MTWC Group Events are also listed after the GO’s report

2

Contents: 3 Editorial Twaddle

Adrian M-L’s conrodOPENING Run 2015

9 8th Dutch Run 10 Competition report 12 Tight Enough ... 14 Letters/postcards/emails 15 Viking Run

16 Answers Answers 20 To the Hills! 21 Fougères/ Gerald/

Regalia Notes 22 Mogspares 23 F Type spares 25 Chemistry Lesson 30 Group Reports 37 Cable Handbrake

38 New Generation 40 Escape to Coldtiz

43 New Members 45 Committee Resumé 46 A Ghostly Tale /

V.Twin 47 Floggery 48 Morganalia 49 Keep looking

Cover Photo: Pete Clews, Sportsman of the Year photo: Dennis Rushton

Dates for your 2015 diary Sunday 12th April MTWC OPENING RUN

May 22nd–25th 8th Dutch Run: Amersfoort see page 9 July 24th-26th Viking Run see page 15

4th 5th 6th September 23rd German Dreirad Treffen Inverary Argyll

BROOKLANDS

EAST ANGLIAN

EAST ANGLIA – WOOLPIT

EAST MIDLANDS

FAR FAR SOUTH WEST

.

FAR SOUTH WEST

HERTS, BEDS AND BUCKS.

LANCS AND LAKES

NORTH WEST

OXFORD

SOUTH COAST

SOUTH EAST

SOUTH WEST

Y.N.D. Check with your GO WEST MIDLANDS

Vol. 70 January 2015 No. 1 THE BULLETIN

T H E M O N T H L Y M A G A Z I N E O F T H E M O R G A N T H R E E - W H E E L E R C L U B

AFFILIATED TO THE ACU: NON - TERRITORIAL

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Wishing a Happy New Year - to all our readers, with plenty of fun and enjoyment. and the first issue, of this, the

of the Morgan ThreeWheeler Club contains plenty of potential enjoyment to which members can look forward. There are details of no less than five events across the Channel and there will be many more in UK to be listed with plenty of advance notice. The MTWC Opening Run, on April 12th at Combe Mill (not May 12th as listed last month), the MMC Thrill On The Hill, the Twisty Sprint, La Vie en Bleu at Prescott are just a few. - and more - the Club has gained a Publicity

, with Ian Parkinson ably assisted by Richard Atherton. The positions are currently co-opted to the Committee, subject to ratification at the AGM. However, both Ian and Richard have a proven ability to organise first-class events and their acceptance by the membership at the AGM will hopefully be a formality.

seventy years of the MTWC. Furthermore, Ian is already discussing the Opening Run for 2016 and an outline for the 75th anniversary of the Club in five years’ time. Morgan Threewheelers have always had a distinct advantage in terms of category, being able to move in both car and motorcycle worlds with relative ease. Our vehicles have also benefitted from a long history with a manufacturer still in business after more than a century.

This is news to no one .. but when marques of the early half of the twentieth century are revived, as is a current trend, it has not, to date, been in the hands of the original owners.

Earlier this year, Matchless made a re-appearance and like-wise, Brough Superior, both with modern, if not futuristic design and greeted with

. The conundrum for the two clubs catering for the period motor-cycles would be “do we welcome these machines and do

they qualify for membership?” In each case (.. and I belong to both B-S and AJS&MoC), the question of acceptance may not be significant, as neither club specifies ownership as the principal criterion. The MTWC, even with the category of Full membership has no problem, as the 5-speeder (or M3W) is made by the Morgan MC and IN the Morgan factory. Furthermore, with a splendid achievement for the Club and Pete Clews in particular, the 5-speeder has been accepted by the ACU to race in competition, albeit in their own class. Well done Pete …and Sportsman of the Year! Finally, we need candidates for Club Officer of the month, suggested by Chairman Adrian. This is the opportunity for members to browbeat officers in their group into submission …. Literally (both senses). It does require a photograph of said victim so that members in general may recognise. An error last month rectified above showing the Editor with a blank expression.

CLUB WEBSITE: www.mtwc.co.uk

Editorial

Connecting Rod Adrian Murray-Leslie

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The Marfan Trust Chris Harfield, Hon. Secretary

I am writing this the day after my first committee meeting in the Chair and I’m still alive, un-injured and feeling that I am privileged to be serving a pretty amazing team that seems to be full of renewed enthusiasm. Oh, by the way, we finished in three hours eleven minutes including a pee/coffee break which I am told even by those with long memories might be a record for a normal committee. The wives and partners were reported to have asked what had happened when they saw members coming down the stairs with smiles on their faces. OK, call it the honeymoon period if you want to be cynical!

An explanation for those who have been bemused by my calling my piece “Connecting Rod”: My thought was that a con rod is an essential part of the mechanism that converts raw energy into forward motion. It is also essential in that it stops high energy components from breaking loose and wrecking the whole assembly. I thought that was quite appropriate. I hope you enjoy your Christmas and New Year celebrations and will look forward to seeing as many of you as possible in the coming year. Adrian

Membership Lists Eric Bayley

An important notice for members who have requested a membership list on their renewal form.

Until all renewal have been received, it is not possible to issue a complete list, please be patient, you are not forgotten, lists are

expected to be issued between January to February next year . Best regards, Eric Bayley, Membership Secretary.

As you are all aware the Morgan Motor Company kindly provided its facilities free of charge for the Saturday of the AGM. Factory Tours are normally available on a chargeable basis of £12.50, however in a spirit of friendship, Morgan owners groups have been recently offered free factory tours (limited numbers on a prearranged basis). During the AGM weekend Richard Atherton pointed out that these participants normally make a donation to the Marfan Trust. Steve Morris (the MD of the MMC) has a daughter who suffers from Marfan syndrome. The Marfan Trust (www.marfantrust.org) “is the only UK charity which funds medical research so that more is known about Marfan syndrome and its management”

Our Four wheeler friends in The Morgan Sports Car Club have for several years sup-ported the Marfan Trust, making contribu-tions from many local, national and even international events to support the work of the Marfan trust. I feel that it is appropriate that the commit-tee should consider a donation (Our Auditors have been consulted on the propriety of club funds being used in this way and have no problems) and/or encourage participants at the AGM weekend to make a personal donation. If only £10 for a factory trip and £20 for a drive per participant were collected or offered we would be able to make a signifi-cant donation.

Next year’s Opening Run will be at Combe Mill which was the workshop for the Blenheim Palace Estate

http://www.combemill.org/.

Please note: Through negotiation by Charles Smith, The Morgan ThreeWheeler Club members can enjoy FREE ENTRY to COMBE MILL! It is now run by volunteers and they have agreed to run a steam day

especially for us. They will have the mill beam engine, smaller stationary steam engines and the forge running. Other interests include, mill buildings, foreman’s office with a social history of people who worked at

the mill, running water wheel, and a clock collection which includes working clocks from Henry VIII reign. The volunteers are very enthusiastic and love to talk about their

exhibits; you can even have a go at making something in the forge. For those attending who are not interested in steam, Blenheim Palace is less than 5 miles away by car. There you can see the splendid baroque

house, the ‘Capability’ Brown gardens and the Churchill family exhibitions while the rest of us get our engineering and steam fix. More details of the event will be in future copies of the Bulletin and

on the website.

MTWC Opening Run 2015 Sunday 12th April

Combe Mill, Blenheim Palace Sawmills, Oxfordshire

6

Charging … Then and Now Nev Lear

From the earliest days Morgans were usually supplied with a lighting set ex-works, but initially relied on a magneto to supply the ignition requirements. More often than not the first lighting sets worked with acetylene gas, so that in line with above title, I should perhaps start by describing how to charge the generator with calcium carbide and water? Perhaps not, the idea is to compile a simple overview of the electrical systems to be found on Morgans over the years. When supplied with an electrical lighting system (and later ignition), the Morgan used a standard ‘Lucas’ six volt system. Twelve volt systems were always retro-fitted by subsequent owners. Two speeders were provided with a nice little circular, well-engineered switch box on the dash panel, with two switch levers and an ammeter at the top. It is here that we should establish how the dynamo output was controlled on these early machines. Remembering that there are no hard and fast rules with any Morgan specification - but as a general principle, the dynamo output is controlled by varying the current flowing through the field winding. As an additional feature, a cut-out is provided which disconnects the dynamo from the battery when its output falls below the battery voltage - and re-connects it when the output rises again. This feature prevents the battery discharging itself when all is stopped. The current flowing through the field windings (and hence the dynamo output), is varied by the position of a ‘third’ brush with in the dynamo, relative to the main brushes around the armature. A controlling resistance in the field circuit can be switched out to give maximum output from the dynamo. The switching of this resistance is controlled from the lighting switch box. The earlier model lighting sets, have the cut-out located within the switch box, and the controlling resistance if provided is located

within the dynamo. Later models, around the time of the introduction of the ‘R-type’ three-speeder, were equipped with coil ignition and had an oval-shaped instrument panel, incorporating speedometer and ammeter but still with two switch levers. Here the cut-out was mounted separately with the charging resistance still within the dynamo. Later models with the single lighting/ignition switch had the

charging resistance built into the cut-out box. This continued that way until production ceased post war with the last F-types. Standard six volt dynamos were always driven from either bevel- or gearbox cross-shafts for the twin cylinder models, with only the superior F-types having engine driven dynamos. Here a special dynamo arranged for the two rate summer/winter charging rate was fitted. This was not the same as the standard Ford car equipment

which just used the third brush system only to control the charging rate. To convert a standard ‘Ford’ dynamo to the

wiring to bring out a field connection and insulating the main brush holder that is normally ‘earthed’. As cars were updated with more modern electrical systems - and perhaps converted to twelve volts, is was common to find the later voltage regulators used in lieu of the two rate charging system; the basic principle of controlling the generator output by varying the current flowing through the generator field windings was now carried out automatically. Anyone installing such a modification nowadays, would be advised to move the control box from under the bonnet to within the passenger compartment - or even under the seats. Here it is kept much cleaner and under more stable temperature variations, which in winter conditions gives better reliability. Later control boxes would also

“the idea is to compile a

simple overview of the

electrical systems to be

found on Morgans over

the years.”

7

contain a system which limited the charging current from the by now high-output generator, to avoid damage when connected to an almost flat battery. Alternators are also in common use on modernised cars, and here, if the car does not have coil ignition, special provision has to be made to energise the alternator from the battery when it is in use. A switch on the main panel is the best way to do this, perhaps using it to power up other electrical items such as brake lights or indicators, should you have them fitted. It is here that the older style switch panels, with two levers, can be easily changed to cover the current requirements. They are a really substantial piece of engineering with solid brass conductors, held under threaded pillars, and therefore easily modified to cover your modern requirements. Some were used as magneto cut-outs for stopping the engine, so it is not beyond the wit of man to make this provision energise the alternator (say) when the magneto is switched to ‘on’. When investigating these items, it is best to work from first principles, investigating with a test meter. I have found contemporary Lucas wiring diagrams to be only a rough guide, and not always completely applicable to the Morgan installed systems. System Comparisons - Six or Twelve Volts? Six volt systems can be made to work well, even if still closely adhering to the original arrangements. Summer/Winter charging systems are fine as long as long night-time trips are avoided. In their day, driving to work in the daylight and coming home in the dark was a practical proposition (I did it for years). Regular city driving at low speeds would mean dropping down to just side lights in traffic, reserving headlights for the open road. Twelve volt systems have the advantage of the parts being more readily available, and on a cold morning original six volt starter motors spring readily into life. Alternator or Dynamo? A more modern dynamo with a control box,

separate control box, both perform well in

the modernised Morgan, The former is, perhaps, easier to understand, whereas the later is probably easier to install and connect within the original pattern wiring. Drive Systems From the transmission, or from the engine? In the case of ‘twins’, an easier option for operating in all weathers, retaining the drive from the bevel box or gearbox cross-shaft, is utilising a modern belt drive, rather than the original gears From the two-speed cross-shaft, your generator will charge in traffic at all times - except when your foot is on the clutch …. whereas the three-speeder is totally dependant on road speed. of a pulley on the external flywheel - and hence a partial engine re-build is required. Here a continuous drive belt is much the preferred option for maximum reliability. If this is being carried out, you could also consider the option of fitting a motor/generator for both starting and charging - maybe not the cheapest option but one gaining popularity in some circles. The more conventional F-type with its mass-produced engine is the easiest to deal with. A modern dynamo or alternator is easily fitted in the usual location, driven by a belt off the crankshaft.

With the E93A series engines, it was common to exchange the front pulley with one from a 100E motor, to use the more modern, narrow-section drive belt that matches your more up-to-date generator. As the 100E pulley is becoming harder to find, the easier option is to retain the E93A pulley, and using the appropriate ‘B’ section drive belt, readily available from your local transmission specialist, change your generator pulley for a matching ‘B’ section one - normally a straight forward machining job. I trust this all helps…………….. Too complicated for you? Then reach for your matches and tin of carbide!

