Talk Morgan Forums Community Vehicle Talk (non-Morgan) losing interest in cars?

This is a refreshing thread. Like a few others on here, I find I am not going for a drive for the sake of a drive anymore. During the first few years of Morgan ownership I would find excuses to go for a drive yet now I find excuses as to why I shouldn't! Of late, I take it to the local coffee shop or pub for a quick drive to ensure it's not 100% sitting still and can't for the life of me remember the last long drive, bar the drive from Cheshire to Williams for my annual service.

I've thought about selling it and getting a CX but question whether getting something shinny and new would ignite the spark again. I've also looked at ordering a 718 again but here too I question the motivation. Both of these options would mean taking a loan which is perhaps what is putting me off. I had a Defender 90 a few years back and while it's by far not an A/B road cruiser, I did do green laning tours and find myself gravitating towards that again. As DaveW stated, for me a car has to have a purpose and be it age, car show-burn out, or simply lost my interest after almost 40 yrs of being car obsessed, I find myself at a crossroad on what to do.

Yet I still have it, give it a wash here and there even if its not needed, smile when I tuck him into the garage and wonder what next, if anything. It is the first car that I ordered as bespoke and one that I was fortunate enough to pay in full so perhaps that is the emotional attachment that is preventing me from parting ways.

Don’t worry Perry, for the same reasons as you, I still wouldn’t sell my Morgan, the whole experience of buying it is a strong attachment, it’ll be a bad day if I’m hard up enough to need the money out of it.

The restrictions we were under during Covid meant changes to lifestyle. What used to be the norm became the exception. It was quite a shock to be under such restrictions. It takes a while to revert back to pre Covid habits of both everyday activities such as shopping, pub visits, event attendance that we wouldn’t think twice about doing.
As restrictions were being lifted there was still a feeling of “shall I ?” In many ( most?) peoples’ minds.
During restrictions we used the Mog to go shopping to keep it running. No pleasure trips. As restrictions relaxed some trips became possible but with limitations. These progressed back towards normal over time.
As an example, I play golf. Courses were closed. Things relaxed to allow golf under limited conditions. No clubhouse/changing rooms. No handshakes. No scorecard swops, etc. Eventually clubhouse use came back but with distancing. We are now back to pre Covid golf.
As for car trips, during 2022 we did more and to places now open to visit. Old habits returned with a feeling of confidence increasing. It takes time. There are still some places that make me consider consequences but to a lesser degree. Should I do a Covid test before attending? If positive......? Don’t bother or ignore result?
In general, though, back to normal.
During 2022 I felt more relaxed and moving back to normality. As things improved confidence increased. I feel back to normal now and am getting out in the Morgan more like pre Covid. That feeling of normality is the key.
Think positive!

Try this - cold sweat at Shelsey!

https://youtube.com/shorts/Buq_iVf5sVk?feature=share

Much in the same boat. It will either be sold due to a strong desire for something else or for when/if I move abroad. I think I sense some dust on the MOG so perhaps another wash and a short drive after

After bemoaning my lack of enthusiasm for cars, today I put the Morgan to a car show at the prison museum. Granted, I didn’t actually hang around at the show and went for a swim in the sea instead, by the time I came back to collect the car, it was all by itself, lonely and neglected.

A swim in the sea Ewen? You really are a hard lot up there. Probaly still got

What Ferrari model was it? I should know but somehow the body styles post 488 have become so generic or maybe because its out of my financial comfort zone that I dont take much interest. Incidentally a pal with a new 812 spider had a similar experience to you as indeed I had when being given a demo drive on an early California. I have every confidence in the Ferrari mechanicals which is why I went backwards model wise to a 360. I have little confidence in their electrics / electronics which is why I never bought a 458..

As for taking the car out and just going for a drive - the last time I did that was in my old Lotus and that was before the proliferation of scameras. Have never done it in any of the Ferraris perhaps because you need empty roads to allow for the speed you need to enjoy them. Bikes are different. Even filtering through a jam down the M4 gives the level of concentration / involvement that you get with a fast car on a circuit or nice clear moorland road. And I do occasionally just take the bike for a ride into the Black Mountains with a sandwich in the top box.

I dont see how auto boxes and flappy paddles can go with driver involvement and fun. The family Merc has an auto box and some idiot in the design department saw fit to add flappy paddles to a 300 diesel. Never once used in 30k miles to date. Its family transport for heavens sake. No one is ever going to press on in a diesel. Thats not why you buy one.

The 360 Spider on the other hand was chosen because its a manual and with an NA engine. To rev match the box changing down at 7k rpm is sheer joy. In fact it is a lovely car to drive on an empty open road and remarkably comfortable to boot. Having only 400bhp, its isnt really a supercar by todays standards, just a nice open sports car.

I am an old man so I am probably repeating myself with this tale but it does illustrate the change in my lifetime. My home was in Bradford. University was Oxford. I was lucky enough to have a Triumph Spitfire as my car and in that car, without motorways or even dual carriageways I could once manage to average just on 60 mph for the home to college journey when the cars max flat out was 90mph and a 0 to 60 was maybe 15 secs. . That was 1964 when roads were empty and plod was in Morris Minor panda cars. And I suppose you could say that I was a daft young idiot though I never crashed my car or got a ticket.

The swim was on the cold side, just swim shorts so it takes a bit of mind control to get in, you just have to tell yourself what you’re feeling is only in your head😂 eventually it just tingles. I’d lost touch as to which models are which with Ferrari too, that one was a 488 the next and final version of the mid mounted V8 is the facelift version F8. From now on its V6 hybrid, currently the 296.