Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Three Wheeler & Super 3 Luggage rack install

I've just received the luggage rack from Morgan. All the hardware and not a lick of instructions. This is the stainless version that bolts onto the outside roll hoops and has a suction cup rest for the rear. Slick and follows the contour of the car nicely. My hoops are black. I was going to opt for the after market roll bar clamps but the angles are not 90 degrees and the supplied hardware is custom for left and right. Nothing on this car is totally off-the-shelf. There is always the fudge factor...

I may just have to use the factory option and drill baby drill.

Thoughts and ideas?

Having looked at one of these at the weekend, I mused how they would be fitted. You will need to be very careful drilling the hoops.

I would approximately set up the position of the fixings on the hoops using the frame itself: cable ties might also help to hold the two halves of each fixing temporarily in place. Before that it might be worth wrapping some masking tape on the hoops in the appropriate area. Then mark through the relevant holes using a black marker pen: the masking tape will let you see the marks and offer some protection against wandering drills. As you are drilling onto and through a very curved surface, I would use a rose head (round) bur in a Dremel (or similar) to make a very deep centre mark to locate the drill, making sure you have a good hand rest to stop the drill from running off. Might be worth drilling slightly undersize so that if there are any errors then the hole could be 'drifted' in the right direction using a bur or file. Probably worth protectng the drill holes with paint before final assembly.

Hope this helps.
Tim

I have just had one dealer fitted to my new car. I wanted the black version as offered for Gulf car variants but MMC sold out or no longer stock.

I have very recently disassembled the rack and should be collecting the various parts black powder coated to match hoops tomorrow. The hoops are cross drilled to accept the less than semi-circular clamps, consequently the holes are not across the full diameter. As you will note the securing fittings are a pair of male and female bolts pulling against each other. The forward facing holes need greater clearance for the female threaded part than those towards the rear through which the male M6 round head bolts pass.

I remember being relieved this work had been done for me as some very accurate marking and drilling at an angle into hard stainless would have been required. Note that a self adhesive rubbber fits between the clamps and hoops to protect paint on the latter.

Hope this helps.

ETA: Good advice from Tim regarding using a burr to provide better start for centre punch and then drilling. Holes shouldn't need protecting though if, as I was told, the hoops are fabricated in stainless.

Stainless steel car certainly rust, just not as easily.

The stock hoops as well as the luggage rack are all made of stainless, then powder coated black if that is desired.

All good advice Tim. My dealer admitted that this job is a pain even he doesn't want so I'm up for it. Patience I have and this will require it.

It will wait, however, as the Hemming's Cruise-In starts this Thursday evening and I will need to spend more time than normal getting this puppy cleaned and shiny for her first showing of the year! This happens in Bennington, Vermont, and the weather looks good. Always good fun to see others iron and new toys!

My ones were done by the dealer. What they did at the time was careful marking up for the drilling then took the hoops off the car and round to a machine shop to do the drilling. Possibly not such a daft idea, a simple slip with a hand held drill could create quite a mess.

I bought a set of clamps that bolted onto the roll bars. I just did not like the idea of drilling holes in the roll bar. I located them such that the pins on the rack sat on the holes (holes are too small and wrong angle). I then took my trusty drill with a half inch bit ( the drill has an indicator that tells you when you are perfectly vertical) and drilled out the holes. I used a bit of rtv to glue in the plastic inserts and done!!!
The clamps were from Pegasus and are for inch and a half tubing. The only caveat is not to apply too much downward pressure while drilling as you are directly aimed at painted bodywork.
We have toured for 3 years now with these clamps carrying as much as 50 pounds and they have never moved.

I had my dealer do it ...

I did it by hand drilling in situ. Its not perfect but good enough.
Biggest issue for me was the supplied clamps that fit round the roll hoops were far from the right shape and needed lots of careful adjusting. The roll hoops are thin wall steel , dont remember any stainless in the construction.
Dont fit it so high the petrol cap wont open, or be difficult to fill when fitted, or so low as to fowl when you fit the locking pins in to secure in place when running.
All the above points apply 😂

When I had my M3W I investgated clamps for the roll hoops rather than drilling.

I found some good ones from the USAand some from a rally car spares web site in the uk. Sorry I cannot recall either detail - but Google can maybe help.

If I was to drill them I panned to take the hoops off - not too difficult - so as to avoid drill bit slip! And to get an accurate easier job!

Hope this helps.