8

I have very little interest in modern motor-cars, but I do have a fascination for the mental gymnastics that marketing men go through, when presenting the myriad of different varia-tions from any of the manufacturers, based around the same model. Frankly I cannot see or understand the differences and am sure that even if I did, it would not make me any more likely to opt for one rather than the other. I would be fascinated to know if this type of thinking was prevalent in the 1930’s when Morgans were selling their ranges based in all honesty on one design. (Yes I know there are quite significant technical variations but these are only significant to the aficionado) So was there some detectable change in emphasis in the way the company sold F types compared for example to twins, was there a belief that they appealed to a different market? It may of course be rather difficult to reach any serious conclusion on this because of the chronology of the necessary changes in en-gines due to availability both manufacturers and engines themselves. However one area where it can be explored is in the addition to the range of the four wheeler, what was the thinking there? Was the four wheeler something that the three wheeler driver could be thought to aspire to when they became richer, more sophisticat-ed, and a bit more staid? I have a three wheeler two-seater sports from 1933 … and it is a unique experience, it is bumpy, it vibrates, it is oily, quite smelly, hard work, quite uncomfortable, noisier than it needs be, has a nasty habit of hitting every hole in the road - and also an automatic desire to partially self destruct whist in use. It is also quick and a lot of fun with very precise steer-ing and quite decent brakes. I’ve had quite a few three wheelers in the past, BSA, JZR, and even a Reliant, (I am ashamed to admit). With exception of the last one mentioned they were all fun. But I was coming at them from the position of being a motorcyclist so getting cold wet oily etc was nothing new. It has recently been my good fortune to gain experience of one of the early four wheelers. Granted only about 600 miles of experience but it set me thinking as to whom

it was that this car was aimed. This particular car is a 1937 Four/four with an IoE Coventry Climax engine of 1122cc and purporting to produce 34bhp at 4500rpm. It drives through a four speed Meadows gearbox and has the usual cable operated brakes. It also weighs 13.5 cwt. The car itself is in ex-tremely good condition with no modifications, so that it is fair to assume it is pretty close to the experience that it must have been when it was produced. My three wheeler has a JAP LTOW engine producing about 30bhp, and weighs in at around 7cwt. The brakes however have been altered to hydraulic so can’t really be com-pared. So …. is one just a four wheeled version of the other? thereby creating a seamless range of products for the same potential buyer who fancies a change? Absolutely not! The four wheeler is smooth, reasonably comfortable, and quite clean to drive, does not seem to cause itself to fall apart. It steers and brakes well. It is roomier there-fore making room for the larger person as one gets older, maybe that is the attraction. You don’t get quite as wet and cold compared to being in the three wheeler, and it does not hit as many bumps, having only two tracks not three. Is it fun? Yes, within reason (Ah … there is the rub, it depends what you are used to) It is not as much fun, it is not as visceral an experi-ence, not so much seat of the pants and cer-tainly not as much performance as the trike. (What you would expect from the respective power-to-weight ratios). The gearing probably allowed it to do quite well in trials but you would have to make sure you stayed in a low gear for the entire section. In summary, my impression is that journey-ing in the trikes is definitely summed up by the phrase “Better to travel hopefully than to arrive”. The four wheeler feels like it is likely to get there albeit in a rather more staid fashion, and

and fulfilled than had you done it in a trike. Altogether aimed at a whole other type of person!

From Three to Four …. Why? Pat Robotham

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The runs will be held on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 (Whit Sunday) in the centre of Holland. One day we will drive to the East into the province Gelderland and one day we will drive in the province Utrecht. We will not go to Kamp Amersfoort (former concentration camp; around the corner from the hotel) and we will not visit the brandnew Military and Aircraft museum (www.nmm.nl; within 5 km from the hotel). We are thinking of going to a steam engined water mill on a nice and peacefull place and driving along nice roads to other places to visit and use something to drink and eat here and there. This year there is not a planned and worked out route. We will provide you with a good map for each day and we will mark on that map the place of the hotel and the suggested places to visit and the places were we can take in beverages/lunch. Everyone is free to find his own way to those places (or to pick someones tail). We have just started to find out the places to visit, but In May we are ready for you! We have found a hotel just outside the city of Amersfoort, with over 80 rooms and enough parking place: Berghotel Amersfoort, Utrechtseweg 225, 3818 EG Amersfoort. We have arranged a fixed price for the days and they gave us 25 rooms in option TILL MARCH 31, 2015. Later: on availability. Bookings must be made DIRECTLY to the hotel (info@berghotelamersfoort.nl or 0031-(0)33 422 4222). Arranged prices for the weekend: Euro 429 for 2 persons and Euro 288 for 1 person. Included are: room, breakfast, dinner/buffet in the evenings (Fr., Sat. and Sund.), 3 times 2 drinks p.p. and tax; there are no further charges. An extra night before/after is Euro 74 (for 2 p.) and Euro 61,50 (for 1 p.) for room and breakfast only. The rooms are nearly new, not big but OK. When you wish more space: ask the hotel, but there will be an extra charge. When booking for the arranged prices: use the code MTWC. The hotel can charge for no show (see www.khn.nl/uvh-nl in Dutch or www.khn.nl/uvh-en in English). Please inform us when you have booked (Phone 0031-(0)35 6010797

or mail prive@vdboonfb.nl, so we know what we have to do for further arrangements. We are looking forward to meet you!! Janny Hoekstra and Marten van der Boon

Invitation for 8th DUTCH RUN: May 22–25, 2015: Amersfoort

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Happy New Year. Let’s hope it will be a successful one for us all. There seems to be a new optimism in the club (there is ...Ed), with a new Chairman eager to listen to, and help develop, everyone’s ideas. Adrian came to the Sporting AGM to give his support to the competition element of the club and urged us to continue representing the club as we do, which of course we will endeavour to do. The 33rd Sporting AGM and Dinner 29th November 2014 “The End is in the Beginning” so it is natural that we ended in a party following a successful meeting. Thanks to Lesley Reynolds for organising the Dinner. She has it down to a fine art now with fun balloons, in red, green and glue, whizzing like rockets through the supercharged air. The tabled competitors battle each other for the best shot and the noise of escaping air adds to the crescendo of voices. But that is not how it began as the eighty guests stood, glasses in hand to celebrate a special occasion which had been kept a close secret for six months! Special Guests Stuart and Penny Harper were waiting along with the many friends and people this man has inspired, Steve Lister waited patiently holding the trophy, a photograph which Dennis Rushton and Jake Alderson had kindly provided, while the clock on the wall ticked towards seven….. He entered quietly and stopped to talk to Stuart not aware of what was happening, looking rather bemused by the offered hands of congratulations as he went through the throng of people. Barbara Caroline, the instigator of it all, looked so proud as Gary was finally congratulated for his 50 years in racing. The toast was raised and the Caroline Trophy was presented to Gary to decide who should receive it at the Trophy presentation later in the evening. The party atmosphere continued with a lovely dinner, yellow jazz mingling with the cutlery before the raffle took over and the sweepstake led to much merriment due to the Comp Sec having mixed up Mallory and Donington having Stuart Harper lapping Donington in a miraculous 1 minute 11.85 seconds! Even more miraculously Bill Tuer won by getting two of the five times in the

competition correct to a hundredth of a second! The trophy presentation was running late but fortunately the hotel promised to keep the bar open until 1am. Steve Lister did a wonderful job of preventing the Comp Sec from choosing the wrong trophies and the lovely Penny Harper presented them in her inimitable bubbly fashion; a big thank you to Penny. The jazz drifted into the small hours and it was close to two when the last adrenalin subsided, the lights dimmed and the 2014 season drew to an end. The frivolity had been preceded in the afternoon by the Sporting AGM opened by Adrian Murray-Leslie, our Chairman. Attendance was good with 51 members signing in for the meeting and a full agenda - including a proposal related to brakes and the introduction of a Sporting Formula for the 5- Speeders. 2014 had been a very good season with MTWC Morgans achieving success in all areas of their competition both in the UK and abroard. The meeting expressed their thanks to all the club members who had made the season possible by marshaling, helping individuals and spectating and for the financial support for Curborough and Cadwell which makes these events possible. Special thanks went to the officials from the VMCC and our own club without whom we could not run our events. Gratitude went to our mystery donor and to Cathy Quinn who has raised a substantial sum to help pay for the CTC courses of new licence applicants. Alistair Rew reported that finances of the Sporting Group were sound with a surplus due to increased entry numbers in 2014 which would allow us to take a confident approach to booking meetings for next season. ACU Insurance premiums are to rise by 10% which will increase our entry fees slightly for 2015. We have also been granted a dispensation to run with ballast in Morgan only classes at Hill Climbs. All our Competition Officials remain the same as last year. The main business of the meeting was the development of a Sporting Formula to allow the 5 speeders to take part in Competition.

Competition Report Pete Clews

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This formula will be similar in format to the existing formula for pre 1953 Morgans but separate from it. The ACU are happy for them to compete as Category 2, Group D vehicles which means in practice that they can take part in Road Race Morgan Only Class but racing against each other in the same way that we compete at VMCC in our Challenge Race, with outfits on the circuit at the same time but whom we are not competing against. The next step is to develop an Eligibility Form to be completed by owners wishing to compete in time for the 2015 season. The only Proposal before the meeting was a change to the Regulation in the Sporting Formula covering the use of twin leading shoe brakes which are now permissible in TM and Racing Class. The meeting decided the 2015 Challenge Rounds, which are: Round 1 – VMCC Mallory 11-12th April Round 2 – H&DLCC Loton 18/19th April Round 3 – BOC La Vie en Bleu Prescott – 24th May Round 4 – VSCC Cadwell 7th June Round 5 – VMCC Darley 15/16th August Round 6 – MTWC Curborough 23rd August There are some changes to the ACU licence regulations which affect us and I was asked at the meeting to give some simple guidance to applying for your first licence. Firstly you will need to complete a Competitor Training Course (CTC) and your Basic Rider Assement (BRA) both of which you will need to arrange via the list of venues on the ACU website. The easiest way to apply for your first licence if you have Internet access is through the Online Licencing System. The form filling is the same as a hardcopy but you will need to download the Section 4 page, complete the Eyesight Test and then scan this to the ACU Licencing Department. If you wish to apply by post, request a Road Race Licence Form from: Licence Dept.

Auto Cycle Union LTD ACU House Wood Street Rugby Warickshire CV21 2YX Or download a copy from the Club Website

Alternatively download a form from: www.acu.org.uk/RidersMembers/License-Forms.aspx Fill in your personal details and tick the boxes in Section 1. To drive and passenger in your Morgan these are: Three Wheel Car Driver; Road Race and Sprint/Hill Climb; Novice Passenger; Road Race; Clubman Passenger, Sprint and Hill Climb Fill in Section 3 with your Medical Details. Take Section 4 to your Optician and ask for an

Eyesight Test following which the optician can fill in the relevant details and add their official stamp.

If you fall into a category needing a medical take Section 5 to your doctor and ask he/she to complete it for you.

To complete Section 6 you will need a Unique Number requested from me which authenticates your application as a club member. Sign/Date the Declaration and add the unique number.

Send the completed form along with a passport sized photograph, your CTC and BRA with your payment for £48 to the ACU Licence Department.

I am sorry that it never seems simple when it is written but I do hope it helps. If you do have problems get in touch and I will do my best to help. It seems that in my Competition Notes last month I have given the impression that we want the club to insure us for racing abroad. This is not so and at foreign race meetings where we require a competition licence to take part we are covered for third party liability by the organiser’s insurance. I was talking to MIS about events such as the demonstrations at Montlhery and Le Puy where often a large group of club members take part without third party liability insurance. For the 2013 Montlhery VRM (the organisers) did organise individual cover for entrants to buy but MIS said that they were able to organise cover through the club for listed events club members attended rather than on an individual basis. Of course this insurance would only come into use for a club event at a venue where a members Road Traffic Cover did not apply.

12

Is your car insurance due? Get a quote from the motor-insurance specialists. It will cost you nothing; it could save you a lot. SPECIAL SCHEME RATES FOR MORGANS AND OTHER CLASSIC CARS

Morgan Insurance Consultants William Curtis House, Lenton Street, Alton, Hants. GU34 1HH. 01420 594242. e-mail: morgans@headleyinsurance.com

Beware of over tightening nuts or studs in alloy castings. One might think that it is necessary to tighten cylinder base flange nuts on twins to a high degree …. but isn’t. Over tightening imposes an excessive load on the thread and adds to that imposed by the combustion forces. It is enough to pull the nut tight with an open ended spanner and perhaps use Loctite Nutlock or similar, to prevent it from coming loose. I have seen a serious barrel failure which I think might have been caused by a cylinder base stud having had the thread in the casting taken close to, or beyond, yield point. It is a sickening feeling when you feel the nut’s resistance slacken as the alloy tears away and the only easy repair is to use a thread insert. These make a stronger joint but need some skill to fit. The clue in this particular case was that there was no visible thread in the stud hole and no stud either. This had left just three

studs to hold the cylinder down, with an inevitable result. Generally, it is quite sufficient to use nuts with flat or spring washers ( or both) on the rest of the vehicle. Head bolts need to be pretty tight but on no account should you fill threaded holes with oil or you might hydraulic the casting into cracking. The exception on JAP racing engines is that the cylinder heads sandwich the cylinder barrel to the crankcase top deck and the studs are very long and have to be very tight to make the gas seal between head and barrel. The loads imposed on the top deck are local to the foot of the barrel and the tightness of the studs imposes no extra load on the rest of the crankcase top. Failures generally occur when old crankcases are overstressed. Modern replacements are usually much stronger.

Tight Enough is Enough Robin Rew

N.B. The Editor has it on very good authority that a certain Club Official selling Mogspares Engine parts in the 1980s, when asked what the Morgan Handbook specified for tightening headbolts, would offer the advice: Use a close

fitting ring spanner and tighten until the thread strips …. then back off a quarter turn. It is critical in cases such as the MX2/4 cyl. head bolts, to ensure that all four present a level surface for the rocker box - or use shims.

13

Morgan Motor Company Recognised Three Wheeler Specialist

ENGINES

JAP MATCHLESS

RACING ROAD

REBUILDS NEW BUILDS

CHASSIS BODIES REPAIRS

RESTORATIONS SERVICING

IMPROVEMENTS UPGRADING

The World’s most comprehensive in-house facility for

The Morgan Three Wheeler Contact the specialists

Situated only half a mile from the Morgan Factory,

why not visit us.

Unit 8 and 9 Howsell Industrial Estate, Malvern, Worcestershire, WR14 1UJ

Email: ewan@cameronracingengines.com Tel: 01684 899084 Mob: 07815 119 447

Or visit or website www.cameronracingengines.com

Morgan Motor Company Recognised Three Wheeler Specialist

ENGINES

JAP MATCHLESS

RACING ROAD

REBUILDS NEW BUILDS

CHASSIS BODIES REPAIRS

RESTORATIONS SERVICING

IMPROVEMENTS UPGRADING

The World’s most comprehensive

in-house facility for The Morgan Three Wheeler Contact the specialists

Situated only half a mile from the Morgan Factory,

why not visit us.

