Tagged a garbage can and kocked the glass along with the backing plate out of the passenger's side rear view mirror. It appears that I can buy a new glass almost anywhere in town but I'm going to have to find a replacement plastic backing piece (that which the glass attaches to). My question: are the backing plates the same on electric and manual mirrors? If they are it will make my junk yard search a little easier (or are they available from one of the vendors?). When I find what I'm looking for, how do I remove it without breaking it? It looks like it just pops in and out - well, I know it "pops" out!! And, does anyone have a diagram of how the mirrors are assembled that you would be willing to scan and share?

 

The backing plates are not the same, they also differ a little over the years, so you may have to search a bit I assume you have the plate with the "two little screw things", and the "crosshair" in the center, just be really careful when pulling it out of the junker, sometimes the screw things separate (which is fine) but the backing plates break pretty easily...

 

 

This is what mine looks like. Does anything look broken to you? If I find the right backing plate, will it just pop into place? Or should I just find another mirror??

 

Nothing looks broken on the motor. Make sure you get the pins off the old backing plate. Look for a replacement mirror from a JY. Pull the replacement mirror straight out - DO NOT pry it out with a BFS, you'll break the glass or the backing plate. And yes, it will just pop in.

FWIW - I've been told that chevy caprice cars used the same mirrors/motors as the thirdgens, for the same years.

 

I believe any of the power mirrors will work from any third gen. Worst case scenerio is if you had to replace the entire mirror housing and all (paint to match of course) I KNOW that will work for sure.

I do know there are a few different styles internally, some you cannot get to the screws to actually remove the mirror motor (you have to break the glass), others you can. I installed power mirrors into my original manual mirror housing, I used mirrors from an 85 for my 87. If it was me I would take the entire mirror assembly and get the backing nuts just in case. Just make sure the window is UP on the car you try and get the parts off of. If it is down you can take a 12 or 14 volt cordless drill battery, and hook up to the power window switch and roll up the windows that way...

John

 

I was just looking at your pic and the base appears to not be what I am used to... Are those stock mirrors?

John

 

Sorry okfoz, I'm kind of sneeking in here. The mirror is actually on my wife's Fiero and the mounting bases are a little different than they are on the Camaro/Firebirds, but the rest of the mirror is the same. Please forgive me; I had nowhere else to go! There just aren't that many Fiero guys around and I'm a desparate man!!

 

you may be well off to go to a dealership and ask them if the Fiero, Firebird, Camaro, Corvette & Caprice mirrors are the same. If they are the innards may be interchangable. Obviously the housing on the Fiero is different as I noticed.

If they are then go junkyarding and find one of those cars and get the assembly and put it into your car.

John

 

I bid on one on eBay. So for probably under 10 bucks we'll find out. The guts on the manual mirrors on my buddy's '84 Camaro look exactly like the guts on the Fiero mirrors I'm using on my Corvair plus they all take the same glass so I'm betting that GM probably used the same inards on everything of that style. I wouldn't bet more than the 10 bucks though!!

I'll keep you posted...... I mean, what if you're in a bar and the subject comes up. I could be useful imformation!!!

 

My $5 eBay purchased arrived today. A Camaro mirror. Yes, the mounting pad area of the mirror housing is different to accomodate the shape of the Camaro door, but everything else appears to identical.

And, now I know what the backing plate looks like. I thought you all might like to see it. I popped the mirror glass/backing plate off the Camaro unit and it snapped right into the Fiero mirror motor.

Thank you for your kind patience and understanding, and for letting me horn in on thirdgen.org.