Register Member R. Nick Taylor's Aluminium Tool Tray Conversion

My New Tool Tray For my Morgan Roadster 100. 

By R. Nick Taylor. 

rnt.bolton@btinternet.com

Those of you who may have already taken the Rear Carpet and Wooden Cover off of your Tool Tray may have noticed that it suffers from a few negative points.

1. It is made of a Molded Plastic with a weak 'Flocked' surface covering.

2. It is designed to take just a few specific items such as the 'Jack' and Wheel Spanner, inappropriate to Wheels such as ours with Spinners, and a Hammer.

3. If your Tray is like mine, the base has been in contact with the Rear Axle Differential and has star splits in it, now temporarily repaired with Duct Tape.

4. Without the Thick Pad of Foam I have placed between the Base and the Lid, the contents used to rattle.

Register Member, Nick Taylor from Bolton, noticed an article in Miscellany written by MSCC Concours Secretary, Dave Wellings (The Talk Morgan Roadster Guru - Their Title!) where he fabricates a replacement Aluminium Tray designed to provide Deeper areas and to fit over the Differential with Sufficient Clearance to prevent clashing with the tray.

Nicks New Tray in Situ

Here, Nick tells his own story of his route to a achieving his own Formed Aluminium Tray for his Roadster 100.

" I found that B&Q, and others selling Aluminium Sheets were all too small, making fabrication more complicated and expensive!

So I was sent to speak to Kevin at K & S at Bent St, Kearsley, Bolton, who said they would supply the sheet and fold it to shape for me. When I met him he said he would weld the ends on, and form a special cover to fit over the Differential.

The offer seemed to me to be too good to miss, and all for £75.00 

(Just under £100.00 including Posting & Packing - Total cost £80 + £16.40= £96.40 ).

The Design needed to be a simple 'Drop In' aluminium tray with flanges that would fit the existing Morgan Frame. I think that the Aluminium thickness was increased to 2mm as it is easier to weld.

The Space Available is limited by the location of the Shock Absorbers, The Fuel Tank,The Axle, The Differential, The Brake Pipe, and odd Bolts and Brackets. 

The Space in the current Tray also has to take the Scissor Jack length (Mounted diagonally in original tray).

As Dave Welling points out, the Axle/ Diff movement on the car is 2 inches.  

In my case, 50 drawings later, I finished up with a Design using straight folds in steps to give depths of 90mm, 55mm, 35mm and 20mm.

 The New Tray about to be fitted into the Car

I took view there was only one chance to get it right, hence the stepped arrangement.  The Width was OK, but the Length was too tight, so Kevin had to shorten, cut and reweld!  The holes I cut to clear the frame corner bolts are probably not necessary with 960mm length. 

The Nominal Gap Width for the Tray in the Morgan Roadster 100 Frame is 405mm.

Using this dimension there is enough clearance for steps.  450mm is the Max Width over the Flanges..

The Nominal Gap Length is 970 mm. This was reduced in my case to 960mm to allow clearance for the 'Weld On' End Plates and those corner Morgan Bolts. 

This gives me an overall dimension, including the Flanges, of 1003 mm.

If anyone is interested, I can let you have more detail or better still, try my tray in your car, as every Morgan is probably different. This offer is no problem if you are locally located to Bolton or if you are coming to the MSCC MOG in Harrogate in August.

It should be understood what is being offered by Kevin at K&S is Folded and Welded Aluminium, made to a size that fits in the back of my Roadster 100.

Three things need to be checked: 

 1) Tool Tray Hole Size, for inserting the shaped part, and the Support Flange (e.g. Width x Length). 

 2) Check the clearances for your Tool Tray Drop, and the Four Corner Bolts. 

 3) The 'Width Position' needs adjustment on Assembly.  

If the Tray is set too far back, the Front Flange may be Short, and if it is too far forward, there may be insufficient axle clearance. This should all be simple to do.

Basically you get the Metal Tray, Welded to your own Checked Dimensions and then you finish it off yourself. 

