Lighting difficulties

Mon.12.06.06. During the initial dry build in May when the front wings had been attached to the tub it was conspicuous that the headlights did not in fact rest at 90 degrees to the floor: instead they beamed, torch like, toward the sky. This was caused, not by incorrect fitting, but because the wings were essentially designed for ‘another’ vehicle, the Morgan Plus Four. Standard Morgan wings are longer by approximately 15cms but are also fastened to the body tub in a different way. To level the line of the headlights it was necessary to build up the forward top edge using ‘glass’ and filler. This alteration alone has taken a number of weeks to complete but the result means that the lights now project forward at the perfect angle, even without any extra adjustment to the mounting ring. Chris has subsequently fine-tuned the extended headlight mouldings together with the raised leading edge of the scuttle top. Later in the afternoon we began to assemble the two bonnet halves that are linked by the chromed hinge to the brass brackets holding the unit in position. It is possible to pack thus raising the brackets, which will, in turn, lift the profile of the bonnet creating a gentle convex rather than concave curve where both meet the nosecone and scuttle respectively. Supplementary rubbing down to the panels on the body tub has been concluded assisting the promise of being ‘signed off’ this week. The list for Rimmer Brothers has also been amended, some new parts have been added, some rejected. Sheepdip Steve did contact us today, after endless requests, but even so his prices are no keener than other suppliers so we have decided to go with Rimmers. 

There have been clouds of tete dust enveloping the garage today, this, combined with the continued hot sticky weather has forced us to grab an early scoop at the Oak. Chris had mentioned previously that Margaret (the commercial manager for the Evening Post) and Tim had brought in a framed version of the ‘Beaujolais’ article that had appeared some weeks before in the local rag. It had been hung in the office over the weekend. “I don’t know what it is but it looks a little different to me, perhaps more colourful?” was his initial description as we approached the picture. Too right, it’s different: I distinctly remembered the headshot of myself had been digitally enhanced to resemble some foolish, simpleminded, dim-witted twat. But, projecting from beyond the frame was an air brushed soda bugled, purple veined, five-chinned geek. My face had been replaced by that of Coco the clown. I appreciate when the article was first written, that I had been stitched up but I had justified the humiliation convincing myself that it may generate more publicity, which would in turn increase sponsorship to fatten the pot for charity. Recalling the warning given by Chris, “Never trust the press” has come back to haunt me. The photograph is so hideous that I would hope that not even my closest friends would recognise me. At the moment I have very mixed emotions and I am not sure what my response eventually will be. I have accepted the ‘joke’ but I am also furious about the personal intrusion, mortification, lack of respect but more infuriatingly, that ‘they’ can get away with it. Heads may roll.