The SWTVC Website can be found at www.swtvc.org.uk and has up-to-date information about meetings.
Registered address of the SWTVC: 31 Roselea Drive, Milngavie, Glasgow G62 8HE
Committee
Ronnie Gordon: (Chair & Acting Secretary) 0141 956 2950 07906 042215 Ronnie@Glasgownet.com
31 Roselea Drive, Milngavie, Glasgow G62 8HE
John Stewart (Treasurer)
44 Harbourside, Kip Village, Inverkip PA16 0BF
Harry Sherry : (Webmaster)
Corsebar Avenue, Paisley PA2 9QE
member
John Young: (Membership Secretary)
139 Terregles Avenue, Pollokshields, Glasgow G41 4DG
Ian Stother: (Member)
11 Fern Avenue, Lenzie G66 4LE
Ronnie Johnston: (Editor)
Dave Stewart: (Webmaster)
Monthly meetings: These take place on the 3rd Tuesday of the month in the Kirkhouse Inn at 08.00PM.
All members welcome.
Note: Dan Gardner tells me the Kirkhouse Inn has changed hands and is currently closed for refurbishment but will have reopened by the date of the February meeting.
The opinions expressed in this bulletin are not necessarily those of the committee or any of its members.
EDITORIAL
Here we are in 2019, and, with the festivities behind us, we are now looking ahead to the coming season.
I hope everyone had a good Christmas and I wish a good New Year to all members.
Club Dinner:
This was held on Friday 19th January in our usual venue at the “1051 GWR”.
The meal was excellent as always and a very pleasant evening was had by all.
Ian Stother had prepared a quiz for the evening but we did not have time to hold it.
I have included it in this bulletin and the answers will follow next month. This is just for fun so no fabulous prizes I am afraid.
Maid of the Loch:
I am sure we all saw the dramatic video of the incident when the vessel slipped back into the water while being winched out. I have not been able to find out what caused the problem but luckily there were no injuries or damage to the vessel. It could have been catastrophic and is a most unwelcome delay by any measure.
Queen Mary:
Michael McLaughlin has sent me the following information about tours of the vessel that is under restoration adjacent the Science Centre: The tours are free and last about an hour. They run between 10:00 and 14:15. I attended a tour last year and found it very interesting.
Note: I am including this for information only. This is not a Club outing. Anyone wishing to take a tour should contact Michael at events.tsqueenmary@btinternet.com
Back by popular demand, we are pleased to announce the first of our TS Queen Mary restoration tour weekends for 2019, on Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th February.
During the guided tours, visitors will get to see the newly fabricated and fitted windows, as well as all the latest work on restoring the ship’s Burmese teak decks.
Whilst on board, you will have the opportunity to purchase souvenirs, including wooden deck blocks, ties and our 85th Anniversary book, compiled by Sir Robin Denny.
Tickets are FREE and include a guided tour, complimentary snacks and hot and cold drinks.
As these tours are likely to prove very popular, early booking is recommended.
Club events and outings:
This is still a work in progress. We hope to have a programme ready for the next Bulletin.
On the subject of events I am taking the liberty of plugging the show I help organise on behalf of Ayrshire Classics Car Club. With a lack of modesty that would make Donald Trump blush I will remark that it is a great show and well worth a visit. It is held in the grounds of St. Joseph’s School, Grassyards Road Kilmarnock (just off the A77 at the Grassyards junction) and takes place on Sunday 5th May. There is no admission charge for visitors but there is an entry fee of £5.00 for car entries. Full details in the Yearbook.
WINTER QUIZ 2019
Thanks to Ian Stother for this motoring quiz. Answers in next month’s bulletin.
1. Horse riders are exempt from the requirements and rules of the Highway Code (true / false)
2. Which Scottish car factory was largely staffed by women and produced the body for Sir Malcolm Campbell’s speed record breaking car in 1928?
3. Below Stirling, which is the oldest road bridge across the Forth?
4. Toucan crossings allow pedestrians and mounted cyclists to share open space when crossing the road. (True / false)
5. Who described his cars as having “Space, pace, and grace”?
6. Car horns and hazard warning lights should only be used when a vehicle is stationary.(true / false)
7.“Sure as the Sunrise” was the slogan of which Scottish vehicle manufacturer?
8.You should not normally signal on approaching a roundabout.. (True / false)
9. How many Hillman Imps and its derivatives were produced at Linwood?
10. The AC ME 3000 was also produced in Scotland. What does the “M.E.” stand for?
11. Who did Jackie Stewart consider to be the greatest racing driver of all time?
12. What is an “LED” as used in “LED lights”
13. The “Rest and be Thankful” is on which A road?
14. Which type of engine produces more particulates, petrol or diesel ?
15. Si-OAT is a description of a type of brake fluid (True / false)
Motoring Trivia:
A few years ago I visited the Morgan factory in Malvern and took the factory tour.
