I had a pair of TEX side mirrors; however the chrome work was showing its age. Someone said they were easy to pull apart so I set out to do so with the idea that I would get them re-plated. Little did I know that there was no information anywhere on how to dismantle these classic Tex mirrors which are also used on many other car types such as Austin, Morris, Ford, Vauxhall, MG, and Triumph.

The main problem is the center locking washer pictured in Figure 1. The washer needs to be rotated 90 degrees; however, the spring behind this is of such pressure that it is impossible to do so. In true handyman style I set about trying various clamps and screw/washer combinations to try and compress the spring so the lock washer could be rotated.

All attempts failed until finally, I repurposed some shelving clips to do the job (see below).

NB: Even with the spring compressed and some slack around the holding clip the lock washer is so used to being connected that it does not rotate easily. The center section must be pulled with the pliers several times before the lock washer is loose enough to rotate.

I hope the photo’s below will provide some guidance for any brave soul that wants to do the same.