Knockout for side mirror? Never seen this before

[kmbrown]

Just got my 72 Notchback. Want to install a passenger side mirror.
There seems to be a hole for mounting, just like the one on the driver's door.
It seems to be filled with a plug(?) but there's no obvious way to replace the plug with the mirror mount and there's no way to get at the other side to see what it's all about.
Has anyone seen this before? Can I just dig out the plug? ... and will I find a threaded hole here similar to the one on the driver's side?
Once I start messing with it, there's no return, so just wondering if anyone knows anything about it??????????????

[beetlenut]

You get to the inside of that area by removing the inner door panel. There should be a "U" shaped piece of metal welded to the inside of the metal on the backside of that hole. They make a special mirror anchor nut that slides into that "U" shaped piece of metal, which keeps the nut from spinning when you screw the threaded end of the mirror arm into it from the outside through that hole.

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scrapyards are for quitters
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[kmbrown]

Great info BeetleNut.
Thank you!!

[viiking]

It is quite possible that a threaded nut already exists inside the door. I’d look first.

I say this because I have seen LH doors in RHD cars which already have these nuts. This is opposite to LHD cars obviously. I can’t see that they would have the hassle of trying to worry about which door was for which market (even understanding the RHD market was small) when they had to have separate part numbers for RHD and LHD doors. They probably just made all the doors the same(?).

It has happened on some not all RHD doors I’ve worked on.
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1968 1500 RHD Lotus White Beetle since birth. In the hospital for major surgery
1966 Lancia Flavia Pininfarina Coupe - in the waiting room
Discharged: 1983 Vanagon, 1974 1800 Microbus,1968 Low Light,1968 Type 3

[kmbrown]

Thanks Viking.
I'll let you know what I find.

[kmbrown]

Bingo.
Popped the plug out and found a nice set of threads in there.
Problem solved. No muss. No fuss.
Thanks for the notes!