Lord Flashart Posted February 21, 2008 Report Share Posted February 21, 2008 Hi everyone, Could anyone answer this question for me. Which, if any wing mirrors should a '59 3A have? Mine has none at the moment. The other question is, do I need to fit a mirror for the MOT? Cheers Flash Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ianc Posted February 22, 2008 Report Share Posted February 22, 2008 Wing mirrors were not a standard fitment back in the 1950s/early 60s, so not an MOT requirement. Same goes for seatbelts - if none were fitted, they are not required - if fitted, must be in a satisfactory condition. Ian Cornish Quote Link to post Share on other sites
angelfj Posted February 22, 2008 Report Share Posted February 22, 2008 Wing mirrors were not a standard fitment back in the 1950s/early 60s, so not an MOT requirement. Same goes for seatbelts - if none were fitted, they are not required - if fitted, must be in a satisfactory condition.Ian Cornish Ian Glad to see you are still lurking. I have a related comment/question. After seven + years the 3A is almost finished and I am resisting drilling holes in the wings. I saw some 60 ish cars at Gaydon the Saturday before Stoneleigh and they had mirrors mounted on the side of the windscreen. Do you happen to know where such a mounting might be had? Also - going back donkey's years, when you guys put the technicalities soft-bound book together (I have one) were there ever subsequent volumes? Thanks, Frank Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TR 2100 Posted February 22, 2008 Report Share Posted February 22, 2008 Ian Glad to see you are still lurking. I have a related comment/question. After seven + years the 3A is almost finished and I am resisting drilling holes in the wings. I saw some 60 ish cars at Gaydon the Saturday before Stoneleigh and they had mirrors mounted on the side of the windscreen. Do you happen to know where such a mounting might be had? Also - going back donkey's years, when you guys put the technicalities soft-bound book together (I have one) were there ever subsequent volumes? Thanks, Frank There's a thread somewhere on the Forum with photos of these mirrors. Only one Technicalities book was produced, although the book was put onto a CD. AlanR Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lord Flashart Posted February 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2008 Cheers Guys, I have to say I'm very relieved to not be drilling the wings. Thanks Flash Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Don Elliott Posted February 22, 2008 Report Share Posted February 22, 2008 (edited) I followed the travels of TS2 from group to group and noticed that somewhere between the photos of TS2 when it was with the Glavon Group and the photos of it when it was with the Essex Group that it had aquired a mirror attached to the stanction on one side. I asked about this on the previous thread on this topic that Alan is referring to, and we never got an answer to the mystery of who mounted this very nice mirror. I'll ask again. Can someone relate anything about the mirror that is presently mounted on TR2 ? Where did it originate ? From what car ? Edited February 22, 2008 by Don Elliott Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Neil Posted February 22, 2008 Report Share Posted February 22, 2008 I followed the travels of TS2 from group to group and noticed that somewhere between the photos of TS2 when it was with the Glavon Group and the photos of it when it was with the Essex Group that it had aquired a mirror attached to the stanction on one side. I asked about this on the previous thread on this topic that Alan is referring to, and we never got an answer to the mystery of who mounted this very nice mirror. I'll ask again. Can someone relate anything about the mirror that is presently mounted on TR2 ? Where did it originate ? From what car ? You can get mirrors that attach to the windscreen stanchion via a couple of grub screws, so entirely reversible. I've seen them for sale at various car shows in the south during the summer. There's an advert for various door mirrors and suchlike often in the back pages of Classic Car Weekly. I've a copy from January in front of me and I think it would be worth calling them. They are 'Classic Collection', tel 01303 870055. BTW I've no connection to them, nor ever bought from them. HTH Neil Quote Link to post Share on other sites
james christie Posted February 22, 2008 Report Share Posted February 22, 2008 Anybody driving in modern road conditions without mirrors is a lunatic. In this man's country (France) a mirror must be fitted on the left hand side of the car which can be adjusted from the drivers's seat. Without it you collect a heavy on the spot fine and lose several points off the driving licence and the equivalent of the English MOT would refuse to pass the car. Unfortunately I cannot remember where I bought mine ! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
