From the Archives

[Barry Sumner]

No its VMO
Barry

[john bevan]

Sorry Barry- feel free to put me out in the wet at Snet as punishment!!

John

[Andy Garlick]

Mark
John Macdonald's +4 was XXXX EL , affectionately known as "Ellie"

It was a high line car with a relatively mildly tuned engine , a Newman Rally cam, a 4 branch exhaust, and twin SUs (the ram pipes for which came through the bonnet) . It was white in colour with black trim. I think it even had a bench seat.

This car was sold to someone in the North East when John bought a Super Sports 701 HOB. He campaigned this car for many years until it was sold to Aubrey Brocklebank. He in turn sold it after acquiring an SLR +4 (although exactly which one I just don't know)

Nostalgia ain't what it used to be.

Andy

[Barry Sumner]

Griff Griffiths would have been in OYP 574 which was a 54 car, painted orange and quite highly modified if I recall rightly. Used to see it parked outside his gargare in Windsor whenever I went past – who has it now?
Barry

[Mark Shears]

Thanks for the info Andy - I was only looking at a couple of pictures of John in that very car at the pub last night!

Have you been up to see his new 'facility' yet? Very impressive.

Cheers

Mark

[Robin Singleton]

Hi Mark

Interesting your mention of John Macs new facility. I remember when he first started in business from a lock up garage in Newcastle. His father was very active at the garage and helped out in the evenings. I remember he reemed out and replaced the kingpins on my then cosworth engined 4/4 Competition, NAN 379 D. I wonder if it still exists. Then when I was working in Durham, John moved to Lanchester to the garage at the top of the hill. I remember Saturday visits which ended up at the pub opposite just further up the hill. And then came the move to the old Vyella shirt factory. I'm sure Andy will remember all of this history of the late 60's / early 70's.

I must make a trip to the new premises .. Are they near the old works?

Best wishes

Robin

PS the coupe is booked in for painting on 9 October...will send you some pics in due course.

[Mark Shears]

Hi Robin,

Look forward to seeing the pictures of the drophead painted.

Johns new premises are only 5 or 6 miles away. They are at The Aston Workshop. www.aston.co.uk

The old premises are being completely levelled and anything of any worth moved up the road. And before you ask John has already cleared out/scrapped any old Morgan stuff! (Why do you think I have been up there a couple of times!!)

Cheers

Mark

[jack bellinger]

just looking at 1956 March Motorsport..
Front cover is Morgan +4 NXY 859 CATS EYES Rally Feb 3/4th
Driven once again by A.J.Blair .... Navigator was A Sinclair.

seems to have got about a bit in the 50s

is it still about

jack

[jack bellinger]

September 1956 Motor Sport...
Report on the Le Mans 24 Hour ..
(you will like this Mary)..."New rules for this year... The First demanded Full Width Windscreen and Tonneau Cover of Flexible Material ..The windscreen regs where complied with in various ways??? From the Honest Laminated Screen with Steel Framework which the driver had to look through and on these ,,The windscreen wipers had to Work..To the Minimum Sheet of Bent Perspex.Which Many optimists expected the wipers to operate on!!. the result in the night was one of Stark Horror And Danger..
( animal lovers ,, Dont read on)
The Unluckiest Driver of them all Hit a Dog on the Mulsanne Straight and had to retire with a ruined radiator and a dead dog to show for all his efforts ( one driver did crash and Die but that does not Merit as being the unluckiest )
(you will lke this Barry)
One of those still running was the Cooper with only 3 brakepipes one having spilt and a repair effected .. By disconnecting it ,And Flattenning it

Its just great Reading

jack

[jack bellinger]

Just reading July 1965 Motorsport
8 Clubs Meeting at Silverstone Scratch Race
Meanwhile the Hon.B.Fielding was out in front in his Morgan Plus Four(XRX) powered by a Daimler 250SP V8 with FOUR Double Choke Webers .However Calverts A40 with 1650cc Ford engine taking Woodcote for the last time pushed Feilding onto the grass to win
I never knew it had been fitted with 4 twin choke webbers ...( one for Andy to look up) Shame there are no pictures

Le Mans 24 hour
fastest lap P.Hill GT40 7litre.....222.803kph about 138 mph average on 1 lap in 1965 thats pretty damn quick


jack

[jack bellinger]

EXCHANGES.....
1927 RED LABEL BENTLEY........immaculate just restored Bills to show over £200

EXCHANGE for a RENAULT 750 or VOLKSWAGON ( Where,s me crystal ball)

Just found this AD. in 1958 Motorsport

I tried the phone no. but its just ringing

jack

[Mary Lindsay]

Jack, why on earth are you reading a 1958 Motor Sport at that time in the morning????????

[Leigh Sebba]

Obviously has to ‘clock in’ for work but as long as he puts in the hours it doesn’t matter what he does. I worked at a place like that once (well twice)

Jack – why are you ringing – you don’t have a ‘RENAULT 750 or VOLKSWAGON’

I think the Renault 750 is like a big 2cv so Mary may have one – but does she want a Bentley ?

The challenge would be to find the person (or their children) who did the swap and see if they are happy about it. And also the person who got the Bentley – did he/she pass it on in exchange for a washing machine ?

Jack – an idea for a Reality TV program you could host.

[jack bellinger]

Mary...
I had just woken The Wife up (5 minutes earlier) and was having me afterwards Fag and read whilst waiting for her to bring up the cup of tea...as you do..!!


Leigh... Reality TV !!! no chance thats not Really Real


jack