Talk Morgan Forums Community Vehicle Talk (non-Morgan) Modern Classic Cars Frontline Abingdon Edition

Cheers Chris. Yes a valid web site, but it blocks access if one has an adblocker running.
Something that I run to reduce the amount of garbage that may appear on my screen.

Guys. You have to look at where Chris is coming from and the car that he is replacing with the MG. The aim was to get a drivable classic that has brand new mechanicals, improved road suspension and completely OK bodywork. On top of that he wants to enjoy it with his wife who clearly likes open air motoring but insists on a certain comfort level. She is not interested in a race tuned motor with a lumpy cam that snorts petrol fumes, or the race tuned suspension. A sure recipe to alienate her from the car would be to keep it as is.

You also have to factor in that the car is part of a deal engineered to the final object of a Frontline Abingdon Edition. The only reason that Chris even has it at this point is that in order to keep costs and taxes down the car must be registered in his name before the work is done to turn it into a Frontline Abingdon Edition. It even already includes parts that did not come with the purchase from the previous owner.

The final comment is that it would be an act of extreme bad faith for Chris to back out of the deal and keep the car as it is.

I am sure that Chris and Mrs Chris will love the car when they pick it up from it's rebirth as a Frontline Abingdon Edition (AU).

Yes everything Peter said is 100% true, those three points especially.

I arranged a restricted Permit to take the car for an inspection which it passed, certainly happy about that. I have now filled in the registration establishment forms online so hopefully will be contacted before the weekend to make the payment and get the car registered so I can enjoy a drive before the car is returned, if it was not for Corona Virus I probably would have had to hang around the registry for an hour or so to be served but at least it would be done. Starting the car up it would not idle or run well until it had warmed up for a few minutes by that time I could easily smell petrol from the weber and other fumes from the exhaust. When I got back my wife said how did it go and I said passed with no issues and the mechanic said it is in rather good condition, her reply was that's great but can't wait until it gets a new engine and not that noisy smelly thing that I could easily smell in the house. So yes she is not a fan of the engine at all.

I look at having the car for hopefully a week registered and to use as a bonus to the whole process of buying the Frontline car. I hired a MGB and a Morgan to try in the past and from my short 15 minute drive each way this car is much better sorted than both of those cars were. It is like getting a free hire of a good classic car with the purchase of a classic looking car which anyone would have to be happy with.

Dirty smelly and noisy MGB.... Surely not..!

Though there are alternatives.. (-:

https://www.classicandsportscar.com/news/electric-mgb-revealed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8Gp0_x8tWs

Only £83k for an eclectic MGB. I might buy one for my wife as well.

To be honest I can get my head round an electric MGB a little more, but for that price I'd want Tesla performance and range....

I think Chris did everything right. I mean, he weighed everything carefully and thought it through. Considering the alternatives in Australia, I would probably have ended up with exactly this project, and I would be very pleased that the FAE company exists at all. I was electrified when Frontline was new on the market. The MGB gets a different perception and the 210 hp looks good on her.
I am happy with you Chris! At some point a decision is made. The price of all fun cars is never rational, but the joy and anticipation is, and it is always a very subjective thing which is unvaluable. There is nobody here in the forum who only spends money rationally.

Thanks, yes I had to make a decision and I was leaning towards a new Morgan +4 over the MGB for a while, Morgan discontinuing the trad's did make the decision easier. I agree none of us spends our 100% of our money rationally.

Talking electric I was pretty excited in 2016 when Morgan announced they were going to make electric versions of each model by 2019. I also thought about making an electric MGB myself like the you video Luddite attached but the costs for building something with half the range and half the performance was more than buying a new Tesla 3 off the shelf. I guess Tesla has the market sewn up and home made cars just can't compete, their cars appeal to me as a sedan but they don't make any open top cars, and if they do actually release the roadster 2 the price will be much too much for me.

My good news is the number plates arrived and I have put in a fair few miles, based on the receipt book I have done more than the previous owner did each year of ownership. It is noisy and I can really smell petrol and exhaust fumes so after about an hour I have enough of a headache to be happy to turn the engine off. I am not sure but based on the one tank of petrol I used I think it used over 20L/100km (under 14MPG - UK Gallons not the tiny US ones) so not that economical at all. Hopefully once finished it will be a bit quieter, less of a petrol smell and a lot more economical, hopefully closer to 8L/100 or 35MPG but I will find out eventually.

I also found the car for sale at http://www.my105.com/mobi/ListingDetails/p/2/cid/518/id/20363 so while I doubt the workshop paid that for it I do really expect they plan on selling the engine etc. to recover some of the costs purchasing the donor car.

I have really enjoyed the drives I have had in it and find the pedals setup quite nicely for toe and heal. I still have it for this weekend before it goes away but happy to see it leave knowing the next time I see it will be in the workshop as a primed shell ready to paint in whichever shade of Green I have decided on by then. The workshop has painted a piece of metal with one side G29 which is MGB Dark British Racing green and next to it Jaguar Metallic Racing Green that looks great in the sun with the gold sparkles in it but not so nice on an overcast day. They are going to do another piece in G25 that is a lighter MGB BRG and asked is their any other car I like the look of that I would like them to paint up. Now I know what ordering a new Morgan must feel like with so many choices of colour.

- sounds great Chris. ; good luck with the build.

If you are looking at shades of green ,check out - BMW BOSTON GREEN METALLIC.

I am biased as I have it on my car, but it is a lovely dark shade with tiny sparkles in and really 'pops' in the sunlight.

James