Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) 4/4 vs Plus 4

Well Tim, you may have a point! I can change gear pretty well (after 40 years driving, so I should) but truth be told, I don't enjoy it. All my modern cars are or have been automatic for years - auto boxes now are so good there is no point in having a manual (see the current fuss about the MINI Cooper). I've had several pre-war cars with crash boxes, all good fun until it isn't - those inevitable days on the way back from a show, car and driver both boiling, when you are forced to crawl in traffic. My Daimler has a pre-selector box, which is an excellent thing, once you are used to it. Coupled to a fluid flywheel it is sublime. But many people don't like them.

Actually my wife has a MINI Cooper D: 1.8 (I think) turbodiesel with a six speed box, and I do enjoy driving that. I think it is just that the 4/4 has such a narrow power band, which is probably another way of saying that I need to adjust my driving to the car, and not expect it to adjust to me.

I must admit a Sigma 4/4 in black, with black wires and tan leather is very much on the to do list. So many cars, so little time...

My narrow bodied (4/4 bodied) +4 Duratec 2.0 with K&N cone filter and a Wolf Performance re-map and suspension setup is ideal IMOP.

I’ve yet to drive any other Morgan except my sigma 4/4, I particularly liked the studded roof, the skinny high profile wheels and the narrow body. My one is the 80th anniversary model and I think it’s exactly the car it should be, just the way it is. I didn’t like the look of the easy up hood so much, up or down and I’m not a fan of the stainless wheels.

Nice, but it’s no Stanley.


Bud
4/4 - Stanley

Some good points well made by Fox Terrier & RJW

When considering my first Morgan I went to Alan White and looked at them all, coming from a 470hp Aston Martin I assumed a 3.7 Roadster was what I needed, but there was something about the Plus 4 that just felt like it had the right balance, somehow it seemed the most authentic Morgan. Alan White had two of the later GDI Plus 4s in stock, the gearbox on this model is sublime but both examples seemed like too much money for what is at the end of the day a four banger Morgan.

I'm also not a big fan of direct injection so I set about hunting down the slightly earlier port injected Duratec Plus 4 which is an extremely tunable and reliable power plant as used by Caterham and many others for years. I appreciate a Duratec Plus 4 will be more money than the earlier Rover engined Plus 4, but I'd encourage the OP to see if he can find the extra cash as the Duratec is an amazing engine, better still from 2012 Morgan gave the Plus 4 the same excellent Mazda sourced five speed box you find in the more costly and expensive to tune GDI Plus 4.

After finding my 2012 Duratec Plus 4 with a Mazda box I set about tuning it, without too much effort at all the engine is now theoretically making over 200 horsepower (as yet untested), to me this seems plenty for the Morgan chassis and antiquated leaf sprung beam axle rear suspension. Following my tuning work my Duratec remains incredibly flexible too, I can drive through town altering my road speed up and down on the throttle alone in one gear, and with the engine speeds ranging from 900rpm to just 1,800rpm without a single snatch or stutter.

A Duratec Plus 4 is cheap to tax and cheap to insure, the car can also deliver 38 mpg plus on a run making the ownership experience very cost effective, and best of all my 2012 model is ULEZ compliant which is important to me as I live right on the edge of the zone so an earlier Rover engined Plus 4 would have seen me paying £12 everytime I went for a drive. A Plus 4 Supersport is probably the ultimate sweet spot for me, but they’re rare and expensive so it proved easier and more cost effective to source a 2012 Duratec Plus 4 and tune it to Supersport power levels.

Saying that, I also really like the narrow bodied 4/4 anniversary model that came with the 2.0 Duratec, tune it to 200hp + and that could well be the ultimate Trad morgan

True

Hello
After a long research I think

I am 2 choices to decide the best car for me

A plus 4 2013 2014 completely stock with many extras 26000km
A 4/4 2017 with a magnificent color combination and also an upgrade engine: omex intake and sport exhaust. 29000km It seems original by MMC.

The same price for both
I have to see the 2 cars .

Good evening

My personal 2 cents, and this is just what I would do, not what might be better for you, if the Plus 4 is a GDI I would take the 4/4. If the Plus 4 is a Duratec I would consider both cars. If you can test drive both cars then do it (regardless of whether the Plus 4 is a Duratec or not). In the end there are two relevant cars and it will be your decision which will also be emotional. Your inner voice is the deciding factor.

That's plus one for me to! Couldn't have said it better!

The right car will choose you!