Info on Fender Mirrors...

Anyone done something like this to their Miata?  mounting mirrors on the front fenders to give a more classic style?I'm thinking about doing it myself but any input etc would be great thanks guys!
--Gmoney

Before you do go find a british guy that has them on a MG, Triumph, or Austin Healey. You will find they are a pain. It's like looking into a postage stamp. Take a mirror and set it six feet from you and the try to see any thing from it.

Originally Posted by jaguarxk120
Before you do go find a british guy that has them on a MG, Triumph, or Austin Healey. You will find they are a pain. It's like looking into a postage stamp. Take a mirror and set it six feet from you and the try to see any thing from it.

Also, mounting them out on the fender tops increase their vibration. That affects their visibility but can also change their aim. And since you'll want to adjust them it means you'll want to add POWER mirrors since you'll no longer be able to adjust them while sitting in the drivers seat. That is of course unless you have someone willing to stand there while you shout quot;left...no right a bit, now up ... no, too much, down some, more, more...quot;. You get the idea.
From an ex-MG/Fiat/Sunbeam guy.

To answer your question, it's been done before.  And some look very nice indeed.  The only thing that stops most people is filling in the OEM holes and the fact that it takes longer to adjust the mirrors.
I'll post again when I find some pics.

LoL you guys have already mostly changed my mind on the idea.. I just think it looks so sexy... :S

Oh, I dunno.  When I went to Japan in 1980, I rode around a lot in my uncle's car with the fender mount mirrors.  I thought they were a lot more convenient to use than door mount mirrors.  The mirrors are within your forward field of view so you don't need to take your eyes off the road which is convenient for lane changes but not so much for reversing.  With convex glass, they give a good view of the space right next to you.
I think the biggest deterrent to installing fender-mounts is the lack of aftermarket power mirrors for adjusting them.  Installing OEM mirrors would stick out too far.
I believe some time in the mid-80s, Japanese regulations were changed so that fender-mounts were not allowed.  I am not sure what the reasoning was, though...

i like them. and would add them if i didn't track my car..

I looked at the pic above and couldn't believe the windshield header post wouldn't be right in the drivers line of sight for that fender mounted mirror.  I had to go sit something on my fender and sit in the car to believe it could work.
My buddy's 1971 MGB came with one door mounted mirror, and one fender mounted... Pretty odd. And not all 1971 MGB'S came that way. Apparently they just used what parts were available in the factory.  Run out of new mirrors?  quot;Hey, don't we have some old ones back in the back?  Go grab those!' He thinks his MGB's fender mounted mirror is cool.  I've never asked him how effective it is being placed out there. I'll tell you what... after riding with him in St. Louis City traffic... I don't think he even uses his mirrors!