Charlotte Vowden, writer, presenter, automotive adventurer, and award-winning journalist set herself one of her biggest challenges yet. Helping her to succeed in this incredible challenge was Morris Lubricants.
1960 MGA MK 1 Roadster
Engine 1600CC/four cylinder/OHV
Power 79.5bhp@5600 rpm
Torque 87lb ft@3800rpm
Gearbox 4-speed manual
0-60mph 13.3 seconds (untested)
Top speed 105mph (not tested!)
Fuel economy 30m/gal
Weight 2,028lb (920kg)
Morris Lubricants’ quality oils, greases and lubricants were used throughout adventurer Charlotte Vowden’s 1960s MGA Roadster and these products were pushed to their limits as she and her father, Steve, drove from the UK to the Arctic Circle and back last summer. The journey took Charlotte and Steve through eight countries where they encountered a wide variety of terrain and weather conditions. Then when they got to the northernmost point in Europe, the duo headed back to the UK to complete this epic journey.
In the buildup to their departure, Morris Lubricants’ technology manager Adrian Hill advised Charlotte and Steve on the best oils, greases and lubricants for the MGA Roadster. Adrian created an inventory of Morris Lubricants’ products for the preparation and maintenance of the vehicle during the adventure, including Golden Film SAE 20W-50, Dot 4 Brake Fluid, Workshop Pro Quality Screen Wash, MEG Antifreeze Coolant, Workshop Pro MD4 Multipurpose Spray and K323 Premium Blue Grease.
Adrian stressed: “It is so important to use the correct oils, greases and lubricants when maintaining any vehicle, but when embarking on an endurance challenge like this it is even more crucial due to the variety of extreme conditions the vehicle will be going through. We manufacture a wide range of quality oils that are rigorously tested to make sure they can withstand conditions such as this.”
As Charlotte proudly stated: “My family have always relied on Morris Lubricants. From farming to fixing cars and going on adventures in vintage automobiles, our professional endeavours have evolved through the generations and our faith in the company’s portfolio of products has endured.”
“We’ve worked hard in our respective industries to build our reputations as competent and dependable people,” says Steve, a mechanic by trade. He continues, “Morris Lubricants understands how valuable that is because as a business that carries the family name, they’ve had to do the same, which is why we can trust the quality of what they produce will always be consistent.”
Keeping an even keel
There’s “never a good batch or a bad batch,” says Adrian. “It’s always the right batch, and people who have used our products for a long time know that. Whatever the market they’re in, it’s one less thing for them to worry about. We have a moral obligation to people like Charlotte and Steve who rely on our products.”
Charlotte continues: “Clearly, our relationship with Morris Lubricants has its foundations in both heart and head. Our values and our standards align, but that doesn’t mean we’re not afraid to put the company, and their products, to the test. This challenge was an endurance drive that required oils and lubricants from the company’s wide range of products. To prove their effectiveness in extreme, limit-pushing conditions, my father and I drove my late grandfather’s MGA Roadster to the Arctic. A classic car that came off the production line in 1960, this MGA has been a member of my family for the last 33 years.”
With Golden Film SAE 20W-50 motor oil pumping through the 79bhp 1600cc fourstroke engine, Charlotte and Steve travelled up to 500 miles per day. The journey to North Cape in the Arctic Circle is over 5,000 miles in a round-trip from the UK. “In the classic and vintage world, vehicles tend to be used infrequently but this MGA was put under constant load, so it really was a proper test,” confirms Adrian. “This was a serious journey that proved how well you can push a lubricant that’s formulated well.”
As an award-winning journalist and presenter, Steve’s garage had never been a place that Charlotte would frequent, but inquisitive by nature, Charlotte embraced the opportunity to begin learning the tricks of her father’s trade. As she explains: “The boundless abilities of a spritz of Morris Lubricants’ Workshop Pro MD4 Multipurpose Maintenance Spray never ceases to amaze me”. “MD4 is a good all-rounder,” agrees Adrian, who has tutored Charlotte about the importance of using products that are specifically tailored for the MGA. He continues, “Morris has a range of products for all ages of vehicle from vintage cars like this to the latest hybrids. Morris Lubricants’ products use the best quality raw materials and proven oil formulations, to help ensure vehicles are kept on the road and out of the workshop”.
To ready the MGA for the expedition, an extensive health check had to be carried out. Steve explains: “Any issues I detected, however minor, were dealt with. Setting off on a trip like this with the knowledge that there’s a chink in the car’s armour is asking for trouble on the road ahead. To improve the visibility of the low-slung Mk1 Roadster in case of breakdown or emergency, the MGA has been equipped with a set of hazard lights, but we’re keen to keep her as faithful to original as is safe and sensible to do so on modern roads. After all, interfering with the purity of the driving experience would spoil the fun. A few subtle tweaks to the carburettors though, to ensure smooth running and peak performance, are an acceptable and sensible refinement.”
It was during an inspection of the rear driver-side drum brake, that Steve discovered a cause for concern as he stated: “I stripped it down to find one cylinder had water ingress between the handbrake lever and cylinder piston, so I changed it out for a new one.” Crisis averted, the front disc brakes were also removed, examined and spruced. Workshop Pro Solvent Cleaner was most adept at getting rid of all the dirt and debris.
One of the fiddlier jobs involved replacing worn bushes on the front anti-roll bar, “I had to make a tool to remove the old and fit the new,” laments Steve. Replacing a rumbling front wheel bearing, also involved a fair amount of faff. As he explains, “It may well have lasted another two years doing local journeys, but not wanting to take that chance I felt it wise to replace it here rather than on the side of the road somewhere that would likely be in the middle of nowhere and probably in the pouring rain!” To reduce friction and wear going forward, Steve applied Morris Lubricants’ K323 Premium Blue Grease.
Ready, set, go!
The pre-departure to-do list included extensive inspections of the MGA’s vital systems. Everything from the electrics to the suspension and steering were checked, to make sure all was in tip-top condition. Functional liquids from the Morris Lubricants’ range, such as brake fluid, antifreeze coolant and screen wash were topped up, and a full change of engine and gearbox oils was carried out. The on the road car first aid kit included Morris Lubricants’ Golden Film SAE 20W-50 Motor Oil, Dot 4 Brake Fluid, Workshop Pro MD4 Multipurpose Maintenance Spray and MEG Antifreeze Coolant that provides protection at temperatures as low as -40°C. The duo also made sure to have some Morris Lubricants’ Workshop Pro Hand Cleanser on board too. “It’s not hours, it’s days and weeks that have been dedicated to getting ready to go,” says Steve.
As the duo embarked on the journey, overlanding through the various countries to reach the northernmost point in Europe, Charlotte found the climatic and driving conditions to be varied, and at times, intense. With long distances, arduous weather and challenging topography, it was destined to be a difficult feat, but in a car that’s been prepared meticulously and with the correct oils and lubricants, Charlotte and Steve successfully completed the challenge.
