Building a Mini bracket for Lucas 608 mirror

[Dr.Mabo]

Here I’ve got a little alternate task for everybody who is fed up with blowing out and painting funny eastern eggs these days.

Starting point is a Lucas Mirror from a Jaguar MK II, Daimler V8 2,5 or similar without any bracket or thread.

Inspired by the original plastic mirror bracket of the different standard Mini mirrors, I decided to manufacture a steal copy of it.

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I took a simple square tube and sawed out a small piece to get the basic bracket.

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I marked the shape and the front hole with a scriber to cut off the edges.

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Than I chucked the bracket in a bench vice to extend the 90° angle to approximately 100° to 110°. I didn’t measure the angle. I simply adjusted it according the original plastic bracket. I transferred the positions of the other holes on the lower side of the bracket.

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For all the mounting holes I used a 5,5 mm driller.

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[Dr.Mabo]

To connect the mirror with the bracket I went for a ¼” 28 G thread of a standard 7/16 nut. I cut off a short piece of round steal tube with external diameter of 12mm and 1mm wall thickness with a cutting angle of approximately 100°-110°. The longer end of the piece is 17mm. Then I drilled a 10mm hole in the middle of the bracket and extended it with a little key file until the round item fitted nicely into it.

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For the thread I took a new 7/16 nut and filed down the hexagon until it was round and fitted tightly into the round tube piece. With the thread pushed close to the angled end of the round piece, I brought both items in position to weld them together from the rear.

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This also fixed the thread in the tube piece. After flattening the welding points with a file, the bracket is ready.

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[Dr.Mabo]

After that I taped the mirror arm 20mm down the end. I removed the chrome layer with a file. Using a ¼” 28G die for tapping the thread at the end of the mirror arm.

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Finally I used a second 7/16 nut as counter nut for the bracket.

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[Dr.Mabo]

After 2,5 hrs the Lucas mirror fits nicely in the Mini.

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Happy eastern to all of you

The doc

[rolesyboy]

Superb 'How to do it' Doc. Love the end result. Will no doubt be on the look out for the right mirror now. Cheers. Mark

[JC T ONE]

Looks good, you need to do one more thing = shorten the stem about 20 -25mm .

If you look at pictures of Mini,s with this mirror fitted, you can easely see that the std Jaguar stem is too long.




Jens Christian

[jay weinstein]

nice work jw

[Ant Hines]

These mirrors are really prone to vibration if the stem isn't dampened. Almost perfectly made for the job are suction clips for fixing airline to aquarium walls - these things...

http://www.amazon.com/Como-Aquarium-Suc ... pipe+clips

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If you want to go the other way, the mirrors also look great in aquariums.

[Dr.Mabo]

Looks good, you need to do one more thing = shorten the stem about 20 -25mm .

If you look at pictures of Mini,s with this mirror fitted, you can easely see that the std Jaguar stem is too long.




Jens Christian

thanks for the hint. Till now I didn't recognized the different length of the stem. But it will be an easy task to shorten it.

@ Ant Hines
Thats another very usefull idea with the suction clip. Particularly because its easy to get.

As far as I know the vibration problem is basically an issue with the original bracket which is adjustable on one hand and fixed with just 2 screws. So I believe I will not have this problem, as the thread is very close to the base of the bracket and the counter nut is about 20 mm lower on the end of the bushing. So it should be quite stiff in combination with the 3 bolt fixing. But I will see an give you feedback.

Thanks to all for your positive response

so long
the Doc

[Lord Croker]

Excellent idea & a very neat piece of work, I enjoy that kind of innovation

[guru_1071]

nice little job


could you have silver soldered the two parts together to make it really strong and fill the gap (not that ive ever done it, but ive been viewing a project on another forum where the guy silver solders everything and it looks great!)

[Benny]

Very cool.....same mirror I had in my S1 E-type.....adds a touch of period class to any 60's car. The 'works' MGBs used the same mirror, crudely bolted through the factory hardtop. If you look at period pics, you can usually make out the 3 screw heads showing through the hardtop, just toward the passenger side.

[underkut]

That is a fantastic how to do it.
Today i have followed these instructions and fitted a Lucas mirror that i had on an old jaguar .
I am very pleased with the result.
Thank you Dr

[Dr.Mabo]

happy to hear that. Are you gonna paint it or chrom it?

so long
the doc

[underkut]

Neither
i have managed to slighty adapt the plastic cover that shrouds the original bracket and this has also covered the new bracket.
I will try and get some pictures to post so you can peruse.
Thanks again.

[minitravellerman]

Might try that - I have a 608 mirror and always fancied it in the Traveller.

[Nick W]

Thanks for this!, I'll be trying this when I get the time..

[steve1071]

Or just stick a plastic mk3 fixing on covered in silver tape.....!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-BMC- ... 000%7C7000

[6604KF]

And broke the mirror doing it!!

[Hipwell]

Love to know who’s making this new Lucas heritage stuff, seen the do ‘new’ 608 mirrors.