Side or RHD Passenger Side)
1J2 857 521 F 150 mm Convex Lens
1J1 857 521 G 150 mm Aspherical Lens
1J1 857 521 D 175 mm Flat Lens
1J2 857 521 A 175 mm Convex Lens
1J1 857 521 C 175 mm Aspherical Lens
Right mirror lenses (i.e LHD Passenger Side or RHD Driver Side)
1J1 857 522 P 150 mm Convex Lens
1J2 857 522 H 150 mm Aspherical Lens
1J1 857 522 D 175 mm Convex Lens
1J1 857 522 J 175 mm Convex Lens with US D.O.T. "Objects in mirror are closer than they appear" script
1J2 857 522 C 175 mm Aspherical Lens