Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Three Wheeler & Super 3 First drive & impressions

Alright fine gentlemen of TM,

Last night was the night ! The stars aligned, I freed my schedule, put on the goggles and worn my courage pants to take my new M3W out for a night drive. I was hoping to drive this weekend but global warming has been wreaking havoc on the weather here and it now rains nearly every week during winter time (rain in the desert ? How outrageous - maybe the Mog brought the weather in its suitcases?).
So here I am past 9PM trotting along the night streets and roads of Dubai for a good 2 hours straight. Here are my first impressions:

1. Good god is this thing awesome looking
2. Good lord is it fast & loud
3. Oh my I feel tiny among the gigantic architecture of this city
4. It rides speed bumps much better than I thought and with more comfort
5. Quilted seats was the right choice
6. You really have to drive one gear lower than in a car to stay in that 2.8 - 4k torque band
7. The engine does release a lot of heat - I'd say on par with the big V8's of my corvettes - even in chilly desert nights the jacket was not necessary
8. Goggles are absolutely necessary
9. You create traffic everywhere you drive - people slow down or just snail behind you ...
10. Which is a complete pain in the *** when you are trying to change lane
11. My god are SUV's and 4x4 enormous
12. Keep your distance from them - they already are not good drivers with their "king of the road" driving style but now they are grim rippers for me.
13. People lose self control around the mog - I've seen people take selfies while driving next to me, pedestrian crossing green lights in traffic to catch a glimpse of it
14. Men pretend to ignore it, kids & dogs love it, women adore it ... (Alex Roy wasn't kidding)
15. My normal sportier driving style (thank you corvettes) is not required - I have to lose the driving habit to embrace a more laid back driving style for my own security and most importantly driving pleasure
16. Taking your time really feels the greatest thing on earth in that thing
17. Ride quality on a 2ish hour drive was very nice
18. Wind noise at speed is a problem - I can't wear my tank helmet or the cap because its too warm - Any suggestions ? Ear buds ?
19. You cannot stop smiling and laughing (especially with a passenger)
20. The smile it brings to people is awesome - it really has a lot of goodwill
21. People have no clue Morgan even exists today
22. Blue was the right choice - Its a safety feature for night drives :grin
23. Wow does it vibrate it a lot and from everywhere - That is a bit distressing for someone with ADD like me but I know that's what you get
24. Stop start is something else here
25. I didn't know it was a feature but "smelling" the road is pretty cool - I drove by some places I definitely want to visit now because the kitchen smelled awesome
26. My god is the car cover a pain to put on as a single individual
27. curves and turns make you feel like you're sterling moss
28. The horn is idiotically placed - I reckon this will need to be remedied - taking your hand off the wheel or the shifter to blindly try and reach out for it is really unsettling - Any one using an alternative?
29. I can fit in without having to remove the steering
30. Not exactly sure how and what is the "trick" to know if your steering is properly aligned
31. That's all the power you need for some fun
32. "vintage speed" feels just as "speedy" as in a modern car at 3 times the speed
33. Speed cameras are no longer a concern on the road
34. Rev counter is annoyingly hidden behind the steering wheel at my eye level - got to learn by ear what the right rpm is
35. That gearbox is a true jewel
36. The exhaust does get glowing red when hot - jeez I need to put a big red notice - I'd hate to burn myself on that
37. Tyre pressure on the rear wheel is going to be a pain - Any tips ?
38. You don't even need to try hard to light up the back
39. Indicators could be a tad bigger
40. The "computer" button is idiotic - its fiddly
41. Speedometer could be written a bit bigger
42. Digital fuel gauge - Huge mistake !
43. Boot space and foot-well are plenty sufficient for every day runs - that is if you don't need to go to IKEA for some shelving units
44. It really fits in a hot country - Only question is does the cooling system cope
45. No dead pedal - Yeesh that's confusing but thankfully i managed
46. Red light stops are something alright - I felt like a fish in a bowl being scrutinized by 10 cats - I guess the attention awkwardness vanishes with time
47. You really have to behave in it - everyone can see you and what you're doing (no officer i wasn't looking at my phone)
48. It really does sound like a WW2 plane
49. It fits on 2/3 of a parking spot - which in this modern age is awesome
50. That engine sure as hell sounds busy - how much oil does it go through ?
51. So far bevel box is mute
52. What have I done ? was it all dream ?
53. Parking the damn thing is a very very sad moment
54. The starter button was an awesome design idea - Just for that alone the normal dash is king
55. Blue really looks ace
56. The morgan family is the best - from tips - late night help (Chris is the man) and other things you all have been amazing on TM and on social media
57. Time to create the Morgan Squadron over here - I know of 12 M3W in the UAE
58. Still on the fence about not taking the luggage rack
59. The belt looks so cool but I wonder what will be the price to pay on the paint
60. How the hell do you wash the damn thing ? Any suggestions ?
61. The sound of the exhaust
62. Side pipes ? Like in a Viper or a cobra ? Hell yeah
63. Need a scarf for style and keeping the throat warm
64. Who needs nicotine ? Or Alcohol ? When you have this all your troubles go away
65. The Pedals take time to get used to - Their "upward-ness" requires some habit I suppose
66. Boot space is really not that bad for an errand vehicle. I was surprised.
67. Indeed the Pockets are hysterically small
68. How do you put a Nav or Phone holder ? And Where ?
69. I didn't know the car had a power socket - very useful
70. You laugh so much you dehydrate so fast. Any cup holder mods out there ? I live in a hot country - Water is always a good idea
71. Is the Morgan cover machine washable ?

