A Better Method of Securing the Morgan Tailpipe (s) (redux)
by Lorne Goldman

The method of installing the traditional Morgan tailpipes is sadly silly. A hanger fitting is clamped to the end of the pipe, attached to a l-shaped bracket and then is made to interface with a bracket attached to the chassis through a large rubber doughnut that is forced onto both pieces. For those of you unfamiliar with the system, I have attached a diagram to the right.

The doughnut takes the stress of the chassis flexing and that will wear the doughnut's holes until they allow movement and begin to whack away at the chassis, first in tight turns and then constantly. I used to change mine every 15000-20000 miles. A right pain! If I was mogging far afield, (that is always when these things become intolerable) I used to jam something in to the hole between rubber and metal and hope it would tighten the doughnut enough to stop the banging until I was able to find these doughnuts. Ergo, any Morgan tailpipe securing system that involves the doughnuts is  seriously dumb..aside from being dinky and unattractive. However, it is vital to fit an exhaust system on a flexing car with rubber cushioning. The thought of hitting a talipipe from the rear and having that impact force transferred to the exhaust manifold bolts, most often steel into cast aluminium, is unpleasant to contemplate.

Happily, common sense is/was common in Market Drayton, UK,  the home of the restorer of one of my Plus 8s, Kevin Vernon of Tudor Motor Body Repairs Ltd. Kevin, like yours truly, enjoys simple solutions. Simplicity, reliabilty and functionality are the highest accolades for anyone who deals with machines, especially Morgans! Where other owners seem to enjoy making their Morgans more complex and less reliable with addons, I choose to go in the other direction, upgrading bracketry and making the car simpler, distilling its essence. After 200,000 miles of such an attitude, my Morgans finally became the most reliable vehicles I have ever known. Kevin's idea is bullet-proof, lasts forever, and is easy to remove or install. As well, it uses parts that can also be used in other areas of the Morgan, at the silencers and to hold the radiator. That cuts down on needed spares one must carry on long distance mogging! Please don't replace the doughnuts. Save yourself the hassles and do the modification. 

What we did was merely to weld a flange where we chose at the end of the pipe. We holed it, and attached to the chassis side by drilling matching hole on the chassis and placing a  suspension/ radiator reel (aka "the isolator mounts"). Over the years, I have learned to use the same reels everywhere they are called for on my Morgan, three at the rad and 2 each on my twin exhaust system. They come in all sizes..pick one that suits you. I fit this bracket 10 years ago..on both Plus 8s. That was a combined 60,000 miles ago. I haven't had a problem or a doughnut replacement on either car since.

The Librands Entry

For those without the skills, the contacts necessary to align their tailpipes or have a tab spot welded to tailpipe, this may be the cheapest solution.  Librands, an aftermarket supplier (now under new management rather than the founders, the Bourne/Wells aka BHM/LibraMotive design team) sells a copy of the Kevin Vernon idea I use combined with a variation on the original Morgan Factory system. It allows for the pipes to remain splayed outboard and involves and amazing nine (9) parts for each tailpipe (nuts, bolts, adjusting plates, clamps, outboard brackets)!  See the image to the left. HOWEVER, it does get rid of the doughnut (s). 50£ in stainless steel plus shipping.

GoMoG Law of Invention: The more parts your invention has, the more likely the risk of breakage and aesthetic prejudice.

ALIGNING YOUR TAILPIPES
by Lorne Goldman

Have you ever noticed that classic Morgan tailpipes, whether original or the gorgeous aftermarket bespoke affairs never alighn with the chassis? They go up or down or (shiver) outboard towards the rear? I imagine Morgan and the aftermarket never noticed, as the exhaust pipes are made straight but chassis are not. So they end up at an angle at the rear and this looks oddly splayed with the exhaust pipes canting outboard on each side. Unworthy of a collector car.

Kevin Vernon found a cure for the issue for those of us who enjoy perfection. This can be cured by cutting the tail pipes at the middle of the rear wheels, angling them to match the chassis' line, and then re-welding, grinding, sanding  and polishing them. Not as tough as it sounds. Look at the image. Note the perfect parallel between the pipe and the chassis.