Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Three Wheeler & Super 3 Buying a Newish 3Wheeler

Bill: I am in West Texas (El Paso), with a 2015 M3W that I've had, and enjoyed, since new. Kindly contact me via PM.
Best

Tom

I put 8000+ miles on my 2016 M3W. When running well, it is the most enjoyable driving/riding experience I have had. I am no one’s idea of a mechanic, but I would say that if you don’t have a dealer or a speed shop/other reliable mechanic to help you, you will have some frustrating days. Even with my limited skills, I did plenty on mine. Some musts include changing the stock fuel pump (Walbro; great instructions here helped me do it), upgrading the headlamps, keeping an eye on every screw that you can reach, and replacing the battery and keeping it charged. Keep an eye on the oil reservoir gasket too. But other things like changing the rear tire, keeping belt tension correct, etc require some help if you don’t have the ability to do these tasks. It’s great fun to own, but definitely labor-intensive to gain the knowledge and keep them happily motoring.

Thank you both, @Piloto and @Halffull. I am not a capable wrench either and would need to talk to my motor contacts here to find an appropriate mechanic. Thanks for the upgrade tips, too, Halfful!

A follow up question to all you kind folks (thank you for warmly accepting "newbie" questions): is there a good definitive "shop manual" that is available for purchase, since it sounds like a lot of you are forced into, if not enjoy, doing the work yourself? There are some very good mechanics here in Texas, both for motorcycles and for vintage cars, but I am not aware of anybody with Morgan experience, let alone 3 wheeler experience. If I had some help from somebody more experienced, and access to a decent shop, I could learn my way. It looks like I'd need an EZcarlift to deal with the back wheel and possibly belt tensioning. Dealing with the "coupler" would be a whole other thing. And I take seriously, the advice about not lugging the engine or using the drivetrain harshly.

The best Shop Manual is this site. We all learned while driving as this beast did not exist before in this form. Morgan was scant help and so the owners had to get 'creative' in solving problems. As for the EZ Lift, I've never had the pleasure. I used a hydraulic jack to lift the car and two jack stands to stabilize it for the rear wheel. I've swapped it out five or six times as well as resetting the belt. Mechanically, this is a straight forward task. Not many tools required except for patience. You are right in that dealing with the 'coupler' is more of a dealer thing. Try not to break it. If the car you get is of fairly recent vintage, then most of the designed-in weaknesses have been dealt with.

There is no manual to be had from Morgan. There is some useful information available on the S&S X Wedge engine, which I've tried to PM you. This info is also on the Morgan Three Wheeler Club website (mtwc.co.uk) in the members area.

One other thing, if you don’t have a dealer nearby: I would see what others on this site do when they need a fairly bespoke part. For example, the cam belts are not easy off-the-shelf finds. I assume they contact an out of state dealer? I have a dealer an hour away, so wasn’t an issue for me.

For engine parts (gaskets, cam belts, etc) I just googled the S&S part number, and so far (last searched online in mid '24) I've had decent luck finding parts with motorcycle parts suppliers. I've yet to order parts from one of the U.S. dealers, but then haven't needed any Morgan specific parts yet. Found a new rear drive belt via Google search as well.

Bill, I am just north of you in DFW. I have a 2021 M3W that I have put over 10K miles on it. I drive down almost every year for the Texas All British Car show which has now moved to Mineral Wells (see Facebook) and plan to drive again up to Arkansas this October for the Brits in the Ozarks rally drives and show. I do all my own maintenance but haven't had any major problems, although I have corrected a few small issues. I've done quite a few upgrades myself, mostly with instruction or help from this forum and posted instructions and videos; I've created my own service manual with all the content. I've upgraded the suspension, fuel system, oil tank, fan override, rear bearings, headlights, added the oil cooler, and I have several upgrades that I haven't put on yet. I don't have a lift, just a couple of floor jacks and jack stands. I am not a gearhead but with a bit of patience and perseverance you can work on these cars. They are fairly basic.

I'll PM you my info. I look forward to having another M3W in Texas!

Craig

I have an EZcarlift because I have a low ceiling garage where I park the 3 Morgans, can easily move the lift under the cars. It is one of the best tools I have bought, very versatile (I use it for servicing my Snowblower and as an outdoor work bench, etc.), moveable and transportable, can stop it any height within in its range, plenty of space to work underneath and very stable. Of course it is not essential to have a lift but I find it extremely useful and saves my back. If you enjoy your Morgan like to learn about how things work and are willing to get your hands dirty then ownership can be very rewarding and fun. A great many of us are not engineers or car buffs and have learnt how to do things from sites like this and the general car community, the "how to do it" is pretty much all online with videos it's just knowing where to look and as Craig says patience.