Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) Advice please!

I'd tend to agree, it was the 4/4 Sport that I always had in mind when modifying my car. High power-to-weight ratio, light, agile, revvy, ideal for larking about on B Roads. The change in exhaust note as the needle passes 4k rpm, the valve timing changes, the variable intake length shortens and you get that lovely howl is really quite addictive.

On the other hand, I can see that others have really quite different views on what driving a Morgan should be like: relaxed cruising around country roads, mile-munching tours from one end of the continent to the other, furtling around in the garage with oily hands fettling bits and pieces, there are innumerable ways to enjoy a Morgan and ultimately it all comes down to the use cases envisaged by the owner.

Hence the advice to test drive a few. To a Morgan newbie, the trads all do tend to look alike (I've been around them for a quarter of a century and I'm still not quite sure what I'm looking at half the time) but as a driving experience there's a world of difference between the models - and even between some examples of the same model.

I've had 3 4/4.s and found them to be nimble but slightly underpowered, even my 7Oth with the 1.8 Duratec and 125 bhp was a little gutless and on the narrow tyres did wriggle a bit at the back, when you reached the limits of adhesion. By comparison my 2012 Plus 4 with the 2.0 Duratec and 140 bhp is a step up from the 1.6 110bhp and very noticeable performance increase. The level of increased grip and ground clearance of the Plus 4 sport with the 205/65/15 tyres makes for a very flat handling car with a very compliant ride by comparison. Be wary of the rev hang which some cars of this era experience, it can spoil the enjoyment of the car.

I would try a Plus 4 sport you may be very pleasantly surprised by the relative increase in performance and improved handling envelope, won't ever set the world alight but 2 up the extra power and grunt shows compared to the 4/4.

I've also had a Roadster and that a step level change yet again, whilst much faster than the Plus 4, I found I could use the Plus 4 performance in all weather conditions, with the Roadster it was generally fine in the dry but a bit of a handful in the wet, as the rear tyres adhesion was easily overwhelmed by the torque of the motor.

Fair point - which is why I went for the 165bhp ecotec conversion in my 4/4.

Several people have mentioned rev hang on the 2 litre Duratec, Although when the 3.7 litre Roadster was introduced, rev hang was well documented, I have never experienced it on my 2011 +4. Also, I have never heard of anyone complaining of such in our local MSCC centre.
Maybe luck of the draw but of course forewarned is forearmed.

I suspect it might well come down to something as simple as driving style

My understanding* of the reason for rev hang is that it's because the ECU is programmed to return to the defined idle speed (target rpm) when the throttle is released, but it does so in a way that eliminates unburnt fuel being allowed into the exhaust this is why revs don't drop instantly. Cars that do let the revs come down quickly tend to let unburnt fuel into the exhaust where it pops and bangs and messes up the catalytic converter.

This implies that if one has a large torque demand (ie Pedal position at a higher value than Throttle position) at the point the up change is selected, there will be a lot of fuel to be burned off before the target rpm can be reached, giving a rev hang condition as the revs drop slower than desired. Ensuring that the torque demand matches the new throttle position means the rev hang should be eliminated as there isn't excess fuel to be burned.

This certainly tallies with my experience, my car can rev hang like anything if I'm a bit heavy-footed, but if I drive a bit more sensitively it doesn't rev hang at all.


*This might be wrong, in which case I'd be very happy to be corrected.

I've never heard of rev hang on a 2.0lt Duratec and my 2010 plus4 car doesn't have it either, although I do feel that the flywheel could be a little lighter, not enough to effect idle or slow running but to try and make it slightly faster on throttle response especially when driving hard and blipping the throttle on down changes, but that's just a bit of nit-picking really and the mid 2000's plus 4 cars are really a good all round option. I'm here in north Wales and we have a lot of small roads and sheep track bends from the original drovers ways and I found the plus 4 to be the best at getting about with this type of driving and 3rd 4th gear is what I generally drive on and the car responds well to this here. Perhaps in Lincolnshire or Northumberland with those big straight open roads the roadster might have been my choice. Fun tootling about at 40mph then perhaps a 4/4 would fit the bill. So along with what you like is how you expect to use it! As a newbie you are going to find that any Morgan will feel like you are belting along at about 100mph then you look at the speedo and you are doing 45mph Bear this in mind as when you become more used to the driving of the car and the close proximity to the ground you will want to ask more of it and that is when you will really start to know what you want from the car. For me the plus 4 does most things well and in my opinion is a good choice for all round driving. 0-60 its only about one second behind the roadster so no slouch and it doesn't run out of puff either at motorway speeds and higher yet it will travel through the towns and villages being very well behaved. So drive em all! and not just around the block. When you decide on model/engine etc then drive several of your choice to find the car you are happy with. Don't get caught up with what optional equipment one has over another, they are really meccano sets so that can be sorted out with patience. Lastly look underneath!!! if a dealer ask to have it on a lift. I nearly bought a plus 4 which was priced very nicely and was a well specked car. Underneath the gearbox had taken a belt and there was a huge bit missing...... one of the faults with the MAZDA box is that it doesn't mate to the engine well and the front flange sticks below the rear of the engine and is in fact the lowest part of the car. Lastly try and find someone who knows Morgans and ask them to go with you, join the local MSCC branch and I'm sure you will find the help you need. Don't forget, walk away from a dealership and you'll find them far more willing to negotiate....... it's a buyers market.

I've had rev hang on 2 of my cars, the 2006 4/4 70th and on the 2008 Roadster. The driving style didn't really influence it's impact too much, although hard acceleration with a abrupt lift off would exacerbate its impact and operation, if you create lots of unburnt fuel. My 2012 Plus 4 does not have it, but the 1.8 Duratec certainly did, it was so annoying I changed it very quickly for the Roadster., only to experience it too a lesser extent when lifting off after accelerating. in the Roadster. There are quite a few postings on TM about rev hang. I haven't changed my driving style since getting the Plus 4 with the 2.0 Duratec and it doesn't have rev hang at all.

Yep, Spot on John with those facts! What is hard to understand though is why are they not all effected, after all we are talking about relatively modern engines and management systems... just what and why? MORGAN ?

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The 70th was the worst offender, even under gentle acceleration when ever you went over 3500 rpm, it would rev hang. As you need to stir the gearbox more on a 4/4 to make progress, it was really annoying as you would experience it on a regular basis every journey.