Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Mr Bumble - Phase 4

So, back from Cornwall, and an amazing ten days away from the garage.................

So next I started on the badge bar and front number plate box.
The box was retained by two allen head setscrews in from the front with nuts behind next to the horns. I prefer this the other way round. On the Roadster the setscrews go in next to the horns with the nuts on the number plate box. That way I find easier to manage.

Anyway - remove the box and the grille slides down and out. I decided to assist the airflow into the radiator by lining the cowl with neoprene, and this stops too much air spilling round the sides and underneath. I started with cardboard templates, and used polypropylene sheet (quite stiff), and drilled the stainless sides in two places each side (setting aside my no drilling credentials for this one!). This would probaby help more on the Plus 8 by the way.


I might even do this to the Roadster in time.
Note that the holes in the lower mounting on the car are 'messy', and it wasn't me!





Here's the box tidied up and with a neoprene U channel applied to the lower edge. A lick of satin black paint finishes the job.


This is the stainless steel number plate backing (sourced from MG Owners Club), still with white protective cover, test fitted inside the box. It is curved gently over my knee, and fits the opposite way to how it would fit behind the number plate..


Marked up for drilling. Different badges need different height holes.


And then as if by magic...............


Turn it over.......


This is how it looks with setscrews reversed to my liking:
Nuts applied to hold the grille in place, then large rubber washers go over the top before replacing the box, with angled spacers to move it from the standard laid back alignment.


And here is the finished article. I'm pleased with how this looks.


More to follow

Very neat job Dave

Very fastidious, well done and most informative.

This is a Discovery 2 column shroud, obtained to test fit on Bumble.


It's basically the same as fitted to the Series 1 Roadster, but has a slightly shorter lower moulding.


Anyway I can confirm that this will not fit the later column. The lower half could be made to fit with effort, but the top half is too bulky, and the whole thing is not long enough.

So I had to do a better job on the original cowl. First I stripped off the temporary leather, stuck with double sided tape. Then I searched my scrap box for the thinnest piece I could find, big enough to cover the cowl. Most leather from e-bay is slightly too thick,and with a heavy grain, but occasionally I come across some fine and supple leather which can be moulded quite easily.
The secret is to apply the aerosol adhesive to both surfaces on the main flat surface, and stick that first. Then you can work around the edges, using sharp scissors.
This is the top section completed. I had to make a join about 2/3 the way down, but this is under the dash anyway so not seen.


Here's the whole thing test fitted:






And back in Bumble:






I'm very pleased with how this has turned out using offcuts of leather and aerosol glue!!!!!!!

Finally I just had time to do the door edges:
Standard painted wood:


Leather stuck over 3mm neoprene, attached with double sided tape: I did this on the Roadster and it looks much better....


After that I fitted a few grommets into some holes under the bonnet, and that ended this weekend's efforts. Perhaps I can do a bit more tomorrow.........

Excellent Dave!

Looking great as ever. Like the door edges a lot.

Very nice Dave! Reversing the bolts on the number plate mount splays them out...did you have to elongate the holes in the box?

My Roadster has a plate fitted right up to the radiator and angled up which I didn't have on the 4/4 and I see you don't have on your car...do you have something similar on your Roadster?

Jay

The splayed bolts are a tight fit, but it just fits withot elongating the holes. The Roadster is the same as this, but the box is the earlier version which has much smaller recesses for the bolts.

Looking good, see your just Bumbling along a usual

HoHoHo

Anyway the rain rained all morning and I couldn't be bothered going into the garage until after lunch.

I began by looking underneath with a view to starting on the undertray. It was then I noticed that the engine block is offset about 2" to the right. See below - its quite obvious.


I decided to fill in the large hole in the valance. On the nearside there's a factory blanking plate, but the offside is left wide open. Visible here as a black eliptical shape behind the steering column.


So first job was to cut an aluminium plate. I drilled this to make use of a single unused hole drilled in the valance, and split the lower edge so that it would straddle the opening and hold the plate in place. The two extra holes are for the master cylinder heat shield.


I then covered it with insulation both sides..........


Then I made up a heat shield, two bends in the vice, covered the forward facing side with "reflect-a-cool", and here it is........I don't like the thought of radiated heat beating on the plastic master cylinder. The Roadster has a shield as standard, but the manifold is much closer on the Roadster.




And for today, and until Saturday, that's all folks.