Morgan Ear November 2017 Reading Ear November 2017...windscreen and bonnet. Rad block only...

The Morgan Ear The Morgan Ear November 2017 November 2017

Morgan Plus 4 cars illustrated

Similar, but not the same

All enquiries should be directed to: Chris van Wyk Morgan Cars Australia Pty Ltd Level 1 ZAGAME building, 362 Swan Street, Richmond, Victoria 3121 P: 039329 0344 E: [email protected] Please visit our website For more information www.morgancars.com.au

Every Morgan is hand built by cra smen and women in

rural England, exactly to customer requirements.

This means that no two Morgans are exactly the same.

Each car expresses its owner’s unique requirements

and taste, right down to the colour of the carpets.

This has been the Morgan tradi on for more than a

century. It is also worth no ng that Morgan is not

only the oldest, but also the largest Bri sh owned car

company where tradi on runs deep.

This means that the Morgan ownership experience

goes beyond the car itself.

Please visit our website to learn more about the unique

and bespoke range of Morgan products.

2 The Morgan Ear November 2017

The Morgan Ear The magazine of the

MORGAN OWNERS' CLUB OF AUSTRALIA INC.

(Founded by Ken Ward in 1958) PO Box 372, Gordon NSW 2072 www.morganownersclub.com.au

Monthly meetings:

1st Thursday of the month at 8.00pm.

Venue: Ryde-Eastwood Leagues Club, 117 Ryedale Rd, West Ryde.

Views expressed by contributors do not necessarily represent those of the Club or Editor.

Technical items are the views of the contributor and the Club can accept no responsibility for their accuracy.

Front Cover:

Mog in a Hunter Valley evening.

Photo Jason Barker

Back Cover:

The “proppa” +4 badge on Ian Southwell’s 1964 +4 two-seater

Photo Geoff Hollings

The Morgan Ear November 2017 3

Editor Brian Tomalin 0427 693 626

[email protected]

Webmaster Geoff Williams 02 4567 7247

MOCA Committee members for 2017/2018

President Geoff Hollings 02 9449 8422

Vice President Stan Jodeikin 0408 608 002

Joint Club Captains

David Lyon

Jason Barker

0409 906 116

0407 553 741

Treasurer Louise Barker 02 9417 3780

Secretary Dennis Jones 0402 254 701

Membership Secretary Cully Gower 02 9416 3903

Competition Secretary Ross Simpson 0407 249 463

Registrar Stan Jodeikin 0408 608 002

Club Plates Officers

Club Plates Secretary Peter Canavan 02 4575 2085

Club Plates Inspector Brian Williams 02 9913 8095

VP-Qld (Nth) (South)

Lachlan Rankine Vacant

[email protected] 0417 621 234

VP-Tas Mac Russell [email protected] 03 6423 5177

VP-SA Tony Heard [email protected] 0412 091 610

VP-WA Len Taylor Kim Roberts

[email protected] [email protected]

0408 942 926 0417 928 579

State Vice Presidents

VP-Vic Colin Bartlett [email protected] 0409 965 321


The November edition of “The Morgan Ear” marks twelve months since I took over as Editor. I felt it may be appropriate to review how well the Editor and Magazine are progressing.

As I mentioned in my first Editorial I was previously Editor for a period back in the Dark Ages and that while I had some limited involvement with Microsoft Publisher the technological developments in the last 40 years were a challenge. There are some aspects of MS Publisher that really annoy an old-time hot-metal compositor but I am coming to be able to live with them and the flexibility in design and layout is something we could only dream about in the olden days.

I am happy to say that I am satisfied with the style and quality of the finished product. The ability of the content to hold readers’ interest is dependent on the standard of articles and reports submitted by Club Members. I am happy to say that in the past twelve months the standard of contributions has been excellent and required very little editing on my part. My previous experience was that it was very difficult to entice people to put pen to paper, happily it seems people are more prepared to use a keyboard.

I also took time to go back through the results of the survey Peter Gow undertook to get an understanding of what members

were looking for in “The Morgan Ear”. Club events, car profiles, restorations and technical articles topped the list closely followed by historical articles and interviews with Morgan owners.

As there is a reasonable amount of time devoted to each issue I do appreciate Tony Heard’s comment: “Hi Brian, I would like to acknowledge your high standard of journalism editing the Morgan Ear. As a club Magazine it would now have to be right up there with the best. You make our short stories look so professional.”

However the Editor is reliant on the contributions for both quality and quantity of member’s contributions to maintain the standard of “The Morgan Ear”.

This Month with a new batch of Office Bearers settling in we are largely dependent on articles sourced from other publications. We discover a very different Morgan, look back at the unique Morgan front suspension, consider what alternative there may have been for the +4+ visit Montlhéry, shine a light in the dark and visit a cemetery.

EDITORIAL Brian Tomalin

Take note

Closing date for articles is

the 15th November

Presidential Ponderings 5 A very Unusual Morgan 6 Australian Dream Ride 10 Breaking the Mould Part 2 11 MOCA Supersprint 2018 15

Morgan Front Suspension Pt 1 16 Delegate’s Reports 21 Rookwood Cemetery Visit 22 Vintage Revival, Montlhery 24 Go West Young Man 26 A Dim View 28 MOCA GM Minutes 31

INDEX:


PRESIDENTIAL PONDERINGS Geoff Hollings

Expressions of interest are coming in for the Diamond Muster in October 2018. The program was outlined in the October edition of the Morgan Ear. Remember to send your contact details ASAP to [email protected] and we will confirm by return email. In the new year full details will be sent to all those who have sent in an expression of interest.

During the month I updated the Constitution and the Rules & Regulations with the changes that were approved at the August general meeting, and these are now available on the club website.

The Club has a long distance award for anyone who has driven their Morgan or Morgans 5,000 km or 3,000 miles during the last club year, from September 2016 to August 2017. Please let me know if you have qualified for the award so we can arrange your plaque.

