Door Mirror 'Toadstall Trim' - Desperately Wanted!

Door Mirror 'Toadstall Trim' - Desperately Wanted!

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jay-kay-em

Original Poster:

217 posts

203 months

Thursday 4th December 2014
quotequote all
Evenin' all!

I am trying to find a replacement door mirror part. For want of a better description, it's the plastic ring that slides up/down over the 'toadstall' to reveal the 'grub-screw-of-death'.

Not only is mine broken, but there must be 5mm missing from its circumference which means if I was to glue it together, its diameter would be smaller. I guess its someone else's efforts to reach said grubscrew.





I have tried all the breakers yards with no joy, Citroen too. Even if they did have one, many have said they keep bits from broken mirrors to make good mirrors. I could of course buy one of these 'good mirrors' for £100+, dismantle it and try to sell it again on ebay, but thought I would try here first.

Hopefully there is one at the bottom of someones tool box. Top money paid!

Regards, Jay.

seaside

110 posts

125 months

Thursday 4th December 2014
quotequote all

jay-kay-em

Original Poster:

217 posts

203 months

Friday 5th December 2014
quotequote all
seaside said:
I appreciate your help but thats a Corrado mirror. I'm talking about the earlier Citroen CX type.

Pupp

12,205 posts

271 months

Friday 5th December 2014
quotequote all
If you can reconstruct it enough to scan, 3-D print a replica? Think you might struggle to find an original unfortunately.

There should be no need to touch the grub screw with it on the car (*should*)

QBee

20,904 posts

143 months

Friday 5th December 2014
quotequote all
Just repaired my mirror (different fault). If you are certain it would be too small just glued (the same part on mine was surprisingly loose), have you considered just gluing a small piece of black plastic in to bridge the gap?

billynobrakes

2,675 posts

264 months

Friday 5th December 2014
quotequote all
I know someone who fix that for you they will just stick a screw in it and hope you don,t notice

PeteGriff

1,262 posts

156 months

Friday 5th December 2014
quotequote all
jay-kay-em said:
Evenin' all!

I am trying to find a replacement door mirror part. For want of a better description, it's the plastic ring that slides up/down over the 'toadstall' to reveal the 'grub-screw-of-death'.

Not only is mine broken, but there must be 5mm missing from its circumference which means if I was to glue it together, its diameter would be smaller. I guess its someone else's efforts to reach said grubscrew.





I have tried all the breakers yards with no joy, Citroen too. Even if they did have one, many have said they keep bits from broken mirrors to make good mirrors. I could of course buy one of these 'good mirrors' for £100+, dismantle it and try to sell it again on ebay, but thought I would try here first.

Hopefully there is one at the bottom of someones tool box. Top money paid!

Regards, Jay.
Hi JayKay, these parts are becoming very rare to find. By the looks of it I would say its repairable. Are you sure there are pieces missing? if you push it together is there much of a gap? Please post some photos of the broken side and what it looks like pushed together. I would repair it if it was mine. A method could be as follows:

Using black insulation tape (or similar hi stick adhesive tape) place strips around the inside whilst keeping the ring together with whatever gap required to allow for the missing piece(s). Obtain some metal loaded araldite (it's great stuff very strong and grey in colour), mix and carefully spread across the gap/crack (ensure you have previously degreased and cleaned parts, it would also be prudent if the gap was say 5mm to wedge a round former inside to stop it sagging)). Let it go off for 24 hours. When cured carefully sand the shape back, making sure you do not go too heavy around the join. When suitably shaped clean and spray the whole ring with 'plastic trim paint' e.g.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Foliatec-Car-Interior-Da...

This type of paint is satin/matt and leaves a slightly stipple finish. The above is just one product, look out what your local motorfactors might do.

On a final note; When repairing one of my mirror stalks a while back I decided to unscrew the boss from the car door itself, fit a rubber washer, replace the stalk on the bench with the threaded boss, tightening the grub screw nicely 'on the bench', then fit the plastic 'skirt' then push wires through into door, screw mirror into place tightening and aliging accordingly. Done that on both sides now. When the mirrors were removed for the respray last year we just released the cables, unscrewed the mirrors and took them out, none of the pain of trying to loosen a pain of a grub screw. Only once has a mirror come loose, all it needed was tightening against the rubber seal I made.

Hope the above has been some help. Regards, Pete

Hedgehopper

1,537 posts

243 months

Friday 5th December 2014
quotequote all
PeteGriff said:
When the mirrors were removed for the respray last year we just released the cables, unscrewed the mirrors and took them out, none of the pain of trying to loosen a pain of a grub screw.
Once you have found the exact place where the grub-screw needs to be, countersink the collar it tightens on to. This way the mirror can't slip out of position in the future. Always remove / refit the mirror by winding the whole assembly out of the door....don't touch the grub screw.

simonwedge

743 posts

179 months

Friday 5th December 2014
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Brand new ones for sale here, £7.50 ; http://tvr-parts.com/tvr-parts/by-model/griffith/b...

Hoover.

