Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) Roadster and 4/4 Sport

Two 4/4 Sports and a Roadster, more than 15000 Morgan miles in 30 months, well first off the Roadster is so different from the 4/4's that you cannot really compare one with the other, and even the 4/4's had different characters.

But if you want to know which I prefer that is not easy, they all have the x factor that makes them special, the black 4/4 because it was my first Mog and my wife and I had a fabulous holiday in France, the ivory car with its shorter gearing was a better car to drive [though the black 'un for some reason had a better ride] and such an easy colour to live with - the black looked great when it was clean but that was only in the first hour after washing, it was a real dirt magnet, so what some people might say- but it bugged me.

When it comes to the Roadster the power of six is addictive, I really have to rein myself in, such is the temptation to gun it everywhere. Straight out of the box the car is near perfection, gearing, exhaust note, suspension set up. I don't feel the need to meddle or mess with it.

Compared with the 4/4 you have to concentrate more when driving hard, the little Sports always felt benign companions, I wasn't worried that a moments lapse and they would bite, an easy car to drive and use all the performance on offer. There is always the feeling at the back of your mind that the Roadster could get you into hot water if you abused it.

There are a couple of areas where the 4/4 scores over the Roadster, obviously 45mpg versus 27mpg but I knew that would be so, the steering is lighter (although the black wires with 165 conti's are a couple of pounds heavier than the plus eight alloys shod with 205 Avons) and the brakes have an easier job, better initial bite and less pedal effort.

Any such short comings as these that the Roadster has fade away when you press the accelerator, addictive and effortless, just at the point where the 4/4 is starting to fade the Roadster is reeling in the horizon. I regularly used the performance on offer in the 4/4 but the Roadster has a capability that rarely will be exploited to the full.

One of joys of hand built cars is the differences that you wouldn't necessarily expect, the gearbox on my Roadster is the best of all three mogs I've owned, it baulks slightly at a standstill but on the move is slots like the proverbial rifle bolt, precise, mechanical and very satisfying.

Probably not hard to glean from the above that I am sold on the Roadster, but that takes nothing away from the 4/4's, two thirds the price but nine tenths as good a car in many respects, if you rarely strayed above A road cruising speeds a 4/4 may be all you need - but there is no substitute for cubes and the Roadster has almost twice as many. Due credit to MMC for producing such fine motor cars.

Here Here, but the narrow front looks better!!!

The power of six is addictive?

You can say that again!

A very interesting post Richard, I love the comment "two-thirds the price, but nine-tenths as good".

Will the Roadster be a keeper now?

P.S. some nice photos too...

I love the one of the 4/4 peeping out from behind the shrubs

Jay: Do I need to be concerned where I park my 4/4 when we are all at Le Mans?



Bud

Hi Easter,
Great post. Thanks for sharing your experience.
As you will know I have been thinking of how I can resolve my slight annoyance regarding the low mid range grunt of my 4/4 sport.

An engine upgrade is still being considered, but the Roadster has been on my mind too.

It sounds like a trade up to a Roadster could be the way to go for me, but I am still undecided....I like the fuel economy of the Sport. It makes driving the Morgan less of a guilty pleasure than a high performance 'gas guzzler' would make me feel.

I think I will try a Roadster out next spring if I don't find a suitable engine/transmission upgrade before then.
Cheers,
N-M

Great Post Richard . I loved the 'Lellow' 4/4 but the Roadster leaves me with only sweet memories of the the beauty. I always remember the run home from the centenary at Cheltenham trying to keep up with a +8 and failing miserably. Then having a fright in the wet with severe brake fade .



I love the Roadster drive and poke

I am not sure if it is just camera angle but your 4/4 sports seems to show more undercarriage than the roadster.

The shots were taken on different cameras, though the Roadsters undercarriage is quite low enough, I scraped the sump yesterday over a speedhump, fortunately I was barely moving

You could always search for a Mazda MX5 engine and slip that in together with the Plus 4 SS upgrades, throttle bodies
and sports exhaust system. You then finish up with the car many have been dreaming about. A narrow line 4/4 with 200 hp. You should probably fit all round disks and a suspension upgrade to keep it on the road.