Does anyone have a photo of an original C5501 mirror for the FHC / DHC Xk120s? Viart says it has the same oval glass as the C5500 but shows no drawing of it. Any hints on where to locate one would be greatly appreciated.
Urs Schmid Volume 2 page 32 has a picture of C5500 but it is rectangular.
Hello Wyn_Laidig
I have looked at dozens of photos, including period factory photos, and the majority of rear view interior mirrors fitted to XK120 FHC’s appear to be rectangular, similar or same as the Mark V’s. I don’t know why the parts book lists it as being oval but I don’t believe this to be correct.
More knowledgeable input required.
Regards, jordy
FHC 669181
graham,
I know this subject has been raised before but my memory of the MKV is that it had the oval shaped mirror not a rectangular mirror
terry
The mirror in my Mark V is oval, and I have every reason to believe it is C.2695 and original to the car. C.2695 is the only one listed in both the saloon and DHC parts books. Here it is:
However, when I was collecting pictures of Mark V mirrors for the guide, I found so many rectangular mirrors on tall stems that I did not feel comfortable declaring that they were all wrong. I figured either it was yet another omission in the factory documents, or a lot of people changed them for the later tall stem mirrors.
The Mark VII mirror C.4645 is also oval, pictured in the parts book and the only one listed for Mark VII. Urs Schmid said this one was used in some XK120s but did not give the source of that information.
Here is the C.2887 mirror used in early XK120 OTS and FHC including my FHC 679187. C.2887/1 is the short stem and C.2887/2 is the rectangular curved glass, which gives me a sort of panoramic view.
For midrange XK120 OTS C.4097 is listed. It uses the same C.2887/2 glass as the above, but a different stem C.4097/1, presumably taller (you couldn’t get much shorter).
For late OTS C.5500 is listed with C.5500/1 stem and C.5500/2 glass.
For late FHC and all DHC C.5501 is listed with C.5501/1 stem and C.5500/2 glass.
There is a photo Plate A10 in the Service Manual showing a FHC with an oval mirror, but we should treat this one with caution as it may be the prototype and not a standard production car.
This mirror question is just one example of the difficulty in writing a judging guide for the 120.
Hi Wyn:
For your information my '53 XK120 DHC has an oval mirror exactly the same as the one shown in Rob’s first photo (C.2695). The mirror was on the car when I purchased it in 1963 and, to the best of my knowledge, is the original.
Regards,
Chris.
Thanks. This is all very helpful.
Yes. It certainly doesn’t make life easy. To establish the differences between C.5500 and C.5501. (The difference being in the stem only. Longer, shorter, adjustable? who knows) someone with a very original, late, FHC would need to post a photo of the mirror to compare it with a late OTS that someone also might like to post.
Regards, Jordy
Rob, Do you have photos of the late xk120 OTS mirrors?
Tadek
I don’t have any of my own, so I trolled xkdata and collected a few varieties. In an exercise like this, with a thing that is so easily changed, and may be cheaper to buy new than to restore an original, I would tend to give a little bit more credibility to unrestored cars.
I think you can hover on each photo to see the chassis number of each car in the title.
Urs Schmid Volume 2 has a number of pictures on pages 32 & 33.
Bernard Viart has drawings on page 417, but there are differences from Urs.
I wonder if DHC owners driving with the top down would prefer one with a taller stem?
Hi Rob:
Interesting that you should mention the need for a taller stem if driving a DHC with the top down. The original top cover on my car when I purchased it was a replacement so, many years later when I replaced the leatherette seat covers etc. with a proper Connolly hide interior, I also got a new top cover from the UK. It is a nice item in black Stayfast canvas with red piping to match the interior, but it sits a bit taller than the old one. My solution was to shape a block of wood the same as the mirror base, this elevates the mirror by about an inch and a quarter which just allows me to see over the top cover. Of course, it requires longer screws. Given what I have read regarding the adjustable stem mirrors (as fitted to XK140s), I suspect that they would not give me any more elevation than I currently enjoy.
I recall talking to Bill Bassett about DHC top covers when I was in the market, however, he said that he no longer made them because he had experienced too many problems with them not fitting.
Regards,
Chris.
Just to add to the confusion I submit that the mirror on my 53DHC has a rectangular mirror with a short stem. I wish it were a bit taller but I think the shorter mirror is original so I probably won’t change it unless I get points off at a Concours.
mike rosen
53DHC
Hi All:
Herewith, a photo of the “extension” on my '53 DHCs rear view mirror as per my earlier post.
Chris.
how does one search and find the previous discussion from several years back on this subject?
Terry, at the upper right corner click the magnifying glass icon.
Choose “options”
Choose In Category = XK
Search topic “mirror”
There are other options if you want to narrow the search.
Click the blue magnifying glass button to the right of Search.
dear rob,
thanks for that but still didn’t manage to find the existing topic
=discussion on this from some years back.
even selecting XK it was giving stuff in E an X308?
regards terry
OK found the old postings
I am interested to establish what the correct mirror for an XK120 DHC and
120FHC’s in addition to the correct mirrors in XK150’s
mirrors in general fitted to XK’s I have as follows
XK120
very, very early alloy cars MKIV style mirror Lucas type 062613 with
adjustable clamp to hold
glass that allows it to slide side to side.
C2887 fitted to normal alloy cars mirror long stem with small curved
glass 1.5" x 3.5"
C2887 fitted to steel body pre 660207 and 670608 mirror short stem with
small curved glass 1.5" x 3.5"
C4097 fitted to cars pre 661051 and 673586 short stem?
C5500 fitted to roadsters post 661051 and 673586
C2887 fitted to XK120 FHC pre 669013 and 680867 curved glass 1.5" x
3.5"?
C5501 fitted to XK120 FHC post 669014 and 680868 and all DHC similar to
late 120 roadster? curved glass 1.5" x 4.0"?
XK140
C8151 fitted to all XK140
XK150
C10997 fitted to early XK150 DHC pre 827339 and 838230
C14920 fitted to midrange XK150 DHC adjustable day nite pre 827340 and
838231
C12308 fitted to early XK150 FHC mounted above windscreen pre 824899 and
836218
C14900 Lucas type 585/103 fitted to midrange XK150 FHC adjustable day nite
mounted above windscreen fitted post 824900 and 836219
N/K Lucas type 608 fitted to late XK150 FHC adjustable day nite same
mirror as MK2 except mounting bracket different type fitted to cars
825278/340/351
C10997 fitted to early XK150 roadster mounted to screen rail pre 820038
and 832070
C14920 fitted to late XK150 roadster mounted to screen rail post 820039 and
832071
The mirror in a MKV is listed as C2695 possibly an oval shaped mirror
Ideally it would be nice to get photos of each different type of mirror
also