[Healeys] Wing Mirror Placement

[John Snyder]

Another solution to the side mirror location (at least for side curtain 
cars) is to use a Harley Davidson mirror in the front side curtain socket. 
Then you can adjust the mirror while driving.   The AH wing nut even fits! 
Of course, you then can't install the side curtain.....but who uses them 
anyway :-)

John Snyder

>
> One possible explanation:
>
> A wise old Healey guru - can't remember who or even when - once told me 
> that
> the reason for the wing mirror mount location on the big Healeys was 
> because
> of the post-with-nut-from-underneath design of the Lucas 'Wing' mirror. 
> The
> mirror had to go where the dealership techs could install the mirror 
> without
> having to pry, remove, and generally mess up the wings.  So the mirror 
> went
> forward to the point on the wing where the nut could be accessed through 
> the
> wheel well - just barely in front of the inner wheel arch.  Stick your 
> head
> under there on a car with original mirror locations and you'll immediately
> understand.
>
> Personally, I don't care for that mirror location - the older I get, the
> farther away the damn things are - simply too far forward for me.  Not to
> mention that fact that they are always in your belly button when working 
> on
> the engine (the exact location of the belly button gets farther away too,
> complicating things even more).
>
> As an interesting aside, some of us here have mounted original style Lucas
> wing mirrors on the doors on convertibles.  The mirrors' design allows the
> vent window to be used unimpeded, and the passenger side mirror to swivel
> enough that it can actually be used to see to the rear.  Bit of a pain to
> mount - door panels off, and the ideal location on the door makes the nut
> quite a reach behind the vent window upright, but worth it when it's done
> IMHO.
>
> Earl Kagna