My Main Space is a 90mm deep x 120mm Full Length Trough.  

The Tray Filled With Nick's Essentials

The Tray takes: The Jack, A Small Motor Bike Tool Kit, A First Aid Kit, and Collapsible ( may make it look bigger than it is!) Compressor which fits at an angle. 

Indicating the Deepest 'Trough' where the Jack sits.

I am a bit concerned if I were to Line it with neoprene as it may make the internal size even smaller.

The key is to find someone else who wants one, and see how easy or difficult it is to replicate.  

If I can provide information to help, I will do and Kevin will be delighted to supply the tray."

Best regards 

Nick Taylor 

Tel. 01204 845109

Tool Tray For A Morgan R100.

Material Supplied, Folded and Welded by :

Kevin at:

K & S Aluminium Ltd. Fabrications The Works, Bent St, Kearsley, Bolton, BL4 9DH 

Tel. 01204 579340, 

email : <ksaluminium@btconnect.co.uk> 

More Information From Nick - Final Prototype Drawings.

Subject: Following My Meeting with Kevin of K&S Aluminium Ltd. 

He has updated two drawings with 3 changes. These are mainly tidying up to match to my sample and adjust the dimensions of the flanges.

The Starting Point for these new Drawings were the ones he used to make my prototype.

Drawing 1. (Sheet 1 of 2)     

Y Front to Back.  

Maximum length of finished plate including flanges is 450mm.  

Overall Maximum Dimension of the Inserted part of the Tray is 380 mm. 

The Finished Dimensions of the Inserted Part are To Fit into the Frame Recess Hole Size / Gap of 405mm.

Please see the drawing as the Front Flange has been Increased to Eliminate need for a Spacing Batten.

 

             Drawing 2. (Sheet 2 of 2)      

            X - Side to Side Dimensions of the tray are reduced to 1000mm, including the Flanges.  

            Excluding the Flanges, the Tray Insert measures 950 mm outside. 

            This is made to fit into the 972mm / 973mm Ash Frame Internal Size.

 

     

                  Best Wishes

                      Nick.

Terry Seymour

 

Apr 18, 2014

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Comments off

What a cracking idea, although my tool kit is very very limited comprising of a jack, hammer for spinners and a small bit of wood to protect said spinners.
But if we are in Harrogate I will give it a try, who knows I may grow into it;-)
Terry

Reply

Philip Loring

 Apr 18, 2014This looks a brilliant modification. I have puzzled over the rubbish tool tray and ways to improve this space into a more useable format since I had the car. I will be keen to try.

R. Nick Taylor's Aluminium Tool Tray Development

R. Nick Taylor's Aluminium Tool Tray.

Please Note! The address in the Adverts below and the Phone Numbers have changed. I only have the New Phone number at the moment.

• 
  
• 
  
• 
  

  Since producing the Advertisement above K&S Aluminium Ltd have moved to Bury.

  
  

  Contact Kevin McTighe 

  
  

  The Tel No. is:    0161 763 7403

  
  

  The address is:   Unit 2, The Sawmill, East Street, Bury, BL9 0RU

  
  

  K&S Aluminium Email Address

  
  

  or

  
  

  mailto:angie.ksaluminium@yahoo.co.uk
• .

New Telephone Number for KS Aluminium Ltd:  - 

tel. 0161 763 7403

The Damaged Roadster 100 Tool Tray

This Picture above may be familiar to some of you.

Others may have not noticed that this has happened to your Morgan Tool Tray? 

The damage to the Original Morgan Plastic Tool Tray is caused by the Heavy Car Jack, stored there, coming into contact with the Rear Axle Differential Housing when the suspension 'bottoms'

Roadster 100 Owner, R. Nick Taylor designed an Aluminum Tool Tray and the maker KS Aluminium Ltd. is prepared to make more for owners who would like to have one for their car. 

The Tool Tray Before Fitting

Originally, they cost just about £100 delivered.

As the photo in the Flyer above, of Nicks Filled Tool Tray, indicates there is plenty of extra storage for those who tour and need to take extra equipment.

