Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Sentiment in the Trad market.

'Unusual' colour scheme, high mileage and looks terrible 'under the skin' I think it's priced right, personally I'd pay 5K more for a seemingly cared for example.

I thought that it was cheap, though wires are not to my taste -and signs of a lot of corrosion underneath (compared to Kiwi cars)

I've been viewing quite a few used Morgans of late in my search for a 4/4, and I am finding that there are basically 2 camps on relative condition. Quite a few of the cars have evidence of considerable corrosion not only underneath the car but also on the body panels, wings, windscreen frames etc scruffy or slightly worn interiors even for relatively new cars. So what appears a less expensive car can soon rack up the price in remedial paint work repairs and corrosion arrestment etc.. The other camp are cars that have been very well looked after and pretty immaculate both inside , out and underneath.

Whilst a slightly tired car may seem more attractive, the costs to bring it up to scratch can quickly escalate and make it less attractive long term financial proposition.

I've had the pleasure of owning both immaculate and scruffy versions, my most favourite and also most reliable was a kent 4/4 4 seater with a tired body and interior that took me on continental tours and was my daily hack. When I sold it some years later, it was only fit for a rebuild as the chassis and inner wings were on their way out, with the inevitable rot in the inner sills etc.It wasn't going to pass its next MOT, It was rebuilt and a pleasure to behold when completed.

The other side of the spectrum was my immaculate 4/4 The Sunday Times competition car, that was massively spec'd and in as new condition, that used to be a joy to look at but always requiring remedial attention following stone chips and the inevitable cracks in the painted over wing beading due to chassis flexing every time you took the car out, used to drive me to distraction.
The 4 seater Roadster was impressively spec'd, very low mileage, immaculate condition that despite its excellent service history, had been in storage for many years and was expertly prepared for sale still needed some recommissioning during my first 12 months of use to become a very fast, reliable car that unfortunately I had to let go due a fall on steps that injured my back and made the more upright driving position of the 4 seater too uncomfortable to depress the clutch.
My 70th 4/4 was a well kept car had a slight corrosion bubble on the front wing were it met the rear wing, but other than that a good useable car with a decent engine, which on reflection I should have kept had I not lusted after the Roadster.

Each of my Morgans brought a different joy of ownership, ranging from being able to display at car shows, thru to sheer carefree driving, not worrying about the stone chips and salt from winter motorway journeys as there wasn't much more damage you could inflict on the car, it was due a rebuild. As they say horses for courses, whilst its nice to have a pristine, immaculate car, it can be bind when considering when to drive it, compared to the more care free motoring a more tired reliable example can provide. I often keep moving between the two camps and probably can only resolve the conundrum by having 2 versions in the garage one a high days and the other a daily use Morgan.......sadly not enough garage space at the moment.

There is a dilemma in car ownership.
Everyday workhorse or special car.
The workhorse is there as a tool but can also give enjoyment. So, the choice becomes a balance of these to get a compromise based on your needs for family, load carrying, types of road/terrain.
Special car.....what is the appeal? Why do you want it? What mileage will I do? Investment? Plus others.
If you have the money and room you can have a range of vehicles.
Morgan and me? Love the cars since my dad showed m3 one he was restoring for someone. I bought mine to use not just occasionally. Short runs (shopping, golf, just for the fun) and longer trips away.
Car1...1993 4/4. Loved it.
Car2.....2002 Plus8. Bought for longer distance travel but performance when wanted.
Car3...Plus Four as probably the last Morgan due to age(me and mrs sospan). Less inclination to enjoy hands-on maintenance, future proofing upgrades to deteriorating systems on older cars ( wiring, pipework excess patina). The car is great. Auto with paddle option, engine response excellent. Economy approaching or passing 50mpg unless pushed. More comfort.
Yes, not cheap but ownership is a significant chunk of lifestyle and, being retired, it adds to it. The Morgan community has added to lifestyle, I enjoy driving to places in the Morgan rather than the Kia.
Each of us has different requirements so there is no general right/wrong choice. If you enjoy showing your car then ok, go for it. Just remember that maintaining a car to show standard takes effort and money and can deter you from driving it ( stonechips, weather, dirt).
Asking for opinions on cars we might fancy is a good thing as it opens up your mind to the pros and cons. I’ve driven cars that I fancied but backed away after disillusionment with the reality after actual hands-on. Keep your poster car on the wall as driving one can be a disappointment.

