Let me preface this post by stating a few things as I know this post is going to ruffle some feathers
1. the 3 wheeler is loads of fun to drive, is great fun to look at, and draws huge crowds and smiles wherever it goes.
2. I don't regret the purchase of my 3 wheeler at all, regardless of the issues i'll get in to in this post.
3. I'm new to the morgan community so some of this might be par for the course as it pertains to morgan and their cars but as a newly indoctrinated morgan owner I'm quite disappointed in several things as they relate to my 3 wheeler and it's fit and finish/quality control
Now that that's out of the way I wanted to get back to the subject of the post as I think it's a valid question, is the morgan 3 wheeler a car that is painstakingly built by skilled craftsmen to the highest standards (as morgan says on their own site) or a hastily created and built kit car that is sold at a premium?
While that statement is sure to upset many, I wanted to pose a related question on whether the issues 3 wheeler owners are having as it relates to fit and finish or the engineering issues (bevel box, control arms, etc) are acceptable for that of a $60,000 hand crafted automobile or that even a $60,000 mass produced automobile? While it's not fair to directly compare the 3 wheeler to say a $60,000 BMW 5 series due to the economies of scale an the fact that BMW and Morgan are two very different car companies, I think it is fair given how much simpler the morgan is mechanically and cost of it's parts and R&D (compared to the insane of amount of electronics, airbags, production facilities, crash testing, advertising, etc, etc, etc of a new BMW) to hold morgan to a high standard as it relates to fit and finish as a large part of the $60,000 cost of the 3 wheeler is the premium of being hand crafted and dialed in.
I bring that question up as in less than a month of ownership i've had a myriad of issues with my 3 wheeler as it pertains to fit and finish as well as some mechanical. Most are small issues/annoyances, and some are larger but I keep coming back to the question of would any of these issues be acceptable for any other new $60,000 automobile?
Below is a list of issues i'm currently experiencing with my 3W
Boot Lid Weather Stripping the weather stripping was improperly installed so that at a certain point on the boot lid there's not enough cushioning so that when it's closed it rubs against the painted body thus wearing off the paint on both the boot lid and the body where they come in contact. This issue was there from the day we picked the car up at the airport in the states. I've since had to put rubber adhesive furnitures pads on the boot lid so it doesn't keep rubbing more paint off. Have still not gotten a proper response to the issue from morgan or my dealer. Below are a couple pictures for reference
Shift Knob only a week in to ownership and my shift knob went from being solidly on the gear lever to feeling wobbly and hardly attached. this morning i unscrewed the knob to see how it was attached and found the threads where beaten up and when trying to put it back on there isn't a point where to knob screws on tight, just spins and wobbles continuously. Below are a few pics from this morning as well as a quick video of the issue from before i unscrewed the knob
Bevel Box Having to make excuses to passengers in my car about the sketchy rattles and noises of my new morgan that's supposedly built to the highest standards by skilled craftsmen is a bit embarrassing for both Morgan and myself. The fact that Morgan has not fixed this issue perplexes me and that they continue build cars with these compromised parts/engineering (regardless of what "batch" your car might of gotten) and to ask owners to take a wait and see approach to see what hand of cards they are dealt seems insane. This problem needs to be solved and finally put to bed and not looked at with the attitude of that some boxes are just hit or miss. These are the kinds of issues you have with a kit car that you are speccing and building yourself, not of a manufacture who has designed, engineered, and tested a car.
Floor Mats my floor mats don't quite fit properly in their respected places. It feels like the mat (pre leather piping) was the proper size and then the leather trim was put in place making the mat just a tad too large for it's place on the floor causing it to bubble/ripple when trying to make it fit. again, these are things that boggle my mind when i comes to making it through PDI and no one catching
Arrival Condition of Car Car was filthy on the inside. Dust, shop debris, sawdust,excess grease on bolts in cockpit, etc. Not sure if the burden of a detail falls on the factory or the dealer/importer but the fact that it was sent out in that condition blows me away. again, remember the comparison to purchasing a $60,000 bmw, would you ever get this service from a dealer/mfg?
I'll hop off my soap box now and stop complaining now but i felt the need to vent for a bit and see what everyone else's thoughts and expectations were.
Again, I think the 3 wheeler is a great car in principal but the execution of it has me very disappointed.
And for those who will say I should just go out and buy a BMW if I love them so much, I actually did 3 years ago and have enjoyed it thoroughly.
