Author Archives: Mark Braunstein

29 Oct

2018 GatorMOG Fall Noggin – Safety Harbor – Event Report

The Tampa Bay Austin Healey Club hosts an All British Car Show each year, in a quaint little suburb of Tampa called Safety Harbor, FL.  This show is held right in the middle of the town and they close the roads and make a big deal out of the whole thing.  It brings business to the hotels, restaurants, boutiques and other shops so the town is happy to have the event.

There are any number of All British Car Shows around during the fall and the spring in Florida.  It’s the location, however, the town of Safety Harbor, that makes this one special.  This year was special for another reason.  Morgan was the featured marque.  Given this honor, we decided that the 2018 GatorMOG Fall Noggin should coincide with this show.  In that way we could ensure a good turnout.

Interestingly, I was contacted last year, a month or so before this show, asking if Morgan could support being the featured marque for 2017.  I said no.  The show was a month away, on day where all the local Morgans were already committed.  We needed time to get the word out.

Well, it worked.   This is only the second time I remember having attended this show.  The timing is usually in conflict with other shows or things on my calendar.  The first time I attended, there were only 2 of us.  Gene and Betsy McOmber were there with their lovely Plus 8 and Andrea and I had the Series 1 DHC.

But, this year it was different, we had 12 cars.  I knew 10 of them that had registered and then two local cars (non MOGSouth members) augmented our number.   I was pretty pleased.  We had Plus 8s and Roadsters, Plus 4s and a DHC.  The only thing missing of the 4 wheeler variety was a 4/4.  Seems we are all shifting to the idea of ‘bigger is better’ or ‘size does matter’?

The organizers split the Morgan class into 1999 and older, and 2000 and newer.  We had 7 older Morgans aligned on one side of the street and 5 newer cars, post 2000, directly across the street.  Not too bad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 1999 and older half the of the Morgan Class.  

As is the norm, we had lots of interest in the cars and lots of questions.  Many were surprised to see the newer cars, thinking Morgans had gone the way of the dinosaurs.

The 2000 and newer half of the Morgan Class. (4 Roadsters and Ron Gricius’ red ‘03 Plus 8.) Photo Courtesy of Alan Rae.

They had a good number of awards to present and the Morgan contingent got their share of them but they all say ‘Austin Healey.’  Go figure?

Alan Rae getting his award from Bill Borja, the President of the Tampa Bay Austin Healey Club.  Photo Courtesy of Alan Rae.

The picture below was our attempt at a group shot, but only shows some of the Morgan crowd and most the of awards.  Somehow we missed getting the rest if the gaggle into the picture.

This picture is purposely fuzzed as we all look like hell.  It was a long day!!

Having the show downtown on the streets of Safety Harbor was certainly interesting.  I normally don’t enjoy shows on the street or in parking lots as the tarmac gives off too much heat.  This wasn’t too bad as there was a cool front coming through and we had some sort of sea breeze making for a bit of overcast.  Really quite pleasant.

We were parked directly in front of a great breakfast and lunch spot,   (which we took advantage of, several times.) It was very, very convenient and quite good!  This venue provided something for everyone.  Those not interested in the cars were welcomed in the little shops and boutiques.

Following the awards presentation we all packed up the cars and drove them back to the Safety Harbor Spa, our hotel.  The hotel was all of 1/4 mile down the road from where the show was held.  Another good thing about this show, a very convenient hotel.  We got freshened up, had a drink at the Tiki bar by the pool, then walked back downtown for a lovely dinner.

Another supper weekend out with the cars and good friends!  In my opinion, this is the best of year in Florida.  The weather is superb, no longer hot and humid, and the snow birds are just now starting to arrive.

This one was so much fun, we will have to keep it on the schedule for next year.

If you feel the urge, come join us!  You will be more than welcome!!

25 Oct

Morgan Motor Company Announces ‘110 ANNIVERSARY’ Models

Morgan Motor Company introduces a range of ‘110 Anniversary’ models ahead of their 110th anniversary in 2019.

Each ‘110 Anniversary’ model will carry unique celebratory badging, signifying its importance as a 110 edition vehicle 2019 marks 110 years of the Morgan Motor Company, a landmark milestone for the Malvern based company, which remains privately owned by the Morgan family.

The ‘110 Anniversary’ models have been introduced in preparation for the anniversary year. Each edition will be available with a specially selected range of options, included at no extra cost to the customer.

The current Morgan range includes the 4/4, Plus 4, Roadster and 3 Wheeler.

The Morgan Motor Company is excited to announce the first in a number of celebrations for its 110th anniversary year in 2019, which will see a series of ‘110 Anniversary’ models added to the line-up.

Each of the ‘110 Anniversary’ models benefit from unique badging,  denoting their significance as 110th year models, as well as an extensive list of specially selected performance and styling options included at no extra cost.

In addition to performance and styling options, a new range of standard colours has also been introduced. In addition to the ‘Sport Range’ of colours, there is now a ‘Classic Range’ and ‘Metallic Range’, which includes a selection of colours chosen by Morgan Design.  These colours reflect some of the most popular Morgan colours throughout the company’s history, as well as some personal favourites hand-picked by Morgan’s design team.

A mix of performance and visual enhancements are also offered with each ‘110 Anniversary’ model. A front valance, rear exit sports exhaust and leather bonnet strap stand out as the more purposeful and race inspired options for Plus 4 and Roadster.

Interior trim and detail enhancements include a leather or wood rimmed Moto-Lita steering wheel, performance seats, a mohair hood pack and any choice of Yarwood leather, also available across Plus 4 and Roadster. In addition, customers will also have the option to have the ‘110 Anniversary’ logo embroidered on their headrest in matching or contrasting stitch-work, further signifying the special nature of their new Morgan. All of these options are available at no extra cost.

As well as the Plus 4 and Roadster, the 3 Wheeler also receives a selection of interior and exterior ‘110 Anniversary’ options at no extra cost. For the interior, quilted leather stitching, centre split seats, storage pockets and a mohair tonneau cover are now all included.

Stand out exterior options for the 3 Wheeler comprise any solid colour from the newly introduced colour ranges, black roll hoops, black exhaust heat shields and a body coloured engine cowl.

The announcement of the ‘110 Anniversary’ model changes for 2019 is the first in a series of announcements Morgan will make in their 110th year, their most significant milestone since the 2009 centenary.

