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MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Mirrors

1967 Sprite Mk IV - Were external rear view mirrors offered as a factory option?

If so, were they door or wing mounted?

What style/s were offered?

Can anyone provide measurements to define the location?

I presume that door mounted mirrors give the better rear view with a smaller blind spot.

I've got one of the 'clip on' mirrors but don't like the way it fits and would prefer something more permanent.

I've tried searching for images on the web and most of the pictures suggest that external mirrors were not standard in 1967. The mirrors fitted as standard to later cars look a bit too angular for my car although they probably give the best rear view.

The images are from the MGOC Spares web page but there are no notes to match the mirrors to years or models. At the moment I am thinking of going for 33 or 35 - there's quite a big price difference! Does one of them give a better view than the other or is one easier to fit than the other?

Any thoughts?

Cheers
Colin





Colin Mee

'67 is too early for door mirrors, they might look odd on an early car. The rectangular mirrors IIRC came in with the narrow squarer-section bumpers around 70/71. Think wing mirrors would be correct, but a shame to drill holes in decent panels, so door-mounted racing mirrors could well be your best option. Do you get a choice of flat or convex?
David Smith


Here is an article I wrote for Mascot re the type 31 / 32 mirror :

Probably like many other owners, I feel the rear field of view using the door mirrors on my Spridget is too restricted. Although this is not a major problem for the situations we all like to drive our Spridgets (ie winding country roads), it can be problem when travelling on a motorway, in heavy traffic conditions or in Europe for us Brits.

I was therefore interested to read in a recent edition of the MGCC’s Safety Fast magazine that replacement convex mirrors are available from the OE manufacturer of door mirrors, Tex Automotive who are part of the British Motor Heritage group. Subsequently, I purchased my replacements from the MGOC Spares but they should be available from other similar suppliers.

Before removing the existing mirror, I decided to photograph the field of view with a flat glass [top photo].After fitting the convex glass replacements, and adjusting the mirror to include the side of the car as previously, I took another photograph to show the new field of view [bottom photo].

The field of view, at a distance of 10 metres, increased from 4 metres with the flat glass to 6 metres with the convex glass and clearly shows another vehicle that was hidden from view in the first photo.

I would recommend this quick (10 minutes) and cheap (£10) modification as a worthwhile upgrade that offers some very useful safety benefits to us and our cars.







Doug Plumb

Looking back to when I built my Sebring rep looking for something a bit different i fitted Yamaha motor cycle mirrors. Door mounted they are plastic so could be colour coded if the fancy took me.
Alan


Alan Anstead

Looking back to when I built my Sebring rep looking for something a bit different i fitted Yamaha motor cycle mirrors. Door mounted they are plastic so could be colour coded if the fancy took me.
Alan


Alan Anstead

Colin

May be something suitable here if you do not fancy the later Tex mirrors:

http://www.completeautomobilist.com/search?query=Mirror

(Tex:
http://texautomotive.com/classic_exterior_mirrors.html)


As you have a hillclimb car, surely, Raceparts for you?
http://www.raceparts.co.uk/products/other_products.asp?group=Mirrors

https://www.merlinmotorsport.co.uk/s/mirrors

Good luck for this coming season. What upgrades/fixes you planned this winter?

Alan's clever use of motorbike mirrors looks good.

Cheers
Mike
M Wood

Not the clearest picture, but I've never had any problem seeing behind me using a bullet mirror.


Lawrence Slater

Thanks for all the comments and links.

Dave, thanks for clarifying the dating issue. From all the photos I had found I was pretty sure there were no factory supplied mirrors in '67.

Doug, thanks for the pic demonstrating the difference between flat and convex - I will definitely be going for convex. Although I've still got the static belts fitted I generally use the four point harness and that limits movement for checking over the shoulder rather, so maximum field of view is important.

Alan, your Sebring mirrors look to be a bit larger, which I like, but I think I'll stick with chrome to go with all the other brightwork on the car.

Mike, Thanks for all those links - I had heard of the Complete Automobilist but had never checked them out. Rather spoilt for choice there! I hadn't heard of Raceparts before - now added to Favourites list. You are correct that I use the Sprite to go hillclimbing but it is very much a roadgoing car and I find dual carriageways with little or no blind spot cover a bit scary!
With the car fairly standard so far our times have levelled off so there's a set of polybushes and a pair of negative camber trunnions waiting to go on ready for this season. I've also got an electric fan to try to recoup a couple of the horsepowers that the fixed fan gobbles up. When times start to level off again I'll be looking to put on better air filters and give the carburettors some attention and when the budget will stretch to it there will be some alloy wheels and better tyres.

Lawrence. Thanks for the photo. A bullet mirror certainly seems to be the way to go. I'm afraid my Sprite stays tucked up in the garage when it snows. The local lanes aren't too brilliant in those conditions.

Cheers, and thanks again.

Colin
Colin Mee

I love the lucas wing mirrors...I put mine over the top of the wheel...the flat mirror is worthless but the convex mirrors at works great, also add a roll pin on the bottom of the wing to hold the mirror from twisting backnand forth

Prop


Prop and the Blackhole Midget

I used to have bullet mirrors on our Frog (see vehicle profile) and found them quite useless.

Rob
Rob aka MG Moneypit

Colin

Thanks

For competition car components (including fasteners, mirrors, pit equipment), as well as Raceparts and Merlin Motorsport there is also Trident Racing Supplies.

http://www.tridentracing.co.uk/

http://www.merlinmotorsport.co.uk/

http://www.raceparts.co.uk/



Cheers
Mike

M Wood

Also Holden and Europa for mirrors:

http://www.holden.co.uk/displayAgroups.asp?sg=2&pgcode=092&sgName=Hardware&pgName=Mirrors

http://www.europaspares.com/exterior-parts/exterior-mirrors.html





M Wood

This thread was discussed between 07/01/2015 and 08/01/2015

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG Midget and Sprite Technical BBS is active now.