John, I absolutely agree with you comments. I used to have an immaculate mk1 MotoGuzzi LeMans with very low mileage but ended up not using it much to preserve the condition and mileage. That is why I sold it in the end I used to use my BMW R65 load as it was in average condition and was I was not afraid to put miles or the small marks on it that you get through usage.

Yep. One of the best mods I ever did to my 4/4 was fitting fibreglass wings. Sid Watson did such a good job of color-matching the resin I didn't even need to get them painted.

I'm really not sure about the value of my car, it's well set-up, powerful, got all the right mods on it, but it's an awful long way from being original. Whoever has the job of disposing of it when I peg out will have a bit of a challenge.

I think they are for using not admiring.

I have only ever owned one Morgan, though had an Aero 8 been built to Porsche standards... Hmm..? (-:

As I have typed before I was looking for a restoration project, and after five years of looking I ended up buying a concours condition +8...! Concours...! Oon the second day of ownership I drove it up an unmade road with stones flying. No disrespect to Kevin`s workmanship, I well knew how much effort it makes to rebuild a car to that level of finish, however I was determined not to become a slave to it`s beautiful finishes, as I wanted to enjoy driving my Morgan as opposed to the chance of suffering death by a thousand cuts that some folk seem suffer every time a ping might be heard from the bodywork. Now over 20 years on Kevin`s efforts when he rebuilt it back then, have certainly stood the test of time.

I have only put an additional 26k miles on my Mog in the 20 years or so I have owned it, some of that being pleasantly lost on Southern European unmade roads. The old Mog has picked up some "patina" from use over the years though I still admire it greatly, and would have no issue taking it to a car show where it would no doubt attract a measure of attention, much as it is likely to do any time I park it anywhere... I have attended a few car shows over the years though mainly to meet up with folk and chat, rather than show off my car. On one occasion despite not being entered, the old Mog did win a concours prize at a Fellmog Lakes weekend in 2003, much to the pretended chagrin of Spanner Juggler..(-:

Today my Mog plays more a part as garage art, as it pleases me greatly each day as I check all is well in the garage, it is always kept road legal and ready to go at the turn of a key, though with only circa 300 miles since June MOT last year...pity Hmm..? Garage art has more value to me than a bazillion pound painting hanging on a wall.... Each to their own..

Also worth considering that in a time of financial uncertainty there is ever the chance my garage art could provide another means of raising currency if needed, though quite how much it might raise at the time is anyone`s guess..bottom line is it can also serve as transport.. (-:

I suspect there are so many ways of deriving returns from an investment and over many many years ... ? (-:

After my knees went and I couldn't easily support the weight of a Harley 2 up and my Harley riding days were drawing to a close, I let my Harleys go over a few years but kept my favourite a Grey Ghost Fatboy just sitting in the garage for years ,just to look at, polish and remind me of all the good times. Only the salty environment living by the coast caused me to let it go, as it was deteriorating no matter what I did, especially with the lack of use. Morgans in my experience perform better and more reliably with regular use, extended periods of inactivity seem to lead to more problems. It never ceases to amaze me how many low mileage Morgans there are about, often only covering hundreds of miles a year from new.

I couldn't agree more about wall poster cars being a disappointment, with the exception of my Porsche 930 Turbo cabriolet (they only made 65 in RHD), many others I've driven have left me disappointed and wishing I hadn't driven them as it usually underwhelmed my preconceived expectation of their driving dynamics especially in daily use.

Particularly 1970s and older. A super car of those days is barely any faster than most family cars today.