Mirrors, again--- What would LOOK good?

[Piledriver]

OK, I have given up on getting a clean pair of T3 mirrors, and am considering other options.

How about BMW/Cooper Mini mirrors on a T3?

Any other ideas?

[Piledriver]

Here's a site that sells stuff for the original Cooper Minis...

Their selection of mirrors are great, and the body/door profile is reasonably similar to a T3.
The prices rock too, which certainly means Chinese, but as that's all there is anymore...

http://minisport-usa.com/mini-spare-par ... rrors.html

I think a pair of these would look like they belong there...
(Would go on the door)

[supaninja]

I just sold a really clean drivers side mirror to a guy in argentina, had I known I could have hooked you up. Dude, there are always good side mirrors in the classies on TOS, I would avoid chinese mirrors like a 2 bit prostie with herpes.

[Marc]

Depends upon your personal taste...some like the "swan-neck" type: http://so-calspeedshop.com/images_new/c ... es/p59.pdf

[Piledriver]

I just sold a really clean drivers side mirror to a guy in argentina, had I known I could have hooked you up. Dude, there are always good side mirrors in the classies on TOS, I would avoid chinese mirrors like a 2 bit prostie with herpes.

Thanks, Supa, it's the matching passengers side mirrors that have proven to be unobtanium.

I'm sorta leaning to wards a "retro German Look" sorta Like a modern Mini...
...except I guess it can't BE retro if it's 40 years old .

It's got the 914 Creamsicles' Mahles and (RSN) 2L engine in it, I even considered going all the way...
.. with the Light Ivory/Phoenix Red paint job.

My son thinks that's a step or two too far but I still think it might look OK, esp since the T3 wouldn't have the big orange bumpers/valance panels, just wheel centers and maybe a side stripe/rockers.

[Jadewombat]

http://www.germanlook.net/forums/showth ... #post76818

[Piledriver]

Cool.

[Piledriver]

In a fit of "screw it" I pulled the trigger on a pair of the early repro mirrors from Flat-4.

Stupid.

They don't look BAD (they are very nicely made) but the passenger side lacks the extension arm needed to actually see most of the the mirror, and they both stick up at a (IMHO) ridiculous angle...
...although I do realize that's how they actually were from the factory, I just didn't realize they would look that funky and tiny on a late car.

I doubt I'll ever be satisfied with them, anyone with an early car want them?
(save me having to return them to CIP1)

I need to find a wrecked Mini or something.

[bullyboy]

I have a stock set from a 65 square I parted out last year...they need new mirrors.

I have the stock ones on my square and found I had to silicone the wide angle mirrors on both sides to have any kind of decent view of traffic.

[gearheadgreg]

i would go with some talbot style mirrors. period correct, cool, etc. i will have some in stock someday soonish...

[Jadewombat]

I always thought the mirrors mounted up front on the fenders like the old British cars or Italian racers or JDM cars would be cool to try. I've seen a couple of bugs something like this, the mirror mounted in the V right where the fender top almost meets the hood.

[vdubin]

nice looking celica!!! OP I bought a set of convertible bug mirrors for my square. they have the extended arm.
http://www.jbugs.com/category/vw-bug-su ... 68-79.html

[Piledriver]

The only issue I have with the bug mirrors is they stick up at a 30 degree angle like mickey ears.
(OK, maybe 15 degree angle, not that bad, but still not kosher)

I picked up a pair of mirrors for a Ghia awhile back, they are perfect angle, except the mount bits are the wrong size for a T3.
(and the mount parts were borked to the point one wouldn't even have worked on a Ghia)
Seems like every manufacturer uses a totally incompatible setup, I have a drivers mirror sorta rigged & working ~properly, but I had to drill out the passenger side mount to fit the early mirrors.... dumbass.
I have a OG T3 mirror on drivers side and had the T3 mirror on passenger side--- perfect mirror image.

These guys actually MAKE T3 late style mirrors, (essentially Ghia w/T1 mounts) they just don't realize it or refuse to sell them in that configuration for unknown reasons. An old saw is to assume stupidity vs. malice, so I'll go with that.

I may further harass CIP1, he guys I have spoken to are VW nuts, they might be able to come up with something, perhaps they source from one mirror vendor, and the bits are compatible, you never know.

Bus mirrors screw right on and adjust to any angle, unfortunately I'd have to always tow a trailer or look even more of a total dork.
Sadly the part that screws in is also not compatible with the T3/Ghia head/collet bit.

[vdubin]

I recently looked at the bug mirrors and the bases are different. however, I have modiifed the bug mirrors to fit with no damage to the original t3 mirrors.

take the bug mirror, use a dremel and sand/file off the bottom of the hex base by about 1/8" at a taper to fit the knuckle of the original t3 base. then you cut off about 1/8"-3/16" off of the threaded end of the bug mirror. now you are good to go.

I also learned that the cheap aftermarket mirrors do not take a lot of torque. I failed to disassemble my base to clean and unsieze and snapped the modified mirror right off of it's mounting stud. no worries though, I simply reassembled my original t3 mirrors that are knackered but usable and will order a new mirror.

here are a few pics i took to help.

here you can see all of the bits and the difference in the bases. the arm angles are very close. close enough for me to be happy.

here you can see the difference in the threded piece length. also you can see where I sanded down the hex of the bug mirror.

here it is on my square. not bad at all. this is before I tried to adjust it up or down and snapped it off.