Talk Morgan Forums Community Welcome Forum Driving in the rain -- therapy needed

Cows aren't frightened of rain & they wear leather

The Three Wheelers don't have a hood so getting wet is par for the course.

Just use a leather conditioner once or twice a year - I use Gliptone GT13 Conditioner with Repellent.

Only if they have been out sun bathing and got a good tan.

Driving roof down in the rain in a convertiblle is a rite of passage. At the right place and time, and the right rain, nothing comes close, feeling the moisture and smelling the wet earth, and so on.

However, what does come close is driving roof down at dusk into night, and driving early morning into dawn. That blackness and stillness outside the car, the bugs in headlights, and all over the windscreen. I really do consider myself fortunate in experiencing all that as a 19 year old in my first Midget. And it had leather seats.

Best time to drive roof down IMHO, usually far less pollution, the air is fresher and the car runs better in the cleaner air.

I am not certain how an Aero compares but if I am on the main road or motorway and above 40mph it is not an issue as it does flow mostly over the car (side windows up) however when slower or stop-start traffic occurs I pull the lid up which takes 10 seconds.

I love driving on the motorway with light rain in summer, with the hood down. You feel alive.

Finishing work at midnight, driving home in the Mog roof down. Rural roads. No traffic. Great way to unstress. Only heavy rain would mean leaving the hood up. Winter time with cold, crisp air.....
Christmas eve at midnight....keeping a close watch for a sleigh pulled by reindeer and driver who had been on the treats left out.

Having spent rather a lot of time under various of my old sports cars over a period of decades, I have become acquainted with many a little tears in underseal, cracks and crevices where crud can build up allowing the dreaded tin worm to make headway over time, and of course in the case of Morgan there are the issues related to the wooden aspects of construction, but unlike my previous sports cars there are no voluminous cavity sections to suffer the build up of condensation causing corrosion to work away quietly from the inside out.

Fortunately for me Kevin the chap who rebuilt my +8 to his personal spec, knew well where all the usual Morgan problem areas were to be found where they might have been exposed to all weathers over a long period of time, thus Kevin set about providing extra protection in those areas, which has paid dividends in my 20+ years of ownership, though truth be told I bought my Morgan to enjoy as Dave suggests, " At the right place and the right time", which for me these days, the right time, is in dry weather minus hood and side-screens.

My good lady ever preferred to run with side-screens, but these days as a solo performer, both the hood and side-screens have been retired.. The hood was only ever put to use in the past when touring on the occasion of wet weather, usually in the UK, I am struggling to remember any time the hood was put to use on any of our Southern European adventures.. though Dave`s comment caused me to remember running in the light rain on a balmy evening while staying in Tuscany in an agriturismo near Cortona, we had crossed into Umbria to a reasonably nearby lakeside restaurant, and on the drive back to our accommodation, it began to rain lightly causing the aromas to be released from both the earth and flowers, creating a memory to treasure...(-:

Re the idea of it perhaps thought of as being poor form to run with the hood up, I suspect that may be a hang over from the days gone by when many a Morgan may have been used as daily, and even pressed into service on occasion to act as a pick-up truck loaded with a Christmas tree, building materials or somesuch...(-: I suspect in the passage of time, Morgans have become more enjoyed as recreational vehicles ,as our American cousins describe hobby related machinery, or even garage queens and suchlike, thus living a somewhat more restricted existence....Which is perhaps just as well given the amount of bling to be found in the interior fit and finish, enjoyed in more modern Morgans than one from the mid 80`s such as mine..?

Referring again back to Dave`s typing of rides around dusk, and the possible increased in pleasure to be found at both ends of the day, I was most fortunate to be able to enjoy a circa 80 miles of mostly "B" road driving a few nights past and posted a pic in another part of the forum, and thought to try to post it again here, in the hope of again sharing just a little bit of dusk driving pleasures..(-:

That's a truly beautiful picture Luddite

My best ride ever was in the snow. It's been more than 15 years, but I'll never forget this.
I was visiting my oldest sister about 30 Km from home. Must have been in late February or early March. The day started fresh but sunny, dry and no more salt on the road, so the 4/4 was taken out of the stable.
In the late afternoon, dark clouds arrived. My brother-in-law asked, do you have the hood with you. Why? Take a look outside. It started to snow lightly. And, no, no hood or side-screens.
So I left immediately for safety. After a few Km it started to snow seriously, really thick flakes. The snow doesn't bother me at all in the cockpit, flies completely over the Morgan. only the view through the windshield was limited to what the 3 wipers could clear. It was a wonderful ride, especially when you saw those looks from passers-by. They were indescribable.