I think that's about it.

Now to infinity and Beyond !

“Grim ripper” is a good description for other traffic!

WHAT.... only 71 points worthy of comment...???

Thanks for taking us along on your initial voyage of discovery, I enjoyed it greatly, thanks for posting, just need some pics of you driving under a camel... I have not as much as sat in the M3W but shared many of the same experiences when I first drove my old +8....There is a world of adventure waiting out there in a Morgan..ENJOY Osten.

Now you got me excited to drive mine at night, i was going to drive the ford 1932. The weather here in Kuwait is cold 20c high & 11c low today. Use ram mounts for the i phone bracket. What’s your email i can send you pictures of it plus of the saddle bag i use to store things on the passenger side. Check out my “very excited” thread

Fantastic write up and you've summed up so many things which let these get under your skin

To pick up on a few of your points:

18. Wind noise at speed is a problem - I can't wear my tank helmet or the cap because its too warm - Any suggestions ? Ear buds ?

Earplugs or noise cancelling earbuds. I’ve tried several types of earplug but now use Flare Isolate which are pretty effective and comfortable. BOSE noise cancelling earbuds are also good.

23. Wow does it vibrate it a lot and from everywhere - That is a bit distressing for someone with ADD like me but I know that's what you get

You’ll get used to the level of vibration and noise. However it’ll probably sound different every time you use it! If there’s a new rattle or noise I tend to not worry about it too much as there will be a different one along tomorrow

37. Tyre pressure on the rear wheel is going to be a pain - Any tips ?

Use a puncture sealant (not the repair stuff that it came with). I use Puncturesafe and run the rear at 25psi which seems to be a good compromise between road holding and ride.

If you have Avon’s on the front try running these at around 28psi which will improve the front grip. If on Blockley’s then experiment between 28 – 35 psi.

42. Digital fuel gauge - Huge mistake !

Ignore it. Set the trip meter and fill up around 200 miles.
Fill up slowly to allow fuel to balance between the 2 tanks and don’t overfill. The rule of thumb is no more than three cut-off clicks on the pump and stop.

Also, try to drive 5-10 miles after refuelling before parking up, particularly in a hot climate. If not the car may be difficult/impossible to start, cut out, run rough and the engine light come on. It should clear up in a few miles (apart from the light which can take much longer).

50. That engine sure as hell sounds busy - how much oil does it go through ?

Oil consumption should be pretty low and less that a litre between oil changes (3,000 miles). There’s 6 litres in the system so plenty of margin.

60. How the hell do you wash the damn thing ? Any suggestions ?

The same way you wash any other car but put the tonneau on if you’re using a jet wash or hosepipe.

68. How do you put a Nav or Phone holder ? And Where ?

There’s quite a few threads on this on TM.

I use a RAM ball mount (RAM 1” tough-ball, M6-1 fitting. RAM-RAP-B-379U-M616). Take out one of the instrument panel bolts and the RAM screws straight in. You then have a load of options for mounts that pickup on the RAM ball.

Gosh I enjoyed reading that list!

absolutely I use ear buds.....

In your clime I would seriously consider an oil cooler (I also put an oil temp gauge on the oil return hose)

Isn't it amazing how much attention it draws (makes even corvette owners drool)

and yes, I have had a couple of idiots nearly drive into me on the freeway as they try to get a picture as they drive along side

Isn't it fun to actually DRIVE a vehicle!

Fit a high viz colour valve cover and white mark the rear tyre to show more easily where the valve is.

What a simple and good idea!!

I'll be doing that next time I check the tyre and adding another mark on the tyre before the valve so when rolling the car forward to get to the valve I can see when it's about to come into sight.

Sounds like you're still buzzing.
I wear earplugs unless it's just gently pottering through town. Disposable plugs bought by the hundreds are really cheap while the same plugs bought individually are extortionate. Custom moulded plugs (with or without earphones) can be really effective - unfortunately I didn't get told that they don't suit everybody's ears until after I'd paid serious money for them and just about deafened myself! Back to yellow foam cylinders for me.