Seat Belt Anchorages:

As we mentioned some months ago, the RMS has reminded clubs about the rules related to seat belts in cars on historic registration in NSW. Specifically, that seat belt anchorages which were not installed by the factory (or seat belt anchorages installed by the factory that have been modified), must be certified by a registered motor vehicle engineer.

Understandably, many MOCA members owning older Morgans not fitted with seat belts by the factory have fitted anchorages and seat belts to their Morgans.

Following discussion with a motor vehicle

engineer, we contacted Morgan to see if they could provide copies of tests carried out on the anchorages which he could use in an assessment.

Morgan has provided documents which show that the anchorages installed by them on the classic Morgan car received British National Type Approval in 1979. Morgan has also confirmed that the construction of the rear wooden wheel arch has been the same since 1936.

After providing these documents to the motor vehicle engineer, he has advised that new seat belt anchorages installed in accordance with the OEM design can be certified for the identified model years.

The Club is happy to provide a copy of the support documents to any motor vehicle engineer on a confidential basis to support members seeking certification of anchorages. These documents are considered intellectual property of Morgan and not for circulation. Please let me know when you need a copy of the documents for your engineer.

Thanks to Chris van Wyk at Morgan Cars Australia for his considerable help in this matter.

I am writing this report while on our holiday run to Victoria, and today we have driven from Omeo to Maffra. A beautiful sunny day to drive down the Great Alpine Road.

Congratulations to VICMOG who are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year. They have kindly invited the MOCA holiday contingent to join their celebration next Sunday.


AVERY UNUSUAL MORGAN Ray Padget

The following is a brief history of a very unusual and possibly unique Morgan.

It was built in the Morgan factory and sold on 9 July 1948 as a chassis with all the running gear but " ... less

wings, headlamps, panels, windscreen and bonnet. Rad block

only supplied''. The chassis number

was 1753 and engine Q381E. The buyer was Motourist Ltd of Great

North Road, Finchley Station, London N2, a firm that advertised

itself at the time as the official agent for the Proctor 5/6 ton diesel truck. It was the first of 3 chassis supplied to them in 1948/9 during a period when

Morgan supplied 26 chassis to a variety of garages for non-factory bodying before the practice was

stopped in 1950.

This article looking at Morgan history appeared in the July 2017 edition of

“Miscellany”

ED: Thanks to Morgan Sports Car Club for allowing us to reprint this article.


Although purchased by Motourist, the body for this Morgan was built by Leacroft of Egham in Surrey. This was a small coachbuilding company started in the 1930s.

In 1948 it was owned by two racing drivers, Robert Cowell and Gordon Watson. They built bodies for various cars including Frazer Nash-BMW 328, Lea Francis, HWM-Jaguar, Jowett Jupiter and Lagonda.

During the war Robert Cowell was 44 a successful Spitfire pilot but later he changed sex and became Roberta Cowell and continued motor racing as a woman. His was the first full transgender operation in the UK and there are several books about his/her life.

The bodywork for the Morgan is made of aluminium over a tubular steel frame. We do not know who designed it or who the car was built for. However, it was first registered on 24 September 1948 as a Morgan 4/4 with registration number SMX 474 which is a London number.

It took part in the British Automobile Racing Club (BARC) Eastbourne Rally in July 1949 where it was listed in the programme: (see http://oldclassiccar.co.uk/car-rally-Eastbourne.htm) as "Morgan Special 1267cc 1948''. It was also photographed at the rally with a young couple beside it (see http://www.coachbuild.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=560&t=11823).

We understand that the man is J. Wimborne but we know nothing more of him nor the name of his companion.

The Morgan was bought in 1952 by Basil Jones from Rugby in Warwickshire, who was the uncle of the current owner, and would have been in his 30s at that time. He was a qualified electrical engineer and during the war he trained as a navigator in Lancaster bombers. However, he was diverted to 'special duties' using his engineering skills to tackle the

(continued on page 8)


This almost certainly unique Series 1 was featured in Ken Hill's flat-rad Morgan book, but hasn't been seen for many years. It's great to hear that it's still around, and on its way to being restored. It's also fascinating to see that under the unique bodywork-cutting-edge 40s styling with hints of Healey etc - we can see the familiar Morgan wheels, chassis, gearbox, handbrake and instruments. (Charles Neal “Miscellany” Ed.)

threat of mines on the arctic convoys.

He is said to have bought the car on impulse after seeing it at an exhibition even though he didn't have a driving licence at the time! A duplicate logbook still exists from that time showing him as the registered keeper from November 14, 1952. It also shows a road fund licence being issued by London CC for Sept-Dec 1952 placing the previous owner in the London area.

A scrap of paper has also turned up with the log book with St Johns Wood written on it.

Unfortunately, the lack of the first log book means that we do not know who owned the car from 1948 to 1952. The family folklore is that it was built for Lady Docker but that seems unlikely although the missing logbook could be a deliberate ploy to hide the previous owners

The period photo shows Basil in the car. Does anyone know where the photo was taken? He kept it for the rest of his life but during his latter years it was left unused in the garage. He died about 8 years ago and the car passed to his nephew who is now restoring it. The other photos the car show it before it came out of Basil's garage and some of the work that has now been done.

A small article was published on the car in the October 2016 edition of “The Automobile” magazine. This led to a letter in a following edition from someone who recalled seeing the car being driven around Rugby.

If anyone can cast further light on this very unusual car, especially with regard to who designed it and who owned it from 1948 to 1952 then please do get in touch via [email protected].

AVERY UNUSUAL MORGAN

(from page 7)


SPECIAL OLYMPICS AUSTRALIAN DREAM RIDE Stan Jodeikin

Morgan Owners Club of Australia have been invited by Special Olympics Australia to participate in the Australian Dream Ride.

This is MOCA’s only community event of the year and provides a wonderful opportunity for Morganeers to share their trusty steeds with Special Olympic athletes, driving from Kirribilli to and around Sydney Motorsport Park (SMSP).

