# What do I use to glue mirrors back onto a car?



## clovis

I have a 1998 Chevy Monte Carlo, and the glass mirrors have fallen off. 

I believe the mirrors were originally held on by what appears to have been a hot melt adhesive. I believe the glue, whatever the type, to have dried up.

I got lucky on one of the mirrors and it didn't break, but when the passenger side fell off, the edge chipped.

These are power mirrors, if it matters.

The whole assembly is fine...except for the glass that has fallen out and off the plastic backing.

I'm glad I don't have to change the entire mirror out. These are painted mirrors that match the car, and it looks like it would be a job changing those out.

What type of adhesive should I use to glue the glass back onto the mirror assembly?

I hate to drop $10 or more on a tube of glue, but if that is what it takes, then so be it.

Anyone have a junk 98 Monte or the exact glass that fits one?

Thanks in advance!!!!!!


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## Wis Bang 2

Double sided tape...


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## Ray

go to an automotive shop like autozone, or any and ask for rear view mirror glue, if thats what your gluing back on and it works fine. best wishes, ray


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## Ross

What Ray said.


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## clovis

Okay...

BTW, these are the two exterior side view mirrors...I wasn't specific about that.

My buddy suggested the double sided tape. Anyone wanna guess who threw almost an entire roll of that stuff in the trash three weeks ago?


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## clovis

Okay, I must admit that I am confused. Seems that everyone I ask has a different answer. If I could just find more than two that agree, I'd go with that option.

I stopped in the auto body shop today, where one of our town's most helpful people work. If I would have caught him, I bet he would have glued them on for free. "Come see me if you ever need a dent fixed" he would have said.

The two guys in the shop said to use a two part epoxy. Go to the auto parts store, they suggested.

The auto parts guys said "Save your money. Just use silicone. It'll hold them, probably".

I'm going to have to purchase something, whether it be double sided tape, epoxy, or silicone. I don't think I have any of those things on hand.

Is the tape strong enough to hold them? 

What do you all think I should buy?


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## foxtrapper

Double sided tape tends to fail after a few years. I've had both the adhesives fail, and the foam fail. It will also hold the glass further out than original, due to the thickness of the tape. You've probably experienced the failure of this stuff with little bullseye mirrors. The ones that fall off in a year or two.

The mirror adhesive you buy in the store is superglue. It's meant for gluing interior mirrors back onto the windshield. It does not stick well at all to the plastics and will make a poor hold on the exterior mirror.

A two part epoxy will likely work, but is brittle, and will not adhere well to the plastic.

A goo, be it silicone, trim adhesive, black gasket material, or even 5200 would be my choice. Glob it rather heavily around the mounts the glass sticks to, and glob a good bit onto the glass. Then press it together and hold it in place (tape). It's flexible, so it tolerates the vibrations better.


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## alleyyooper

A good grade of construction silicone adheive would be my choice.

 Al


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## tamsam

Clean the plastic and glass really good and use liquid nails. I used that to put together a drain system on a rv. The nails stick to almost everything and is cheap. Sam


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## Wis Bang 2

3M 'VHB' two sided tape...it is holding the side trim onto the Monte! 

When I replaced the rusted front fenders on my '93 Jimmy, I pried the side trim off and had to use a wire wheel to remove the tape & used some to re-mount the trim on the new fenders. 

It is thinner than the foam center two sided tape and has incredible holding power. Modern Marvels does a story on it and mentions that the only street signs to survive Hurricane Andrew were those mounted w/ VHB tape...the story shows it being used to glue windows into a skyscraper!


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## Beeman

3M double sided emblem adhesive tape or silicon. I've used both with success. Buy a strip of the tape and cut a couple of strips for the back of the glass. Don't panic if you break it, most auto superstores sell just the glass for those mirrors. My NAPA store sell the emblem tape by the foot in different widths.


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## Ray

I see i perhaps misunderstood, gluing the actual glass mirror back into the frame? there is a special silicone I've used to fasten mirrors but these were in the house, I,d call a glass co. that puts in windshields etc. they are the ones that do this type work, I used to use them at the Shop, to replace any glass in any equipment, from cars to P&H Cranes, Draglines, giant Haulage tucks etc. including mirrors. the special mirror silicone i used was pretty high priced $22 a tube 10 years ago, and I think what i had was for special Sheetrock attachment, but i'm pretty sure you could get what you need cheap, just run by the office and pick it up as a DIY. at any glass repair co., best wishes, ray


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## clovis

Well, this has been frustrating.

I went to Lowe's today to purchase silicone glue. After walking half of that 9 acre store, I finally found the specialty glues. None of the glues looked like they would work.

I think I'm going to use the double sided tape that Beeman suggested, but I also might wait until I get to Menards later in the day to see what they have.

I like Menard's waaaay better than Lowe's anyway.


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## GoldenCityMuse

It's not silicone glue it is CAULK. In the paint section.

I used it with my rear view mirror, the epoxy stuff just did nt work well.


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## travis91

body shops have a 3M adhesive used to glue body panels back on, I would also try the Loctite brand construction adhesive in a caulk gun type.


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## hickbynature

I replaced the interior mirror, and the stuff they gave me with the fix it kit smelled precisely like the kitchen and bath silicone caulk I use. When it failed I reglued using the HD silicone. It worked for the interior mirror. Used in bathrooms that stuff must resist all kindsa chemicals, as well as hot water. The caulk I used for the rearview has resisted the cold and the heat thus far. 

It is also used for fish tank repair, and we used it for our home-built counter top water filter. 

I suspect it would serve as a damper aginst car vibrations as well . . . .

HBN


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## rustychevy

maybe windshield urethane would work best, lay down a couple beads and hold the mirror with tape until it dries


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## clovis

Thank you again for the advice.

Out of desperation, I bought some silicone adhesive, and glued the mirrors back on. The good thing was that it only cost $4.59.

My goal, when fixing anything, is to try to figure out the best way to do something, and use the best material possible, so it will last the longest...and try to save money while doing it. I think the glue was the best way to go.

Thank you again for the help.


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## How Do I

clovis said:


> I have a 1998 Chevy Monte Carlo, and the glass mirrors have fallen off.
> 
> I believe the mirrors were originally held on by what appears to have been a hot melt adhesive. I believe the glue, whatever the type, to have dried up.
> 
> I got lucky on one of the mirrors and it didn't break, but when the passenger side fell off, the edge chipped.
> 
> These are power mirrors, if it matters.
> 
> The whole assembly is fine...except for the glass that has fallen out and off the plastic backing.
> 
> I'm glad I don't have to change the entire mirror out. These are painted mirrors that match the car, and it looks like it would be a job changing those out.
> 
> What type of adhesive should I use to glue the glass back onto the mirror assembly?
> 
> I hate to drop $10 or more on a tube of glue, but if that is what it takes, then so be it.
> 
> _Anyone have a junk 98 Monte or the exact glass that fits one?_
> 
> Thanks in advance!!!!!!


FFR, if it ever falls out again, Advance can special order just the glass for $10-$11.


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