Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Three Wheeler & Super 3 How many of you have considered letting it go?

Love this vehicle, and have enjoyed many miles in it. Have had 2 (almost 3) instances in the first 6000 miles that required a flatbed. Ironically, I don’t think that is that bad given some of the issues others have had. However, as I get older, I am less willing to put up with hard-to-defend reliability issues. Things I feel I need to constantly watch for: Centa coupling disintegration, fuel tank cracks, chassis cracks, cam belt disintegration…When I bought this, I felt it was a forever purchase. As the years go on, I sometimes wonder how long I push my luck and safety. Of course it’s the most fun thing I’ve ever driven and am near 7k miles. Would love to hear others’ views.

I had driven the same milage, had lots of fun - and lots of problems.
I did enjoy the ownership but I was happy after I sold it at a good price too.

The good memories remain, the problems are gone.

I let go of mine in under a week. Traded my 4/4 for a brand new M3W and while the brief ownership provided amusement, I was shocked at the long list of mods I would need to undertake to get it to an acceptable level. Bonnet almost flew off on day two, engine kept wanting to stall anytime I braked hard, bonnet catches kept popping off, steering wheel was an absolute nightmare to get on and off etc. It cost me a bit to buy back my 4/4 and a lesson learned for me.

I did just that after 8 years and 30000 miles I sold my M3W, and what did I buy it had to be a new M3W which has now covered 4000 miles since July.

No regrets with either purchase.

“Letting it go…?” - ah I thought you were referring to “her indoors”
…
When it becomes unaffordable, then yes. But I live 1.5hrs away from the factory (a long way in the UK!). If I was in the US I would have to have my own garage facilities and skills to do stuff like take the engine out. Then again, if I still lived in the US I would probably have a nice big garage for fiddling with cars, and a truck with a trailer to take it to driving playgrounds like the Rockies etc…

Long term Morgan owners tend to understand that a hands on approach is necessary if you are going to use it. Running costs will be high if you have to rely on garages to service and maintain your pride and joy. My wife and I have such happy memories of the 60,000 + miles we have driven our 1934 Morgan MX4 Super Sports. Norway, Italy, Germany all taken in it's stride with minimal problems. The preparation beforehand is vital.I have rebuilt the whole car over the years including engine, gearbox and have made lots of modifications to get it to it's current everyday use.
Our five speeder is now vying for most used spot having done 15,000 miles in three years. I deliberately bought an early 2012 M3W to prove a point. Upon purchase I took it apart, engine AND gearbox out and all the rear end. I rebuilt it to my standards with a Bleazey Driveline and ALL the other mods that have given others problems in the past. It has never let us down on the road and being nigh on ten years old it is to be expected that some things will tire out. Like a bad wiring connection this week. It would have been the easy choice to call the Auto Electrician in but i would not have learnt anything from that. Instead I found the problem by sheer determination and a dash of luck ! This FORUM thrives on people posting their experiences ( good or bad) and is IMO an invaluable tool to keep motoring on.
With the money saved I can now enjoy my Birthday !
We have no thoughts or intentions of selling any of our lovely Morgans, any problems we get will be tackled head on!
Ian

Absolutely. Holds true for 4-wheelers too. For me, maintaining the car myself forms a very significant part of the joy of ownership.

That's fine but many of the problems experienced on the M3W's are well beyond the realms of "maintenance" and are outside the scope of the average owner.

One of the reasons I changed from the Roadster to the Plus 8 was to escape the need for maintenance.
Yes, I am perfectly capable of doing everything a Trad needs, but unlike many here, I don't enjoy it.
The Plus 8 and all S4 Aero based cars are a modern car underneath, as are the CX family.

Have I considered selling up? No, I'll keep driving the car as long as I can get insurance....

Just curious -- what were the other reasons ?