So now that I have most mechanical things sorted (I did find a new potential issue yesterday, will post separately), I have a rearview mirror question. My car has a glued rearview mirror mount, but the rearview mirror installed is a Non-FHC SII type (pic below) according to sites I’ve researched.

I’d like to install the original type mirror (pic below) but I’ve a few things I’ve had to consider: Is the current mount faulty / worn out so someone installed the stalk mirror? If the mount is faulty, is there a safe way to remove it? As an FYI, I’m not concerned with the screw holes which would be left in removing the current setup as I can fill those with fabric (that’s the kind of stuff I’m really good at... mechanically I’m useless).

Thanks for any input!

 

Good news and bad news. The mount is fine. It's adhered to the window with a special adhesive, which is readily available in any auto parts store (just ask the clerk for rearview mirror adhesive). This glue sticks indefinitely, but if it's failing, it can be scraped off with a razor.. If you find that the screw thread is stripped out, then you can scrape the mount off the window with a blade and secure a replacement from your favorite parts house (the one in your photo has a new mount included)..

So what's the bad news? The repro S2 mirrors( and the originals, I suspect) are garbage. The glass is retained in place by the day/night slide, and this is a delicate affair that's prone to breaking. Aside from that, the plastic was designed to work in a cooler climate. On a very hot day here in the US, you are liable to park your car in the sun and come back to find that the glass has fallen out and shattered on the console. This is because the plastic isn't dimensionally stable at high temperature. I've been through three of them. My permanent solution was to put a blob of Liquid Nails behind the glass. Of course, the day/night button can't work, but at least the mirror stays put.

 

Thank you! I may try the reproduction mirror given I don’t typically drive the car in the warm / hot weather, especially since I don’t have AC. As well, if it’s sunny with temps >65F or so, I’ll drive top down in my little Figaro. If the temps go to 90F as they often do during July, I’ll just drive my daily 09 VW Rabbit, AC blasting. I hate hot weather! : )

That said, regarding reproduction parts, the guy who updated my E with new parts said he has had really bad experiences in this area. For example, he expressed that he has had multiple failures with reproduction alternators. At this point, he will only install parts manufactured in England and/or remanufactured original parts.

Thanks again!