Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms If not a Morgan, what?

Rob, I phoned Porsche about galvanization. They called me back and the car was produced after the factory holiday in 1975. During the factory holiday the production was changed to galvanize and she is actually one of the first 911 with full galvanization which was good news to me. Of course, after 46 years, the zinc coating is almost completely used up, so today it has to be treated just as carefully as a car without galvanisation. But the fact that it's a California car (when it's not by the sea) and galvanised has preserved her over time. I had two old Targa's in a row from 2013 to 2019, but I think the Coupe is just cool and classic. She also feels firmer and more compact than a Targa.

Great image of the Targa Heinz, though I too prefer the coupe. While the galv process was well worth while, I remember repairing corrosion damage on my 82 SC over 20 years ago, but then my part of the world is not kind to metal.

As an alternative to an old Morgan I suspect an old Porsche represents a potentially more complex and expensive beast relative to it`s construction in terms of enclosed box sections which can rot from the inside out. Thus I suspect detecting the condition of the metalwork on an old Morgan can be somewhat simpler than on a Porsche...?

In terms of mechanical maintenance and repair, in the 80`s I remember paying circa £25 for a pair of valve springs for one valve on my SC, whereas around the same period of time a full set of eight valve springs for an MGB cost £14. OK so an MG is not a Morgan, but Morgan utilised far less sophisticated engines back then, than those found in a 911.

I guess once Rover engines were replaced by BMW in some Morgans, the cost and availability of parts may be somewhat different to earlier times...?

Size matters...? Compared to my mid 80`s +8, I have yet to discover the difference of piloting a Porsche round my local B roads, no problem in my SC in times past, but a 911 C4 of the modern variety..? Time will tell.

Couldn't agree more with you Heinz, sold my Exige 410 Sport earlier this year, fantastic engine and glad I ticked that box, it had to go mainly due to life's twists and turns Waiting for delivery end of this year for an Alpine A110S.

Luddite, you raise a very important point that is often forgotten by me. A 1975 Porsche can send the "feeling" of being simple and manageable. That sounds very positive at first, but as you say, it can be deceptive. While the old 911 lacks any electronics that can take on a life of their own in newer cars, you are absolutely right that maintenance can be much more expensive than with a Morgan. I have experienced with the Tangerine Targa how quickly an engine overhaul can cost significantly more than I paid for the Coupe in total. That is really the other side of the coin that you have to take into account.

PeterG please let us know your impressions when your Alpine 110S is with you. I am very curious.

It seems all to easy for us to decide upon a marque and adopt somewhat fundamentalist views thereon, where our adopted faith causes us to acquire a blinkered attitude to that marques failings, or if you prefer, foibles..?

In terms of the original question if not a Morgan what...That has been a bit of a dilemma I have been struggling with for a while, just as it took me quite a while to answer a similar question circa twenty five years ago as a 911 enthusiast, "If not a Porsche then what."

It seemed that as I aged and began to ever more appreciate machines that had likewise survived the ageing process, t`was a pre-war LM Bentley that captured my imagination, though any vintage sports cars that were reliable ish, and could cope well in modern-day traffic situations were somewhat beyond my self imposed spending limitations, even after applying a bit of man maths... It did not take long before a Morgan came to the fore as I racked my brain searching for an ideal substitute for a true vintage sports car.

Now some twenty years into Morgan ownership the ageing process has determined that a tin top might just be a better option to allow continuance of a bit of fun motoring, and as a long time Porsche fan of the hands-on type, and with Luddite tendencies an air cooled 911 seemed an ideal target. However I know well the effect of the ageing proceses on machinery and as no stranger to keeping an old Porsche together bodily and mechanically, and the current market evaluation of air cooled, just does not fit well with my own cost benefit analysis, and more importantly does not ideally fit into my current lifestyle... Though in terms of performance physical dimensions and the need for driver concentration/input perhaps the last of the air cooled Porsches with it`s extra comfort and ease of driving given it`s power steering, multi link suspension, anti-lock brakes, might better suit these days, than earlier air cooled of the 60`s, 70`s and 80`s that I had been fortunate enough to own....Hmm..?

Yeah the cat is out of the bag, I have splashed out on a C4S a Porsche of the modern variety, whether I will manage to squeeze it down my local "B" roads in the occasional mist of early mornings, and enjoy it as I have done with my earlier Porsches, and my Morgan in more recent times, seems doubtful at least to some degree, but I will give it my best shot. Also it has another ...err...drawback, it has an auto box, even if it has high speed manually instructed gear change options with auto rev matching via flappy paddles. I make the excuse to myself that my good lady has become all to used to auto boxes to justify not buying a manual..!

For sure, I could have bought one of the the last of the 993 Porsches for similar money to the C4S and hoped it might be as good as it looked, sounded and drove, but it is an old machine and yet far more complex/expensive to repair than the comparative simplicity of the Porsches I had previously owned and run..? Another important aspect in my evaluation was that in general, machines do not benefit from long periods of time standing still, and I suspect complex machines that the 911 derivatives in the shape of the 964 and 993 had become, even less so when suddenly awakened and perhaps taken out for a Sunday Morning blast..? Yeah sports cars can suffer less than ideal treatment, and old sports cars perhaps more so...? Thus a water cooled Porsche became the choice though how that decision will stand the test of time with Greece on fire, Venice in flood and the media full of Climate change warnings... expenditure on another ICE seems unlikely to be the wisest investment I have ever made.... ?

George, I'm not quite so firm on some of the idioms in English. Does „splashed out“ mean you already have the C4S? If so, congratulations and please send us some pictures! What year of manufacture, etc. the info that men are interested in:)

'Splash out' (on something) To spend a large amount of money in a very liberal or extravagant manner (in order to own or do something).

A modern Porsche will most likely be an extremely capable and reliable mode of transport............for some it may already be too late to reverse global warming...they have detected the Gulf Stream is weakening and if that continues we are in for some really cold winters around here. Availability of petrol will be the least of our worries when we get Moscow type winters.

Talking of wide cars a few posts back - liking this image from Saturdays Telegraph

That's one way to get a polish I suppose.