308 Rear Mirror - replace?

So my rear view mirror is very foggy. The mirror glass just appears to be on its last legs. Can I get a replacement easaily or is there any magic to bringing the mirror back to good as new? Thanks.

 

If you are talking about the interior one, it comes apart easily. Have a conversation with the folks at the auto glass shop. Most can cut one for you or refer you to a shop which can. If you are interested in renewing the outside rear view mirror, have one made before you break out the old one and fasten the new one in place.

 

Did you separate the mirrors and the glass? Just run your finger nail across the bottom of the mirror and the bezel will separate out very easily. Then you can get to the mirror to clean it.

If it's similar to the 328.

Ace

 

I had a guy at a glass place cut me a piece and he charged me about 4 bucks. Get a couple made in case you need them in the future...easy swap.

MB

 

+1

FYI, the mirror/glass thickness that comes from Ferrari/FIAT is very thin. The glass shop I went to did not have the same "thinness". Mine was just a little thicker and is a little tighter fit, but it does work.

 

OK, I know this is an old thread, but wanted to add some information to it. I had my mirror apart, and did some tracings and measurements. This is on a standard piece of printer paper. Save to your files...

Glass: 1.5MM thick, 55MM tall, 160MM and 182MM wide at the points.
Mirror: 2.0MM thick, 50MM tall, 160MM and 178MM wide at the points.
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Mine was looking very foggy and all it needed was cleaning. The outer bezel holding in the glass can be pried off pretty easily , just be careful with it. After that it's easy to remove and clean the glass - made a huge difference for me.

 

I had mine apart because the mirror was wobbly. The dimmer lever on the bottom of the mirror rotates a piece of plastic that tilts the mirror. It needs to be in front of the other piece, but can move behind it. Need to remove the mirror to rotate it back in front.

Sounds completely vague, but if you open it up, it makes sense.

 

Very timely thread!
I'll do some of these things while at home this weekend still recovering from being sick (instead of spending all that time at the Detroit Grand Prix!)

I told the doctor "my mirror is floppy, and it's cloudy when I look through it", now I've got the prescription!

 

+1 mine was the same I did not know it had a cover. Cleaned the cover and the mirror was great!
Pat

 

This was my problem too. Glad it worked out for you.

Ace

 

Yes it saved me $300.00 just by removing the cover and cleaning it. The mirror glass was still perfect after 28 years. Lol!

 

Just FYI, the Lancia Scorpion/MoteCarlo and Porsche 914 uses the same mirror and mount

 

As I was putting mine all back together, I thought that if I ever really damaged it, any decent black mirror would look just fine. My upper windshield tint (factory) is so dark, you can't even see the mirror. If I do damage it someday, and the price or availability is beyond reach, Auto Zone here I come.

Now only if the 328 fog lights were like that...

 

Maybe "Captain Obvios" but you do realize there is a 'design failure" point at the ball and socket so you can pull the mirror away without disturbing the glass attachment point. I only mention this because I stared at this for hours until F-chat rescued me. Getting the mirror back on requires lining it up carefully. Easy once you get the hang of it!

 

For a temporary solution try using mirror window film.
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I can positively verify that this breakaway feature works just fine. We were just on a drive here in SE Michigan a couple of weeks ago and I leaned over at a stop sign to dig around in the passenger footwell and knocked it off with my head. It didn't hurt! And we all know the first rule of Italian driving!
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Mine also has the "A" sticker on it (at the bottom-left corner, though). I've wondered about the significance of that sticker many times, looking up at the mirror.

 

I guess I should leave it in place, then. I haven't concerned myself about it many times, but one or two!

 

I ordered a mirror a year ago from a Porsche dealership listed as NOS for the 914 for significantly less than the real Ferrari one or even what the Porsche mirrors seem to be going for now. While the manufacturer and mount seem identical (it matched the glue marks from my missing one at least), the shape of the mirror itself is more rounded and thinner, than what I've seen in pictures as the original 308 mirror. That said, I have not seen the true original mirrors (at least not paying attention up close) on any of these cars in person, so just my experience.

 

If you don't need to remove the mirror, then I'd recommend leaving it alone...

I did an autocross a couple months ago and the mirror was blocking my view, so I pulled it off (knowing that it snaps in). Before the drive back home, I popped it back into place. The next morning I found the mirror on the floor...it became unstuck to the windshield. I guess the force of pulling it off, compromised the glue (hell, it did it's job for 35 years). I know there is special windshield/mirror glue, but I just used Super Glue and it seems to be holding...for now.

 

I was talking to a '78 308 GTS owner at a car show. He replaced his broken interior rear view mirror with one from a Fiat 124. Looked exactly the same. He found it on eBay for $40.00.

 

Since this thread has gained a second wind...another helpful tip is to use a drop of oil or WD-40 on the pivot ball on the back. I had not adjusted my mirror in about 12 years, so when I did adjust it, it popped off, because it was stuck. A dab of oil and now it moves like a normal mirror instead of being frozen.

 

I had mine apart two nights ago, for cleaning of 29 years of film and dust from the mirror and overlay glass. It turned out great. I would also suggest a couple of small dabs of silicone paste on the pivot points (hinges) for the dimmer lever. It loosens it up a bit and prevents wear of the plastic bits.

For those of you who need to clean the mirror internally (the OEM Vitaloni), there are two locking tabs at the top of the frame and two at the bottom. Gently slide a plastic putty knife into the gap between the frame and mirror body to release them, then gently remove the frame. The glass and mirror will then come out easily. Work over a soft surface (towel, etc.).

 

Shots of what's inside so you'll know what you're getting into:

An overview of what's inside. Looking at the top and bottom surfaces you can see the holes for the tabs that mate the front and back, as well as the ball joint and the troublesome dimmer mechanism at the bottom.

The aiming ball hasn't been lubricated in the last 30 years, give it a squirt or two. No more fear of cracking the windshield or breaking a part of the mirror assembly if you feel the need to adjust the mirror.

The bane of my mirror was the broken day/night adjustment. The problem is that the little flap on the inside of the mirror finds its way between the central assembly and the housing, but it should be acting on the bottom surface of that central assembly. I had significant fear of breaking things, but tweaked things (with a screwdriver as a prybar) and got it back where it all belonged. You can see that the shaft is just plastic-in-plastic, so a little lubrication can help prolong the life of the mirror.

Looking at the rear trim ring (with the glass pane in place), you can see the four tabs that go into the slots from the first picture. The glass pane and mirror just stack up inside. There was a lot of dust between the two panes, and the mirror is much, much more usable now.
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