MGB: Side mirror replacement

OK, I don't have pictures of what the DPO did, but suffice to say, when I went to figure out why the drivers side mirror was so loose I was shocked.
They had inserted plastic drywall anchors into the hole to place the mirror base on. (Trust me I wish I would have stopped to snap some pics) Needless to say this resulted in a loose mirror that felt like it was going to fall off any second.
So my question is, when I go to re-mount the mirror do I need to take out the glass, is there a certain screw that helps with the mounting, or would a rivet be preferable?

With the window up and the door panel off you should be able to use a bolt and nut by reaching up inside.

I think the MkIII CBs came with plastic anchors from the factory?

[quote=scottydawg]
I think the MkIII CBs came with plastic anchors from the factory?[/quote]

This definitely looked Home Depot Drywall anchor, it wasn't even flush with the body, it sat on top. I also realized at this point that the mirrors don't match.

[quote="Car Prep Inc."]
With the window up and the door panel off you should be able to use a bolt and nut by reaching up inside.[/quote]

Thanks for the input I will check that out.

Add this to my list of "things to invent and sell for MGB's". Some kind of simple curved metal plate that fits inside the door skin which you could screw the mirror into might help to stabilize it a little.

It's a fairly ridiculous way to mount a mirror. It's screwed through the metal mirror base into a flimsy plastic base and then into a not very thick sheet of door metal. That's why mirrors wiggle and wobble. That, in turn, stresses the door skin, including every time you slam the door. And that may add to the likelihood of the dreaded "crack of doom".

All in all, it would be useful to have some kind of metal (or hard plastic?) plate on the back side of the door skin to help stabilize the mirror -- along with a snug washer and nut. Or maybe you could just use a couple of large (to spread the pressure) washers and a nut to accomplish the same thing?

One thing I learned about buying aftermarket mirrors lately. Make sure they will tilt far enough to be useful before drilling and mounting them. It used to never be a problem but the ones I just put on my VW Baja Bug damned near turned out to be useless. I finally got the left one cranked in far enough to see down the side with it but had to but a big convex stick-on on the right one to see anything near the car. Have someone hold to the car and adjust them until you find out how they'll work.

Ditto on JDW. The bullet style mirrors are most prone to being useless. If they are up close to you on the door you can't angle them enough to be of any use. If they are out on the fender they are too small. You can buy really large bullet style units but they look like they belong on a clown car.

The best door mirrors are the heavy ones that came with the cars to begin with. They were mounted with a plastic plate that had protrusions that expanded inside the door when the screws were run into the bosses.

They and their right fender mounted brethren have the added bonus of being spring loaded and so will take a hit from someone walking by and snagging their coat or handbag on one. The more dainty earlier Lucas mirrors work well, but they snap off if they are hit with any force at all.

I agree that using a nut and bolt arrangement reaching inside the door through the openings made available by removing the door trim is fine, but I would go one step further and cut out a reinforcing plate from soft aluminum to fin on the inside surface. Use the old plastic base plate or just draw something out from eyeball looking at the base of the mirror for a pattern.

Jack

I added bullet style mirrors on my resto. I had to drill an extra hole and they bolt in, not mickey house like the Tex and the plastic plug. The good news is that they look great. The bad news is that they are fu---n worthless. But !!!!! not with standing, I purchased the little convex stick on mirrors from Advance that fit absolutley perfectly and really work wonders.
David