MTWC Group Events in Dec to check with your GO see contact details p 29 1/2 Dec South Coast and Co Night Trial. From Rackham RH20 2EU 18.00hrs 4 Dec Brooklands Group meeting at New Inn Send. 4 Dec East Anglia Group meeting. The Bull, Woolpit. 12.00hrs 4 Dec East Anglia, Woolpit, as above. 5 Dec East Anglia Group meeting, soup kitchen, Reepham 12.00hrs 8 Dec South West Group meeting, lunchtime, Hare & Hounds, Sidbury EX10 0QQ. Please park in Ottery St Mary junct car park & not main frontage one. 11 Dec Far far South West, VSCC Christmas buffet, 19.00hrs 11 Dec Yorks Notts & Derby Group meeting, Carbrook. 12 Dec North West Group Christmas lunch, The Smoker, A556 Plumley, WA16 0TY 12 Dec West Midlands Group meeting, Fruiterers Arms, Ombersley, 20.00hrs 16 Dec West Midlands Holly Run. The Island Pool, 10.00hrs 18 Dec East Anglia Group meeting, Stow Bardulph 20.00hrs 18 Dec Far South West Group meeting. The Huntsman. 19 Dec East Midlands Christmas Dinner, Royal Oak, Brandon. Time tbc by Paul 19 Dec South Coast Scalextric GP, Six Bells Chiddingley. Early start 19.00hrs 28 Dec West Midlands Group meeting, Clent Club, 20.00hrs 28 Dec North West Group meeting, The Whipping Stocks Over Peover 20.00hrs 31 Dec Oxford Sub-Group New Years Eve lunch meet, Waggon & Horses Culham Dates for your 2013 diary. 1913 is the 100th anniversary of the first ever Cyclecar Grand-Prix at Amien. Watch the Bulletin for further details. April 7th. Opening run at The National Arboretum, between Lichfield and Burton on Trent, Staffs. More information to follow. Contents, page; 15 Competition notes 41 Christmas cards 3 From the Editor 17 A modern view on 42 Another 100 year old 4 The Chairman restoration Mog 5 Original Darmont 19 Dear John letters 45 Mog at Shelsley Walsh 6 Amiens Grand-Prix 23 More letters 99 years ago 7 From the Registry 25 Floggery 46 Draft MP letter 8 AGM Raffle results 30 Group reports 9 Recollections of a Mog 36 Technical tip on fuel 13 More from the and carb icing Registry 37 Brandon Hall picture 13 Carr car update 38 Ethical stainless steel 14 Notice Board 39 Regalia Cover picture; The Courage family’s festive F4 on the South Coast Group’s Holly Run. 2 VOL 67 December 2012 No 12 THE BULLETIN THE MONTHLY MAGAZINE OF THE MORGAN THREE-WHEELER CLUB Affiliated to the ACU and MSA: non-territorial CLUB WEBSITE www.mtwc.co.uk The festive season approaches From the Editor Both the EU and the DVLA and those surreptitious hints seem to think that all three- about those new tyres or perhaps a set of new wheelers have motorcycle forks and seats, so Mogspares heads and barrels will soon bear therefore are dangerous 100 mph fruit. Maybe! I hope the Bulletin is now motorcycles, which may be why the law has improved since my first offerings. Members been changed. I am trying hard to visualise are encouraged to send in their favourite Chris Booth in the prototype replica holding photos for possible use on the cover. on to his hat as he cruises at the ton! The fact Unusual, amusing or current ones are always that the ‘motorcycle trikes’ are all home- welcome. It looks as though we have a venue builds seems to have been totally ignored. I for the Opening Run. Bob Martin and am still upset at the FBHVC totally Dermot O’Brien have secured the National abandoning us in this matter. Seems we are Arboretum for us. This is an interesting place only important enough to pay subscriptions. to visit and has the full range of facilities to An interesting conundrum. As the 5 speeder make it worth the run. Think I’ll have to Morgan is heavy enough to incur the ‘car’ make a weekend of it. Might have to have a taxation cost, will it still be a three-wheeled few drinks with Bob. I still think California motorcycle under the new driving was a good idea though... regulations? If the rules can be manipulated I cannot get my head around the new age this way by the DVLA, then perhaps we can limit for tricycles and the fact that we EU take a leaf from the same rule-book. members are now motorcyclists. Seems to This new directive refers to ‘A motor tricycle me there are civil servants beavering away at with a power exceeding 15kw.’ Forgive me looking for yet more businesses to ruin. They for mentioning it, but were not most Mogs managed to put most of the Gun and Field listed with a Treasury rating of 10hp? Early Sports shops out of business with the ‘pistol F-types 8hp. Now then, 15kw = 20hp!? ban’ to no useful end and certainly did not Hmmm. Tongue firmly in cheek. stop gun crime. Now it’s the turn of the Thank you to those who responded to my motorcycle businesses. Even if we ignore request for ‘old Mog’ pictures and ‘more’ what happened to the miners farmers and letters. This is the sort of interaction that we fishermen, there’s a smell of rodents in the need to keep us all connected and one big air. We gave away our jet engines, we gave family. We need each other these days more away our car industry, and we sold all of our than ever before. The land of the free sounds oil and gas to others. Closed down the train more attractive than ever as we have yet makers, and now buy them from France. more regulations foisted upon us. Told you Closed down LDV and now we are to buy California sounded like a good place for Transits from Turkey. Scrapped brand new Morgans. Meanwhile congratulations to our Nimrods to buy second-hand Boeings. Just American members on their new/old who in England is actually benefitting from President. Hang on to your independence these bureaucratic decisions? guys. We didn’t! 3 Hon Chairman - on Safari Brian Clutterbuck The intrepid visitors to Italy and the Kursaal Ex club member Roger Moran’s letter in the Car Club accidentally forgot to hand over at November Bulletin regarding the proposed the AGM a gift from the President of that statue, recognising HFS Morgan’s club. This was a fine club Pennant but as the contribution to the automotive industry, MTWC has nowhere to display it I have needs some correction. The reason why the suggested that it be awarded each year to the Club could not make a donation to the fund member or members covering the longest was that it was not allowed under the single trip in their three-wheelers. Alessandro memorandum and articles of association Natali was pretty confident that his President which were in place in 2008. However the would be in favour. The cars created a huge Committee suggested that members should impression whilst over there and have donate, if they so wished. In addition there featured in their club magazine. Anyone who has never been any official discussion knows the Clements boys will tell you that regarding the design of the memorial, the they cause an even larger amount of current being at least a second one. Naturally attention! They will be worthy custodians of individuals might favour other designs. the pennant until there is a claim for a Importantly our members need to know that monumental trip in the next 12 months. the current estimated cost is £377,000 and Alessandro was reminded of John Sheally’s that pledges and donations currently stand at U.S. coast-to-coast trip in his Matchless £130,000. The shortfall we are informed barrel back three-speeder. No back up needs to be raised by the middle of next year. transport for him or the Italian job. (Who did One of the most important things to get right more miles than the coast to coasters). on the three-wheeler is the prop-shaft length. It’s always nice to see original non-restored On the three-speeder twins and the M and C cars in running order like the car belonging types, with the engine off, this is not too to the Duffin family. Recently Pat Bastock difficult to accomplish. (The model F means has reconditioned a Darmont “JAP” engine either the engine or the gearbox out and a for Bernard Regnier from Tremblay-en- deal of measuring). The B types pose a France near Paris. Bernard’s car is a 1926 different problem which generally mean Darmont reputed to be one used by the body off if the shaft is too short and the Darmont factory for racing and test purposes engine packing out if it’s too long. A recent and could even be the car that Douglas rebuild on a B type showed the shaft to be Hawkes used with a supercharged too short by about the thickness of the spigot Blackburne type engine. Its originality is bearing. Although it proved easier to say than beyond dispute. Original paintwork worn do, the prop-shaft was extended by through to the metal in places and lead seals mechanical means in the best Clarrie still attached to the crosshead from Coombes tradition. An extension was bolted scrutineering at race meetings in the 20’s and to the end of the in-situ shaft. 30’s. Pat has also supplied a new Blackburne Forgetting to reduce an over- long prop- and Bernard is now looking for a Cozette shaft can result in unacceptable and supercharger to put the car into the Hawkes damaging loading on the engine front main specification.