Hi Martin, yes they are. Here is my experience:
And my humble apologies for such a slow response, see caution number 2 below.
The dash is from the Morgan dealer in Milan:
http://www.morganautomobili.it/plus-8-1.html (scroll down)
I could not recommend him more highly. And he’s well known at Malvern if that helps.
Here’s my experience.
I called Luigi, his english is good but his accent is terrible. He offers any finish but only one layout, as shown on his site and in my car. All the electrics are the same, nothing is touched electrically, apart from the addition of the clock for which the wiring is already there, (Morgan just decided to cost cut I assume, as normal).
The deal is you specify finish and details, plus any extras (I had a veneered steering wheel, veneer trim on the doors and a lockable lid on the glove compartment). He gets it all made up (its on an exchange basis) which can take several weeks. Once the parts are nearly ready he books you in. He wants the car on the morning of day one and returns it on the afternoon of day three. He lends you a car free. We loved the drive there through Switzerland, we stayed at Lake Como, only an hour away, and went shopping in Milan. My wife liked this trip!
The finished article is amazing. Apparently the person who does the veneering once veneered a coke bottle seamlessly, to show off his skill. I do not doubt that. The finish is remarkable, as good as any Chippendale. Luigi’s workshop is not large, but depending on what he’s got in at the time some of the cars he restores are very exotic classics. The workmanship is, well its perfect, I’d say. The cost? About £2,000 plus the trip. A bargain IMHO.
Luigi is a most charming man, a real gentleman. And has true Italian’s opinions on style and Morgan (‘such a beautiful car and they put that horrible thing into it” - pointing with disgust at the old dash, except with a lot more adjectives).
Two cautions:
1. the Factory are notorious for using any excuse to void their warranty.
2. The speedo and rev counter are viewed through what is a relatively small steering wheel. I'm 5'9" and its fine for my seating position. But check this out for blind spots. I recommend having the speedo on the RH side and the tach on the LH. That way if there is any obscured part the most used parts of the dials are in the centre.
My advice is to call him. And if you want any more info my personal email is alan.hug@me.com.
Go for it! Alan
