Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) So, have you driven your Morgan today?

I suppose the other side of that coin is that the driver can see too! 🙂 ... maybe means it's actually driven, day and night .... no bad thing!! ??

K

Following yet another rather hot day, headed out circa 19:30 to follow a similar route to that which I took last night hoping to catch the sunset at the same location. Fortunately, seems I timed it just about right.. The Lochside pic was taken in the Trossachs perhaps 45 mins previously on the same run.. Once again felt as if I had the roads almost to myself.... Bliss..(-:

Beautiful shots George, there is just nothing better than an empty road where you can hustle along your Plus 8 playing tunes on the exhaust on overrun and full acceleration, I did identical the night before last when football was on.

It has to be very early or late evenings now with the tourists down here in their Chelsea tractors and SUV's with no reverse but those timings suit me perfectly.

The 4/4 Sport is a great hustle too but a frantic edge to it with the high revs needed to deliver the power and the crackling from the sport exhaust on overrun rewarding too and for pure Morgan stripped out fun it is tops at 750Kgs.
Our Son will come and collect it for his summer fun in Kernow anytime soon, we just have more space here for his car over winter.

A sunrise or set on Dartmoor is very special with all the sheep asleep on the warm tarmac caution is needed as you share their patch.

They do identical on the Isle of Lewis as well so the early run for the CalMal from the Butt had to be completed with caution.

With such a wonderful machine parked in a backdrops such as those available to me, i suspect it would be difficult to grab a really poor snap shot, though not everything is perfect hereabouts, as the weather overall can create pot holes a plenty on the backroads, which can severely test the old Mogs lack of suspension travel... best not to hold the steering tight and let it find it`s own way when the going gets rough... (-:

The Trossachs gets it`s fair share of tourists or more importantly tour buses which can be found taking up more than their fair share of the narrow road just round the next blind bend, of which there are many., as evidenced by the many troughs dug out by bus tyres right at the edge of the Tarmac, just waiting to grab the steering out of your hand and take directional control, which has potential to be very dangerous in tree or dry stane dyke lined roads at the side of a loch, and of course tourist drivers paying more attention to the scenery than the road... All part of the fun, thus for both a Morganeer and comedian, timing is everything....and for a backroad drive hereabouts at or soon after evening mealtime in the Summer months seems to work out well.. Also any big event on TV works wonders, other than that I have been known to go for a drive at the other end of the clock, by way of driving at dawn in summer months but do that mostly in the tin top..I grab occasional pics then too... (-:

My good lady and I spent a few days in your neck of the woods Richard, Dartington sticks in the mind, of course we visited Lands End for the obligatory pic... (-: I remember seeing some damaged yachts tied up in various harbours on our journey along the South coast, the crews having found shelter from the disastrous storm that took so many out of the Fastnet race, jeez was that really 1979...!!!

As for choosing a Morgan, I well remember asking the question "Which Morgan" on the MSCC DG circa the mid 90`s, a time when large engined vintage sports car`s were attracting my interests, along with those of high performance and fewer CC`s required to top the ton....ALL of which were well above my pay grade.. I suspect having grown up modifying my m/cycles and cars, the idea of a 4/4 with a Twink seemed a very worthwhile target, as the Lotus/Ford engine ever impressed, but it was Lorne (AKA gomog) of this Parish wo went out of his way to find me the old +8 that I have owned since 2002....That typed, to this day, I still very much like the idea of a 4/4 with a Twink, but have grown very fond of rumbling around the roads hereabouts and even far beyond in the old +8...

As ever, each to their own..(-:

Decided to fire up the old Mog and go for another run, before the weather changes to the more usual pattern for this part of the world.... topped up to full with the usual BP Ultimate approx 45 l / £54 .

Headed up Loch Lomond side (A82) up to Tarbet then over to Arrochar, up The Rest & Be Thankful, on to Invarary, from there took the Longer West Coast route up to Oban via Lochgilphed, dropped into Croabh Haven, for a few minutes, then on to Oban, from there headed over to Creanlarich, then Callander, Trossachs and home, 249 miles and neither the old Mog nor I missed a beat...(-:

I did grab a couple of pics, but it seems the TM image library does not like them this evening, Might try tomorrow, though despite all the miles travelled in wonderful scenery, the pics were pretty mundane... so no big deal.. (-:

Nice run out George. Have travelled most of those roads over the years.

