Where are they Now?

For those interested in competing 4 cylinder Morgans

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John Clarke
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Re: Where are they Now?

Post by John Clarke »

Hi Mark

Excellent potted history of PGP. It was Andy's comment that made me wonder
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.
cheers

john
Andy Garlick
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Re: Where are they Now?

Post by Andy Garlick »

Choc Ices
When I saw Choc Ices at Gerry Marshalls place it was hardly recognisable as the car that John and Jan developed. It was certainly BRG, with black leather, but it had disc wheels, no hard top , and it did not have the air of a well used competition car. It was just too tidy.

Gerry Marshall showed me some paperwork that came with the car, one of was a letter from Chris Lawrence stating (with the usual caveat that his memory was less than fully reliable!) the Moss gearbox came out of the Le Mans car (TOK?) and several other parts came from the Le mans pile of pieces that they used for the 1961 attempt and the 1962 entry. Gerry Marshall with all his usual salesman's patter claimed that this proved it was a Le Mans car! I was less than convinced and gave John Mac a neutral report on the car.

However John bought it , and the rest (as they say) is history.

Andy
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Mark Shears
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Re: Where are they Now?

Post by Mark Shears »

Hi Andy,

I don't suppose you can remember if Choc Ices had a big petrol tank at that time do you?

I can understand if you say well I never looked but it would make sense to something John Mac showed Richard Plant and me a few years ago!

Cheers

Mark
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Mary Lindsay
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Re: Where are they Now?

Post by Mary Lindsay »

Image

Rob Wells wonders where his first Morgan is now : "The car that started it all" VFC 424, a 1954 +4 flat rad, seen here next to Pete Mountain's Plus 4. Rob says he rebuilt it on a new chassis after he went over a hump backed bridge a week after he paid £150 for it and both doors came open! That was in 1967. The car was last seen in white, although it was hand painted orange when he owned it.
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jack bellinger
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Re: Where are they Now?

Post by jack bellinger »

just found this in Jan 1962 Motor Sport.
THE CHRIS LAWRENCE GLOVE
For sometime we have been using a pair of driving gloves developed by Richard Shepherd -Barron in conjuction with Chris Lawrence. These two racing drivers have been testing the gloves during the racing season in thier Morgans and have just recently placed them on the market. Hand cut and sewn in leather the gloves have elastic wrist bands anf two position press stud fastenings. They are not the string back type but have ventilation holes cut into the backs.Although soft and pliable they have proved extremley durable (you will like this Mary) and Lady drivers will be pleased to note that a variety of colours are available !! priced at 38s a pair .... available from most accessory dealers..

Who a got a pair of these then ??

jack
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Mary Lindsay
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Re: Where are they Now?

Post by Mary Lindsay »

(you will like this Mary) and Lady drivers will be pleased to note that a variety of colours are available !!
Jack, it really would depend on the colour as the gloves would have to tone with my overalls and the car.
Perhaps Richard SB still has some tucked away….
Jim Lowry
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Re: Where are they Now?

Post by Jim Lowry »

Mark Shears wrote: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


Hi Mark – and all

I would always hesitate to correct you (Master) but my understanding is that Peter Marten was involved in an incident with “Choc Ices” at the Scott-Brown memorial meeting at Snetterton in July 1961, the car then went back to the factory and re-emerged with a brand new “high line” aluminium lightweight body painted in Avion Blue. It was in this colour that Peter Marten and from what I understand Richard Shepherd Baron drove the car in the Goodwood Tourist Trophy later in that same year. Interestingly the car still had the steel disc wheels at this event.

Peter Marten sold "Choc Ices" at the end of the 1961 season and the new owner decided to repaint the car in British Racing Green.

You will recall much more recently when Simon Gurney took delivery of “Choc Ices” it was brought to my workshop for basically a careful strip down and rebuild where required in readiness for the next chapter of the car’s illustrious history.

As work progressed the dash board and instruments were carefully removed from the car during the fitting of a roll cage and scuttle bar and very clearly behind the dash remains the Avion Blue colour, obviously when the car was repainted in 1962 the dash was masked over and painted around. Additionally near to the hinges on the inside of the bonnet where the oily residue was not cleaned properly, some of the British Racing Green paint is flaking and Avion Blue again is visible underneath.

Cheers

Jim

PS - Hope you find some of those gloves Mary.
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Mary Lindsay
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Re: Where are they Now?

Post by Mary Lindsay »

PS - Hope you find some of those gloves Mary.
That is kind of you Jim.

I gave up trying to find any in bubble gum pink and eventually settled for white cape leather flying gloves.

