I have often (likely too often) related that which attracted me into Morgan ownership on TM.
I have ever felt fortunate to have a degree of hands-on capability thus over the years I have owned and restored/repaired a few old sports cars I have owned and enjoyed, including those you mentioned at the start of this thread.
I came to Morgan ownership in search of a more involving/pseudo vintage driving experience and ultimately ended up with my +8 which I have owned since 2002 though in truth I have only covered circa 30k miles in it over all those years, but have also crammed some very much valued memories into those miles... (-:
I went through the the performance improvement stage in my life as a yoof, thus by the time I arrived at Morgan ownership my ideals had altered considerably, and reliability along with the hoped for comfort of self reliance that should anything on the Morgan be in need of repair, I could most likely understand the cause, and have the ability to repair most things given the relative simplicity of the Morgan`s construction.. Though having typed that my Morgan had been the subject of a nut and bolt rebuild by a well skilled chap who well knew of most of the usual bodywork foibles that can crop up in the passage of time related to corrosion, and he had put extra effort into providing extra protection in vulnerable areas, thus I had a head start by buying into a old yet new Morgan... (-:
Modifications I considered doing, would have been to simplify things further, perhaps by removing the automatic choke and replacing it with a cable operated one, the automatic choke perhaps had been mandated by the authorities in the mid 80`s.... Though I have stuck with the electrically operated auto choke and the electronic ignition system, as neither have provided issue during my ownership...The only other modification I thought of was to make my +8 look even more vintage by fitting an engine turned dashboard... But I never got round to that either, and am now at the stage and age where I am unlikely to ever do so... Shrug..
Such are my Luddite tendencies that I have for decades now been going on about us all being sucked into the convenience of digital technology which is seemingly becoming ever more seductive with the passage of time and considerably increasing the costs involved in servicing and repair of modern vehicles as well as dumbing down the drivers "skill" levels in the process , and as with most of digital tec leaves us increasingly dependant on it, and in ever more so as it is adopted to take control of so many of the "basics" of everyday life....Rant over..(-:
I suspect much may depend upon where we set our personal datum point relative to enjoyment of matters motoring.... I occasionally drive a Tesla, a Porsche 991 and my Morgan, and I am circa halfway through my 70`th decade, the Tesla well suits the old man I have become by simplifying so many aspects related to the basics of driving, I look upon it as an ideal basic transportation system, but with excess amounts of technology involved which have little or nothing to do with piloting the vehicle.
Over this Summer my Morgan has been the most used vehicle of those I have available, given the amount of warm and dry days that have been presented in my little part of the world. I also consider myself most fortunate to still be able to access and egress it`s cockpit, all be it with a little more effort than it once required, and also that I can still manage the physical aspects of piloting the old thing given it`s rudimentary suspension and required control inputs.
All that typed and having been on Morgan related forums from the mid 90`s on, I have read of the evolution of folk new to Morgans looking for more power, better brakes to handle the extra power, suspension improvements to increase it`s handling performance relative to the increased power levels...As time stands still for no man, I also witnessed continued evolution towards the need for wider doors to ease access and egress, more comfortable seating, more comfortable suspension, what about some piping in the leather, and a bit more bling...Jeez, even more power too, an auto box and air con.... For sure I can well understand the desire for all such things and more so as I myself aged.... However, I can also remember a time when I thought those raving about the quality available with a high quality sound system fitted to their Morgan, was taking things a tad too far, thinking some "improvements" seemed akin to fitting an ashtray on a m/cycle..... but in my defence, I was younger back then... (-:
These days I suspect there may be found increasing numbers of driving enthusiasts who may wish to dial back on technological advance when seeking to find pleasure in piloting their vehicle of choice for a Sunday morning drive or equivalent thereof.. As I typed earlier I suspect much depends on one`s current datum which can shift somewhat as we age, it seems the restomod re-manufacturers may be supplying the wealthy with whatever old car ideals they now have, which was the very basic line of thought I had way back in the mid nineties following an old 20`s/ 30`s LM style Bentley down an interesting stretch of road watching it hop and skip over the undulations in the Tarmac as the driver straight lined through the open bends..thinking... I want some of that...(-:
Lucky me, I managed to think of the ideal machine to replicate a measure of that which I witnessed the Bentley pilot enjoying, and for a fraction of the costs.... What`s more to want...? (-:
