Where are they Now?

For those interested in competing 4 cylinder Morgans

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Andy Downes
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Re: Where are they Now?

Post by Andy Downes »

Thanks Mark, but could you enlighten me please !

Thanks

Andy
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Mark Shears
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Re: Where are they Now?

Post by Mark Shears »

Sorry Andy - of course!

3 FLH was delivered new from the factory with a LT hardtop ,wide wings and steel wheels. I don't think it had an engine.

The reason for this was that its new owner had the hot LT engine out of his Plus Four Drophead Coupe fitted in the new car.

Then CL fitted 6inch Borrani wire wheels - hence the wide wings!

CL described it as the fastest brick Morgan he had ever built.

It raced at Brighton Speed Trials, Goodwood etc

Dennis Glavis had it for sale for $160,000 a couple of years ago. it came down in price over the following months but after I last saw it advertised for around $140,000 it disappeared shortly afterwards.

Cheers

Mark
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Andy Downes
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Re: Where are they Now?

Post by Andy Downes »

Mark Shears wrote:The reason for this was that its new owner had the hot LT engine out of his Plus Four Drophead Coupe fitted in the new car.
Thanks Mark, do you know who the "new owner" was ?

Thanks

Andy
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machiel kalf
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Re: Where are they Now?

Post by machiel kalf »

Dear Morgan (+4) friends,

Have you seen the November issue of Miscellany page 22?. There you see a photo of 57 RFK. Text: The car is thought to be Chris Lawrence's original TOK 258, wich is being restored after many years hidden away.
Can soneone tell me/ us what the history of this car is.
As far as I know is the original TOK 258 still driving around in Malvern. John Brook is the owner. With that car, Chris won the Freddy Dixon Tropy.

In the same november issue: Thanks Andy telling this to me: For sale: 1969 +8 Moss box, Reg. No. XNP 35G, Chassis No. R704. Ex Lawrence Tune/ R.Gray. Winner of 2 Championships. That must be Tony Howards car. What same for Tony that he is selling his pride and joy!



I look forward to your response,

Machiel Kalf
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machielkalf@ziggo.nl
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Mark Shears
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Re: Where are they Now?

Post by Mark Shears »

Hi Andy,

Have been to the Classic Car Show at the NEC and Ted Walker of Ferret Photographic had a stand there.

I found a rare photo of Chris Pickard in 3 FLH at Brands Hatch in 1963 with hardtop in place, wide wings BUT racing on the factory fitted steel wheels. ie before the wide Borrani wire wheels were fitted.

Cheers

Mark
Alan House
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Re: Where are they Now?

Post by Alan House »

