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Started by koan, 12 April 2012, 02:30 AM

Type17

#75
Quote from: Jed on 23 January 2017, 02:53 PM
What's with the crazy fender mirrors?


Deleted from many cars by the mid-70's, for safety reasons (potential removal of pedestrians kidneys!), many UK/European motorists couldn't get used to door mirrors (well set-up wing/fender mirrors don't have a blind-spot), so they were still available as an aftermarket accessory for some years, and many 70's/80's wings/fenders were drilled in their honour...

Hilarious that, although the 116 had some of the best door mirrors available for the the era (adjustable from inside, spring-loaded body and no quarter-light windows to block the view), and this one even has the optional extra-cost passenger door mirror fitted, it still has wing-mirrors fitted.
'76 350SE in Silver-Green

gavin116

I presume that those extra mirrors could also have been to aid the driver when towing. If you look at the pictures of the rear, it has a tow-bar fitted (as did Mrs White). Perhaps the original owner was a serious caravaner or speedboat enthusiast; I dread to think what it must have cost in fuel bills...




Quote from: Type17 on 23 January 2017, 03:29 PM
Quote from: Jed on 23 January 2017, 02:53 PM
What's with the crazy fender mirrors?


Deleted from many cars by the mid-70's, for safety reasons (potential removal of pedestrians kidneys!), many UK/European motorists couldn't get used to door mirrors (well set-up wing/fender mirrors don't have a blind-spot), so they were still available as an aftermarket accessory for some years, and many 70's/80's wings/fenders were drilled in their honour...

Hilarious that the 116 had some of the best door mirrors available for the the era (adjustable from inside, spring-loaded body and no quarter-light windows to block the view), and this one even has the optional extra-cost passenger door mirror fitted, but still has wing-mirrors fitted.
1979 450SE "Mrs White"
2022 Touareg-R 3.0TSi Hybrid
[url="http://forum.w116.org/test-drive/my-first-w116-here-at-last/"]http://forum.w116.org/test-drive/my-first-w116-here-at-last/[/url]
[url="http://forum.w116.org/the-org/british-near-london-meet/msg97613/#msg97613"]http://forum.w116.org/the-org/british-near-london-meet/msg97613/#msg97613[/url]

Type17

Quote from: gavin116 on 23 January 2017, 03:38 PM
I presume that those extra mirrors could also have been to aid the driver when towing. If you look at the pictures of the rear, it has a tow-bar fitted (as did Mrs White). Perhaps the original owner was a serious caravaner or speedboat enthusiast; I dread to think what it must have cost in fuel bills...


Fair point, but even so, those wing mirrors are so ugly, especially when they are fitted to a car with such modern, good-looking (IMO) original door mirrors.  :o


Now I know why those towing mirrors were invented that clip onto the existing door mirrors.
'76 350SE in Silver-Green

Will

I'm actually quite encouraged by the pricing of that silver auction car - it's very similar to mine, except I have blue mb tex (and brown rust...). Seems like it went for a lot more than most of the eBay U.K. fare

gavin116

Just on the outskirts of Athens, spotted this green 116. Had to be real quick as we were driving by, so picture quality not great. A short while later I saw a black finnie: heaps of chrome on the sides, so probably a 300. Wasn't quite so quick on the draw with the camera for that one though.
1979 450SE "Mrs White"
2022 Touareg-R 3.0TSi Hybrid
[url="http://forum.w116.org/test-drive/my-first-w116-here-at-last/"]http://forum.w116.org/test-drive/my-first-w116-here-at-last/[/url]
[url="http://forum.w116.org/the-org/british-near-london-meet/msg97613/#msg97613"]http://forum.w116.org/the-org/british-near-london-meet/msg97613/#msg97613[/url]

daantjie

I maybe see 1 per year here now and usually it's an old dog 300sd beat to hell. Yesterday out of the blue I saw a great looking astral silver 108/9 but I was totally not expecting it so did not get a good bead on the trunk lid as it went by. Think it was a 300 of sorts...rare sighting on Vancouver roads indeed.
Daniel
1977 450 SEL 6.9 - Astralsilber

ZCarFan

Forgive me for resurrecting this thread after a 2-year sleep but it seems the right place for what I saw today.

My wife and I are driving on I-81 approaching Salem VA.  I mention to her that in 2009, I was driving my walnut brown 1980 300SD and pulled it into the rest area we were about to pass.  I had bought the car and prepped it for the 1500 mile round trip over just two weeks and it was an interesting day covering 700 miles in a mostly untested car.

Just a few seconds after telling the story, a W116 which appeared to be Milan brown  passed by on the other side of the interstate.  What an odd but enjoyable coincidence.  To recall a 10 year old story about a brown W116 and to see one pass by on the very same spot hundreds of miles from home is unexpected.

Wonder if the car I saw belongs to anyone on the forum?  Anyone heading south on I-81 out of Salem today?


daantjie

Nice one!
I see less and less on the roads here.  It is usually the VERY long in the tooth SD limping along ::)  Summer now so maybe I can see the "lesser spotted" 6.9 out here, other than mine of course.  I know of 1 or 2 maybe in the whole greater Vancouver area, other than the ones who went to the big scrapyard in the sky :'(
Daniel
1977 450 SEL 6.9 - Astralsilber