My Dad has gone crazy!!! Not for the weak stomached!

Well ill start off by telling a short story. When we first bought the 308, as with many others, it did not have a mirror on the right hand side. My dad wanted to add one, and started looking. First he found one through a Ferrari used parts dealer, however when it came it was a left hand mirror! So once my dad got into contact with them they said it was going to be a while since it was coming from Europe. After about 2-3 months my dad found another on Ebay. However this was a 328 mirror but was the same as the mirror currently on the left side of our 308. As i came home today from school i noticed my dad was up to something with the F-car. Today was the day to mount the mirror. I grabbed the camera as i knew this would be a rare event. I couldn't believe how easily my dad performed it. I would have been scared s**tless and wouldn't have been able to hold the drive straight. If you are wondering what the paper bag is all about, that is the template of exactly where to mount the mirror. He first started on the left hand side. He took the mirror off and used the bag to find the holes and a common line with the curvature of the front of the door. Then he just reversed the bag for the right side and viola drilled the holes. Attached are a few pictures and some links to the vids if you are really brave. I guess it wasnt to bad, but it would have sucked if he screwed up! He still has to take the inner door panel off and mount the mirror to and bracket so it will stay, but for now it is being held by those clips (brain fart cant remember their name!)
-Matt
Vids:
http://s8.photobucket.com/albums/a8/enzof355f430/?action=view&current=DSCN2618.flv
http://s8.photobucket.com/albums/a8/enzof355f430/?action=view&current=DSCN2619.flv
http://s8.photobucket.com/albums/a8/enzof355f430/?action=view&current=DSCN2620.flv
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Pure genius. I like that he gave it a try..........and with nice results!!

 

Looks great. I never understood why the '81s came from the factory without a mirror on the passengers side?

 

Nice work. Looks cool. Any pics of your Dad's car outside? Would love to see the whole car.

 

The single mirror is a classic Ferrari look. Who cares what's behind you???

 

It looks like you mounted it in the wrong spot. The RH mirror should be further back on the door, or the quarter glass frame is all you see from the seat. Hopefully I'm wrong.

 

A right hand mirror was one of the first modifications to my 308 after I bought it:

http://www.parrotbyte.com/kbc/ferrari/308/Mirror.htm

The trick to finding the correct mirror is to use the parts book for a RH drive car (UK or Japanese). It will have the correct part number.

 

I don't own a 308 so I may be all wet. I think the mirrors on most euro cars of this vintage were installed by the dealer in any spot the driver wanted them. some countries have specific locations where the mirrors have to go, so the car left the factory with no mirrors. In England it's common to see the mirrors way out on the front 'wing'(fender) on vintage cars. Now that most car mirrors are integral to the construction, the mirrors are wherever the factory designed them.

I'm purely guessing, but given the photo, your dad maybe has a mechanic license to work on aircraft, or has an aircraft backbround? Those cleco clamps are also used on short track, and other oval race cars, so it may be that background as well. In either case, relax, he knows what he's doing.

 

Looking at the photos I'm afraid I agree that the window frame is going to interfere. Please tell us we're wrong.

 

Unfortunately, you guys are right.

The drivers mirror is mounted less than an inch back from the post, whilst the passenger side mirror should be about 3" back from the post.

Hope it all works out!!

 

I got mine about a year ago too. (Haven't installed it yet)

But when i lined it up, to mach the original, yes the post will be in the way.

I'm debating to line it up, so it matches the drivers side, look good and then to be useless for seeing OR put it back the 3" so you can see and look odd on the car. Hmmmmmm...........

That's why it's still sitting on a shelf.

 

Classic VW's have a nut welded inside the door skin. So a mirror could be used or not.

Personally, I like the look of the missing passenger mirror and removed it from my VW (and properly welded up the hole...no bondo!). My 914 came stock w/o a side mirror. If you want to see behind you and to the sides then I cannot recommend this rear mirror enough -- I've got one in EVERY CAR!
http://www.allviewmirror.com/
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My car didn't have a right side mirror. I bought one and had my son hold it in the symmertrical spot to the left side, and it was unusable there. The correct spot was closer to the rear of the car. It was so small it was useless, so I never mounted it.

Ken

 

Yes you guys are coorect about the mirror being further back. He didnt realize this until after the holes were drilled, but luckily the mirror is not locked by that much at all. Very very slightly blocked. It isnt that big of an issue though because eventually the door skins are going to have to be replace. There are some rust spots on the bottom of the doors. We knew this when byuing it, but hell a car is meant to be driven, this is no museum piece. Ill get some pics of it outside when i get home. Thanks for the comments.
-Matt

 

Pics as requested by Pap.
-Matt
p.s. You guys need to convince my dad to never put the stock wheels back on!!!
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Tell him to keep the black ones on.

They look like they belong on her.

 

Agree,...no right hand mirrors on the Scorpion, testarossa or GT4.

 

Have your dad call me at work. I'll convince him to put the stock wheels back on.

But, editorial comments aside, they're all beautiful cars. Have fun with it.

 

Keep the black wheels on her. I'm all for the stock look but in screamin fly yellow the aftermarket wheels look killer. Hell, it makes me think I need to buy Spassos' yellow 308.
Bill

 

That's what I like to hear

 

Speed up while you're sauying that!

 

God i love this car. I mean sure i would love my dad to have CS, Enzo or 430, but you gotta make do with what you have. I went for a short ride with my dad today, then i took her for a quick spin. Cant wait for the weather to really clear up so we can do some group drives! I would sure like to know if anyone can find a better sound than an Italian V-8 at 7K. And no responses from the V12 guys.
-Matt

 

Mathew, are you going to join us at the 308 west coast gathering? I think you should so we can meet you and your dad and see your dads car too.

 

Nice looking car, my vote goes for the standard wheels .

I also would have installed the mirror symmetrically, or not at all.
Pete

 

yeah when is it? I cant wait for the events to come! Right now my dad is apprehensive of taking the car to far away from home, but after we do the belts, etc here within the next few months im sure i can convince him to take it a ways away from home. Already got him to promise to let us drive it to Cannonbeach when the event comes in May.
-Matt