Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) N. Spain trip

Just got back from a 3 week tour of northern Spain, it's the 3rd time Ive toured this region and it is spectacular. I have noticed in some of the recent posts that some people are a little reticent about touring abroad because of a possible breakdown, most things are fixable with a bit of ingenuity.
eg. on the way down to the ferry (Plymouth) on the hottest day of the year the electric fan packed in, it was a quick fix
, on my 1985 +8 there is a separate fuse (glass inline) that is visible above the transmission tunnel and it was just a bad connection probably caused by hitting some bad potholes on the motorway.
Stayed in a fabulous hotel in Oviedo .

I will post some pictures.

DB

..

^ Wow ! almost looks 3D printed

Thanks for posting the photos

DB, many thanks for sharing a bit of your Spanish adventure with your images.

Coincidentally I own a +8 of the same era as yours, and that as part of our return journey from Andalusia towards Santander, circa 2003, we stopped off in Galicia for a few days and toured a bit of the area... On one of our day trips out we headed for the coast town of Baiona, there is an interesting Parador there. Just as we were heading down the steep hill with a view of the sea appearing in front of us, I began to smell petrol, and saw the beginnings of a tiny stream of fuel spraying up through one of the louvres and marching along the bonnet towards the screen..! Very fortunately dead ahead at the foot of the hill there was a large open and rough parking and viewing area, so we just rolled over on to that... phew..!

I`m guessing that you may be well up on mid 80`s +8 foibles DB, but just thought to add for any others reading this :-

With the sun blazing down and a quick bit of investigation showed the culprit to be a crack in the moulded rubber right angle connector to one of the Sromberg carbs, no problemo, in my limited spares (under the seat) I had a couple of feet of rubber tube of the correct internal diameter, thus it was just a case of cutting a couple of inches off, using it to replace the cracked elbow, and we were on our merry way once again...Good old Morgan... (-:

Of course had I thought to check the then possibly circa 17 year old moulded hoses for loosing flexibility as they had aged, I could have saved myself the slight inconvenience. In my defence and that of the former owner/restorer of what became my +8 circa 2002, I think those elbows were made of unobtainium, if not now, perhaps back then..?

On the subject of avoiding, or recovering from breakdowns on a mid 80`s +8... Those with fuel injection will not have the rubber elbow issue to concern themselves with, though perhaps best to carry a spare bulkhead mounted relay for the starter motor circuit, as in time the contacts within it can burn and cause the starter motor to run on after the engines has fired up, replacement is just a plug and play task. I think some relays now have a diode built in to quench the arcing which burns the relay`s internal contacts and causes the issue in the first instance...?

The other issue I had, fortunately in my garage this time, was that the engine oil pressure switch`s internal contacts failed, the switch additionally acts as a safety device to cut the supply to the fuel pump in the case of a possible accident where the ign is left switched on but the engine has stopped, the idea being to inhibit the chances of fuel continuing to be pumped out of the tank.. The switch on my +8 is next to the oil filter. Sure it can the wiring can be shorted out to GET YOU HOME, but might be worth while having a replacement switch to hand...? It is a simple screw one out and screw the replacement in, a bit cramped though..

Other than shredding a fan belt while surprising a 930 turbo acquaintance with the old +8`s capabilities at the LM 24 hrs in 2002, no problem, I have ever carried a spare fan belt, and had performed a trial refit to ensure I carried the most suitable spanners for the task in my tool kit... other than that toured France Spain and Italy with confidence in my wonderful old +8.. I would have more confidence in my +8 and my ability to resolve it`s little foibles while European touring, than I would on my modern non-Morgan sports car...(-: On the other hand perhaps time has moved on to the extent that mechanics here at home let alone in foreign parts may not have have the knowledge of the workings of pre digital age machinery, but then now we are in the age of reliance on cell phones and breakdown services to at least get ones Morgan back home..... For sure we live in interesting and changed times... (-:

Just great to read that others are still today enjoying European touring in their Morgans as we once did ... (-:

Luddite, like you I also travel with spares under seats etc. I carry bits of tube a length of twin cable with crocodile clips on both ends, fuel pump and a coil pack with the two longest leads etc. I have never used any of it.

Yes my car is a 1985 +8 inj. it started with the flapper system but I ditched all that Lucas junk when I rebuilt the engine (4.8 litre) it now also runs coil packs and a programmable fuel and ignition system
. 100% reliable and future proof.

DB

Thanks for the heads up on Modernising your Mog DB, I can see the attraction in getting rid of the Lucas ECU with it`s early electronics, ageing quietly, and would present a real mystery for anyone still alive who might have what it takes to repair it should it fail, though it was a real step forward in it`s time but still requiring a degree of mechanical interface via the flapper and associated variable resistor... (-:
Me.. ? I am happy to stick with carbs, slightly less so with Strombergs with their rubber diaphragm, and would have preferred SU`s without that issue and SU`s polish up nicer too...(-: My spares kit has a couple of diaphragms included, but I have only had one failure over the years..

The chap who rebuilt my +8, cut two pockets into the board covering the axle/battery, one pocket each side of the diff deep enough for some spares such as fuel pump dzzy cap and various other important bits and bobs, but like you DB, I have only required to use the parts mentioned earlier in the thread and only the tube on one Spanish trip and the fan belt in the French trip.... Just goes to show quite how reliable old Morgans can be...(-:

The wheels look spectacular. Glad you had a great trip.
Happy Miles.