Unit 8 and 9 Howsell Industrial Estate, Malvern, Worcestershire, WR14 1UJ

Email: ewan@cameronracingengines.com Tel: 01684 899084 Mob: 07815 119 447

Or visit or website www.cameronracingengines.com

14

Letters, emails, postcards procedure was done, to stop any kidney damage. I would like to thank Sheila and Chris Dickson, who visited me and brought things in for me, Paul Baker, who made several visits, while working at the private hospital, and Bob Morley, who, on the Sunday, came to visit, and ended up bringing me back home. This all goes to show, we are much more than an old car club, and at group level, we have much more to us than just being club members, but good friends, like all clubs, you will only get out of it, what you put into it. Since last year’s AGM, I have lost faith in the running of the club but all along, I knew, the local groups, are a collection of great friends, long may this continue. Malcolm D Bull A Traditional Christmas …? I wrote a letter to Santa, asking for a Morgan Family Model and sent it up the chimney of

changing my stoma bag, (a new tradition!), I eagerly looked outside: No Family, not even a heap of bits! Then I thought how times have changed. The coal effect, open gas fire (correctly) has a Gas Council pot on top of the flue liner, the other 3 chimneys all have 'pepper pots' on top to stop the Jackdaws coming down (my late father had to gather up a bucket full of sticks, dropped by the Jackdaws, before laying and lighting the coal fire). My letter to Santa, is still in the chimney somewhere. Worse still; the Family that I bought in 1965 for £70, probably costs £25,000 to £30,000 today. Thankfully, The Bulletin has plenty of colour photos: at least I can still dream! Alan Rance From Mrs Trellis formerly of North Wales Dear Dennis Constanduros. My husband and I do so like your plays on the wireless and especially the series “At the Lusconbe’s” on the West Home ServiceMy hubby is taking up the hobby of

entymology. A friend has been showing him his collection of winged insects. They've already covered his bees and wasps and tonight I’m helping to go through his flies so

I would like to respond to the letter from Peter Ballard, November issue letters. Maria and I live on the west side of the UK. Several times a year we trek across the UK to Dover on our European jaunts. As an example we would leave our home in Somerset and do the trip to Dover, 231 miles in around five hours. This involves two

all Morgan owners need to start looking for fuel so the leg stretch is at the same time. Our Super Sport is set up for long distance

in one go; Taunton to Luxembourg; Verdun, France to Taunton; Enschede, Holland to

In recent years we have done tours of Norway and Italy and averaged 250 miles every day or so. Germany is easily reached in a day and a half. Regarding cruising speed we find that 60mph (3,000 rpm) on the motorways and 50 to 55 mph on other roads, means, that with an early start, a lot can be achieved in a day. Having done over 30,000 miles in the last

we manage to achieve 45 to 50 mpg on most

when you set your car up properly. Doing that properly is another story. Ian and Maria Parkinson Humble Pie. Dan Smith emailed me criticizing my comment in the November Bulletin about someone bringing their Morgan to the AGM in a trailer. I consider myself truly chastised, and rightly so! I did not know whose car it was or the circumstances - I was unfair. Trevor Seymour by email Thanks: I would like to, through the club magazine, thank some group members, as on Friday 7th November, I visited my doctor, who immediately sent me to the local hospital A&E, where I was admitted, regarding the kidney stones. I have been waiting 6 months to be treated, while they were not sorted, at least an emergency

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Invitation MTWC Scandinavian Group

Viking Run 2015 Ästad Gård, Varberg, Halland, Sweden

24-25-26 July 2015

MTWC Scandinavian Group invites you to the Viking Run 2015. We will stay in Ästad/Tvååker at Ästad Gård, www.astadvingard.se on the

Swedish west coast outside of Varberg. Preliminary programme includes scenic runs through the beech forests and

along the sea, a museum visit and visits to local craftsmen. The official program will start at 13.00 on Friday 24th, and end on Sunday

26th with a short scenic tour and lunch. The hotel has a vineyard and a very good kitchen. Breakfast and dinner is included in the price. Saturday evening we will have a three course menu,

also included in the price. Hotel price for the weekend (including breakfast and dinner)

Double room 1.920 SEK/person Single room 2.420 SEK/person

For those of you that wish, rooms can be booked for earlier arrival in the

week.

Deadline for the last booking 10th of May 2015. We have block booked rooms at the hotel so do not contact them directly.

Contact us for information and booking :

Stig Svensson Christer Campler Tel: +46 (0)705521333 Tel: +46(0)705130054

Email: stig.svensson@metrotool.se Email: carbur@telia.com

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Answers, Answers !! John Rowland/Brian Watts/Steve Lister

After enjoying the Morgan De Louche fantasy by Roger Gray, I feel duty bound to answer a couple of queries. Writes John Rowland … he continues: Yes, the asbestos gaskets under the aluminium support castings for high-level pipes are original. For many years up to the early 1970s perhaps, ex-Works replacements were available from F.H. Douglass of Ealing, London. I make my own from asbestos-based pipe flange gasket material about 1mm thick. It's white asbestos, so not particularly dangerous or polluting (contrary to popular over-reaction!) unlike the blue sort. Flywheel expansion; This is one of those problems that get downright baroque in

. So, back to basics. Imagine a length of three-eights inch mild steel round bar, or go and look at a Morgan flying wire if you'd rather. If it is exactly one metre long at 20C, it will of course expand if you heat it to 220C. The coefficient of expansion for mild steel is 0.0000133 per degree Celsius, so the metre length will expand by 2.7mm, which is 0.27%. Back at 20C, bend the rod into a circle and silver-solder the ends, and you have a hoop with a diameter of 31.831cm., measured to the centre line of the rod. (100cm. divided by pi.) Heating to 220C, the rod still expands by 2.7mm, but the diameter of the hoop goes up to 31.916cm., an increase of 0.27%. So any circle drawn inside the hoop area regardless of size or position, if it has to stay at the same scale to the hoop diameter when the hoop

Replace the hoop with a mild steel disc, circumference 1 metre at 20C. Draw some circles anywhere on the disk, 30mm perhaps or six five-sixteenths inch ones around the edge, heat to 220C and all these circles will inevitably increase in diameter by 0.27%. Draw one at the centre if you wish, but there's nothing special about the centre*. Cut the circles through the disc, and all the holes will

A more philosophical approach is to imagine flywheel-verse, a cast-iron universe. You are an iron atom somewhere in its vast immensity. Your universe is undergoing a phase of expansion, due to the Great Super-Being The Ineffable Steve having put your universe in the oven at Regulo 4, but you do not know this. You will see other iron atoms moving away from you at the same velocity regardless of the direction you look; at vast distances huge carbon galaxies (graphite flakes) are showing red shifts indicating that the greater the distance from you the greater their speed. This proves that YOU are at the centre of the flywheel-verse! But all the iron atoms think that! There is no centre, or everywhere is the centre. (The space is doing the expanding.) Then the Great Super-Being takes your flywheel-verse out of the oven....but there's a hole in his oven glove. So you discover he isn't Ineffable after all. (* All right then, I admit the centre is important when the disc is doing 4000RPM.) Au revoir, JR

Anon asks: "If one heats up the outside flywheel before fitting so that it shrinks onto the rear mainshaft, won't the hole in the middle get smaller as the metal around it gets hot and expands?" (name withheld to protect Steve Uprichard’s identity).

Another member asks: “When I purchased my MX4 barrelback, it seemed very original and that the high level exhaust pipes had never been taken off. Under the aluminium spacer brackets/blocks were asbestos gaskets that appeared to be insulation. Would these

have been fitted originally by the factory or are they fitted by a cautious owner?

One for the Registrar: How many beetleback Super Sports were fitted with Matchless OHV motors? Were MX motors options on the Super Sports?

When were the first aluminium Club badges introduced ?

Finally: What is the correct arrangement of the oil pipes on a SV Jap wide B Aero? Ed No Answers as yet!!

17

And from Brian Watts: All I know about fitting an outside flywheel is that you clean off any oil and heat one up in the oven until too hot to handle without oven gloves. Put it onto the taper and do up the nut as tight as you can with a socket and long socket handle. A prop bolted to the flywheel on the drivers

to help leverage. All this assumes the flywheel is going to run true and If the end of the mainshaft projects beyond the flywheel taper you will have fitted a washer with an appropriate large hole. Once fitted this way removal of the flywheel can be difficult. Of course there should be a thin shaped asbestos insulation gasket between each exhaust block and the body. Back in 1970 Colin Wilson and I were in the bedroom of HFS. The premises were then the garage of Bowman and Acock. We found a pile of those gaskets. I picked up a handful of the Lucas windscreen wiper dashboard valves. Should have kept them as now they are rare. Used as a storeroom the bedroom was full of items never sold as

everyone had assumed nobody would have such old spares in stock. I have had a 1951 photo of the Club badge on the front of a Morgan. How many beetleback Super Sports had Matchless engines? Not as many as listed with the tuned LTOWZ JAP. Ask Steve Lister to look. I doubt type of body noted. I have previous produced an article which was n The Bulletin tracing the introduction of the Matchless engine. And from Steve Lister: Mr. Morgan used the same body number series for all Super Sports regardless of whether Beetle or Barrel Back. So unfortunately, it’s not possible to determine from the Factory Records just how many OHV Matchless S/S Beetle-Backs were made. I believe there are around 10 genuine survivors. So, based on the overall survival rate of D-Types at 45%, - that would suggest a production of around 20I don’t believe that the side-valve Matchless engine was offered on the Super Sports. Certainly a gentle turning of the pages of the Factory Records has revealed none.

REBUILT AND REPLICA COOPER-STEWART SPEEDOMETERS

Cooper Stewart Replica speedometers for late M chassis and early three speeders

0-85 mph dial

Cooper Stewart Rebuilt speedometers for Sports and Family

models 0-70 mph dial

Cooper Stewart Rebuilt speedometers

for Super Sports models

0-90 mph dial

Cooper Stewart Rebuilt speedometers

for our Continental members models

0-130 kph dial

New Speedometer Cables for three speeder Sports and Super Sports Models driven by the front off side wheel

£65.00

NEW Replica wiper motor controls. £60.00 plus shipping at cost from the UK, $100 plus shipping at cost from the USA. Cables are shipped from the USA at cost.

Contact Brian Pollock at Briancars@aol.com Phone +1-206-228-1814 (8 hours behind GMT)

Speedometers are shipped postage paid within the UK, rest of world at cost.

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The Gerald Carr F4: now available for borrowing by members

The car has had extensive restoration to woodwork, bodywork and rear suspension, and the insurance has been

re-negotiated.

Note that there is still an age limit of 25 years minimum.

To borrow the car for a long weekend, we suggest a donation of £45, to cover insurance and maintenance. To keep the operation going successfully, more bookings are required. . . . so get planning!

Contact; Ross Herbert, Hareley Farm, Linley Green Road, Whitbourne, Worcestershire. WR6 5RF Tel: 01886 884362 email: ross@hareleyfarm.co.uk

WHEEL BUILDING All types - Heavy-duty spokes. Well-proven. 2 and 3 speeder rims in stock.

Other wheels: price on application. Wheels can be collected and delivered to race meetings. Quick service.

Also Morgan paintwork undertaken by long-term enthusiast. Phone Greg Bibby on 0116 279 3048 (day) or 0116 279 2120 (evenings).

Mobile 07860 237 945. E-mail: bibby6736@aol.com

The Nurseries, Fleckney Road, Kibworth Beauchamp, Leicestershire, LE8 0HJ

George Darbyshire Work on any classic and vintage cars. From maintenance and repair work to full restoration

including fabrication and engine work.

Pease call George on 01608 664996 or 07905168142

Or e-mail suengeorge@hotmail.com

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G.E.E LTD Workshop: Gigg Mill, Old Bristol Rd, Nailsworth, Glos GL6 0JP Visitors by appointment, please. Tel/Fax: 01453 832 113

F-type chassis from £520 4-wheeler chassis to your spec: 4/4,+4,+8.

Crossheads for all models. 3 and 4-wheeler. Hubcaps: polished alloy as original £29 pair, Stainless £35 pair.

Mayflower rear lamp die-castings £58 pair, lamps red or amber £36 pair Dash parts, red and black sockets £21.50 pair. Our replica horn push Super Sports

etc. £34,

Small chrome Horn push £9, Late F-type Bakelite horn push £20 Steering columns re-built, parts supplied. Morgan rear brake cam. £32.00

Cast polished rad cap mascots, Morgan flying ‘M’ flat or domed cap versions. £19 Paired wing Family type £30, Polished alloy Stork mascots £42 Bronze Storks £50 Radiator badges, German silver, for Super Sports, Aero, F-type and Grand Prix

Stub axle inner nuts £4, lock tabs £2.50 F-type and 3-speeder stub axles £65 pair. Stainless steel bonnet knob sets of 4, suit F-type Series 1 and early +4 and 4/4

£55, escutcheons to match £15 set.

Brake shoes relined, clutches rebuilt, any make Morgan to Rolls Royce.

