Arlo,
Yes Morgans used to assemble the cars and then paint them, A practice that
stopped around 1988 we they commenced painting the cars with the wings off.
At this time they also started using two pack paint. For a long while the
wood only received a minimal treatment as well, with the expected results
long term.
I'm not sure why glass should age resulting in it becoming more brittle.
It looks like your car was just a tweak early to receive the better build
treatment that Morgans introduced (not before time) in the late 1980s. As
they say "life's a bitch and then you die". Still driving a Morgan does
make the experience infinitely more ejoyable.
Cheers
Steve Moore
>Initially, on the 10th of January (or thereabouts) at the Kruse
>International Auction held in Scottsdale, AZ., a 1966 Morgan Plus 4 in
>#3 condition was sold for $12,900.
>
>This compares to a 1956 Plus 4 in #3 condition that was auctioned off
>for $13,750 at a Rick Cole Auction in Monterey, CA., on the 16th of
>August, 1997.
>
>I have then gotten to the point of repairing some of the problems that
>arose with our 1987 Plus 8 while on our Holiday jaunt. In this process
>I have discovered some problems that bother me a bit.
>
>One - the original windshield that cracked from the wind had a 1967 date
>on it. It was, therefore, 20 years old when it was initially installed
>- 11 years ago. That sort of gives me a clue as to what happened there.
>
>In the process of repairing the rear fender that had the hole punched
>through it - we decided to take off both fenders and repaint then so
>that they would look as they should. Once off we discovered that the
>"inner" edges did not even have primer paint on them - to say nothing
>about the regular enamal paint. As a result a fair amount of rust had
>developed, not continuously, but in spots along this inner edge.
>
>In other words, the "Morgan System" of hanging the fenders and they
>trying to paint them in place leaves a lot to be desired.
>
>I have now decided to remove the front wings from the car because I have
>serious concerns as to rust development there too - given the kind of
>build quality we are discovering.
>
>We also suspect that very little hardener was used in the original
>paint. It seems to flake off the car very easily and my auto restorer
>showed me last nite where he could apply Windex to the paint and then
>wipe it - and the towel comes away with a lot of paint on it. He has
>never seen anything quite like it.
>
>Does anyone have any ideas on all this?
>
>Thanks, Arlo Levisen
Dr. Stephen Moore
CSIRO Tropical Agriculture
Molecular Animal Genetics Centre
Level 3, Gehrmann Laboratories
University of Queensland
St. Lucia, 4072
Australia
ph 61 7 3377 0476
fax 61 7 3377 0480
email Steve.Moore@tag.csiro.au
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