This year they have asked if we could muster 30 Morgans !

Those who participated last year came away with one word “AWESOME”.

So far we have 15 confirmed drivers, those being:

Graham Balfe; Gary Cox; Peter Gow; Geoff Hollings; Stan Jodeikin; Dennis Jones; David Lyon; Graham Mathews; Richard Perkins; Trevor Robertson; John Robison; Robin Sanders; Ross Simpson; Ian Southwell; Hudson Worsley

If you would like to add your name to the list, please send an SMS to 0408 60 80 02 or by email: [email protected]

Thank you for your participation in this event


BREAKING THE MOULD - PART 2 Douglas Hallawell

Last month we had part one of our series about unique Morgans. This

month we delve into the wider world of car design, exploring a few alternative

avenues the Plus 4 Plus could have taken and the intriguing Serra Coupe…

At the risk of indulging in some wishful thinking, one cannot help wondering what actually denied the Plus 4 Plus a more illustrious future, and what Peter Morgan had in mind, a comfortable GT suitable for touring on the Continent. After the Le Mans race in 1962, Chris Lawrence started pondering as to how to go about creating a more streamlined Morgan sports car racer to compensate for TOK’s speed on the straights versus the (later) Porsche 904’s. This led to a partnership between LawrenceTune and John Sprinzel Racing in 1963, resulting in the creation of the four aerodynamic, lightweight and more


This is the second of a three-part series by Douglas Hallawell looking at variations on the

Morgan theme in the 1960’s.

Our thanks to Douglas Hallawell and Mog Mag for the use of this article which appeared in

March 2017.

Douglas Hallawell acknowledges the work of Jake Alderson who took the time to proof-read and contribute certain details. And Francisco Aydillo and Francisco Carrión for the photos

supplied of the Serra Morgan.

Alfa Romeo Zagato 1900C SS


The Pedro Serra designed Plus 4 Coupe and the artist and his work

reunited 50 years later. Pedro Serra at Barcelona 2013 Retromovil

exhibition, aged 89



Clockwise from top right: The Alfa Remeo Guiletta that

raced with TOK in 1962 The Chris Lawrence designed

SLR A Pedro Serra designed Z-102

Pegaso Coupe The roofline of the 1961 Porsche T7 (prototype)

The double bubble roofline of the Alfa Remeo 1900 SS



competitive SLRs, one of which Chris was to use at racetracks thereafter.

In the light of all this, perhaps some minor tweaking to the Plus 4 Plus, such as a few more welcome horses under the bonnet in the form of the optional 4-branch tubular Derrington manifold – instead of the standard heavy cast-iron one supplied by Triumph – and a couple of type 40 (or 42) Webers, might have made it sufficiently eligible for track use as well. Moreover, had the coupé made its debut at the London Motor Show a year earlier, in 1962, it could possibly have provided Chris with an earlier and, consequently, alternative solution to the SLR.

Letting one’s imagination wander further still, the Plus 4 Plus might also have benefited from some tweaking of its body style in general, under some Italian influence. For a flusher front end, at the cost of slightly more overhang, the wings could have been more in keeping with those on a SZT Giulietta Zagato Alfa from the same era, with Perspex covers for the headlamps, like the one that raced alongside TOK in 1962.

As concerns Alfa Romeos, Zagato really excelled with the 1900C SS model (1954-1958) that incorporated his unmistakable signature, the (vented) double-bubble roofline. That, too, could have enhanced the Plus 4 Plus’s styling, and for a 2+2 effect, an extended roof as on the 1961 Porsche T7 (prototype) might have been a

BREAKING THE MOULD-PART 2 (from page 11)

1956 Z-102 Pegaso Spider


MOCA SUPERSPRINT 2018 Choy-Lin Williams

possibility. As for the rear end, more sober period styling, as per the afore-mentioned Italia, could have provided an elegant finishing touch as well as more ample boot space.

The second of the three one-offs developed in Europe was in fact the Pedro Serra-designed Plus 4 coupé from Spain, which, unlike the Swiss model, was officially designated a Morgan from the beginning. Pre-dating the Swiss coupé by six years, it is equally singular and unique.

The story behind it is even more entertaining because it takes one further back in time, to 1955. The recently appointed Spanish importer Francisco Alcaraz had ordered an eclectic assortment of 13 Morgans in one batch. To complete the order, a Triumph-engined rolling chassis was also supplied by Morgan, and delivered to him in December 1955. By August 1956, coachbuilder Pablo Gimeno had finished the steel-bodied coupé, but, at approximately 1,250 kilos, the 2+2 Serra coupé weighed nearly 400 kilos more than a regular Plus 4 roadster.

Like the Swiss one, the Serra coupé fell into a state of neglect, and during the

following years of ownership, the fifth or sixth of its guardians sadly left it to rust outdoors in a garden in Madrid. Fortunately, Fernando Aydillo came to the rescue in August 2009 and brought the coupé back to its former glory following a major four-year restoration. Subsequently displayed at the Auto Retro Barcelona show in December 2013, the car is evocative of the much later Italia 2000 that was also steel-bodied. Importantly, it sported the signature of the talented Pedro Serra, something more commonly seen in Spain on a Z-102 Pegaso roadster of the mid Fifties.

Pure speculation, of course, but perhaps a Latin design might have made the Plus 4 Plus more attractive, like an English gentleman in a smart Italian suit. Well, the recipe did work for the 330 Italias produced and marketed out of Turin by Ruffino during the same period. It also worked for eight Triumph models, including the TR4, that were all designed by Michelotti, not to mention the iconic 1960 Aston Martin DB4GT bodied by Zagato.

Now, if one could only go back in time, to 1961, and start all over again … Where is that DeLorean when you need it most!?

