Side/door/wing mirror mounting (again)

[disquek]

Hi,

I'm looking at mounting mirrors on the doors of my S4 DHC in the upper front corners.

In looking at pictures of the doors, there doesn't seem to be any access to the inside of the shell without removing the window frames. I've also read the removing and installing the frames is very painful.

I'm looking at mirrors that can be attached from the outside. Right now I'm liking the Ferrari 246 Dino repro mirrors.

My question is can these be attached simply with screws into the fiberglass? I have a rivnut tool. So that's an option. But rivnuts sit proud of the surface, and are potentially wider than the base of the mirrors. I also worry that there might not be room to fit the rivnuts between the door skin and the window frame.

I've never had one of these doors apart. So I'm pretty clueless here.

Thanks for any help!
-Kyle

[nmauduit]

it may be possible to access the back side of a window mounted mirror - depending on where exactly it is located (I would think in the vicinity of the window frame, preferably in front), I don't recall for sure but on my S4 the window all the way up the is a "nearby" access for the hinges that could enable that (e.g. to hold in place a spring clip so as to spread the load on the back side)... in any case, you may want to use the lightest mirror you can find, esp. if door mounted. I would glue the screws to the fiberglass (a dab of epoxy in the thread) to reinforce the weakness of the hole, esp. if no backside support can be installed.

[disquek]

I havent had the door cards off of my car yet, but the pictures I've seen show now holes to reach through on the inside of the door under the door card.

It looks like the only holes big enough to reach through are the speaker and motor holes. The speaker is too far from the spot where a mirror would be mounted. The motor (I'm assuming) is as difficult to remove as the frame.

Do others here have side/door/wing mirrors simply screwed to the door?

-Kyle

[JohnCh]

My Sebring mirror, which has been on the car for an unknown length of time, is attached with sheet metal screws. That surprised me when removing it to add the base extender, but upon discovering just how little it weighs with its plastic housing, I opted to leave that aspect alone. However, I'm not sure I would do that with a heavier metal housing mirror.

-John

[1owner69Elan]

My 69 S4 delivered to me at the factory with a single Sebring Mach 1 mirror attached to drivers side with sheet metal screws.

Never a problem except for sometimes people brushing by the mirror and loosening it.

Now that my car is in for paint and the doors and windows are apart, looking to affix a backing plate with captured nuts. With machine screws through the body and the load spread on the backside.

[gjz30075]

Same here ^^^^^^^, and I replaced the sheet metal screws with rivnuts for the door and whatever
small bolt size for the rivnut. It's a pot metal Sebring Mach 1 mirror

[Davidb]

My solution was to drill a 1 1/4 hole to access the mirror retaining bolt. The hole could be covered with a rubber bung or... It is only visible when the door is wide open:

[1owner69Elan]

Same here ^^^^^^^, and I replaced the sheet metal screws with rivnuts for the door and whatever
small bolt size for the rivnut. It's a pot metal Sebring Mach 1 mirror

I think the metal, instead of plastic, Sebring mirrors are rare and can be quite valuable:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lamborghini-Mi ... 3219905686

[gjz30075]

So I understand. Two of them came with the car when I bought it 41 years ago. One was badly
pitted so I had it rechromed. Unfortunately, they buffed out the logo
The one on the car is pretty good.

[nmauduit]

Same here ^^^^^^^, and I replaced the sheet metal screws with rivnuts for the door and whatever
small bolt size for the rivnut. It's a pot metal Sebring Mach 1 mirror

I think the metal, instead of plastic, Sebring mirrors are rare and can be quite valuable:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lamborghini-Mi ... 3219905686

I find the steel GTE (Ferrari etc) mirror versions too large for elans - but arguably one would then have a larger area to watch...

[Bienfu]

Hi,

Right now I’m looking to change the mirrors of my elan S3.
I found "Tex type" mirrors that I have already seen several times mounted on Elan S3/S4.
As the author of this post I looked some pictures of doors and videos and for me there is nos access inside the shell of the door except by removing the windows frame.

Video of an Elan S4 door disassembly:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3WZHNyGFxY

These "Tex type" mirror can be mounted just by drilling holes from the exterior?
There is no risk for the fiberglass?

Here is a link for the mirror: https://www.carbuilder.com/uk/edelstahl ... iegel-paar

Thanks for your help