Couldn't agree more with the poster who stated this is a "heart vs. head" decision - well stated indeed!
Let me explain how I got to this funny place and trying to justify the purchase of this funny, glorious little car - the Morgan 3 wheeler.
It started 4 years ago when I started thinking about buying a series 1 E-type, a car I have admired since childhood. At the time, decent cars with some needs were going for around $60,000 in the U.S., which seemed a tad steep but not overly so.
I then watched in horror as the classic car bubble in the U.S. began to inflate to the point where condition 3 series 1 E-types were commanding six figure prices.
Having decided that an E-type was out of my grasp, I started looking for a good Austin Healey 100-4. Imagine my suprise when I found out that everone is adding a LeMans kit to these cars and asking $75,000 for them in the U.S. Not to mention that there are very few of these cars knocking around here.
OK...getting frustrated, I start looking at Triumph TR3's and MGA's. These cars have always struck me as a bit underpowered and ungraceful, but they still represented authentic British motoring as only a native of Houston, TX could appreciate. But I really couldn't get excited over owning one at a cost of $30,000!
I then read about the Morgan 3 Wheeler one day and after investigating further, something clicked. Here's a classic British car, realized in a modern form. It looks cool, drives well, and I won't make myself crazy trying to get it started after it's been sitting for a few weeks. Finding one dosen't mean hunting through Hemming's for months or hitting the auction circuit, only to possibly still buy a car with problems. I won't be forced to overpay for the car in an inflated market like I would for an E-type or AH 100-4. And I'll enjoy owning it and looking at it much more than I would owning an MGA or TR3.
My brief question about the Plus 4 above was just a further digression down a road I've already been down - trying to justify the purchase of a car that just dosen't hit all the right buttons...(my sincere apologies to the Plus 4 afficionados out there!)
So I think I'll buy the M3W, enjoy it, and then maybe jump back into the classic car scene after the bubble has burst (I suspect with this recent stock market rally, we may be some some air already escaping!)
Many thanks for all the thoughtful posts.
Last edited by Crowbar; 02/04/13 02:56 PM.
