Success driven by Mr Budweiser

Tues.06.06.06. It  is not going to be a good day. Bad omen, ominous karma, negative vibe.

I had woken with little enthusiasm, dreading the prospect of yet another day working on the windscreen fitting. Chris had already started to reinforce the interior of the scuttle top applying the pre-fabricated aluminium strip adhered by ‘glass’. This was one of the several proposals of the re-design, which was considered to be an obligatory amendment, together with other modifications, to maintain the unbroken curve from bonnet to cockpit, to soften the corners of the dashboard and to move the screen further back. It was thought that all would greatly improve the ‘look’ of the car. Because of the complexity of angles, dimensions, lines, curves and the obvious fact that the screen, brackets and folding mechanism were produced to fit a ‘Morgan’ and not a Burlington all conspired to thwart our attempts.

In every acceptable location problems surfaced. The rake was too severe, the folding mechanism jammed, the joints opened, it was too low, too high, just too ‘wrong’. We felt that each day brought fresh difficulties in addition to insurmountable dilemmas. We re-tried adding spacers to the brackets, to gain much needed width, but this caused the screen to lift and the brackets to twist restricting the folding movement. Reversing the brackets from concave to convex naturally narrowed the fitting, again proving to be unacceptable.

Inspiration came in the form of Mr.Budweiser. After a welcomed, chilled bottle and with spirits refreshed we decided to have one more attempt, but we were also determined this would be final. With the spacers attached we placed the screen a little higher on the scuttle to avoid warping the frame and twisting the brackets. 

Looking at each other in amazement we both felt that we may have finally have solved the difficulties that have frustratingly delayed progress. Reducing the seating angle meant that the brackets rested correctly facilitating the smooth operation of the fold. We also pondered as to whether the screen would function in this fresh location without the spacers: ‘this would be a real bonus’, we both smiled as the theory proved correct. Eureka, success at last, open a tin of chunks. We have done it. The Morgan screen now sits proudly, comfortably and gracefully on the massively altered Burlington scuttle top. We have achieved mission impossible. Stella time.

Entering the Oak we were bombarded with puerile comments regarding the time we had committed to bolting two brackets and a screen to the ‘plywood flyer’. “You’re taking your fucking time with that screen” Toby, politely, commented. “Have you not finished it yet?” enquired Steven, the Christian. “When are you putting the wheels on?” joked Doctor Dave, the mechanic. “I don’t give a shite so long as it’s ready for the Beaujolais run?” slurred the landlord, in a pertinent and relevant way. “It’s all but completed” we boasted, in a vain attempt to quieten the baying crowd.