Many other new and used parts also in stock, yes we also have a range of bits for

Bentley and Rolls Royce, mainly MKVI

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W.G. McMinnies (then editor of The Cyclecar, etc. etc.) bought his single-seat Morgan, which he named "The Jabberwock", in late February, 1913. He drove it from Birmingham to London, and then a bit, getting 65 mpg. His cruising speed was 20 - 30 mph with the motor “merely burbling and whiffling”. But this machine was a hill eater …. with a voracious appetite. Could it be sated on the Surrey Hills of the North Downs, accessed from the A25 Dorking-Reigate-Oxted road? A Sunday quest investigated hills which might be included in the ACU Spring Trial, for which a low gear of 8 - 1 was under test. Whitedown and Pebble Coombe presented no difficulty; Reigate Hill was taken in top gear, except for the last 50 yards. Westerham Hill was given a miss on account of the queues of motorists wanting to test their machines up this famous hill. Further on, the combination of Biggin Hill and Cudham Hill was taken in top gear "by continually closing off the air and retarding the spark as the engine slowed down, and it was only the last

dozen yards of Cudham Hill that required the low gear." Cudham Church Hill was next to fall, the final 1 in 4 and a bad bend forcing low gear into use for the last 50 yards. McMinnies went home arriving cold and dusty. These days it's the cyclists who charge

up these hills. Whitedown is "a brute of a climb" and scores highly in popularity, gradient about 20% at the steepest. Pebble Coombe (B2032) is only slightly less steep and "a bit of a pig". Reigate Hill (A217) would not be much fun these days with all the traffic. Chalk Pit and Titsey Hills still look sufficiently rural, mapwise, but the eponymous chalk pit is

currently used for landfill so there might be some heavy traffic; Titsey Hill (B269) is steep and popular. Of the remaining hills, Brasted is described as mean, and seems to have an "original" Macadam surface, being little more than a cart track. ….. Maybe that's the one to try! … with names along the way such as Skid Hill, Hogtrough Hill, Titsey Hill and Effingham, this route is a must…. … Just as my favourite route in London takes in “Feltham, Clapham and Turnham Green” … Ed

To The Hills ! Julian Vincent

He drove it from Birmingham to

London, and then a bit, getting 65

mpg. His cruising speed was 20 - 30

mph with the motor merely “burbling and whiffling”.

21

Not much activity on the ‘Gerald’ front apart from fitting a new rear inner tube to cure the slow puncture problem. Richard Atherton borrowed the car for some further filming for the ‘Car SOS’ TV show. Unfortunately it was on the morning of the first frost of the winter and she didn’t want to leave her cosy garage. I had to be in Worcester that day so it was down to the attentions of Brian Clutterbuck to coax her into life. There is now a low wattage heater in the workshop which should facilitate better starting in future.

Notes from the Custodian/Regalia Officer Ross Herbert

Regalia Matters Quite a few Christmas cards sold this year so it will be necessary to commission some new designs for next year. Any suggestion gratefully received. I intend to feature some specific Regalia items which are ‘Buy now while stocks last.’ We have a dozen of the MTWC mugs left (see below) They are of good quality with the ‘Gerald’ and Bill Higginson’s car plus an unknown green ’37 Supersports (although I’m sure someone can identify it). These are against the background of the Malvern Hills. They are available at £6.00 each and come

with free postage. It’s also worth mentioning that although we have some stock of logo clothing, mostly in green or blue, we can get any colour and size delivered direct from the supplier at no extra cost.

Ross Herbert, Hareley Farm, Linley Green Road, Whitbourne, Worcestershire. WR6 5RF Tel: 01886 884362 email: ross@hareleyfarm.co.uk

Fougères Rally 2015 Patrick Rollet

MTWC members have been numerous in the past to join the Fougères Rally in Brittany, France. In 2015, the "marques of honour" are the cyclecars. I wondered if some members wouln't be tempted to renew with the old tradition for

this occasion. Dates are May 29 to June 1st. Programme and application are on www.rallye-fougeres.org and I will be happy to provide any additional information. Ferry rebates are available for rally participants. Best wishes Patrick Rollet, President APPF

22

Recent deliveries of stock include: JAP and Matchless exhaust copper composite gaskets. Peter Thompson did a great job of sourcing these and we have been able to lower the selling price. We also have new stocks of Matchless distributor drive shaft bushes, Matchless front main shafts and 3 speeder gearbox détente springs. Next month we should have stock of a softer version of the V-Twin front main springs. Since testing these earlier this year we have already had orders for 20. Are there parts you would like Mogspares to source? We have over 600 different items in stock but are there other items that you may think we should be stocking that are not readily available from other suppliers? Nick Taylor has suggested there are some specialist tools needed for our cars that we should be making and stocking (years ago, Sandy Powell came up with a simple device to make sliding the V-twin motor onto the chassis, much easier. Matchless advised the use of a special tool to remove the timing pinion with damaging the timing chest rim ...Ed. Let me know what you need and the team will gauge the demand to see if we can justify the investment. Mogspares price list; can we improve it? Making the price list available on the website has been a great way of publishing this data and it’s easy to keep it up-to-date. www.mtwc.co.uk I was recently contacted by Pierre Lambert from France who is restoring a ‘33 Super Sports from a few boxes of bits. He

explained the problems he had translating the description of the parts into French but even then the French name for a part might be quite different. Pierre suggested photos of the parts would solve many of the language problems, so we will investigate if this is possible. If you have any suggestions please let me know what we can do to help.

Buying Mogspares items Ordering: You order spares from the appropriate Sales Officers, (see below), who keep stocks of spares, as listed in most issues of The Bulletin. (In general, items that are not JAP, Matchless or Ford are dealt with by the Transmission Sales Officer.) Payment: When a Sales Officer sends your order, he includes an invoice and remittance advice. Payment is sent on receipt of items, with the remittance advice, or copy of invoice to the Mogspares Financial Administrator - not to the Sales Officer. Payment can be made by: 1. Cheque payable to "Mogspares" 2. BACS electronic transfer (internet or

telephone banking) directly into the account stated on the remittance form. Please state your name and the invoice number so that we can identify payment.

3. Bank Card, by contacting the Administrator by telephone, email or letter giving card details and the invoice to be paid. Due to bank charges there is a 1.5% surcharge should payment be made by UK debit card, and 5.5% if made by other cards plus VAT where applicable.

Administration: The Mogspares Co-ordinator manages the Mogspares system and arranges the ordering of new spares and ‘may’ be contacted about problems and queries. He does not deal with sales, or stock spares himself - nor do the Mogspares Financial

JAP sales Andrew Morison, Tursiops Cottage, Durford Wood, 01730 890 199 Petersfield, Hants GU31 5AW japsales@mtwc.co.uk Matchless sales Roger Orford (T), Nethergreen Farm, Ridgeway Cross, Tel/fax 01886 880 387 Malvern, Worcs WR13 5JS (Mobile 07969 950015) mogrog@hotmail.co.uk

Transmission sales Bob Derricott, The Laurels, Langley Road, Lower Penn, 01902 762 017 South Staffordshire WV4 4XX robert@derricott.freeserve.co.uk

Ford sales Dave Young, The Garden Cottage, West Cross, 01580 766637 Tenterden, Kent, TN30 6JL dave-young@talktalk.net

Charles Smith Mogspares Co-ordinator

01922 644956 mogspares@mtwc.co.uk

23

24

25

...and Perhaps Morgan Owners Experience in industry demonstrates that there is very often a poor understanding amongst engineers of the basic ideas involved using the mix of materials found in the average home workshop related to our motoring hobby. Here then are a few tips to help you on your way. The workshop usually has a selection of oil and water based materials around involved with the operation, lubrication and cleaning of our vehicles. What is required in the workshop is a range of solvents to deal with the various problems encountered. A good range would be:- Water, Paraffin, Petrol, Methylated Spirit (IMS), & Cellulose Thinners. Water Used for washing your hands, cleaning the car and flushing away general muck and dirty from components. Very often used with soap and detergents to help disperse grease and oily deposits. When there is a lot of oily deposits use lots of detergent and have the water hot! Dishwasher tablets are good grease removers, but being alkaline will corrode aluminium components. When washing the car just add a couple of spots of detergent (washing-up liquid) to the bucket to significantly lower the surface tension - but not a lot to cause masses of foam. You will hear some experts” decry

the use of washing up liquid for car washing as “it contains salt”. With the right quantity as described, the salt content is insignificant. Hazards: Drowning, Rusting of Steel Components, long term contact with skin unlikely to cause problems Paraffin and White Spirit Good basic cleaners for oily components, but tend to leave oily deposit on items which takes long time to evaporate. Does not attack plastic components, but will cause swelling of rubber parts with prolonged contact. Good quality synthetic ‘rubber’ (elastomer) seals, ie modern ones and ‘O’ rings are OK for a short contact time, but this DOES NOT include brake cylinder rubbers! Of the two white spirit is the slightly better solvent, often used for cleaning oil based paint from brushes. Hazards: Inflammable, long term contact with the skin should be avoided. An open bath on the bench is relatively safe as long as it is not heated to cause fumes. The odd spark won’t ignite it. It will only catch fire if soaked into a cloth and a source of heat applied. Petrol A better more powerful solvent than paraffin, which rapidly evaporates to leave a clean component. Can attack some plastics and cause rubber parts to swell. Some slight oily

Chemistry for Engineers Nev Lear

26

residue can be left on the surface. Ignore any references to problems attributed to its alcohol content. Hazards: Inflammable, And again long-term skin contact should be avoided. An open bath on the bench should not be left so that fumes can spread. Fires with sparks, electric blower heaters etc. very likely to occur. Methylated Spirit (IMS) Confusingly, Industrial Methylated Spirit is actually ethanol, plus a purple dye and a ‘denaturant’, usually pyridine to give it an extremely unpleasant taste even when cut back with cheap cider!………….So logically it should be ‘ethylated spirit’. This is a good thing because methanol is far more poisonous. Of course ethanol is a ‘mild’ solvent and less harmful than petrol. Where Morgans and other old bikes and cars are concerned, methylated spirit used to be a good winter additive for petrol to stop carburettor freezing, but petrol now contains 5% meths so you don’t have to bother anymore. Good solvent for some adhesives and only attacks some plastics. Very good for cleaning brake hydraulic components and will not attack rubber seals. Can be used for, cleaning off most gasket cements, and also good for cleaning/degreasing windscreens. Hazards:- Inflammable, precautions as for petrol, burns with invisible flame. Water miscible, prolonged skin contact to be avoided. Cellulose Thinners The best and most powerful solvent in common use. Use when methylated Spirit has failed. Very good at degreasing components prior to use of any suitable adhesive. This is the stuff to use when making up control cables, sensibly filling the outer casings with oil before threading the inner through, but then needing to thoroughly degrease the end of the inner before soldering the nipple in place. Attacks most plastics so use with care. Will rapidly degrease the skin with prolonged contact, but is very much the stuff to have around when using ‘superglue’ and your fingers get stuck together! Hazards: Highly inflammable, precautions as for methylated spirit and petrol. Prolonged skin contact to be avoided

Other Materials: Battery Acid, Bakers Fluid (Soldering Flux), Caustic Soda. Battery acid is dilute sulphuric acid, so it is not deadly dangerous, except to eyes. Even the concentrated stuff will not dissolve bodies as commonly supposed; that’s fuming nitric, which is EVIL. Baker’s fluid is zinc chloride in water with a touch of hydrochloric acid, less than the strength of the hydrochloric acid in your stomach right now! But fumes are unpleasant and hot baker’s fluid can corrode nickel plating, copper and brass. Washing with lots of water with a few soda crystals (alkaline) is the right treatment for battery acid and Baker’s. Caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) is a most unpleasant strong alkali but it has its uses. (Wear full-monty eye protection and long rubber gloves) It will strip paint, burnt-on Castrol R, and decades of carbon and rust from cast iron and steel components …but it will dissolve your skin as well as aluminium. It’s not too good with solder either because it dissolves lead, slowly. Cook components in 10% (100g per litre) or stronger caustic soda flakes at 60+C in an old cast iron or stainless steel casserole for as long as you can get away with it. (Several hours preferably.) For cast iron multi-cylinder heads, (clean up beautifully inside and out) it is worth welding up a rectangular bath, preferably with lid. Remember that sodium hydroxide absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere, producing the ‘mild’ common soda, or sodium carbonate, so if you want to save used solution do it quickly and stopper tightly. Stout polythene i.e. the usual oil or windscreen wash containers are ideal. Label clearly, with scary warnings. These type of materials will always cause rapid corrosion if left in contact with metal components. After using any of these always wash the component in hot soapy water and dry rapidly to avoid this problem. I hope all this helps. …. Now, will somebody help me with the engineering? The assistance of John Rowland (another engineering chemist with ‘Morgan’ credentials) who kindly surveyed the draft of this article and contributed some ideas of his own is duly acknowledged.