“It is an immense pleasure and an honour to lead the Morgan Motor Company as we approach such a significant milestone in our history. We are delighted to be thriving as a privately owned, British, family owned automotive manufacturer, and in our 110th year of business are stronger than ever. Milestones such as a 110th anniversary offer everyone associated with the brand an opportunity for reflection, as well as an opportunity for us to offer even more to our customers. The ‘110 Edition’ vehicles are the beginning of our celebrations, and we look forward to making further exciting announcements throughout 2019.”

Steve Morris, Managing Director, Morgan Motor Company

110 ANNIVERSARY NO COST OPTIONS FOR 3 WHEELER INCLUDE:

  • 110 Anniversary Bonnet Badges
  • Any colour from the Morgan Sport or Classic Range
  • Body Coloured Engine Cowl
  • Mohair Tonneau
  • Black Roll Hoops
  • Black Exhaust Heat Shields
  • Quilted Leather Stitching
  • Leather Storage Pockets
  • Centre Split Leather Seats
  • 110 Anniversary Bonnet Badges
  • Any colour from the Morgan Sport or Classic Range
  • Front Valance – Babydoll Style
  • Mohair Hood Pack
  • Choice of any Yarwood Leather
  • Contrasting Stitching
  • Embroidered Headrests – Morgan or 110 Anniversary logo
  • Coloured piping – Seats and carpets
  • Aero Racing: Chrome Interior Mirror
  • Aero Racing: Leather Bonnet Strap With Chrome Buckle
  • Aero Racing: Choice of Two Moto-Lita Steering Wheels
  • Aero Racing: Rear Exit Sports Exhaust System (Cat Back)
  • 110 Anniversary Bonnet Badges
  • Any colour from the Morgan Sport or Classic Range
  • Front Valance – Babydoll Style
  • Mohair Hood Pack
  • Choice of any Yarwood Leather
  • Performance Seats
  • Contrasting Stitching
  • Embroidered Headrests – Morgan or 110 Anniversary logo
  • Coloured piping – Seats and carpets
  • Aero Racing: Chrome Interior Mirror
  • Aero Racing: Leather Bonnet Strap With Chrome Buckle
  • Aero Racing: Choice of Two Moto-Lita Steering Wheels
  • Aero Racing: Rear Exit Sports Exhaust System
22 Oct

GatorMOG’s 2018 Mid Atlantic Road Trip

This posting is only my report of the trip. Talk to the others for their thoughts. I have included a few images here (some are mine, others are from Rick, Karen, Andrea or Ron) but there are lots and lots more.  A photo gallery of some of the best pictures is also being posted.  Great fun!!  Cheers, Mark

Wander lust!  (/wän ● der ● lust/ noun: wanderlust – A deep uncontrollable desire to hit the road and travel, by whatever means desired, to explore and enjoy the world – according to the omniscient internet.) 

And when you have a Morgan, the Morgan morphs into the ‘whatever means desired’.

It seems that every so often, I just have to go.  Perhaps, it’s hereditary or instinctual or just innate.  I don’t know, but the juices start to flow and the voices in my head speak to me (yes! I too hear voices, or am I just talking to myself?).  I can’t sleep, don’t eat well, drink too much.

Ok, so tell me you too know the feelings?

Well, I was cutting the grass one morning, early to beat the rain.  We do most things early in Florida to beat the rain, or the heat or the humidity.  There I was and it came to me.  “Take the train or your butt will hurt.”

So here we are.  GatorMOG’s Mid-Atlantic Road Trip.  We load the Morgans and go North to Washington D.C. on Amtrak’s Auto Train and then drive ‘unhurriedly’ back down the Mid-Atlantic coast.  Nothing too fast, nothing too far.  Good hotels, good food and just enough company to mix up the daily routine.  Well, that was the plan anyway.

This ‘Road Trip’ is a bit different than the others we have been on and we planned it that way on purpose.  This road trip’s philosophy is three-fold.  (1) Limit driving time.  No marathon drives.  We are getting older and unfolding is hard.  (2) No drive-by visits.  Too many times we have been to a town or a location and haven’t had the time to see any of the sites.  We arrive, after driving all day, eat dinner, sleep in some non-descript hotel and then leave the next morning.  And, finally, (3) Limit the number of participants.  Too many folks necessitate group rates at hotels, restaurants that can handle large crowds, support vehicles, etc. Too much work to plan and organize. Herding cats is hard!

Now, taking your car on the train is really a thing of the past.  The only operating auto train in the US is the one that travels between Sanford, Florida (where I now live) and Lorton, Virginia (where I used to live, how weird is that?)  Lorton, Virginia is just a car wreck south of Washington DC, off I-95; so, for this trip, it is where we needed to go.

The opportunities for taking your car on the train are dwindling in Europe as well.  There used to be many choices but now just a few.  Sad.  Anyway, this is not the first time down the tracks for the others and I, nor the Morgans.

Day 0 of this Road Trip was preparation day.  8 October 2018.

This was a GatorMOG event and we had folks from both sides of the Florida Peninsula going on this trip.

So, to avoid any last minute trauma, we had the West Coast folks, Ron and Kathy Gricius, travel to Sanford (on the eastern side of the peninsula) on Monday morning, to Mark and Andrea’s abode.

This left us time to put Ron’s car on the lift, tighten those things that needed tightening and to react to anything else that needed reacting.  Well, it was all good, with no trauma, no reacting.  So, we just played.  Best to plan for the gremlins and have the time to fight them off, rather than to not plan for them and need to do battle, or worse yet, fall on your sword, at the last moment!

Photo Courtesy of Rick Frazee

Day 1 of this Road Trip was all about the train.  9 October 2018.  We headed to the Amtrak station mid-morning.  You need to go ‘check-in’ to verify your tickets are still correct and to sign up for your preferred dinner ‘sitting’.  They have different dinner ‘sittings’, sort of like a cruise ship.  If you want dinner prior to 9 PM you had better get there early and make your dining preference known.  There were eight of us going north on the train.  Rick and Sam Frazee in their BRG Roadster, John and Debbie Stanley in ‘Ruby’, their ruby red 2005 Roadster, Ron and Kathy Gricius in their 2003, Ferrari Red, Anniversary Plus 8, and yours truly in the two-toned, BRG over Cream ‘05 Roadster.  Once everyone accomplished all the requisite admin, we headed to downtown Sanford for lunch.  We found a meal at a Brew Pub.  Sanford is sprouting these things left and right.  There are five now.  For a town born on Celery, beer is now king.  Go figure?