The 2018 Morgan Supersprint has been scheduled for August 11 at Sydney Motor Sport Park Gardner Circuit. Choy-Lin Williams will again act as Event Secretary and is hoping to see you at the track. John Coneybeare has promised that he will be back for the meeting if Choy-Lin is secretary of the meeting.

TEAM


MORGAN FRONT SUSPENSION Nev Lear [MSCC 682]

History, Development & Technology…Another

Update The ‘Morgan’ sliding pillar front suspension as fitted to the very first three-wheeled model and patented by H.F.S. Morgan in 1909 could very well be

considered the key to its initial popularity.

The ‘Morgan’ sliding pillar front suspension as fitted to the very first three-wheeled model and patented by H.F.S. Morgan in 1909 could very well be considered the key to its initial popularity.

I remember Peter Morgan telling me that his father (HFS) always liked simple

solutions to problems, and it is this simple, cheap and effective answer to positive wheel location that still contributes to the conventional Morgan’s considerable success.

In early days most light (and heavy) cars in production relied on relatively heavy beam axles suspended on leaf springs, which was a technology not unsurprisingly inherited from the horse carts in contemporary use. A few engineers with more foresight than others devised

This article which appeared in the March 2017 edition of “Miscellany” is reproduced with permission from MSCC “Miscellany”

(Fig 1) Original Three-Wheeler System:

Screw Down Lubricator, centre pin comprising a

central tube with a through bolt. Stub axle held by a nut into the bronze sliding axle.


of one wheel did not interfere with the movement of the wheel at the other side of the “axle”. This also had the advantage of reducing the un-sprung weight.

Lancia in fact had a sophisticated sliding pillar system in production about a year before Morgan, which incorporated a sealed, self-lubricating damper system. Their method lacked the cheap, simple effective nature of the Morgan system and obviously has not stayed in production for such a long time.

The sliding pillar system pre-dated the popular ‘Macpherson Strut’ as first introduced in the UK with the Ford Consul in 1951, subsequently used by many other manufacturers and still found on the current Ford Mondeo.

From its inception the three-wheeler system relied on a bronze casting sliding up and down on a ¾.inch diameter steel tube, this vertical movement was controlled by a coil main spring and a lighter gauge coil rebound spring. The movement of this bronze casting was always lubricated by

grease applied in early days by screw down grease cups and latterly hydraulic nipples.

Initially the central steel tube was sprung in between the crosshead lugs with a ½. inch diameter bolt passing through it to hold the upper and lower tubes together. When three-wheelers gained a three speed and reverse gearbox, rather than the two speed two-chain transmission, this central pin was manufactured in one piece with a reduced diameter passing through the lower crosshead lug and this was the method adopted by the early four wheelers.

Such was the nature of the very light vehicle coupled with only a very small suspension movement there was no need to fit any form of shock absorbers. Some Super Sports Models were so equipped in the mid-thirties and a few sporting owners would have fitted shock absorbers to cope with the traumas of circulating such circuits as Brooklands and Donington pre-war.

In the case of the three-wheeler the front stub axle passed through the bronze slider and was secured with a nut.

When the four-wheel Morgan was first introduced in 1936, it relied very heavily on three-wheeler principles, and used many


(Fig 3) Early Three-Wheeler Steering Links: parallel pivots pins, twisted steel

drag link, with simple pivot blocks riveted in place.

(Fig 2) First Steering Dampers: Parallel pivots replaced by taper pins, to give a

damping action.


three-wheeler components. By 1937 however the bronze sliding axles had been replaced by steel components, incorporating replaceable bronze bushes sliding on 1 inch diameter steel pins. The stub axle was no longer easily removable, but was incorporated in unit with the steel slider forging. This was established as the standard method of construction, which lasts until the present day.

From this time onwards, telescopic shock absorbers were normally fitted to all four-wheelers. For a short time post war they were deleted; it was claimed that adjustment to spring rates had made them unnecessary. What is more likely is that post war shortages made this expedient as they very quickly returned to the specification where they remain to the present day. For a short time the rebound spring was replaced, by a rubber ‘snubber’.

But on post war models the rebound spring had re-appeared. And some more detail improvements were incorporated as detailed below.

The author has not got the extensive knowledge to comment on the finer design points as applied to all models. Over the years the Morgan factory will have experimented with changes to the steering geometry as applied to “standard” cars. Competition owners will of course experimented with the various castor, and camber angles that can be used together with wheel and tyre patterns appropriate to the model.

Being of simple design the basic Morgan chassis made it easy to experiment with these changes.

In the three-wheeler design days various camber angles were used, by varying the machining detail of the bronze sliding axles. But of course changes could also be made by varying the length and geometry of the front crosshead tubes to achieve the similar results. In four-wheeler circles it became common to alter the attachment brackets securing lower end of the centre pin on standard cars to produce changes to the standard steering geometry. Much later in 2011 an adjustment was provided, as described later.

Steering Dampers

Very early in Morgans three-wheeler existence it became obvious that sliding axle system required some form of damping to prevent ‘wheel wobble’. This was particularly the case when some play had developed in the sliding axles.

Some proprietary after-market devices using friction discs similar to those used by the contemporary ‘Hartford’ shock absorber

MORGAN FRONT SUSPENSION (from page 17)

(Fig 4) Very First Series I: Three-wheeler style linkages, stub axle bolted to sliding

axle.


were sold at the time. Morgan’s answer was to modify the track-rod end pivots, which at that time were just plain parallel bolts, so that they were conical in shape. These fitted into matching conical holes in the track rod end, which were held in place by a spring retained under a castellated nut and washer so that a controlled amount of friction was built into the system.

These conical components obviously wore and had to be replaced regularly so that in the late thirties they were modified to incorporate easily replaceable bronze cones. This pattern track rod end was used on the late three-wheelers and survived well into the four-wheeler era by which time steering damping was available from the damper blade arrangement then fitted. Initially they were superseded from 1950 to 1953 by a rubber bush arrangement known as “Harrisflex” joint that fitted into a parallel bore in the track rod end. A parallel hole

was still required for the securing bolt in the steering arm, but by 1953 steering arms were provided with a tapered hole indicating that a conventional greased and sealed “Thompson” ball joint was to be fitted.