27

Chairman Adrian Murray-Leslie, Woodside House, New Road 01246 819021 Barlborough, Sheffield S43 4HY adrian@murray-leslie.org.uk Secretary Chris Harfield. Little Edge Farm, Broadmead, Edgworth, 01204 853561 Bolton, Lancs. BL7 0JG secretary@mtwc.co.uk Treasurer John Scruton, Nonesuch, 48 Private Road, Mapperley 0115 960 6240 Notts. NG3 5FQ treasurer@mtwc.co.uk Membership Secretary Eric Bayley ) Bulletin Editor Nick Taylor ) See page 27 for details. Website Officer Steve Uprichard ) Joint Eligibility Jonathan Garside, 174 Victoria St, Newton, Hyde, Cheshire SK14 4AS Scrutineers garside954@btinternet.com mob: 07979541223 0161 366 5015 Dave Hodgson, 74 Union Road, Low Moor, Bradford BD12 0DF 01274 674381 david.hodgson486@btinternet.com Competition Sec Pete Clews, 141 Stallington Road, Blythe Bridge, Stoke-on-Trent 01782 396762 Staffs ST11 9PB mob: 07759 983993 peter_clews@hotmail.com Registrar Steve Lister, West End Farm, West End, Elton, Matlock, 01629 650 933 Derbys. DE4 2BZ registrar@mtwc.co.uk Librarian Peter Thompson, Snapdragons, Gold Hill North, 01895 236 246 Chalfont St Peter, Bucks SL9 9DS peter@marineengine.co.uk Regalia Secretary Ross Herbert, Hareley Farm, Linley Green Road, 01886 884362 and F4 Custodian Whitbourne Worcs. WR6 5RF ross@hareleyfarm.co.uk Archivist Jake Alderson, 36 Stone Delf, Fulwood, Sheffield S10 3QX 0114 230 7197 Mogspares Charles Smith, 10 Elizabeth Way, Kenilworth. Warks. CV 1QP 01926 852228 Coordinator charlesmith.warks@gmail.com Mogspares Financial Len Critchlow, Grange Wharf, Grange Road, Alvechurch, 0121 445 3199 Administrator Birmingham, West Midlands B48 7DQ lencritchlow@aol.com JAP sales Andrew Morison, Tursiops Cottage, Durford Wood, Petersfield, Hants. GU31 5AW Phone: 01730 890199 Fax: 01730 890189 japsales@mtwc.co.uk Matchless sales Roger Orford (T), Nethergreen Farm, Ridgeway Cross, Tel/fax 01886 880 387 Malvern, Worcs WR13 5JS mob: 07969 950015) mogrog@hotmail.co.uk Transmission sales Bob Derricott, The Laurels, Langley Road, Lower Penn, 01902 762 017 South Staffordshire WV4 4XX robert@derricott.freeserve.co.uk Ford sales Dave Young, The Garden Cottage, West Cross, 01580 766637 Tenterden, Kent TN30 6JL dave-young@talktalk.net Used Parts David Browne, Gorse Farm, Fulletby, Horncastle, Tel/fax 01507 534 315 Exchange Lincolnshire LN9 6LA Technical Adviser Chris Booth (T), 65 High Street, Rolvenden, Cranbrook, 01580 241 234 2-speeders Kent TN17 4LP chris@morganmuseum.org.uk Technical Adviser Bob Angell (T), Castle Bank Cottage, Ewloe, Deeside, 01244 532 714 3-speeders Flintshire CH5 3BZ Technical Adviser Colin Harris (T), 375 Amersham Road, Hazlemere, 01494 716 463 F-types Bucks HP15 7HR threewcol@yahoo.co.uk

Greg Bibby (T) The Nurseries, Fleckney Road, 0116 279 2129 (eves) Kibworth Beauchamp, Leics, LE8 0HJ Overseas Liason Bruce Campbell, 7 Bishops Close, Seaford, E Sussex, 01323 895512 BN25 2NW. brucecampbell3w@yahoo.co.uk

NOTE: On this page and in the list of Group Organisers, Officers of the Club listed who have a (T) after their names have indicated that they are trading in Morgans or Morgan-related parts.

President: Alan Lazenbury Vice -Presidents: Rose Hoar, Laurie Weeks, Gary Caroline Directors of the Morgan Three-Wheeler Club Ltd.

Adrian Murray-Leslie, Alan Lazenbury, John Scruton

Officers of the Club

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Editorial Material Material submitted for publication

MUST reach the Editor before the 10th day of the month preceding the date of issue, except when earlier delivery has

been agreed or by contacting:

Nick Taylor Harts House Gloucester Road Almondsbury BS32 4JB 01454 617002 Editor.mtwc@gmail.com

Bulletin distribution The Bulletin is distributed for the Club by the printers: Lavenham Press. For queries regarding non-arrival of your copy of the magazine, please contact:

Membership Secretary

Eric Bayley, 8 Manewas Way, Newquay,

Cornwall, TR7 3AH. Tel: 01637 872618

E-mail: bayleyveronica@aol.com

Subscriptions and membership records New membership forms, subscription renewals, and notification of changes of address

and non-arrival of your Bulletin should be sent to the Membership Secretary Eric Bayley, 8 Manewas Way, Newquay, Cornwall, TR7 3AH.

Tel: 01637 872618 E-mail: bayleyveronica@aol.com

Contacts

Back issues and the Index

Back issues of the Bulletin up to the year 2010 can be read on the CDs advertised in

Regalia. Nev Lear‘s Index of Bulletin articles

is also included .

Website Officer Steve Uprichard

5 Hall Drive Mottram-in-Longdendale, Hyde,Cheshire, SK14 6LH

+44 (0)1457 762682 website@mtwc.co.uk

Group Reports Group officers should submit their reports and dates of events and meetings, BEFORE the 10th day of the month preceding the date of issue, to the Assistant Editor

with a copy to the Editor Doug Forbes

2 Woods Batch Street SOMERSET BA16 OBH 01458 841418

douglasforbes141@btinternet.com

Advertisements One-off Morgan-related small advertisements

in The Floggery are free for members. Details should be received by the 5th of the previous month. Continuous free ads at the

discretion of the editor. To submit an advert please contact:

Doug Forbes 2 Woods Batch Street Somerset BA16 OBH 01458 841418 douglasforbes141@btinternet.com Requests for commercial advertisements or

Bulletin enclosures should be discussed with

the Editor.

Articles and advertisements in The Bulletin are the copyright of the Morgan Three-Wheeler Club, and must not be reproduced either whole or in part without the written permission of the Editor.

Views or opinions expressed in The Bulletin are not necessarily those of the Editor or the Club Committee. Reference to products or services does not imply the endorsement of the Club or Mogspares.

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Group Organisers/Contacts Australia Terry Doyle, 94 Disraeli St, Kew 3101, Victoria, Australia 03 9853 1908 Brooklands Trevor Seymour, 1 Chequer Tree Close, Knaphill, 01483 480 388 Woking, Surrey GU21 2PB email: seymourtrevor@aol.com East Anglia Pete Jones, Spring Cottage, Tucks Yard, Manea, 01354 680430 Cambs, PE15 0JE email, mrjosnes@tiscali.co.uk

East Anglia Mike Pilgrim, Little Orchard, Bredfield, Woodbridge 01394 382773 (Woolpit) Suffolk IP13 6AW E Midlands Malcolm Bull (T), 53 MacDonald Road, Wyken, 02476 444 282 Coventry CV2 5FE email: malcolmbull242@btinternet.com Far SW John Thomas, 4 Symons Row, Fore Street, St Cleer, Tel 01579 346 202 Liskeard, Cornwall, PL14 5DN Far Far SW Eric Bayley,8 Manewas Way, Newquay, Tel. 01637 872618 Cornwall.TR7 3AH email; bayleyveronica@aol.com Herts, Beds Angus Tozer, 57 Beechcroft Way, Dunstable, Tel. 01582 606812 and Bucks Beds. LU6 1EE email; mr.tozer01@gmail.com

Lancs Steve Hughes, 5 Chelmsford Walk, Leyland, Tel. 01772 453054 and Lakes Lancs. PR26 7AA email; ltowz60@gmail.com North West Mike Guess, 189 Chester Road, Grappenhall, 01925 262 264 Warrington, Cheshire WA4 2QB email: mm.guess@talktalk.net Oxford Bob Cragg, 1 Manor Farm, Culham, Abingdon, 01235 532 565 Oxon OX14 4NP email: bobcragg@aol.com Scandinavia Lennart Nilsson, Skogsvillan, Grytetorpsvägen 6, SE-647 51 Åkers Styckebruk, Sweden mob +46 (0)708 937603 email: lnilsson@me.com Scotland Dan Smith, 26a Quality Street, Edinburgh, 0131 312 8330 EH4 5BS 07713099010 South Coast Stephen Clark, Lower Sandhill House, Bodle St, 01435 830161 Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 4QU. e-mail: sclark1497@aol.com South East Dennis Plater, 5 Wakelin Chase, Ingatestone, 01277 352 867 Essex CM4 9HH

South West Tony Quinn, 3 Chard Close, Nailsea, Bristol BS48 4QA 01275 854789 e-mail: tony.quinn.mtwc@hotmail.co.uk North America Duncan Charlton. 1121 Lower Elgin Rd, Elgin, Texas. 512 965 7583 USA 78621 e-mail: Duncan.charlton54@gmail.com W Midlands Dave Anscombe, 80 High Park Avenue, Wollaston, 01384 372 307 Stourbridge DY8 3NA email: anscombe@wollaston80.freeserve.co.uk YND Adrian Murray-Leslie, Woodside House, New Road, 01246 819 021 Barlborough S43 4HY e-mail: Adrian@murray-leslie.org.uk CONTACT ONLY Germany Ulrich Middelanis. Westenzaeune 38, Kamen D-59174 Germany email umiddelanis@t-online.de This space is reserved (hopefully) for additional volunteer organisers/contacts

In accordance with the Club principles, no officer of the Club, nor the Club itself will enter into any mediation between any member and a commercial organisation over any dispute or complaint, even if the said organisation advertises in The Bulletin.

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Group Reports BROOKLANDS A couple of days before the meeting Carol and I attended the Sporting AGM followed by the CCM held at the same venue the following morning. I am not a racer, however there was a special presentation recognising Gary Caroline’s fifty years of racing Morgan Three Wheelers. He was presented with a framed photograph of Morgan’s racing at Brooklands during the twenties. It was decided that this would pass on to whom he felt deserved it by their achieve-ments on the track and presenting Morgans to the public. Gary took no time in present-ing it to Sue Derbyshire who will pass it on in turn. As I said, I am not a racer but I was

for Morgan competition by the younger members and their achievement’s. (that makes me feel old). I checked the Canadian Rifle Pavilion, Bisley, as an alternative venue from the North London Pavilion for our Christmas bash. The Canadian Pavilion is even more quirky than the North London and on the 28th February they can provide us with a

and breakfast or just breakfast, there is a bar and plenty of parking. I will send out booking forms, but if you want to come, please don’t rely on me having your name and address - give me a call. I asked everyone at the meeting if they would like to stand as Group Organiser. From their comments it appears I should continue – which I am happy to do. It seemed a busy meeting at the New Inn

decorations in place. No Morgans in the car park but my Sports Family will be running soon. Carl Edwell came with Lyn Evans who you will remember won a certificate and bottle of wine at the mid-summer concours, he left before collecting them. It was nice to see Alison Brooke. Sam brought loads of tools, brass off-cuts and storage boxes. I have started bringing old

vintage motoring magazines to clear some space. New Year’s Day: I suggest we meet up at the Brooklands Museum from 10.30 am. It will be wall to wall vintage and classic cars and it gets better each year - and they do a good lunch. If

entrance NOT the Mercedes World entrance, which is pedestrian only. Yes, it will be cold and raining but the Morgan will not care and you can warm up in the club house. Happy Christmas and New Year or bah humbug as you prefer. Trevor Seymour The Brooklands Group meeting held on the first Tuesday of the month is at the New Inn Send Marsh Road. Send. The pub is right on the Canal, next to the bridge. You can’t miss it, there is a big sign telling you Morgans meet here! Next meeting 6th January. New Year’s Day at Brooklands Museum from 10.30am. Post-Christmas Dinner 28th February at the Canadian Rifle Pavilion Bisley. EAST ANGLIA 2015 and a Happy New Year to all. November is a quiet time, but a lively meeting was held at the Hare Arms, in fact 2 meetings as Mr Colin Clyn also invited his local car club. No problem with that! We also welcomed 'Chuck' Berry, all the way from West Midlands, for the evening.

from Spares Fair. The month finished, for Christine and me in fine style at the sporting dinner & meetings at Stone. Mr Josnes. Next group meeting, 3rd Tuesday, 20th January. Hare Arms,Stow Bardolph. 8 pm EAST ANGLIA – WOOLPIT On a dismal damp December day, only Brian Finch’s dazzling blue F4 brightened the car park, though eight of us sat down to lunch. Hot topic was the new Dartford Crossing charging. Southbound traffic flowed unobstructed from the outset of the new regime, yet removing tollbooths for unimpeded northbound flow was scheduled to take three months! Frank David crosses often, and found it easy to set up a pre-

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payment account, entering the numbers of his several cars. But he omitted his 5-Speeder, as until now the man in the booth always cheerily waved him through free, saying “Three-Wheeler, OK !” Now he begins to worry about penalty fines – will the number plate cameras know he is a three-wheeler? Does your V5C say “Motorcycle”, which encompasses “Motor tricycle”, or “historic vehicle” or “Private/Light Goods (PLG)”, and may a trike still cross free? We shall see. Do these cameras spot the front or the rear number plate ? Motor cycles, which cross free, need not have a front plate but does the Law say whether a motor tricycle must have one and, if not, does that apply only when the single wheel is at the front, or to the Morgan configuration also ? Can any member tell us, or has anyone found out the hard way ? We perused the usual magazines whilst awaiting lunch. Amongst the tempting gifts in a French “catalogue Noël 2014” Trevor White spotted a book for the dedicated motoring aficionado, “Austin Allegro, an Enthusiast’s Guide”, authored by a Mr. Wanklyn. See you next month ! “Raedwald”

November started with Slot car Sprint, held on the 8th. Unfortunately, the day before, a visit to the doctor, resulted in him sending me straight to A&E, at the local hospital, where I was admitted for 3 days. I hear the event was held with out me, as a knock out event, as they did not have my timing gear, and a good time was had by all. The group meeting was a smaller one, but we still had 17 sit down for a very enjoyable evening, we heard that Alistair had sold his Aston Martin, at the NEC Classic Car Show Auction and we already knew about the interesting replacement he has bought. Paul Baker was making the final arrangements for the Christmas Dinner, which looks to be a record turnout and talk was of what entertainment people wanted. Malcolm D Bull January Group Meeting: Wednesday 21st from 6pm till late.