We loaded our Morgans on the train in the afternoon.  Actually, Amtrak provides the drivers to load the cars, and it is a good thing, as they know the deal, narrow wheel tracks in narrow train cars.  Just the thought of navigating those constraints gives me the willies!  But, they are a bit challenged with the Morgans.  Not all the Amtrak drivers are skilled (or old enough) to drive a manual transmission.  They soon figure out the problem and then they call for ‘Lewie.’  They put the Morgans on last, driving them into the lower deck, so that they didn’t have to negotiate the steeper angles of the loading ramps.  This was good.  We did put a few extra pounds of pressure into the tires to assure maximum clearance, but it probably wasn’t needed.

Once the cars were loaded, we personally got to board the train, find our cabins, and then we headed to the ‘bar’ car.  Not much there.  But, the ‘bar’ car was our evening entertainment.  Expensive (but not fancy) wine, free cheese and crackers with each wine purchase, and pent up energy anticipating the adventure ahead.  We all went back to the ‘rooms’ to freshen up before dinner.  As said in a recent country song, I can only get so ‘fancy’.

Eventually, they called us to the dining car and down the aisle we went.  Dinner was surprisingly good, and they turned down our beds while we were out in the dining car.  After dinner, a little evening repose and finally we drifted off to the gentle rocking (with a few jolts?) of the train.  The only challenge is the bunk beds and getting down the ladder at night to the bathroom.

Again, in the morning, they called us to the dining car for breakfast.  Again, we stumbled down the aisle to the dining car.  Breakfast is only served to those that are interested and soon we arrived in Lorton.  It’s about 8:30 AM.  We are early.  The cars get off-loaded and we configure the Morgans for Day 2’s excitement.  And yes, our butts didn’t hurt!!

Configuring the Morgans is certainly Task 1.  We had the roof (hood) up for the train ride, too many birds in the train cars, but wanted to put the hoods down for the drive across the bay.  It’s warm in Virginia so the tops come off.  We also had to re-stow our bags from overnight.  Utilizing the Morgan’s space efficiently is no easy task.  A bit like that chicklets game, sliding this to the left and that to the right, somethings up and somethings back.  We didn’t take much onto the train as the sleeping berth stairways are very narrow.  But, we did have ‘things’, and those ‘things’ needed to be re-stowed so that we could get the hood down and weren’t jettisoning underwear, as we went down the road.

Day 2 of this Road Trip, 10 October 2018, was a sprint from Lorton, VA to St Michaels on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and it involved us taking the southeastern side of the I-495 D.C. Beltway.  It’s the only way to get to St Michaels, going over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.  Well, I guess we could swim . . .

Well, we did it.  Minimal drama.  Lots of new roads and morning traffic, but Morgans traveling in groups is a good thing . . . I think.  Makes us more visible to the ‘not quite awake’ folks suffering (sleeping?) through this same commute – day after day after day – more focused on the ‘day ahead’ than the rest of the world or too busy texting.

St Michaels is a great maritime town along the water on Maryland’s eastern shore.  It was here we met up with another couple in our traveling band.  Karen and Chuck Bernath have family on the Eastern Shore, so they traveled up earlier in their Plus 8.

The afternoon was spent visiting the maritime museum, historical boat tours, shopping, or in my case, napping.  I had been to the museum before and I was exhausted.  We stayed in a B&B in the heart of St Michaels.  Lovely location and nice hotel.

We did have some sprinkles during the night.  It seemed to be light and intermittent.  And then the crabs came out.  Something about St Michaels and the eastern shore of Maryland.  Crabs everywhere!

Day 3 of this Road Trip, 11 October 2018, had us traveling from St Michaels MD to Virginia Beach, VA.  We left St Michaels on what seemed like a British summer day.  Hot, humid and spitting rain. Tops up and claustrophobic.  The only real use of the windscreen wipers.

Photo Courtesy of Rick Frazee

We traveled south to lunch in Cape Charles.  After lunch, the tops came down as the sun came out.  Then we ventured over the Chesapeake Bay Tunnel-Bridge complex, into the Norfolk, Virginia Beach area.  The plan was to hug the Atlantic Coast and go to Military Aviation Museum and an ocean side restaurant for dinner.  However, in the interest of safety, we opted do go directly to our hotel and stay there for dinner.  Hurricane Michael was coming!

I had developed a mechanical problem with my car.  It turned out that a hose clamp that was situated ‘just so’, was rubbing a pinhole in another rubber coolant hose.  When the car got really hot the pinhole steamed like a freight train and allowed coolant to escape the system.  This steam loss obviously resulted in a reduced level of engine coolant, making the car even hotter.  A vicious cycle, so I had been putting in coolant (or water) as a quick fix but this resulted in a few too many unplanned stops.  We arrived in VA Beach a little later than planned.

Since old friends of ours from MCCDC, Richard Lipski and Peggy Morris were joining us for dinner, I called Richard and asked him to bring us a few auto parts.  I needed a length of radiator hose and a few hose clamps.  We had a great visit with Richard and Peggy at the hotel and then we all went our separate ways to find our rooms.  We were pretty tired and had a big day facing us.  The plan was to rewicker the schedule and, in the morning, go to the Aviation Museum we had previously skipped due to the forecasted Hurricane.

The Hurricane came through Virginia Beach while we were all asleep.  We woke up to a dark hotel, without power.  Luckily the backup power was just sufficient enough for breakfast and to power the elevators.  (I am getting too old to drag the luggage up and down the stairs!)

Day 4 of this Road Trip, 12 October 2018, was smooth sailing now that the hurricane had passed us by.  We altered the plan slightly to see old airplanes and called an audible for lunch.  We waved at the Wright Brothers Monument as we drove by.  No time to stop and fly the kites we had brought.  Oh well, we just needed to get from Virginia Beach, VA to Hatteras, NC.

After the hotel cooked us breakfast and the sun came up, we headed out to the parking lot. Thanks to Rick, Ron, and the parts Richard Lipski brought us (we still needed a trip to the local hardware and auto parts store) we fixed my coolant hose problem and headed for the Aviation Museum.

The Aviation Museum was certainly worth the schedule deviation.  It was extensive and focused on significant WWI and WWII military fighter planes.  (Along, with other related exhibits.) Amazing stuff and stuff I really enjoy.  Certainly, for me it was a great place to visit and spend a few hours.

We hurried along best we could, listening to the docents and taking in all the amazing aircraft.  We did leave just a few minutes before the tour was over.  We had to get down the road to lunch.