5,988 posts

241 months

Saturday 6th December 2014
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simonwedge said:
Brand new ones for sale here, £7.50 ; http://tvr-parts.com/tvr-parts/by-model/griffith/b...
That's for the metal tripod, OP is looking for the plastic collar that goes over the tripod

Pete Mac

755 posts

136 months

Saturday 6th December 2014
quotequote all
PeteGriff said:
Hi JayKay, these parts are becoming very rare to find. By the looks of it I would say its repairable. Are you sure there are pieces missing? if you push it together is there much of a gap? Please post some photos of the broken side and what it looks like pushed together. I would repair it if it was mine. A method could be as follows:

Using black insulation tape (or similar hi stick adhesive tape) place strips around the inside whilst keeping the ring together with whatever gap required to allow for the missing piece(s). Obtain some metal loaded araldite (it's great stuff very strong and grey in colour), mix and carefully spread across the gap/crack (ensure you have previously degreased and cleaned parts, it would also be prudent if the gap was say 5mm to wedge a round former inside to stop it sagging)). Let it go off for 24 hours. When cured carefully sand the shape back, making sure you do not go too heavy around the join. When suitably shaped clean and spray the whole ring with 'plastic trim paint' e.g.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Foliatec-Car-Interior-Da...

This type of paint is satin/matt and leaves a slightly stipple finish. The above is just one product, look out what your local motorfactors might do.

On a final note; When repairing one of my mirror stalks a while back I decided to unscrew the boss from the car door itself, fit a rubber washer, replace the stalk on the bench with the threaded boss, tightening the grub screw nicely 'on the bench', then fit the plastic 'skirt' then push wires through into door, screw mirror into place tightening and aliging accordingly. Done that on both sides now. When the mirrors were removed for the respray last year we just released the cables, unscrewed the mirrors and took them out, none of the pain of trying to loosen a pain of a grub screw. Only once has a mirror come loose, all it needed was tightening against the rubber seal I made.

Hope the above has been some help. Regards, Pete
JayKay, I wouldn't argue with PeteGriff when it comes to making/repairing things as he's my mentor on these matters but if you don't fancy the repair route, I reckon there might be enough of a demand to have some new ones made up. I would certainly buy a few 'just in case'. I don't have any spares but I do have a couple you could borrow from my rebuild to have a mould made up from an injection moulder - I'm guessing the cost would be fairly high but it is an alternative. I don't know what the 'set-up' cost would be from an injection moulder.

I've just had to repair my off-side wing mirror as the inner frame (not the toadstool) fell apart. What a bcensoredd of a job that was and the inner frame was very expensive and rare. I got it from Racetech, I guess you have tried them for the plastic sleeve. Pete

Pete Mac

755 posts

136 months

Saturday 6th December 2014
quotequote all
PeteGriff said:
... tightening the grub screw nicely 'on the bench', then fit the plastic 'skirt' then push wires through into door, screw mirror into place tightening and aliging accordingly.....
I did the same, having tried everything to get that grub-screw tightened in-situ. Impossible. The whole job took me a day although I am much wiser now. If anyone needs grub-screws I bought a load of stainless ones so I have plenty spare of varying lengths. Pete

Hedgehopper

1,537 posts

243 months

Tuesday 9th December 2014
quotequote all
Not quite sure what this site is all about but there is a pic. of the part you want. Perhaps they will sell the collar you need separately? Hope it helps.

http://www.tvrcarclub-france.net/forum/viewtopic.p...

roseytvr

1,788 posts

177 months

Tuesday 9th December 2014
quotequote all
Sorry for the thread hijack but does anyone know what size Allen key fits the grub screw?

Pete Mac

755 posts

136 months

Wednesday 10th December 2014
quotequote all
roseytvr said:
Sorry for the thread hijack but does anyone know what size Allen key fits the grub screw?
3mm I believe.

When you come up with a way of turning it in-situ, please let us all know. Pete


Pete Mac

755 posts

136 months

Wednesday 10th December 2014
quotequote all
Hedgehopper said:
Not quite sure what this site is all about but there is a pic. of the part you want. Perhaps they will sell the collar you need separately? Hope it helps.

http://www.tvrcarclub-france.net/forum/viewtopic.p...
It looks like the covers in stainless steel at 89,90€/pair incl. vat plus shipment. Fairly steep. It does give me an idea though, I wonder if you could have these turned from a solid block of black plastic, rather than moulded. Pete

PeteGriff

1,262 posts

156 months

Wednesday 10th December 2014
quotequote all
Pete Mac said:
It looks like the covers in stainless steel at 89,90€/pair incl. vat plus shipment. Fairly steep. It does give me an idea though, I wonder if you could have these turned from a solid block of black plastic, rather than moulded. Pete
Yes, what a great idea Pete, they could be turned from black nylon! Pete

Pupp

12,205 posts

271 months

Thursday 11th December 2014
quotequote all
Hedgehopper said:
Not quite sure what this site is all about but there is a pic. of the part you want. Perhaps they will sell the collar you need separately? Hope it helps.

http://www.tvrcarclub-france.net/forum/viewtopic.p...
Gregor has been busy! The mirror trim looks a quality solution - he is a member on here so might see this and come up with a group buy...? I'd be interested to put a pair on the shelf ready for that fateful day.

Pete Mac

755 posts

136 months

Thursday 11th December 2014
quotequote all
PeteGriff said:
Yes, what a great idea Pete, they could be turned from black nylon! Pete
Another little project Pete after your stainless undertrays and dashboards....? If you decide to go that way then I'll pre-book 4 off - no hurry. Pete

Pupp

12,205 posts

271 months

Thursday 11th December 2014
quotequote all
Certainly something that could be turned or spun - they are essentially a stepped tube with one end cut off at an angle - got an intact one here if anyone wants the dimensions/ a drawing doing - just looking at it, thick wall tube of the right dia might be an easier bet than from solid