FAR, FAR SOUTH WEST End of another good year for our small band of merry Morganeers down here in Cornwall. Great summer, lots of local events to attend and to show our Morgans, many thanks to the members and friends for your support at our group meetings through out the year. Our November/December activities started with an invite to the VSCC annual film show at the Victoria Inn, Threemilestone, organised by Brian Galbraith. An enjoyable night’s entertainment showing classic motor racing from the 1950s. Moving on, our own group meeting at the Fox and Hounds is always something to look forward to - the gathering of good friends with always something interesting to talk about, the subject of Morgan restorations was reports; Brian G progressing with the transmission of his 2speeder; Dave B with radiator/bonnet of the F4; Les P still on a gearbox; John Layte; too busy with other projects and ex member, Doug Yates came along, promising to rejoin. My own F2 has had a busy year, all very enjoyable, but, is in need of a little TLC to stop gearbox oil leaks, (possible a minor crack somewhere in the casing) on hold for the moment until I have completed membership renewals, always a busy time of the year, but, now with a much improved computerised system of processing renewals, life is much easier and maybe, more time to fix the Morgan. Eric Bayley. Fri 2nd Jan. Black & White breakfast meet, Fox & Hounds, Scorrier 10.00am Wed 14th Jan VSCC, lunch meet, Hawkins Arms, Zelah, 12.00pm. Thurs 15th Jan MTWC, group meeting, Fox & Hounds.Scorrier, 7.30pm. Sun 18th Jan. VMCC,New Year Run, Chiverton Cross, 10.00am. FAR SOUTH WEST John Thomas has finally definitely shed his responsibilities, after thirty years as GO for the Far South West. This time he just wouldn't let us keep him on. A couple of falls recently landed him in hospital but he has now escaped. John was pleased to have good wishes sent to him, and will surely enjoy

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continued contact with the membership in person or on 01579 346202 . Many thanks for your good counsel (and chips) over the years, John. Bob and Wendy Clements recently had a pleasant foreign holiday, but all suddenly

attack of pneumonia. She took a good look at

just yet. Happily she is again her usual cheery self, but t'were a mighty close shave. Recent blether at Ivybridge included repair of petrol tanks.

some incredulity. Despite use of the said technique, this Morganeer is apparently still alive, last heard of in deepest Cornwall.... Doug Yates has sorted the problem with

reliably in 2015 (it was the magneto). He was even seen on TV, racing at Castle Coombe. Several of us went to the marvellous AGM weekend, Ron Clements eventually getting

One brake now works, will that do? Hopefully it won't be long until we press-gang, sorry elect, a new Supremo for the Far South West. Can I hear the hustings already underway? Somebody called Farage? Brian Galbraith (interim temporary scribe) FSW meetings continue at the Huntsman's Lodge, Ivybridge - Third Tuesday evenings. HERTS, BEDS and BUCKS The November meeting was a record turn out - including three new attendees; long-established members Peter and Tricia Jolly from the land of Northern Milton Keynes and Chris Nickless, 5-Speeder owner/driver, from Holmer Green in the High Wycombe area. Welcome All. Everyone made such a good, welcoming impression on Chris that he instantly booked himself and wife Liz for our Christmas Lunch in December. It was nice to see Jerry and Bron Rae who continue in their attempt to escape from the Home Counties and move to Worcestershire. Glyn Chambers tried to confuse us with an original hand throttle/foot accelerator

mechanism. After much head scratching some of us eventually worked out what cable should go where and why. Your Scribe brought his Super Sports 'scuttle' (the tinware that goes over the petrol/oil tank) to prove his Super Sports is in bits and to show the preventative maintenance carried out in 1967. He was later seen sitting in the car park, legs beneath it saying 'Poop, Poop' a la Mr Toad (surely for the benefit of the cameras?) Boxing Day and New Years Day meetings, hopefully will have been discussed over Christmas Lunch and we will have attended and enjoyed wherever. I am still coming to grips with these reports and realising that I have to think two months ahead! Happy New Year ! Angus Tozer. 3rd Wednesday, every month, Noon. The Swan, Northall, Beds., LU6 2EY. Next meeting Weds 21st January 2015. LANCS and LAKES I hope that you will all have had a good Christmas and New Year and that you have managed to do something enjoyable and Morgan-related over the festive season. Perhaps you got some nice new shiny bits from Santa to help with the winter project, or maybe just some new thermals! Our annual pre-Christmas meal at the Royal Oak in November went well with 32 members and partners present and was enjoyed by all. Unfortunately Bob and Audrey (Haynes) could not be with us due to illness so we all wish you well Audrey. Thanks again to Deryck for organising this for us and for the entertaining quiz. It was pleasing to have our new club chairman Adrian join us as guest which gave him chance to meet up with you all, for the first time in most cases. It was a great pity that the Night Trial had to be cancelled (postponed) due to lack of entries but I hope that a few more of you will have a go at this now that the rescheduled event is due to be held sometime during April. It is in our area so we must try to support this as much as we can. The Sporting Section annual dinner and awards night at Stone was a most enjoyable evening and congratulations to Chris Harfield

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and son David on winning the standard class championship again this year. Ian Hughes was awarded the HFS Trophy for winning the standard class at Curborough sprint (with the other Dave as passenger, sorry private joke!) so on his behalf I would like to thank Steve Lister again for the loan of the Blackburne Aero for the event. The group has had a successful year but that is all down to the enthusiasm of those who have been regular attendees at group meetings and taken part on our three organised runs this year. You have asked for more of the same for next year so that is what we will aim for! We should have had our New Year lunch meeting on the 30th and the New Year’s day gathering (VSCC and Preston & District) at Briars Hall, Lathom by the time you read this so there is little to report at the moment apart from the VMCC gathering at Worden park in Leyland on the 11th . Please note that as 1st Jan. is a Thursday the January meeting will be on the 22nd (4th Thursday) instead of the 15th (3rd Thursday).

Steve Hughes Sunday 11th January (a.m.) – VMCC gathering at Worden Park, Leyland. Thursday 22nd January – group meeting at the Royal Oak, Garstang (group eating from 6.30pm) NORTH AMERICA

The form that came with your November

I completed my form, scanned it and emailed it to the membership secretary. My new membership ID card arrived within a week. Tires — is it time for new tires yet? Maybe someone would like to help you buy a new set for Christmas? Get them now and you can be ready for next year’s driving season with greater peace of mind about the condition of your tires. As people tuck in for the winter in some parts of the continent and prepare for the holidays, a few people are still out and about in their Morgans. Jim Taylor reports: “Partly owing to the 3rd year of drought here in California, the skies have been blue and the roads dry. Perfect all year for three wheel driving. I've been driving "Sport" on a more or less regular basis.

Every Saturday morning a group calling itself the Doughnut Derelicts meets in Los Altos for coffee, conversation and cars. I often like to drive the Sports two-seater there and then take a 40 mile loop over back country roads to complete the morning. It was beautiful today -- temperatures in the low 70s with barely a

a completely absorbing experience. Dick Tuttle often brings his Super Sports to the Derelicts, and Jerry Gurley has driven his 5 speeder there several times since he got it. However we rarely all bring our MTWs to the Saturday group at the same time. We've got to coordinate that, so it happens more often!! We've participated in several low-pressure car shows over the past few months. About a month ago Jerry, Dick and I drove together to Intel's Corporate Headquarters in Santa Clara for their annual car show for and by their employees. Always a fun time. This year however, I got within two blocks of the venue when a push rod came adrift. Consequently the near side exhaust valve closed, and "Sport" came to a complete halt. Fortunately Dick's house was not far away.

the assembled cars, Jerry gave me a ride in his 5 speeder, which I thoroughly enjoyed. After getting "Sport" home and the timing chest open, it was clear than no visible damage was done to any part of the valve train. Apparently the "winkle cap" between the outside rocker and the valve stem had taken leave and the increased lash clearance -- now a giant gap -- had allowed the pumping push rod to bolt free and wedge itself behind the inside rocker. I re-assembled the valve train, using a still good winkle cap from my store of old bits, and checked lash on all four valves. No sticky valves; no sloppy adjuster; no worn guide. Apparently the winkle cap must have split and fallen away. I carefully started and cautiously drove the car around the neighborhood enough to convince myself that the minimal lash was holding. Since then I've done several 25 to 40 mile runs without incident. Ah the joys of trike ownership -- and trike friendship. Duncan Charlton

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NORTH WEST I write these notes having just returned from our Christmas lunch and before I go and hide myself on some island in the mid-Atlantic for the rest of the month. Christmas lunch was apparently enjoyed by all (37 of us) and we were pleased to be joined by our new Chairman and ‘Tricia. Of those present, only two were F-type owners but it seems that the others may own nearly 50 twins between them. For all that, there was one solitary twin in the car park, Bob Barlow being prepared to chance the salted roads. Good on you! The previous weekend, the Group were strongly represented at the Sporting Section AGM, where our other two F-type owners were officiating. Surely we have more than four? Yes we have a fifth and were pleased to welcome new man Derek Worthington and Janet to the Friday meet. Derek has just acquired a 100E F-type with servo assisted brakes. We await some feedback.

Stocks meeting, we are programmed for the usual mid-month lunch and month end meet. There is also the possibility of a slide show in February. Mike Guess 2nd January - Meeting, The Whipping Stocks, A50, Over Peover 14th January - Wednesday Lunch at The Crown Inn, Goostrey 30th January - Friday meeting, The Whipping Stocks, A50, Over Peover OXFORD I could not get to the end of November meeting, as Pat and I had a week's holiday in Cuba. I have never had a desire to own a 50's American gas guzzler, but one has to admire the ingenuity of the owners of the hundreds of time warp vehicles (which are still so commonplace in Havana) in keeping them running with no spares available from the USA. Admittedly the majority now have Japanese engines and the wheels have been changed to improve the availability of tyres, but everything else has to be fabricated or machined. We got back on December 5th, which happened to be the deadline for Bulletin copy, so this report is of necessity a bit hurried. Tony Tebby tells me that there were two three wheelers at the November

meeting, his MX4 Super Sports and Roger Hall's F-4. Sue Hall acted as chauffeuse on the day as Roger has not yet got the all clear from the doctor to drive. As you will have read in the December Bulletin, the Opening Run will definitely be at Combe Mill on 12th April, and as it's on our patch I hope we can put on a good show of our local cars. Bob Cragg Saturday 31st January, Oxford Group Meeting, The Abingdon Arms, Beckley, noon. SCANDINAVIAN First of all, I want to congratulate and welcome Adrian Murray-Leslie as our new Chairman, as well as thank Michael Joseph for all his efforts. I do not know Adrian personally and I am sorry that I missed the AGM, but I am pleased that the feeling in the club seems so positive again. Still hoping for a spring tour over there. I am still busy packing up all our stuff, late partly due to all the mysteries of our house. Buying old, spooky houses in the countryside can be a real challenge. We have always liked challenges so we should be pleased, but it is definitely time consuming. So I am very pleased that Christer Campler and Stig Svensson takes care of the Viking Run next year. But as I wrote last month I want to do something Morganwise for the East Coast of Sweden so you are all welcome to our home the 25th of April, if you dare! I hope that the invitation page is included in this Bulletin for more information as well as in the last report. I hope that many of you will already have got it one-mail the post when reading this. I wish you all a good winter season for care and possibly restorations of your loved Three-Wheelers. Lennart Nilsson SCOTLAND/NORTH EAST When I said ‘short of a January report’ last time, I meant February, so a few items for this issue. I was able to attend the CCM in Stone this month, as I was staying in Leeds and there-fore within striking distance – normally these meetings are held in Oxfordshire.

from Graham Joseph regarding Mogspares

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acquisition, and the question of Officer Tenure – I don’t intend to give you a report on all of this, but relevant information will be forthcoming in the Bulletin from committee members, I am sure. The useful thing for the group was that I had the opportunity to talk more with club officers and other GOs attending. The new chairman, Aidrian Murray-Leslie, is keen to make contact with all the groups and is planning a tour of these, including Scotland and the North-East, so I will liaise with him about locations and timing. Similarly, the Touring Section (short item in this months’ Bulletin on page 11) wants to include a social event in Scotland, so I will be talking to Ian Parkinson about this – suggestions for venue and activities are sought from YOU the membership. Steve Hughes, Lancs and Lakes GO, was also very interested in some kind of connection, and this would be within range of Borders and NE members, so I will discuss opportunities with him – again, suggestions from the group will help. Finally, bit of an odd one, but I noted on page 15, advance notice of a gathering in Inverary in September, organised by the German Dreirad Treffen (threewheeler group to you…), with the UK organiser living in Edinburgh. These guys enthuse about anything on 3 wheels, so it will be a pretty eclectic mix of vehicles, but could be fun, so we will keep it in mind. Dan The Keen to Get More Going in 2015 SOUTH COAST On 2nd November a group of us met to watch the London to Brighton Run. It had been a while since I last attended the Run but I remember the occasion very clearly. Dapper as always, I sported a pale blue overcoat with navy velvet collar and matching trapper’s hat. “Bunny”, my adored and perversely-named knitted sheep, was clasped under one elbow while my other hand was tucked into my father’s great paw as the “Old Crocks” spluttered by. We lived a few miles from the Brighton Road in Purley where the cars passed and I was now considered grown up enough to appreciate the spectacle. It was raining of course and, after an hour, Dad, Bunny and I were

waterlogged. We returned home for Sunday roast and, as I recall, afternoon entertainment courtesy of The Glums, Liberace and Mr. Astaire. Apart from the route, the event seems unchanged: the date, the weather, the cars and probably some of the drivers. Dave Young, the Booths, the Pittucks and the Clarks (Bunny stayed at home) gathered at the Jack and Jill, Clayton. This is a fine vantage point situated at the foot of Clayton Hill – a tough escarpment leading up to the ridge of the South Downs and the two eponymous windmills. Some drivers stop at the pub for invigoration prior to this, the stiffest challenge of the run. Others press on, using momentum to carry them as far up the ascent as possible before changing down for the slow grind to the summit. We enjoyed a dry morning and waved through about a hundred cars. I was fortunate to be with Chris Booth whose encyclopaedic knowledge of the cars, drivers and folklore helped make it all much more interesting. At mid-day the heavens opened and we headed for home and …… cheese on toast. There was a good turnout of around thirty for the November meeting and film show. “Brooklands – The Birthplace of British Motorsport” is a cinematic history of the track from its conception and construction, through the golden years of racing and record-breaking to its closure in 1939. This was followed by an entertaining “short” about the training day. The evening’s programme was well received, not least by Barney, Dave Young’s border terrier, who took full advantage of our rapt attention on the silver screen. He patrolled the tables under cover of the subdued light and polished off at least three unguarded meals. I suspect that the chemical reaction of spring onions, chilli and sticky toffee pudding may have placed severe strain on Dave’s olfactory system on the way home. Roy Williams was itching to put his recently-acquired F Super through its paces and Alan Strutt, clearly a very skilled engineer, proudly displayed a beautiful brass oil drip-feed he had made for his rather special Super Sports. You will not meet a more good-natured fellow than Andy Brown. Recently his MX2

