It’s taken quite a while, but after going to see several 3.7 Roadsters over the past 12 months or so, I’ve finally managed to find a suitable one to replace my treasured 1999 +4 that I sold earlier this year after 9 years of ownership. So thanks to Phil & Joyce Ledgerwood, and a big hole left in my savings, it’s now sitting in my garage!
Now, after using it for a couple of weeks and putting a few hundred miles on it, I can give my impressions so far:
Performance is very impressive! I can now understand how easy it would be for the ‘inexperienced’ driver to be taken unawares, especially in the wet. But overtaking is a joy, and almost effortless thanks to all that grunt. And it’s so easy to drive normally, that it makes for a far more relaxed driving experience too.
This one has the Suplex front suspension system fitted, which makes things a little more compliant than some of the others I tried, although I don’t think it’s improved the ride quality any better than when I shortened the rebound springs by 20mm on my +4. Some of the other Roadsters I tried also had a very sharp ‘turn-in’ which I found a little disconcerting, but this one feels precise and predictable. Some of this might be down to the Suplex kit, I suppose. I know that some owners have found the power steering to be a bit lacking in feel, but I find it pretty much perfect. I’m just waiting for the thicker-rimmed MotoLita wheel to arrive now, so it’ll feel even better then.
To my surprise and delight, the rev-hang issue that seems to affect some 3.7 Roadsters does not appear to be too much of a problem on this one. I’m not sure if anything was done in this respect by the previous owner, but all I can say is that it’s a joy to drive and in my experience the gear-changes have been smooth and slick, even when pressing-on a bit. Of the other Roadsters I have driven, 3 of them had this issue and I found I had to alter my driving style slightly to allow for smooth and graunch- free changes, so it would appear that not all 3.7 Roadsters are the same. Maybe I’ve been lucky with this one - I certainly hope so!
On some less-positive notes: On my previous Morgan I had the Symmonds Windstop fitted, and this improved considerably the level of buffeting and exhaust fumes experienced, especially as I arranged the hood so that it folded down and onto the windstop, effectively sealing off the rear luggage area completely from the cockpit area.
On the Roadster, with no windstop fitted, there is a little less buffeting than in my +4, but what I do experience is a big increase in the amount of exhaust fumes coming into the cockpit. Surely I can’t be the only one to notice this, as it must affect all Trad owners to some degree as the basic design is the same??
So I’m now in the process of mackling-up a windstop based on one from an MGF (£40 off ebay) to try and alleviate this issue. I’ve taken inspiration from Minikeefy’s previous posts on this, but I don’t really want to drill through the leather on the wheel arches to support the mounting brackets if I can help it, so I’m exploring other options.
I’ve - sort of – accepted the speedo being way off to the left, and I suppose I’ll have to get used to turning to look at it, but the indicator warning lamps are a bit of a pain to see and the relay isn’t really loud enough to hear properly, so another project is to see if I can install duplicate lamps on the dash directly in front of me and reposition/replace the relay to save any embarrassment.
And then I’ve got to replace the ridiculously short seatbelt catch straps with longer, stemmed versions, as it’s a real struggle to find them when they disappear down the sides of the seats. And then fit my Wingliners!
But overall I’m very pleased with the car and looking forward to lots of smiley miles and hours of tinkering.
PS
On the NHS website, regarding carbon monoxide poisoning, it states:
“Long-term exposure to low levels of carbon monoxide can also lead to neurological symptoms, such as difficulty thinking or concentrating and frequent emotional changes – for example, becoming easily irritated, depressed or making impulsive or irrational decisions”.
So I’m wondering if there were more exhaust fumes coming into the cockpit of my +4 than I thought!!
