Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms What does she REALLY think?

My wife was the one who persuaded me to buy a Morgan.
There are days when we have to arrange who gets to drive the Morgan.

I'm not sure how to evaluate our family association with Morgan. Started as a young kid with Dad's TR4 example, I of course was smitten with it, my brother 18 months my junior just had no mechanical interest whatsoever and a brother who came along 10 years younger than me was too young to remember it by the time it went to new pastures. I'll always remember that Dad and I would always shout MORGAN when we saw one but no other family member would care.
From about age 14 Dad and I would often stop at the local dealer when passing to look at what was around and I always hoped he'd finally get his cheque book out, but he never did, once very nearly, but walking away would always sober his thoughts!

I continued much in this vane for years but couldn't afford a toy and later other demands always took priority. Many years passed and one day I mentioned my feeling of loss at not fulfilling that long held dream and too my surprise my wife suggested I start to look and see if it was possible. Blimey! Didn't need telling twice.
We sort of loosely agreed a budget and I started looking, when I had researched what had changed in the years since I remembered them.... well, it made far more sense to buy a newer version than I had set out to do and yes suddenly I'm £10K above our loosely agreed figure. Must have gone off the boil a bit as realisation had dawned on me that perhaps I couldn't afford one after all! Months passed and my wife asked out of the blue one day if I'd decided against a Morgan. So I explained what I'd found out and my thoughts as to why. A couple of weeks later the chancellor had made all those changes to our pensions and we were paying tax at a ludicrous rate even though we were still at work and still contributing to the scheme. At the same time i saw my 100 year heritage car for sale and showed my wife.
Just go and look she said and if its what you want we'll buy it! The rest is history but I'm sure my wife let me have it as a reward for all the sacrifices I'd made throughout our lives together for the family.

However my wife isn't really interested in it although she will come out in it occasionally when the weather turns Mediterranean, she won't drive it at all!
Luckily my son loves it and can't wait to get behind the wheel, at 23 he's almost there so I'm sure another adventure is about to start for us and especially him!

Fortunately I love the mechanics of cars and am an engineer in everything I do so am happy to work on the car and probably get the greatest pleasure form knowing the inside works as well as the outside looks! Well of course that's controversial, My daughter who is severely sight impaired hates it and has named it Shity Shity Bang Bang, She refuses to get into it at all. I once in the early days picked her up from school in it and that took about 6 months to recover our relationship from.
No matter that all the boys from her school were thinking she was now the coolest girl there and that her friends are always asking me to take them out in it even now she's at university.

Because they are not a cheap thing to buy and are never something you could describe as a necessity, I think for too long I gave it too much reverence but latterly and helped by the sensible opinions of those here in that it's meant to be used for what it is I have turned my thoughts of ownership about. But something my late father said to me once... about an uncle of mine who covered his car seats from new with the most hideous clear plastic covers. "Whats he keeping them for, the next bloke who buys it" enough said I think! You want a Mogan... buy it and use it like a Morgan!

I consider myself to have been most fortunate in that my good lady ever both supported and even encouraged Morgan ownership, travelling down with me from Central Scotland to Bishop Stortford to view Kevin`s fully restored Mid 80`s Morgan +8. Kevin was kind enough to take Sandra for a short drive in it (winter 2002). On their return Sandra gave the Morgan a thumbs up...(-:

The Mog was bought for me when I thought to seek out a vintage driving experience without the majority of vintage financial aspects relative to acquiring parts made of unobtainium.

My other ideal was to enjoy the back roads between shifts while Sandra would be working on weekdays, thus a bit of a selfish purchase. We used to go sailing for summer holidays, but in time age took it`s toll in terms of Sandra`s enjoyment at returning home after a couple of weeks of being occasionally being thrown around when the weather got rough as it often can in the Clyde, Western Isles and Ireland.

Having bought the old Mog, and enjoying the back roads, I was surprised when Sandra`s adventurous nature caught me by surprise and suggested we join up with Porsche club palls and link up with their annual trip to the 24HRS at le Mans..! Having spent a few years on the interweb researching the possible reality of Morgan ownership, I carefully explaned that any such holiday might involve issues arising, but as ever Sandra was more than up for a bit of an adventure, as she was for the next two European adventures to the South of Spain and to drive the Amalfi Coast road,, the last trip being circa 4K miles all in

Were it not for Sandra`s idea to tour Europe in the Morgan, and her enjoyment related to organising travel plans, I doubt I might have ever engaged in any such a trip in the Morgan.

