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MG TD TF 1500 - who knows (side mirror on fender)?

The car has a left side mirror on the fender. It is adjustable with a nut and folds by a spring inside. The glass is flat.

Because I'm a fan of symmetry and for more security driving RHD I want to have the same one on the right fender.

Does anyone know a source for that kind of mirror?

Bela

and #2

Bela

Bela,
I do have the same mirrors on both fenders, The difference is that they do not bend. If adjusted properly, the visibility of the left one is acceptable. I just cannot see the right one from the driver's seat (I am 178 cm tall). Of course, if you are a fan of symetry!!!!
C.M. groucho

There are plenty of similar ones (new and old) on ebay uk if you search for vintage wing mirror or classic wing mirror.
Dave H
Dave Hill

C.M.

I guess your car is LHD. Mine is RHD and for me it's hard to observe following traffic with the left mirror. With suitcase in the rear the dashboard mirror shows only part.

Dave

I'll start a search - thank you.


Bela

Bela,

As with C.M., I find the wing mirrors pretty well useless. If I ever decide to refinish my TD, they will be removed and the holes filled.

The attached picture shows the side mirror that clips to the wind screen support. I find this to be the best of all the four mirrors on the car. It is not even a concave mirror, either.

Charlie Duffy

Charles Duffy

Even though I have a set of fender mirrors on the shelf, I refused to drill holes in my newly finished fenders and went with these and the new Moss mount, I really like them. PJ



Paul161

I agree with the others... wing mirrors are virtually useless. I'd ditch mine (if it wouldn't leave holes) and replace them with a mirror like Paul's.
Kevin McLemore

Bela,

My TD3966 is also a RHD with the same mirror on the left wing. It's rather useless.
So I mounted convex mirrors on both sides of the windscreen. I'm very happy with them, they give a splendid view and of course the looks are good.

Jasper

JL Nederhoed

Wing mirrors are not useless, but you can't just install any kind of mirror in any location you like. Correct placement is dependent on mirror type and vehicle size. There is a reason why so many sizes and types of mirrors are available, even on new cars.

For those running flat glass on the passenger side wing, that's a problem right there. It's the wrong type of mirror. You need convex, and it must be placed correctly to blend with the center mirror.

The quality of the glass is also very important. A lot of reproduction convex glass is too small and full of distortion. An original Lucas convex mirror (properly placed) is a wonder in function. Blind spots are completely eliminated. You can literally change lanes in either direction safely without turning your head.

Aesthetically speaking I don't like wing mirrors on T-Series MGs, and my TC does not have them although three of my other MGs do. But to say they are useless isn't accurate or fair.
Steve Simmons

I have mirrors on both wings and they work great.
Maybe it's a height thing, I sit high in the car.
G D

Agree with Steve-wing mirrors need convex glass, then they are very useful. Esp. Since my side mirrors becomes useless when the sidescreens are attached.
The only challenge is adjusting them - and not bumping into them when passing the car or opening the engine bay
Rgds Mike
Mike Fritsch

Hi Bela,

I see a lot of people have give a lot of comments but nobody has answered your question. The people you want is www.texautomotive.com, they make the mirrors to match with the spring loading. I have had them on my TD for 40+ years and are great if adjusted properly, and yes you need convex lens.
B W Wood

Just to make mention of it, I modified the Moss bracket on the right with my version on the left. Reason, with the Moss bracket the side screen hits the mirror and it has to be re adjusted when the door is closed, you need someone outside to do this, with my bracket the screen does not hit and no re adjustment of the mirror is needed. The angled top faces forward. The large hole in the Moss bracket is slightly oversize and the mirror can move a little for and aft, I made mine for a snug fit. PJ

Paul161

I'm very pleased with the LH and RH Honda Festival motor scooter mirrors I fitted to my TD many decades ago. They mount with thin chrome stalks into the windscreen mounting brackets which permits folding the screen with no interference..

John Quilter

Thank you B W Wood

that is the hit.
Bela

I love the looks of my fender mirrors, but saying that, I have to have someone adjust them just about every time I drive the TD. Just a little touch or bump and they are out of alignment.
Bruce TD4139 Cunha

"I'm very pleased with the LH and RH Honda Festival motor scooter mirrors I fitted to my TD many decades ago. They mount with thin chrome stalks into the windscreen mounting brackets which permits folding the screen with no interference.. "

John, do you have a photo of how the stalk mounts to the windscreen bracket?
L Karpman

Bruce, that's definitely a down side of wing mirrors but one trick I've learned is to tighten the glass as much as you can safely, and then leave the body mount nut a little looser. Then if someone bumps the mirror, you can swing it back into position much easier than repositioning the glass.
Steve Simmons

L Karpman: no photo but you take one of Phillips screws out of the windscreen mounting bracket and the stalk for the mirror replaces the screw and a nut is put on the inside. Not sure if Honda motorcycle shops still supply these mirrors as I got mine many years ago.
John Quilter

Bruce

the mirrors with a spring (see www.texautomotive.com) will work. But you will get the same problem with different drivers.
Bela

Thanks John. I have both of mine mounted to homemade Z brackets attached to the wing nuts that you tighten or loosen to lower or raise the windscreen. They are standard motorcycle mirrors and shafts available at just about any motorcycle parts shop. I was just looking for a "cleaner" installation like yours that would eliminate the Z brackets, as I have to re-position the mirrors each time I raise or lower the windscreen. Not a big deal at all, just always looking for something better :-)


L Karpman

This comes up from time to time, and it is an excuse for me to dig out a project that Dad and I put together. It was published in the Sacred Octagon back in 2003.

The premise is that Abingdon wanted to make wing mirrors standard equipment but the problem would be getting them properly aimed. So they added the enclosed page to the workshop manual but it was removed just before publication. It shows how to construct a “Dual Image Nuzzling Guide (under-slung)” or DING(us).

It really does work pretty well. It is a wooden board with a perpendicular dado covered with felt and two little outriggers also covered with felt. That whole thing rides along the hood center trim. Attached at the ends are two paddle shapes that have three machine bolts that touch the mirror when they are in the right position. When you want to take the car out, just place the Ding(us) on the hood and move the mirrors around until it is touching all three screws on each side. The diagram shows the dimensions to make one for a TF, but it could certainly be modified for a TD.
(Thanks for giving me the excuse to dig this up again!)

Safety? Fast?
Scott Ashworth – ’54 TF

S. R. Ashworth

I use Harley Davidson mirrors on my 51, they work great.
TRM Maine

This thread was discussed between 01/07/2016 and 08/07/2016

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