Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) Trackday preparation

Hello,

I’m looking forward to my first trackday ever and with my roadster 3.7. Are there any Morgan-specific recommendations for preparation beside those to check oil, brakes and tires ?

Any advice would be nice.

Regards

Beltempo

Tyre pressure gauge, foot pump , make sure all loose items are removed. Check coolant, the engine will get hot.
Which track are you driving?
Build up speed gradually!

Hi
Full tanks, mpg not great at max rpm in 3rd gear. If possible take an instructor for first session. You will find the lines early in the day and enjoy the experience more.
Warm down the car on the ' in laps ' and don't apply the handbrake to red hot disks.
Have a great day.

Check your insurance covers you. Most do not give you third party liability cover.

Regarding fuel, you might not want to run with a full tank because of the extra weight. Most tracks will have a fuel pump, but it's likely to be more expensive than a normal filling station. Take a spare can of petrol, but make sure you remove it from the car before going on circuit. Have you got your own helmet? Some tracks require you to wear a full-face helmet if your car is a convertible. Tracks also do noise checks on each car, but you should have no problem with a road car.

Not sure if the 3.7 has a panhard rod. If it doesn't it would be better to have one.

Remove the spare wheel to save weight!

Not sure why everyone is keen to save weight. This isn't F1.
Frankly the more weight you have over the rear wheels in a Morgan the better to put the performance down.

+1

There have been some good suggestions already, keep the spare wheel run with 50-100% fuel so extra weight on the rear (you are not racing, and if you get near to those speeds you better be insured).

One very important thing in my book is to get the car up on stands and do a nut and bolt check on all the suspension and brake parts, ie. spring hangers to the rear axle, all suspension joints, top king pin nuts etc.

For any trad Morgan the 2 upgrades that help with handling are Panhard rod and Brake Reaction bars, these will help greatly on the day, but not completely necessary.

Like others my advice is get at least 5 laps with an instructor to guide you around the circuit to spot braking points, apex and exit points. The key to it is smoothness the more you unsettle the car the more unsettled you will become, and erratic as a result.

I went out a few years ago at Castle Coombe with a chap in a Datsun 370Z, he kindly invited me, initially I felt rather uncomfortable as it was on of the brakes with the car lurching about the track. I asked if he had much track day experience, his response was no first time. So I suggested he backed off at least 10mph, took his time braking into the bends, selecting the right gear and gradually accelerating out. He did so and with in 2-3 laps everything was much calmer, I then suggested he gradually increased the speed which he did, the result was he lapped quicker and smoother and he felt in control.