Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms MSSC, 100days at (nearly) the top. What has improved

Ray identifies a real issue, the MSCC is becoming less of the "oily rag mechanic/enthusiast" club and more of the leisure touring driver club.

This isn't limited to the MSCC, it is a change that has been driven mostly by the way the motor industry is changing.

Cars today neither need, nor encourage DIY mechanics. As a lad I had to service my cars, I can do a top end overhaul, re build a SU and strip and re-build drum brakes. Why? because the things needed a lot of attention, oil changes every 3000 miles, de-carbonising every 12,000 and so on.

The last car I did any DIY work on was a Mk 1 Alfa Sud in the 1970s. Since then there has been nothing to do, even if I wanted to. In the 1990s I had a number of bikes, they needed servicing and I became quite an expert on the new Triumph Bonneville. I looked very seriously at getting into classic bikes, but in the end decided I preferred riding to "spannering"and kept to modern classics.

Now I'm content just to wash, polish, check the oil, pads and so on. Most of the other LogMog members are the same, even those that are in the motor trade. As one said, it is all "connect to the laptop" and see what it tells me.

Yes, there are older classic Morgans that need "classic car care" but I suspect that increasingly this work is being left to dealers. One of the LogMog members who is in the motor trade has a Rover 4.2 Plus 8, he recently had the radiator, water pump and al the hoses replaced, prior to going to Italy. He is perfectly capable of doing the work, but let a specialist do it.

Most Mog owners are either comfortably well off, or over 60. The comfortably well off are happy to pay the likes of Tim Ayres at New Elms and many of the older ones no longer want to do the work and pay someone, even though they could do it.

MSCC is changing as the cars and the owners change. In another 10 years I feel the number of real "oily rag" mechanics will be fewer still and the number of pre 1970s Mogs actually on the road will begin to fall. Sad, but the way of the world.

The M3W Club has about 1500 active members: if you own a traditional M3W you MUST be an oily rag mechanic. I'm told the number of old M3Ws in daily use is declining, the young have either no interest or lack the essential skills. I think that this could be a prequel for the fate of the MSCC "Oily Rag" mechanics, so I'm very pleased to see the emergence of a Morgan Classic Group. I'd like to see that group become a recognised MSCC Centre, much as I've suggested we need a "National Centre" for those who want something different to the traditional regional social Centres.

MSCC has to change and evolve.
But it must be done from the inside, not by splintering.
So, those who want change have to make it happen. I had a long, positive and rather exciting chat with Adrian last night.

Not quite "MSCC, boldly going where no Morgan has gone before", but something like it!