Congratulations on your new pride & joy. Would love to see some pictures.
One thing to be careful of - it is well worth checking the date codes on the tyres. With less than 14k on the clock, they may well be the originals in which case they really should be changed straight away.
Paul Costock, UK Plus Four 75th - Furka Rouge - Pip Disco 5 Teddy - 17h1 Irish Draught cross
Thanks again for the inputs, the tyres are reasonably new, Avon’s I believe. As I am still new to this forum how do you post pictures, tried a couple of times without success
Although I enjoy My +8 Bitsa, there is nothing like the 3.0 Ltr V12 in the Ferrari Testa Rosa. I have spent many times listening to Jerry Grant set the pace at a Raceway near Seattle in the early '60's.
Best played with your volume turned up! A wonderful noise, the car has 100% standard MMC rear exit exhausts. Can any modern engine, turbo or otherwise, match that?
Peter, 66, 2016 Porsche Boxster S No longer driving Tarka, the 2014 Plus 8...
I am rather interested in these expert +8 assessments, currently in two minds whether to sell mine or not, I have a stiffening knee on my clutch leg which I expect may not improve with the passage of time, but currently I can still get in and out of the Mog.
My old Mog is of mid 80`s vintage thus a 3.5 and fortunately for me carb fed and simple mechanicals, so none of that digital complication.. it has 33k miles on the clock and I am it`s 3rd owner I was told first owner bought it and after little use left it in storage where it lay for many years as he went to work abroad. In the late 90`s it was dragged out of storage by a renown Morgan restorer and subjected to a strip down and rebuild using stainless steel fixtures and fittings where ever possible. I have a series of pics of the rebuild procedures including stripping and repainting parts like the chassis, petrol tank, bulkhead, and all the bodywork in a colour change process, in two pack lacquer. The restorer used it for a while even did a trip to France and in his ownership was featured in an article in the Classic press on variations of the +8 over the years. He also made a fibreglass case to fit the rack and painted it to match the bodywork I bought it in 2002, with 8k (ish) miles on the clock... I was neither impressed nor put off by mileage, but as the restorer of many a sports car wreck, I knew quality work when I saw it. I never had sat in a Morgan before that point in time, and did not even wish to drive it till I had paid for it...But I knew I wanted it..(-:
First foreign trip in it was to France for LM 2002 and a bit of touring around Brittany and Normandy... then a year or so later, drove down to Southern Spain and on the return trip took in a bit of Portugal, a year or so later drove down into Italy as far as the Amalfi coast so suspect much of the mileage was done on rather lengthy trips, though not all of it as it has been out in the rain and snow here in Scotland, however such was the knowledge and care put into it`s rebuild in the late 90`s to ensure it`s longevity that it has suffered no real issues relative to corrosion, other than a few dots and spots of bulbing under the paint on it`s alloy bodywork. Strange as it may seem, I prefer the hand-built wings to Superform relative to my vintage craftsmanship ideals... Each to their own.. (-:
I laid it up myself when I started out on an epic extension rebuild, followed by updating all of the existing house and serious landscaping works, thus it languished in an unheated garage for a number of years, even though initially I kept it taxed and MOT`d just in case... but never used it thus eventually logic determined I just SORN the old thing, though during quiet spells in the build I fitted new king pins and bushes new tyres all round including the spare due to age, even though they had plenty of tread and showed no age related issues..... Having recently finished the build (as much as a self build might ever be finished) I put the old thing through an MOT, and have covered circa 200 miles as a shakedown process having changed all the fluids and cleaned and checked over the brake system, greased everything replaced exhaust rubber mountings, wipers and a couple of switches to get it road ready ...
Thus it would be indeed interesting to get a rough idea of whether you guys might think it had potential for fun or would be best avoided given it`s low mileage.... Oh and I forgot to mention when in 2002 I was taken out for the test drive by the then owner/restorer, second gear showed reluctance to engage quickly when dropping down from third.... did not bother me then and still does not bother me now, a bit of heel and toe to match the revs and in she goes.... One of it`s little ...err...foibles.... I have also gathered up spares over the years too, alternator, rear brake cyls, clutch cyl, and various odds`n sods just in case I needed them while touring..
Will try to past a pic or two to assist assessment, an honest opinion could be helpful.... Thanks in advance for any who care to comment.
Hey remember Me. "Button". I will be 90 next February. 7 Stents in My heart. Sleep 12 Hours a Day. Will put over 10,000 miles on My +8 Bitsa this Year. Don't give up George. If I can do it You can do it. If You get tired of Europe put that beater on a Roll On Roll Off Ship and come visit Me. I just did that for the 50th Anniversary in Le Mans. Shipped My +4-4Str from Tacoma,just 20 miles South of My Home to Southampton and then back to Boston and drove the Northern route back to Seattle thru Canada to Michigan and than Highway 2 to the Coast. Piece Of Cake!
