Weds.24.05.06. I arrived at Westmead around 2.00pm.to carry on the debate with Chris and Colin concerning the acquisition of a new engine. The GT6 engine and overdrive box seems the preferred option, provided of course that it is physically short enough to fit into the engine compartment. Was the engine four or six cylinders? 1600cc or 2000cc? Would the prop, differential and half shafts take the strain? Is the overdrive located at the rear, the bottom or the top of the box? These could be questions for Andy Monday of Rimmer Brothers to answer. At £400 it is a bargain, especially if the carbs, dizzy, water pump, starter motor, dynamo and other ancillaries are included. Earlier in the morning Chris and Colin had discussed the problem of fitting the narrower Morgan screen. Unfortunately, they were both supporting different solutions.
Leaving Colin at Westmead to ‘perfect’ his solution both Chris and I departed later that morning to collect two vehicles, along with Dick of Deliverance fame and Alan (Suttons autotraders) from at Preston and Blackburn. We also intended to present Colin’s proposed plans for the engine compartment to ‘Simmals’ the local aluminium suppliers, who will cut and bend the 4 panels that were required. Alan, I am led to believe, is a trained race track driver but it didn’t stop me bricking myself as he weaved in and out, at pointlessly fast speeds, in city traffic in the ‘top heavy’ Discovery. Meanwhile, totally oblivious, Dick was puffing on his pipe alternatively repeating fables from his dubious successes on ‘e’bay’ as well as quoting fictitious statistics about the famed GT6 engine. This was after an opening declaration by Chris, “Now Dick, before you start, I don’t want any bullshit, but was the GT6 engine a four cylinder 1600 or a six cylinder two litre block?” Dick, unfazed, continued to ramble on about the 4 pot or 6 pot, the cross flow Ford compared with the Zetec, claiming the Nissan 2 litre to be the real deal and lastly he boldly stated, the TR3 and not the TR4, was a big old pig. He finally summed up this diarrhoea by committing himself to the 1275 BMC Midget engine. “What did I tell you Dick, I wanted concise facts not utter crap, why do I bother, I should know better?” mumbled Chris, truly regretting the initial request. However, all of this tripe was deflecting the terror that we were all suffering at the hands of Alan’s manic driving. Chris, eventually, reminded Alan that it was imperative that he controlled his blood pressure. “Sorry pal” repented Alan, “I thought that you enjoyed driving quickly?” “I did, but that was when I was able to see clearly out of both eyes, before I had my stroke and, which is most important, I was actually driving the vehicle! ” explained purple faced Chris.
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