- My model of MX-5 is: __NA
- I’m based near: __ULSTER
- I’m looking for technical help or recommendations on: __ FITTING 2 x CLASSIC SPORT WING MIRRORS VITALONI CALIFORNIAN DOOR MIRRORS…
Sellers claim that they fit, they do not, narrower bolt distance. and bolt holes aren’t correct size for NA threaded screws… also have a pukka NA pair plus one L colour is Ford RS blue and the L is silver Minus the screw shroud… admin edit… any decent advice on how to fit these without butchering up a freshly refinished rebuilt car, the californias were a change of heart as i couldn’t get my head sorted with the OE ones… will
Let me guess, you thought you lucked out on some M2-1028 fitment Vitalonis, and instead got the cheaper universal fit ones.
Best approach is to make an adapter plate, that screws to the door, with countersunk holes, and then fit the Vitalonis to the plate. What I did to fit Tex Europa (Mini fitment, same manufacturer as the Runabout mirrors).
I worked a block of aluminium into the right shape, but I suppose you could used a block of Delrin.
With an adapter, you can get the mirrors, especially the passenger side, to be more useful. These mirrors are utterly useless bolted directly on the door.
PS; sale ads are confined to MX5OC members only. If you are an OC member who hasn’t linked membership to their forum account, contact Admin to get it fixed. Otherwise, the post needs to be edited.
1 Like
thx for heads up ref advertising wares, no I didn’t know about the one off 300 specials that were done for the Jap market, I knew about Califs from way back and tried my best to dial in the std pass mirror and its poor , maybe just the way I drive …a Pilot showed me how they were trained watching all in a loop , the screen, mirror, rear view, screen, mirror, and my vision out of the rear screen is not good…so i depend on the doors, looks like I’ll be looking for a few bits of 12mm alloy plate, the good thing on my Califs is that the base is alloy…W
When the factory built the specials (1001, 1002, 1028), they set the passenger forward, I suppose using rivenuts, and then covered the offending stock mirror holes with a numbered special edition holes.
Some owners in Japan will fit the passenger mirror on a long bar, so that it sits forward for better vision.
Late in the day this is starting to make sense, I just hadn’t worked out why I had poor results on the pass side… I think a longer bar will be my choice… I 'll order some Alloy… w
Use to have them on my NA…for a few months. Reason of removing them was poor visibility on the passenger side. But if looks are the only concern; i believe they look fantastic, lots better than the (in my opinion) hugue oem mirrors.
It’s a long time ago but i believe they fitted straight.
There were versions with custom bases for the Eunos Roadster, but also generic versions sold by Europa and others.
I need to stop spending money… but… they do look rather nice…
https://texautomotive.com/product-category/mirrors/sports-mirrors/
Tempted to buy a pair of the sports mirrors and 200mm aluminium bar 
The first picture I posted was of a £29 Tex mirror alongside a £200 Runabout mirror.
Bur to get a half decent fit I had to shape my “adapter” into a wedge. The Tex Evolution/Sport mirror is supposed to mount to a near vertical surface on a Mini door.
I previously had a M2-1002, and it seemed Mazda had commissioned a aluminum version of the same mirror
Better pictures of my mirrors
well, i have my alloy block and have it split exactement, now i just need a helping hand to find the sweet spot and mark it all out, I have both original and Vitaloni gaskets, and both mirror bases, so they will do for the accuracy of holes, and my engineer says 6mm deep tapped metric thread in the alloy block will support and hold the Califs admirably ,my powercoat guy says he can do them in black quickly when they have been drilled , tapped and dialed in…more later… w
1 Like
gave up on the californias and looked at other avenues came across these by accident on Ebay@15 quid offered and reckoned they’re a close match to the specials that the Japs had… what do you guys think?? and my vented bonnet
Yep, those are Tex Europas. In the photos I posted, I directly compared one of these to a Runabout mirror, and is was clear both mirrors came from the same manufacturer. And I’m pretty sure it wasn’t Runabout.
http://www.runabout.co.jp/rs-exterior01.html
The original Tex mirror was supposed to fix to a door by the “Tex” method for universal mirrors
So the mirror attached to a plastic block that had two captive nuts. I shaped my adaptor plinths a little differently as I wanted to hide the screws that were used to fit them to the door. Under the plinths, I used the plastic gasket that was on the factory mirrors, to stop the paint from being rubbed off. The face of the mirror plinth wasn’t flat, but genetly curved, so I used the upplied gasket that came with the mirrors. Years on, these are pretty split.
As for the bonnet vents. Honestly, not my cup of tea.
Years ago, when I was in Northern Ireland, I pioneered the use of a Metro bonnet vent to convert a headlamp lid (sacrilege; I used a lid off a now rare R-Limited). That didn’t last long.
You might recognise the location, and maybe the silver Roadster behind (now gleaming white and no stripes!)
thanks for that, I would bet money that they were sourced by Mazda from Tex, After all who in their right mind would commission something that was already close enough for the job in mind… easy just to say leave the makers name off and we’ll suit ourselves… anyhow they please me, and are solidly mounted, with better view that the OEM objects, and they were new, unused, cheap because some of those special mounting bits had got lost and the chap had sold the Mini he intended to fit them to… as to my vents , i wanted to lower the temp under bonnet and later when i fit a 1.8 & my sidedraughts they will need cold air…w
On the mirror saga, I found that I didn’t have enough rearward width vision so i invested 14 quid for a pair of convex round 93mm mirrors from https://phoenixwingmirrors.co.uk/ speak with LukeBull… it looks much better now… nor were the lens hard to fit…w
1 Like
found this when looking for wing aerial grommets same mirrors as mine i think…
cheers w
Got a picture of the view from the passenger mirror with the convex mirror.
Pity they don’t do blue tint mirror.
Underlines what a bargain these mirrors are (very nice quality) but also the ripoff performed by Runabout.
Just need for Tex to sell these with a proper MX5 plinth. Would sell like the proverbial hotcases.
Hope Moss, MX5parts are reading this if they are looking for new product ideas.