Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms The Ownership Experience

Julian, I understand your point. Obviously a forum centered around a single brand can't be a place where you can expect the utmost objectivity or an unbiased view. Only, the question of this thread assumes some subjectivity. Or to put it another way, when asked about emotional pride of ownership, you can't answer that question if you don't own a Morgan. So it is inevitably a question that even presupposes subjectivity. The question is not being asked of car testers or acquaintances who have only driven the Morgan a few kilometers once. It's a question about life with the Morgan. I don't want to split hairs, but this question about the feeling of ownership would probably be answered no differently outside this forum than within it. Ok, I admit we don't have the opinion of real owners who have sold their Morgan after a short time because they didn't like it and who are not in this forum.
Besides, we haven't just read rose-tinted hymns of praise here, but the problematic issues have also had their say.

As for your cars, Julian, a very nice sequence of Morgans you have had from my point of view. It's crazy, because when I picked up my first Morgan in 2005 I was very happy, a brand new 3.0 Roadster. I wasn't interested in the smaller engines at the time, which was a big mistake, because it's the smaller and lighter engines that I definitely prefer for my Morgan experience today. So, when I picked up the Roadster there was a very young used Runabout in the showroom, maybe from 2004 or so? I've never been able to get this car out of my head, she was light blue. The salesman explained my Roadster to me. But the mechanic, who I casually asked about the Runabout in between, told me calmly that it was one of the best Morgan he knew, as a model series. I had never forgotten that and today I know why. I've often thought to myself that if I ever had another Morgan, it would be a 75 anniversary Duratec or a Zetec. I seem to remember that these Zetec 4/4s were the last ones with the lighter frame built just for the 4/4?
Probably the Zetec is even more authentic? Julian, you had both the 75 anniversary 4/4 as well as the Zetec with lighter frame. If it is allowed here in this thread, very briefly, what are the arguments in favor of the Zetec, which you would also buy again?

Julian, been there done that and over a period in excess of 40 years as a self-build project on a smallholding that at one time operated as a piggery, and which has been my primary excuse for not having covered more miles in my old +8.... Nuts or what...? Hope your home/lifestyle improvement process does take as much time as did mine...! (-:

Alistair, so sorry to read that you are thinking of letting your Morgan(s) go.... Whatever has cropped up, I do hope you can resolve the situation to your satisfaction in the shortest possible period of time.

+1

I'm a commited 4/4 fan. I've driven everything else though, up to CX cars, but given a choice it'd be a 4/4 for me...... a 1.8 Duratec.......!!!!
There is enough choice from such a long production for everyone to find the exact car that suits them.

I've never thought that they are inherently unreliable, far from it. The cars (were/are) relatively simple, with old fashioned tech that most folk could have a go at fixing if needed.
Someone will claim they've had 250,000 miles out of the same kingpins and only ever greased them with ear wax, where as some else will have had nothing but problems and had to have their car rebuilt 3 times......🤷🏻‍♂️ It's all part of the joy of handmade/hand assembled cars.......

On the house building front......... If you're contemplating doing it......... don't....... it's almost impossible now as a self builder. The rules, regulations and red tape are absolutely unbelievable.
I've built a few over the years, but it's never been as ridiculous as it is now.......this is definitely the last one.......

I've only had 5 Morgans, each one have presented often common problems that manifest themselves in different ways,

Firstly, I would expect the engines. gearboxes and transmissions to be reliable, they are mass produced by other vehicle manufacturers and been subjected to extensive development and testing. All Morgan has to do is slot them in the chassis, and there problems can manifest themselves eg low ground clearance causing problems. With more modern engines they have to tailor the ecu to the much lower weight and dynamics of a Morgan and hence problems then ensue see CX recall. Brakes , steering are bought in components, yet problems ensue. Little things like Duratec engine spark plug holes fill with water, Morgan know that there are vents above the engine and it invariably rains, so why not either direct the water away or prevent it from entering the engine with say an engine cover..........I remember tales of cracks in chassis because the exhaust hole was too big .. But the number of times you read of wiper blades arms becoming detached in use. or they leak into the cabin......such simple tried and tested basic engineering and poor construction that fails and I've never come across with other vehicles. Of course other vehicle manufacturers are not infallible and have their fare share of problems

Where I experience the most issues is where the item has been bespoke in some way by Morgan's fair hand. The other major components shouldn't and usually don't fail, as they are not Morgan designed and engineered. When it came to the trads, they had decades of experience to refine the basic recipe, They weren't having to, as with other vehicle manufacturers, be reinventing the wheel all the time, they had a tried and tested construction method and the only thing that really changed basically because of the more demanding environmental requirements was to adopt cleaner engines and exhaust systems and they made money at it. Where things seem to go wrong reading between the lines was when they tried to diversify to 3 wheelers and the Aero platform which consumed much of their development and engineering and financial resources to the detriment of their parts supply strategy.