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repaid over fifty years of his kindness by spitting back viciously during cranking and seriously injuring Andy’s right hand. With characteristic resourcefulness he moved his Workmate into the kitchen to clamp loaves, hams, cans and kippers etc. to be sliced, carved, opened and boned with his good hand. Thankfully he is now almost mended. Stephen Clark Wednesday, 21st January, 8.00 pm. Photographic competition. Six Bells, Chiddingly. SOUTH EAST Three distinguished guests attended the

Brian Watts on 19th November. Brian Clutter-buck and wife Liz combined a trip to Bucking-hamshire to leave Brian’s De Luxe Morgan

, picking up former member Goo Boatwright at Hemel Hempstead on the way. Room was even found for Dennis Plater’s Narrow B chassis for his latest project, increasing to 2 the restorations known to be active in the South East Group with 2 more waiting in the wings. The number present was so high that Brian Watts’ reserve collection of chairs was called upon so that all could be seated. By the time that you read this Goo Boatwright should have returned home from hospital after his quite unexpected heart bypass operation. Goo will welcome visitors but if as many arrive as turned up while he was hospitalized it is to be hoped that they will form an orderly queue. There was an impressive turn out for the meeting held on 6th December of no less than 20 members/ wives/partners; not all had come just to save on the postage on Christmas cards. Perhaps the impending increase in the tolls for using the Dartford Crossing had something to do with it! In addition to the regulars who attend it was nice to see Vice-President Rose Hoar keeping in touch with other members. All present who were still capable took the opportunity to write a few kind words (or not so kind!) to be included with a get-well card to Goo Boatwright. “ Duoika Saturday 3rd January 2015, Swan Hotel, Horndon-on-the-Hill. Saturday 7th February 2015, Swan Hotel, Horndon-on-the-Hill details of sale!

SOUTH WEST The change of venue to The Bell at Frampton on Severn for our northern area meetings revitalised attendance with a twenty five members, friends and several Morgans in the car park. Mike Sythes' delectable Frazer Nash attracted a lot of favourable comments with Pete Loveless taking it for a quick blast up the road and back. It was good to see that Steve Kitching had repaired his Grand Prix's bevels. Alan Terry experienced some difficulty when the starter motor on his MX4 SS became disengaged. Several helpful pushes failed to produce motive power. Alan applied a blunt instrument to re-adjust the starter motor position and all was well. By the time you read this we should have had our Christmas lunch at The Bell and be enjoying the first drives of our Morgans in 2015. Regular monthly meetings will re-start in February, at lunchtimes on the first Saturday of each month alternating between Frampton on Severn and Sidbury. Ian Parkinson and Dick Fripp have some excellent ideas for group activities in the coming year so watch this space and ensure you are on the emailing list. Tony Quinn Thurs 1st January: Lunchtime - The Strode Arms, Cranmore, near Shepton Mallet. Joint meeting with MSCC and VSCC. Sat 7thFebruary: Lunchtime - The Hare & Hounds, Putts Corner, Sidbury. Sat 7th March - Lunchtime - The Bell, Frampton on Severn, Glos. WEST MIDLANDS I hope you have been enjoying a pleasant and peaceful Christmas season and have found some excuses to use your Mog in

(or both). Unfortunately, our December end-of-month meeting at the Clent Club would fall on New Year’s Eve and the preceding Wednesday is Christmas Eve. As many of even the most die-hard of Morganists will have other things to do on those evenings (and the club will be very crowded), we will not be having a December Clent Club meeting. The next group meeting will therefore be at the Fruiterer’s on 14th January. In the meantime, one opportunity to

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exercise your Morgan will be the usual VSCC meeting on New Year’s Day at the Royal Oak on the A449 in Much Marcle. I look forward to seeing you there. Compliments of the season and I hope Santa brought you all the spares you needed to keep/make the little beastie mobile. Dave Anscombe Wednesday 26th December, NO MEETING at the Clent Club Thursday, 1st January, VSCC Meeting, Royal Oak, Much Marcle, 11:00 Wednesday, 14th January, Mid-month Meeting. Fruiterer’s Arms, Ombersley 20:00 Wednesday 28th January, Monthly Meeting. The Clent Club 20:00 YORKS. NOTTS. and DERBYS. You really must come to the meetings now; we have a brand new exclusive exhibit – The MTWC Chairman, Adrian Murray-Leslie! (He has promised to keep coming to see the peasants). After 47 years continuous membership, club racing, behind the scenes work, etc. we finally nailed him down as YND GO about 6 months ago, he attended his first ‘Top Brass’ committee meeting, and what happens – THEY HAVE PINCHED HIM! Good Luck Adrian the big boys have chosen well. He is very experienced at getting things moving and with a velvet glove (see October Bulletin). So….what does all this mean for the YND Group? It means we return to what we had before but with a little more structure. Dave Hodgson returns to the post of official Group Organiser (for the third time I think) and have responsibility for representing the Group at MTWC Committee meetings

(I think he goes anyway). I will continue to send reports to The Bulletin (I’d like to see you do that without me!!! – Heather) and organise the group meetings and runs. The difference being that Dave and I have agreed we will both retire by the end of 2016 (will I get redundancy? - Heather), so by that time we need a volunteer or volunteers, keen or reluctant, woman or man to have taken over. The sooner they break cover the longer they have to see what it entails, Dave and Adrian would be happy to be shadowed at Committee meetings and anyone is welcome to any information about what I do i.e. try to organise things to appeal to as wider range of members and their families as possible. Oh the meeting….it was attended by a whole array of regulars who discussed everything under the sun – they even mentioned Morgan Three Wheelers! but the most encouraging thing was another new attendee from Leeds – Bill Critchlow who we met at the September group run to Dave’s. I hope Bill thinks we are worth another, and another, and another…visit. Our next idea is a Group dinner/buffet at ‘The Bay Horse’ on the 10th March 2015 (a club night) details are very tentative at this stage, but watch this space, by March you will be sick of hearing about it! But pencil it in now. Eric Eadon and Heather Next meetings … check with Eric 9th December The Bay Horse, Scholes. M1, J35, A629, 3rd left . (Sat Nav S61 2RQ). 23rd December The Reindeer Inn, Overton. A642, opposite the National Coal Mining Museum. (Sat Nav WF4 4RL).

Cable Operated Handbrake Dave Pittuck

My New Year’s resomolution is to improve my front wheel cable operated handbrake to the point where I can imagine that I am stopping when I apply it. Amongst other areas of improvement, I intend to replace the original compensating

pulley with a balance bar. Rather than re-invent the wheel (or pulley), I would welcome any comments/ideas/photos from members who have successfully trod this path. Dave Pittuck (dpittuck@hotmail.com or 01403 700658). ... As would the Editor

Editor’s note: Whilst this may have been writ upon in previous Bulletins .. as more aged members may point out, I would very much like to hear from those who have tried recently to master the “will it leap left or right” conundrum … along with experiences of converting the front cables to foot operation and coupling all three brakes - both 2 and 3 speeder.

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Here is a picture of my 2 grand-sons and the Morgan 3 Wheel-ers. Robbe (8 years) cranks up the 1933 Sports 2 seater while Bram (4 years) is ready to take off in the Aero pedal car... This picture was taken (and selected) for the 2015 PrewarCar calendar "A new generation taking the wheel". The Sports 2 seater (BBY993) is an ex 1933 Olympia Show model and is in my possession since 1999 when I bought it from Chris Booth as a "restoration job. (See picture)." With the help of several local friends and overseas MTWC members it was restored over a period of 13 years. Now it runs very well, and only the cable operated brakes could benefit some urgent improvments....I've been looking everywhere to find a picture of the 1933 Olympia Morgan stand, or other history of this car but so far without success. Can anyone help? The pedal car was found in Normandy last year, and the restoration was finished within a couple of months. The seller told me he bought it from an Englishman around 1970. It is very well made, with lots of details, and it even has a Sturmey 3 speed rear hub. Again I would like to trace the history and found out who build this little marvel. The only thing I would like to replace are the bicycle lights. I'm looking for a pair of Lucas sidelights that were used on the bigger cars in the twenties, and are scaled down versions of the lamps that were on the real Aero of that period. If anyone can help, please let me know.

The Next Generation …. Luc Ryckaert

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40 37 40

Our 2012 5-Speeder, Little Blue, is well used to continental touring with trips to Assen, Amiens, SW France and the Mille Miglia at Brescia already under his (toothed) belt. Space is at a premium but with room for three airline type bags in the back and two down the foot well. Cecile and I carefully planned our luggage. Rohan high performance gear meant that a minimum of clothing needed to be packed and each night we cheerfully washed out our smalls, ready for the next day. We think like bikers with waterproof jackets and trousers and always wear crash helmets, the stone chips on the front these prove the wisdom of our decision, I believe. This tour, very well organised by Philip and Linda Loring from the Cranfield Centre of the Morgan Sports Car Club, was designed to give participants flexibility in their choice of activities, around a skeleton structure of up to 250 miles each day for the journeys out and back. Little Blue was well up to the task and completed 1,860 trouble-free miles in the eight days. We embarked on the tour by way of the Harwich to Hook of Holland overnight ferry

to end Day One at Möhnesee, a village in the North Rhine-Westphalia region of Germany. Built between 1908 and 1913 the Möhne

reservoir is an artificial lake formed by the damming of the rivers Möhne and Heve. It was one of the dams bombed by 617 Squadron in May 1943 and the lake is now a tourist attraction. A small plaque reminds visitors of its significance in WW2. The following day we had a 250 mile Autobahn drive to Grimma, situated between Leipzig and Dresden. We kept up an acceptable speed of around 75mph in the company of 4/4s, Plus 4s, Plus 8s, Roadsters

and Aeros. A short scenic drive on Day Three took us to Colditz and, after parking in the German officers’ courtyard, we were shown around by a guide who displayed an engaging sense of humour and some sympathy for the escape attempts. All prisoners caught whilst escaping were extensively photographed and precise details of their attempts circulated to all other POW camps to improve the Germans’ knowledge base.

Escape to Colditz Laurie and Cécile Povey

Boot packed and ready to go

Little Blue on the road

42 41

Everybody in Britain knows about Colditz from the books, film and TV series but in Germany it appears to be a well-kept secret. We re-enacted the glider-building episode with balsa models and even launched them from the ramparts.

Two of us succeeded in escaping over the outer wall. This was a superb visit despite the building work. There appeared to be very little in the way of tourism in the area and the unfortunate café owner we invaded at 2.00pm was trying to close

for the day! He bravely rallied, and raced around whilst 28 of us enjoyed a late lunch. A group of us cruised along the River Mulde the 3 miles to Grimma, which suffered dreadful floods in 2002 and 2013. The town had been the subject of a massive renovation programme so that the only indications of the devastation were the flood height markers on buildings and the abandonment of ground floors in houses; people have moved their living space upstairs and coped.

Cécile and I decided on Day Five to invade Poland, as you do, and soon found ourselves struggling on the worst roads we have ever encountered. A detour south took us into the Czech Republic where things improved but with no map we retreated back into Germany. Casualties were light although the SAT NAV was playing up. On our way home we stopped at one of the very few towns to escape from any allied bombing, Quedlinburg is a UNESCO World Heritage site and an absolute jewel. Superb timber framed buildings dating back some 500 years abound and although a tourist haven we found plenty of space to park and wander around. M3W ownership has not all been plain sailing. In 26 months we are now on our 2nd bevel box, 3rd rectifier and 3rd rear drive sprocket. Yet despite these irritations we thoroughly enjoy the 5-Speeder experience and have covered 13,600 miles. The enormous highs of driving such a delightful machine still outweigh the depths of despair experienced when a component fails.

Colditz Castle

Escape attempt 2014

Quedlinberg

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The Algarve Classic Festival was held at the Portimao Circuit in Southern Portugal on 17th – 20th October 2014. I entered the Pre- War Sports car races, organised by Motor Racing Legends. I was the only Morgan 3 Wheeler entered. It was in August before I knew that my work schedule would allow me to compete. By this time there were no suitable overnight ferries with cabins available. My last option was for my wife and I to make the long drive from North Shropshire via the Dover / Calais route (a total of 3,750 miles return). We left home in heavy rain towing the

stay was with Rose and Duncan (Wood). It had taken us all day to reach Kent due to lots of road-works and many hours spent in traffic jams. The rain stopped on arrival in

. The drive through France was great with little traffic and not a gendarme in sight. Whilst driving late at night in Northern Spain, and looking for a place to sleep. We entered the Catalan town of Bergara and asked a traffic policeman for hotel directions. After a brief chat about the Morgan and some photos – he declared it was impossible for us to stay in that town as the parking was not secure enough and he would not allow it. He recommended a hotel in the next town. The directions were very complicated so he said “hang on”. They stopped all traffic to allow me to perform an illegal U-turn (on a major one way street) then he and his colleague escorted us about 8 miles towards his recommended (and truly fabulous) hotel. We did have an exciting moment, the following day, whilst descending a steep

wide load up ahead (complete with convoy). I had the bright idea that it would be far safer to overtake him at high speed to minimise the exposure time. I had created a significant speed difference and was closing fast. At the last moment, the lorry suddenly lost control and veered across the empty lane right in front of my nose. With my wheels locked up and all tyres

smoking (tow car and trailer). I just managed to pull up with inches to spare. I often used to wonder what caused those funny shaped skid marks you see on the motorways. We eventually arrived at the Portuguese circuit and completed all signing on etc. The event was very well supported and some races had a massive grid. The next day was to be an early start for my practice session. Totally exhausted, I set my alarm for 05:30hr and next day my wife woke me at 08:00hr to tell me I had just missed my practice. My alarm was set on PM instead of AM (Doh!). I was put on the 3rd row of the grid (out of 8 rows) for both races. The Superbike and Moto GP racers generally consider this to be the best circuit in the world. However my little Morgan 3 Wheeler just seemed to shake itself to bits. After ½ an hour of racing, my Morgan

and 5 broken bolts. The second race was good until the 6th lap when I lost fuel pressure. I pulled into the pits to find my carburettor had rattled loose (despite lots of lock-wires). After a quick carburettor rebuild I was back out again having more fun. The winners in my races were a Bugatti in race-1 and a Frazer Nash in race-2. Although these cars were 20 mph faster than me on the straits - The Morgan was substantially the fastest through the twisty sections of the circuit. I always find it peculiar that the Morgan 3 Wheeler (the smallest / cheapest vehicle present) attracts the largest crowd. Even the chefs and cooks from the kitchen all took turns to sit in the Morgan. As I was busy fettling and didn’t have time to stop for lunch – The Chef prepared 2x gourmet lunches and sent them down to the garages for us (brilliant). No prizes for me this year, but my wife was awarded a special prize (by the organisers) for being the most patient wife they had ever seen. Every night we had been getting back to the hotel a good 3 or 4 hours after everyone else.

