Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) 3.7 Roadster crashes

I agree, driver training and also experience essential. But I don't think there is anything to be intimidated about with the 3.7.

I 'grew up' driving on Australian gravel roads and Canadian snowy roads in the 1970's... with 'lightweight' overpowered rear wheel drive cars so hopping into a few 3.7 Roadsters for test drives over the winter was great fun... the back end seemed easily overpowered on slippery/damp surfaces, but seemed quite controllable and actually 'fun' as it seemed relatively easy to 'play about', the sliding was I thought quite progressive and controllable if you were expecting it.

I would imagine however that if someone had no experience with this, and was not smooth and progressive on the loud pedal, things would indeed get interesting. The new Plus 6 will be even more so... I am quite surprised that Morgan have not incorporated the excellent BMW TC system in the drivetrain... I think this thread headline could easily read 'Plus 6 crashes' in the future.

Perhaps Morgan should consider including some complimentary 'driver training' course with the sale of any Plus 6 and upwards... the last thing they need is a reputation for selling cars that are seemingly involved in lots of crashes, when some appropriate driver training would go a long way to mitigate that risk.

The temptation to drive to the limit in a car with power has caused many to rue the decision. Not just a Morgan either.
It can take a while to learn the car’s responses and reactions. In another thread I posted about MMC giving driver advice to prospective owners but perhaps tution could be antion too.
I took several trips to adjust from my 4/4 to the Plus8 (Rover) including tailwagging on less tractable surfaces. Nothing seriousthough.
If you want to drive to the limiit go to a track. Go to skidpan sessions.
Theopen road is not the learning ground.

Back in the day - OK when I was a sallow lad in my early 20's I used to enjoy booting the back out on any car I owned then. They were pretty well all RWD except Minis. I was using a 1250cc 45bhp MG TD, my everyday car, and one day driving to work from Cheltenham, I gave it a bit of welly around my usual roundabout, only to find myself heading rapidly towards a lamp post on full left lock. Of course I ended up with a lovely lamp post shaped dent in my n/s running board, which stayed there for several years until I bought a pattern part to fit.

The moral of the story of course, is never assume that a wagon hasn't just fueled up with diesel from the nearby fuel station and swung around the roundabout, leaving a gallon or two on the road! All part of the learning process. What an earth do youngsters do these days?

So, even this low powered live axle car could be overcome under the right conditions, it doesn't have to have 300 + bhp.

As the recipient of a Prince Philip and now with a 3.7 Roadster I’m looking to book some Morgan drivingvtrack experience to find and feel where the limit is ... not on the road.

I would consider track days (as I have with motorbikes) but wary of the other idiots on the track

a good exercise: https://youtu.be/PamJJILTJ60
but a more comfortable proposition; when you buy a sportscar; why not follow some driving-courses, safety: brake on slippery surface, drifting, etc
did it with the M3W just to find out where its limits were

Nfitz, look out for the Morgan only track days organised by Dealers

You can initially go out on the novice only sessions until confidence builds, and they usually have experienced instructors on hand too, to go out with

ps. 'as the recipient of a PF' gets my quote of the week vote

Thanks John ... the quote came from the attending traffic officer. It’s now an official description for an old git pulling out of a side road without looking and being asked to surrender their liscence “in the public interest “.

I’ll have s look out for “Morgan only” track days

I think most drivers enjoy driving sideways in a rear wheel drive car( we are all wannabe rally drivers) but to get the best of the car you need a well set up limited slip diff forget traction control it's a great spoilsport....just remember a time and a place.....oops getting to sound like a old git.

Couldn’t agree more. It helps to have grown up and evolved with cars which were mainly rear wheel drive and with no modern aids and generally poor suspension set ups. We learned how easy it was to lose the rear end and, importantly, how to correct it. The basic physics has not changed. What has changed is the huge uplifts in power and when you plant 250 plus BHP into an old chassis and suspension set up such as in a classic Morgan you create something which both adds excitement for the experienced driver but danger to the inexperienced.
I totally endorse the advice about taking instruction and on a track where if you lose the rear end you should not cause any damage to you, your car or anyone else. I bought a classic Porsche two years ago and one of the first things I did was to book a session at the Porsche Experience Centre at Silverstone where you are encouraged to drive your own car to its limits within a specialist track environment. There is even a slippery tarmac area which is designed to make you lose the rear end and thereby increase your recovery skills. It was the most fun I had had with my clothes on for years! Importantly though, it gave me a great understanding of just where the limits of the car are. It would have been irresponsible to experiment such driving on the open road.
The same thing goes for my 3.7 Roadster. It has 50 more BHP than the Porsche and less sophisticated suspension. Therefore I treat it with much greater respect but the excitement is still there.
The moral of this thread, as amplified by all the above, is that new entrants to our world need to tread carefully (literally on the throttle) and take track day instruction ideally. That way they will get much more enjoyment from their investment.
The last thing we need is for the cars to get a bad reputation which would be all to do with the driver, not the car.

Exactly... I recall this happened with TVR in the late 1980's...