They have come a long way from the build quality of my crossflow 4/4 particularly with the materials used, the wood treatments and the production methodology has improved without question. At least with my latest Morgan, it's so far not falling apart/disintegrating to the extent my crossflow 4/4 did in the few short years I owned it. The Plus 4 so far, it's only Morgan's electrics that have let me down, but its early days yet. Of course, most cars improve with regular use, and that maybe at the heart of many of the problems you experience thru lack of regular use

One thing my Plus 4 sport has surprised me with so far, is how compliant the suspension is overall. it doesn't bang and crash anything like my other Morgan's. I suspect that the lack of the spare wheel weight at the rear of the chassis possibly changing the fulcrum and reducing the flexing of the chassis created by a stiffer body shell with a single piece of aluminium across the rear deck with no spare wheel cut out and therefore maybe less subject to scuttle shake and flexing overall helps the suspension compliance..

Juilian,

Interesting you mention the 1.8 Duratec engine, I had a 70th version and found the 1.8 suffered terribly from rev hang which spoilt the enjoyment. I experienced the same with my series 2 Roadster, that's why I'm really enjoying my Plus4 Duratec no rev hang and the Mazda gearbox. Is there any particular year 1.8 you found the best?

Julian I was most fortunate to have completed all the major tasks and fit out of the reworking of this palace a quite few years prior to the Covid effect on material costs. For sure the increase in regulation over the years when I was either knee deep in trenches and various stages through the build processes right up to fitting the ridge tiles and beyond that creating a fair sized raised patio, the regs seemed to ever tighten.

Seems here in the UK we have tightened regs to the extend that they have put a strangle hold on our economy, as to the possible long term effect on that is anyone`s guess..?

At the time of contemplating Which Morgan, I was leaning towards a 4/4 though ideally one that needed work and which I might fit a Ford Twink into in time, given that was the favourite engine of my yoof, having owned a couple of Elan`s thus powered.... By the time I had amassed all the advice kindly provided by very patient Morganeers interweb forums and with the efforts of GMG to find just the right Morgan for me... I ended up in a potential concours winning +8..... Go Figure as our American cousins might exclaim...? (-:

For sure the +8 was found to be a grand tourer during our European trips and the roar of the V8 with it`s attendant burble pops and bangs on the over run after a bit of heal and toe dropping down through the gears as opposed to using the brakes.... will ever be greatly enjoyed for as long as I can get in and out of the old thing... but I still suspect the 4/4 might be quite the most suited Morgan for UK B road fun.... More so with a twink and a pair of Webbers chortling away under the bonnet...(-:

Hope it is not too long before you can return to Morganeering Julian.

Just for my curiosity, is the 1.8 a Duratec or was it a Zetec? So those 1.8 engines that were in the 4/4 until about 2004? Not trying to be pedantic, just that I know what I might be looking for. And while we're on the subject, until when exactly was the lighter ladder frame used specifically for the 4/4? Until when was the 4/4 standard with the 4.1 rear axle ratio?

I assume it was the time before the standardized wings. Does a say 2004 or slightly older 4/4 have hand crafted aluminum wings or do they all have sheet steel wings? Was the ladder frame already galvanized? Thanks for answers to so many questions. It's a bit of a thread drift, but rather late and I suspect most have already said something about the ownership experience.

Heinz,

This answers a few of your questions but not all.

https://classicsworld.co.uk/guides/morgan-4-4-timeline/

https://classicsworld.co.uk/guides/morgan-4-4-buyers-guide/

I thought the adoption of the heavy chassis was later on for some reason I can't explain why I think 2008 but I might be completeyl wrong and probably are.

Heinz, I believe the runabout I purchased new on 2003 was on the old narrow chassis, certainly it had very narrow rear wheel arches. It was pale blue and most beautiful and pretty. I had come to it from a plus 8 as I was looking for a more nimble experience. But I did really miss the power and very quickly fell for the, then, cutting edge MK1 roadster.
Nick