Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) Monty - The Evolution

I did buy a pair of adhesive backed Union Jack emblems from Car Builder Solution but when they arrived they looked cheap, they are not proper glass emamel and definitely not to my standard so they wont be going anywhere near Monty. Back in the day this type of emblem would have been screwed to the car so to look authentic I searched for a good quality enamel on brass Union Jack screw on emblem, which I found, but rest assured I won't be drilling any holes in my Morgan,

Instead I've used an M4 tap to thread the holes in the emblem itself, I've also countersunk the holes to suit the brass M4 raised head, countersunk and slotted machine screws I plan to use. Screwed in and secured with a drop of superglue I will reverse the emblem, cut off the exposed threads, and hand file finish so they're flush with the back of the flag.

Like this I'll be back to a flat backed eblem alowing the use of mounting tape, however, the front face of the emblem will have the screw heads showing to give the illusion my the Union Jacks are screwed to the panel.

Well that's the plan

Sounds like the perfect compromise.

For anyone interested, here they are ready for fitting....



And here we can see how I faked up the screw fittings.





With the protruding screw threads cut flush and the backs faced off flat with a file, they're ready for the emblem mounting tape.

For the record, I simply could'nt bring myself to fit the first type I bought from Car Builders Solutions, as shown below...



I found the CBS ones to be smalll, cheap looking and made from pastic so a long way off the proper enamel on brass/copper I wanted, and finally found here....

https://www.vintagecarparts.co.uk/p...-flag-badge-plaque-united-kingdom-copper

However, people should know the enamel flags I recieved from vintage car parts were far from perfect themselves, I was actually going to return them but in the end decided on clear coating them instead. The idea being the clear coat would fill the many cracks, pock marks and general imperfections in the enamel work to impove the finish somewhat.

Actually the clear coat finish I applied worked out beter than I'd hoped, the end result is a deep lustre over an aged enamel finish which gives the emblems a genuine vintage look.

But where precisely will you mount them ? Up a bit, down a bit, left a bit, right a bit (like "The Golden Shot" of yore, if you are old enough to remember that). I would make a template from wide masking tape to ensure they look right, before committing to the emblem mounting tape -- which if you get it wrong just might pull off some of the paint. And will they be parallel to the top of the bonnet, or horizontal, or parallel to a line drawn across the top of the side louvres ?? Oh god the stuff of nightmares !

I plan to start by finding the emblem centre line, to achieve this a run of masking tape will be laid from the bonnet screw running parallel to the bonnet's trailing shut line.

To find the horizontal line and emblem height, a run of masking tape will be laid along the top edge of the bonnet louvers all the way to the bonnet's trailing edge shut line, a second shorter run of masking tape will then be run beneath it to bring the final mounted height of the emblem one tape width lower than the top edge of the louvers.

The rest is just measuring the emblem length and halving that measurement then coming out and marking that distance from my emblem centre line, and either side of the centre line.

Like this....



Ultimately the science and geometry is all well and good but as anyone who's fitted a shelf in an old beamed cottage will tell you, it's less about what the spirit level tells you, its more about what your eye refences around the shelf. If there's a beam in the room close by that's not straight and level, which they never are, your eye is drawn to that as your reference of level, your brain then tells you your shelf is now on the cock even though you fitted it spirit level true.

The secret is to use the tape lines as described and shown above, trial fit with a tiny amount of mounting tape, remove the masked lines and stand well back to see if it all looks right to the eye or not? Due to the paralax effect perfect will vary from person to person, what looks right to the six footer will look wrong to someone 5ft tall as their viewing from different heights.

Alternatively, I might simply have a few glasses of wine and just slap the damn things on

Excellent ploy. Most rolls of masking tape are about the width of my thumb I find. Hence the expression "rule of thumb" I believe.

I went through the same process when I got my car 14 months ago, deciding with a template where to emblazon the name.
In the end I gave up (I ran out of wine), and it's on the "still to do" list.

Brilliant

I'll drink to that

If it helps any, whoever mounted the flag of St George badges (factory ?) on my car, positioned them so that the geometric centre is at the intersection of a line along the top of the side louvres, and another through the rear release knob and parallel to the rear of the bonnet.

Thats my plan, but with the emblem sat one width of masking tape lower.

Thanks, Dave.

I must of had my eyes closed when sticking on “Bonkers”