Removing rearview mirror

[Paul Schooley]

I have no glass experience, but wish to remove and replace the windshield mounted rearview mirror (lookin really sad hangin there). How do you go about removing the glass mounted piece without damaging the glass? Heat? Razor blade? I really, really don't want to ruin a perfectly good windshield.

[Chuck Miller]

Paul,

Judicious heat (heat gun) on outside surface on glass... be careful bud

I just put my morror back on after a windshield replacement and found that Performance Products' Mirror Adhesive Pad (a special type of 3M double stick tape) #903110 ($4.95) only comes in white now... the last two I've done, the tape pads were black... I was pissed ... everytime I look at that white tape from the outside in... I'm STILL pissed

I you find a tape pad that's black please let me know...

Cheers,

[GreenT]

The OEM stuff the manufacturers use now on the modern heavier mirrors or that a good dealer would use to reattach a loose mirror is 3M's adhesive buttons made specifically for this purpose. 3M's term for it is Part 9214 Automotive Structural Bonding Tape. It's the cats balls for keeping a mirror on. Unfortunately for the consumer, it needs to be installed with heat from a special unit and can only be bought in a roll of ten buttons. It starts out black and turns dark gray after mounted and the heat has been applied. Its probably what's holding the mirror on in your new car.

For a lightweight mirror like in an old 911 it would be overkill anyway. The closest thing to it in a consumer product is 3M part# 3601 trim adhesive. It works great and should be available in any good hardware or auto parts store. Here's a picture of what it looks like (its black) -

[Paul Schooley]

Thanx...I'll keep that glue in mind. I called a regional autoglass joint today and they use some sorta glue, not adhesive tape type products. He also told me to be very careful with the heat as it could total the windshield. They'll come into my garage and install a new, tinted windshield for a touch over $400 cdn (ya, I know......$35usd) and have them in stock. Good to know that if I muff this it's only a $400 mistake right????? lmao

[caproader]

Paul,

Did you get the mirror off? I am trying to remove a 73 mirror that looks like it was glued on sometime after 73. What type of heat source did you use? Hair dryer, painter stripper, rear end of a J-79 on full after burner?
Thanks
John

[Paul Schooley]

LOL....I lost my cahooooonies and decided not to remove it from the windshield until next winter when I do the body/paint as I'll have to remove and probably replace the windshield/seal then anyways. For now, I used the 71's base and revamped the mirror off my 72 POS parts car. I made one really good mirror out of two, but it still looks like SH*T the way it's stuck on the windshield...sorta like there's air spots in it...really cheesy if'n ya ask me.

[teescott]

I heated the outside of the glass on mine with a hair dryer and then very carefully worked a plastic putty knife under all sides and slowly pryed the mirror base up.

[JCR]

A propane torch (outside glass) for a few seconds makes quick work of this job. Don't put too much pressure on the mirror if you need the glass, windshields are very weak with in-to-out forces.

Chuck, I got a black adhesive pad from Pelican that fit perfectly and is still holdin' on. I think they still have them.

[caproader]

Scott,

Was your mirror on with glue or an adhesive pad? Mine looks to be super glue based on the excess glue material on the glass around the base of the mirror. I suspest that the old hair dryer trick works better with the adhesive pad than super glue. Another trick to use with adhesive pads is to 'saw' it off using a length of dental floss. I used dental floss when I took the '528' off the back of my e-39 and replaced it with a '520'. Understated is always better.
John

[Will Sanchez]

I used a heat gun. It sounds like I'm lucky nothing cracked because I just put the heat on and off it came.
I was bummed as well when I bought the adhesive patch at Performance.
Why would they use white????
Don't they know for the application is not to bee seen??

Will Sanchez