Wing mirror hanging off (well almost)
Discussion
Hi all,
I've just got my Chim 500 ('98) back from having the wing mirror repaired, the garage were reluctant to do anything to it as the Fibre glass disk inside the Mirror case has almost torn completely away from the securing post that goes through the door. To fix the problem I was quoted 500.00 for the repair and was advised that this may not work first time and may need a second one (for another 500.00) as this is a feature of TVRs, that the replacement unit may crack on tightening.
Strangely, I declined the repair and decided that I'd try and bond the disk back together myself, much to the garages relief.
After going to a major car superstore that should be renamed 'HOPELESS' as I was firstly advised to rebond it by using liquid metal ( I'm not by any means a fibreglass expert, but I certainly wasn't convinced), I finally bought a fibreglass repair kit but have been reluctant to run the repair myself as I want the strongest repair possible. without having caused extra faults.
What do you guys suggest, it is the drivers side mirror and if you take the glass off it is right in the far left corner, I have since taken the back off and the disk is torn over 3/4 of the way away from the mounting. Can I try using the repair kit of is there something out there that can do an extremely strong bond, that, if anything will be stronger than before!!
To make things even worse, a new pair of friends came round on Saturday, showing off their rather mint condition Ferrari 308 and the Guy who owns it laughted because he has just replaced the same mirror on his car and it only cost him 50.00 quid.
Dohhh
I've just got my Chim 500 ('98) back from having the wing mirror repaired, the garage were reluctant to do anything to it as the Fibre glass disk inside the Mirror case has almost torn completely away from the securing post that goes through the door. To fix the problem I was quoted 500.00 for the repair and was advised that this may not work first time and may need a second one (for another 500.00) as this is a feature of TVRs, that the replacement unit may crack on tightening.
Strangely, I declined the repair and decided that I'd try and bond the disk back together myself, much to the garages relief.
After going to a major car superstore that should be renamed 'HOPELESS' as I was firstly advised to rebond it by using liquid metal ( I'm not by any means a fibreglass expert, but I certainly wasn't convinced), I finally bought a fibreglass repair kit but have been reluctant to run the repair myself as I want the strongest repair possible. without having caused extra faults.
What do you guys suggest, it is the drivers side mirror and if you take the glass off it is right in the far left corner, I have since taken the back off and the disk is torn over 3/4 of the way away from the mounting. Can I try using the repair kit of is there something out there that can do an extremely strong bond, that, if anything will be stronger than before!!
To make things even worse, a new pair of friends came round on Saturday, showing off their rather mint condition Ferrari 308 and the Guy who owns it laughted because he has just replaced the same mirror on his car and it only cost him 50.00 quid.
Dohhh
Why don't you change both mirrors to the latest VW jobs - total cost is going to be less than your £500! Have a look at this link - I'm in the process of doing this but as I'm not a techie I'm getting it done through Peninsular/tvrbodyshop.( I bought the mirrors myself via GPC )
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=26530&f=9&h=0&hw=MIRRORS
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=26530&f=9&h=0&hw=MIRRORS
I'd like to see how it looks on the Chim, as for costs, the wife will kill me if I spend anymore for the next couple of months (been buying computer stuff and the wife found one of the receipts, dog house to say the least...)
Maybe later on this year, but I need to sort this one out now, as I cannot drive it, AND IT'S PERFECT WEATHER!!!!! for once.
Must drive car, must drive car..............
Maybe later on this year, but I need to sort this one out now, as I cannot drive it, AND IT'S PERFECT WEATHER!!!!! for once.
Must drive car, must drive car..............
Which bit of the mirror is it. Is it the metal part that comes up from the base with the thread on it to the bottom of the mirror? If so this bit is called the castle and should cost you about £12.00 or so.
Jon
www.tvrbodyrepairs.com
Jon
www.tvrbodyrepairs.com
Sounds like the conical post. There are pictures of the mirror in bits in the ible. I can't remember seeing a fibre glass disc anywhere.
If you need a new mirror they are around £200 ish but need repainting which adds to the cost.
As for the Ferrari, ask him how much it costs to change the cam belt. £4-5000 is about the going price I seem to remember as the engine has to come out.
Steve
If you need a new mirror they are around £200 ish but need repainting which adds to the cost.
