I've been viewing quite a few used Morgans of late in my search for a 4/4, and I am finding that there are basically 2 camps on relative condition. Quite a few of the cars have evidence of considerable corrosion not only underneath the car but also on the body panels, wings, windscreen frames etc scruffy or slightly worn interiors even for relatively new cars. So what appears a less expensive car can soon rack up the price in remedial paint work repairs and corrosion arrestment etc.. The other camp are cars that have been very well looked after and pretty immaculate both inside , out and underneath.
Whilst a slightly tired car may seem more attractive, the costs to bring it up to scratch can quickly escalate and make it less attractive long term financial proposition.
I've had the pleasure of owning both immaculate and scruffy versions, my most favourite and also most reliable was a kent 4/4 4 seater with a tired body and interior that took me on continental tours and was my daily hack. When I sold it some years later, it was only fit for a rebuild as the chassis and inner wings were on their way out, with the inevitable rot in the inner sills etc.It wasn't going to pass its next MOT, It was rebuilt and a pleasure to behold when completed.
The other side of the spectrum was my immaculate 4/4 The Sunday Times competition car, that was massively spec'd and in as new condition, that used to be a joy to look at but always requiring remedial attention following stone chips and the inevitable cracks in the painted over wing beading due to chassis flexing every time you took the car out, used to drive me to distraction.
The 4 seater Roadster was impressively spec'd, very low mileage, immaculate condition that despite its excellent service history, had been in storage for many years and was expertly prepared for sale still needed some recommissioning during my first 12 months of use to become a very fast, reliable car that unfortunately I had to let go due a fall on steps that injured my back and made the more upright driving position of the 4 seater too uncomfortable to depress the clutch.
My 70th 4/4 was a well kept car had a slight corrosion bubble on the front wing were it met the rear wing, but other than that a good useable car with a decent engine, which on reflection I should have kept had I not lusted after the Roadster.
Each of my Morgans brought a different joy of ownership, ranging from being able to display at car shows, thru to sheer carefree driving, not worrying about the stone chips and salt from winter motorway journeys as there wasn't much more damage you could inflict on the car, it was due a rebuild. As they say horses for courses, whilst its nice to have a pristine, immaculate car, it can be bind when considering when to drive it, compared to the more care free motoring a more tired reliable example can provide. I often keep moving between the two camps and probably can only resolve the conundrum by having 2 versions in the garage one a high days and the other a daily use Morgan.......sadly not enough garage space at the moment.
Last edited by JohnHarris; 29/02/24 12:12 PM.
