Post-War Other Door mirrors

[Trevor Triumph]

We were driving the Herald around town and noticed that we have become spoiled by having wing or door mirrors on the other vehicles. Any one know of a jig or measurements to mount the mirrors? MY fear is that the mirrors will look cool but be useless for driving.

T.T.

 

[Geo Hahn]

I cannot help with specific herald locations but in my experience a useful driver's side mirror needs to be close to the driver. Way out on a wing really offers a limited view even with a convex mirror.

You might consider a clip-on mirror that attaches to the forward door pillar - I use this on the TR3's windscreen stanchion and it works out well. Several of the vendors sell them but how/where they attach will depend on weather stripping and other issues.

 

[Gerald_Gordon]

If you do screw the mirrors to the doors rather than clipping them to the pillar, you might consider using Fastenall hardware made for that purpose https://www.fastenal.com/products/details/0162801?term=mirror+mounting, which is more secure than sheet-metal screws, in my experience, and contains an integral gasket that seals the hole against water infiltration.

 

[doc50]

Trevor, I found a small, nifty (3.00) convex mirror at O'Reilly's.
Mounted above the existing dash mirror (missing in this pic), it completely solved my passenger side blind spot problem.

Thom

1959 TR3
#TS 34909L(O)

 

[Andrew Mace]

In my opinion and experience, a door mirror on the driver's side is the only thing that will be of any value in today's traffic. The charm of the UK-style "wing" mirrors is lost almost instantly when you try to actually use same. As to the passenger side, I also think a door mirror is best. For the last several decades, we've all been spoiled by "Objects in mirror are closer than they appear" on our passenger side mirrors, and rightly so. On the off chance that one could find a decent pair of door mirrors, one with OIMACTTA capacity for the passenger side, you'd be about as well off as you could get short of a pair of mirrors from a semi!

And the more I think about it, Thom's idea of the additional convex interior rear view mirror might be a very good idea as well!

 

[doc50]

Andrew, it's hard to see from my pix but the new inside upper mirror doesn't face rear but to the right, where these cars have the blind spot.
It shows everything along that side, and maybe best of all, it's easy to view and being up and out of the way, kinda looks like it belongs up there.

Thom
1959 TR3
#TS34909L(O)

 

[trrdster2000]

T.T. there was a mirror for Herald's of that era and they looked like this add, but these are gone. I have one somewhere, but have high hopes of getting a Herald out of the barn I looked at 6 months ago.
Don't remember if it has them or not, if so I will give you a PM. May be a while, the owner is going in for a back operation Thursday and knows he will never be able to finish it. He picked me to give it a go, if it can be done but wants to be there when we pull it out. Setting on the flat tires for 20 or more years.

https://www.bing.com/images/search?...9bebf4bef0dfcffb694bc381846af6d0o0&ajaxhist=0

Wayne

 

[Andrew Mace]

Wayne, Triumph in the US did offer a rather nice door mirror in the 1960s. Unfortunately, I broke the only one I had, and they are very difficult to find. Pretty typical configuration, but a bit more appropriate than the typical heavier types found on American cars. Apologies for the ancient low-res.scan here.

Meanwhile, Wayne, do keep me posted on the barn find!

Thom, I am intrigued by that interior mirror. On a TR or Spitfire, I can see how that might be nearly ideal even with the top up. On a Herald convertible with top up, there's a somewhat significant blind spot; not huge, but there. For that reason, I think I'd still want an exterior passenger mirror on a Herald convertible. No problem on a Herald sedan, though!

 

[Trevor Triumph]

Thanks for the help. I ordered some mirrors from VB yesterday... They should be here soon.