Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Three Wheeler & Super 3 Carcoon Veloce

Thinking of how best to safely store the M3W in my two door double garage when it arrives in a few weeks.

My initial thought was to erect partition walls to create a M3W room within the garage that would be devoid of all tools, clutter, dust, etc. I was even contemplating decorating it 1930/40 style, with picture rail, patterned wallpaper and lino flooring. However, mid life crisis is over and I'm now thinking more practical.

I've been concerned about the effect of parking up the M3W in the garage when it is damp/wet after being used for fun, or having been washed. From my jet ski days, good ventilation, along with a liberal spraying with duck oil, was key to preventing corrosion in the engine bay. The seat was always removed to allow ventilation of the engine bay. Those that didn't do this very soon had manky looking engines - even the stainless steel parts would corrode.

Maybe liberal duck oil spraying wont be so good on M3W, but good ventilation is a must. With this in mind I have been looking at the Carcoon and similar products that are available. The extra small size Carcoon Veloce (400x200x160cm high) seems to be the best fit for my garage and big enough for M3W. The design does not seem to discourage regular use of the stored vehicle, unlike the bubble type Carcoons. It should also keep garage dust at bay and, hopefully, provide some protection from the risk of impact from other garage/workshop activities.

Has anyone got one of these, or one of the alternative products?
If so, would you recommend one for the M3W, especially given the exposed hot engine/exhaust?

Your thoughts please....

Hi WarBird, I have the Morgan indoor car cover which works very well although it is a really tight fit around the wing mirrors.

For the winter lay-up I will throw a couple of old sleeping bags on top as well just to give a little more protection against accidental damage.

On the corrosion front, after washing/cleaning I give all the exposed suspension and fixings a wipe over with a cotton cloth sprayed with Duck Oil. Up to press there is no surface corrosion of any exposed parts even after a salty winter. Not sure of the durability of the black exhausts so I give them a wipe as well.

I have used a carcoon for years you can pop your mog in wet and the wind flow will dry it . But it leaves water marks on chrome so dry it first . The air flow is mild from the fans , I have changed them a few times ( same as the ones in a PC ) .Popped in as winter blows in and taken out for spring . I still cover the mog over inside as the fans blow fine dust over the car and this builds up over time , it can scratch the paint . They come in many sizes so get the biggest your garage can take that way you can get under it (inside) . Just nip in now and again to move the mog on its tyres and check the air in them ok .

I have a dehumidifier running 24/7 in my garage - it works very well and has kept many cars rust free for years.

If you have a concrete floor, it might be worth painting or sealing it. I haven't done this with my garage and I do have a bit of dust.

Ill second the dehumidifier, even products like damp-rid can do a lot to keep humidity down. Any time I go out of town, I put a damp-rid packet in my miata as it will help pull moisture out of the car which may have already been in there and prevent any humidity that is in the garage from doing anything. As far as dust and such, maybe consider getting a garage cover.

I read somewhere on www about concerns regarding a risk of damage to the ash frame of Morgans resulting from low humidity when stored in a Carcoon or similar. I assume a garage dehumidifier would have a similar effect

Could there be there any merit in this view?

I have 2 carcoons - the ordinary ones, bought 2 years ago. One used to store Alpine GTA V6, one for Aero 8. Both cars suffered from high humidity, and mould in the GTA V6 which luckily had only affected plastic parts, but also caused the headlining glue to weaken and fail (mind you, this is a known issue with these cars after 20+ years).

I had bought them to keep the cars dry but found that without dehumidifying the air they simply circulate whatever is in the garage, and even though my garages are nearly new, they are unheated and the doors are not exactly air-tight.

So disappointed that I didn't use them last winter, as they seemed to do more harm than good. Good for protecting the cars though against things being dropped and knocks.

Perhaps someone has established how to get the air dehumidified - because that seems to be the problem.

I would guess that in a heated / dehumidifed garage they would work fine, but then a car cover is probably a cheaper option!

If the garage is fairly airtight, then it may be that a simple heater will do the trick, I'm thinking of something like a waste oil fired one, which would probably be the most economical to run. The biggest gaps are normally around the doors, but with a bit of care, these could probably be sealed reasonably well? I found the beginings of mould on a BMW 330 convertible I have been storing over the winter, pending selling it this spring, and my garage is unheated but only a couple of years old, with decently sealing doors and a felted roof under the slates.

Just been down to the Carcoon production workshop in Salford to have a proper look. It was a busy place.

The Carcoon works by you first letting out the damp air though a vent for a couple of hours, after which you close the vent and the dry air is circulated within the Carcoon, through active carbon filters. Only leakage will be replaced with air from outside.

They are bigger than I expected. The frame is 1.75m tall, but it bubbles somewhat above this height. I reckon the extra small (4.0x2.0m) is big enough for the M3W. The next size up I fear would overwhelm my garage space.

I ordered one, which should be ready in a couple of weeks.

Dehumidifies can be set to a percentage of humidity. So you'll never get a car too dry...

But it sounds like you've bought your carcoon. Let us know how you get on with it.