Hi Richard,
I feel keeping your existing car is the best option for a few reasons that went though my head about two years ago. I retired the first time in October 2018 a week before the Morgan Muster which I went to, had a good look at the cars and enjoyed chatting to various people. One the way back I took a mis-turn and ended up on a new road though national park, the weather was perfect, the road was perfect, my Silvia was going perfect and i was enjoying toe and heeling though the bends. I was enjoying myself 100% and thinking could a Morgan be any better than the 100% enjoyment I am currently having. Yes the view over the bonnet and walnut dash but probably not much else would have made the experience any better, certainly not enough to justify the 13 times price difference. Plus even though I had in my mind the boss was going to try get me to return to work was a couple of years work worth it to upgrade the car?
So I left thinking either keep Silvia, order a +110 Plus 4, or order a Frontline MGB and after the drive home I was thinking keep the Silvia myself even though I had promised to give it to my son when he turns 25 in 2021 (I can't believe it is this year - how time flies).
Unfortunately I returned to work and the Silvia was written off in a bad hail storm so then the choice was,
1, Not bother with sports cars until something small soft-top and electric turns up rather than the EV mainly SUV options currently available,
2, Buy a cheap older MX5 to keep my investment in cars very low during this time of uncertainty of the future of petrol,
3, Buy a new MX5 that was very nice when I test drove it and under half the cost of the next two options.
4, Try order a +110 Plus 4 with my specs,
5, Order a Frontline MGB (a cheaper option in Australia, unlike the UK where the Frontline MGB's are more expensive than the +4 was).
I ended up going for the MGB for a few reasons, in order of importance to me.
1, I always wanted to order a car to my specs an this was my chance so ignore the MX5 options, this could be the only opportunity to buy something very special.
2, I could visit the car during the build where COVID meant no trips to the UK to see a Morgan being built. Plus 10 or so days visiting over 9 months is more visits than a day or two while on a holiday.
3, Dealing with the MGB workshop I am talking to a car enthusiast who works on the cars rather than a car dealer, yes the Morgan dealer and MX5 dealer I talked to were nice but chatting about the cars with the guy doing and organising the work is very nice.
4, The Quality of the work done by the MGB workshop in Sydney is fantastic, I hope to not get any issues, or if i do they should be sorted out easily unlike some Morgan stories I heard in Bathurst.
5, The MGB will be a 1969 car so I will insure it as a historic car with the benefits of lower premiums, salvage rights etc. Not possible with a 2019 Morgan. (after losing the Silvia I really want salvage rights on my next policy)
6, The Australian Morgan Dealer told me no more orders would be taken for cars as they are only making CX cars from now on, I expect he wanted me to buy his last demo 4/4 he had there.
7, The Australian Morgan Dealer told me he will be shutting reasonably soon and retiring making me wonder about availability of parts.
8, I expect petrol to be the main fuel for cars for another 10 years (especially in Australia that is behind every other country) but EV's will probably take over some day and being a 1969 car at least I can register it Historic if I don't want to or can't use it that much.
The silly thing is how long it took to make the decision. I bought a house in 2019 for my son, girlfriend and expected baby to live in, I looked at about 20 houses and the one I like I walked in and made an offer within 5 minutes. Maybe the difference is it is easy to make a decision when something is needed but harder when it is something you don't need. Or maybe it is just as you say the decision just doesn't feel 100% right.
Thank you very much for your journey into another fun car, I remember the sorry pictures of your Silvia but the outcome is just perfect your Frontline is a cracker.
As you implied 1st world decisions such as these take a lot more deliberation than those that have an urgency or need associated with them, the fact that I am hesitant is the proof that this is not for me right now or ever, some of these feelings we can never fully understand.
I wouldn't mind but I'm a both feet in kind of person and this discovery has floored me a little, so the help and advice from the TM collective has helped me no end on my journey.
