Danny, model or painter?

Weds.09.08.06. The true symmetry of the scuttle top has always been in question, especially viewed from the rear of the car. The inner curves that form the top edge of the dashboard never appear to be identical. The nearside has a thicker more rigid profile whereas the offside has a gentler sweeping appearance. Once I had pointed this out to Chris he was anxious to improve the balance of the two sides. After yet more filling, naturally followed by additional rubbing down this was achieved, but, unfortunately, this minor alteration had also affected the seating of the screen. The nearside bracket, which supports the screen mechanism, looked visibly higher than the offside. Several weeks ago this manifestation would have sent shock waves down our spine but having had a constant, relentless battle with the screen over the past three months I firmly believed that we would not be fazed by this new problem. So much so, we felt sufficiently practised at conquering any obstacle that was thrown at us. 

I couldn’t begin to count the number of times the screen has been on and off the car, this coupled with the constant alterations of the scuttle top, was an attempt to create the perfect line and precise location of the brackets. The endless theorising, discussions, debate and research, was another step on the learning curve enabling us to gradually creep toward to the ultimate solution. And so it was, we immediately realised that the bracket must sit slightly lower at the rear and that a little more rubbing would ensure a comfortable, accurate fit. Bingo, the rear view of the scuttle is perfection, so is the very final, final, final resting place of the ‘Folding Morgan Retro Screen’.

‘Young Danny’ arrived late in the day to assess the task of painting the Burlington. Danny is the son of an old friend of Chris. He has served his apprentiship with some of the best local painters, but at the moment he has access to a professional ‘shop’ but only on a temporary basis. Given the right circumstances we may offer him the entire commission. He has the freedom of a tooled up garage, he loves the look of the car, he is sufficiently experienced and conscientious but most important of all, he works for £50 a day, cash in hand. Assisted by Young Danny we have drawn up a logistical ‘timeframe’ in which to prepare, prime and paint the car, but above all, how to safely store all the panels when they have been painted. The front and rear wings will be taken to Danny next week to begin the process. The nose cone and body tub will follow provided the workmanship has attained the rigorous standards that Chris expects. I sincerely hope that Danny can deliver; the project needs some good fortune, particularly after the summer setbacks.

I fully expect next week we should be thinking on our feet, juggling all the alternative approaches of the assembly process. Without doubt, the lows of the last few weeks are behind us. The imminent prospect of the ‘new build’ is becoming a reality. Until today, this was only a dream.