Prior to the fitting of the “Harrisflex” and “Thompson” joints, the owner was regularly going around the steering joints with an oil can to prevent excessively stiff steering caused by rust! There was a body of opinion that said these cones should never be lubricated to assist the damping action, but most regular users rapidly dismissed that idea.

Possibly just pre-war; but definitely post war Morgan introduced the last major change to its front suspension design. This was the incorporation of proper steering dampers between the lower end of the main spring and the steel sliding axle, this took the form of a bronze pad linked to the chassis by means of a flexible steel blade that allowed for the up and down movement of the suspension.

In the very first versions of this system, steel blade had a large hole punched in it, which threaded over the sliding axle and was located under the main spring. A bronze pad riveted to the steel blade provided the friction surface between the blade and the lower coil of the main spring. This method had the disadvantage that should the blade need replacing, the whole suspension had to be stripped down to achieve this.

Bill Boddy of “Motor Sport”, who was running a Flat Rad at that time regularly reported on the need to replace the steering damper blades. In later versions,


(Fig 5) 1937 Series 1: Stub axle now forged in unit with sliding axle, but still with

3-wheeler style track rod ends.


the bronze pad was bolted to a shorter blade without the punched hole, which made replacement much easier. With the introduction of front disc brakes an aluminium spacer block some two inches deep was introduced between the end of the blade and the bronze pad. In this way the damper blade avoided contact with the brake calliper, which had not been an issue with the drum braked cars.

Either way this had the effect of introducing a controlled amount of friction into the system, as well as preventing the coil main springs winding up against the steering movement; the action of which could affect the “feel” of the steering at the steering wheel, as well as initiating steering “wobble”. It was this change that allowed Morgan to fit the more normal track rod ends as referred to above, but it would

appear that this change did not happen until the early 50’s, so that cars used both steering damping systems alongside each other until then. Subsequently some owners would have retro-fitted the more modern track rod end however quite successfully.

There is some confusion as to the early methods used to secure the inner ends of the damper blades, particularly as these were probably retro-fitted to some of the flat rad models. I have seen the damper blades bent over at right angles and bolted to the inner wing panel, as well as them being secured to the wooden body rail with wood screws.

The most common factory method was the blade being held, but allowed to slide between two mild steel strips bolted to the upper chassis flange. Here excessive play was eliminated by the use of shims, butted up to the edges of the damper blades, limiting fore and aft movement. Regular lubrication in this area was another ‘Morgan Chore’. Where earlier versions, were rigidly attached to the chassis, this no doubt contributed to the regularity of breakage?

(Continued next month)

MORGAN FRONT SUSPENSION (from page 19)

(Fig 6) 1950 Plus 4: Damper blade now in place, but threaded over centre pin and not

easily replaced. Later track rod end “Harrisflex” bushes. Auto-lube oiling system

installed.

(Fig 7) Early Damper Blade: As fitted on a 1937 4/4


DELEGATE’S REPORT John Coneybeare

Combined Sports Car Association The Triumph Sports Owners Club held the last CSCA competition event for 2017 on the 15th October, Morgan had no entries for this event, so no report needed. The Calendar for 2018 is being assembled and it will be published once all dates are booked. Choy-Lin has confirmed the Morgan date as the 11th August Gardener Circuit Sydney Motor Sport Park.

Confederation of Australian Motor Sport CAMS held their State Council meeting on October 14 at Sports House Homebush, which I attended. There was a Quorum on the day so the meeting went ahead; also there was a presentation for a new Motoring event for Australia. The event is called the Targa Florio Australian Tribute and although it has been run for 101 years it’s a first for Australia and CAMS.

The event is for pre 1976 model cars and any Ferraris from 1977 to present. The event runs for 4 days from November 29 to the December 3 and will cover 1775 km of

Victorian country side this year, if you are interested? [email protected]. Entry cost is around $8500 for Car and 2 people.

The meeting went well with plenty of discussion on Motor Sport in NSW especially the plans to advance classic rally in the State and new venue reports most of which won’t be available in 2018. State Council Meetings are now held in the mornings starting at 9.00 am which seems to work with the Sydney traffic. The Executive election was finally resolved without a ballot needed.

The note for the Morgan Club is that your Officials card and your participation book make up your Officials licence when attending events. We also discussed a teleconference link for the remote delegates. We also set the State Council Calendar for 2018, Meeting closed and we all headed home.

Side Note I was invited to attend the Taree Historic Car Club meeting this week, I am happy to advise that I won the Raffle on my first go. See you there. John C

Paddy goes into a pharmacy and reaches into his pocket and takes out a small Irish Whiskey bottle and a teaspoon and offers it to the chemist. The chemist takes the teaspoon, puts it into his mouth, swills the liquid around and swallows.

“Does that taste sweet to you?” asks Paddy.

“No not at all”, replies the chemist.

“Oh that’s a relief”. Says Paddy, “The doctor told me to come here and get my urine tested for sugar.”

The Test


Rookwood Cemetery celebrated 150 years on Sunday 24th of September. We set off in the Morgan, unsure what to expect at a cemetery open day. We were amazed at the size of the cemetery, Which covers 286 hectares and has 1 million internments.

The Morgan display was set up under the shade of trees which was great considering the forecast of hot weather.

On the day there were 13 people in six Morgans.

There were many tours and events held throughout the day, including horse and carriage rides; grave digging

demonstrations; embalming talk (this was an interesting talk); behind-the-scene tour of the South Chapel Crematorium; lots of bands playing music; and plenty of food and refreshment.

Getting around was no problem, as there were buses quite frequently travelling around the grounds. We were lucky to get on a mini bus which had air conditioning and also had a lady doing commentary.

