Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Door problems on my GDI +4

Really a question for Dave W after reading his Concourse Spot in this months Miscellany. My GDI Reg June 2015 just under the lower hinge on the passenger door the paint has been worn away leaving bare aluminium. BHM have contacted the factory for advice but what can be done while awaiting a response? The car is still in warranty.

This is something which affects some Morgans far more than others and is a 'feature' of being hand built. My Roadster doesn't chafe around the doors at all. I've added protector film to the Roadster just where the sidescreens touch the B posts but otherwise there is no problem.
The Roadster does suffer from the usual bonnet corner chafing but that's well under control with buffers.

Bumble was a terrible chafer. The bonnet was just the usual, at each corner, but the doors were chafing at the top of the A post, and along the bottom edge both sides. The problem with chafing is that if you simply repaint the bare patch, it will chafe again immediately.
So on Bumble I added thin black leather buffers to the A post, which I kept vaselined.

Under the doors is not so easy. At least the bare aluminium doesn't show from the outside with the doors shut. The inside of the door edge along the bottoms had chafed to bare aluminium. I primered and repainted this, because the location is very forgiving. But I also beefed up the neoprene door seal. On the body tub I repainted the bare aluminium, but knowing how tricky matching up is I simply brushed it over. This is not good enough to be visible, and in the end I used some Reflect-a-Cool which is adhesive silver foil. It covers the patched paint and actually looks OK. All this is recorded in my How To's from when I first got Bumble in 2013.

This is why I went to town on the new car with paint protector film, because it's much easier to prevent chafing than deal with it after the event. I did get caught out with the chafing on the cowl, but I've added a better buffer and must live with it. I certainly wouldn't want a cowl respray.

Chafing is part and parcel of Morgan design. The movement caused by chassis flex is unstoppable. You might think that the factory should find a fix, but my experience of buffers is that they need constant attention to keep in place.

In this particular example Roger, you might be able to beef up the neoprene strip on the door, and consider using vaseline.
The damaged paint is best covered with thin leather or some sort of paint protection. Although you might think a repaint is the only way forward, it may not last very long. Check all around the doors both sides, and each bonnet corner, because there is likely to be other chafing going on.

As you know I like things to be perfect, but with Morgans, keeping the paintwork intact where panels touch is impossible, and a price I'm happy to pay.

Same problem on mine but worse on the drivers door, although the passenger door didn't fit either when new. Wasn't helped by the dealer stating, in writing, that the doors had dropped because my wife and I had been leaning on them when getting in and out, we hadn't. Both doors have been off a few times for the hinge plates to be adjusted but the drivers door has just dropped again and is rubbing slightly at the bottom front edge against the aluminium rubbing strip.
Would be interested in any feedback or advice as my dealer originally emailed Morgan last year, hasn't had a response yet and don't seem able to sort it out themselves.

Thanks for the info to you both Andrew cannot believe the comment about leaning on doors! Dave I like the leather option after some paint protection I have the protection film on the car so may get some from the supplier. Bonnet corners are fine but have taped these and renew regularly may splash out on some leather corners.

normal for morgan.
not very helpful but due to the unique nature of the cars……etc etc etc.

I replaced my factory hinges with some good ones. I think heart of england sold them.

on the 60" of my friend when we strip it out he have a similar problem so we do a tricky job, first we drill a bigger hole in the axle of the hinge and insert a tube in bronze, and in the pilar of the door we made a long metallic plate where we weld at the top accurate plate the nuts , we did the same inside the door and so far after one & half year it work. But as dave say a little padding with leather can also do the trick.

I did wonder about applying teflon sheet to both surfaces of problem areas, being slippy no friction should build up and it self lubricates so no mess.

But this is a Morgan we are talking about so Corduroy elbow patches are more in keeping with it!