Front Fender Mounted Mirrors

[DreamsOfA47]

Ok, Gents I swear I used the search feature for this forum to try and find the info for my ensuing question but I wasn't able to find one so I'm going to ask it here...

Have any of y'all mounted Sebring mirrors or any other type of mirrors to the front fenders in the fashion of the attached pics and did they work even little? Like many my car doesn't have mirrors or any mounting holes drilled for them so I'm trying to figure out what'll be the best compromise between looks and function. If they don't work I'll take the forums advice and look at the Californians or some SAP racing mirrors JB style.

[jbcollier]

I have never found wing mirrors very useful.  Moving a mirror farther away narrows its view.  Just get any old random mirror and try it for yourself.

[Bryan Boyle]

Ok, Gents I swear I used the search feature for this forum to try and find the info for my ensuing question but I wasn't able to find one so I'm going to ask it here...

Have any of y'all mounted Sebring mirrors or any other type of mirrors to the front fenders in the fashion of the attached pics and did they work even little? Like many my car doesn't have mirrors or any mounting holes drilled for them so I'm trying to figure out what'll be the best compromise between looks and function. If they don't work I'll take the forums advice and look at the Californians or some SAP racing mirrors JB style.

That's what I did.  The OEM mirrors were useless (yeah, I know they were stock in the day, but they were mounted so far forward that on the driver side, I was lucky to see anything and the offside...well, that was there for show.)

So, found a pair of Californians in black.  The passenger (offside) has a convex mirror stick-on I found at Advance Auto attached to the outside half of the mirror, driver side I left flat.  They are mounted with the front screw of the new base through one of the rear mounting holes of the Sebrings.  That moved it back closer to where it was actually useable; then I angled the back of the mount towards the window to give me better adjustment range. 

Need to fill in the holes left over from the old mirrror on the passenger side as you can see in the photo.  But, they work, and with the convex mirror (things are closer than they appear!) on the offside...you have a better view of the urban assault vehicles trying to run over you.  All in all, took me about a half hour (not including the hole patching for the driver side...).  And...I believe they are period-correct...

[EuropaTC]

I've never had mirrors mounted on the front wings/fenders of the Europa but I have on other cars for a while. As I recall the problem was the images were too small to be much use and that was on the original British Leyland Mini so they weren't that far away (minis are smaller than you remember    )

California style mirrors or any that have the mirror "on a stalk" or pedestal usually work on the doors after some fiddling, and they're close enough to see things clearly without having to have the larger mirrors found on modern cars.

Brian

[Bryan Boyle]

I've never had mirrors mounted on the front wings/fenders of the Europa but I have on other cars for a while. As I recall the problem was the images were too small to be much use and that was on the original British Leyland Mini so they weren't that far away (minis are smaller than you remember    )

California style mirrors or any that have the mirror "on a stalk" or pedestal usually work on the doors after some fiddling, and they're close enough to see things clearly without having to have the larger mirrors found on modern cars.

Brian

At one point, on 444R (now residing in many pieces in a garage in North Carolina...), I put on mirrors  from a 1st Gen VW Rabbit (Golf) on both doors.  Those worked quite well, IIRC.  You do what you have to do.

[DreamsOfA47]

Thank you all for chiming in! You've pretty much confirmed my suspicions that they're all but useless mounted on the fenders so I'll look into some better, more useful type like the Californians or some door mounted bullet mirrors with convex glass.

[Fotog]

I just ordered a pair of repro Raydyot mirrors from Holden Vintage and Classic in the UK.  I didn't see a convex version, but they have the glass available for another £6.18, so ordered that.  Reasonable shipping.  I should have them next week.

I think they're appropriate for the period of the car, and just went for it.  Assuming the quality is as good as appears, I think I'll like them.

Vince

[DreamsOfA47]

Those do look nice! Please update us with how you like them.

[jbcollier]

They are available with convex glass as well.

https://www.europaspares.com/racing_mirror_lightweight_gp_brushed_alloy_raydyot_style_convex_glass_92mm

https://www.europaspares.com/single_bolt_racing_mirror_aluminium_convex_lens_raydyot_style

[GavinT]

*Said in my best Monty Python voice* – And now for something completely different.

RX-7 FB mirrors?
Ford Mirrors?

[DreamsOfA47]

JB those both do look good and I'm gonna give them a good look!

Gavin, I daily an 83 RX7 and I really like the wing mirrors on that, and I have a set of yellow FB RX7 mirrors taken off of my 82 race car that are already yellow like my Europa come to think of it that I may be able to put to good use!

[Kendo]

Dreams, are those the kind of stretched hexagon RX7 mirrors from that era? I always thought that style would work with the Europa lines

[DreamsOfA47]

Kendo yes I believe they are! They do work well on the RX7 and I'd love to have similar visibility in the Lotus, bu the all know the Europa shape is not conducive to seeing out of!

[Fotog]

John:  you seem to know all the sources!  I hadn't been aware of that one.  They have lots of options available for the "Raydyot" style mirrors.  Interesting though to see that nobody seems to have the brushed aluminum style available with a convex mirrored surface.

Also, it seems to be the case that the UK suppliers don't generally provide very much in terms of specifications for their products.  Often they don't provide the brand of an item either.  That's different than the usual North American suppliers.

Dreams-  I'll tell you what I think when I get them.

-V

[Exlimey]

One of these on the drivers side works good