angelfj Posted February 22, 2008 Report Share Posted February 22, 2008 Anybody driving in modern road conditions without mirrors is a lunatic. In this man's country (France) a mirror must be fitted on the left hand side of the car which can be adjusted from the drivers's seat. Without it you collect a heavy on the spot fine and lose several points off the driving licence and the equivalent of the English MOT would refuse to pass the car. Unfortunately I cannot remember where I bought mine ! Another senior moment. I thought I had something, but this is not exactly what I was looking for. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted February 22, 2008 Report Share Posted February 22, 2008 Frank the problem with mirrors on a 2/3 is ensuring that you can still get the door open with sidescreens fitted. I favour one fitted to the centre screen securing screw on the stanchion and another tapped hole just above it with an arm long enough to allow the door to open fully with sidescreen fitted. I dont have a picture on this computer but I will try and post one when I get back into work. Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TR 2100 Posted February 22, 2008 Report Share Posted February 22, 2008 There's a thread somewhere on the Forum with photos of these mirrors. I found the thread, link below, but it seems that over time, the photos that were posted have been deleted. Shame. http://www.tr-register.co.uk/forums/index....showtopic=10083 AlanR Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dave Satchwell Posted February 22, 2008 Report Share Posted February 22, 2008 When I got my 3A it had only the central drivers mirror, and driving was a scary thing trying to look over my right shoulder. At the time my son was learning to drive and I took him out in the main car which requires an additional mirror for the instructor. This I brought for £3 I seem to remember from ASDA of all places. It now sits on the front RHS of the 3A's windshield by the provided suction cup and does the job well. It does not look out of place either, and of course can be removed at any time if required. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Don Elliott Posted February 23, 2008 Report Share Posted February 23, 2008 (edited) When I bought my TR3A in 1958, there were no wing mirrors on the car as delivered. I didn't know they were available. I never missed them. When I restored the car from 1987 to 1990, I decided that since there were no wing mirrors on it originally that I would keep it "as original". Since then, I have driven almost 98,000 miles. During that time, I'd estimate that the top was up for about 3,000 miles and the side curtains were on for about 2,000 miles. I get very claustrophobic with the top up and the sidecurtains on. But that's when I wish I had some outside mirrors. I must say that the weather in North America is not as soggy as in UK and I prefer to drive with the top and the sidecurtains in the boot. I'd love to have some outside mirrors, like the ones in the photo. I'm going to work on it, unless I can find some available somewhere. Edited February 23, 2008 by Don Elliott Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TR 2100 Posted February 23, 2008 Report Share Posted February 23, 2008 When I bought my TR3A in 1958, there were no wing mirrors on the car as delivered. I didn't know they were available. I never missed them. When I restored the car from 1987 to 1990, I decided that since there were no wing mirrors on it originally that I would keep it "as original". Since then, I have driven almost 98,000 miles. During that time, I'd estimate that the top was up for about 3,000 miles and the side curtains were on for about 2,000 miles. I get very claustrophobic with the top up and the sidecurtains on. But that's when I wish I had some outside mirrors. I must say that the weather in North America is not as soggy as in UK and I prefer to drive with the top and the sidecurtains in the boot. I'd love to have some outside mirrors, like the ones in the photo. I'm going to work on it, unless I can find some available somewhere. Hi Don, Thanks for posting that photo. That's the one I remembered seeing in the previous thread, but it's since been deleted. I never had wing mirrors on my TR3 or 3As. You just got used to a quick glance over the shoulder before moving and yes, with the roof and/or sidescreens up, visibility (indeed the whole experience of driving) is reduced. You really feel part of the environment with the top off. These days, mirrors are invariably a legal requirement but there's no law to say you have to use them(!) so the top-down driving experience can be the same. Of the alternatives I have seen, the picture you posted shows what is (IMO) the neatest solution. For my TR4, I fabricated a bracket to utilise the two bolts at the top of the A post. I left quite a bit to be desired regards visibility - too much vibration, but it means you can remove it if you want to. Not sure how clear the photo will be, but I can assure you that the body had not been drilled. AlanR Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted February 23, 2008 Report Share Posted February 23, 2008 (edited) Found the picture I was looking for finally. Stuart. Edited February 23, 2008 by stuart Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Menno van Rij Posted February 23, 2008 Report Share Posted February 23, 2008 (edited) I'm having the same problem with my wing mirrors. I fact, I had (...). I've asked the guy at the body shop to weld up both holes. A few of the pictures above in this thread are mine. Last summer I've visited the National Triumph Owner's Day overhere in Holland. I took my camera with me just to take a lot of pictures of this kind of details. And I'm not convinced. Perhaps the solution Don posted is the nicest. But, doesn't it's desigh weaken the structure of the stanchion? (Adding a bolt hole?). I think that a mirror attached to the stanchion's bolt (on the lower leg of the stanchion, that is; just as I photographed last summer) is a good alternative. At least one of the cars I photographed had it's s/screens on place. But, for argument's sake, let's consider the mirror Don pictured here. What would it cost to manufacture this item? What would such a mirror cost in the real world? For instance: I own a Saab 96. Until 1977 their mirrors were unique and very specific to that model. Most of them are lost. They had a desigh flaw, so most of them