Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Three Wheeler & Super 3 BocaJay Returns after a year away

Was thinking of selling my Morgan after needing another repair.
Last July "The Carrot" starting making a knocking noise after warming up that we couldn't figure out if it was the engine or a transmission problem. We looked all over the engine and into the cylinders but found nothing unusually so we took out the engine and transmission to split them apart. Still nothing found so I ordered a clutch package from Morgan West again but it sat apart for just about a year waiting to be rebuilt. (I got super busy at work)
While waiting I told the wife I would sell her (Morgan) if I could buy a replacement now. I bought an Ariel Adam 3s as the replacement.
We finally got the Morgan transmission rebuilt and reinstalled the package back into the Morgan body. We fired it back up and the noise returned so it was off the Motorcycle Shop that upgraded my motor from 121CI to 128CI. There they found two valves loose and made the adjustments so now she is running great.
We also added a oil cooler with a manual fan switch along making two bumperette that have amber LED running lights mounted to them.
(pictures to follow)
so now I have two topless machines in the garage.
The Fast and Go Ariel Adam 3s and The Slow and Go Morgan.
Guest which machine I'd rather drive now, The Morgan is still more fun than anything else! The GOOD wife says I can keep both now!
She's a keeper.

I'm guessing that it is an Aerial Atom 3S. GM use the name Adam for their small car in UK and Europe. Recently kept company with an Aerial Atom off-road version in SW Scotland for a few miles. It was a bit more nimble than our 370Z GT

Yes, it's Atom!
over here it's just called an Ariel

Its called an Ariel Atom in the states and overseas. The name of the company is Ariel Motor Company Ltd or simply Ariel. They have two products sold in the states; Atom and Nomad, with a third product sold not in the states called Ace.

Ariel are a great company, although their electric super car project seems a bit fantasy for a company with no body design experience!.

Morgan should partner with them for engineering assistance like chassis design IMHO - “chassis cracks” aren’t really excusable in the 21st century. Or maybe Ariel should consider a 3 Wheeler Atom ...

Reading on the Ariel Atom forums there have been chassis cracks on their chassis as well, Ariel Atom chassis are made by the same company that make Caterham Seven chassis, Arch Motor. M3W chassis are made by ABT products.

I don't think the chassis manufacturers are implicated in these failures at all. Looks to me like a simple case of stress levels higher than the design can stand. Had they carried out a simple data acquisition exercise in the early stages and then subject the chassis to some rudimentary rig testing I suspect these issues would not be occurring. I am sure that the cost of the appropriate testing work would have been considerably less than the ongoing cost of fixing the issues now.