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Posted By : Paul Bennett, 13-Feb-2006, 09:49pm
I'm considering replacing my door mirrors with the bullet type but I have heard they
not as good as coventional types due to size and location.
Has anyone had any experience of bullet mirrors?
Are they as good?
Thanks.
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Posted By : Mark Stradling, 13-Feb-2006,
10:19pm
The current issue of Classic Car has a whole buyers guide/comparison on mirrors, which reminds me why I only buy it when I've read everything else in
Smiths on my commute.
I'd guess a bullet mirror on the door would be OK but, having had a Spit with them mounted on the bonnet/front wings I'd not recommend it - until you
try it you won't believe how much the bonnet bounces around. Couldn't see a thing in them even at tickover!
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Posted By : James Bertram, 13-Feb-2006,
10:32pm
Hi Paul
I have mounted bullet mirrors as far forward on the doors as possible and although the drivers side is ok I cant see a thing in the passenger side as
the mirrors just don't have enough adjustment. You can see a picture of the positioning of the mirrors on my profile. I still think they look good
though.
Jim
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Posted By : Colin Lindsay,
14-Feb-2006, 08:12am
As Jim says, the driver's door is okay if they're close enough to the driver; anywhere else they're very small and hard to see anything in. The
standard door mirror is far better.
Colin
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Posted By : Vin Poonwassie,
14-Feb-2006, 08:49am
I did the same with bullet mirrors, mounted them on the door all the way forward as this way you can easily get to the bolts on the other side
of the door, BUT as mentiontion you won't be able to adjust the passenger one around enough to see. If on the doors mount them further towards
the back even though this means having one bolt inside the door - this won't however address the adjustment problem, I've seen one adjusted
beyond it's adjustment (?) and you can see bits of the mirror internals that you shouldn't - but it worked. In the early days I had them on the
bonnet and it was the best place for them (on doors now for aesthetic reasons), didn't get any vibration/image problems as far as I can
remember.....
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Posted By : Geoffrey
Griffiths, 14-Feb-2006, 09:21am
I've had bullet mirrors fitted on my bonnet wings (GT6 Mk1) for some time. In fact back in the 70's before the car was "stored" it had
bullet mirrors on the wings. When I restored it I had the original fixing holes welded up so as my profile pictures show there are no wing
mirrors. However I received some lovely shiny chrome bullet mirrors as a present so I had to decide where to fit them. It appeared to me
that fitting them on the door was the best place but then realised that the 1/4 light frame would probably obstruct the view. (not
applicable on Spitfires) so I fitted them on the wings in exactly the same place as they were back in the old days. There is no problem
with vibration but the nearside mirror cannot get enough adjustment because of the wing finishers... but at least they match
I can post a picture if you're interested.
Geoff
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Posted By : Paul Bennett,
15-Feb-2006, 04:39pm
Thank you for the advice, I think I will stick to conventional type mirrors.
They certainly do look the part but from a more important safety point
they by all accounts, are less able to provide a adequate field or view.
Paul.
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Posted By : Martin Wood,
20-Feb-2006, 11:32am
Dont dispair, I have Chrome bullet mirrors and they are fine - though not at first.
The drivers door one is OK using one of the holes already there. I had to put a big screw in the other pre existing hole because
the previous plastic Taiwan mirror base was longer but it looks fine.
Where it is mounted one bolt is on the outside of the door (well, inside the wing cavity of course). The other is up inside the
door.
Here adjustment is at the extreme but gives a good enough view.
On the passenger side I mounted it in the same place but there was not enough adjustment to see anything! (But it looked good)
Then one day browsing in my local car shop (TMC) I found a really strongly convex replacement mirror of the right size.
I popped it in outside the shop it was that easy, and lo - I can see loads!
Go for the bullets they look great!
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Posted By : Chris
Thomas, 21-Feb-2006, 06:40pm
Just bought a pair of convex glass bullet mirrors from Moss. They look great but just one question how do they attach to the
car? They have a hookl style bracket with two internal grub type screws and they appear to slide on to the door sill and then
tighten. Is this correct or should I cut a slot in the body work to attach?