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I am having great difficulty securely adjusting the sidemount mirrors on my car. When I tighten the circular mirrors by screwing them into their holders, the mirrors still remain relatively loose instead of snug.

Does anyone have any suggestions about how best to correct this problem. it's a problem with both mirrors installed on the top of my sidemount tire covers.

Please help if you can. Feel free to call if easier.

Thanks, John (Oregon)
425-213-9620 cell

Even in the best or circumstances most folks will never find them completely satisfactory but if you are screwing the mirror all the way in until the thread bottoms out and the grip on the ball is still not secure, add a spacer to permit a tighter grip between the threaded stud of the mirror and the ball atop the pedestal. An thin internally serrated lockwasher is perhaps the spacer of choice though even a dime would work in a pinch. Of course the mirror pedestal needs to be secure to the tire cover, the tire cover secure to the tire, and the tire and wheel secure to the mount. I'm assuming you've checked all that.

There was (still is?) a far more satisfactory accessory mirror for the 1941 Packards, though really best suitable just for the driver's side. It mounts in place of the short piece of trim on the side of the cowl between the door and hood. I had several friends who installed the on 1941 Packards, I'll see tomorrow if I have a decent picture. Not sure who if anyone might be making them these days, years back they were available from Jay Fisher who specialized in accessory mirrors but unfortunately Jay is no longer with us and I'm not aware that anyone bought his tooling. If interested you might check with Dan Sommers at American Arrow.

Thanks for the suggestion about using a thin internally serrated lock washer. Checked my stockpile and don't have one, so will hope to buy a few tomorrow .. and then let you know outcome.

In the meantime, I would very much appreciate your sending photo(s)of the other type of mirror that you mentioned in your reply.

Google'd American Arrow and learned that Don Sommers passed away a year ago July 2019. Ugh.

Thanks again for your assistance w this matter.

John in Oregon

Dan Sommers, Don's son. I'm assuming he is still involved with his siblings in continuing to run what was his father's business.

John, I can't help I'm afraid but I am currently just up the road from you in Terrebonne!

I'd love to find out I'm wrong, but I think the cowl-mounted mirror is no longer made. I've heard of people using a more common one, I think 40 Ford, which would not match the molding as well but could fit. Somebody please expand on this half-baked tale. The side mount mirrors look nice but are not very good as mirrors, I agree.

Somewhere I know I have a close-up but can't find it now, but here's a photo that shows the cowl-mounted accessory mirror for the 1941 and 1942 conventional-bodied cars.

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Hi Big John; I had a bases cast some years ago that used a ford mirror. Will get a picture for you today and see ifI have a set left.

The photo of the mirror is very helpful.... and looks to be very useful as well. Will research availability just in cases I can't get my original sidemount mirrors snugly adjusted.
JOHN

Home Away..
Very nice of you to tell me about the bases you had cast that take a Ford mirror. Please let me know if you have an additional set. they sound like a very good alternative if I can't figure out how to fully tighten my original sidemount mirrors.