Installing New Side Mirror GLASS

[Twistiva]

The bottom of my mirrors, just above the bottom lip, have been damaged due to the sun and look foggy/cloudy no matter how much Windex you use on it. I'm sure many other owners have the same problem.

Question: do the replacement mirrors/glass I see on e-Bay for Festivas simply glue in externally or do they require you to take off the rubber mounting boot and go in from the side of the mirror housing?

At first I thought you simply broke out the old mirror and glued in the replacement without removing the rubber boot, but in looking at the mirror assembly more closely it appears that the factory glass actually extends beyond the edge of the plastic mirror housing lip. If so, do you just brute force the rubber boot off? If you take the boot off to get the glass in, are they prone to rip?

[kumalaba]

^

i bought one for my jeep & pulled out the old glass first then glued it, if you put it on the glass it dosent look as good.

[eurotiva]

http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34673

There you go.

[m715]

The easiest way to fix the manual mirrors is just to find a better one. You can buy them so cheap, and three screws and you are done. Only the power mirrors are ones worth fixing.
Michael
Auto Glass Tech/Manager 27 Yrs

[Twistiva]

The easiest way to fix the manual mirrors is just to find a better one. You can buy them so cheap, and three screws and you are done. Only the power mirrors are ones worth fixing.
Michael
Auto Glass Tech/Manager 27 Yrs

Agreed, that's easy, but it seems a shame to chuck an entire mirror assembly just because some of the glass is foggy. Eventually there won't be any mirror assemblies around. Would be nice if there was a relatively easy way to swap out the glass, or at least have the option of doing that.

I do understand you can break out the old glass and install a new piece but the new piece won't fit under the edge of the housing lip like it appears the factory assembly does. (Maybe I'm not looking close enough at my existing mirror?) This is why I was asking about possibly taking off the rubber boot and installing the new glass from the side of the unit.

Thx for the replies so far....

[kumalaba]

^

Agreed, that's easy, but it seems a shame to chuck an entire mirror assembly just because some of the glass is foggy. Eventually there won't be any mirror assemblies around. Would be nice if there was a relatively easy way to swap out the glass, or at least have the option of doing that.

I do understand you can break out the old glass and install a new piece but the new piece won't fit under the edge of the housing lip like it appears the factory assembly does. (Maybe I'm not looking close enough at my existing mirror?) This is why I was asking about possibly taking off the rubber boot and installing the new glass from the side of the unit.

Thx for the replies so far....

im not 100% sure but i think you can pry the old one out with a flat head screwdriver & the new replacement will glue in without fooling with the rubber boot. i did it on my 91 civic & my 95 jeep with no problems but the festiva might be different. i think i payed about 10-12 bucks shipped for each one.

[m715]

I would have to look again, but IIRC, the mirror is glued together AFTER the mirror is installed with foam backer used to keep the mirror in position. If you need a left side one, it's yours, and you can try to get one apart as a project. Right sides..... they have been a commodity at times.
Let me know
Michael

I guess I can add.. the mirror on the left is a Burco Replacement RED2488. Costs me 5.66 for my distributor overnight.

[Twistiva]

I would have to look again, but IIRC, the mirror is glued together AFTER the mirror is installed with foam backer used to keep the mirror in position. If you need a left side one, it's yours, and you can try to get one apart as a project. Right sides..... they have been a commodity at times.
Let me know
Michael

I guess I can add.. the mirror on the left is a Burco Replacement RED2488. Costs me 5.66 for my distributor overnight.

Michael -

Sure, I'll take a spare left side mirror if you've got it. I'll let you know what it takes to get the factory mirror out. If I can get it out w/o destroying the housing I'l gladly buy some replacement glass from you. I bet a lot of other Festy owners would, too.

[doylerl]

First, is the mirror actually glass or is it plastic? I would try some polishing compound on it... not just windex. If it is plastic, I would try the 3M Lens and hard plastic cleaner from Advance auto. It worked wonders on my headlights. If it is glass, I am sure this is some kind of compound similar to the one I stated.

[m715]

The mirrors are coated silvered glass. The surrounding framing is a glued trim ring which in my experience with these type plastic trims is at best difficult to remove, and harder to rebond after changing the glass. I routinely change this style mirror out as an assembly in this and other applicatons like it ( Isuzu , Nissan, Ford Ranger/ Mazda B *000 paddle style as an example).
The "cloudiness" is an etch from envionmental sources( mineral/chemical), and because the mirror is a double sided coating for non glare properties, and resistance to moisture migration that removes interior appication backings on single back sided coated mirror, will scratch off before you can polish the deposits along that edge where water sits until it evaporates, leaving those deposits along the edge.
Because I have always removed the manual type mirrors off my L models, and replaced them with the power styles, I have never tried the Redi Cut on these mirrors. On some applications, their mirror is a fit over cut smaller so the trim ring would not require removal to replace it. Usually the catalog, however, identifies these mirrors, and those are often for Electrochromatic self dimming application which have multiple layers of glass sandwiched together. This mirror, not being that type, I would assume is the original size to replace the mirror when it is totally broken out of the housing. A foam backing is used in many of the trim ring applications to keep the mirror tight against the trim ring in the housing is applied to the back side of the mirror during assembly also.

HTH
Michael

[Twistiva]

Michael -

I received the mirror you sent the other day. I'll experiment on it in the next week or so. Gotta finishing refurbishing a front seat belt assembly first.

Many thanks for donating the mirror as well as giving the detailed explanation of the assembly above. 'Knowledge is power', right?

I plan on seeing what can be done on replacing the glass and report back to the group.

Cheers!