How in the hell did TVR attach the door mirrors?

[dnb]

I broke a door mirror upstand last week. This wasn't much of a problem since the mirror needed to be removed to be resprayed (only 10 years in the waiting) and the glass motors and heater element needed some attention.

I bought a new upstand, painted the mirror and fixed the motor unit and heater. Reassembly was not difficult. I carefully lined up the grub screw with where it is supposed to go, and then I tried to attach the assembly to the car.

I don't have a special 3mm allen key that can seemingly pass through fibreglass as if it's not there but can still tighten metal grub screws. I am unsure where I can get one of these.

What am I missing? How did TVR make the mirrors stick to the car? What kind of mad scientist special tool do I need to make? A sketch would be most appreciated. Have I taken sufficient parts off the door, or is the mirror mounting point supposed to come off too? If so, how? It looks like it will be reluctant to move. Surely I can avoid drilling holes in the door - TVR didn't do this.

All help greatly appreciated!

[Ant.]

Trial and error.

Assemble the mirror and screw it in place on the door.
Make a note of how far out it is, and remove, adjust the threaded collar position , repeat until mirror is in correct position.

[dnb]

Yes, but how do you actually get an allen key to the screw in the first place, except when it is clearly in the wrong place. Do I need to make a really short ball ended 3mm allen key?

[5.0ltr]

David, the mirror is assembled away from the car with the grub screw tightened in where you think it should be. In other words a complete mirror unit with wires, feed wires through hole and then screw mirror head into threaded hole in door. To tighten lift plastic collar over upstand and tighten by using a drift and hammer until tight and In position. If it is not right undo and reposition grub screw and try again! Good luck.

[Barreti]

I had a play
screwed the stand into the door then worked out where the mirror should fit onto it. Marked it up, removed everything and put it together. Then screwed it into the door

[dnb]

OK, so I have to unscrew the thing with no flats on it that looks to be seized in to the door... That'll be easy and not involve bad language in the slightest. What fun!

Thanks all. I was beginning to think I had lost all grasp of sanity.

[zombeh]

Yep, I think I have a tool for doing that. I'm near bits of car tomorrow and will have a look for it.

[5.0ltr]

dnb said:

OK, so I have to unscrew the thing with no flats on it that looks to be seized in to the door... That'll be easy and not involve bad language in the slightest. What fun!

Thanks all. I was beginning to think I had lost all grasp of sanity.

It's easy, you use the gaps in the upstand to place the drift in for off and on. I guess you know/have removed speaker and undone mirror wiring?

[dnb]

Yes... The door is thoroughly dismantled. I have already distorted the gaps in the upstand attachment by trying to rotate it. It's got thoroughly used to being there after 20 years.

[V8 GRF]

This thread will probably help:

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[DarkMatter]

I know that this will not apply to all cars, but when repairing the mirror on my car I noticed a small hole in the door skin immediately opposite the grub screw (see pictures below). I suppose the intention is that you reach inside the door and poke an allen key of the correct length through the hole and into the grub screw.

[spend]

As I first said nearly 10 years ago, its less time consuming to replace with Corrado (or even more options now) mirrors than repair the awkward things... Then every time in the future they come loose / break tripods you are banking saved time / expense

Face the facts. only a French design office could come up with something like those mirrors

[ch427]

I wondered if it would be possible to remove the threads in the door insert so the mirror could be slotted in, a nut could be used on the back of it rather than screw it in or is this not an option with the design?

[5.0ltr]

ch427 said:

I wondered if it would be possible to remove the threads in the door insert so the mirror could be slotted in, a nut could be used on the back of it rather than screw it in or is this not an option with the design?

I don't think the thread on the mirror would be long enough to get a nut onto the inner side of the door. But if this idea worked you would be getting rid of part of the assembly that works!

[5.0ltr]

ch427 said:

I wondered if it would be possible to remove the threads in the door insert so the mirror could be slotted in, a nut could be used on the back of it rather than screw it in or is this not an option with the design?

I don't think the thread on the mirror would be long enough to get a nut onto the inner side of the door. But if this idea worked you would be getting rid of part of the assembly that works!

[dnb]

spend said:

Face the facts. only a French design office could come up with something like those mirrors

And only TVR could take a thing designed by the French and mount the key item to assembly down a blind hole, thereby making the design even more silly.

[neutral 3]

What year and model Corrado are the mirrors from ?