Two hole and three hole rear view mirrors

[Tom Powell]

I have an '87 Vanagon with rear view mirrors that have two mounting holes. The stems are cracked and the mirrors flopped around in the wind. I got them in the correct position and used super glue to keep them from moving. They don't move if they are hit and are likely to break completely if they do get hit.

I have a set of rear view mirrors with three mounting holes and would like to replace the fragile two hole mirrors with the three hole mirrors.

The top two holes are the same for both sets and the three hole mirrors could be mounted with only the top two holes being used.

My question is:
Is there a third nut in place on the inside of the panel of the two hole door? Could I mount the three hole mirrors and drill through the panel at the third hole and be lucky enough to just use another machine screw. I'm sure that I could use a sheet metal screw to accomplish this, but I'm trying to avoid a hack.

Aloha
tp

[kamzcab86]

This will probably help: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=525661 .
_________________
~Kamz
1986 Cabriolet: www.Cabby-Info.com
1990 Vanagon Westfalia: Old Blue's Blog
2016 Golf GTI S
"Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance." - 孔子

[syncrodoka]

There isn't a nut behind the sheetmetal. You could drill the hole then hold the phillips head machine screw with a nut but you need a helper to hold a wrench on the nut or you could try a nutsert if you have that available to you. I have done it both ways and I wouldn't go back to the floppy mirrors.

[Terry Kay]

Another tool.

Snap on nut setter.
Drill, insert nutsert , squeeze handles, put the tool away, install mirror.
Done, and bullet proof.

Or you can mount the mirror with a sheet metal screw, or drill & use a machine screw, washer,& nut on the inside of the door

Whatever trips your trigger.

I have the nutsert tool, I mounted the power mirrors on the doors that way.
_________________
T.K.

[GypsyDriver]

I recommend this 'tool' ... $15 at GoWesty buys the 'tool' in the top of the picture and, as I remember, 6 of the rivets. It requires a 25/64 drill bit. Emplaces a rock-solid rivet mounting point in your door. I used these to mount my LT mirrors. Not hard to install at all.

This is what the rivets look like when set:

[Tom Powell]

DAGNABIT

I pulled the rearview mirrors from my Vanagon shell in Hawaii and brought them to SoCal to replace my floppy super glued mirrors on my SoCal Vanagon. I bought rivnuts and researched their installation. Was about to remove the two hole mirrors and install the three hole mirrors, but the Hawaii three holers were immovable from twenty eight years of Manoa and Kaneohe rain and would not budge with a pipe wrench.

I assume that VW has a special tool for adjusting the tensioning nut. Does anyone know of a source to borrow this tool or a suggestion of another tool to do the job. I could probably make the tool myself but at this point I'd rather be driving with super glued mirrors than cutting and filing.

Aloha
tp

[tangojeff]

It is not very hard to just use a lock-nut on the lower mounting screw. That way nobody can easily steal your more valuable mirrors, without having access from inside of the door.