Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) So, have you driven your Morgan today?

Rain / hail / thunderstorms forecast for Gloucestershire later on this afternoon. Bet it's hissing down when Madame and I want to head off for anniversay dinner...

Just had a great trip to Argos via some twisty roads.
Got home & here come the showers.

Yesterday........
250mile round trip to the factory.
Taffmog day out.
Weather was ok - no rain to complain about so roof down it was.
Didn't take a camera but nothing "radical" to photo anyway.
They were loading cars for Geneva onto a transporter and there were many packing cases in the factory with " bits and bobbs" for the show.
Couple of cars with "interesting" colours there
Aston Banana Yellow
Hot orange - headed to Russia
Couple of Plus8's going through
Life Car moved to museum as it's abandoned - Gov grants are now for electric cars, and comments made to us re generating sound effects for safety! Claimed range of 100 miles now achieved too. Why a Mazda gearbox though? Reply was vague!!!!! Perhaps a "Morgan Characteristic"?
The " yellow peril" nearly had me at Thrill on the Hill!
During the presentation they said that the priorities were on quality improvement.
Also, comments were made about moving the location, as there are business units available. These were general comments were re this as " being looked at" , but nothing hard and fast at this time. Currently completed cars are sent to a nearby warehouse for collection rather than the storage in factory with an option to collect from the factory.
A new press to form some parts is also in use - reducing outsourcing.

All in all.... a good day.
Nice to give the car a good run after too many short ones recently.
The added roll bar has also had a stiffening effect too.....(on the car that is)
mostly noticeable on roundabouts where there is less flexing felt.
Next job......have tonneau modified to fit round the roll bar.

Well think I had better fess up about my attempt to have a run in the 4/4 last week.
She lives in our garage, rubber sheet on the wall in case I open the door too far, rubber chock under rear wheel in case she rolls backwards into garage door, nothing stored above her. . . You get the drift
Now, she is always left in neutral and the roof is never up.
Came out early in the morning to run my daughter to work, princess says ' I can't possibly go in that car with the roof down and get to work with my hair ruined'
Muggins quickly puts the roof up and reaches in to start the girl as I always warm her up
Yes she was in gear,launched forward into two carbon fibre road bikes hanging up and pushed these into the brick garage wall
Both wings badly damaged but incredibly no damage to the grill area, best bike frame escaped damage but wheel trashed, older bike wrecked
Fortunately I'm insured with insurer Shannon's that allow choice of repairer so chose a specialist vintage shop that are very confident that they can repair the wings rather than replace. Unfortunately they can't do anything for my acute embarrassment and annoyance with myself
Weather is picture perfect but no rides for a few weeks, then I'm off to walk from Glasgow to Inverness.
Lesson: always start the car when you are in it

Jeff
2011. 4/4

Always park in gear - then you know not to start it until checking.
It's advisable with a Mog anyway - fly-off handbrakes can do just that!

Enjoy the 'walk'

That was tough Jeff....hope the bikes are insured!

Sage advice Graham. I've done so ever since reading on here of Richard 4/4 Sports fun and Jay's experiences with failed handbrakes.

Bad luck Jeff. And always start a car with the clutch pedal depressed. Saves turning the gearbox over as well as the engine.

Jeff, what bad luck. A moment of distraction and.....

It looks as though you need a chock in front of the front wheels too. If they were fixed it would give a safe stopping point when you enter the garage too.

I used to use NRMA classic insurance and they were very good when I did something even more embarrasing with my '67 Maserati. Shannon's have always had a good reputation too. I wish there was someone like them in Italy.

It is actually a failure on the NSW driver's licence test to park the car without it being in 1st gear (or park in an automatic) and the hand brake on. If I recall correctly that must be done before the engine is turned off.

I was a licenced instructor for motorcycles in NSW but the course that we had to do to get the licence included a test that required knowledge of cars too.

Sorry to hear about your misfortune Jeff and I hope you get it all resolved to your liking. But for the grace of God go several of us I suspect - my hand is up !

Good Luck.