Fitting Carbon Mirrors

[66MK]

Dear Clever people (!), I have a pair of Carbon wing mirror covers Mrs 66MK bought for me but they have no locating tabs molded into them. The supplier suggested double sided tape but looking at the internals of the wing mirror itself, its very hard to guess where the tape should be positioned in order to make contact with the cover and to be sure a good sticking contact is actually made! The way the mirror covers need to be offered up also means that the covers slide over the top of much of the sticky tape rather than being pressed directly onto the tape - being carbon, they don't flex much either so 'pressing' isn't so easy. I would hate to stick them on only to find out that it was a poor contact and have the cover fly off whilst driving. Any ideas? I'm considering aluminium 'square' S shaped hooks epoxied to the inside to replicate the original plastic moldings - what do think would be the best approach?

Gaffer tape around the outside spoils the aesthetic and obscures the mirror!



No Tabs!



Close up of the Tabs



Cover removed showing wing mirror internals - no smooth faces that are close enough to the inside of the covers for tape to make good contact! Top is held in place by a lip on the cover, it's the bottom that's the biggest issue.

So, who's done this before? And How!!

Thanks in advance...

[J12KJR]

I would suggest that what your good lady has purchased is over covers ie they are designed to be stuck onto your original mirror cover using double sided tape.

[66MK]

J12KJR said:

I would suggest that what your good lady has purchased is over covers ie they are designed to be stuck onto your original mirror cover using double sided tape.

No, they are replacements, they fit perfectly when offered up by hand and have a lip around the 'mirror' edge that engages under the plastic surround of the mirror housing.

[cayman-black]

mine looked like that as if tabs where missing, my body shop clipped them on in 2 minutes. They will be fine.
Sorry are they the ones on the left? if so they have no clips at all and are more like covers are they original?
With no tabs at all they will not go on.

Edited by cayman-black on Thursday 10th March 09:18

[northernmedia]

Yes I remember my old carbon mirrors had the clips built into them.
You could see how you get on with some pressure and clear silicone around the edge?
Or contact the supplier?

[J12KJR]

66MK said:

J12KJR said:

I would suggest that what your good lady has purchased is over covers ie they are designed to be stuck onto your original mirror cover using double sided tape.

No, they are replacements, they fit perfectly when offered up by hand and have a lip around the 'mirror' edge that engages under the plastic surround of the mirror housing.

Replacement suggest something that is the same as the original and they clearly aren't the same. I don't see how you could fix those in place of the originals but I hope for your sake that you can
Be interested to find out how they do go on.

[66MK]

northernmedia said:

Yes I remember my old carbon mirrors had the clips built into them.
You could see how you get on with some pressure and clear silicone around the edge?
Or contact the supplier?

Like it - nice idea, thanks.

[66MK]

66MK said:

northernmedia said:

Yes I remember my old carbon mirrors had the clips built into them.
You could see how you get on with some pressure and clear silicone around the edge?
Or contact the supplier?

Like it - nice idea, thanks.

Supplier: "Thank you for reaching out to us. The covers do not retain the OEM clips. It is affixed via double sided tape. We tell our customers to use 3m Automotive tape or another similar stronger double sided tape."

Not a great deal of help!

[J12KJR]

66MK said:

66MK said:

northernmedia said:

Yes I remember my old carbon mirrors had the clips built into them.
You could see how you get on with some pressure and clear silicone around the edge?
Or contact the supplier?

Like it - nice idea, thanks.

Supplier: "Thank you for reaching out to us. The covers do not retain the OEM clips. It is affixed via double sided tape. We tell our customers to use 3m Automotive tape or another similar stronger double sided tape."

Not a great deal of help!

On the basis there is nowhere to use double sided tape I would ask them for a refund as the items aren't fit for purpose. Shame as the carbon ones do look good.

I know in the past there have been people on here who have used a Chinese supplier of Carbon items that have been found to be very good and good value. Could be worth trying to go down that route.

Hope you get it sorted and by the way if your good ladies idea of a present is carbon fibre bits for your car you have got a very good one there.

[FrankieBee]

Are these Aston parts? The one on the right has "Volvo" written in it!

I know the Sat Nav is of Volvo origin...but the wing mirrors too?

[66MK]

FrankieBee said:

Are these Aston parts? The one on the right has "Volvo" written in it!

I know the Sat Nav is of Volvo origin...but the wing mirrors too?

Yep, the wing mirrors too...and some of the keys...and....

[FrankieBee]

66MK said:

FrankieBee said:

Are these Aston parts? The one on the right has "Volvo" written in it!

I know the Sat Nav is of Volvo origin...but the wing mirrors too?

Yep, the wing mirrors too...and some of the keys...and....

Blimey!

[northernmedia]

I actually reckon they'll stay on with some silicon

[J12KJR]

northernmedia said:

I actually reckon they'll stay on with some silicon

Good stuff silicon so you may well be right, got to be worth a try on the basis that if it doesn't work all the OP has got to do is remove the silicon before returning them to the supplier.

[northernmedia]

J12KJR said:

northernmedia said:

I actually reckon they'll stay on with some silicon

Good stuff silicon so you may well be right, got to be worth a try on the basis that if it doesn't work all the OP has got to do is remove the silicon before returning them to the supplier.

Providing he can retrieve it from the fast lane of the M1
Joking aside he should be fine.

[J12KJR]

northernmedia said:

Providing he can retrieve it from the fast lane of the M1
Joking aside he should be fine.

That did cross my mind but I didn't want to put him off

[66MK]

Going to give the Silicon a whirl over the weekend, I'll post some photos and see how we go!

Cheers for all the comments.

[Impasse]

Sikaflex. Don't muck about with bathroom sealer.

[northernmedia]

I used sikaflex to hold on my old kamm tail, like st to a blanket.
Course it wouldn't be much help if you ever wanted to remove them, pretty much permanent

[66MK]

All,

Finally got them on....




First protected them with masking tape.





Chose this stuff in the end.





Old cover off



Blobs of glue/sealer/stuff all over





Good old duct tape everywhere......wait 36hrs and....






A very happy chap!

Thanks for all those who took the time to comment. They are firmly attached but the glue has some flex so if I ever did need to remove them I'm sure it would be ok - but then in 30 years I've never had to take one off yet....shouldn't have said that should I!!