Re: Side Mirror Glass Replacement

Posted by BH On 2012/2/17 22:49:42

Kev -

The 55-56 mirror requires a bracket for mounting directly on to the door or fender panel. The locating pin cast in the base is ground flush on the 55-56 mirror; the fiot of the bracket to the inside of the hollow casting is what keeps the mirror base from rotating on the 55-56 cars. One special screw then holds the mirror to the bracket, as original.

The screw supplied with the American Arrow mirror for 55-56 was a repro - made by taking a short Allen set screw and welding a washer (of appropriate O.D. to fit the offset in the bracket) to the pointed end of the screw.

For the 51-54 belt moulding mirror, I don't see any mounting bracket needed under the molding in either the text or figure provided in the shop manual installation instructions. Other than a drilling fixture and instruction sheet, I believe that the ONLY piece of hardware included with the 51-54 belt moulding mirror was ONE special mounting screw. However, it must reach beyond the bottom of the mirror, the molding, and to the inside of the the door outer panel (beneath the molding).

I can't tell, from our shop manual archive, if the 51-54 original was so fancy as to be a washer head screw with the threaded end broached to provide the Allen hex recess. However, if you can determine the internal thread size in the mirror base, I suspect that you could make a reasonable facsimile by taking a sufficiently long Allen set screw and welding on a washer with an O.D. that just wiggles through the specified 15/32" I.D. hole in the door skin.

Are you thinking you need some sort of bracket to prevent collapsing the belt moulding?