Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Perfectly imperfect? A philosophical question

To me, relatively new to Morgan, but a fairly old hand at sports cars, it is the "flaws" which give a car character. The modern conveyances, with all the computer sensors and perfectly rational road behavior with safety built in to the handling and application of power are designed for those whose interest is not in the experience of driving the vehicle, but rather getting from one place to another in cosseted comfort. For me, those types of vehicles are not engaging, do not offer the more visceral experience of road feel and do not make demands of the driver. Those vehicles bore me.

This is it, in a nutshell. Although I can understand some people getting older, and wanting ease and convenience, that has never been my thinking. And I am someone who enjoys involvement in the actual driving, and that helps by chosing very early hours to get deserted roads.

I've had rentals with driver aids and electric handbrakes and even auto transmission, and hated every second. I don't even like cruise control. So I'm doomed.

We hired a Kia Picanto 3 pot 1Ltr thing last month at Belfast Harbour Airport for our Donegal tour, basic 5 on the floor and managed to coax it up to an indicated 107mph on the motorway - a bit like a sardine tin with a firework attached in levels of noise and comfort but it did the job required and the seating was comfortable and the first 5 door we have driven for 40 years. They won't catch on.

Morgan ownership is a way of life I adopted 21 years ago and that won't change anytime soon, it is the most relaxing thing to do anytime anywhere in any conditions as they have soul.

As Alistair hinted we forgive them any failings or weaknesses as we realise our own inadequacies us Morgan owners.

I have often (likely too often) related that which attracted me into Morgan ownership on TM.

I have ever felt fortunate to have a degree of hands-on capability thus over the years I have owned and restored/repaired a few old sports cars I have owned and enjoyed, including those you mentioned at the start of this thread.

I came to Morgan ownership in search of a more involving/pseudo vintage driving experience and ultimately ended up with my +8 which I have owned since 2002 though in truth I have only covered circa 30k miles in it over all those years, but have also crammed some very much valued memories into those miles... (-:

I went through the the performance improvement stage in my life as a yoof, thus by the time I arrived at Morgan ownership my ideals had altered considerably, and reliability along with the hoped for comfort of self reliance that should anything on the Morgan be in need of repair, I could most likely understand the cause, and have the ability to repair most things given the relative simplicity of the Morgan`s construction.. Though having typed that my Morgan had been the subject of a nut and bolt rebuild by a well skilled chap who well knew of most of the usual bodywork foibles that can crop up in the passage of time related to corrosion, and he had put extra effort into providing extra protection in vulnerable areas, thus I had a head start by buying into a old yet new Morgan... (-:

Modifications I considered doing, would have been to simplify things further, perhaps by removing the automatic choke and replacing it with a cable operated one, the automatic choke perhaps had been mandated by the authorities in the mid 80`s.... Though I have stuck with the electrically operated auto choke and the electronic ignition system, as neither have provided issue during my ownership...The only other modification I thought of was to make my +8 look even more vintage by fitting an engine turned dashboard... But I never got round to that either, and am now at the stage and age where I am unlikely to ever do so... Shrug..

Such are my Luddite tendencies that I have for decades now been going on about us all being sucked into the convenience of digital technology which is seemingly becoming ever more seductive with the passage of time and considerably increasing the costs involved in servicing and repair of modern vehicles as well as dumbing down the drivers "skill" levels in the process , and as with most of digital tec leaves us increasingly dependant on it, and in ever more so as it is adopted to take control of so many of the "basics" of everyday life....Rant over..(-:

I suspect much may depend upon where we set our personal datum point relative to enjoyment of matters motoring.... I occasionally drive a Tesla, a Porsche 991 and my Morgan, and I am circa halfway through my 70`th decade, the Tesla well suits the old man I have become by simplifying so many aspects related to the basics of driving, I look upon it as an ideal basic transportation system, but with excess amounts of technology involved which have little or nothing to do with piloting the vehicle.

Over this Summer my Morgan has been the most used vehicle of those I have available, given the amount of warm and dry days that have been presented in my little part of the world. I also consider myself most fortunate to still be able to access and egress it`s cockpit, all be it with a little more effort than it once required, and also that I can still manage the physical aspects of piloting the old thing given it`s rudimentary suspension and required control inputs.

All that typed and having been on Morgan related forums from the mid 90`s on, I have read of the evolution of folk new to Morgans looking for more power, better brakes to handle the extra power, suspension improvements to increase it`s handling performance relative to the increased power levels...As time stands still for no man, I also witnessed continued evolution towards the need for wider doors to ease access and egress, more comfortable seating, more comfortable suspension, what about some piping in the leather, and a bit more bling...Jeez, even more power too, an auto box and air con.... For sure I can well understand the desire for all such things and more so as I myself aged.... However, I can also remember a time when I thought those raving about the quality available with a high quality sound system fitted to their Morgan, was taking things a tad too far, thinking some "improvements" seemed akin to fitting an ashtray on a m/cycle..... but in my defence, I was younger back then... (-:

These days I suspect there may be found increasing numbers of driving enthusiasts who may wish to dial back on technological advance when seeking to find pleasure in piloting their vehicle of choice for a Sunday morning drive or equivalent thereof.. As I typed earlier I suspect much depends on one`s current datum which can shift somewhat as we age, it seems the restomod re-manufacturers may be supplying the wealthy with whatever old car ideals they now have, which was the very basic line of thought I had way back in the mid nineties following an old 20`s/ 30`s LM style Bentley down an interesting stretch of road watching it hop and skip over the undulations in the Tarmac as the driver straight lined through the open bends..thinking... I want some of that...(-:

Lucky me, I managed to think of the ideal machine to replicate a measure of that which I witnessed the Bentley pilot enjoying, and for a fraction of the costs.... What`s more to want...? (-:

"Perfectly imperfect"? I have never been one for a play on words but I think I know what you are getting at. After all, my wife married me some 55 years ago so she must like the imperfect - I would never even suggest anything the other way round!

