328 Mirror Flopin'

'88 328 passenger side view mirror. The mirror flops down. Won't stay up. I assume I have to pop off the little plastic pieces at the base to tighten a bolt, but before I go to do any plastic poppin I'd like to know that I'm doing the right thing. Any wisdom or experience would be greatly appreciated. An oh yea, the plastic pieces are probably nicely aged and brittle by now. Any tips on getting them off without poopin the plastic would be appreciated. Thanks.

Hfguy in beautiful downtown Lovettsville, VA.

 

Yes, the plastic insert in the base is supposed to flex out with a little pressure from a small screwdriver. Then the base tightens with a hex wrench. (I don't remember what size hex -- I have a bag of them, so I just did trial and error.)

Just be gentle removing the plastic bit, and you should be okay.

I can't be more specific, because it's been eight or nine years since I did mine.

 

Yes...pop off the top and an Allen wrench will do the trick. If you damage the cover, Verell (sp?) on this board makes replacements, Godsend that he is

 

The rounded mirror rear caps mount with tabs on the vertical edge (see pic). You can usually get them off by gently squeezing inward at the 90 degree corner & pulling backwards. Sometimes you have to squeeze along the entire edge.

When reinstalling, if they feel even slightly loose, put a small dab of black silicone sealant on the tabs. It will keep them in place, but still removable.

The trapezoidal front caps mount with tabs at each end. A wide thin screwdriver, or even a wood chisel used VERY carefully can be used to pry the wide end tab out.

Yes, I do make replacements, but they're a tad pricey, so best if you save your original ones. If you need one see my catalog for ordering structions:

http://www.unobtainiumsupply.com/
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I had the same problem with my driver's mirror on the 328. Even after tightening the allen head bolt it would loosen and the mirror would flop after a couple months of driving. A year ago I retightened with a dab of low strength loctite and the mirror hasn't moved since.

 

I'm chasing the front cap for the passenger side (left) of my RHD Australian delivered 328 (87 model).

Anyone know where I can source?
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If your mirror's base is the same as a US QV, one of the members here is 3D printing them. You'll have to nose around the 308/328 forum a bit to find the post. Good luck.
- Dave