My Morgan - 1955 4 seater Drop Head Coupe

Molly is the name of my ride...

But wait.... this is not a 4 seater Drop Head Coupe? I can hear you ask..
And i agree it do not look like that at all. But there is an explanation for that.

My current Morgan was originally a +4 DHC 4 seater from the factory, also known as a SnobMog. The missing louvers on top of the bonnet, four seater firewall and VIN shows signs that this 2 seater have a past which was different than what it looks.  The car was restored by the previous owner with a factory new body from a 4/4 - 2 str in the late 70's. This made the car appear a little off set. That was the second time the car was equipped with a 2 seater body actually. The first one was put on the car in england already visible on the pictures from early 70's when it was imported to Holland.

The car was very usable even if a little misaligned, and I found it very difficult to take it apart in order to restore it with a new DHC body. Driving it is much to fun :)

Nevertheless, the rebuild of the car to its former glory has started. (The new 4/4 1955 (narrow) body is for sale complete with sheet metal) It took a good 4-5 years to search for the parts needed, but I have now collected most of them. Parts to rebuilt a DHC are scarce, and for the 4 seater almost impossible. I have been lucky to get help from 3 gentlemen which had the parts I needed. Without their help the task of rebuilding the 2 seater back to the 4 str DHC would really be impossible.

Let me first write a few lines of the history of the car.

I found the car in Holland around Amsterdam where it had been standing unused for 8-9 years. The previous owner was suffering from hernia, and was not able to use it. So it stayed in his garage in wait for better years. After a long decision the car was for sale. I talked to Hermen Pol about the car, being a restoration project and a 4 seater DHC. The car was tempting even if he told me it probably needed a full restoration. We had a long weekend in Amsterdam to look at the car and it was a wonderful weekend with Hermen on a Morgan Safari. 

This is how the car looked when it was towed out of the garage for the first time in many years:

8-9 years of dust...	Looking a bit better after beeing rained on I think....

Not a pretty sight, but still a Morgan looking acceptable. At that stage I was a bit disappointed, since I imagined the car a little better. However, since the engine was not seized I decided to go for it. The car was a bit dusty, but the summer project I hoped for looked like a 2 year restoration. But since the car was a SnobMog I bought it. 

After getting the car home, and after doing a decent clean, the project looked more promising. Further inspection revealed matching numbers except for the original Vanguard engine replaced by a TR3 engine. When the engine after all is replaced, I am rather happy with it being a TR3, since this makes the car more fun to drive. 

After a good clean...

One week work was all that was needed to get the car running. All brakes was seized, and the carburettors were full of brown gooey. It was a lot of work, but the car ended up driveable. Even if the water pump was snotty and one of the brake hoses were clogged. The engine got 3 rapid oil changes, and has been used for since with no problems. A good proof of how sturdy these TR engines are!

After the first test drive...

I have been using it for quite a few years now, and have done a lot of work with it. The interior has been completed (cheap and easy I admit, but it will be removed when the new body is finished).
I have also completed the original dashboard with all original switches etc. Luckily the white faced instruments was there, even if the rest was replaced with aftermarket parts. The revcounter is new, bought from Melvyn Rutter. I was lucky to obtain one, after all the revcounter is the most important piece of kit installed in any sportscar.

The snotty and leaky water pump is replaced, also are most of the brake parts. I have a set of wire wheel hubs lurking in the garage with a set of complementing wire wheels. This was the first project added before the DHC body. By now I have got excellent help from Bob Nogueira and Gerry Wilburn. Without their help would not have been able to restore the car with it's 4 str. DHC body. All the hard to find parts are now either in my garage or on the way there in.

At last, new instrument panel and switches...

I have used the car for quite a few miles in the recent years now, and is really happy with it. The car drives fantastic. It is wind, noise and smells of car engine all around when I drive it. The bumpers was supplied by Knut Hallan, the friendly Norwegian importer of Morgan's. These made the car look way better than without. I was lucky to obtain these original and not repro parts. They have a few scratches, but not many. Decicions now is if I should replace or rechrome them. I guess they will be used till I find a very nice new set. 

