Colin Butter <c.butter@umds.ac.uk> writes
>1. Aluminium vs. steel. The car is to be a workhorse. The guys in the=20
>factory, and some respondants, seem to recomend aluminium body, but steel=
=20
>wings. Q: is there a wing rust problem with steel, or has this been sorte=
d=20
>by modern paints and rustproofing? Are the ali wings *really* prone to=20
>denting from stones?=20
I think I was one of the original posters on the first questions, so=20
some of this may be a re-hash of notes from before, so here goes:
In the days of yore, (pre 1986 and any rustproofing), a number of morgan=20
specialists expected a car to need significant work every 10 years as=20
the metal bits rusted and the bolts loosened. I have seen some tatty=20
post '86 cars and most of these seem to be on cars with poor paint=20
adhesion or with owners who don't repair paint chips as they occur.=20
Summary: there is a wing rust problem, but it is no worse than any other=20
car which isn't galvanised, (say a mini).
Ally wings do dent- some dealers will sell you plastic deflectors to be=20
mounted under the wings to act as shields or fancy rubber paint, either=20
will work- the ally wings will also slowly degrade as the steel wire in=20
the rolled edges reacts with the aluminium wing- it's taken 10 years to=20
show in the few cars I've seen with it- I'm told Waxoyl will slow or=20
eliminate it.
>2. Door handles. Q: Even when running with the hood up, are these useful?=
=20
>(I gave up locking convertables a long time ago).
No idea, haven't got them
>3. Wheel options on the Plus Four are chrome wires (not with SS spokes) o=
r=20
>silver(ish) stove enameled wires (painted no longer available). Is the=
=20
>chrome significantly difficult to maintain?
Most people I have spoken to don't rate Morgan chrome- my wheels are=20
stove enamelled and will clean up with a jetwash and spray on wheel=20
cleaner.
>4. Resale vaule. My dealer says that I should have leather to aid resale=
=20
>vaule. Others have suggested that the "classic" green and subdued colours=
=20
>are likely to hold value better than, for example, a bright red or yellow.=
=20
>Any views or experience? I ask, because I was thinking of Ferrari Yellow=
,=20
>with black ambla (synthetic) !
Leather will wear to a nice faded luxury patina, whereas ambla will only=20
look tatty with time. It is certainly a buying point with used buyers,=20
who will try to knock a dealer or private vendor down on the strength of=20
it, (My car has leather seats and the remainder of vinyl as a cheaper=20
compromise for a rebuild, most people feel the leather seats and assume=20
the rest is as it appears!).
Colour is a very personal thing, Gregory Houston Bowden's +8, built in=20
1985, was Golden Yellow with black ambla trim, (see the photo build=20
ticket in "Morgan, the first and last of the Real Sports Cars"), and was=20
advertised in Classic and Sports Car at =A316,500, 4-5 years ago. The=20
magazines comment was a Morgan was a fun car and that was a fun colour.=20
Someone else suggested that you consider how long you will keep the car=20
and would you be happy with any other colour, it seems a good thought to=20
me- Ferrari Yellow seems fine to me- do you remember the liquorice=20
allsort colours the factory used on the Motor Show stand a few years=20
ago, as a group the cars looked great- but I think the purple one would=20
look a little odd some years later!
--=20
Jeremy Edwards
1972 Morgan 4/4 2 str
1970 Opel GT
Melton Mowbray, England
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