These Two Drawings from Nick, give the dimensions he used for the Roadster 100. 

He points out that Owners of other models should cross check them with their car.

The manufacturer, Kevin, will tailor one to fit your needs if you speak to him about it.

Cross Section

The Plan

Nick has enhanced his Tray to make it more accessible by Splitting the lid into a 4 Part hinged lid with Carpets modified to fit.

Nick's Fitted Tool Tray with Hinged Lids.

One last point. Just to say that Nick is happy for anyone to use the drawings to make there own version if the choose.

Kevin has made six already, one of those for me, and I have to say that the difference in rattle elimination was noticeable.

He currently has orders for four more. He plans to make this into ten to have some stock.

Frank 

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Nick Taylor's Tool Tray - Development Extra

Associate Member Mike Hargreaves sold his R100 and now owns one of the New Roadsters with the 3.7ltr Ford Mustang Engines. 

However that did not deter Mike from wanting one of the R. Nick Taylor Aluminium Tools trays. 

Living close enough to where Kevin's workshop is located, Mike decided to order a Tray and to go to Kevin to have his fitted by Kevin.

Here is what Mike had to say about the visit :

" I spoke to Kevin a week or so ago to order one and he has made quite a few with spares for his stock.

I assumed that the back end of the 3.7 would be the same axle, petrol tank etc as the R100’s.

As I live just across the Pennines I went to collect the tray today and was able to test the fit of it, and would you believe it, - the factory have made the 3.7 different at the back end so the result was that the tray didn’t rest on the wooden frame like Kevin says it does on Nicks. 

This was due to the tray resting on what I assume is the petrol gauge on top of the tank. It could be that the 3.7 tank etc sit higher or they may have put a different gauge in since 2009.

However, it wasn't a problem to Kevin as he got his guy to adapt the rear of the tray whilst I was there by cutting out a section and welding in a box section to make it fit perfectly. (The petrol gauge isn't actually in the middle of the tank, its slightly to the N/Side - UK)

I've explained to Kevin the idiosyncrasies of the way Morgan build their cars and he now thinks that he will put the additional box cut out in all of the trays as people other than R100 are ordering them both in the UK and abroad. This will save him the embarrassment of them not fitting all the cars hopefully. "

Just as well because, unknown to Mike, The Morgan Motor Company have changed the Fuel Tank on his New 3.7 Roadster Model with its Fuel Gauge Sender moved forward so that it is now visible near to the front of the fuel tank. 

The Roadster 100 Fuel Tank

  The New 3.7ltr Roadster (and beautifully clean) Fuel Tank (photo from Mike)

Morgan obviously have not changed the Ash Body Frame and the standard Roadster  / +4 Tool Tray fits into the well. 

However, with the tool tray on our R100's sitting about 6 / 8mm above the Fuel Tank, Mikes Fuel Gauge Sender gets in the way and would require a modification to allow the Tool Tray to sit down onto the Ash Frame.

How fortunate it was that Kevin was doing the fitting for Mike and, like the practical man that Kevin is, he set about modifying the Deep Tray part to fit around that obstruction.

The Modification can be clearly seen here, as the small box covering a suitably sized cut out  

(Photo by Mike) 

The Latest Version of The Tool Tray for all 

Roadsters

It can be seen clearly in this photo that the modification is relatively small and is not reducing the available Tool Storage significantly. (Photo by Mike)

Kevin and Nick have been in discussion and it looks certain that the modification will now be built into all future tool trays.

Therefore, if you have any other friends who may have the 3.7 Roadster, who would like to have one of Nick's Tool Trays, then please tell them that they fit and suggest that they give Kevin a Call.

Frank

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Tool Tray Owners Improvements 

Some owners have lined their trays before fitting them.

Here are some photos to provide ideas.

My own Tool Tray fitted with Fibre Board Boxes.

Lined with Non Slip Neoprene Sheets

Rubberised Undercoating

Lined with Protectacote

I hope that this information has been helpful

Frank