Have you ever heard about the car that had a "wooden" frame?

[Greg Myers]

MORGAN FACTORY BUILDUP

[doublejuggs]

I used to live quite close to the factory, not really my cup of tea but people say you can really feel the body flex when you push them hard.

[Harry P.]

I think they just recently ditched the wooden frame and entered the 21st century.

[Nick Winter]

Would hate to end up with termites.

[Greg Myers]

Harry, did you read the article ? You're just promoting the urban legend " There's this car with a wooden frame." The frame they talk about is for the body just like a Model A Ford.Not a wooden chassis.

[Craig Irwin]

The Brush automobile had wooden frame side rails and front axle.

Edited October 30, 2010 by Craig Irwin

[Harry P.]

Harry, did you read the article ? You're just promoting the urban legend " There's this car with a wooden frame." The frame they talk about is for the body just like a Model A Ford.Not a wooden chassis.

I read somewhere that whatever wood they used to use, they're dumping it and going with steel.

[sjordan2]

Many cars have had wooden frames and body structures, mostly ash, like the Jaguar SS 100, Bugatti Atlantic, some Rollses, just to name a few. A friend once told me of his girlfriends' Morgan, where the chassis cracked when she was negotiating a climb from a level street to a steep driveway. I had a friend with a Morgan +4, and the wooden chassis rails were visible from the inside. In many cases, the wood was a reinforcement to metal, or vice-versa.

Edited October 31, 2010 by sjordan2

[seeker589]

I just HAVE to give my 2 cents on this.

Morgan Motorcars did not (as far as i know) have a Wooden frame like early Fords had a steel channel ladder style frame - although the Brits did have some rather extraordinary engineering ideas. They DID have wooden floor-boards up until recently. As far as I know they reinforced parts of their bodies with wood like many early production coaches and autos.

There was a hillclimb special in England pre-war with 4x4 ash-wood frame rails powered by a dicarded motorcycle motor called The Bloody Mary. Built by two brothers on school break. Held many hill records up through the mid 50s.

Edited October 31, 2010 by seeker589

[The Modeling Hermit]

Greg thanks for posting this, otherwise I wooden have known about it.

[Harry P.]

Greg thanks for posting this, otherwise I wooden have known about it.

That's knot very funny. You could do better on this board.

[seeker589]

Awwww!

Just leaf it alone!

But maple he doen't want to.

[Alyn]

and then of course, there's the balsa wood floor used in the C5 Corvettes.

I don't have a sliver of evidence, but it's true.

[Harry P.]

You should stick to models and leaf the comedy to the pros...

[Modelmartin]

I think they just recently ditched the wooden frame and entered the 21st century.

Don't you mean 20th?

[Craig Irwin]

and then of course, there's the balsa wood floor used in the C5 Corvettes.

I don't have a sliver of evidence, but it's true.

It's true, inside the "A" posts, we were warned not to weld on them during repairs.

[Guest Johnny]

You guys are punny!

[charlie8575]

Wooden you know this would bring out all the bad jokes.

Watch out, they're starting to spalt....

Interesting pictorial, by the way. Thanks, Greg.

Charlie Larkin

[Harold]

Heck, until the mid- thirties, most cars were produced with sheet metal over wooden framing. Then the Airflow came along and changed the game.

[Greg Myers]

Heck, until the mid- thirties, most cars were produced with sheet metal over wooden framing. Then the Airflow came along and changed the game.

That's my point, Wooden framing under the body not the chassis as some seem to believe here.None of the cars mentioned had wooden chassis frames.They did have wooden framing for the bodies.

[sjordan2]

It pines me to say this, but I erred in saying I could see wooden chassis rails on a Morgan; I was actually looking at part of the frame. Sorry fir that.

From How Stuff Works:

"The Aero 8...is the first new Morgan design since 1948. It is also the first Morgan vehicle with an alloy chassis and frame as opposed to traditional Morgan vehicles ("trads") that have an aluminium skinned wooden body tub on a steel chassis."

Edited November 1, 2010 by sjordan2

[Greg Myers]

and they still make this one.

[sjordan2]

and they still make this one.

My friend had a +4 in that color scheme; at speed on a dark night, you could see flames coming from the carburetors through the louvers.

Edited November 1, 2010 by sjordan2

[Harry P.]

My friend had a +4 in that color scheme; at speed on a dark night, you could see flames coming from the carburetors through the louvers.

Now there's a good selling point!

[sjordan2]

Now there's a good selling point!

It is awesome, especially after a few beers. Too bad the driver couldn't see it, since the carbs are on the passenger side. But I did, literally, see his tongue hanging out when he punched it.

Edited November 1, 2010 by sjordan2