We found a nearby spot for lunch and then continued on our way to Hatteras, NC.  I was pleased that my car was running well and cool, and now gasoline powered and not steam powered.

We skipped the planned stop at Kitty Hawk, as the visitor’s center was closed (a two-year renovation, they said?).

We passed a good bit of debris on the curbs as we traveled south along the coast road (NC-12).  Most of this was due to Hurricane Florence.  My heart goes out to those dealing with all this mess.

The drive after lunch was spectacular with the dunes and marsh grass of the North Carolina outer banks.  We hugged the coast going south.  Good roads with minimal traffic.  Some of which was National Park, the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

We did have a few ‘nautical’ events along the way.  We had to cross a number of places where the road had flooded from over-wash from the Atlantic Ocean, remnants of the recent Hurricane Michael.  To me, it wasn’t too deep to drive through and I just followed the vehicles ahead of me.  In some cases, I stayed to the dry (high) side of the road.  It was sort of like the old historic Morgan photos with the cars driving through the water during field trials or some such.

Others on the trip didn’t see it as I did and swore it was very, very deep.  So much so they needed ‘snorkles’!   I’m still not so sure about that, but I was at the front of the pack and didn’t experience the ‘sloshing’ waves those in the rear surely had.  I suspect the water we crossed will get deeper and deeper as time goes by.

Certainly, good stories for the noggins to come!

Getting to Hatteras, NC was paramount, so we pushed on and washed the Atlantic Ocean from the cars once we stopped.  The hotel had a convenient hose and they allowed us to use it.  Our abode for the night was a fishing hotel on the coast.  Quaint but a bit musty.  The restaurant however wasn’t too bad.

Day 5 of this Road Trip, 13 October 2018, was spent on the Ferries.  Two Ferries actually, the first from Hatteras, NC to Ocracoke, NC and the second from Ocracoke, NC to Cedar Island, NC.  The Ferry operation was quite punctual, and we got in line early to assure we didn’t miss the boat.  Actually, we were there too early and caught an earlier ferry.  This gave us time to stop to see the wild ponies of Ocracoke.  They ran free on the island until their safety was challenged by increasing traffic and they were corralled in the 1950s.  And that’s where they were when we stopped.  Way away from the traffic, safely corralled and way beyond our sight.  Maybe it was breakfast time?

After a short while we got back in the cars and headed to the lunch stop.  We ate in Ocracoke and then got in line for the 2nd ferry.

Riding the two ferries took us all day.  But, all in all, it was great fun.  Ron Gricius had these plastic car covers and tried to use one on the ferry.  It became a group-grope which involved several other passengers and even some of the crew.  It didn’t work as the wind fought them hard.  Finally, the cover was shredded, stuffed into the car and the car’s tonneau buttoned up.  We had a tremendous laugh.

Once off the second ferry we traveled down the road about an hour to our hotel in Atlantic Beach, NC. Finding operating hotels in this part of the country proved to be the toughest part of our trip.  All our pre-arranged hotel reservations were cancelled, by two other hotels, due to storm damage.  We had to react to mother nature and find other accommodations.  In the end, everything worked out quite well.

Day 6 of this Road Trip, 14 October 2018, was spend traveling south along the North Carolina coast.  Our objective was Wilmington NC.  It was hot, and my supposed ‘air conditioner’ was pretty much useless.  Our hotel in Wilmington, NC was just across the water from the berthed USS North Carolina, a WWII Battleship.  I was looking forward to the visit but then I had to choose.  A nap or a long walk to get there, and up and down the many stairways on the ship.  I hate to say it, but I chose the nap.  Andrea, however, ventured out and down the river walk and to a historical mansion (Bellamy Mansion) up the street from our hotel, as did a number of other folks.  It turned out that nobody actually went to the ship??

The group did find an interesting pub.  Lots of beer on tap and beer kegs for urinals??  The food wasn’t recommended so they all went to another pub down the street to eat.

Day 7 of the Trip, 15 October 2018, found us in Charleston, SC.  We arrived a little late and, since the hotel’s restaurant was closed, lunch for some was quite light. (Crackers?)  Andrea and I made a quick stop to see Charlie King’s widow, Caroline, and check on in on her.  She seems to be doing ok, but Charlie’s recent passing had obviously taken its toll.  Hopefully, she will join us for the Holiday Party in December.

Being the tourists we all were, we ventured into town and found a horse drawn trolley to take us around the historic district of the town.  This is a great way to get quickly introduced to the magic and mystery of a new place.  The trolley drivers are all really tour guides and give you quite a bit about the folk lore and history of the region.  And the pace of the horses is just about perfect.  Several of us ate dinner in an old church near the stables of the carriage ride.  Pretty cool atmosphere.

Day 8, 16 October 2018, found us circling the squares in Savanah GA.  We opted for a hop-on, hop-off trolley bus this time.  A bit of history from the driver but I didn’t really pay much attention to what she was saying.  I was just enjoying having someone else doing the driving for the moment.  Again, it was hot, so we ate lunch on River Street in a popular restaurant with good air conditioning.

Photo Courtesy of Karen Bernath. (Just what was Karen doing in the men’s room?)

Dinner was also down on River Street, at the Chart House.  There are lots of other options, but we like the Chart House in Savannah and always seem to dine there.  After dinner, we opted for drinks at the roof top bar of the Bohemian Hotel, quite a view of the river and the city.  It was not overly crowded (good!) but still quite warm.  We drank ‘cold’ things like ‘ice cream on the rocks’.

Day 9 of this Road Trip, 17 October 2018, was in St Augustine, FL.  We stayed right in the heart of the historic district in a lovely old Bed and Breakfast hotel, the Southern Wind Inn.  One of the supposedly ‘less’ haunted Inns in St Augustine.  In the afternoon, well before dinner, while some folks went shopping, the rest of us found ourselves sitting on the second floor veranda, rocking in wicker chairs, drinking wine and watching the world go by.  Glorious!  Simply glorious!   Karen and Chuck chose to head home as they live quite near in Jacksonville, FL (or was it that they knew for sure their house wasn’t haunted?)

Day 10 of this Road Trip, 18 October 2018 found us travelling home.  Ron and Kathy left early to get back to Winter Park, FL to see a Rover mechanic.  Ron had some gremlins he wanted to address before traveling back to the west coast of Florida.  After breakfast, the Frazees, Stanleys and Braunsteins took off for central Florida together until we each peeled off in our various directions for home.

