Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Aero 8, 2012< Plus 8, SuperSports, Coupe & Aeromax Aero 8 investigating to buy.

In my experience, on the S5 (4.8l engine) if there is a complete loss of oil pressure the ECU will shut down the engine to prevent damage.
(No, I didn't damage the sump: the oil came out of a mis-built pipe :-) )

Will

Alistair

A few more details about the Australian car :

Car 2008 Aero Series 4 automatic
18 months to fix
Mechanic's report "Engine had failed due to no oil supply caused by dent in sump blocking oil pickup. Found piston had hit cylinder head after con rod had run its bearing".

Others know more about the Aero the line than I , but I think that 2008 would be a Series 2 or 3?

The UK competition cars that ran bearings during track outings were both Series 1 cars.

Again I would agree that the vast majority of cars are reliable and giving great service to their owners, but this does appear to be quite a serious design flaw that could happen to anybody, and a decent sump guard must rate as an essential modification.

2008 was when the Series 4 came out. Only S4 and S5 have autobox as an option so would suggest the Australian car is a 4.8 litre S4.

The sump issue isn't really a design flaw (the engine was used in the X series SUV range so ground clearance is OK in original vehicle) but in the Morgan application with very little ground clearance it is a problem.

Good to see another potential owner joining the fold!

Engine wise they are pretty bullet proof, very understressed strong BMW engines that usually have no issues, oil leaks on perished gaskets are worth looking out for (but don't usually cause major issues) and sump damage is the big one as already mentioned.

Car wise you have a few options depending on your preference and budget..
Series 1 cars tend to feel more direct owing to the race inspired suspension setup, many say that these are the best for a country lane blast and track driving - but are less comfortable on longer journeys. I am 6ft 5 and have no issues but you would have more space and less NVH in a later car. Although this can vary massively car to car, so drive a few before making any decisions.

S2 bridges the gap to the S3 and is starting to go down the GT route as it was americanised, and I would say I have heard from S3 onwards they are more comfortable and feel more GT based through each model than its predecessor, that being said I have driven an S5 and I was expecting it to feel vastly different from my S1, and it didn't - it felt very very similar and is very much a case of evolution not revolution.

In summary Series 1 cars are the best value for money, but a Series 3/4 will be slightly more practical.
For some the S1/S2 lights are the original and best, others hate them and so its S3/S4 or nothing.

It comes down to price, and whether you want the original concept and the most raw experience, or a bit more comfort, space and toys. All are great cars, and you won't regret purchasing one - although once you do there is the question of sidepipes or a rear sports exhaust, and that is a whole new can of worms..

Just reading NickCW's post has made me think a bit more about my experiences with Aero's. Right now I have 2, the GTN and the series 5. I think if I were having to choose again then if I wanted a manual car I would go GTN 1st choice or a series 3 and if it had to be an auto then I think the series 4.

I have my series 5 up for sale along with one of my '60's Lancia's. If my old series 4 ever comes back up for sale I am first in line for it. The GTN isn't going anywhere.

When i was first looking I tried a few cars and this is the logic I came up with.

Open to correction, I just loved them all so may have missed a few things.

Series 1 ran for some time
286hp 4.4,
5 speed box,
centrelock wheels,
mostly low gangster hood but changed over time.
low boot but smaller
Narrow body within same width, small gap between steering wheel and door made for worry when adding a dab of oppo' for me.
VW lamps
Lighter and definately leads you to ragging it like a rental.

Insert GTN as a Series 1 AMG model with 4.6L and some changes around the suspension. Most holigan option, 10 made.

Series 2 was actually quite a make over to allow them to sell it in the USA.
Not many made and difficult to find
Next gen 4.4L with single variocam and 330 bhp
6 Speed box with nicer change
Uprated brakes with less fade
std wheels
Pram hood but better sealing potential (they all do that) , not so gangster 8(
Same road width but wider internals as doors moved out and running boards made more narrow.
More room around the wheel for those entertaining moments officer.
Petrol tank moved for US rear impact rules, rear boot line raised to give different rear look but bigger boot and shelf behind seats
VW Lamps, option of SIDEPIPES! from GTN

Series 3.
Mostly Series 2 but laser eyesight correction from the Mini headlamps.
Different wheels from factory
Sames engine,box,brakes,etc

Insert AeroMax, pretty.

Series 4
Lots of upgrades from the AeroMax development.
Single peice superform front wings/boards for easier access to service
4.8L double variocam V8 360+bhp
Auto option
Different cooling (gaps in front wings)
Updated interior
Double sidepipes, ha ha ha ha ha ha - drive by car alam attacks, neighbours muttering, big thumbs up from bikers.

Supersport (Targa) and Coupe (still leaks)
Series 5 All mostly S4 running platform with new body.

A concise and informative list Alistair. Makes it much easier to understand the possible permutations.

I have to say, I've always had a soft spot for the series 1, despite the Clarence-the-lion look, because I love the centre lock wheels, low tail and gangster hood, and that it's really quite an uncompromised sports car.

My dream aero remains a 'max, but I can't see them ever coming down to a price I could afford.

A great write up and now I just want one of each :-) Think it comes down to preference but also taking them out to see what I prefer, I do love the side pipes its those that caught the Aero look years ago... should have sold the 996 then, and the squinty eyes I like and definitely gives it a unique stance.

Seems to be 40k is the starting price unless a random one turns up that someone needs to sell quickly, I would love a max but need some awesome trades for that.

We first looked to buy a Morgan in about 2007 and I was looking at Series 1 cars which were trading hands from £36-41k based on condition. In short the narrow body and my less than narrow body made for a bit of a moment when applying opposite lock on a wet roundabout, Having found TM MrTony informed me that I needed to look at an S2 which was excellent advice. We purchased the S2 and since then no form of medication has been found to fix my problem.

Those cars are becoming a little harder to find but remain at about the same prices. Apply man maths and you are smiling a bit more.

I tried four S1 cars and they did vary a bit but the S2 had me. The better brakes and gearbox, less driveline shunt, more power plus the internal space felt quite noticeable. It was just a devil (6 months) finding an S2 and I can see why people love the shape of the S1 hood/boot. The S2 was consistently £5k more than an S1. then there was quite a big jump to S3 £55k at that time. S4 had just been introduced.

My man maths took me to the S4 and Michaels awesome colour scheme one :-) Same when I bought my Maser started off with 4.7 auto and ended up with MC shift :-) and that took me 6 months to find one I wanted, same with my 996

The S2 being wider sounds better as I'm 6ft2 and having tried Caterham style kit cars it felt like I couldn't move and driving experience not as fun could barely keep my feet on the pedals.

I'm happy to wait until the one pops up, so love side pipes which I bet will be rare as hen's teeth in any of them, assume was an option. I've seen the post that lists out the numbers made for each series and S2 seems to be very limited, adding a roof is like winning the lotto which is more fun as makes it rarer and great fun to get out on the road.

This is the closest Aero for sale - https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1135793 everything else I can see is South.. :-)