mirror scratching my paint

[280z]

you can see from the picture how my mirror shifts a little back and forth and leave these ugly scratches in my paint. i tried tightening it as much as possible but it doesnt seem to help. i was thinking of going around the perimeterof the mirror with rubber cement or hot glue but i dont want it to look cheap or anything. do you guys have any ideas? i was also thinking of cutting out a kind of spacer or gasket out of some thin rubber. does anyone else have this problem?

[240ZX]

Marc, if I may be so bond to say.....If you cant tighten the mirror base attachment enough to keep it from moving, as indicated in your pic, you need to figure out why it's not providing a sufficient holding force. Take your time, take it apart, and figure out what is going on......then you will likely find a simple fix, without band-aiding it. If you can provide pictures of the mirror assembly, at each stage of disassembly, we may be able to supply you with some applicable solutions.

[280z]

ok i took it off and tried tightening it to that metal piece and then snap! i broke the plastic base. it was already a little cracked but now its pretty messed up, i would say beyond super glue repair. damn datsun had to go cheap and stop making those beautiful chrome mirrors! no one would happen to have an extra plastic base layin around would they?

anyways, i dont really know how to make it tight enough to stop shaking because even before it snapped, it was still fairly loose.

another thing is that the 12mm bit can not reach the nut after it starts to get tighter. so i was thinking of putting a few washers or an oversized nut between the metal piece and the nut to help close the gap. you guys have more experience with this stuff so let me know what your opinions are.

and anyone know where can i find a new plastic base? id love to get a new mirror altogether but 100 bucks is ridiculous.

btw, whatever happened to midwestz.com?

[240ZX]

Sorry to hear you broke the plasitc base. Correct me if I'm wrong, but those mirrors are not originally intended for the Z, correct? I used to have a set of "TURBO" rear view mirrors on my 1970, that can be purchased from MSA or other suppliers for about $50.00 a pair (see my gallery). They are a black, nice looking, and securely mounted mirror setup. From your pics, it appears to me that the plastic base and mounting plate contact each other and do not allow sufficient clamping force (if any) when installed. I don't believe the securing nut should bottom out, even when properly secured to it's originally intended car. Just bust out and buy some new mirrors....you know you want them!!!

[280z]

this mirror is original. it was made for the 260z and 280z. and yeah i do wanna buy a new mirror! ill probably just end up doing that. thanks tom

[hls30.com]

280Z the gasket under the mirror(looks like yours has been painted on, has probably been squished too thin. Cut a couple of pieces of old inner tube to fit the metal backer that goes under the nut inside the door. Glue the rubber to the backer, and put it all back together, your fit should be wonderful. check car-parts.com for the side mirror-prolly pretty cheep, and still original!

WIll

[EScanlon]

From my perspective on the photos you posted, I don't see anydetail of the screw that goes up into the thin part of the base.

The typical mirror mount uses 2 screws or bolt / nuts to secure to the panel. Additionally the inside of the panel has at least one reinforcement put there at the factory, and sometimes a second reinforcing plate when the mirror gets mounted.

That thin section screw is the one that's allowing the side to side movement of the base. It's either bottoming out, if it is a screw, or the nut does not press down due to lack of being tightened, or because the cone of the bracket does not permit the nut to press onto the metal.

You can fix the base with some JB Weld. You can either re-mold the missing part with the JB Weld, or see if you can glue the pieces together. Scuff the INSIDE of the plastic so that the JB will adhere properly, and if possible use some thin mesh, such as bug screen or screen mesh to reinforce the JB.

It is a bit tricky, but you CAN do it.

Enrique