I was amazed that a lady who ever liked to look her best at all times, and had wardrobes full of clothes to suit all occasions and more, would ever have contemplated the likely realities involved of relatively long distance Morgan travel, and even more so when we took to the back roads, but Sandra was well up for it, and found space enough in the Morgan to fit her little essentials within, leaving me just enough room for a few tools and of course my trusty Wanner grease gun..(-: I shared our Morgan adventures on eMog at the time, The GoMoG webmaster having been very prominent in my Morgan acquisition process... (-:

Had I at any time dropped tools on our extended home improvement self build and suggested another Morgan adventure, Sandra would have had it planned packed and ready to go in a jiffy, yeah she was a very special lady indeed, until Cancer crept out of the shadows and took her from me in 2023. Bereft does not cover it..! TM playing a large part in my rehabilitation, thanks guys.

Quite by chance I am still the present custodian of our Morgan though did think to sell it a few years back, however that I dislike the process of selling anything, a half hearted attempt at advertising it equated to me just deciding to keep it.

Today I feel fortunate to still be able to enjoy driving the back roads hereabouts while also remembering the wonderful adventures that Sandra organised which we shared together creating treasured memories... Good old Morgan..

I too am a very lucky chappy, my wife has her own interests which are musical and the arts not motor vehicles, however, she loves the Morgans and drives the +8 with enthusiasm. My wife suggested and encouraged me to obtain a M3W even measuring the garage to convince me it would fit in with the other two Morgans. She knows her limitations and does not accompany me on long haul tours such as six weeks touring the USA in all weathers as that would simply be "too much". We have been together 53 years so our relationship must work.

Fair question. I have often wondered what my wife has thought as through our married life I have gone from one enthusiasm to another. Growing Dahlias, golf, the "good life" period of small scale farming, old house renovation, the various 2 seaters., motorcycles, more exotic cars, and the most lasting of all - sailing. She joined me in the cars and the boats, but undoubtedly because they were going somewhere and she likes to travel. Never had the slightest involvement in my yacht racing.

What I can say is that these passing obsessions have given a basis for an active retirement - I worry about my son whose only interest is his family and work. What will he do in retirement when the kids have families of their own?

Yes that is what I normally get and so far she has been in the car once the first weekend I got it. The scenario is normally something like this.

• Trip away is announced on club website, sometimes a day trip but also weekends away normally staying for two nights.
• I mention it and get the answer for day trips "Yes you should do it, maybe take your dad." OR for trips with a stay in a hotel, yes you will enjoy that and gives me some time alone."
• Then when the time comes I get for day trips "You waste too much time driving that car" OR for longer trips "You go away too often and there are heaps of things you should be doing around the house."

Oh yeas! The guilt factor! I get that from time to time. I try to fend that off with taking care of as many house projects as possible. Then she has less to complain about....in theory!

Well now having been wed for over fifty years I too have come through the sorts of interests that purturbed my dear Helen who's birthday is tomorrow. Celebrated today by way of a meal out with friends (fish and chips at the Ley Arms, Kenn) by the way. The only time an angry outburst caused me to fear all was lost, happened on the way home from Swindon where I had agreed to buy another motorbike and we took a wrong road turning. Letting me have it with both barrels, I seriously began to think it might be better to walk home alone. Anyway I stopped and we eventually agreed to differ. I felt guilty, and still am I suppose, being the one who has all the toys he wants and never irons his own shirt.

That is the theory I try to use as well. My main issue lately was mum was being a very high maintenance needing to be taken to lots of medical appointments plus wanting things done around her house.

In mid August my son asked can I help fix the swing set/ play set in the backyard plus weed the garden beds and plant lots of flowers so the place looks nice for miss 2's 3rd birthday party this weekend (22nd of November). Mum died 31st of August, after organising the funeral I set about getting rid of all her belongs that nobody wanted and getting the house ready for sale. I then went to my sons house and did three weekends hard work getting the back garden up to scratch. While the birthday party will be over I plan to spend some time on his front garden just so his place is nice.

Then I can get back to my place in December and hopefully have a lot less distractions so get stuff done to make her happy. But that is in theory, I am sure I will still get comments about not doing enough stuff at home. It is very sad that mum died but it will free up a lot of my time and the money from her house sale will hopefully mean I can retire in July once I finish my current contract.

Moggo -I have to iron my own shirts and hate it, at least now I only have to spend one day in the office so very happy to have much less ironing than before and hopefully after I retire never iron again

I am very domestic. I do laundry and folding, load and empty the dishwasher, clean the litter boxes, and I do all the cooking (she does the baking). She knows she's got it good, but I still have most of the toys (she has a 2CV) so I still get the guilt.