E53 Door Mirror Shell Fix- Cheaply
Posted: Fri May 19, 2017 9:46 pm
E53 Door Mirror Shell Fix- Cheaply.
I am up for sharing easy fixes here, so... if you don't like it, or have some Axe to grind in between my butt cheeks... please keep it to yourself.
OK, we know how expensive & FRAGILE the door mirror case shells are, how easy they split & bits break off...
So, a cheap & easy fix to most of the damage issues... and looks pretty good too.
As follows.... Go to B&M or Pound-Land & get ..
**a couple of tubes of Epoxy resin - the one that self mixes as you squirt it out of the syringes...
**A roll of 2" masking tape....
**Ebay.. a meter of similar colour Carbon Wrap Film... the sort that Chavvs put on their Corsa Bonnets...but you can get it in Black, Silver & white etc & I have also seen it as just Smooth with zero carbon lines as a smooth coloured film.... and in matted or shiney..
1.The damage to the Mirror shells can be reworked by applying the masking tape over missing areas from the outside & use the tape as a mould, & you can even Round the edges & corners too.
2.squirt the epoxy into the mirror shell damaged area from the inside - after removing the shell from the mirror... noting that the epoxy will run downwards when possible.
If you use the type that has the self mixing nozzles, fine.. other wise you mix it on a piece of card & spatula it into the damage area from inside the shell.
3. You can Dam the location of the epoxy with additional walls of tape internally to prevent it dripping/running onto clips & location tabs.
4. leave to totally harden for 2 hrs... even if set in 10 minutes... it needs to fully harden.
5. The Masking tape must be pulled away from the epoxy, in a direction as if you are pulling Over the shell.. ie do not pull the tape off at 90' to the surface, or you will likely tug it off.
6. Inspect your handy work... and if the outer epoxy surface need to be filled a little more, then mix & apply a tinsy blob or resin to the outer low area, & apply another piece of tape over this re-adhesived low area.
The tape outer edge needs to be pressed down while also teasing the epoxy resin to smooth over the low spot.
Again, give it an hour or so & ease the tape off & this should reveal a nice smooth surface.
7. Clean the shell outer with brake cleaner & a rag to remove debris, grease etc... & using the Carbon Wrap lookalike film, apply a piece to the lower side of the shell 1st, then the sides & then the top while wrapping it downwards.
the last wrap application is from the top, so that any dirt/debris/road grime is not visible in the seams.
8. With a hair dryer, heat the wrap film teasing out bubbles by a single pin-prick in the centre & heating the area while pressing the film down. the Heat-Gun / Hair Dryer will also ease out any small wrinkles too.
End result, is a case shell that is repaired, much stronger & less likely to crack with the film applied.. & £50 cheaper than a new set of shells..... and you have not had to spray them & risk a messy spray job.
Just done mine, after a van shattered my drivers mirror case... I collected all the bits I could find, solvent welded them all together & repaired the missing bits as above with epoxy resin & made them nice & pretty again.
Total cost £9:50 & an afternoon tinkering with my favorite toy
I am up for sharing easy fixes here, so... if you don't like it, or have some Axe to grind in between my butt cheeks... please keep it to yourself.
OK, we know how expensive & FRAGILE the door mirror case shells are, how easy they split & bits break off...
So, a cheap & easy fix to most of the damage issues... and looks pretty good too.
As follows.... Go to B&M or Pound-Land & get ..
**a couple of tubes of Epoxy resin - the one that self mixes as you squirt it out of the syringes...
**A roll of 2" masking tape....
**Ebay.. a meter of similar colour Carbon Wrap Film... the sort that Chavvs put on their Corsa Bonnets...but you can get it in Black, Silver & white etc & I have also seen it as just Smooth with zero carbon lines as a smooth coloured film.... and in matted or shiney..
1.The damage to the Mirror shells can be reworked by applying the masking tape over missing areas from the outside & use the tape as a mould, & you can even Round the edges & corners too.
2.squirt the epoxy into the mirror shell damaged area from the inside - after removing the shell from the mirror... noting that the epoxy will run downwards when possible.
If you use the type that has the self mixing nozzles, fine.. other wise you mix it on a piece of card & spatula it into the damage area from inside the shell.
3. You can Dam the location of the epoxy with additional walls of tape internally to prevent it dripping/running onto clips & location tabs.
4. leave to totally harden for 2 hrs... even if set in 10 minutes... it needs to fully harden.
5. The Masking tape must be pulled away from the epoxy, in a direction as if you are pulling Over the shell.. ie do not pull the tape off at 90' to the surface, or you will likely tug it off.
6. Inspect your handy work... and if the outer epoxy surface need to be filled a little more, then mix & apply a tinsy blob or resin to the outer low area, & apply another piece of tape over this re-adhesived low area.
The tape outer edge needs to be pressed down while also teasing the epoxy resin to smooth over the low spot.
Again, give it an hour or so & ease the tape off & this should reveal a nice smooth surface.
7. Clean the shell outer with brake cleaner & a rag to remove debris, grease etc... & using the Carbon Wrap lookalike film, apply a piece to the lower side of the shell 1st, then the sides & then the top while wrapping it downwards.
the last wrap application is from the top, so that any dirt/debris/road grime is not visible in the seams.
8. With a hair dryer, heat the wrap film teasing out bubbles by a single pin-prick in the centre & heating the area while pressing the film down. the Heat-Gun / Hair Dryer will also ease out any small wrinkles too.
End result, is a case shell that is repaired, much stronger & less likely to crack with the film applied.. & £50 cheaper than a new set of shells..... and you have not had to spray them & risk a messy spray job.
Just done mine, after a van shattered my drivers mirror case... I collected all the bits I could find, solvent welded them all together & repaired the missing bits as above with epoxy resin & made them nice & pretty again.
Total cost £9:50 & an afternoon tinkering with my favorite toy
) O:-) :blink: 