This allowed me to tick off another item of things I want to see before I fall off my perch.
I expect many members will already have made this pilgrimage but for the benefit of those who have not I have compiled the following brief account.
A tour of the Morgan factory:
Morgan have been in business for over 100 years and are their products are regarded as the very image of a traditional British sports car.
Let me begin by dispelling a few misconceptions:
Although this company specialise in building cars in a traditional manner they are by no means locked in the past.
They have embraced computer technology and have patented some processes that are truly cutting edge.
For example, the chassis of the Aero 8, their flagship model, is made from laser cut aluminium and bonded with an immensely strong epoxy adhesive.
At first sight it appears to be held together with pop rivets but these simply hold the parts together before the chassis is heated to cure the adhesive.
They are experimenting with the use of a magnesium alloy which has immense strength but is about 20% lighter than aluminium.
They are also developing an electric car.
These are not the activities of a company resistant to progress.
A few vital statistics should set the operation in context.
The company began operations in a small garage in Malvern in 1909 and moved to the current premises in 1914 where production has continued since.
They employ 179 people and all but 15 are directly engaged in car building.
They train their own craft apprentices as some of the skills are almost unknown elsewhere.
Staff turnover is very low and it is not unusual for an employee to spend his entire working life with the company.
Almost 70% of production goes for export.
The recently introduced retro-style3 wheeler is their biggest seller with an enormous world-wide demand despite being totally impractical for day to day use.
I was disappointed to learn that the engine is supplied by S & S (an American manufacturer) and the gearbox is made by Mazda. That said, I would be very happy to own one although I doubt if I would wish to drive it at its stated top speed of 115 MPH!
Until quite recently the company was wholly owned by the Morgan family, this is no longer the case but family members are still involved.
The tour group is normally about 12 persons. I had booked as an individual and the others booked for this tour cancelled at very short notice. I had the immense privilege of being given a personal tour with my own exclusive guide!
The tour begins with a short introductory video and then moves on to the factory itself.
Each chassis is individually assembled to the rolling stage by a single employee who is personally accountable for the build quality.
Major components are bought in from main suppliers; the Aero 8 engine for example is supplied by BMW.
They make no secret of this but I did notice the BMW logo on the engine rocker box is replaced by a Morgan badge.
The assembly times vary enormously with the Aero 8 taking 37 hours and the Plus 4 a mere 11.
The chassis then goes to the body shop where each body is individually constructed by a craftsman.
This is the part where the traditional element of the build process is most evident.
Some body panels are hand rolled and, as each is made for the specific car, no two are exactly the same.
The bonnet louvers, for example, are cut by a hand operated machine and judged by eye.
A mistake at this point would probably result in the bonnet being scrapped.
In the wood shop I saw an ancient frame clamp still in use for shaping rear wheel arches. It holds the steamed wood for several hours until it retains the required shape. This process pre-dates the motor car itself.
I was given a few off-cuts of wood which I have used to make a display stand for some models.
At the paint shop the wings are detached and painted individually before final assembly.
The car is then closely examined under immensely strong light to identify flaws in the paintwork.
I saw a car under natural light with a number of small circles in crayon identifying flawed areas.
It was very difficult to see what the problems were and this speaks volumes for the level of build quality and attention to detail.
My guide remarked that “OK” is not acceptable, it has to be correct.
.Finally, the finished car is then taken for a road test.
This is not on a rolling road but simply a drive of a few miles in the surrounding countryside.
Where was I when that job was advertised?
The trip concludes in the company museum where a number of important and highly desirable cars are on display.
I was greatly impressed by the entire operation and at the conclusion of the tour I said “what the hell” and took the plunge and bought one.
However, before the tax authorities start to scrutinise my affairs, I will qualify this by remarking that my purchase was an attractive scale model.
To conclude, this company goes back to the early days of motoring and much of their proud history is preserved here.
From the historic cars in the museum to watching the creation of a modern classic with the DNA of a traditional British sports car there is something for everyone.
I can heartily recommend this visit and, as a bonus, the town of Malvern and surrounding countryside is very attractive.
Tours operate Monday-Thursday all day and on Friday mornings. Contact the company on 01684 573104 to book a place.
AND FINALLY:
I THINK WE ALL KNOW SOMEONE LIKE THIS.