Mirror Refurbishment

[retrospecparts]

Hi. I'm new here, so I'll introduce myself. I'm a self employed mechanic plus I sell a few parts through a website. Amongst others, I used to work on several Renault 4s in my trainee days (in the 80s), but went to a Peugeot specialist after that, in the 304/305/504/604/505/205/309 era. The last 15 years have been spent mainly on 2cvs and other classic Citroens and although this keeps me very busy, I'd quite like to get back into Renault 4s again.
One of the things that I sell on my website, that might interest some of you, is my MirrorCool range:
I have refurbishment parts for earlier-type metal mirrors.
If the plastic trim around the mirror glass is crumbling away, I have a silicone rubber replacement.
I also have new convex mirror glasses.
On the back of the mirror head, there is (almost always) a reference number and the manufacturer's name.
I have parts for the following metal mirrors, (which cover almost every french car produced from the late 60s to the late 70s and beyond, plus many of the accessory mirrors that were available in France over this time):
Geco & Cipa: 22, 54, 127, 195, 225, 274, 275,355, 358, 438, plus others.

 

[JonathanT]

Hello -I bought a pair of wing mirrors in chrome off ebay. the quality is appalling. Do you have something better?

 

[retrospecparts]

Hello -I bought a pair of wing mirrors in chrome off ebay. the quality is appalling. Do you have something better?

I don't do complete mirrors I'm afraid: I do parts that enable you to refurbish your original mirrors.

I agree, the quality of the available new mirrors is absolutely terrible. As far as I'm aware, all the specialist parts suppliers for classic Renaults, Citroens and Peugeots are all selling the same cheap 'reproduction' mirrors: they just come with different arms for different models: They are all based on the Cipa 35215 (which I left out of my list above!), and are chomed mild steel. They are the same shape as the original stainless steel Cipa 54 & 195, which was fitted to probably more french classics than any other type of mirror, so (when they are new) they look close to the original for many cars. However, the quality of the chrome on the mirror head and the arm is awful. They can rust badly within a year or so. The associated parts are of equally low quality. The plastic surround trim is often a loose fit, and doesn't look like the original, (the first ones were black, then translucent and now they are grey but much to thick).
In my experience, people who buy the cheapy crappy mirrors wish they hadn't within a short time, and try to find secondhand original ones to refurbish.

So, don't buy new crap every couple of years! Recycle your perfectly good original mirrors: They were good quality and made to last decades. The new ones are just like new cars, washing machines and other consumables: disposable.

 

[angel]

I was interested in restoring a pair of mirrors I have, so I bought such a silicone mirror trim from a 2CV parts site some years ago. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't fit it and ended breaking the mirror glass.

I agree about the quality of the repro "Cipa" Taiwanese mirrors, not only they rust extremely quickly, they don't show objects clearly, mirror glass quality is very poor.

 

[retrospecparts]

Over the last eight years, I've been supplying my "MirrorCool" silicone trim kits to several 2cv parts suppliers. Although I've always supplied them with detailed fitting instructions, some suppliers have either used their own (less than helpful) instructions or have not supplied any instructions at all. In addition to this, there are copies (including from one UK supplier who has a reputation for nicking other people's ideas!), some of which are made from less flexible material. A combination of inferior products and poor/missing instructions has led to some people concluding that they are impossible to fit and so, unfortunately, that rumour has spread. Without the correct instructions they can be extremely difficult to fit. I agree that they can be FIDDLY to fit but, If the instructions are followed, there is absolutely no reason why a glass should break! At no point should it be put under anywhere near enough pressure to break it.
I sell my surround trims, glasses, etc, at 2cv events in the UK and abroad, where I also provide a fitting service. I have fitted several hundred and NEVER broken a glass or failed to fit a surround trim. Yes they are fiddly to fit and there is a knack to it, hence the need for proper instructions. Most people's first mirror takes about 25 minutes. Once they've done one, their second takes about half as long. I have done them in under four minutes but my average is probably about six minutes, as the manufacturing tolerances of the mirror casings and the glass dimensions vary, (hence the need for proper detailed instructions, that explain how to compensate for this).
It is very important to me that buyers my products are entirely satisfied, so
anyone who has bought my surround trims from another supplier and thinks they might not have my instructions, can see them on my website, here:
http://www.retrospecparts.com/content/22-fitting-instructions
http://www.retrospecparts.com/content/22-fitting-instructions

 

[retrospecparts]

Just something to add to Angel's comment above, about the quality of the glass on the crappy 'repro Taiwanese' Cipa mirrors:
I found it very difficult to get good quality mirror glasses made. In my experience, ones made in the far east are crap, as are ones made by a company in London. I eventually found the only UK based company that makes mirror glasses to the EU standard required for new cars. Having supplied them with the templates for several Geco and Cipa mirrors, they don't supply glasses for these mirrors to anyone else but me.