The end of another superb Morgan adventure!  We all had mixed emotions about it ending.  On one hand we were ready for the trip to end, we were tired, a bit ‘road weary’ and Andrea wanted to see her dogs.  On the other hand, however, we simply wanted more.  I saw a sign for Miami and briefly thought ‘let’s go’!

I guess we will have to plan something else soon!!

See More Pictures in the Photo Gallery. Click the link below

http://www.mogsouth.com/2018/10/22/gatormogs-2018-mid-atlantic-road-trip-2/

19 Oct

2018 MOGSouth Holiday Party – Updates (as of 19 October 2018)

Folks, just a quick update to remind folks to make reservations for the MOGSouth Holiday Party,  1 December 2018.  (FYI, Most folks have indicated that they will arrive on Friday, 30 November.)

The 2018 Holiday Party will be held at the St Simon’s Island King & Prince Resort (www.kingandprince.com) on Sat 1 Dec 2018. 

Unfortunately, the reserved MOGSouth block of rooms with the discounted rates are now all gone.  I understand that there are still rooms available at the King and Prince Resort, but not at the reduced rate.

Send Mark an email (series1@cfl.rr.com) as soon as possible, if you have not already done so.   Please let Mark know if you are staying in the King and Prince Hotel and will be attending the Holiday Banquet.

We will collect the money for the banquet at the door.  It will be 41$  per person.  Please bring cash or personal check to pay.  We cannot take credit cards.

Note MOGSouth will be subsidizing the banquet prices over and above the 41$.  We will also have a full bar available before and during the banquet.  This will be in addition to the traditional MOGSouth Hospitality Suite (The Wesley Cottage) which will be open at selective times throughout the weekend.   Wow!! Your dues $$ at work! 

FYI, the planned Trolley ride for Saturday morning (1 Dec) has been fully booked . . . twice (they added a second tour just for us).   Seats on the trolley may become available, but only if folks cancel.

Regardless, it will be a great time to come together as a group and rekindle old friendships and make new ones.  I’m really looking forward to seeing everyone in December.

Cheers,
Mark

27 Sep

Sad News. MOGSouth Co-Founder Charlie King Passed Away 23 Sept 2018, Age 95

[Charlie was a wonderful man and a good friend.  He will be dearly missed by many in MOGSouth.  He was a founding member of MOGSouth and his documented history of MOGSouth can be read on the HISTORY pages of the MOGSouth Website.   

As he aged, and sold his Morgans, his participation in the MOGSouth activities became a little less frequent but he was always there for us.  And, always a cheer leader and point of inspiration.   Frequently, he was asked his opinion and he always provided us with sound guidance and motivation.

He did attend the 40th Anniversary of the Club in 2015 and spoke about the club’s creation.  He highlighted his role and the role of the other founding members ‘back in the day.’   Then he commended the current incarnation of the club and its operation some 40 years on.

We all have to be grateful for all his efforts and cherish his friendship.  Mark]    

Dr. Charles Joel King (1922 – 2018) 

Obituary as Published in Charleston Post & Courier on Sept. 25, 2018

Dr. Charles Joel King, 95, of Charleston, South Carolina, husband of Caroline Oliveros King, died Sunday, September 23, 2018, at his home in Charleston, SC. His private graveside service will be at St. Philip’s Churchyard.

A reception for family and friends will be held Sunday, September 30, 2018, at 35 Gibbes Street, from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. Arrangements by J. HENRY STUHR, INC. DOWNTOWN CHAPEL.

Charlie was born November 15, 1922, in Cleveland, Ohio, the only child of Ruth and John J. King. He received his Doctorate of Dental Science degree from Western Reserve University in Cleveland and his Master of Arts in teaching from The Citadel in Charleston. Dr. King is retired from the University of Detroit Dental School, where he served as Dean from 1983 through 1988. Previously, he was on the faculty of Baylor University’s Dental School and was a member of the original faculty at the Dental School of the Medical University of South Carolina.

Charlie took to retirement like a fish takes to water and never looked back. He was a man of many hobbies. He collected antiques, Morgan cars, Classic Thunderbirds and clocks. Charlie loved Great Dane dogs, travel and golf. He was active in car clubs, especially the Morgan Owners Group South. Charlie was a president of the Country Club of Charleston, where he made three holes in one. Although he was fortunate enough to play both August National and the Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland, his time spent golfing with his friends at the Country Club of Charleston was his favorite. Charlie was a kind, thoughtful, loving, gentle man. His goodness will be missed greatly.

Charlie is survived by his wife, Caroline; grandson, Brian King; and daughter-in-law, Jeannie King of Dallas, TX. He was predeceased by his son from a former marriage, Geoffrey King who passed away suddenly on September 5th of this year.

The family’s appreciation goes out to Kindred Hospice of Charleston and Home Instead Senior Care for their kind and compassionate service. Memorials may be made to the Salvation Army, P.O. Drawer 70579, N. Charleston, SC 29415. A memorial message may be sent to the family by visiting our website at www.jhenrystuhr.com. Visit our guestbook at www.legacy.com/obituaries/charleston

Published in Charleston Post & Courier on Sept. 25, 2018 http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/charleston/obituary.aspx?n=charles-joel-king&pid=190308835&fhid=6051

 

27 Sep

Analog adrenaline: taking the Morgan Plus 4 for a drive (https://news.abs-cbn.com/ancx/drive – 9/27/18)

Driving aids are overrated, so we take the vintage-inspired Morgan Plus 4 for an exciting drive, free of computer control.

[With all the fervor about the new ‘component’ cars being brought in by dealers it is hard not to loose sight of the other way to get a newer Morgan into the US legally, the 25 Year Old car law.  We already have two Plus 8s (1990 and 1989) and one  Plus 4 (1994) registered right here in Florida.  I am being challenged by new power trains and new technologies every day.  What is that they say about ‘old dogs and new tricks’??  Cheers, Mark]

Real driving excitement is endangered. Many modern vehicles prohibit reckless abandon with the help of safety systems like motor-driven power steering, traction control, stability control, and ABS. In sportier vehicles, features like launch control, corner brake control, and torque vectoring compensate for all the fun that’s been taken away by safety imperatives—though always under the watchful eyes of the on-board computer.

Yet, this illusion of control is no substitute for the connectedness and dash of unpredictability that old cars, bereft of modern safety systems, used to provide. Pure, unadulterated driving fun may be harder to find these days, but it’s far from extinct. One vehicle where it resides quite comfortably in is the Morgan Plus 4.

