RE: Beasty's Morgan +8

RE: Beasty's Morgan +8

Author
Discussion

finger

Original Poster:

7 posts

258 months

Tuesday 26th November 2002
quotequote all
Hi there

I reckon you really cannot compare these two cars, because
the concept is very different and the year of the basic design is generations apart.

This does by no means imply that the Morgan has a disadvantage over the Elise (if take out the heating and the water tightness). The Morgan is definitely a much more individual car with an even larger scope of individual modifications and improvements. The alu shoebox ( Elise) is torrtionally very stiff and the driving dynamics are not too bad, but without major setup modifications it drives a bid like a beetle (due to weight distribution)!

The Mogi is much better balanced to start with, but doesn't like bad road surface! The V8 is a pleasure and you can tune it nicely (TVR Power or John Eales).

On the track the Mogi should be easier to drive than the Elise and more fun due to the higher torque.

And one thing is cristal clear: There are a lot of very helpful and down to earth people around in the Morgan community.

Have fun

Thomas

topdown

7 posts

258 months

Wednesday 27th November 2002
quotequote all
You have certainly picked the right car and the right model .... I have never regretted either picking a Morgan or indeed moving from a 4/4 to a +8. The only thing I can't understand is how you can hear anything from the CD above 20 mph.

>> Edited by topdown on Wednesday 27th November 11:15

Beasty

240 posts

284 months

Wednesday 27th November 2002
quotequote all
I'm very pleased so far. Waiting for Saturday to really stretch its legs - will find out then if I can hear the CD player above 20 mph . I have noticed that the ride is certainly "firm" over a poor road surface, i.e. pretty much all of London. Fortunantly the seats are somewhat more padded than the Lotus, so haven't suffered spinal injuries.

Had a hell of a job getting the hood on last night. Hopefully practice will improve things, but I am toying with having a pair of hood pre-tensioners on to make life a little easier. Does anyone know if these work.

Also noticed that it has a heated (i.e. with built-in element) front windscreen, couldn't believe it! What luxury!

Bring on the weekend!

Beasty

finger

Original Poster:

7 posts

258 months

Wednesday 27th November 2002
quotequote all
... ACTUALLY AT THE BEGINNING I HAD RADIO/CD AND LATER EVEN A SMALL SUBWOOFER (FIXED IN THE LUGGAGE COMPARTMENT AGAINST THE METAL PANEL), BUT AFTER THE REBUILT 6 YEARS AGO I LEFT IT OUT! AS U KNOW THE ELISE, WHERE THE RADIO AND SPEAKERS ARE AS WELL STRETCHED ABOVE 70 MPH, FOR THE MOGI I WOULD SAY 50MPH ANYWAY WITHOUT THE HOOD AND 70MPH WITH HOOD! BUT YOUR NEXT UPGRADE WILL BE A BIGGER ENGINE WHICH WILL REDUCE THE USE OF THE CD PLAYER ... TAKE CARE

clubsport

7,260 posts

259 months

Wednesday 27th November 2002
quotequote all
You have to take care fitting the hood,,,the thing is the front screen is not structural in anyway,so you have to avoid stressing it.
If you are using the car in colder weather the hood fabric not so much shrinks,but is certainly less flexible than when it has been in the sun.
To correctly fit the hood;
start at the back and attatch the hood with one (each side) of the turn lock fasteners.
raise the hood frame (by hand) this should be at correct spacing with cloth webbing.
Once frame is up attatch hood at front on press stud at each corner of the windscreen.
Now the hood is in place you go to the rear of the car and fatening all of the fittings work your way to the front.
You have to be very careful as the hood needs to be taught and if you try to stretch things you can very easily crack the front screen.
The hood tensioners are good,,but again be very careful with a cold non flexible hood.
To be fair not that many Mog owners use the hood,I have had my car for many years and had a new hood made at the factory in 1998 especially for the car...i took a few photographs with the hood on and the hood has been in a cupboard at home ever since.I tend to drive with the tonneau cover on for some form of security.with a sports exhaust on a Morgan it is much noisier in the car with the hood on rather than off.

Beasty

240 posts

284 months

Wednesday 27th November 2002
quotequote all
Thanks clubsport. I think I may have been trying to do it with too many of the rear clips done up. I'll give it go your way next time. I was worried about the front screen and wondered if you could over stress it. I'll take extra care.

Have you ever had any problems with security and the tonneau? Obviously you have to take out anything worth pinching, but have you had scroats just taking it off and having a look around?

Beasty

JSG

2,238 posts

284 months

Wednesday 27th November 2002
quotequote all
Beasty,

Nice car. I've always fancied a Morgan but never owned one yet. Must be something about racing green V8 powered British Sportscars.

Cheers,
JSG.

