Overtaking Mirrors

[iain.hamlton]

Easy one.

My +2, like many, doesn't have wing or door mirrors. It wasn't a requirement back then, nor the fashion. Nowadays I am used to an overtaking mirror and rely on one. I have bought some nice period-looking bullet mirrors.

The question is: do you think they are better on the door or on the wing?
Which do you favour?

best regards, iain

[GrUmPyBoDgEr]

There was a thread similar to this for the Elan a couple of years ago. Have a search.
I put similar mirrors to the ones you describe onto the doors of my Elan, where I feel they look the best.
Unfortunately having done that, I found that they were positioned so that they were practically unusable.
Get someone to hold them in place whilst you are sitting in the car. The amount of adjustment on Bullet type mirrors is very limited so get it right first time.
Cheers
John

[bcmc33]

From memory, a driver door mirror was meant to be a dealer fit to ensure that it was not damaged before the customer took ownership. But when I look back on early pictures of my S2 - it did not have mirrors. Later pictures showed a door mirror similar to the ones I have on my Sprint.
Bullet wing mirrors at the time were for the plebs that drove a Mini Cooper S (me before I upgraded to an S2 Elan), and not the sort of thing to deface a Lotus (my personal opinion, of course).
Paul Matty sells the 'correct' road and race mirrors that are normally fitted onto the door.
However, I have seen Elans & +2's with mirrors fitted to the wing very close to the door opening. And as John said, get some help to ensure the right position for you.


Brian Clarke
(1972 Sprint)

[oldokie]

Mine are on the doors. I had the car 15 minutes and got pulled over for 'no driver's side mirror'. It's a RHD and had one on the right. I asked the cop if the law read driver's side or left side. He said, "Just get another mirror and you'll be covered either way." I have the left one adjusted for the passenger( gives 'em something to do) because most people over here are uneasy riding in a RHD!

[mac5777]

Iain,
There was a post not too long ago where there were several pictures of the different types of mirrors. My S3 coupe LHD had a bullet door mirror and I purchased one for the right side and sorry to say I could not adjust it enough to see the traffic. I did find a 50-60 style that did work on both sides on the doors. They seem to be available. Can't recall where right now. Here is a picture of them on my Elan. They are large enough to easily see the traffic. It was the best safety change I made.

Sarto

[poiuyt]

Moss Motors, in New Jersey, sells a mirror for the MG Midget that looks similar to the one above and should fit. I have them on the X1/9 and would use them on the Elan as well if it did not already have a mirror.

Lots of adjustment.

E-mail Moss - they'll send you a Midget catalog.

Steve B

[peterako]

Hi Iain,

How are you?

I had TEX mirrors like the ones in the pic of the Elan on my
+2. They were really good, looking 'right' and actually giving
good rear view.

BUT the mountings are very weak (plastic) which is good and
bad....
Good in that when teh mirror is hit teh mount breaks not the car.
Bad...when my 2 year old decides he wants to adjust them...they
break.

I bought some Bullet mirrors and have mounted them.
But, as a kind eBayer pointed out....

They are purely for decoration.
They're useless as rear view mirrors.

I have been told that the ones that attach to the window runners
are excellent.

But...the bullets. If you want to see behind you. Look elsewhere.

Take care,
Peter 1973 +2S 130/5

[iain.hamlton]

Many thanks, all. I will definitely get help in testing positions for the bullet mirrors, and am ready to abandon the idea of using them if they prove less than effective.

I am interested in Peter's comment about the ones that clip onto the window runner. I like the idea of those and tried one, but without success. The problems were:
1/ the mounting was straight and the window runner on +2 curved, and
2/ the gap the glass runs in was obstructed by the mirror mounting.

The result was the window winder wasn't powerful enough to lift the glass past the mirror. That may not be a problem now i have fitted an alternator. Or is there a trick i am missing in mounting that type of mirror? Anyone had success (or otherwise)? pictures?

best regards, iain

[bcmc33]

Iain,

Found an old thread:

http://www.lotuselan.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=14181

There is a reference to a clip-on mirror.



Brian Clarle
(1972 Sprint)