I recently added a passenger-side rearview mirror to our 1972 Mercedes 250C.
It transformed the car. Even though the car has a tall greenhouse with good visibility, adding the second mirror increased my road awareness and feeling of safety.
We have since decided to do the same to our 1971 Jaguar E-type V12 2+2. This should prove even more useful, as when we have my mobility scooter in the rear, vision out the rear hatch is completely blocked. Moss Motors has them in stock, and the next time the car goes to Consolidated Autoworks for a visit they will install it.
Now we are considering adding one to our 1975 Porsche 911 S.
While walking around Luftgekühlt at the Chattanooga Motorcar Festival last weekend, I looked for passenger-side mirrors on earlier 911s.
I didn’t find one. From my observations, Porsche went to body-colored powered mirrors on both doors sometime after the SC era.
Our resident 911 guru Jim Schrager says he has put passenger door mirrors on many of his early 911s. Pelican Parts has the mirrors in stock.
I confess I like the clean look of a single-mirror car, and visibility is not an issue. However, in this world of 80-mph, 9,000-pound SUVs, “more is better” when it comes to seeing what kind of traffic you are in the middle of.
So here’s the question: Should I install a chrome passenger-side mirror on our narrow-body 911 S, or just leave it in as-delivered condition with a single mirror?
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I’d do it. But then, I am not a Porsche purist.
Here’s the tiebreaker: in a lot of communities you need the second, passenger mirror to check on bike lanes that are right next to the car passenger side. I find frequently a biker that would be in my blind spot but for diligent checking, and my right turn would put all at risk.
You are doing it to enhance and improve the driving and safety aspect of the car. If it’s involved in an accident because someone didn’t see someone, then that will hurt any resale value much more than a door mirror…
Keith. I have ALWAYS added a passenger mirror to all my cars ; be it my Dino 206, BMW 328, or Porsche 356A ! Better safety for you , additionsl feedback from your passenger/Navie, and lets agree – two matching mirrors give your car a “Balanced”
Apperance as opposed to an “unbalanced “ look. The key is make sure they look alike !
Keith, it looks I was kicked out when I tried to add this earlier. However, it was a big struggle for me with my 69 corvette. Until recently I kept the car out in AZ and enjoyed driving it in a small town with great weather. However, moving the car out where I reside the majority of the time created some stress with driving it as everyone that I seem to be in some type of lifted vehicle and the only time I saw them looking down it was at their phone and not at me. Some of the guys in my group use suction cup solutins and I felt those had more limitations then benefits. So, bit the bullet and been able to enjoy more and stress less in navigating through the streets
I say do it. I don’t know how we got along without them before!
Some time ago, well back in the late 70’s, I purchased a pair of beautiful Talbot 333 side mirrors to mount on my 68’ Triumph TR 250. I never did install them on the car and the car, with transmission issues that I could not seem to get resolved, went to part-out heaven. Fast forward to 2017 and I’m going through boxes of old car parts for cars I no longer own and voila there they are in perfect like new condition. I put them up on eBay and they fetched a surprising sum. The purchaser, a high end Miami car dealership, told me that they were for a vintage 911 race car restoration they were doing for a client. That seemed to me to be the perfect application for those mirrors.
PS They would have looked amazing on the Jag!
Put them on for sure. I think the symmetrical look of both mirrors is actually more visually pleasing, and there is no doubt they are far more relevent to modern driving than back in the day when they weren’t put on. Thanks for the column as it may inspire me to finally install the passenger mirror for my ’72 2002 as well. That is if I can find it in my cluttered shop but that’s a entirely different issue……
Don’t buy the reproduction mirror. Find a real German one if you’re going to do it.
I’d say definitely put the mirror on. As others have commented, safety is enhanced and it makes for greater peace of mind. Terry Haines makes a great point about bike lanes and visibility. From experience here in Victoria BC, right side mirror for bikes is a must. All the best!
Great thoughts everyone thanks. You have erased all my doubts.
PS the mirror for the jag has arrived!
I have 2 E Types, one with a left hand mirror only and one with both. There’s no question today that the car with both is safer, not just for bikers but for the wheelchair drivers, electric skate boards, people on roller blades – it just goes on, but can you get a right side mirror that matches the one on the left side?
Caution on adding a right-side mirror on an early 911 (which I highly recommend).
When you open the door there will be two rubber plugs at the top front (plugs could be missing, so just two holes). Obviously where the mirror goes, same on driver’s door. If you drill the holes to mount the mirror there on the passenger’s door you won’t be able to see it from the driver’s seat, it’s too far forward. That mounting position is for right hand drive cars. (Don’t ask me how I know).
Now that said, mine was a ‘71 with round mirrors, maybe you can see the larger 72-77 rectangular ones. Easy to check first. Sit in the passenger’s seat and look at the driver’s mirror. If what you see is mostly A pillar, you’ll know the answer.
I found a match at Moss.
It is curious that in Alfas from the 60s and 70s, as well as in other cars, side mirrors were one model designs; you just turned the mirror left or right as you needed.