Beasty

240 posts

284 months

Wednesday 27th November 2002
quotequote all
Thanks JSG. I know what you mean about BRG V8s. They do have a certain something. When I first saw it, I had a Wayne's World-esque "It shall be mine" moment!



clubsport

7,260 posts

259 months

Wednesday 27th November 2002
quotequote all
The great thing with a full tonneau is that if you take the side screens off,,,put the full tonneau on which covers the cutaway doors,,,then replace the sidescreen,the car is actually more secure...you cannot open the doors at all!
i much prefer this method of using the car...to be honest i don't leave anything in the car and thankfully have never had any problems at all up to now...enjoy your car..

Vmax

21 posts

258 months

Friday 29th November 2002
quotequote all
Hi guys! I'm new to this group. As I just got broadband the site has become a lot more interesting.

I've been using my +8 (4.6, rechipped/upgraded exhaust/trick suspension/PZeros) for the last three years as a commuting tool in Central London, rain, shine, or snow. I've NEVER had any problems with people messing with the car, so in my experience, Beasty, you don't need to worry about security with the tonneau. I don't have a garage, either.

CD player: a waste of money unless you've got a 200wpc amp. If you do, you're going to blow the 5" speakers... Spend the money you saved on a K&N, a chip, and ear plugs (mandatory on long trips).

Hope you have decent weather tomorrow.

jamesfox

29 posts

282 months

Friday 29th November 2002
quotequote all
Hi all,

I don't have a Morgan, but I have something just as impractical (see my profile). I've been glad to hear that the general concensus is that you don't tend to get problems with security. I've been a bit worried to leave my car parked anywhere up to now......

Beasty: have fun with the new car over the weekend, it looks great.

James.

Arone Morgan

4 posts

258 months

Saturday 30th November 2002
quotequote all

topdown said: You have certainly picked the right car and the right model .... I have never regretted either picking a Morgan or indeed moving from a 4/4 to a +8. The only thing I can't understand is how you can hear anything from the CD above 20 mph.

>> Edited by topdown on Wednesday 27th November 11:15


A CD in a Morgan?

Arone Morgan

4 posts

258 months

Saturday 30th November 2002
quotequote all

Beasty said: I'm very pleased so far. Waiting for Saturday to really stretch its legs - will find out then if I can hear the CD player above 20 mph . I have noticed that the ride is certainly "firm" over a poor road surface, i.e. pretty much all of London. Fortunantly the seats are somewhat more padded than the Lotus, so haven't suffered spinal injuries.

Had a hell of a job getting the hood on last night. Hopefully practice will improve things, but I am toying with having a pair of hood pre-tensioners on to make life a little easier. Does anyone know if these work.

Also noticed that it has a heated (i.e. with built-in element) front windscreen, couldn't believe it! What luxury!

Bring on the weekend!

Beasty


Hi Beasty,
Re hood go to emog and read the messages - there is a very cheap simple mod, made by John Taylor, that makes the factory hood a sinch to put up!

slamster

35 posts

283 months

Saturday 30th November 2002
quotequote all
You are in the wrong place here beasty. Check out www.gomog.com/articles/hoodswivel.html if you want to get your Morgan hood up quickly and easily.

FuManchu

8 posts

258 months

Sunday 1st December 2002
quotequote all
The secret of putting any hood up is not to put the supports up. I never used my hood for the first three years, and then had a 'orrible surprise one day when it was like being underneath a waterfall. After a while I applied logic and, although I have swivel levers, I hardly ever use them. I can put my hood up on a plus 8 in about three minutes. I will time it in fact.
Start by fitting all the snaps at the back and all the windscreen snaps but not the snaps at the sides; LEAVE THE FRAME DOWN. It helps to put a little (unmarking) silicon grease on the pegs and the snap holes for the screen. You then get into the car underneath the collapsed hood and move the frames forward, the back two first, in any order, and then the front one straining this to tauten up the material. It is a good idea to line up the frame webbing before you erect the frame as this can sometimes tangle a bit. Last of all, check all the draft excluders and fit the side snaps. QED.
I have been doing this for over four years now; my car is watertight (in the hood department) at rest and at 100mph in rain, which is more than can be said for the bonnet, having already ruined one CD player, although I now have a gismo to stop this as well. My screen is perfect, the side pillars also. Try it!

Beasty

240 posts

284 months

Monday 2nd December 2002
quotequote all
I had a great weekend thanks. I've put a full report in my profile. Hood operation much easier now - thanks for the hints chaps, esp. clubsport.

Jamesfox - nice car.

topdown

7 posts

258 months

Tuesday 10th December 2002
quotequote all
Hi Beasty, I can vouch for the John Taylor mod, saves the wife's finger nails no end when she helps put the hood up .... What used to be a real pain in the rain, is now a very easy job .....

As for the CD Arone Morgan .... It comes into its own when you have one of those go faster nosier Golf GTiiiiiiiis sitting next to you at the lights and the Boy Bands are blaring out, to wind up the volume, give them a hint of culture with a blast from a Queen CD and then show them the exhaust pipes …… Still a boy racer at heart I’m afraid.