We were surprised at how beautiful Rookwood Cemetery is and highly recommend the club goes to Rookwood again in the future.

ROOKWOOD CEMETERY VISIT David Lyon


The Morgan Ear March 2016 23 The Morgan Ear November 2017 23


VINTAGE REVIVAL MONTLHÉRY

By Douglas Hallawell (MSCC 16594)

This article appeared in the July 2017 edition of “Miscellany”

"Reproduced with permission from MSCC Miscellany".

Any racer will tell you that the ultimate driving experience is taking

one’s Morgan – regardless of whether it runs on 3 or 4 wheels –

onto a banked circuit like Brooklands or Montlhéry, provided of course that the banking is used

to good effect!




Having been a last minute cancellation from the WA Christmas in July celebrations I decided to make a quick trip to Perth in August for some Morgan fun and a run down south to Margaret River.

First agenda item was to fit some "Wolf" bonnet stays to the Stacy 4/4. As it turned out I was in for a treat as the secret of the Western Australian Morganeers engineering prowess was revealed!

In a scene reminiscent of Alan Bond lifting the skirts of Australia II, John unveiled the special WA MOCA "Tool Kit"

The attached photo says it all:

An appropriate combination of wire and wine.

No Morganeer trip to Perth can afford to miss a visit to David McLaughlin's Bedfordale workshop facility where the total restoration of the Paul Larment 76 plus 8 is in full swing.

Paul has arranged a spot in the

workshop with access to equipment and expertise for a complete nut and bolt rebuild but he needs to be quick before Brian Nash moves in to do the same with his box of parts including a complete new frame for a 1949 DHC.

I must say the Larment resto is looking fantastic displaying meticulous work by a fastidious owner. Finished in Jaguar Luna Grey with black guards and lots of new shiny bits I can't wait to see the mechanics finished on this car because as we all know - Colour and Chrome won't get you home....

GO WEST YOUNG MAN Gary Cox


On May 6/7 a record 280 pre-1940 vehicles turned up to race at the 4th edition of the “Vintage Revival Montlhéry”. Add two grids of 47 motorbikes plus one more for a hundred pre-1919 motorbikes, and what you end up with is an impressive turnout of a variety of 2, 3 & 4-wheeled machinery that you’re hardly likely to see on French public roads.

The event is bi-annual and participants have to register, at the latest, one year in advance, according to organiser Vincent Chamon. Seconding Vincent, as the UK representative, is a stalwart member of the Morgan community, J-Frédéric Frot, alias “Freddie”. Vintage Revival wouldn’t be what it is without an essential ingredient, a horde of old trikes – most of which Morgans and Darmonts – that the Amicale Tricyclecariste de France (ATF) regularly brings to every edition. Not only do they race, but they also provide a wonderful static display for spectators and photographers alike.

UK participants always attend “en masse”; Frazer-Nash alone was represented by no less than 55 cars! The other marque highlighted this year by organisers was Delage that is celebrating the 90th anniversary of its world championship Grand Prix title. For the occasion, two inline 8-cylinder racecars with compressed engines were sent over from USA (the Collier collection) and UK (Brooklands museum).

What distinguishes the Vintage Revival from most of the other major French motoring gatherings is that it is organised exclusively by an enthusiastic benevolent staff. UTAC, the circuit’s proprietor and vigilant guardian ensures security is maintained at a high level which explains why they limit grids to 35 vehicles and 15 minutes of racing. To meet the ever increasing number of applications, Vincent strives to privilege authenticity as the main criterium in selecting vehicles. However, he

will make exceptions for faithful reconstructions of historic vehicles. A perfect example is Yann Leclercq’s total rebuild of a 1934 Morgan SS beetleback which made its first outing at Montlhéry as part of ATF’s delegation

of trikes and cyclecars. Incidentally, Yann’s trike was also seen at Chantilly’s Art & Elégance event last year, albeit simply as a bare rolling chassis.

The next edition, in 2019, will highlight two marques: Morgan, on account of its 110th anniversary and Bedelia. Other pre-war marques – including Bugatti, Amilcar, Rally, Salmson and BNC – will be there as usual. If 2017’s edition is anything to go by, then one can reasonably expect to see Morgan attendance exceed 100 vehicles. On Saturday alone, 65 Morgans were accounted for in the designated Morgan parking area shared by Morgan Club de France and Vinmog. To round off the event on Sunday, a large contingent of 4-wheeled Mogs took to the track for a couple of laps, graciously invited by organisers to do so.

VINTAGE REVIVAL MONTLHÉRY (from page 25)


A DIM VIEW OF THE SITUATION Spider J. C. Bulyk Plus 4 Technical Advisor

“ . . . . between the highway lines and the runway lights . . . ” James McMurtry

You may not credit this, but long ago, long before I morphed helplessly into the crustaceous grundoon that I’ve become, my eyes were as sharp as lasers. In those days of yesteryear, why I could pick out a polar bear eating a vanilla Sno-Cone in a blizzard! When the sun went down, I could pick out a coal-truck at the bottom of a mine shaft! Today…not so much. Today I’m finding the truth of things a little harder to discern, even when right in front of me.

My earlier cars – Healeys, Astons, Volvos – all had highend headlights by Cibie, Carrello, and Hella. Not satisfied, I added driving lights (strong enough to require a permit from the CIA): Lucas Flamethrowers, Cibie Oscars, etc. We’re talking light, and LOTS OF IT. I could melt the paint off someone’s back license plate at a half-mile! Megga zillions of lumens at 6000 degrees Kelvin! “I can see clearly now, the (pain) is gone…” Then came the technological retrograde when we bought “The Hope”, our ’57 Plus 4. I couldn’t be dissuaded from those very 1930’s Lucas Tri-Bar headlamps, put ‘em in a long time ago,

and ain’t took ‘em out yet. Meanwhile everyone else’s headlights got much better and my night vision only got worse.