Hi Roger et al,
Regarding 818 AOA; I bought the car off Brian Kendall for £520 (what a bargain!) at the end of July 1964. I had been campaigning Roy North's Triumph TR2, PYU 430, for the year prior to that, hence my association with Roy North Motors of Bushey Arches service station. He was an experienced campaigner and, incidentally, raced a Saab at the Le Mans 24hrs in conjunction with Sid Hurrell, who, of course, was a Triumph engine tuning specialist. But I digress!
I have a cutting of the advert placed in Autosport ----'"Ex Adrian Dence Racewinning Morgan" -------- Brian Kendall offers for sale his Racing Plus 4 Morgan. One of the fastest marque cars, Goodwood 1.41; Mallory 59.8; and certainly the fastest Morgan in the country. ---------- Three firsts, four seconds, and two thirds in nine races this year'. I've a couple of cuttings taken out of Autosport of photos of Adrian at the wheel in 1963 but I'm not sure how to add images to the post!
I had several outings in the car in the remainder of the season of '64, culminating in a first in class(2000 - 3000ccs) and class(2000 - 2600ccs) lap record of the GP circuit at the Clubmen's Championships at Silverstone 3/10/64.
Through 1965 I raced fairly consistently and on 12th September managed to win the over 1600ccs class in the "Autosport" Championship Final. It was an interesting race of two 65 lap parts, the second of which started at dusk and finished in the dark at about 9pm. The start was a rolling start behind the pace car and I remember being consumed by emotion during the warm up lap and crying my eyes out down the Norwich Straight. Soon after that came the Silverstone Clubmen's Championships for 1965 held on Sat. 2nd October on the GP circuit. After nine tremendous laps of close racing with one of the two Austin Healey 3000s entered, I decided on the tenth and last lap to try and pass it going round the outside of Woodcote! Not the best of moves I have to say, and it resulted in my spinning 818 AOA on the grass all the way past the pits, and finishing up in a very crumpled mess against the carefully placed, and suitably solid, abutment for the pits access bridge!!! What happened in the aftermath of that crash I do not know as I was safely tucked up in my bed in Northampton General! Suffice it to say that the chassis was a total write off; how it was disposed of I know not. It would have been returned to Roy North Motors I would surmise.
My memory of the rebuilding of my Morgan is very sketchy but we acquired a lightened rolling chassis which happened to be left hand drive and came with the registration document and number ALT 82B. We had several trips down to the factory where we were successful in gathering help and support with the more specialised areas of the rebuild, but most of the work was done by Roy and his team whom I cannot thank enough.
I have little in the way of documentation of my racing in 1966 after the rebuild, and only sketchy memories of 1967. My main efforts in '67 went into The Amasco Trophy series in which I was the 2000 to 3000cc champion and during the year I held the class lap record at Brands Hatch on both circuits and the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit.
The registration MOG 1 was never a genuine number for either of my Morgans, and just a bit of fun on my part. I can categorically confirm that 818 AOA was never a left hand drive car!, and therefore, for some obscure reason, at one time I must have put the 818 AOA number on the rebuilt car(ALT 82B) as evidenced by the photo posted by Andy Downes showing me driving the car in 1967.
I haven't raced since I 'retired' and got married in 1968. ALT 82B was sold to Bruce Stapleton as has been posted on this site and, as we have read, he campaigned the car successfully after that. Has it now become another missing Morgan?
As to now, I would love to get back into racing Morgans again so if anyone knows of a car being available or who would like a second driver please let me know.
Best regards Alan.
PS Incidentally, amongst the few photos I have of the period, there is one of a Morgan racing on an unidentified track(could be the bend at the end of bottom straight at Brands Hatch) with the registration of 23 MTF; another missing Morgan for the melting pot!?
Bruce Stapleton
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Re: Where are they Now?

Post by Bruce Stapleton »

Alan,

What a wonderful surprise to read your first post and what an interesting one! Only 45 years since we last had anything to do with each other!

Never too late to say thanks for letting me buy ALT from you and allowing me to have such fun with it for a number of years. Now sadly lost abroad somewhere after I decided to move into Morgans with a few more cylinders.

Perhaps you could PM me and we'll see what can be done to get you back into a race.
Best regards
Bruce
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RICHARD PLANT
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Re: Where are they Now?

Post by RICHARD PLANT »

Wow thanks Alan =D> All very interesting and answered a lot of questions all in one go which have puzzled a number of us over the years. Brian Kendall thought the car had been written off at Brands Hatch, the registration number MOG 1 and the left Hand drive car registered 818 AOA - just like finding the lost key to the cupboard!! I have some very good period photos of your car taken at various circuits from Ferret Fotographics which I’m sure you will have seen as he is often at big race meetings with all his photos. You mention 23 MTF in fact the car was registered 232 MTF and was raced by John Maclay in period the car has come out of long term hibernation and just been restored by Chas Windridge at Mog Sport for the owner who has had the car since buying it from John Maclay in the 60’s.
Richard.
Alan House
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Re: Where are they Now?

Post by Alan House »

Hi
Thanks Bruce and Richard for you kind remarks.
All the photos that I have were taken by the BRSCC photographer Evan Selwyn - Smith so I would be most interested in any other images. I looked on the Ferret website but did not find what I was looking for.
Regards Alan
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RICHARD PLANT
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Re: Where are they Now?

Post by RICHARD PLANT »

Hi Alan,
Give Ted a ring I saw a number of excellent photos of you in your car this weekend at the classic car show at the NEC in the Morgan box of photos.
Richard
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Mark Shears
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Re: Where are they Now?

Post by Mark Shears »

Hi Alan - great to hear from you and you have certainly filled in lots of black holes!

It's wonderful that this thread has brought out so many posts from 'people who know' like yourself and Bruce amongst several others.

Like Richard I too saw some pictures of you and your old car in Teds Morgan box at the NEC at the weekend and I am sure if you give him a ring he will look after you.

Likewise if you are looking for a nice 1961 Morgan Plus Four Supersports replica to race I just happen to have one for sale!

