LagondaNet

Francis · Joined: 21 Nov 2007 Posts: 574 Location: Marly Switzerland

So last Monday I went and finally got my Morgan ( that I will probably name Shari) from the dealer near Albany NY, about 4 1/2 hours' drive from Montreal. Rented a U-haul pick-up truck and car trailer ($330.-) drove 9 hours back and forth, spend 1 1/2 hours at the border, paying the Man his cut of my addiction. Only used about $130.- of gas, very surprising... and finally made it home at around 8:30.

Tuesday I started to dismantle the car for about 2 hours.

The first set of pictures are from last October at the dealer and the second set is what the car now looks like.

http://picasaweb.google.ca/Francis200261/MorganOctober2009?authkey=Gv1sRgCNvl-pmziZKwrQE#

http://picasaweb.google.ca/Francis200261/ProjectMorgan?authkey=Gv1sRgCMWbotPTr6TrugE#

Why am I dismantling such a good looking car you may ask?

Well sometimes the paint work hides monstrosities...

Morgan cars are made with a wood frame. After 42 years that wood tends to roth. This car is no exeption...So my winter project is to remove the ''tub'' part of the car to replace the wood frame.

Here I can go two ways: I remove the tub and order a new one from Morgan Cars with new sheet metal and doors at a cost of £3500 plus duty and transport and paint.

Or I can gently remove all screws and nail that attach the sheet metal to the frame, take the wood frame to my carpenter to have him replicate one and re-attach the sheet metal to it, cost yet unknown and final result unknown.

I also need to asses the chasis when the tub is out and see if I have a roth problem on it or if I can get a welder to fix any minor rust issues.

I will keep you posted on that when I get there.

Next week I will take the fenders (wings) off and start detaching the wood frame from the metal chasis.

I have ordered something that will probably get a few of you guys to drool...

Here's a hint...I won't have to get on my knees to take the wings off the car.

Thake a look at it here:

http://liftsuperstore.com/web/sixpack/index.php

What do you think of that!

Not only will I use it to work on cars but it will be also usefull to store one more car in my garage in the winter. I will now be able to store 4 cars inside in a heated garage. Notice that the lift has wheels and I will be able to move it from the storage parking place in my garage where I will be able to store the Morgan on top od the DB7 and move it to the larger part of my garage for work on cars when needed.

Francis
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Alvira's keeper

Francis · Joined: 21 Nov 2007 Posts: 574 Location: Marly Switzerland

Here are more pictures of the wood rot on thr frame...

http://picasaweb.google.ca/Francis200261/MorganDec3rd2009?authkey=Gv1sRgCO3Mo96E-I6rIw#

Francis
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Alvira's keeper

Mitrovic · Joined: 19 Nov 2007 Posts: 628

You are a very brave man!

Francis · Joined: 21 Nov 2007 Posts: 574 Location: Marly Switzerland

The toy to work on the other toy arrived this morning.

I had to get a flat bed towing to get it out of the 53 footer truck that brought it to my house and then figure a way to get a 103 inches tall lift into a 84 inches garage door...alone...

So with enginuity some car skates and a car jack with wood blocks I managed alone. I still need to do the legs and motor instalation, but that will wait for tomorrow...

Francis

http://picasaweb.google.ca/Francis200261/LiftArrival?authkey=Gv1sRgCJe_2vST1LbnsgE#
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Alvira's keeper

Francis · Joined: 21 Nov 2007 Posts: 574 Location: Marly Switzerland

So after a Sunday morning of fun look at what can be done to a Morgan...

On the pictures you will notice that I have taken the wood frame off the chassis. It literally frittered away. there is no way I can take the crumbles to my carpenter to have him reproduce it... there is not enough of it to even try replicating. I will have to order the frame with metal sheeting from the Morgan Car factory.

I still need to asses if I also order the chassis, at a cost of only £690 or get someone to create a metal sleeve on the existing one. The issue here is labor surrounding the removal of all parts on the existing chassis and migrating it all to the new chassis needing to be bored out... and that would be something above my expertise...the precision needed to boar the new holes exactly on the spot is my concern. I will also replace the fire wall that I have not yet taken out, to have a clean rust free cabin, and it's only £350. the tub will run be quite a bit more...£3600 plus transport...and the habitual share to big brother...

http://picasaweb.google.ca/Francis200261/MorganProgressDec6th2009?authkey=Gv1sRgCPuj2brS14Dc0QE#

Some pictures show the rust on frame, with perforation. Anybody cares to comment on the course of action?

Francis
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Alvira's keeper

Mitrovic · Joined: 19 Nov 2007 Posts: 628

You should have kept Alvira in Canada... Without her you get ideas....

Without kidding: Incredible work! You might wanna get a new chassis, too? and give it to somebody to do what you can not? ( BUt when I see those pictures, I doubt there is anything you can not....

Francis · Joined: 21 Nov 2007 Posts: 574 Location: Marly Switzerland

LOL! Thanks

Yes Lise would agree with you!

It was relativly easy work. Everything was crumbling...I have not totaled 12 hours of work on that car yet. Compaired to about 600 hours on Alvira!

I have made my mind this morning to replace the chassis along with the tub part. I will also replace the bulkhead (firewall) and the inner front valances. This way the only part of the car's body that I will keep will be the wings.

I will do as much a I can and if I stumble on the transfer of parts from the old chasis to the new one, I will hire help. I am now well equiped in my garage so I will not have to move anything until paint, and that should come around April, just in time for the sumer!

Francis
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Alvira's keeper

Francis · Joined: 21 Nov 2007 Posts: 574 Location: Marly Switzerland

You say Frame up restauration???

I say frame OUT restauration... I now only have the rear suspension to remove from the chasis to have completely dismantled the car... the new chassis should arrive mid-January and the frame mid-February 2010.

http://picasaweb.google.ca/Francis200261/MorganDec142009?authkey=Gv1sRgCKWOirf83qnc6wE#

It is the dirtiest job I ever done... the amount od grease and dirt on tis car is phenmenal! all my tools and and amount of jeans and t-shirt have to be cleanned every day... the floor of my garage is slippery as an ice rink!

Thank god I'm almost done with that sh**t!

Francis
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Alvira's keeper

Lagondanet · Administrator Joined: 03 Jan 2007 Posts: 3109 Location: UK

Yes Good Luck Francis! A huge amount of work but you seem to thrive on it. Are you also sharing your photos & experiences with a Morgan Owners Club?

Francis · Joined: 21 Nov 2007 Posts: 574 Location: Marly Switzerland

I joined the North American Morgan club and do participate in the forum, but I feel more at ease here. It's a smaller group of participants. On the Morgan forum, you have hundreds of participants and comments come in at a clip of 2 dozen an hour... it gets overwelming!

Francis
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Alvira's keeper