No way to know what all might have been added or removed from a vehicle in the last fifty years.

 

Generally speaking I agree Dean. But the remote mirror consists of an extra hole in the top of door, under the mirror, for the cable, plus a different interior door panel with the remote lever. It doesn't seem like something you would remove and cover up.
And again, it just seems odd for someone to replace a door on an SS and not reinstall the remote mirror. I'll take a closer look when someone posts the build sheet to see if it's on there. Thanks.

 

Mine has bullet style. D35 option. Driver only option!
Not all of my SS's over the years had bullet mirror. Ironicly I had 2 authentic Heavy Chevy's and both had the bullet mirror. I have not found an authentic Monte with a bullet.
As for recognizing a tribute ss vs real SS.
Larger front Sway bar, boxed control arms, blacked out grill, disc brakes, not all had 12bolt or posi (my build sheet will verify that), larger OD tie rods (Z15 package), head liner seat belts on hard tops (not always), etc
So birth certificate is the only way. I found 3 on my car (upper back seat, passenger kick panel, 1 jammed in dash wiring. None above gas tank or behind bucket seat backing.

 

That is also one the things I look for on 71-72 Chevelle SS cars but the problem is, most people want a passenger side mirror as well. Since GM never made a passenger side sport mirror for the Chevelle, it’s either remove & replace with standard chrome mirrors or get a passenger side sport mirror off another 70s GM car and adapt it to fit the Chevelle door. The latter is a lot more work and the mirror angle never seems to match correctly. I believe the 71-72 sport mirrors pairs were being reproduced at one point so if you’re able to locate those it’s much easier to keep the factory SS look.

I happen to own a 72 SS (with build sheet) which had the factory sport mirror on the driver side, and an f-body sport mirror on the passenger side added by a previous owner. It didn’t look bad but looking head on, you can tell the size and angle didn’t match. I couldn't just delete the passenger side mirror since the holes were already drilled so I’ve since replaced the pair with standard chrome mirrors. If I had the choice, I would run the single sport mirror but I think it looks great with what’s on there now.

So to answer your question, the mirror is a “go to” in identifying a 71-72 SS but 50+ years later, it could have been changed for one of many reasons.

 

That is also one the things I look for on 71-72 Chevelle SS cars but the problem is, most people want a passenger side mirror as well. Since GM never made a passenger side sport mirror for the Chevelle, it’s either remove & replace with standard chrome mirrors or get a passenger side sport mirror off another 70s GM car and adapt it to fit the Chevelle door. The latter is a lot more work and the mirror angle never seems to match correctly. I believe the 71-72 sport mirrors pairs were being reproduced at one point so if you’re able to locate those it’s much easier to keep the factory SS look.

I happen to own a 72 SS (with build sheet) which had the factory sport mirror on the driver side, and an f-body sport mirror on the passenger side added by a previous owner. It didn’t look bad but looking head on, you can tell the size and angle didn’t match. I couldn't just delete the passenger side mirror since the holes were already drilled so I’ve since replaced the pair with standard chrome mirrors. If I had the choice, I would run the single sport mirror but I think it looks great with what’s on there now.

So to answer your question, the mirror is a “go to” in identifying a 71-72 SS but 50+ years later, it could have been changed for one of many reasons.

Excellent point. I hadn't considered that as a reason to replace it. Thanks for that perspective.
But that brings up a couple of questions:
Is the chrome driver side mirror base wide enough to cover the hole for the cable?
And did you replace your inner door panel for one without the remote control?
Great looking car BTW

 

I love my added pass sport mirror. Get asked all the time “where did you get that?” It’s one of my favorite details and looks factory.

 

I love my added pass sport mirror. Get asked all the time “where did you get that?” It’s one of my favorite details and looks factory.

The mirror looks beautiful and factory.
And ok I'll bite - Where did you get that?

 

To be honest. I like the non sport mirror look better.

 

I would just like to meet the mental midgets that thought that having only one mirror made a lick of sense. It really IS true, you can't fix stupid.

 

I would just like to meet the mental midgets that thought that having only one mirror made a lick of sense. It really IS true, you can't fix stupid.

Do you realize that from about the early 20's you were lucky to get any outside mirror at all because both side mirrors weren't standard equipment until maybe the 80's and then only on the more expensive cars till about the 90's .
With the cars we have now we are spoiled by the technology and comfort built in.

 

The Chevelle ID and data book lists a left-handed remote-controlled sport mirror as a standard SS option. But interestingly enough they show 2 pictures of 1971 SS Chevelle's that do not have a remote mirror on the drivers side.

 

See what’s included with an SS:

1972 Chevelle Options

Decoding Chevrolet VIN, trim tags, cowl tags, engine, engine block casting numbers, cylinder head casting numbers, intake manifold casting numbers, transmission, interior codes, and paint codes.

www.chevellestuff.net

Paul

 

While the 71 / 72 Chevelle SS was supposed to come with a driver's side Bullet mirror, over the years I have come to believe that sometimes they substituted the rectangular chrome unit due to availability from the vendor. The bullet mirror is an SS-exclusive though. The '71 Monte Carlo SS used one as well.
Over the years with exposure & use, vandalism & collision damage, the chrome remote mirror may have been by far the most readily available replacement mirror.

