Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) ARP4 "Handbook", and other useful information

The perfect combination:
A Threewheeler for torque - and an ARP4 for the revs...
...the best of different worlds...

It's better cos it costs more Eddie

Sorry guys, good surmising about expectations not being met, but I have been driving small highly tuned engined cars for the last 25 years, [probably longer], and I do know a problem when I see it. Sure it can be driven around, virtually anything can, but the complete lack of 'pull' below 3000 rpm is actually chronic. Owners who say that there is a bit of lag below this, are underestimating the problem. This should not be the case from a firm like Cosworth, though it could have something to do with the exhaust system, which delayed ARP4 production for a few months. With todays electonic mapping, the days of holes in the torque curve, should be long gone.

Watch this space for other owners comments on this............

You did test drive one before you ordered it Paul?

As an aside, I currently have the use of a Roadster which I have been running around in at the weekend. It is completely different in character to the ARP4

I love the ARP4 when it is 'on the boil' and it certainly brings out my inner hooligan, it is quite tiring to drive though when you are not looking for an adrenalin hit, and is pretty gutless at low revs.

As mentioned in my first impressions post, I would prefer my car with a lower final drive to make it easier to keep the Cossie in its power band more of the time at sensible speeds.

I have to say, based on my experience of wafting around in the Roadster on a wave of torque, I think the Roadster engine in an ARP4 chassis would take some beating as a road car 😀

If someone could compare her with a P4SS...For me the torque of the P4SS was good enough from about 2.000 rpm on.

On the french forum Morgan addict .A frenchman who has bought

two arp4 doesnt seems to complain about the torque.He says that

it is not difficult to accelerate in 5 th at 2000 rpm.He also

have a roadster from 2007.With one of the two cars he made the

trip from the factory to the south of France without problems.

I would be interested to compare the ARP4 against an S1 Roadster. Similar power output.........
Note that the initial marketing for the ARP4 was a quick and refined tourer.

That's why I ended up with a diesel C30, the 1.6 and 1.8 petrols were dire in respect of pull below 3k...

That's interesting, maybe it can be put down to the differences between cars, because, there really is no acceleration in 5th, or even 4th at 2000rpm, the car will of course maintain speed at those revs, but get to a long incline and a change down is called for.

I did about 175, mainly motorway miles yseterday, and have been trying to put my finger on what the engine is doing (or more correctly not doing), and as 75mph is around 3000 revs, one is at the upper end of the 'no pull' zone, all the time, and I found myself constantly having to change down to get some acceleration, or maintain speed up long inclines, further, the engine never seems to give power easily and freely, it's just that feeling on the throttle pedal, that you have to be giving it more than it should have for a given situation, and in fact, despite the sporty noise, it isn't actually accelerating that quickly, compared with other cars around, who are not exactly being left behind. I am exploring 5000 rpm in bursts now, and it doesn't exactly come alive as I feel it should, maybe it will around 7k?

I'm not complaining, just commenting, and would be really interested in the views of other ARP4 owners, once they start getting some miles on their cars.