MGA To The Arctic: Prepping for the Journey
My family have always relied on Morris Lubricants. From farming to fixing cars and going on adventures in vintage automobiles, our professional endeavors 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 my dad, Steve, a mechanic by trade. “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.”
There’s “never a good batch or a bad batch,” says Technology Manager, Adrian Hill, “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 you and your dad who rely on our products.”
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 summer, in an endurance drive that will require oils and lubricants from the company’s wide range of products to prove their effectiveness in extreme, limit-pushing conditions, my father and I are driving my late grandfather’s MGA Roadster to the Arctic. A classic car that came off the production line in 1960, FSK 302 has been a member of my family for the last 33 years. You too can call her Frisky, if you like.
With Golden Film SAE 20W-50 motor oil pumping through her 79bph 1600cc four-stroke engine, we’ll be travelling up to 500 miles per day. Our journey to North Cape in the Arctic Circle will be an approximate 6,000 mile round-trip from the UK. “In the classic and vintage world, vehicles tend to be used infrequently but Frisky will be under constant load so it’s a proper test,” confirms Adrian. “This is a serious journey that will prove how well you can push a lubricant that’s formulated well.”
Overlanding through seven countries to reach the northernmost point in Europe, we anticipate the climatic and driving conditions to be varied, and at times, intense. Long distances, arduous weather and challenging topography, it’s destined to be a difficult feat, but in a car that’s been prepared meticulously and with the correct oils and lubricants, we are confident in Frisky the MGA’s ability to take it on. “There’s nothing more we can do now other than to hope for the best,” says dad, who became Frisky’s caretaker and chief mechanic when I became her custodian following my grandfather’s death in 2017.
As an award-winning journalist and presenter, dad’s garage had never been a place that I’d frequent, but inquisitive by nature, and respectful of the responsibility that I had been bestowed, I embraced the opportunity to begin learning the tricks of my father’s trade. The boundless abilities of a spritz of Morris Lubricants’ Workshop Pro MD4 multipurpose maintenance spray never cease to amaze. “MD4 is a good all rounder,” agrees Adrian, who has tutored me about the importance of using products that are specifically tailored for FSK 302. “We have 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,” he adds.
To ready the MGA for our forthcoming expedition, an extensive health check had to be carried out. “Any issues I detected, however minor, were dealt with,” says dad, “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 my low-slung Mk1 Roadster in case of breakdown or emergency, FSK 302 has been equipped with a set of hazard lights, but I’m 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 dad discovered a cause for concern. “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 nitty gritty 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 dad. Replacing a rumbling front wheel bearing, he tells me, also involved a fair amount of faff. “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, dad applied Morris’ K323 premium blue grease.
The pre-departure to-do list included extensive inspections of the MGA’s vital systems. From the electrics to the suspension and steering, everything is in tip-top condition. Functional liquids from the Morris Lubricants range, such as brake fluid, antifreeze coolant and screen wash have been topped up, and a full change of engine and gearbox oils carried out. Our on the road car first aid kit will include Morris Lubricants Golden Film SAE 20W-50 motor oil, Dot 4 brake fluid, Workshop Pro MD4 multipurpose maintenance spray and MEG Antifreeze that provides protection at temperatures as low as -40°C. We’ll 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 dad.
Together, we have tackled some of the UK’s toughest roads in FSK 302, including the infamous Hardknott Pass. Our expeditions are always self-organised and genuine in the efforts that are required to pull them off. In 2022, we piloted Frisky to the four furthest points of mainland UK in under 48 hours – a total distance of more than 2,000 miles – to raise money for charity, but this endeavour will see her travel the furthest from home she’s ever been. The further north we travel, the more remote our route will become and at this time of year, in Arctic regions, the star at the heart of our solar system never sets: we will be chasing the midnight sun.
Follow the journey on both the Morris Lubricants website and social media accounts.
You can also watch a series of videos ‘MGA To The Arctic: Chasing The Midnight Sun’ where Charlotte chats with Morris Lubricants' Technology Manager, Adrian Hill to explain why she & her father are taking on this epic challenge, the preparation the car has had to go through to make sure it can handle the varying terrain and weather on the journey & the 'first aid kit' they will be taking with them to make sure the MGA remains well maintained throughout this adventure. Click here to watch all the videos.
Vehicle Vital Stats-
1960 MGA MK 1 Roadster
Engine- 1600cc/ four-cylinder/ OHV
Power- 79.5bhp @5600 rpm
Torque- 87lb ft @3800rpm
Gearbox- 4-speed manual
0-60 mph- 13.3 seconds (untested)
Top speed- 105mph (not tested)
Fuel economy- 30m/gal
Weight- 2029lb (920kg)