Did BMW 1600 come with flag or trap mirror?

[Mark92131]

54 minutes ago, Conserv said:

I think this is a darned good question, Mark.

 

I have lots of questions as it pertains to these cars, some good, others not so good.  I used to think that the Swan Neck mirrors were found on the early 1600 models, including the variants (Ti, Cabriolets) and later they started using trap mirrors on all models of the 1600, but this does not explain my Swan Neck mirror for a last year of production 1971 model, unless it was replaced during its restoration.  Like a lot of parts for these cars, the cut-over between parts might vary based on what was on the shelf at the moment.  Because the cabs were shipped off to another factory to complete the top conversion, they may have waited until this was complete before installing the driver side mirror (trap or swan neck), while the hard top models were all getting trap mirrors.  I have seen restorations of 1600 cabs sporting everything from Swan Neck to Flag mirrors

 

Some pictures of the choices...

 

 

 

5 hours ago, Geoff Raynak said:

i was also told that these swan-necks are ambidextrous ... so if you find two ... you can have one on the PS as well

 

What you were told is correct, the trick is finding another one to match, see last photo.

 

Mark92131

Edited January 31, 2018 by Mark92131

[Geoff Raynak]

i have a 'late' 1969 ... it is VIN ~1000 away from the end of the calendar year # ...

so must have been mid to late 1969

 

i have this hone (hohe?) swan-neck

 

 

 

 

 

[HBChris]

34 minutes ago, Conserv said:

 

My ‘76’s packing list is marked for 1502, 1602, 1802, and 2002, some of which is handwritten!

 

Steve

 

 

Notice the list says tools e9 or other, one list for both cars, saving pennies.

Edited January 31, 2018 by HBChris

[tahoedon]

Possibly the rubber support is the rubber piece that goes between the spare tire and the wheel well.  My 68 1600 came with this piece.

[HBChris]

Don,  I’ve never seen one of those and with the tire bolted down that piece serves no purpose.  Has anyone else seen one?  It resembles the bumper trim on later cars.

Edited January 31, 2018 by HBChris

[Conserv]

23 minutes ago, HBChris said:

Don,  I’ve never seen one of those and with the tire bolted down that piece serves no purpose.  Has anyone else seen one?  It resembles the bumper trim on later cars.

 

Don,

 

I’ve never seen that piece either.  ?

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

[tahoedon]

Chris,   I agree with you about what purpose this serves.  But, it was in that position when I bought the car new.

[Conserv]

11 hours ago, Geoff Raynak said:

i have a 'late' 1969 ... it is VIN ~1000 away from the end of the calendar year # ...

so must have been mid to late 1969

 

i have this hone (hohe?) swan-neck

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, wait, Geoff.  Is yours a U.S. or Euro-spec car?

 

If U.S.-spec, September 1 and later cars belong to the following model year.  (My VIN 1668093, manufactured September 8, 1969, was an early 1970 model.)  So if yours is U.S.-spec and was manufactured after approximately September 1, 1969, it should be a 1970 model.  Of course, BMW tended to drag its heals in adopting new U.S.-mandated standards, not adopting some of the mandated changes until the January 1 “drop-dead” date. U.S. manufacturers, by contrast, generally adopted all new standards with the September 1 new-model introduction.

 

Therefore, in some early model years of the ‘02 — certainly 1969 and 1970, probably more — BMW’s introduction of new model years around September 1, followed by an “upgrade” around January 1, to bring the model into conformance with the latest U.S. standards, created a de facto “early” and “late” version of those model years, as Mike S. has pointed out previously.

 

If your 1602 is Euro-spec, never mind my ramblings above!

 

And the 1971 model year has its own, BMW-driven bifurcation of the model year into “early” and “late”  versions with the April 1971 (VIN 2572070) introduction of the modell 71, bringing knee trim, long-tail rear bumpers, bumper rub strips, long consoles, black gauge faces, and — as Mike S. notes — trap mirrors, etc.

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

Edited January 31, 2018 by Conserv

[Mike Self]

8 hours ago, Geoff Raynak said:

i was also told that these swan-necks are ambidextrous ... so if you find two ... you can have one on the PS as well

They 

They aren't "sided" like the trap and flag mirrors, so can be used on either side.

 

AFAIK the trapezoid mirrors didn't appear until the "modell 71" cars arrived here in mid-1971 (257xxxx VINs).  So I believe all the 166/167xxxx cars had "swan neck" mirrors.  Again, like so many other parts, BMW tended to use up "old" parts until they ran out, then switched to the "new" part, so you may find an early mirror on a very early modell 71 car, or a trapezoid mirror on a very late 167xxxx car.  Even the parts book numbers aren't always reliable.  

 

And the cars came into the US and first spent time at Hoffman's (later BMW NA) make-ready facilities at their POEs.  There the cosmoline was cleaned off the exteriors, and wheel covers, wiper arms/blades and the outside mirror were installed.  The mirror's captive nuts were already in place, so the mirror just had to be bolted in place.  This was to prevent damage and unauthorized "souvenir taking" by port personnel.  Radios, antennas and A/C were all dealer-installed.

 

mike

[02Les]

3 hours ago, HBChris said:

Only the e9 had a wheel chock but it isn’t on the list, just wondered about the rubber support.

I believe the "rubber support" is the rubber piece that sits between the front licence plate and the bumper.

You can just make it out on my car.

[Conserv]

13 minutes ago, 02Les said:

I believe the "rubber support" is the rubber piece that sits between the front licence plate and the bumper.

You can just make it out on my car.

 

Maybe, although I’ve never seen that on a U.S.-spec car.  My ‘76 came with a U.S.-style front license plate holder.  No rubber components to the plate holder.

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

 

[Conserv]

18 hours ago, Freude am Fahren said:

Hola,

 

My recently acquired 1970 1600 came with a flag mirror and I"m trying to figure out if this was original or something that was swapped by the PO in lieu of a trap mirror.

 

THanks,

 

Eamon

 

So....returning to Eamon’s original question — flag or trap mirror? — it now appears the answer is “Neither...swan’s neck!”

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

[NickVyse]

20 hours ago, TobyB said:

Really?  I would have thought it needed the mirror in place when it came off the dock 

to meet federal safety regs ('2 rearward facing mirrors')

 

 

surely that equates to the interior mirror and the drivers door mirror = two, officer. Just sold a swan neck, sorry. 

[TobyB]

Quote

surely that equates to the interior mirror and the drivers door mirror = two, officer.

Yes, it does.  The passenger wing mirror came sometime AFTER 1980 in the US, as the 1980 Chebby Monza did not have one,

nor does the 1980 E21.

 

t

 

 

[Freude am Fahren]

18 hours ago, Conserv said:

 

The word “Spiegel” means mirror in German. In this case most likely refers that the document is a copy but thought it serendipitous given the topic at hand