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MG TD TF 1500 - MGTF Fender Mirrors

I recently purchases a 1955 mgtf 1500 and will undertake a restoration. The car in my possession has one fender mirror on the driver side. I have looked at pics of the tf on line and don't find them having had fender mirrors. Did the tf come with fender mirrors or were they a dealer add on?

Additionally, did the fender top lights have the "king of the road" symbol on top or were they simple and plain?

thanks
J Fleshman

I think the fender mirrors were dealer optional or aftermarket. Having one on my TD in the past, they are pretty useless. The original sidelights all had the plastic red king of the road plastic dots on top.
George Butz

Hi JF,

As George B has said, I believe they were a dealer add on, and as also said too far forward to be of any real use. Also potential rust spots! You could get such round mirrors of various makes in the UK, either with a flat glass, or convex, but still of limited use. Suggest you look at currently available side windsceen mounted mirrors, the best of which fasten into the folding screen nut assembly, so no drilling, tapping of threads needed!

Cheers,

John
J C Mitchell

I would agree with these being an "add-on".
Also with the fact that they can bea bit of a pain to keep adjusted.
They were on my 1500 when purchased however, as a word of caution, whomever installed them did not spend much time "planning" the location. Mine were totallly useless and blocked the line of sight to the KOR signal indacators.
I did like the way they looked and decided I might want them on my car. When I repainted the car we filled in the old holes (welded). When done I sat in the car while my friend tried several locations and did find a spot where they were actually functional! I replaced the glass in the passangers side with a convex lens that gives a better view on that side.
They actually work well now.

Guess it is just a matter of personal choice if you like the "look" or not...but I would strongly recomend filling in the holes when you restore. Gives you some more time to make the decesion and definitly recruit a friend to find the best place to mount before you drill a hole.

I also installed small convex mirrors in the corners of my windshield off my wind wing adjustment knobs using a small rubber coated hose clamp.
I like to see what's behind me! These actually work better than the wing mirrors.


David Sheward

As John says ...lot's of options for mounting on windscreen.
Considerations there:
Interferance with side curtains?
Interferance with wind wings if planning on those.
I had found some old stock wind wings I was going to put on so winscreen mounts were not going to work well for me.
David Sheward

I'm another person who wouldn't drive without the Lucus mirrors. Properly adjusted and tight, they provide much needed rear vision. I have flat glass in both of mine, and rarely have to adjust them.

Mine are mounted directly behind the side lights.

warmly,
Dave
Dave Braun

I'm with Dave B. My car came with a drivers mirror, and I added the passenger side mirror. They are located directly in line with the side lights and provide excellent rear vision. The narrow low position of the TF makes it impossible to change lanes to the right when sitting in a row of cars turning left with just the cockpit center mirror. With the wing mirrors mounted slightly inboard like they are, I rarely find them ever out of adjustment from being bumped. Also, setting the tension correctly with the three screws on back keeps the where I want them. Plus... they just plain old look cool!

Alex
Alex Waugh

When I acquired my TD in 1977 it had no wing or windscreen mounted mirrors. During restoration I spotted a small Honda motorcycle known, IIRC as a Festival. This had two very neat round chrome mirrors on the handlebars which were attached by a chrome stalk about a quarter inch in diameter. I purchased the LH and RH versions and mounted them through the middle screw hole in the TD windscreen to scuttle bracket using a nut on the inside. They do not interfere with folding the screen and I believe would not interfere with the side screens although I have never run the car with these in place. I liked these mirrors since the were all chrome or stainless, were not bulky, looked like a factory accessory and were fully adjustable from the driver's seat. They are slightly convex and four inches in diameter. Check with a Honda motorcycle store to see if they are still available.


John Quilter (TD8986)

Regarding my "useless" comment- Upon further review, I drive about 99% of the time with the hood down. If you drive with it up and especially with side curtains they would be somewhat useful. I think Moss had some TC-type mirrors and a mount that used the unused windscreen adjustment hole to mount, that would be more like a modern rear view mirror. George
George Butz

Most of my driving is hood down also so primarly using the cowl mirror and my little covex windscreen ones. Labor day was cold & raining here so had it up and the wing mirrors were nice to have.
My "co-piolt" goes for that wind in the face thing so my little ones not much good with the screen down.
David Sheward

This thread was discussed on 07/09/2011

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