Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) A few +4 questions from a new boy

Hello again chaps

After posting in the welcome section and receiving some good advice I am more or less decided on a plus 4 for my purchase.

However which plus 4 is still to be decided.

I will now start driving as many as I can persuade dealers to allow me.

I think it will be a duratec 2.0 or gdi 2.0 powered mog for me, post 2009. In the good advice mentioned above I was told to watch out for the plastic rad models, and ensure that item is upgraded…..so question 1 is

What years did Morgan fit plastic rads to the plus 4?

How much will it cost me to upgrade the rad?

Can I reasonably do it myself?

Who would do it for me?



I am fairly sure I want either a white (old English or ivory) car with red/burgundy interior, Or a red car with cream interior. Stainless wire wheels and a spare with luggage rack. The rest of the spec is not a deal breaker ….. I would prefer just overriders but can’t be too fussy.

I intend to do all work myself where possible so am interested in which obd2 reader other Morgan owners use?

I am determined to take my time, drive lots of cars and make the best choices.

I am an anorak and will be soaking up as much Morgan knowledge as possible before purchase.

I will be selling my life collection of beautiful motor bikes and a very special day sailing yacht to fund this purchase so will be very thorough in the process

I am happy to take 12 to 24 months to get the right car.


All answers, opinions and comments welcome

The mazda gearbox was fitted in about early 2011 onwards and is a much better (smoother) box than the Ford. If you peer down the transmission tunnel from under the bonnet, you may see a label with N7 on it, confirming the Mazda box.

I think all modern 2004+ Morgans have the plastic rad. Not difficult to do yourself if you have a jack, axle stands and a few basic tools. Mulfab should be able to quote a price for supply only. Expect a dealer would charge £850+ for complete job.

Personal opinion but I prefer the Duratec to the GDI, the latter having a few foibles unless it has had a map upgrade from the threads I have seen on here.

Also, when looking at cars of that age, do check the age of the tyres…a low mileage example might seem attractive until you realise its on original rubber adding another £500 to your purchase, if they are about 8 years or older.

Check if on original king pins or not…depending on how they have been greased etc their life could be anywhere between 20k and 60 k miles. An upgrade to SSL suspension is a worthwhile enhancement.

Good luck and remember, the right car will find YOU!

It shouldn’t be too difficult to find a Duratec or a GDI with an aluminium radiator. Very definitely an upgrade worth having.

Apparently some GDI owners have reported flat spots in the rev range. Not all exhibit this trait, but if you can find an ECU enhanced car then so much the better.

It is possible to spend a fortune on aftermarket goodies incl stainless wires, luggage rack etc etc. Better if you can to find a well sorted car that is already thus equipped.

You may find the wheels with your name on very soon or it could take months.

Enjoy the ride 👍

I have a gdi plus 4 and it's standard goes really well no flat spots and plenty of power. Gives good fuel economy of around 40mpg I tend to drive on B roads in North Wales at 70 it's reving just under3k with good acceleration.its happy at 2k rpm around the lanes. Like you I had a picture of what I wanted which I never found but I'm really happy with the one I ended up with. I hope you find your dream and enjoy driving it.

Thanks guys for the comments so far…. Really useful

I think a Plus 4 is a good choice. Personally, I would prefer an older Duratec 2.0 because you can do so much with it. Not that this is your goal, but as I understand it, it's the very common machine loved by many tuners and brands like Caterham. And yes, the window of time between Duratec with Mazdagearbox and the release of the GDI is interesting. Below are two example links about what one forum member gets out of his Duratec. He has opened several nice threads regarding his Duratec.



https://www.talkmorgan.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/783876/monty-gets-cams#Post783876

https://www.talkmorgan.com/ubbthrea...tec-super-sports-exhaust-manifold#UNREAD

The +4 Duartec is the sweet spot from the perspective of long term DIY maintainability. It has a superbly simple crated MK3 Mondeo motor and ancillaries. Unlike the GDI it has a the regular Ford ECU that can be picked up from the scrappy for 20 quid. All the other Morgan bespoke electronic stuff is quite basic on the Duratec cars so can be ripped out or bypassed as it inevitably starts to conk out. And of course they all have galvanized chassis too….

PS - Post 2011 cars generally have the Mazda box if you prefer those.

I‘ve got a GDI and I bought it new in 2018 as a LHD from Brands Hatch Morgans. And I‘m happy with her.

But if I had also the choice today with only preowned Plus4 I would look for a Duratec.

For the GDI have a look here around about „the Flash“ (to cure a real deep point of torque at 2500/3000) and „gummed valves“.
In my eyes the GDI is an very special engine produced in only small numbers and only a little bit close to the 150bhp 2.0litre Mazda MX5.

The Duratec: no flat torque, no gummed valves and runs in a lot of Fords.


Greets René

René,
I had a GDI plus four before I got the CX Plus Four - I had the ECU flashed by Williams Automobiles in Bristol, UK and that elininated the issues you mention which my car had also - Flat spot at about 2600 Revs etc. I would recommend the "mild" flash that i got as it transformed the car.

Regards From Ireland

I‘ve got the flash from the factory. It’s a real step forward. For german MOGs a real exotic upgrade.

Greets René