As for a totally rust free 25 year old Morgan, I nearly spat my tea out...(-: My mid 80`s alloy bodied +8 was stripped and rebuilt having covered less than 8k miles from new, circa Y2K by a garage owner with Morgan expertise using stainless steel fixings and high gloss two pack black paint on the chassis bulkhead fuel tank radiator, and as you might imagine the rest of the paintwork was flawless when he finished rebuilding it, thus the whole car was built with more care and attention to detail than perhaps 99.9% or more of the Trad Morgans that ever left through the factory gates.... so much so it won a concours trophy at the Lakes Morgan Weekend circa 2003..Currently with circa 35k miles on the clock and no surprise to me to find the occasional bubble beginning to show under the paintwork..
I have wondered a lot about such things. My UK car was also prepared in the same way by the same friend of ours in 2005. I know of no better Morgan preparer in the world.
The chassis began with some small bubbles by 2010. I attacked them at once, which is my way. My wings also bubbled but they were new Superforms from the MMC (2006),
a common problem and nothing that would effect your car. We kept it under control...a testament to Kevin's skill. In the end, they were one of the reasons he got out of that
side of the trade. They were hard times for the marque. I used to think rust was someone's fault, due to ungalvanized chassis used up until the early 1990s, but that awkward
frame swap job too often referred to on YouTube dealt with a rotten
galvanized car! How did it get that way..albeit living seaside?
[b]But something has always been strange to me. I am, at present, working with my 22 year old MMC Factory rebuild everyday at the moment in Canada. I believe it is the
same age as your tenure with your car. IT STILL SHOWS NO RUST! Aside from certain cherry-picked I chose to leave unchanged
rust is a really good natural Loctite. Perhaps it Peter blessed it with sacred incorruptibility.
1. In my discussion with Mark Aston, he suggested discretely that when re-fitting the engine, (a process done by installing it, marking the engine support holes, removing the
engine and drilling, I take the time to treat and seal the holes as the galvanization has been breached, giving the opportunity for the galvanization skin to act to seal rust in rather
than keeping it out". I did that and have always respected the kin's integrity. I also treat any holes made in the wings.These thing take seconds. No point after the fact though
2. I used to respray my Morgans, in whole or in part, yearly when in use. But that did not include the frame.
3. I noticed that the same parts left on the shelf in the UK rusted, unlike those I left in on the shelf Canada.
All that being said. Feedback from outside of the UK does not unduly complain of rust...even from Vancouver which is far wetter than the UK. Of course, the older cars rot..metal
and wood. Of course, the Pubs are better in the UK. It evens out.
L.
