Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Plus Four, Supersport & Plus Six (CX & CXV Generation Vehicles) Accessories Morgan vs after-market

Just looking at a list of things to order from the factory with a new Plus Four. Would welcome opinions about factory vs aftermarket alternative, for:

- luggage rack with side screen stowage (LiBrands is cheaper and as good as factory design? It looks a little leaner too which is a good thing)

- battery conditioner - any advantage in getting the factory-fit one or are there better options?

- outdoor/storm cover - I've seen recommendations here for Richbrook - how does it compare with the factory one?

- luggage rack straps - look good but should I get one of the more modern hard-to-cut options discussed on these forums instead?

Thanks

Whichever source you use for the luggage rack, your choice BUT, remember to spec the brackets (may be called 'prep for rack' on the options list) as very difficult and expensive to add later as it's a different chassis crossmember

Luggage straps...I use surfboard ones that can't be cut and have a neat integral lock, essential for foreign tours

Yes I have a Ctek conditioner on my Roadster, BUT why is it after all these years, owners still need a conditioner ? I have owned dozens and dozens of cars, but the Morgan is the ONLY one I needed to use a conditioner.......

To be fair, I’ve used the C-Tek MX5 on all my vehicles including the leisure battery on the motorhome and have had excellent battery life and performance as a result.

Well I have had Morgan's for 20 years and never owned a so called smart charger, I always had or retro fitted a battery Isolator switch and that is what you really need my Morgan's never met a charger and I only ever renewed one battery.
It doubles as a safety and anti theft device too..

I have had trickle chargers on all of my cars - there's quite often a small battery drain from trackers (for example). With the larger V8's and V12's the battery needs to be in good condition to crank over the engine. I guess it's also how often you drive them - in my case, some cars used to take the winter off, from October to April.

My Tesla is not on a trickle.

I too have had my mid 80`s Morgan for 20+ years, the majority of those years without the benefit of a CTEK connected.

I regard the CTEK range as rather sophisticated float chargers.

For the first few years of ownership I made enough semi regular use of my Morgan to keep it`s battery charged, and in Winter I would fire it up, then run it till the rad fan cycled on and off a few times to keep the battery charged and to circulate the oil and water.

As other of life`s priorities took precedence I made less and less use of my Mog to the extent that I would forget to fire it up, and by the time I thought about the Morgan under a cover in the garage, the battery had gone flat as the result of the drain placed upon it by the very light draw placed upon it by the digital anti-theft system..... Duh..! This process went on and on to the extent that I would fit a new battery every three years or so as once discharged to a certain degree and often enough the battery`s ability to hold charged dropped off considerably..

Since buying a CTEK MXS 3.6 and leaving it permanently connected and switched on, The old Mog has not required a replacement battery in many a year, and never fails to fire up when left over winter or longer...

With more modern Morgans perhaps with AGM/ Gel batteries and "advanced" digital electronic circuits, I suspect a CTEK MXS 5.0 would be a better choice...?

Of course if you regularly make use of your Morgan then there is much less chance of the battery failing to have enough power to fire it up....unlesss... (-:

Disconnecting the power will cause a "reboot" of the car. It can be tricky to get it all working again & the horn not permanently on. I made that mistake fitting a CTEK comfort connector. Probably not a good idea to fit a switch to a cx.

Librands make fine racks. I have a factory one on order for my cx for the last 7 weeks as I bought the car from a dealer but so far no rack.
I too use surfboard lockable straps on my rack.

I have used a Ctech on each Morgan I have owned. I use it now on my Plus Four using the supplied connector fixed to the battery terminals. A simple plug connection.
I also have the Librands luggage rack with sidescreen storage. Very good quality. It needs the " rack ready" brackets to fit.

1. luggage rack
I have from Morgan with and without side screen storage
Both are very good. But I have no comparison with other products

2. battery conditioner
I also use CTec. Works very well and I also use it for my motorcycles

3. outdoor/storm cover
I don't have one. The vehicle is parked in the garage. I would definitely recommend looking for a garage.

4. luggage rack straps
I bought them at Morgan Park Hamburg. As far as I know they are original from Morgan.
They work well... I have no comparison to aftermarket products here either