Sadly the MSA now frowns upon such accessories and I am now reduced to clumsy old Nomex gloves in black...
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Mark Shears
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Re: Where are they Now?

Post by Mark Shears »

Hi Jim,

Good to hear from you and trust you had a good Christmas and New Year break.

Thanks for the slight corrections - I wasn't far out was I ?!

Are you coming to the Leathern Bottle tomorrow? I am trying to get Simon G. along as well.

Cheers

Mark
Jim Lowry
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Re: Where are they Now?

Post by Jim Lowry »

Hi Mark

Sorry - could not make the Leathern Bottle meet this year but look forward to seeing everyone (and Mary's new gloves) sometime in the new year.

Hope the lunch went well, which I am very sure it did.

Cheers

Jim
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jack bellinger
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Re: Where are they Now?

Post by jack bellinger »

Just reading..1962 July Motor Sport.
BARC meeting Whitsun 11 june
Marque Sports Car Race
Lawrence Comfortably won but got Disqualified for running an Aero Screen
Entwhisltes TVR came second but got docked 60 sec,s for having all 4 whells on the grass (should apply that now)
so third place man W.H.Jones who came third was awarded 1st place > 1991cc Morgan

Any one Know him or the car ???

Also May 27th ADAC 1000 kilometers race Nurburgring
G.Savoye and C.Savoye came 27th Morgan plus 4

Mary thats got to be the same Savoye who ran the Moss Box +8 in the 69 Tour auto . Which got our Papers
?????????

jack
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Mary Lindsay
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Re: Where are they Now?

Post by Mary Lindsay »

Jack, yes that must be the same man.
Lawrence Comfortably won but got Disqualified for running an Aero Screen
I guess he was in Class D and didn't know he wasn't allowed to…...
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Mark Shears
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Re: Where are they Now?

Post by Mark Shears »

Interesting Jack. Le Mans was 23 rd and 24th June. I presume CL was in TOK. On aero screens? Less than a fortnight before such an important race?

Cheers

Mark
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Re: Where are they Now?

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Tim Hill
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Re: Where are they Now?

Post by Tim Hill »

Hi all,
I just picked up a stack of early 1960’s Autosport Magazines at a car boot sale – for the princely sum of $2…..  :)

Amongst the almost weekly mentions of the exploits of Pip Arnold, Richard SB, Chris Lawrence, adverts for Basil Roy Motors Ltd etc, there are a few other gems that stand out.

8 June 1962 issue
Further to Jacks information on the 1962 Nurburgring 1000KM race – Savoye / Savoye Morgan, there were 2 LawrenceTune cars entered. Chris Lawrence is reported as saying that they had starter motor troubles and they needed replacing 12 times during the race…..

Nov 25 1960 issue
RSB is reported to have lapped Silverstone GP circuit in the new Lawrencetune Morgan. 2 mins 1 sec (5.5 seconds faster than the previous record held by CL).

12 Jan 1962 Issue
1961 PECO Championship was won by Les Leston in DAD10. Joint second were RSB and Mike Parkes

18 November 1960 Issue
Features a full page write up on VON777. Described as being a Kieftpower-Tuned Morgan, the ex-Belcher car is now in the hands of Lionel Mayman during the past season. Martyn Watkins gives a detailed report on what at the time was the second fastest Morgan in the country.

24 Nov 1961 Issue
This was a bumper issue for Morgan related news….
There was a report by Patrick McNally who appears to have been involved in +4 racing. He visits CL workshop (Chris has been maintaining Patricks race +4 for the season) and gets to roadtest a Lawrencetune Anglia 105E
In the adverts section, there were 2 prominent cars for sale…

“Peter Marten must regretfully dispose of his Morgan, known affectionately as “Choc Ices”. This car has a fully developed and homologated Lawrencetune engine immaculately prepared and maintained throughout the season by Chris Lawrence. In the right hands a potential Freddie Dixon Trophy winner, probably the lightest in the country at 15 1/2 Cwt. u/l. Entered on several occasions as a 3rd works car. Raced in UK and on Continent. Offered ready to race with bucket seats, Konis all round, 3.7 axle. Spares include alternative 4.1 axle, set of 16 ins wheels, tyres, etc. Hard top, sliding screens. Demonstrations willingly given at Brands. Price 950 pounds the lot.”

VON777. The ex L Mayman Morgan Plus Four in excellent condition. Specification and Performance equal to the latest Morgan Super Sports but available under half list price. 600 pounds. Part Exchange considered. 10 Burghley Mansions, Broadway, Peterborough 66120.

If anyone wants scans of the articles, please PM me.

Cheers

Tim
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