The Morgan Motor Company, Ltd. was founded by Henry Frederick Stanley “HFS” Morgan in 1909. The railway worker left his job and designed and built a car for his own use. That very company continues to operate to this day, closely adhering to the founder’s ideals. Far from typical automotive companies that produced vehicles to reach production targets, Morgan pursued craftsmanship and performance in creating his vehicles.

As a result, his first vehicle, a three-wheeler powered by a V-twin engine, offered little more than personal mobility and lower road tax, since it was classified as a motorcycle. In spite of competition from small cars like the Austin 7 and the original Morris Minor, the company soldiered on, eventually introducing the Plus 4, a four-cylinder, four-wheeled vehicle in 1952. Morgan took its time introducing variants and new models in the years that followed, launching the retro-futuristic Aero in 2000 and the reincarnation of the Three-Wheeler in 2011. Nevertheless, the low production numbers allowed the company to focus on quality, craftsmanship, and excitement that the vehicles continue to be known for today.

The beauty about Morgans is they’re built only after a customer has placed an order. This includes choosing from 40,000 possible colors and a dizzying array of upholstery and other options. Only then is the Morgan built, not by assembly line, but part by part. Wooden forms are stenciled, sawed, shaped, and joined to make parts of the car. Aluminum sheets are not stamped but hammered and molded over the wooden frames. Chassis are not moved by conveyor belt but rolled along on dollies. Vehicles are spray-painted by hand, not by a robot. Each component is fitted by hand, inspected and fixed if necessary. Finally, each vehicle is individually road tested to ensure they are worthy of being called a Morgan. In essence, Morgans are still constructed in the same way vehicles were built at the turn of the century.

That fully manual process manifests itself in several parts of the car: the way the leather belt over the hood is frayed along its length, the beautiful welding marks along the windshield frame that are flattened but not erased, the imperfection in the stitching of the seats, letting you know it passed through caring hands.

As for the drive, the Morgan is not perfect either, but it’s also uncensored. No traction control, ABS, or stability to save you from mistakes. This vehicle is not for the uninitiated. The throttle response is instant, with its precious burble resonated, not muted, by the muffler. The steering is slow, taking some turns to conquer a 90-degree turn. Yet it’s also this effort that helps you appreciate how hard cornering is. Or you can always let the back end come out and do more of the work for you. The transmission is short and crisp. After all, it’s sourced from a Mazda Miata. The ride is harsh, but nonetheless planted, giving better feedback on how slippery or sticky the road surface is. And, of course, there will be a lot of wind coming into the cabin, just to let you know how fast you’re going.

All told, the Morgan is uncomfortable, twitchy, and a little bit scary. It’s clearly not an everyday car. But the few days you take it out, preferably on a twisty mountain road, will be the most exhilarating drives of your life. Driving excitement may be endangered but, quite appropriately, it takes a dinosaur like the Morgan Plus 4 to remind us why this freedom has become such a rare and exclusive treasure.

04 Sep

Fettling with the 2005 Roadster Air Conditioner

It’s hot in Florida and most Morgan outings are top down.  But when it rains, and it does that daily, you have to put the top up.   Being in a Morgan with the top up, in Florida, is hot, very hot and humid.  But, I have air conditioning in the Roadster.  Yeah, right!

Well, the Roadster air conditioner is the subject of many jokes, and none of them are good.  If Morgan didn’t provide air conditioning, we would have suffered on, as we had before, but since the car supposedly came with ‘Air Conditioning’ we thought we were saved.   Not so.  It doesn’t work and if it does, it doesn’t work very well.

Turning On the 2005 Roadster Air Conditioning

The actual air conditioner lines are high pressure lines and are metal.

They go into an air condition assembly box on the car’s firewall.  This assembly box also houses the car’s heater core (sort of looks like a small radiator) and the heater / air conditioning fan.  The assembly box is covered with some sort of temperature insulating material that is silver-ish.

There is a knob about the size of a nickel near the upper right corner of the air condition assembly box (labeled as Condenser Knob, above, and shown as a red dot.)  This knob is supposed to be fully rotated clockwise.  This insures the air conditioning ‘compressor’ is not turned OFF.  It is rumored that some cars simply had this knob set somewhat counter-clockwise and the air conditioning didn’t work.

Also, inside the car, there is large rotating knob under the dash on the passenger side (LHD) that goes from Hot (Marked in RED) to Cold (Marked in BLUE).  There is also a switch under the dash on the drivers’ side (LHD) labeled with a snow flake (for air conditioning).  One side of the switch shows a vertical bar ‘|’ for ON and the other an ‘O’ for OFF.

  • Rotate the ‘compressor’ knob (the small knob on the outside of the air conditioner assembly box.) fully clockwise.
  • Rotate the large knob (inside the car, under the dash) to the BLUE side
  • Turn the air conditioning switch (inside the car, under the dash) to the ON position (e.g. with the vertical bar ‘|’ for ON).
  • Turn on the fan switch, which is inside the car, on the dash, to low or high.  (It is a two position switch.)

When I do all this, I get semi-cool air blowing into the cockpit.  Certainly, insufficient for the Florida heat and humidity.  It is not new car cold air, more like really old car cool air (someone said tepid).

So What Now?

I tried starting the air conditioning a few times, hoping for a different outcome each time.  Nope the same each time, nadda, still tepid air.

I studied the schematics and stared at the car.  I found a few things I thought I could do.  There are two coolant hoses taking hot coolant from the engine, running it through the heater core (little radiator) to provide the heat for the heater.  (They are shown in purple in the schematic above.)

The fan (switch to turn the fan on and off is located on the dash) blows air through this hot heater core into the car’s cockpit.  The air blown by the fan comes from the hot engine air leaving the forward bonnet louvers and then goes back into the engine bay via the rearward (near the windshield) louvers on the bonnet.  This air then goes into the top of the air conditioning assembly box.

This is the air that is used by the heater / air conditioning systems.  Hot air is fine for the heater but isn’t too good for the air conditioner.

Also, having these hot coolant lines and this hot heater core in the air condition assembly box cannot be good for getting cold air into the cockpit either.

Fixing the air flow looks to be somewhat arduous, at least in my simple mind, however eliminating the hot coolant hoses feeding the heater core looks doable.  So that is what I did.

Tools Needed

All this is really just to loosen and tighten hose clamps.  Your car may have different hose clamps and require different tools.  Well, the pry bar gave me some leverage with sticky hoses.