As for the Ferrari, ask him how much it costs to change the cam belt. £4-5000 is about the going price I seem to remember as the engine has to come out.
Steve
shpub said:
As for the Ferrari, ask him how much it costs to change the cam belt. £4-5000 is about the going price I seem to remember as the engine has to come out.
Steve, t'was me with the 308. Nope, cam belts are about £300 from an indie on a 308, and can be done in situ ... you're thinking about 355's where the engine has to be dropped, and you're talking about £1500-2500.
But your point is still valid, it's damn rare that anything prancing horse is even vaguely in the same price range as TVR !!
I think the bit Simon is trying to describe is the bit inside (take the mirror off the velcro) where the steel (?) post comes up from the door, and the mirror housing attaches to it. It's ripped about 3/4 of the way round (in the fibreglass) where the mirror housing attaches to the post.
Simon, my mate Trefor (Ph'er and Chim owner says "tell him to go to an indie - sounds like an easy repair - bit of P38 and you're done. BTW, they don't 'all do that sir' in this case. Mine haven't fallen off (yet). £500 ... I'm in the wrong business."
If you want me to come help you try the fibreglass method, let me know .....
Simon, my mate Trefor (Ph'er and Chim owner says "tell him to go to an indie - sounds like an easy repair - bit of P38 and you're done. BTW, they don't 'all do that sir' in this case. Mine haven't fallen off (yet). £500 ... I'm in the wrong business."
If you want me to come help you try the fibreglass method, let me know .....
Here's what's wrong (not a disk as it looks from the front, but has torn a disk shape into the existing mounting)
[PIC] www.fotango.com/p/eba00342315f00000001.jpg [/PIC]
Sorry can't got this forum to display the piccy (can't play with it as I'm at work....)
Thanks Nev, I email you later
>> Edited by Sarnian on Tuesday 24th June 09:11
[PIC] www.fotango.com/p/eba00342315f00000001.jpg [/PIC]
Sorry can't got this forum to display the piccy (can't play with it as I'm at work....)
Thanks Nev, I email you later
>> Edited by Sarnian on Tuesday 24th June 09:11
I have had to fix something similar on my Chim. I think mine had had a previous fix to it as the "castle" (on mine) screws into what seems to be a large washer rivited in place. Some scrote knocked the mirror off in a car park and I had to fix it.
If I recall the riveted washer mechanism had broken.
I ended up fixing this with that loverly liquid metal stuff. Worked a treat and has lasted for nearly 3 years so far and still going strong. I think I improved the set up a little but can't remember exactly how - I did write a long descrption on how I did it somewhere here on PH. I'll see if I can find the details.
OK here is the previous note www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=436&f=8&h=0&hw=wing+mirror or search for "Replacing a wing mirror stem" cos I just can't get the link embedded propperly !
>> Edited by philr on Tuesday 24th June 09:34
If I recall the riveted washer mechanism had broken.
I ended up fixing this with that loverly liquid metal stuff. Worked a treat and has lasted for nearly 3 years so far and still going strong. I think I improved the set up a little but can't remember exactly how - I did write a long descrption on how I did it somewhere here on PH. I'll see if I can find the details.
OK here is the previous note www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=436&f=8&h=0&hw=wing+mirror or search for "Replacing a wing mirror stem" cos I just can't get the link embedded propperly !
>> Edited by philr on Tuesday 24th June 09:34
£500?? another comedy quotation. That liquid metal stuff can be useful, but not for this repair. In my experience it is a pretty crap adhesive and will seperate from whatever you're trying to fix if there is any flexibility ... but if you're repairing something that gives the liquid metal something to key into, and you need to fill a hole and make it completely rigid, then it can give you a good and very quick fix.
Fixing a rip as described can be a pain. How about an Araldite sandwich? Rough up the surface of the plastic with sand paper, apply ye Araldite and then stick some glass fibre or maybe even a large metal washer to the top of the glue to bridge the rip? My guess is you will not find this method described in any reputable workshop manual as it is what is commonly known as a bodge, but it might be worth a try.
Fixing a rip as described can be a pain. How about an Araldite sandwich? Rough up the surface of the plastic with sand paper, apply ye Araldite and then stick some glass fibre or maybe even a large metal washer to the top of the glue to bridge the rip? My guess is you will not find this method described in any reputable workshop manual as it is what is commonly known as a bodge, but it might be worth a try.