The years first spin in May 2001...

Cleaned and polished...

The 4/4 body makes the car look a little odd when the top is up. But who drives a Morgan with the top erected ? ;)

Looking at the pictures above, one can see there is a few unoriginalities to the car. Whenever was a +4 produces with 3 windscreen wipers? And also if you look closely you can see the 4/4 body is slightly to short and the bonnet does not fit very well. The bonnet is simply half an inch to short. The rear reveals double petrol caps. Only one is in use, and it is important that you fill it with that one only ;-)

Anyway, the restoration of the car has started. In 2003 I did a lot of work to it, mostly replacing the old body with the new one, and sheet metaling most of the car. Only doors were left. I leave it a little up to you to look at these pictures and to see the work commence.

The 4/4 body on its way off the frame.	Frame clean, with new wooden body tub in situ.
Torpedo repaired with new panels.	New front inner wings and the Datsun 260Z drum modification to use wire wheels.
New floors of waterproof veneer, boat quality..	The frame before any sidepanels is mounted. It is is a piece of art really this frame. The build quality was A+++ and it did fit with millimeter accuracy.
Slowly coming together and looking good!	Rear end during panelling. Panelling the car was actually not so complicated as i thought.
Rear end panelled, wire wheel hubs ready for wire wheels.	Closer, details added, and only a few panels to mount before paint job.

Winter 2004 update:

Here is the Morgan's state winter 2003/2004. There has been less progress on the car lately, this due to a very cold workshop and a huge worload at work. I do however hope to get som time early spring to work more with it. When the sun comes back and warm up my area, I hope to complete it som more.

Rear End with wire wheels. To bad the color combination blue/silver were not delivered in 1955 ;)

A rolling chassi at least. There is still some fitting to be done up front, and skinning of the doors... But It looks more and more complete.

Spring 2005 update:

I worked a little on the car again, completed the metal under sill boards amd added skinning for the front scuttle. The sheet metal for the scuttle comes from the remains of a 2 seater DHC in Texas and fits perfectly. It is a complicated part to manufacture so I was fortunate to find one original piece to use. It came along with wooden interior trim. Some to reuse and some to replace.

Also I have front seats to restore and is working with the dashboard fascia for the moment.

I will now start to adjust wings and bonnet in order to make them fit perfectly. I have traced someone with an english wheel not far away from here, and I plan to have the doors reskinned by him. He is a very busy fella tho, and it will take time before I can have them done.

Front scuttle sheet metaled, and test fit of front window.

If slow, at least there is progress :) Skinning the doors will be next, which is a bit of a puzzle, since the sheet metal has curvature both ways.

Summer 2007 update:

Time flies! We got a daughter last summer, and all hours we spend with her now. I have worked a little in the workshop, but it has been little and slow. Life is like this I think, some time one has plenty time for hobbies, and some time not at all. And the economy lately has not allowed for to much hobbies either. But the break has been good, I feel eager to start working on it again!

Here is some other Snobmogs:

I added some images of Snobmog's (+4 - 4 seater Drop Head Coupe's) basically because there is close to no images of this car on the internet (At least of what I am aware of)
These images also show how I hope my car will be when I am done :) The black and white photo at the end is the chassis no. 3332 which was owned ny John Mott in the early 60's.
It had a TR2 engine and was the only Snobmog delivered to Australia. He sold it in 1962 because in his youth, he wanted the money to travel overseas. Over the last 15 years or so, John have endeavored to find the car or it's remains, but having only traced two owners after himself. It is therefore concluded that it must have been scrapped. If anyone have an idea where #3332 might be, I am pretty sure John will like to know.

Regarding John Mott's Snobmog I can see there is a wind scoop on the right hand side of the engine compartment, and an opening for cranking the car manually in the front bumper. I dont know what was factory original on these cars with that, but maybe I need to consider finding a new bumper for my car too in order to make it as original as possible... Anyway, nice picture John, and I hope it is ok to post it to this page.

These cars are the most stylish Morgans in my eyes, but I am biased :)

Have a very nice Morgan summer you all, I will!

Regards, Harald Sakshaug