Cheers

Mark
Andy Garlick
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Re: Where are they Now?

Post by Andy Garlick »

3 FLH
I came across this car at Gerry Marshall's garage (Hendon? Muswell Hill?) in the late 70s when I went to look at a different +4. This was the car that has since evolved into "Choc Ices" on behalf of John Macdonald.

At that time it had 3 FLH had a low line body , hardtop and Borrani wire wheels (the rears being at least 7 inch wide) . The engine bay looked to be fitted with most of the Supersports kit, but I don't know if it was a genuine car or not, and won't make any comment about that element (see later)

It was in a pretty tired condition, in need of attention to both cosmetic and mechanical issues. I can remember Gerry saying that he had taken the car from its owner because the latter had not kept up payment on the finance. It was claimed that he had become short of liquid funds and had raised finance based on the car.

(I believe that one of Chris Lawrences adverts in Miscellany had this car sitting on a rolling road dyno , with Robin Gray about to do a test run up)

I don't know exactly what happened to it , but some months later someone placed an ad in Miscellany asking if anyone had any information about the car and its past. I got in touch, and was bitterly disappointed , it turned that the buyer had taken the car to the USA , had resold it for a profit, and then was being sued by the new owner on the grounds that it was substandard in every respect. He was wanting me to state that is was not a Supersports so he in turn could take it up with Gerry Marshall. He was not really interested in the car or its provenance , just making money.

Andy (the other one)
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Mark Shears
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Re: Where are they Now?

Post by Mark Shears »

Thank you for the fascinating back story on 3 FLH Andy.

Gerry Marshall and John Macdonald between them must have handled most of what are now famous Plus 4 race cars.

Choc Ices or PGP 123 is the ex. Peter Marten Plus 4 that was for many years owned by Jan Belinsky. I wonder what condition it was in then compared to 3 FLH?! They were of course all old and hard used race cars by the late 70's and needless to say not worth anything like they are now.

Cheers

Mark

PS can you make the leathern Bottle at Lewknor on the 11th Jan?
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John Clarke
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Re: Where are they Now?

Post by John Clarke »

Hi Mark

Richard Shepherd Barron's video shows Peter Martyn racing in period with "choc ices" abroad with TOK and XRX.

With Peter Martyn driving, in the above, the car was a high line +4 with twin spare wheels although they were left in the paddock for racing! Didn't we discuss this before somewhere?

The first time I set eyes on the car was when Jan came out to play in the MSCC Morgan race series having been purchased from John Mac (I think). Although entered in '95 he eventually had the car ready in '96. The car now had a later single spare sloping back panel but still a high line. Jan also was out for the Birkett (see Historic Birkett thread - PGP and Jan can be clearly seen) and remained with him till the current owner. Jan had a few problems with the car and I don't think it ever ran right when racing against me.

Of course, no super sports ever left the factory with twin spare wheels.

Is it implied that FLH and PGP is one and the same???? - I must revisit RSB's video.

cheers

john
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Mark Shears
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Re: Where are they Now?

Post by Mark Shears »

Hi John,

No. I am sorry if my wording confused you. There is no confusion with PGP and FLH.

The history of FLH has been described above. But you are right PGP was originally a twin spare wheeled cowled radiator Morgan.

It was built in June 1954 and was painted ivory. Chassis no: T3129. Peter Marten bought it second hand to replace a 4/4 he had been racing and which he told me was too slow so he wanted to replace it with a Plus 4 that he knew was the way to go.

This was because Peter was going out with Richard Shepherd- Barons sister!

As a result of this purchase Richard suggested to Peter that he take it to Chris Lawrence to work his magic on. Thus PGP became the first customer Lawrencetune Morgan.

Peter competed with the car in the UK and abroad ( as you know from Richard S-B's DVD) but he had a big accident in it I think in 1962. It was then rebuilt and re- bodied to then current Morgan body style - what we now call High Line and painted Avion Blue. The same colour as the original XRX 1 ( chassis no 4840 ).

When Peter sold Choc Ices its new owner painted it BRG and in this colour it ran in the Tourist Trophy at Goodwood.

I was fortunate to be asked by its new owner who I introduced to Jan when he was selling Choc Ices to share the car with him at the commemorative TT race held at the Silverstone Classic a couple of years ago and it was a great priviledge.

Hope this sets the record straight!

Cheers

Mark
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