I kept looking for a high-output bulb that fit the round Lucas 3-point sockets but none were to be had. The Tri-Bar lights on “The Hope” looked great in the daytime (turned off) but at night produced what was seemingly a mere glimmer.

“Overdriving the headlights” became a reality – that is, at the speeds I was driving at night, an object in the road would only become visible when close enough that I couldn’t stop (drum brakes) before hitting it. Well, that sure took the fun out of spirited night runs!

One day, Steve Utterbach found me a set of high-wattage halogen bulbs at a Brit-bike store, designed explicitly for the old, round, Lucas sockets: I ordered two sets and installed one. Out on the road at night, a whole new world opened up. I could see things like never before. (Although, some things I may have been better off not seeing.) Then…I kicked up the high beams: WOW! Life was really good again. I had regained lost youth! I could SEE! See…like for a mile down a country road.

It was then that misery hit. I noticed that every time I hit the high beams, all the gauges on the dashboard dimmed, the wipers slowed, and the heater fan (so what? You ask?) slowed. I put my hand on the headlight knob (big round plastic thing,

“Reprinted by permission from The Morganeer, The 3/4 Morgan Group, Ltd.,

New York, USA”


middle of your dashboard!) and it was hot enough to grill cheap hot dogs. Okay, so I kick the high beams back down and run home before I burnt the whole car. This is where the situation stood for a few years.

Picking up a catalogue for hot rod parts in a barbershop (I go once a year, need it or not), I came across a headlight relay kit: everything, all in one place, and not too expensive, so I ordered it. The kit came with two standard automotive 5-pin relays – one for high beam and one for low beam – the mounting/wiring bracket, and some wire pieces intended for other cars. I chose to cut the wires and install the relays just downstream of the high-beam kick switch on the firewall. The total installation – using the enclosed wiring schematic – took about 90 minutes, and that’s only because I’m really fussy about soldering and shrink wrapping all the connections. You could do

it in 15 minutes if you prefer Bazooka Joe bubble gum and plastic tape (my preferred method. Ed).

If you look at the attached schematic diagram – okay… some of you will need to go get a cocktail at this point – you can see that all the power for the lights now comes directly from the battery, completely bypasses the dashboard, and goes right to the headlights. This is not how the electrical guys at the Morgan Motor Company Genius Bar intended it, but it sure works better!

Out on the road on a dark (and stormy) night with low beams, I can see better than I could with the original high beams! Kick up the high beams and I can damn well see the Dark Side of the Moon! Wow…what a difference. The vision enhancement itself is



worth the time and small money. But wait…there’s more! Even with all those Lumens and all that Candle-Power, I can still run the high beams, the wipers, and the heater fan without dimming the dashboard lights or stalling the car. The headlight switch remains cool to the touch and there is no scent of electrical smoke from behind the dashboard – largely because all those silly little electrons are running from the battery directly to the headlights (like lemmings) and leaving the dashboard to slumber in peace. (I still miss that sweet smell of an electrical fire about to ignite.)

It doesn’t matter what kind of headlights you run, or if you run driving lights. Relays are definitely the way to go. Many modern Morgans are already relay wired but just about any older Moggie would benefit from this cheap and easy upgrade.

Ted Lucas tells the story of how his electric fan wiring shorted out his lighting harness. After installing HID headlights, he went through two dashboard switches – thinking they couldn’t handle the electrical load – until he figured it out. Since rewiring with the relays, he seems to have defeated the old Joseph Lucas (unrelated Lucas) law of “Gentlemen do not venture out after dark”.

With a relay system, kick up them high beams and the road ahead lights up like the stage at Radio City Music Hall. You can even see black bears in dark tutus doing the Can-Can a mile away – well, okay, so I can…maybe you won’t...it really depends. You can get what you need from Morgan Spares along with some technical advice (or elsewhere if you so choose). So I thought I’d relay this info to you for putting more wattage into your night driving.

Ya gotta admit, it’s a joule of an idea, with brilliant consequences! TA –DAH!!

A DIM VIEW OF THE SITUATION (from page 29)


MINUTES OF MOCA INC GENERAL MEETING Held 5th October 2017 at Ryde Eastwood Leagues Club, Ryedale Rd, West Ryde

Meeting opened at 8.12 p.m.

Present: 28 members, 3 guests

Apologies: 18 members

Welcome:

President Geoff Hollings welcomed members and guests to the October General Meeting.

Minutes:

Minutes of the General Meeting held on the September 7, 2017 as published in the October 2017 Morgan Ear, were taken as read.

Motion: That the Minutes be accepted.

Moved: Andrew Lippold, seconded Bob Little - carried unanimously.

Matters arising from the Minutes:

None.

Applications for Membership:

Steve Munn – Full membership. Lives at Upper Wilsons Creek, near Mullumbimby. Steve is buying Ross Simpson’s 1975 +8

Moved: Ross Simpson, seconded Sharyn Yeshouroun - carried unanimously.

Accounts to be paid:

Louise Baker advised the following accounts were submitted for approval:

Already paid: Brian Tomalin, reimbursement for Adobe Acrobat $231.00 Rydges – 2018 Diamond Muster functions deposit $5150.00 To be paid Arrow Printing – October “Ear” $742.00 Australia Post – “Ear” postage $218.12 Arthur J Gallagher – Association Insurance $400.00 Membership postage $200.00

Total $6941.12

Moved Graeme Dell; seconded Brian Williams - carried unanimously

Committee Reports:

President (Geoff Hollings)

Geoff advised:

Recent Committee meeting held covered the following matters:

Confirmed the appointment of David Lyon and Jason Barker as joint Club Captains

Graeme Dell as CSCA representative, and stepping down as CAMS rep.

Annual return for the Club submitted to Dept of Fair Trading.

Social programme for remainder of the year

Approved proceeding with Diamond Muster for October 2018

Constitution has been updated and


is now available on the MOCA website

Historic vehicles scheme. Documents regarding seatbelt anchorages has been received with the help of Chris van Wyk and the Morgan factory for pre 1965 Morgans.