My last 4 toy cars have been Lotus / Ferrari / F type /Ferrari which likely tells you something about what I like, and it doesnt include imperfections. There is a lot attractive about the ethos of Morgan and indeed of this forum of really nice people. But an underslung cart spring suspension in a modern built car is about as sensible as a wooden bridge on a Motorway. The same point can be made about many other features of a Trad Morgan from primitive front suspension to leaky soft tops and the aerodynamics of a brick privvy.. And thats without even mentioning the 3 wheelers which were a tax and licence dodge in the first place.

I have to say that the current Plus Four or whatever it is called is an altogether different kettle of fish ( funny expression that) . Lovely car. Pity its so damn expensive, more so even than my last Ferrari which is still a much better piece of engineering despite the 25 years age difference. And for me "engineering" is the key word. If you dont have any practical or theoretical engineering knowledge than you also dont have the irritation at substandard old fashioned work there is in the Trad.

But wouldnt it be a boring world if we all liked the same things? And you never know - I might yet buy a Trad if only to try and understand what you lot are woffling on about.

Some people suggest horses for courses........modern automatics are so sophisticated and capable these days, often equipped with paddle shifts should you require a more visceral experience in your life. Automatics often out accelerate manual boxes, usually prove to be more economical and earth friendly. Often linked to driver electable patterns of gear shifting and suspension and handing dynamics for the car, all at the flick of a switch.

Of course if you enjoy, hours of exhaustive heavy clutch juggling /slipping whist in caught in lengthy holdups, often the norm these days. Getting down on your back to adjust your suspension to accommodate the occasional suitcase now over hanging your rear suspension to avoid bottoming out,adding to the glamour, then a trad/manual Morgan will fit the bill perfectly.

A lot is dependent upon where you live and the roads you have access to. I live in the NW with the main arterial roads are often over loaded with weekend and holiday traffic.going to the coast, the Lakes and heading to Scotland. Often leading to major motorway closures on an almost daily definitely weekly basis. When the likes of the M6. M61, M62 M65 & M58 are congested, more accidents occur and resultant closures, all the traffic gets transferred to the the likes of the A6, which then shuts nearly all feeder roads every where down. And its not getting any better.

There is nothing more satisfying than enjoying a Morgan on empty country roads, pitting your skill and experience to good effect, to maximize your driving enjoyment of the journey, balancing gears, brakes and acceleration to the max.............but unfortunately for some, such moments are becoming increasing rarer, more fleeting. With a greater number of speed traps and average speed camera's down many of the best of our more challenging local country roads. Often brought about by over keen bikers meeting tragic ends on the most demanding of our local roads. Such is life

So for me, an automatic is the most sensible option, a small sacrifice, which better suits the road conditions and traffic congestion we currently suffer locally.

So many thoughtful and insightful reflections in this thread! If I may pick up on Simon's Wabi-Sabi analogy, which I found very compelling, this leaves me with a kind of puzzle: it seems many of the "imperfections" of Morgans are not just something to put up with but actually directly part of their appeal. For instance, I absolutely love the very stiff and bouncy ride, captured perfectly by Luddite's description of the LM Bentley bobbing and weaving down a country lane. I imagine that this is shared by a lot of Trad owners. But why then the inclination to try to improve the ride with, say, better dampers up front or an SSL kit in the rear? Doesn't that just risk undermining the very thing that makes it appealing in the first place? (I ask as someone who feels the "improvement" bug coming on and wondering if it isn't wiser to just leave well enough alone, as +8Rich evidently has done). Or is there some kind of subtle pleasure in taking a flawed but beloved object and, well, making it just a bit (but not too much) less flawed?

Also, I can add myself to the list of gents who wonder if (or perhaps hope that) their partners see in them something kind of like what we see in our Morgans.

When I bought my first Morgan, a 4/4 Sport (Sport being another word for Basic), I needed something to replace the bikes that had been my toys for many a year. The dealer, Life’s at Southport, commented to the effect that I wasn’t just buying a car but a way of life.

This has proved to be bang on the nail in so many ways.

I love the way a trad can be personalised to the nth degree. It becomes part of the family. Warts and all. But like a seductive high maintenance lady, it gives back in spades and always puts a smile on the face.

Yes - it is imperfect. But so are the majority of the human race. I can live with that.

...in terms your question about 'improvement', I'm going to add to that the Japanese art of Kintsugi (金継ぎ), sometimes know as "golden repair"; again, in basic terms, (and with apologies to our Japanese visitors for trying to ineloquently capture another meaningful philosophical concept!) Kintsugi is "the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by mending the areas of breakage with urushi lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum. The method is similar to the maki-e technique. As a philosophy, it treats breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise." (borrowing that quote from wiki).

Strangely, I've always felt that when people change, alter and, perhaps, improve their Morgans, they are carrying out their own act of kintsugi... not trying to erase the history or disguise it but instead embrace the flaws and potentially improve on those areas.

Perhaps Dave's next book should be Zen & the Art of Morgan Maintenance?

I've seen that in "The Repair Shop".