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Passenger side mirror
aussie56 - April 9th, 2016 at 02:03 PM

Hi All

Still new the the beetle scene and slowly getting thru my part resto.

Wanted to put a passenger side mr or on my 1970 beetle but there is no hole or threaded hole. Is this something that was only available on later models?

Not sure I want to drill a hole in the door.

Thanks

Adam


beetleboyjeff - April 9th, 2016 at 03:53 PM

I believe they often put the thread in the door, but didn't put the hole in the outside metal. Could you have a look up inside the door with a fibre-optic camera and see?


AA003 - April 9th, 2016 at 04:42 PM

You used to buy a mirror that came with a nut. Just drill through the door and put the nut on the inside.


helbus - April 9th, 2016 at 06:34 PM

Our Beetle has the LH thread on the door. The replacement mirror is totally useless, as they are made to suit LH drive vehicles. I got a Wolfsburg West, and the actual quality of the mirrors was good, just the angle of the LH arm means you cannot see anything out of it. There was no original mirror, just a plug, so nothing to recondition. I would assume that a genuine RH drive LH door mirror would be hard to get.
If you are wondiring why LHD and RHD mirrors would be different, just think about your seating position and where you are looking through the quarter vent window. It is a different angle on each side.


beetleboyjeff - April 9th, 2016 at 07:18 PM

My passenger side mirror works fine


bushed - April 9th, 2016 at 09:13 PM

tis all in the adjustment


helbus - April 9th, 2016 at 10:51 PM

Well my LH Wolfsburg West mirror is placed forward almost past the A pillar and has almost no visability. The arm is very short and cannot be adjusted in any way that allows the RHD driver to see much at all.

The RH mirror on mine has a longer arm. It means the mirror is slightly blocked by the pillar of the RH quarter vent window, and if the LH mirror had the longer arm it would be visable. So it is not just in the adjustment if the arms are the wrong length.

So it seems a RHD Beetle has short arm RH mirror and long arm LH mirror.

LHD Beetle has long arm RH mirror and short arm LH mirror.

They are different arm castings, so the RHD ones seem to be harder to get.

Like trying to get RHD steering boxes or RHD sunvisors with the mirror on the LH passener side.


beetleboyjeff - April 10th, 2016 at 12:51 AM

I used to have a short armed mirror on the drivers side, but now have a long arm. I have a long arm on the passenger side. I haven't had problems with any of them. I do a lot of reversing, and much of it with a trailer on, so I use them a LOT.

I have had several long arm passenger side mirrors, and have not had any trouble getting them in the past.


vinsueball - April 10th, 2016 at 09:27 PM

G'day,
I've just finished a resto on a 70 bug and also fitted a passenger side external mirror. I had a guy (wh actually did the panel work) actually weld the required nut in place behind the door skin. Wasn't one there when we went looking.

Take note of the comments about how good they actually work. While I won't argue with beetleboyjeff, my passenger mirror is pretty hopeless...........perhaps he's got the different type then I do so have a good look around. It takes me ages to get it to a spot where I can actually use it and then the passenger opens the quarter glass and all I see is the lock and frame of the quarter glass :dork:...........either that or some idiot walks down the side of the bug and bumps it out of line :grind: :grind: :dork:


helbus - April 10th, 2016 at 10:33 PM

I must have the wrong type. If I sit in the drivers seat I can only see about half of the passenger mirror, and that is if I lean over to the passenger side. Can someone please give a supplier and part number for the correct one, and good quality. The ones I have now are excellent quality stainless steel back with good chrome. Wolfsburg West brand.


modnrod - April 11th, 2016 at 10:31 AM

I don't know this for sure, so it's not a recommendation just a suggestion, but since Flat Four Japan come from a RHD country, and their products are generally regarded as amongst the best (definitely for the parts I have bought from them), perhaps that might be an avenue to explore.

https://www.flat4.co.jp/english/dtail-bd.html#BD-706 


aussie56 - April 11th, 2016 at 06:34 PM

Thanks all

I'll borrow a mates camera and check inside the door.

If it's not worth it I might just put a peep mirror towards the top of the door.


beetleboyjeff - April 11th, 2016 at 10:09 PM

Here are some photos of my mirrors.
Here is the view out of the drivers mirror:

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb364/Jeff_Walsh/Random%20VW%20photos/My%20bug%20-%20View%20out%20of%20the%20drivers%20side%20rear%20view%20
mirror.jpg

and here is the view out of the passenger side mirror:

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb364/Jeff_Walsh/Random%20VW%20photos/My%20bug%20-%20View%20out%20of%20the%20passengers%20side%20rear%20view
%20mirror.jpg

Here are 2 photos of the type of mirror I have on the passengers side:

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb364/Jeff_Walsh/Random%20VW%20photos/My%20bug%20-%20Passengers%20side%20rear%20view%20mirror%201.jpg

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb364/Jeff_Walsh/Random%20VW%20photos/My%20bug%20-%20Passengers%20side%20rear%20view%20mirror%202.jpg

I hope this helps.


1303Steve - April 12th, 2016 at 09:59 AM

Hi

I had to put a mirror thread in my drivers door in my orange Beetle as the previous owner had to have a new door fitted and the only one he could get didn't have a mirror hole but did have an intrusion bar.

It just took a bit of careful measurement to get the hole in the correct place.

A LHD right mirror isn't a critical for its viewing angle as a LHD left mirror.

Maybe VW Heritage have RHD left mirrors?

Steve


nbturbo - April 12th, 2016 at 10:43 PM

Beetleboyjeff- that LH mirror of yours looks exactly like one I took from a 73 Bus I stripped once. Pretty sure I still have it somewhere.


beetleboyjeff - April 12th, 2016 at 11:52 PM

I am pretty sure I got it from either VVS or Volksbahn, but I have had similar ones before.


pv370 - April 13th, 2016 at 07:53 PM

could be late type 3 mirrors as they have the longer arm with the bend in it just like on jeffs beetle.