Austin Healey Club of Oregon

When we got to a certain point in the restoration of my BT7, I was asked by Tom and Geno if I wanted side mirrors mounted. My initial reaction was “No Way!” Too much time and effort was put into making the fenders perfect to drill holes in them. They suggested that I mount mirrors in the side curtain sockets instead. Since I don’t drive the car in inclement weather (not by choice anyway) and I don’t have side curtains (or a top for that matter) it seemed like a perfect solution.

At the last club event several participents admired my mirrors so I thought I would describe how to do this. I wish it was a difficult task, but it isn’t. They really just bolt on.

First here are some photos of the mirrors on the car.

While not a classic look, I think they look right at home. They are motorcycle mirrors. It took a while to find somewhere to buy ones that I liked. I started by looking around in the local motorcycle shops. There were some great looking mirrors, but I really did not want the words “Harley Davidson” on my Healey. Most of the mirrors I found were branded. So I went on-line to look.

I found these at http://www.bargainbikergear.com/. They had quite a selection. These were not too expensive (under $40 per mirror).

They fit either right or left hand and come with an assortment of different length mounting bolts. Here is a picture of the pieces.
There are only three pieces. The mirror, a nylon washer and an allen head bolt. You have to supply the allen wrench. So installation is a snap. Slide the bolt up through the side curtain socket, put the nylon washer over it, and then screw on the mirror.

Here is a photo that shows all the pieces installed:

Thats all there is to it.