Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

I'm finding it a bit scary driving my new Plus 2 without door mirrors! I'm sure I'll get used to it, but would like something there longer term.

Does anyone have any experience of clip / clamp on door mirrors for the Plus 2 that:
a) don't damage the trim
b) don't require any cutting
c) work

I'd like to try this before thinking about drilling the door for 'proper' mirrors. I have never fitted door mirrors to a fibreglass door before - I anticipate it could be a bit wobbly, without substantial bracing inside the door. Again - any thoughts / experiences please.

Cheers,
Andy

It's just a couple of holes and self tappers in the fibre glass, seemingly from the factory. Be brave!

As they are mounted on the curve at the top of the panel, they do wobble a bit (and combined with the low quality of the mirror mounts). But they do work.

Hi Andy

I can comment on the fitting of 'proper' door mirrors on a 2 seat Elan and I would guess +2 doors are similar. I have used Tex mirrors

https://texautomotive.com/classic_exterior_mirrors.html

They fit from the outside using expanding plastic plugs and are surprisingly rigid. They can also supply convex mirrors so they are very much like a modern car.

My experience with clip on mirrors on door frames has not been positive.

HTH

I recently installed Tex mirrors too and found the expanding plastic mount to be crap. Not very rigid and one mirror came off when I bumped it with my hip as I walked past!

I fixed this by using screws and nyloc nuts instead, and to give the nuts something to bear against, I used some large-OD washers that had been bent to something close to the curve of the inside of the door. This change made all the difference and the mirrors are now very sturdily mounted.

I have found the same problem with the Tex Mirrors plastic plugs.
Also the plastic block which has dove tailed ends.
I made another block from metal and now the Grub Screw locks the Mirror solidly.
Alan

My S4 came with no door mirrors so I started off with a window clamp on which lasted 50 miles before self ejecting! I then bit the bullet and fitted a pair of classic torpedo mirrors on the doors only to find there was not enough adjustment to see anything in the passenger side mirror. Later I had a body respray and I got them to remove both mirrors and fill the holes before respray to give options going forward.
Many years later I am still running with just the central mirror and good observation. I think the car looks better like that too. So don’t be hasty to start drilling holes!

I fitted torpedo wing mirrors to my +2 many years ago, and I think they look OK.
I solved the problem of passenger mirror driver visibility by sticking a convex self adhesive mirror to the plain existing mirror. I found one that was slightly smaller than the plain mirror. This gave a wide field of view so you can see approaching traffic and parking gaps etc.
Objects will be smaller though and you would need to remember that and make allowances.

Dave Chapman.

On my Sprint i have a wide angle convex mirror that clips on the original interior mirror. Works very well
Alan

powellsmail wrote:So don’t be hasty to start drilling holes!

My thoughts too, which is why I wanted to consider the clip-ons first, but it seems that nobody has any good experiences of these...

I have clip on mirrors on both the window frames of my Elan. I Protected the chrome with a small strip of aluminium so that I could tighten them as much as I dare. Been like that for 3 or 4 years and no problems to date.
Here's a pic

Geoffers71 wrote:I have clip on mirrors on both the window frames of my Elan. I Protected the chrome with a small strip of aluminium so that I could tighten them as much as I dare. Been like that for 3 or 4 years and no problems to date.
Here's a pic

image3.jpeg

I got one of these for my Sprint but it doesn’t fit due to the inner felt within the window channel - not enough space for the glass and the clamp. Has anyone else had this trouble ?

Regards
Richard

richardcox_lotus wrote:

Geoffers71 wrote:I have clip on mirrors on both the window frames of my Elan. I Protected the chrome with a small strip of aluminium so that I could tighten them as much as I dare. Been like that for 3 or 4 years and no problems to date.
Here's a pic

image3.jpeg

I got one of these for my Sprint but it doesn’t fit due to the inner felt within the window channel - not enough space for the glass and the clamp. Has anyone else had this trouble ?

Regards
Richard

I remember now, I had to cut away just enough of the inner felt, only about an inch and a half or so, so that the mirror clamp fitted to metal only. This gives enough room, doesn't effect the operation of the window and makes the fitment much firmer.

I've got no door mirros on my +2 and wouldn't bother with them. Only time I miss them is backing into carparks and trying to do it straight. Such good visibilty out of the +2, the old shoulder check is sufficient for me.

Geoffers71 —

Would you be able to tells us exactly which mirrors those are?

Thanks,
Alan

I have Tex door mirrors on mo Plus 2. Two self tappers to fix them on and they are fine - good and solid, easy to fit. Just make sure you drill the hole in the right place - take time to get the mirror position correct before marking and drilling!