international blue

Greetings all, As you may guess I am an owner of a 1968 Corvette and have a question regarding the rearview mirrors on the cars. There was both a forward and late position, and there was a change to the more common rear position around car 10000 or so. The question is, when was a mirror offered on the passenger side, and why do some have mirrors on both sides? Was there a years when mirrors came on both sides all the time. Is a passenger mirror on the 68 purely aftermarket?

I am a database or organizing type of person and have a building list of survivors and blocks found for sale. I am specifically interested in the early cars (like mine) but am collecting data on all of the ones I can find. !968 was the most interesting year with 3 different headlights, 2 mirror positions, 2 frames, and a host of other mods on the line. Lets talk 68's.

c3 in hawaii

I am not sure if they came from the factory with a passenger mirror, But when I purchased mine a couple of months back, the owner said it wasn't original and he had it put on, plus with the input of other forum members saying it was not correct. That being said I took it off.

7T1vette

I believe the right side mirrors were always dealer installed options (or you could install it yourself as a spare part purchase). They just drilled two holes and installed well-nuts so the base could be mounted.

68435roadster

How early is your '68? Mine is 00164. 427/400.
G.

okinawa86vette

This is correct, at least for earlier C3s. I'm not sure about later C3s(past '72 or 73), though.

Depending on who judges, if you're into that sort of thing) dealer installed options are considered original. But it's not the way the car left the factory.

It's a common mod people make or had done. They've been available aftermarket from GM or otherwise since the cars were new.

My 72 doesn't have a rh mirror and, if you're doesn't either, you've probably noticed right lane changes are a little hairy. I'd like to have the extra visibility, but I can't bear to drill into the door.

Chris

Tom68

I bought my 68 2 yrs ago it does not have a right hand mirror and it was built late in the year. I would think the right hand mirror was a option like most were in those years. Mine has the factory rack which I understand was installed at the dealer. The mirror might have been dealer installed also. But I'm no vette expert.

Chris Farrer

For mine it was a necessity to fit a RH mirror driving on the left in Australia. Pulling out from the curb I couldn't see cars coming from the rear clearly. Having said that I think it balances the look of the car with a mirror on each side and when it was NCRS judged it was as if it wasn't there. At ther end of the day it's only two small holes in the door which are easy to fix as opposed to not seeing a vehicle coming up from behind and a whole lot more damage.

ksbunting

I purchased my 68 coupe in 1972 from a firend who was the original owner.
It had no passenger mirror and I have read several times over the years that they did not leave the factory in 68 with passenger door mirrors although some people have added them after the fact.
Mine is buidl date of May 10, 1968 so I believe it is considered a late model.
Kurt

I'm Batman

The RH mirror was an option until the sport mirrors took over full-time in 78. If you ordered the sport mirrors before that, you got both.

71rdster

My 68 L36 roadster was a late June build, only had the drivers side mirror. I always understood the passenger mirror to be a dealer option.

427-390

Mine is also an L-36, the 16,xxx in the production run. Drivers side mirror only. Love those '68's!

RHD '68 L89

Mine is a late 68 and it came without the RH mirror, with the chassis strengthening on the kick ups and door handle pulls. I put the RH mirror on for RHD like Chris.
Chris, were you in Melbourne or Sydney for the NCRS meet?

Vette Dent

My '68 vert was built on October 28, 1967. It does not have a passenger side mirror.

Bob Onit

Visibility is bad even with the pass side mirror.
I have the little 2" stick-on spotter mirrors on both the drivers side and the pass side
It makes a huge difference!

$3 mirrors can save a $20K car..

R1234

My 68 vert is a Nov. 19 built car and does not have a passenger side mirror.
Bryan

wfo76

Pretty sure the right hand mirror wasn't even an available part until 1973 and at this time they became a dealer installed option; so no cars should have been delivered with dual mirrors until then.

Bob Onit

Pretty sure it was optional from 1968

Paul Borowski

...from all the '68s I have viewed over the years, the mirror changed from the forward position somewhere between VIN #s 14,800 and 15,800. My Silver coupe is #14222 and it's forward on that car. My convertible is #18434 and it's rearward on that car.

WESCH

Hi

Looking at a 1968 dealer GM options catalogue shown in CORVETTE CATALOGUES by Terry Jackson, I can't see an optional pax side mirror.
The locking gas cap, luggage rack, ski rack , AM-FM radio , fire extinguisher , day glo antenna flag , spotlight and more are visible, just not this mirror.

Was it realy available in 1968 or at a much later date ?

Günther

WESCH

Hello

@Paul Borowski

Could you get me some dimensions of the mirror location of the late 68 car ?
I just bought a second 68 convertible and it has sports mirrirs installed pretty much further back as my very early Oct 67 build 68 Convertible.
The one with the sport mirrors is 16530, so late version.

I would like to install correct mirrors and am wondering if I can cover this sport mirror's attachment holes with them.

Thanks. Günther