 

I added sport mirrors to my 70 close to 20 years ago. Driver was remote. I had to modify the angle slightly to get them to sit level. I really liked them.

 

Cam, It appears the Remote-Control Mirror code # ZQ2 could of been ordered for a Malibu and listed in the 107 box.
Is that correct? Or am I reading that incoorectly?

Thanks John

 

I'm not sure about which box, but yes the D33 remote mirror was available as an option on any Chevelle, just not officially on an SS where the bullet mirror was standard. If GM was building them it was their option to sub the chrome mirror if necessary, as sometimes happens in production to cover prolonged outages. Strikes happen and expected stuff isn't available. I'm not saying that is what happened, but it is a scenario typical of what did happen with various parts.

It just occured to me, the 1974 Vega GT also used a single drivers side bullet mirror as standard. During production the availability of that mirror was limited, so they changed it so the mirror only came on GTs with Custom interior, they downgraded or deleted the D35 mirror otherwise.

 

Anyway here's my 71 SS that used to have a chrome outside L/H mirror with the remote control. I replaced the chrome mirror with some dual sport mirrors off a 70's Olds Cutlass Supreme. Here's the L/S :

And here's the R/S

I installed them so you have a perfect rearward view when looking at the mirror through the vent windows

 

The engineers designed these cars, then the cost accountants did their damage. RH mirror? Cowl screens? Fender to door seals? Delete! Remember that Chevrolet is at the bottom of the totem pole at GM in terms of base pricing. It still is the value division. GM owes its survival to Chevrolet though, and they would do well to remember it. Corvette is the car that breaks the rules, but its benefits over the years to present day at Chevrolet are huge and hard to measure.

 

They do sell the passenger mirror on its own, and they show stock on it.

Chevelle Info

 

They do sell the passenger mirror on its own, and they show stock on it.

Chevelle Info

Even better for someone who already has an SS just looking for a matching mirror.

 

my 1972 malibu came from the factory with a chrome remote control mirror.

 

My 72 Malibu came factory with the chrome remote mirror, it was an option

 

Let's not quibble over standard equipment from more than 50 years ago. I guess every engineer who walked the earth is a dolt because cars in the 1940s & trucks in the 1950s still had turn signals as an option, not standard. And even at the close of the 1950s trucks usually had only one tail lamp.

To use that measure, I guess Ransom E. Olds was an idiot for not installing airbags in his curved dash Olds 115 years ago.
An invention has to happen before it can be considered. In 1956 Ford offered seat belts and padded dashes. How did they sell? Meh.

Back in the day cars did not come with dual mirrors, in fact the outside driver's mirror was not standard until 1966. Same with backup lights. Did our grandparents sue carmakers and lawmakers? That is a relatively new thing that developed out of self-importance, and Ralph Nader.

These cars weren't designed with an eye towards antiquity, they were considered an advance on earlier designs. They were designed moving forward a long time ago. A new, indoctrinated self-styled, supposedly enlightened and superior generation is picking apart all the creations of the past. Personally I don't let those mosquitoes bother me. Good thing too, because they are seemingly everywhere.

Ha ha, I'm starting to sound like an old man.

What was the original question? Oh, the 1971/72 Chevelle SS D35 "Bullet" Sport Mirror. I have nothing to add, other than all SS cars were supposed to come with them but didn't. Some had the chrome D33 Remote Mirror, and by 71/72 even came with the standard non-remote mirror. I have to fact check on that...

 

My 72 had a remote mirror and it is a 350 2barrel Malibu that had never been messed with when I got it 33 years ago. No mirror on passenger side though

 

I said, look I will put the top down and turn my head. She said do what you want but you will get a ticket.🤔

 

It’s a Federal law that no state can institute safety features that were not originally equipped on your vehicle. I have a 55 with no seat belts and there is no cop dumb enough to right a seat belt ticket for that. You just have a power hungry dummy at your DMV that thinks they can dictate law. That said I would add the mirror anyway it looks more symmetrical and improves your driving experience.

 

So what the pinhead at the DMV is saying is our cars have to be retrofitted with whatever comes out of the arbitrary law-making machinery. That CAN'T be right. Oh wait, maybe it can be. Here in Ontario if you want to drive your antique Model T it has to have seat belts installed. Never mind that the car was never designed for them and they are completely out of place and era-incorrect. Who accepts liability if the retrofit isn't properly engineered? Is the owner liable?

The law should apply to new cars going forward, not have to be applied to millions of older cars under private ownership. People who pass these laws must hate older cars. They certainly don't make provision for them.

We elect lawmakers to make laws - and they make laws. Honestly, it is like they have to justify their existence, so they produce volumes of statutes. Ask a judge, ignorance is no excuse, yet people who work in the law have to study it to understand it. How then is the average Joe supposed to be up on the latest whimsical statutes?

Being born is not an excuse to having our asses "owned" by the state.


...Sorry for the drift. This thread is about identifying the 1971/72 bullet mirror.
I thought all the 1971 / 72 Z15 cars were supposed to get the bullet mirror but obviously that didn't happen. The 1971 Monte Carlo SS454 also used it.
Can anyone here account for why it isn't found on all Chevelle SS coupes and convertibles at that time? Was it a supplier issue, a delivery issue, a cost decision?