Looking for a LH wide-angle mirror

I bought a used 2000 9-3 SE a few months ago. Great car, I'm enjoying it a lot. One issue I have is that the drivers side (LH) rearview mirror does not angle out far enough to eliminate a blind spot. I've temporarily fixed the problem with a $0.99 fish-eye stick-on mirror from Wal-Mart. It looks lousy, but it does the job.

I thought about ordering a UK passenger side mirror to replace my driver's side mirror. Then I'd have wide-angle mirrors on both doors. I went to a dealer (Acton Saab, Acton MA) and asked about getting a wide-angle mirror for the driver's side. The parts manager gave me a line about how the wide-angle mirrors not the same size/shape and that I'd have to order the whole housing assembly and it'd be $5-600 just for parts. Then to install it they'd have to take the door apart and it'd be a couple hundred more. At that point my $0.99 solution was looking pretty good, if a bit ugly.

I dropped an email to saab.com and sent me a 1-line reply saying there's no difference in size. I wish they were a little more detailed, but I take that to mean that I can pop a wide-angle UK LH mirror into my US LH mirror housing. Has anybody else tried this?

If you can swap them, then the next thing I need to do is order the part. I found PartsForSaabs on the web, and they have the mirror (Part Number 4818050: 9-3 98'-02' & NG900 94'-98' LH door mirror glass (Wide Angle)) for $84 + $10 shipping. That's still pretty steep. I'm wondering if anybody has a pointer to a less expensive parts supplier. I found a link for UK junkyards where I could post my request. I got another $100 quote and no other leads.

So I'm wondering if anybody over in the UK might have alternative ways I can hunt down a mirror. Maybe I'm being unrealistic, but I'd like to keep it under $50, including shipping. Any help you could provide would be appreciated.

Reply to
Joe Gugliemino
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The UK mirror housing is the same shape, but the housing is set at a different angle so therefore the effect would be the same as trying to look out of the drivers mirror sitting in the passenger side. As the mirror glass is not made by anyone else as a pattern part and the UK retail price for a glass is £50.00, I think you are being a trifull optomistic about getting one for $50.00. A complete mirror is over £300.00 and good second hand ones are fetching £100.00.Fitting the mirror on a 93 takes 5 minuets, Regards Tom.

Reply to
Saabtech

The difference in orientation doesn't bother me. My current flat mirror in its housing was only a little off. I believe putting in a wide-angle mirror will get me what I need. As for price, I know the part is expensive new. I'm hoping somebody on the list could put me in touch with a junkyard where a used glass could be had for much less. Using your whole mirror price differences, I should expect to get it for about

1/3 retail, no?

Thanks for the quick reply.

- Joe

Reply to
Joe Gugliemino

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