Just had a chat with a guy at TVR - Blackpool. He actually had a mirror frame in his hand with exactly the same fault.
Curiously he wasn't sure whether the material on the back of the bracket is either plastic or thin aluminium. His only comment was that TVR throw the mirrors away when they get this fault and a replacement is 162 quid.
I will have another look tonight and try and take a better picture for you guys.
Thanks for the help so far, like the especially like the idea of using a washer as reinforcment. Cool idea.
Curiously he wasn't sure whether the material on the back of the bracket is either plastic or thin aluminium. His only comment was that TVR throw the mirrors away when they get this fault and a replacement is 162 quid.
I will have another look tonight and try and take a better picture for you guys.
Thanks for the help so far, like the especially like the idea of using a washer as reinforcment. Cool idea.
Does this look like your mirror.
If it does that hole shouldn't be there and that rough bit of metal on top of the castle is the bit thats broken off. In this case I would normally fix it with a new mirror, but you can fix it by removing the bit of metal thats broken off. Find a big washer that won't fall though the hole. Then you need a long bolt that goes though the washer and into the castle fixing the castle and the mirror chassis together.Put a nut on the end of the bolt and tighten as necessary .
Should look like this.
Hope this is of some help
Jon
www.tvrbodyrepairs.com
If it does that hole shouldn't be there and that rough bit of metal on top of the castle is the bit thats broken off. In this case I would normally fix it with a new mirror, but you can fix it by removing the bit of metal thats broken off. Find a big washer that won't fall though the hole. Then you need a long bolt that goes though the washer and into the castle fixing the castle and the mirror chassis together.Put a nut on the end of the bolt and tighten as necessary .
Should look like this.
Hope this is of some help
Jon
www.tvrbodyrepairs.com
That's it !
That's what I was trying to describe before.
Someone had previously rivetted a big washer on but something in that area had broken. I put a further decent washer on + big bolt through from the top and just for good measure used liquid weld to seal everything in place. Not pretty, but very effective.
Down side is having to take the mirror off to do the job...open up the door...remove speaker ...remove all skin from arms ....
Have fun.
(good pics of the problem by the way Bodyman)
>> Edited by philr on Tuesday 24th June 19:33
That's what I was trying to describe before.
Someone had previously rivetted a big washer on but something in that area had broken. I put a further decent washer on + big bolt through from the top and just for good measure used liquid weld to seal everything in place. Not pretty, but very effective.
Down side is having to take the mirror off to do the job...open up the door...remove speaker ...remove all skin from arms ....
Have fun.
(good pics of the problem by the way Bodyman)
>> Edited by philr on Tuesday 24th June 19:33
Bloody hell, you lot are rather good, that's exactly what is wrong with the mirror.
I've just come in from using an epoxy steel bonding glue and a washer
.
I'm going to see how that works otherwise I'm going to take the whole thing apart and follow your piccies.
WELL DONE, 100 times better results than I've had from the offical channels, and a damn site cheaper..
Thanks guys.
I've just come in from using an epoxy steel bonding glue and a washer
. I'm going to see how that works otherwise I'm going to take the whole thing apart and follow your piccies.
WELL DONE, 100 times better results than I've had from the offical channels, and a damn site cheaper..
Thanks guys.
BTW, Now I've been fiddling with the contents of the wing mirror I have noticed that around the edges of it it is chipped to hell.
Where can I get some authentic (if that is possible) metallic silver touchup paint for a '98 model?
And what are your recommendations about this, should I just get 'chipsaway' from the yellowpages or is this an approved novice repair option
Where can I get some authentic (if that is possible) metallic silver touchup paint for a '98 model?
And what are your recommendations about this, should I just get 'chipsaway' from the yellowpages or is this an approved novice repair option
Sarnian said:
BTW, Now I've been fiddling with the contents of the wing mirror I have noticed that around the edges of it it is chipped to hell.
Where can I get some authentic (if that is possible) metallic silver touchup paint for a '98 model?
You having a laugh? touch up paint for a 98 model.
Get the colour number from your hand book or from the plate under the bonnet, and give Webbs auto's a bell.
It's about £5+ a pot, and will be in the post next day.
Ed to add...
Or Jon at www.tvrbodyrepairs.com
>> Edited by Big Al. (moderator) on Tuesday 24th June 21:06
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