Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Winter Preparation?

As this will be my 1st winter season with a Morgan in the garage, can anyone recommend the best things to do to see the vehicle through to next spring unscathed? My garage isn't heated, but I do intend to use the car at every opportunity if the weather allows.

I have used a de-humidifier for some years now. It not only helps with the Morgan but also the gardening tools etc.

Can take out up to 2 litres of water a night (my garage is not heated nor is it air-tight).

I used mine for most of last winter, even through snow and ice ! This year, LB is going into his Carcoon unless the weather is cracking , in which case it's only 10 mins to get get him out again

Like Steve; dehumidifier provides useful water source too and the Mog is ready to use on any decent non salty day, which is more often than you'd think.

It might be in Oxfordshire David, but over here in Gloucestershire one might think they are trying to reduce the 'salt mountain'. I've even seen them salt the roads when the forecast temperatures were not expected to drop below 5C !

Agreed on the dehumidifier though. My garage also is not exactly airtight. Handy to keep some of the extracted water for steam irons, batteries and combined with anti-freeze for vehicle coolant systems...

A cotton cover Rutter does them , but they arn't long or wide enough so ask for the girl who makes them . Pour on the charm ( yes Steve I can ) and ask for the large off cuts put it over your mog . Then get your wife etc ! to get out her sewing machine and fit the off cuts to the sides , front , and rear that way no dust can get at the mog while parked up it scratches the glaze cut round the off cuts to fit and sew round . Then keep an eye on the weather and feel the cover daily if its a dampish day pop the cover in your tumble dryer for 1/2 hour or more till its nice and dry and warm pop it over the mog and keep doing it .

Are you referring to the car's nice shiny polished/waxed surface ?

Of course is there any other body known to man as stunning that gets waxed looks sexy and gets you aroused .

Winter Use?

I use my car as much as possible in the winter, unless there is salt on the road.

As for covering, I bought a pair of king sized soft cotton sheets (dark red! matches car!! less than half price in a sale). These do the job well, and are easily laundered.

Once a week I connect the battery to an Optimate charger, to keep it topped up.

I leave the handbrake off (using chocks) and roll the car to a different position every few days, to spread the load on the tyres

Bud

__________
2003 - 4/4

I really don't think you can beat using the car as often as possible throughout the year, if it IS left standing for any period of time, then obvious issues are:

-cylinder seals may perish
-sludging of fuel
-need to be careful about the brake fluid ( hygroscopic)
- handbrake seizing ( never park it with the h/b on)
- tyre flattening ( need either to put up on jacksmor 'wheel' it at intervals

More generally, if you DO use it, watch the salt on the roads, that's the real killer

Myself, although I have a fairly air- tight garage, I don't use a d/humidifer becuase past experience has tols me that all I'm doing is creating a water supply- as soon as the D/H is taking it out, a fresh air supply, complete with moisture is coming in.
I use a HoE soft cover, which I take off at intervals and dry and if there is going to bae any kind of non use periosd, I use a CarCoon

I also make sure all seams, beads etc are dry and treated with Tectyl

So far, i've not had a ny problems
HTH

G