Luddite, I had the 85 CVH just before all the improved wood, paint and chassis treatments improving longevity. It was the second most underpowered of my 4/4 but the most entertaining and fun of all my trads.
Thanks for the heads up on your 85 4/4 John. My +8 is also an 85 but not registered until 86, perhaps slow to sell given around that time it seems likely that most folk may have wanted EFI as opposed to the Strombergs it was fitted with...? I suspect it must have been one of the last +8`s with carbs to have been built, if not one of the last to be registered for the road... I think it supposedly had something around 150 horses under the bonnet when new, no idea or care as to how many may have wandered off and grazing elsewhere, the main thing is that it has more than enough to keep me well enough entertained, to the extent that I have zero desire to think of ever replacing it..(-:
Am I correct in that your +8 was rebuilt, most likely it was built before the treatment improvements in 86 and onwards. The biggest metal work improvement was the painting of the wings seperately from the bodywork. My 4/4 and your +8 were most likely were painted with the the wimgs on, and the wing beading was painted over and the two inside metal surfaces below the beading were left unpainted. The chassis used to flex and crack the beading paint, and unless you kept on top of touching in the paint cracks (nearly every time you went out in it) water and moisture would get thru to the unpainted metal surfaces below and rust, plus if you had a mix of ally/steel body/wings electrolysis was accelerated. You could always tell back in the day if a pre-86 car had had it wings off for what ever reason, as most were refitted with new beading which was not painted over. The only reason I got rid of that 4/4 which was immaculate, was because of the continuous need to keep touching in the beading paintwork, everythime I came back from a drive.......local salty air envuronment didn't take prisoners.
So back then, if going on a touring holiday in addition to the grease gun, tools, I also kept a small pot of touch up paint and a brush, especially if holidaying in places with inclement weather eg Ireland.. If you think its interesting explaining to strangers why you are on your back in a hotel car park, grease gun in hand, imagine explaining away with the paint and brush in hand.........
Typical Morgan build quality back then, the CVH cars had a round inspection/access cutout in the drivers side transmission tunnel, hidden by the removeable leather/househair transmission cover. I only found out whist on holiday in torrential rain in Ireland that they hadn't bothered to put a hinged cover over the access hole, so water poured into the car via the massive hole and I had water slushing backwards and forwards in the driver footwell everytime I accelerated or braked....thank goodness things have moved on somwehat. The good ol' days.
I'm not sure what period the painted over wing beads stretches back to, but rarely do I see a pre 86 car these days with painted beading, most have had their wings of and replaced the beading...just a point to remember when concours judging.I beleive the change, if my memory serves me well,came about due to a new paint shop in '86,
Last edited by JohnHarris; 13/09/2608:00 AM.
22 Plus Four KIMI 12 Plus 4 Sport OZZY 08 Roadster FELIX 06 4/4 70th LOKI 77 4/4 SEAMUS 85 4/4 MOLLY
