Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Aero 8, 2012< Plus 8, SuperSports, Coupe & Aeromax Aluminium chassis - winter use/salt

PS - I`m on the MSCC stand all weekend at the NEC - come & say hello.

I have a scissor lift, a Strongman Tamar, it's a very well made piece of kit. Although there is some restriction in accessing the underside, the engine and rear axle are exposed so you can get to the important bit easily enough.

I figure that if I ever needed access to the centre of the car I could use tall axle stands and then drop the lift out of the way.

I love it, and it's so easy to use that I confess I even pick the car up to check the tyre pressures

Some very interesting thoughts and observations here.

I too was taken aback by the amount of corrosion on the steel bits under the Supersport on display at Williams. I've looked under Tarka and found very little, and nothing of consequence. Tarka will be 3 in April net year and have about 33,000 miles on the clock. Perhaps regular use helps preserve the car?

Turning to the aluminium corrosion aspect, the flat bottom of the car looks much the same, no obvious corrosion anywhere. Yes, ACF 50 can do no harm, but is it needed?

On Tarka the joints are as on any Trad, other than where the tub joins the chassis. A trad has wood, aluminium and steel all in potential contact. Tarka has steel bolts, but otherwise the joint is aluminium and wood. Even so I keep ACF 50 run sown the beading, to be sure.

The trad bodies, at least the modern ones, don't seem to suffer from salt corrosion, washing down regularly is important if used when salt is about, but I think they are capable all weather cars. Tarka will be used through the winter and I'll be aiming to make my usual Boxing Day and New Years day runs out, unless there is snow on the road.

I presume all the Aero's use this material? And forgive my ignorance but is Alcan a coated aluminium or is it just a fancy word for aluminium?

Either way its nice to know it underwent BMW's tests, must be much harder wearing that I first thought.

Some very reassuring comments on here.

I don't think any of us would disagree with the application of plenty of TLC if it's used over winter, and Roger seems to have the best opportunity with a double storey garage, the jammy get..!

One thing I can say for sure is that the cars are better protected than any of my bikes, and I did the same with them over the winter..

For me, it'll be ACF-50 where I can reach, with a Hozelok plant spray hosing upwards before putting away in a heated and de-humidified garage. The TLC part will have to be on a dry day on the drive, with axle stands.

Dave W's right. They'll outlive us so enjoy them whilst we can.

Alcan is a company, Nick. Started out as Aluminium Company of Canada, the engineered products arm is now owned by Rio Tinto and a couple of private equity firms.

I'm coming there on Sunday. Delivering a nice new radiator conversion kit for BuyBritish's TR +4

Simon @ SiFab.co.uk

Tarka will be 3 in April net year and have about 33,000 miles on the clock. Perhaps regular use helps preserve the car?
I think the regular use is key. If you use it in the rain after salt the fresh water must tend to wash the same places hopefully washing the salt away. Obviously washing, acf 50 and tlc helps but it is very difficult to get to all the places road spray gets

Advice from the factory on my 2012 Plus 8 is:- it was waxoiled from new. Just re-apply that if needed. Does not seem to need it after 4 years. I do like the look of the Holden classics lift though.Thanks.

Thanks for clarifying, brain fart from me!

As an update to this thread I have cleaned the underside up: Underside Cleanup Pics and bought some XCP which I will apply when it's up on a lift.

Until then she's tucked away for winter now, bit busy with a house move so in the dehumified garage, under cover she is