  • 1/4 inch drive ratchet
  • 6 inch extension for 1/4 inch drive ratchet
  • 7mm Socket (1/4 inch drive)
  • 8mm Socket (1/4 inch drive)
  • Slotted Screw Driver
  • Philips Head Screw Driver
  • Pry Bar
  • 90 degree ¾ inch (outside diameter) brass hose coupling (~$3 at Lowes)

Steps

The hardest part of this task is getting access to the heater core supply and return coolant hoses where they connect into the air conditioner assembly box.  Once you have access it is simply the matter of removing the two hose clamps that hold the hoses on the air conditioning assembly box and then joining the two hoses together with a 3/4 inch coupling.

  • Remove the two small overflow tank hoses. Remove the hose clamps using slotted screwdriver.  See picture of overflow tank with hoses removed, below.

  • Relocate electrical relays attached via an attached Velcro patch. Simply pull Velcro away.  See picture of velcro on electrical relays and on air conditioner assembly box, below.

  • Remove the large Air Flow hose. Again, remove the hose clamps and pull.  The hose is fairly pliable.  See picture of the void left when the  the large air flow hose is removed, below.

  • Now you can access the two hoses going into the air conditioning assembly box that carry the hot coolant water.  Note: When you pull these away, you will have some spillage of coolant as the heater core is most likely full.  It isn’t very much however.
  • Simply connect the two hoses together using the metal coupling (I tried it with a straight coupling and it was too difficult to get the hoses in the correct position, so I opted for a 90° angled coupler. This was much easier.) I found the coupling at the local home improvement store.  I suspect they are everywhere.  This removes  the flow of hot coolant from the heater core and of course, disables the heater. Now just put everything back.
  • Put the large Air Flow hose back on. Again, use the hose clamps on each end and push and pull to get it set on each end.  Then tighten the hose clamps.
  • Put the electrical relays back onto their Velcro patch.
  • Finally, reconnect the two overflow tank hoses.
  • Re inspect to make sure everything is reconnected and tightened up.
  • Take the car for a test drive.

The Result 

I think this simple modification greatly improved the performance of my air conditioning.  It is still not extremely cold, but it is quite a bit cooler than before.  Now, I suspect everyone’s car is different (these are Morgans, of course) so your results may vary.  I also think that reworking the air flow, as discussed above, will improve the air conditioning some more.

I believe a more elegant solution that addresses not only the hot coolant hoses, but also the hot air flow issues and a solution that doesn’t disable the heater, is in the works.  I will probably opt for that solution when it is here and tested, however until then, this is about ‘as good as it gets’.

Cheers,  Mark

01 Sep

New Orleans Permanent Canal Closures and Pumps (PCCP) Project & Patterson Pump facility in Toccoa GA

This message may be of interest to the club members that followed the story in the newsletter (Volume 6/14) highlighting the MOGSouth visit in June 2014 to the Patterson Pump facility in Toccoa GA where our huge New Orleans flood control pumps were manufactured.

This photo, from the MOGSouth newsletter, shows our tour group standing in half of the suction tube of one of the pumps.

I just received notification that the New Orleans Permanent Canal Closures and Pumps (PCCP) Project involving our monster pumps will be featured on the History Channel September 1st at noon (ET).

Briefly, the PCCP project is the last and largest of the post-Katrina flood protection improvement projects.

The 10 largest of the 17 pumps are the largest pumps in the U.S. hurricane protection system, capable of pushing 800,000 to 1.2 million gallons per minute EACH over the flood protection walls and into Lake Pontchartrain.

These pumps and the 7 “small” pumps that are capable of half these flow rates produce a combined flow rate equivalent to that of the Ohio River.

The pumps are 5 to 7 stories high.

It took 150 special flatbed tractor trailers to transport the 17 pumps to New Orleans. They were shipped in components (photo attached) and assembled on site while the pump stations were built around them.

Regards,

Jack Claxton

 

30 Aug

WHITWHAT? THE WHITWORTH SYSTEM (Moss Motors)

[It happens to me all the time.  The wrench won’t fit, it’s too small, so I get the next larger one and it won’t fit either, it’s too large.  Nothing in between?  What now, darn, it’s probably ‘Whitworth’.  If you play with old British cars, you have most likely run into this situation.  An interesting read with the morning coffee.  Unless you abhor auto parts??  Mark]

Most of us think of car parts in terms of carburetors, engines, transmissions, brakes, and so on. The most common part in any car isn’t really noticed at all until you take one apart. Even then you don’t think much about it until it comes time to put the car back together again and, suddenly, you discover that you don’t have quite as many as you should. I’m talking about the nuts and bolts that hold a car together.

To make matters more interesting, a good many of the cars we deal with don’t use nuts and bolts that can be purchased from the corner hardware store. Much maligned and misunderstood, the Whitworth hardware used on older British cars has an interesting history.

Threaded fasteners go back a long way. In 1568, the first practical screw cutting machine was invented by a French mathematician named Jacques Besson. After that, things took off…after a fashion. By 1611 the idea had caught on in England well enough for it to be mentioned in a book, the significant point being that the companion piece to any screw—the nut—was mentioned as well. While the concept was basically sound, in practice there were a few bugs to be worked out. In general, a screw is a threaded fastener that is turned into a threaded hole; a bolt passes through the hole and is secured with a nut on the other side. In the 1600’s putting something together was a real chore. Once you found a bolt you liked, you had to find a nut, and that was a matter of chance [Still is, in my garage . . . . Mark] since nobody had any idea of making the treads the same. Once you found a nut that fit, (well, sort of) the nut and bolt were tied together with string. Since the threads on any one fastener were unique, taking something apart and putting it back together again could be a lifetime occupation. Just be thankful that the car had not yet been invented.

This happy chaos continued until well into the industrial revolution, when Henry Maudslay perfected a lathe that made it possible to adjust the thread pitch of a screw. This made it possible to make large numbers of identical screws. The idea of making the bolts for one machine all the same seems to have caught on. at least with the folks who had to put them together.

Making threaded fasteners on a lathe is time consuming, and therefore expensive. In 1850 a man from New York named William Ward perfected a system for forming the threads on a bolt by heating it to 1600 degrees Fahrenheit, and then rolling it between two grooved dies. The grooves on the flat dies were forced into the bolt, and the threads were formed as the bolt rolled between the fixed and the moving die.

This same basic system is used today, the only difference being that the bolts are not heated before being rolled. “Cold” forming produces much more uniform threads, allowing closer tolerances, and because the bolts are not heated, they are stronger.

