Car door mirror conversions

"Mirror mirror on the wall...."

The mirrors make quite a big difference to the appearance of a car and it is relatively easy to change them for something nicer.

The mirrors are necessary as per annual vehicle test specifications around the world, but you needn't stick with boring OEM mirrors forever!

Why would people want to change their cars door mirrors though? Well mirrors create a lot of drag and smaller mirrors not only look nicer but they are often more aerodynamic than the OEM ones.

The downside of having small mirrors is a slightly reduced field of view or, if this is optically corrected, the view in the mirror will be a lot smaller than your current mirrors.

OEM mirrors look so dull, why stick with dull when there are so many after market mirrors around.

In some countries the mirrors can be replaced with a camera and screen inside the car. Legality of this will have to be checked with your local vehicle licencing office. The advantages are that mirrors can be removed completely and replaced with a small camera. If done correctly a camera view can cover more of your cars blind spot than a mirror can. However conversions to cameras are quite expensive and unless you are getting an interior makeover getting the screens incorporated can end up looking messy. 

Carbon fibre car door mirrors are gaining popularity. Although carbon fibre is used in Motorsports, to save weight, it has the image of being a "cool" material to use on your car. If you do this then you should really add other carbon fibre parts to the body work to avoid the "patch work, spare parts bin lash up look".

DTM style mirrors are held in place with small arms, allowing air to flow around them.

Things to watch out for.

Adding the wrong type of mirror can create problems and frustrations. Some of our members have reported increase wind noise at speed. Vibration can also be a problem with mirrors mounted on long arms or that are moulded in a flexible mounting. Just remember the old mantra "buy cheap - buy twice"!

In the image below you can see the difference between the OEM mirrors on the left and the after market upgrades on the right. (Thanks to forum member Prince for his photos.)

Also, as we have already mentioned, a smaller mirror will offer a restricted rear view, potentially increasing your blind spot. They also can be harder to use in the wet and poor weather conditions as the surface area is smaller. So you end up with the situation where a small droplet of water could be enough to completely obscure a car!

You will also need to verify any modifications with your local construction and use regulations to avoid falling foul of the law. Many countries insist that all parts fitted to a car have a safety mark or type approval. To get round this many parts suppliers will sell door mirrors marked "for show use only" or "for off road use only" which technically covers their backs but leaves the customer subject to prosecution if they use them on the public roads.

If you want some tips on choosing door mirrors and fitting them yourself please join our friendly forum where you can pick the collective brains of our worldwide members.

Please Check out my YouTube channel, we're regularly adding new content...

PLEASE HELP: I NEED YOUR DONATIONS TO COVER THE COSTS OF RUNNING THIS SITE AND KEEP IT RUNNING. I do not charge you to access this website and it saves most TorqueCars readers $100's each year - but we are NON PROFIT and not even covering our costs. To keep us running PLEASE Donate here

If you liked this page please share it with your friends, drop a link to it in your favourite forum or use the bookmarking options to save it to your social media profile.

Feedback - What do You Think?

Please use our forums if you wish to ask a tuning question, and please note we do not sell parts or services, we are just an online magazine.

Help us improve, leave a suggestion or tip

Your Constructive comments on this article, I really want to improve this article with your help and suggestions.


Please watch this video and subscribe to my YouTube channel.



Member Benefits

Join our forum today and benefit from over 300,000 posts on tuning styling and friendly car banter.

You will also have full access to the modifed car gallery, project car updates and exclusive member only areas.

(All car owners of all ages and from all countries are welcome).


BMW 335i - 2021 COTY

We gave the BMW 335i our coveted car of the year award, read more about this awesome car and see why 335i Tuning Guide

Tips for N54 Tuning

Tips for N55 Tuning
Tips for B58 Tuning

Popular articles

Tuning diesels
Remapping ECU
double clutching
Induction Kits
Customize a car
Performance Chips
Insuring Modified Cars
Track day insurance cover
Diesel remaps
MPG calc
Cleaning a DPF
Tuning Stages


Stronger Engine

Strengthening engines
Read more...

Best Tuning Mods

The best tuning mods
Read more...

Split Bonnets

Creating a custom self opening split bonnet or split hood.
Read more...

Steering Wheels

Aftermarket steering wheels
Read more...

Best Sleeper Cars

Best sleeper cars
Read more...

French Low Emission Zone Permit Scams

French Low Emission Zone Permit Scams
Read more...

MPG Calculator

MPG calculator UK miles per Gallon – calculate MPG
Read more...