Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) Hood down Dangers

As my previous thread on my windscreen being clouted by a rather large stone.
Swmbo who doesn’t like the car, now is having “kittens” about me driving the car hood down. Supposedly I am putting my life at risk from bits off lorries stones blah blah blah.
I know it is paranoia but is their any evidence that you are more at risk ?
I have tried google but nothing apart from the odd roll over comments.

A windscreen is a windscreen in any car. A saloon gives a false sense of security but any large object at speed will come through the screen.

The lack of a steel roof makes you more vulnerable for flying objects in descent but life is about risk management.

And life is too short not to enjoy while you can!

I must admit that for both comfort and safety reasons, I tend to keep the sidescreens in place when on fast or major roads.
But then again, for the same reasons I keep the windows up on my everyday car under similar circumstances.

I haven’t had the sidecreeens on at all this Summer and I feel perfectly fine on most roads but I do occationally get a tinge of vulnerability on busy motorways with some of those thundering lorries supposedly restricted to 50 MPH as they barrel past you at 60 when you are pulling out or into a junction

Having said that I’ve done an average of 35 thousand business miles a year for 20 years and I’ve witnessed very few incidents on the motorways

In fact I thinking back I can only remember actually witnessing 3 serious accidents on motorways and they were all while travelling in France

Exactly..

Take the passenger seat out...problem solved...

I think as you demonstrated to the good lady the screen or rock did not penetrate the car space, so no different from a tin top.

There was a spate of really nasty accidents about 10 years ago when the old steel cats eyes were becoming loose in the road and penetrating the passenger compartment, at least one case of a death as it hit an occupant in the head.

If I get around to fitting my Brooklands screens I shall definitely be wearing a leather helmet and goggles.

I'm normally without roof or side screens and never feel particularly vulnerable - it's all a vital part of the freedom/attraction of the Morgan. Taking no risks at all in life is a boring old thing - lets get on and do it while we are here

I appreciate you probably subscribe to this sort of man reasoning quite how you convince herself I wouldn't know, mine feels much the same way and in 14 years of Morganing has been in them 4 times and that's not all bad .

Yeah, a bit of risk reduces the tedium of modern motoring....

Arwyn

I have posted before but had negative replies.
Always thought the passengers in the rear of the four seater vulnerable to flying stones and large bees .
They sit above the windscreen line.

For motorway driving i always have the side screens in place and if plan to stay in lanes 2 & 3, then the hood will be up.

Only in the pre-1999 4 seaters but even then it isn’t as bad as you think. The windscreen deflects things over all but the tallest of rear passengers

On the post 1999 4 seaters, the seats are lower and there aren’t any issues although I wouldn’t go on a busy motorway with my sons in the back