are broken in half. And therefore they are unobtainable; until now. Overhere in Holland, there's a seller who had them remanufactured and sells them for 40 euros on eBay. Mind you, there aren't many Saabs 96 around these days! A much smaller market for this specific item! And he sells them world wide! I think, that TR wing mirrors can not cope with modern traffic. Secondly, every time you open the bonnet of your car for maintanance, there's that mirror on the wing... I dare to say that most TR2/3/3A owners would like to see an alternative. And I'm willing to pay for a good solution. Well, a poll perhaps? An item for the club shop, perhaps? Regards, Menno Edited February 23, 2008 by Menno van Rij Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Don Elliott Posted February 23, 2008 Report Share Posted February 23, 2008 Menno - Your suggestion to thread the stem for the mirror into the hole for the lower leg of the stanction is a good one - but it will only work on TR3As after TS 60000 and on TR3Bs because the stanction is secured to the scuttle on those cars by means of threaded bolts. My TR3A is an early TR and all these have 1/4 turn quick-connect Dzus fasteners to hold the stantions to the scuttle. I can't see how this could be made to hold a similar mirror stem. I'm planning to make something similar to the one I showed above where I will use standard wing mirrors and stems and I plan to test it to make sure that the door can open fully when the sidecurtain is mounted. And I want the sidecurtain to clear the mirror when open. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jean Posted February 23, 2008 Report Share Posted February 23, 2008 For those having later cars, with bolted on stanchions as Don mentioned, here is the picture showing my solution. These are Harley mirrors featuring the same thread as the stanchion bolts. Many models are still available. They were advised to me by a friend garage holder who knows and can identify every bolt on the whole TR range and I'm far away from that Quote Link to post Share on other sites
pfenlon Posted February 23, 2008 Report Share Posted February 23, 2008 (edited) For those having later cars, with bolted on stanchions as Don mentioned, here is the picture showing my solution. These are Harley mirrors featuring the same thread as the stanchion bolts. Many models are still available. They were advised to me by a friend garage holder who knows and can identify every bolt on the whole TR range and I'm far away from that Hello Jean, is Harley as in the Davidson motorcycle? Peter Edited February 23, 2008 by pfenlon Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Menno van Rij Posted February 23, 2008 Report Share Posted February 23, 2008 (edited) Harley! That's a nice source! Thousants of mirrors to choose from, web shops all over the place! Now, where's my stick-it-on tattoo... Don, after reading your comment about dzus fasteners, I remembered that I also had a picture of a mirror attached (welded) to a dzus fastener! Well, I here are all pictures I took. (There's also one -off topic here- of a neat construction for mounting the coil away from the engine block). Regards, Menno (sorry, something went wrong with the last pic.) Edited February 23, 2008 by Menno van Rij Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jean Posted February 24, 2008 Report Share Posted February 24, 2008 Yes Peter, it's from a Harley motorcycle shop. Mostly they are sold in pairs. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MikeF Posted February 24, 2008 Report Share Posted February 24, 2008 Searching the 3 forum for something else to do with my 4, and my terms turned up this thread. So I got diverted as you do! FWIW I recall using Morris Minor/Mini quarter light mirrors on our '59 3A windscreen frame back in the '60s Like the ones here. https://www.europaspares.com/MIRRORS/EXTERIOR_MIRRORS/ Mike Quote Link to post Share on other sites
pfenlon Posted February 24, 2008 Report Share Posted February 24, 2008 Searching the 3 forum for something else to do with my 4, and my terms turned up this thread. So I got diverted as you do! FWIW I recall using Morris Minor/Mini quarter light mirrors on our '59 3A windscreen frame back in the '60s Like the ones here. https://www.europaspares.com/MIRRORS/EXTERIOR_MIRRORS/ Mike Mike a great site thanks for posting the info Peter Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BrianC Posted February 27, 2008 Report Share Posted February 27, 2008 For those having later cars, with bolted on stanchions as Don mentioned, here is the picture showing my solution. These are Harley mirrors featuring the same thread as the stanchion bolts. Many models are still available. They were advised to me by a friend garage holder who knows and can identify every bolt on the whole TR range and I'm far away from that Jean, I quite like this solution. What thread size is the mirror ? I've been searching for Harley mirrors on eBay and Google but can't see the one you have. Can you give me a clue such as a model/part number or supplier, please? Maybe I'll visit a local H-D dealer if I can find one. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jean Posted February 27, 2008 Report Share Posted February 27, 2008 Brian, the mirrors on my car are an older model, don't know if they are still available. There is nothing written on them, but they came from a Harley store about 15 years ago. I bought a different pair last year for a friend and the mounting system is still the same I don't know the thread, but it's a direct bolt-on to the nuts holding the stanchions. Sorry not a big help Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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