Secretary (Richard Perkins Acting)

Richard is filling in for Dennis Jones during his absence.

Vice President – Stan Jodeikin

Advised of the urgency for booking in to the Annual Presentation dinner otherwise the event will be cancelled.

Dream Ride event is on again for the Special Olympians on 26 November. So far 16 cars are registered and hoping to be closer to 30. Please let Stan know if you can participate in this very special event.

Diamond Muster – 18-21 October 2018 at Bathurst. Details are in this month’s “Ear”.

Membership Secretary (Cully Gower, Apology)

The club continues to receive and process member renewals. To date 166 renewals have been processed and cards sent out, with a small number currently being worked through with cards to be sent out shortly. The high number of early renewals is encouraging and ahead of last year.

Treasurer – (Louise Barker)

Report as at September 30 shows a surplus of $3,748 with account balance of $38,417.

About 2/3rds of members have renewed their membership.

We have commenced the booking process for the Diamond Muster.

Club Captains – Jason Barker/David Lyon (apology)

David and Jason accepted the Co-Club Captain role for the coming year

Jason advised of recent and future runs which are included in the current “Ear”

Other items of interest are the Shannon’s Spring Classic Auction to be held on November 13 at 7pm at 65 Reserve Road St Leonards and Sculpture in the vineyards at Wollombi on the 3rd December.

Competition Secretary Ross Simpson

Ross advised that Graeme Dell achieved the FTD at the Sprite supersprint.

Next Supersprint and last for the year is at Wakefield Park. The date for the 2018 MOCA Supersprint is August 11.

Registrar and Vice President (Stan Jodeikin)

Stan advised that there is only six cars on the market at the moment, noting that the Geoff Williams historic racing + 8 and Reg Darwell’s 1955 +4 are for sale.


CSCA Delegate (Graham Dell)

Graham advised he would report on the next meeting.

ABCC Delegate (Robin Sanders, apology)

Geoff Hollings advised that Kings School are considering changing their art show and the All British display day to sometime in September in 2018.

General Business:

Brian Williams advised the historic vehicle inspection day had been held, with special thanks to Norah Vincent’s daughter for her

hospitality on the day.

Peter Canavan advised of the 36 cars in the historic registration scheme, 26 have been inspected and 20 had passed, six had not and four have yet to be inspected. Ten others had modifications which means that they could join the classic vehicle scheme

John Wroe recommend a recent movie released called “McLaren” which documents the life of racing driver Bruce McLaren.

There being no further business the meeting closed at 8.47 pm.

David Lyon and I are please to accept the co-club captain role and have some interesting things planned for 2018 including a trip to Norah Head and one to Luskintyre airfield to have lunch with some Tiger Moths. We always welcome suggestions for club runs and coffee runs that you think people will enjoy.

Recent Club runs to Lake Parramatta and Rookwood Cemetery were fun with 13 people at each and a handful of Morgans. Upcoming Club social events are in the calendar section of the Ear. Other things of interest around the Sydney area which are not Club events include the Shannons Sydney Spring Classic Auction – 13th

November 7pm, 65 Reserve Road, St Leonards and Sculpture in the Vineyards, Wollombi – 28th October to 3rd December.

CARnivale 2018 CARnivale for 2018 will be held at

Parramatta Park on Friday January 26. Those wishing to participate in the event should register on line at www.australiaday.com.au/carnivalerego. Registration closes on Friday, November 17, 2017.

If your registration is accepted you will receive a confirmation pack in mid-December. For more details contact David Lyon (0409 906 116).

CLUB CAPTAINS’ REPORT Jason Barker and David Lyon


CALENDAR OF EVENTS 2017

NOVEMBER

Thurs 2nd NSW MOCA General Meeting. Ryde Eastwood Leagues Club. 8.00 pm.

Sat 4th NSW Annual Awards and Presentation Dinner. The Bonnie Doon Golf Club, 38 Banks Avenue, Pagewood. Welcome drinks from 6.00pm and dinner served 6.45pm. Contact Stan on 0408 608 002 or [email protected] for details

Wed 15th NSW Coffee Run to Bobbin Inn Café, Bobbin Head. Park Entry fee $12 per vehicle. Meet at 10.30 am. Contact Jason Barker 0407 553 741.

Sun 19th VIC AGM/Club meeting at Warwick and Paulette’s, Coldstream.

Sun 26th NSW Australian Dream Ride. From Kirribilli to Sydney Motor Sport Park. 30 Morgans required. Contact: Stan Jodeikin 0408 608 002 or [email protected]

Thurs 30th VIC Mid week run. Meet at the Burvale Hotel 10.30am. Lunch at Locale at De Bortoli, 58 Pinnacle Lane Dixons Creek

DECEMBER

Thurs 7th NSW MOCA General Meeting. Ryde Eastwood Leagues Club.

Sat 9th NSW Plates Day. Meet at Mt Colah McDonalds at 10.00am for 10.30am departure. Drive via Glenorie, Wiseman’s Ferry Road, South Maroota and Cattai to Rex and Norah Vincent’s home at Kenthurst.

Sun 10th VIC Christmas Club Meeting. At Phil and Lyndy’s Shoreham.

Thurs 14th NSW Coffee Run to “Kiss the Barista”. George’s River Sailing Club. Sanoni Avenue, Sandringham. Meet at 10.30am. Contact Jason Barker 0407 553 741.

JANUARY

Thurs 11th NSW Unofficial January Meeting. At Terry Hills Tavern, 2 Aumuna Road, Terry Hills at 6.30pm. Contact Jason Barker 0407 553 741.

Fri 26th NSW CARnavile 2018. Parramatta Park. Registration at www,australiaday.com.au/carnivalerego closes Friday. November 17, 2017. Contact David Lyon 0409 906 116.

Remember to check the website in case of last minute changes

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