Even today, the development of this technology would not really matter if there were no national or international standards for threads on screws and bolts. We would still be buying nuts and bolts as matched pairs. The man responsible for the development of the first standards for the production of threaded fasteners Is none other than Joseph Whitworth. [Who knew?? Mark] In 1841, his paper, “A Uniform System of Screw Threads”, set forth a concept that was to revolutionize manufacturing.

His idea was simple:

  1. Each diameter of bolt or screw will have its own number of threads per inch (TPI)
  2. The angle between the side of one thread and the adjacent thread should be 55°.
  3. Both the crest and root of each thread should be rounded.
  4. The relationship of the pitch to the radius of the rounded portion of the thread is defined by a ratio of l/6th; in other words, the radius r = (1/6) x (pitch).

Finally, there was a system. If adopted, that would allow the fasteners used on one type of machine to be replaced with another “standard” fastener. The logic was hard to beat, and England adopted the system to the extent that by 1881 it was the effectively the British standard.

The Whitworth System was used as proposed for bolts and screws from 1/8″ to 4 1/4″ in shank diameter up to 1908, when an additional thread form was proposed—British Standard Fine (BSF). Presented by the British Engineering Standards Association, BSF was identical to the original Whitworth form except that the pitch was finer—meaning more threads per inch. Now a bolt with a diameter of 1/4 inch could have either 20 threads per inch (BSW) or 26 (BSF). The advantage of the finer thread pitch is two fold. A fine thread bolt is about 10% stronger than a coarse thread bolt of the same size and material.  [I knew this but I didn’t know why I knew this.  Mark]  Fine threaded fasteners also have greater resistance to vibration. Those of you who have worked on cars with Whitworth hardware will have noticed that almost all the hardware is BSF for these reasons. Why use any coarse threaded bolts at all? Coarse thread fasteners are well suited for use in tapped holes in material softer than the bolt (such as studs in aluminum cylinder heads), and they are easier to assemble. It’s almost impossible to cross thread a coarse threaded fastener by hand.

For sizes smaller than 1/8″, the British adopted a Swiss Standard thread form for small screws and called it British Association Thread (BA). This thread form was adopted in 1903. Like the Whitworth form, it has rounded crests and roots, but the angle between adjacent faces of the screw’s threads Is 47 1/2°. Instead of being sized by fractions of an inch, they are numbered OBA, 1BA, 2BA and so on up to 22BA. For some reason, the larger the number, the smaller the screw. Other than that, the system is analogous to our “machine screw” system where numbers are used (e.g. #6, #8, #10).

A question often asked (well, once in a while anyway) is why didn’t the US adopt the Whitworth System? As it turns out, we did. By 1860, most of Europe and the US were using the system. In 1864, however, the move to establish a “National” thread system was under way. William Sellers was instrumental in persuading the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia to set up a committee whose prime goal would be to set up national (meaning American) standards. Sellers, who made machine tools, was dissatisfied with the Whitworth System on several points: The 55° angle was hard to gauge and the rounded threads caused an uncertain fit between the nut and bolt. He also argued that the rounded threads were weaker than a system he proposed where the angle between the opposing faces was 60° (not Whitworth’s 55°), and the crests and roots were flattened. The Franklin Institute adopted Seller’s system, and by 1900 it was in use throughout the US and much of Europe. The American system had both line and coarse threads called, logically enough, American National Fine (ANF) and American National Coarse (ANC).

The Whitworth system is further complicated by its tool size designations. American tools (and European for that matter) are sized by the head of the bolt or the size of the nut. A 1/2″ wrench fits a bolt with a head 1/2″ across. A Whitworth wrench is sized according to the diameter of the shank of the bolt, not the head. A 1/4 W (Whitworth) wrench is actually a bit larger than a 1/2″ American wrench—0.525″ to 0.500″. As if that wasn’t enough, in 1924 it was decided that the heads of the Whitworth bolts were too large, so they were down-sized.

The “new” bolts and nuts were made so that the old tools could still be used, but on different bolts. The old 3/8W wrench now fit the 7/16″ bolt. To enable the tools to be used easily, they are marked with both sizes. The old size, which stands for the diameter of the bolt’s shank, is marked with a “W”. The new size is marked with a “BS”, which stands for the bolt size and consequently the new wrench size. For example, the old 3/8W wrench also fits the “new” 7/16″ bolt and is therefore also marked “7/16 BS”. The head of the bolt it fits is 0.600″ across the flats, larger than 19/32″ but smaller than 5/8″.  [I am so glad there isn’t a test at the end!  Mark]

Because the wrenches are unique, there are no American counterparts. Use of the closest American wrench will often result in the rounding of corners and the springing of the wrench jaws.

The Whitworth System, with its associated BS thread system, was in use by British automobile manufactures until 1948, when Canada, the US, and the United Kingdom adopted a “Unified Thread System” that incorporated features of Seller’s and Whitworth’s systems. Actually, the push to standardize an international thread system was initiated during the First World War. The necessity for a system that both American and English manufactures could use was a direct result of the war effort. The fact that the allies shared much of the same machinery and equipment made interchangeable parts essential. The issue was the subject of various international conferences from 1918 to 1948, with the 2nd World War playing the role of catalyst for the adoption of the Unified system. The Unified System was adopted by the British automobile industry on a large scale in 1956, when most of the common fasteners on the cars built that year were of the Unified Thread System. The fact that the major market for these cars was in the US was no doubt a major factor in the decision. The Unified System is basically the same as the American system in use—the two thread systems were American National Coarse (ANC) and American National Fine (ANF). They became the Unified coarse and fine. A few related industries, notably SU, did not make the switch, and used Whitworth and BS hardware until they ceased production.

The Unified System was not destined to last. Having seen that everyone could change over from one system to another, the International Standards Organization launched a campaign to replace the Unified system with a version of the metric system that originated in Europe. It has been slow going. Since 1966 there has only been a partial changeover to the ISO metric system in the American and British automotive industries.

The Whitworth system should not be viewed as a stumbling block invented by the English to keep us from putting their cars back together again once we’ve managed to take them apart. I don’t believe it has anything to do with our minor disagreement back in 1776 either. The Whitworth system made it possible to manufacture complex machinery on a large scale, and it made it possible to work on that machinery without having a full-time clerk keeping track of the different nuts and bolts. Each system takes some special wrenches and sockets, and you might have to think for a minute or two about which wrench to use, but heck, if it were easy, anybody could work on these cars.