Algarve Classic Festival Iain Stewart

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Before we managed to leave the circuit, it had started to fill up with Moto-GP people. They were due to be testing Moto-2 and Moto-3 over the following few days. As usual, their mechanics and engineers were fascinated with the Morgan’s exposed valve gear and primitive drive train. On our return journey we were hammering along through Northern Spain. I had passed a white Transit on a twisty downhill section. I later noticed this Transit had speeded up and appeared to be trying to catch me. I didn’t think I had carved him up or caused him any annoyance, but he was certainly driving flat out. After about 60 miles, I pulled into a service station and he followed me in. He was a Frenchman who owned a Morgan 3 Wheeler and he desperately wanted to photograph some details of my car. His poor wife looked very relieved that he had finally caught up with me. Our final night in France was spent in a little hotel between Boulogne and Calais. The hotel had many peculiarities, but the proprietor was extremely kind and generous. He insisted that I park my Morgan and trailer

inside his garage. Whilst refusing to accept any extra payment. This was fairly typical of everywhere we stayed. It was back to heavy rain again on our arrival in UK. The road conditions and traffic jams becoming horrendous again. Of the entire race entry – my Morgan was the only vehicle which was transported to and from the event on an open trailer (by its owner). This always used to be the traditional way to transport vehicles, but is now becoming extremely rare. Although it involves some extra work and security can be a headache at times. But, to meet up with so many enthusiastic strangers along the way is rewarding and is some compensation. So if anyone is contemplating a trip to Europe (for the first time). Go for it! The European roads are usually fantastic and the motorways deserted. Driving conditions are brilliant with higher national speeds than in UK. Fuel is cheaper and all the people I met were very welcoming. This particular journey was also carried out with an old banger for a tow car which was bought for £1,000 a few weeks earlier.

Spotted… on the Internet... ….was this advert for Minerva from 1908. The typeface seems rather like that used a few years later by HFS. Is there anyone who can shed light on whether the style used, who chose it and where it came from. Over the years various typefaces were used as were differing badges on radiators and elsewhere. To my knowledge (pah!!) this has never been disseminated …..

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JAP magneto bevel-drive gear sets, £80.00 pr; twin mag set, £115.00

Plus postage £2 UK, £2 Europe, £3 overseas. Square ML magneto pick-up and brush; £10. each incl pandp anywhere.

JAP D shaped bevel-gear covers £25. incl pandp anywhere JAP half-round bevel-gear covers for late KT series engines with

mechanical oil pumps: £25. incl pandp anywhere. (must be finish-bored in timing cover )

50°/60° JAP engine plate sets £40. plus pandp £8. UK, £32 Europe. If you are not entirely satisfied with goods supplied, please do not hesitate to return them for a refund.

David Browne, Gorse farm, Fulletby, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6LA Tel: 01507 534315

UK Derric & Janet Worthington. Stockport, Cheshire, SK6 7DR. Barry & Christine Jordan. Borrowash, Derbys, DE72 3GE. Clare Tozer-Roodt. Dunstable, Beds, LU6 1EE. Richard Garside. Newton, Hyde, Cheshire, SK14 4AS. Stanley Ashbolt. Chandlers Ford, Southampton, SO53 4LZ. Ian Cummings. Curdworth, Sutton Coldfield, B76 9EL. Julie Morley. Wolvey, Hinckley, Leics, LE10 3GE. Finiey Cameron. Wellend, Malvern, Worcs, WR13 6ND. Rejoined. Edwin Gibbard. Brentwood, Essex, CM14 4JG. Gary Noble. Oxenhope, Keighley, BO22 9HH. EU+ Juri Castricum. Winkel, 173 1LM, Netherlands. ROW Malcolm Lloyd Smith. Encinitas, CA 92024, USA. Martha Nichol. Hyde Park, NY 12538 1108. USA.

New Members and Re-joined Members Eric Bayley

COWLEY RESTORATIONS ALL ASPECTS OF RESTORATION WORK

REPAIRS, SERVICING, MoT PREPARATION

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tom.cowley@hotmail.co.uk 01335 348718

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. A presentation from Mogspares gave the

and other issues. Members were reminded that any operating surplus is used to fund purchase of additional spares. Questions were asked and answered by the team of Charles Smith and Graham Joseph. The meeting gave wholehearted support to the work carried out by the Mogspares team. Eric Bayley our membership secretary detailed how the new renewal system was working and commented that it was much better and faster than the previous system. A vote of thanks was given to Steve Uprichard and Howard Joseph who had done much of the work required to set the system up. The meeting requested that a letter of thanks to be sent to Howard Joseph.

. The matter of “trader” definition of officers to be examined.

. The treasurer gave his report. The impact of the change in accounting date was discussed and new signatories were approved for the bank account. Tony Quinn reported on the governance review team. Agreement was reached on tenure terms for the office of Chairman.( This will require AGM approval and a detailed proposal will be published before the 2015 AGM ) Further work on the possible post and tenure of a vice chairman will be carried out at the next meeting. Charles Smith was thanked for his work so far on the Opening meeting 2015 (further updates to follow in the Bulletin ) It was agreed that in future all club members will be required to pay for their meals at theAGM. Sam Savage proposed that Club members give something back to those who work at the factory and those who accompanied us in the 5-speeder runs at the AGM. Dates, venues and practical issues to be examined. A report on the Training Day was received from Michael Joseph and his offer to run one in 2015 was accepted. As a way of thanking the Factory for their hospitality at the AGM, the meeting agreed a donation of £500 to the Marfan Trust (see www.marfan.org.uk). Steve Morris MMC MD has

a daughter with this condition and it is the Factory’s chosen charity. If members wish to make an individual contribution via the Club, that will go towards the £500 and any contributions made after the £500 target has been reached will be added to it. Cheques to the Treasurer or internet payments need to be marked Marfan (Club account MTWC 40-24-11 ac 61598554.) The 70th Anniversary AGM costs for next year will show a slight increase. First Class entertainment will be provided at the AGM dinner. Richard Atherton asked the committee to approve the co-option of Maria Parkinson as his assistant. Richard was thanked for his efforts last year and this. Richard Atherton and Ian Parkinson have during the past year represented the Club at The Thrill on the Hill, 100 years of Pickers-leigh Road and at the Training Day. Ian did a brief presentation of his ideas for the forth-

to last year but also other events and the possi-bility of an annual or biennial MOG event. The post of Public Relations and Publicity officer was reinstated and Ian Parkinson was co-opted with Richard Atherton as assistant. Unfortunately Ross Herbert the Regalia Officer could not attend, but his report was discussed in detail. It was agreed that in order to co-ordinate his work with Public Relations and Publicity, Steve Uprichard, Ian Parkinson and Richard Atherton should liaise with Ross in the e-commerce /on line shop aspects and with the selection of suitable items for resale. As reports had been previously circulated or discussed, no further discussion was required, but brief reports were received from those present. Gary Caroline who organized the spares fair at the AGM wished thanks to be minuted to those who assisted in the running of the event and to those who ran the bring and buy which raised £230. Pete Clews gave a short verbal report of the successes of the sporting section in the previous year and thanked the club for its support. The appointment of Pete Clews, Alaistair Rew, Sue Derbyshire, Dave Hodgson, Jonathon Garside and Greg Bibby (being appointments from the sporting AGM) were ratified. The meeting confirmed financial support to the sporting section of £2000 plus Vat for the 2015 season. Dave Hodgson reported that the night trial had to be cancelled due to low entries. Much preparatory work had been done and maps bought etc. so it will be held in early spring 2015. (details tba)

Committee Meeting Resumé Chris Harfield, Hon. Secretary

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Jake was on his way to the company New Year party, on a cold and wet winter’s night. His car had been reluctant to start but he had ignored this problem for a few days, hoping it would sort itself out. Well it did. At the cross roads at the bottom of the hill, a couple of miles from the pub, the engine died, and eventually, after trying to start it for several minutes, the battery died as well. Realizing that he had not got a coat. he was left with no option other than to try and get a lift. Several minutes went by and the one car that did pass did not see him as he scrambled from his own car. vainly trying to flag it down. In the end he turned his suit collar up and started walking. As he did so, he noticed a small three-wheeled pre-war Morgan roll to a halt from the road junction opposite. Although the small hood offered little protection, it was better than nothing ... and … thanking the driver, he struggled in and finally sat down.

It was only then that he noticed that there was no driver. Looking around in alarm he was shocked when the vehicle started moving again. Slowly …. and in complete silence, the ghostly tricycle moved along the road. A cold uneasiness enveloped Jake …

Eventually the last bend before the pub came into view as the car kept moving with increasing speed …. straight toward the embankment of the river bridge, after which the pub was named. Jake started to panic, for by now, he had realized that he would not be able to extricate himself from the confines of the small hood before the car careered down the bank. As he prepared to meet his maker in the swollen river below ... a ghostly white hand appeared, as if from nowhere and turned the wheel, averting disaster. With a sob, Jake managed to fling back the hood and jumping out of the car, he fled along the road heading for the comfort and safety of the pub. After drying out and standing at the bar with a large whisky in his trembling hand, explaining to his friends the mysterious happenings …. which few believed …. the door opened once again and two equally wet and dishevelled, black-coated travellers stumbled in. As they stood there, shaking the water from their hats and faces, one said to the other…. “There his is”, pointing at Jake, “there’s the daft b…… that jumped into the Morgan whilst we were pushing it here!!!”

… A Ghostly New Year’s Tale John Chatwin

This month’s cartoon from V.Twin typifies the True Morgan Enthusiast’s predilection for inflicting pain upon themselves … and their passengers - many of whom delight in the process. Many times it has been stated that Morgans break down to please their owners. SW Group tradition fifty

aside whilst the rest did the repairs. To mess around with old vehicles

47

The Bulletin is printed by Lavenham Press Limited, Water Street, Lavenham, Sudbury, Suffolk, CO10 9RN. Tel: 01787 247436

Super stainless parts to complement your Morgan in 2013. New: Front hub protection plates, laser-cut for accuracy and flatness.

£15.00 per pair. Beetleback catches. As or iginal but with internal spacers to prevent

crushing; polished stainless steel. Drawings showing fitting details and clip positions available if required. £110.00 per set of four.

Morgan heat shields. ‘Morgan’ in script with or without the wording ‘Super Sports’ in small print underneath, or just a set of holes like a cheese-

grater. Polished stainless ready to clamp to your exhaust pipes - no more burnt elbows. £100.00 per pair.

Front spring covers, in polished stainless; £100.00 per car set.

Hi and low level exhaust systems for all twins in stainless steel, p.o.a. All prices plus post and packing.

Castle Bank Cottage, Ewloe, Deeside, Flintshire CH5 3BZ Tel. 01244 532 714 bobangell@btinternet.com

Wanted: I am looking for a 1930s 3 wheeler 3 speed sports model either Jap or Matchless in good running order. Private buyer with cash. Tel 07860 160291 or 01282 865458 Michael Smith M3W Member No F10635 For Sale: The previous Chairman in his long farewell said "Our ageing membership has a wealth of knowledge and experience that needs to be passed down the generations and throughout the membership in general." My book "Hints & Tips" has over two hundred such gems, culled from Club experts over the past 57 years. This may be your last chance to buy a copy, as I am embarking on another project very soon. Brian Watts, 12 Fraser Close, Chelmsford, Essex. CM2 0TD. £6 post free UK. Abroad £9 or 10 euros.

Wanted: (Repeat adver t due to technical difficulties) Set of Cam Levers for 60o LTOWZ or DTZ Jap Engine. David Wright Mem No F2999 Tel 0114 2660376 Sheffield For Sale: Unused surplus project fastenings. 16 off 3/8” BSF Caphead Screws (all thread) x 2” long £8.00 +P & P. 16 off 5/16” BSF Caphead Screws (3/4” shank) x 2” long. £8.00 + P & P. 8off 7/16” BSF Caphead Screws ((1/2” shank) x 2” long. £6.00 + P & P. 16 off 5/16” BSF CTSK Cap Screws (All thread) x 1 1/2 “ long. £8.00 + P & P. 24 Stainless Steel flat head Rivnuts, perfect non-corrosive anchors! £16.00 + P & P. Collection possible. Will split or £40.00 the lot plus £4.50 P & P. Mick Smedley Mem No A 10375 Tel: 01332756138 Derby. For Sale: Roger Orford alternator . Last one left from the spares fair £250. Contact Roger Orford Email mogrog@hotmail.co.uk Tel: 01886 880387 07969950015

FLOGGERY

Morganalia

Circa 1964: Alan Lazenbury, then Club Chairman, …. with Sheena .. in the driving seat

1914: Leaving for the Front. Photo courtesy of the excellent magazine “Old Glory”.