Mirror Mirror

[mh01919]

Can I get some wisdom on why my '73 CS, originally delivered to a Vancouver BC dealer, has only the driver side trapezoidal mirror?

I wonder if has something to do with some model years or some regions?

Should I install the passenger side mirror? I think it looks stranglely imbalanced right now.

 

[Arde]

Mine came the same way. Nice and minimilastic. I am not drilling holes as no one should be passing me on the right.

 

[rsporsche]

back in the day, most BMWs came with only 1 exterior mirror (on the drivers side). all of my 2002's, 3.0 bavaria + my old '79 e12 528i only had one mirror. i think it was 1980 when they started the more integrated mirror design that they started getting symmetrical. as i remember, it was optional.

 

[Honolulu]

yeah

My '73 came to me with only the left side exterior mirror, so I put one on the right. I did this with other bimmers I've had also.

I also took the opportunity to replace the inside mirror with a larger one from an '81 E12, which I like. They're pretty much indistinguishable until you have them side by side, and the E12 version is IIRC 3/4 inch longer and a little taller.

Heck I like good visibility, and the coupe has it in spades. It's also nice to look at.

I'd use a convex inside mirror if one fell in my hands. I drove someone's car once with one, and other than that I always saw myself in it (oh the horror) the ability to see at a glance my entire surroundings to the side and rear (rather than having to look in three places) was great. Some of those convex mirrors aren't pretty, though.

Last I looked, a right side mirror was $45, and likely gone to much more now.

 

[deQuincey]

Mine came the same way. Nice and minimilastic. I am not drilling holes as no one should be passing me on the right.

absolutely +1 (Nice and minimilastic)

example:

 

[blumax]

Mirror-mirror--both sides

I believe if you were driving Freeways of SoCal or any other major Metro areas with multiple lanes--for safety reasons you would quickly opt for mirrors on both sides.

Long ago I did so with 3 CS's, a Bavaria and 2002 and for 43 years of driving countless thousands of miles in SoCals heavy traffic it has helped prevent any Freeway brushes with other vehicles.