Fit old coloured panel to replacement wing mirror?

[petemoloy]

I was the loser in a wing mirror joust with the White (Transit van) Knight. Need to replace the driver's side mirror and, call me vain, but I would like to reattach the coloured panel, which I retrieved from the scene. But how to remove the (wrong) coloured panel from the replacement (used, salvage)?

From the damaged mirror it seems the case is in two halves and needs to be unscrewed from behind the glass. Is it possible to temporarily remove the glass to access the screws? Or would it be better to simply break off the unwanted coloured panel (though I'd be worried that the clips may be left in the holes, unable to be removed)?

I've read in other threads that the old panel, sans clips, can be glued to the recess in a replacement van mirror but it seems a shame not to try to do it properly if at all possible.

[andy-womble]

Done mine, clips were broken during impact damage. Sanded down rear of coloured panel to remove lumps and protrusions then "glued" it to new mirror using silicon bath adhesive. Works ok except panel is a bit battle scarred....

[addo]

The "shell" of the mirror is held on by four Torx screws visible once the glass and backer are unclipped. They're T10 for early models, and T20 thereafter. Once the shell is off, swapping the coloured panels is straightforward.

While the mirror is skeletal, rotate it an eight-turn and work some Teflon-added waterproof grease into the pivot/lock area now accessible. It's worth the effort, as a well-lubed mirror frequently flicks back on impact, greatly reducing the damage done to itself.

[petemoloy]

The "shell" of the mirror is held on by four Torx screws visible once the glass and backer are unclipped.

Thanks. One last question: how do I unclip the glass and backer?

[addo]

From memory, it's either four or eight little hooked lip type clips in the plastic backer. Tilt the mirror glass diagonally toward the top outer corner; this reveals most of the lower inner corner for inspection. With a torch and fine flat-bladed screwdriver you should be able to see, and then assist the first couple of clips in releasing. Once a couple are loose, it's easy to wiggle the assembly free.

[petemoloy]

Got this fitted and looks good. The glass does 'wobble' very slightly at high speeds but within acceptable/safe limits I feel. Now I'm left with a Dark green ("Vert Intensive") panel, with all clips in tact. If anyone wants it they might find it on a popular auction site at the moment Thanks to all for help!