Much of America is being hit with record cold temperatures today and that means that a great many of us had iced up mirrors when they made their morning commute so what better time to think about doing a heated mirror swap in your Dodge or Ram product. Fortunately, we have a DIY in the 1st generation Dodge Durango section that shows just how easy it is to swap in heated exterior mirrors – all you need is some simple tools and the new heated mirrors to do it yourself in your driveway or garage.
While this DIY pertains specifically to the 1st gen Dodge Durango, changing the exterior mirrors in many Dodge and Ram vehicles is as easy as it is with the 1g Durango so while some aspects of the modification may vary – the basic premise is the same across many vehicles. Also, as is the case with the 1g Durango, the wiring for factory heated mirrors is already in many vehicles even if the vehicles in question arent equipped with the heated mirrors so while the swap might not be as easy in every vehicle as it is in the Durango, it should be similar across many other models (especially those Dodge products from comparable years as the 1st gen Durango).
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
