Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) Wing mounted side lights

Does anyone know if the wing mounted side lights are mandatory.

I ask because I have a bit of bubbling in the paint around the lights and I actually think they spoil the look of the wings so I was going to remove them and fix the paint.

It might depend on the age of the car regarding the then current regs but I just wondered if anyone knew.

Also does anyone agree / disagree with my thoughts about the visual effect.

Might be worth a look at the GOMOG page on wing stays and wing lights

http://www.gomog.com/allmorgan/wingstays.html

The bubbles around the light may be to do with wing stays?

Don't know about regs but the visual effect is one of those personal things, I happen to like them, but I also like older Morgans

No they are not mandatory. You could remove them and replace your headlights for those with built in sidelights. Personally I prefer the ‘with wing mounted sidelights’ look especially the old Austin A35 type.

Personally, I like the wing lights, but I can see that some might prefer a different look.

The big question in my mind however would be how to deal with the mounting bolt question.

When you remove the wing lights, you will be left with 3 holes in the top of the wing, 2 for mounting bolts and one for the wiring.

Filling the rear two should be pretty straightforward, you can patch underneath the wing and then fill in from above, but the front bolt also passes through the wing stay - and you really don't want to leave this unattached.

Simply having a bolt head, even a dome-headed hex capscrew, is going to look worse than a sidelight. If it was me I think I'd bond on a plate with a stud welded on to it.

Not only are they not mandatory but I seem to remember reading that the factory aren’t allowed to install them on later cars, so they fitted them (when the customer ordered them) but the dealer had to connect the wiring as part of the p.d.i. to get around the new regs.
Personally I like them and think they add to the period look of the car, but that’s the great thing about Mogs, we can tailor them to our own taste.

Yes that’s my understanding and I agree with your comments

This was exactly my experience when I spec'd my new Roadster with wing lights a few years ago. My dealer wired them up as the factory, for some reason, were not permitted to do so.

Wing lights look right on a Morgan - although not on a new Aero +8 in my view. I think the wings are too wide and the lights get lost. So my latest Morgan doesn't have them.

For what it's worth I think a trad Morgan just doesn't look right without them!

I love them & wouldn't have a Mog without them. Each to his own I guess

Any Morgan I own will have wing lights, even if I have to install them myself.