George, as per Graham but never as a round trip in a oner that really is a fabulous run out.

Thanks for taking the time to respond to my trip out in the Mog, that you have driven over the same routes may have made the various locations mentioned slightly more interesting for you both as opposed to anyone (if any) just looking at a map.... For whatever reason I still could not post a pic from yesterdays run on the TM site... Suspect the problem is at my end...As I tried to post a random older pic from the same source and the site loaded that....My selective Luddite tendencies ever re-energised, by such issues... (-:

Given my usual runs are generally timed to provide a reasonable degree of traffic free Tarmac and that the rough plan as ever was to drive a circular route, all be it the Oban run involving more miles than my usual average length routes, then the "time" factor would involved some degree of rush hour later in the trip, as I would be arriving back at base circa 17:30 at the conclusion of an 8 hour drive, with a couple of stops to water the plants in out of the way places..(-:

At the outset the sky was looking kinda cloudy and grey, by the time I was underway the morning rush hour had passed and the first main stretch of Tarmac I would hit was the A 82 up the side of Loch Lomond being a main transport artery and also a tourist route, hopes were not high, but I was pleasantly surprised to find myself not staring at the rear end of some view blocking bus or artic, and traffic was in general maintaining reasonable pace, circa 50-60mph... Climbing The Rest & Be Thankful I was beginning to feel a tad chilled, so decided to stop in at the car park at the top of the road and put on my jacket, as you might expect at this time of year the car park is ever loaded with tourists grabbing their pic of that iconic view, of course the Morgan encouraged a couple of folks to grab pics and chat, which was nice...One mentioned the old road at the R&BT being used in the past as a training ground when hill climbs were held there, for the likes of Jim Clark and others, though it is occasionally still made use of by clubs and events such as those organised by the Hero organisation as part of their routing during their events. I have grabbed a pic or two at those events in past time, but other than that the old road is closed as it is privately owned... Though you can walk up it, as we Scots have a right to roam in our country, when doing so responsibly, which I have done in times past on the old road..

All the way up to Oban was pretty well traffic free to the extent I required to make few overtakes to free up an open view along the bonnet, and if the road is well known, you can plan ahead as to pick the spot to make the old thing roar a bit... (-: On the trip from Oban over to Callander the traffic was beginning to build as it was just the time of day when trades folk would be ending their day`s work and hitting the road, that section of my routing is the one more favoured by heavies and tourists too, and as such somewhat more monitored, thus overtakes require to be well considered and for most of the time perhaps best to settle down and go with the flow which is usually circa 50 mph or so, thus no big deal unless you come up against the rear end of a bus or truck, then again knowing the road you can pic your spot to pass well clear...

Got to say it does seem that cyclists put themselves at considerable risk on such arterial routes, but then I guess all sports carry some degree of personal risk to benefit analysis..?

Over the whole run I did see not much more than a couple of minutes of precipitation, fortunately only light drizzle, I ever run without side-screens.

All in all a great run out in the old Mog and arrived home with a half tank of fuel, much the same level as it was before I filled it to the brim at the start of the run...Was it worth £54.... It was worth a lot more to me, and feeling very fortunate to be able to enjoy such privileges... (-:

For sure, it does seem best to enjoy that which we can and while we can if like me you seem to be getting older at an accelerating rate...when one of your main passtimes and enjoyment in life has been covering a few miles in some sort of ICE propelled vehicle, as it seems there are forces building against restrictions of such ability re emissions and the age of the drivers.... Rightly or wrongly...it will be that which it will, thus perhaps worth repeating....enjoy while you can..? (-:

There used to be a tea/coffee van in the parking area at the top of R&BT. Must be over 20 years since I drove that in my old Land Rover 127

Yup on my trip up that way a month or so back Graham, the tea/coffee vendor was there, though yesterday given the parking was kinda crowded with tourists and minibuses, have to admit that I did not notice if it was there or not.... Reason for another run perhaps.. ? (-:

Though if I do head up that way, I will miss out some of the A82 this time and branch off over Glen Douglas (single track) and from there drive up the side of Loch Long to Arrochar which is a narrower, twisting and thus less used stretch of Tarmac ..(-: