Need to borrow a plastic mirror mounting gasket for a 69-70 Eldorado door mirror

[76eldo]

I want to add a right side mirror to my 70 Eldorado.  I have two nice mirrors but neither one came with the base gasket.  I would really like to borrow one and will pay a fee.  I want to have one made with a 3-D printer and need a proper pattern.  The Deville mirrors have a completely different base so it needs to be from an Eldo.  Does anyone have one of these laying around?

Thanks,

Brian

[wrench]

Barring any further assistance from someone else, who may even have one laying around, when I get back from out of town over the next couple of days I will check both Eldorados to see if they even have them mounted that way and if possible what it would take to get one off. I think they screw on from the inside.

It may take a while to get to that point but I will advise one way or another what I see on my vehicles.

Good luck and depending on what I find on mine, I may be in the market for one or two as well...!

[76eldo]

The right side mirror comes off without removing the door panel.
It should have two small holes in the base for a small Allen key.

Thank you

[wrench]

Ok, I will check that out and advise

[Bob Hoffmann CLC#96]

Brian,
 I suggest you send him a copy of the installation instructions. Avoid potential problems.
Bob

[wrench]

Ok, I checked out both cars ‘69 and ‘70.

They both have totally different pedigrees.

‘69 has one set screw on the forward end of the base. I was able to loosen it and remove the mirror pretty easily. The base gasket is made of a thin flat piece of black plastic, it seems to me to be something like Delrin.

The ‘70 has two set screws on the base, one forward and one aft going through the top of the base. I made a feeble attempt to loosen the set screws and as I tell newbie mechanics ‘You have to know when to stop’ as the most important skill of being a mechanic.

So, the ‘70 mirror removal would involve some penetrating oil and if that didn’t work (it won’t) an ez out, and if that didn’t work, would involve drilling out the set screw.

I can describe the base gasket as the same as the ‘69. It is a thin black flexible plastic gasket.

It follows the outline of the base with a very small overlap. There is no ‘cup’ which is what I was thinking. That it would be a harder plastic that ‘cupped’ the base.

It does not.

So unless someone else has a better description, 3D additive manufacturing would not be indicated.

Simply identifying a suitable flat, black plastic material and tracing the outline of the base and allowing a slight overlap would duplicate the base gasket.

I would look for plastic shim stock. If you can find Delrin, that would be my recommendation.

I can pull the ‘69 shim relatively easily and send it over. The issue is that if your hole pattern is different it may not work other than the overall pattern and thickness.

[Cadillac Fleetwood]

Ok, I checked out both cars ‘69 and ‘70.

They both have totally different pedigrees.

‘69 has one set screw on the forward end of the base. I was able to loosen it and remove the mirror pretty easily. The base gasket is made of a thin flat piece of black plastic, it seems to me to be something like Delrin.

The ‘70 has two set screws on the base, one forward and one aft going through the top of the base. I made a feeble attempt to loosen the set screws and as I tell newbie mechanics ‘You have to know when to stop’ as the most important skill of being a mechanic.

So, the ‘70 mirror removal would involve some penetrating oil and if that didn’t work (it won’t) an ez out, and if that didn’t work, would involve drilling out the set screw.

I can describe the base gasket as the same as the ‘69. It is a thin black flexible plastic gasket.

It follows the outline of the base with a very small overlap. There is no ‘cup’ which is what I was thinking. That it would be a harder plastic that ‘cupped’ the base.

It does not.

So unless someone else has a better description, 3D additive manufacturing would not be indicated.

Simply identifying a suitable flat, black plastic material and tracing the outline of the base and allowing a slight overlap would duplicate the base gasket.

I would look for plastic shim stock. If you can find Delrin, that would be my recommendation.

I can pull the ‘69 shim relatively easily and send it over. The issue is that if your hole pattern is different it may not work other than the overall pattern and thickness.

The mirror on the '69 with the set screw in the forward portion of the base is a 1968-only Eldorado mirror. It has only a very thin plastic gasket, as described.  This mirror fits on a 1969 and 1970 Eldorado.  It is technically not correct, but will a CLC judge know the difference?  Probably not.  I can envision a dealer installing the '68 mirror on a '69 at the time, intending to use up earlier parts stock.

The 1969-1970 mirror has the two holes in the base, which accommodate round-headed screws.  Accessible through the holes are allen-key fittings.  NOTE THAT THESE THREAD IN REVERSE.  Loosen is tighten, and tighten is loosen.  These strip easily, so caution is required.  Once the fasteners are loosened, and the mirror is loose (be careful not to loosen too much, or the fasteners will fall into the inner door) the mirror should then slide forward for removal. That is assuming that the dealer installed it by drilling four holes and filing two notches in the door panel.  Some did not. This mirror has a moulded black plastic base with much more substance; it is moulded to the contour of the door.  If memory serves, there is a GM part number moulded in the black base, a seven-digit number beginning with "149".

Brian, I would be more than happy to accommodate your request. I had two of these mirrors, but unfortunately no longer have them.  One of them had the black plastic base, the other did not.

Charles Fares

[wrench]

As always, Charles, thanks for the clarification, left handed threads would be an important tidbit to have. I’m glad I stopped before I stripped them out (as my admonition above indicates)

Interestingly, I do have left handed drill bits which have come in handy on RH thread screw extractions, sometimes it will grab just right and unscrew the stuck screw. But I do not have LH thread ez outs. They are available though.


Neither of my cars would impress a judge and I think the passenger mirror is for exterior cosmetics more than any ability to be useful to a driver. It was around that time that a passenger mirror became a requirement?

Are you saying you have a ‘70 base gasket for this exercise? Or would have been willing if you still had one?

[76eldo]

Please do not go to all of that trouble to remove a mirror.  I really appreciate that but it's too much hassle for you.

The mounting on these mirrors is very odd.  The holes drilled in the door are like a keyed slot.  You have these round head screws that are threaded into the underside of the mirror base and you put the mirror with these special fasteners in the large hole and move it back slightly so that the head is now in the smaller head and can't come out.  Then you turn the allen head of this screw counter clockwise (from the top) which is actually tightening it from underneath. So the button head clamps down against the hole in the door when you tighten (?) the Allen screw counterclockwise.

I will add some photos to this asap so it makes sense.

I was really hoping that someone might have this pad, insulator, gasket, whatever you want to call it laying around as a spare part that I could have copied.

Thanks,

Brian

[wrench]

Ok, thanks for the added description. I think pics added for posterity would be a good thing.

I am guessing that the screws are pretty unique and hard to find in serviceable condition?

So they are not left hand threads, they are RH from the bottom of the base and threaded in clockwise to loosen using an internal wrenching feature on the end of the screw thread portion. EZ Peasy as long as the darn threads still have life left. Unfortunately, that design should have included some sort of rubber plug or even a dab of silicone to keep moisture out...I would recommend that step for anyone assembling/ installing one of these mirrors.

I will take another look at it on Saturday.

If the darn things turn relatively freely, it’s not a hassle. Plus the car is away for the next couple of months anyway and I like technical challenges.

The question I have for myself is if the base is contoured on my ‘70 as Charles described or did someone use a flat shim as in the ‘69. I could not tell by external visual examination.

I will advise if I am able to make progress on Saturday.

Otherwise again, I wish you luck in your endeavor...

[wrench]

Well, that was interesting. The forward mount screw was the right type and going clockwise loosened it no problem.

It seems the person who installed it last used a regular screw in the aft position. If it was me, I would have used a hacksaw to cut a kerf in the end of the screw so I could still install and remove it with a blade tip screwdriver without pulling the door card.

I would have to access it from inside the door panel.

That won’t happen until spring as I may or may not be pulling that side door card off to change out the cigarette lighter to a USB charging port.

Anyway, the interesting thing is that the base of the mirror is curved to fit the contour of the door, so I think the base gasket could be made out of a flat piece of thick flexible plastic locally fabricated.

I wouldn’t go crazy trying to fab up some 3D additive manufactured piece for that.

I would make a recommendation though.

Use  some lube on the base as it is being assembled to the door so it doesn’t scratch the paint when you slide it forward (or aft) into the slots.

[76eldo]

Thank you Jim.
I don’t want anyone to go to the trouble of removing a mirror to do me a favor.
I was hoping someone might have the mounting gasket laying around.
I think I’ll make a pattern and take the Deville gasket as an example. Hopefully it can be made.

[chrisntam]

Thank you Jim.
I don’t want anyone to go to the trouble of removing a mirror to do me a favor.
I was hoping someone might have the mounting gasket laying around.
I think I’ll make a pattern and take the Deville gasket as an example. Hopefully it can be made.

If one looks for the gaskets, they can be found next to the hen's teeth.