Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Plus Four, Supersport & Plus Six (CX & CXV Generation Vehicles) Morgan Supersport 400

I agree, my friend was into hiis classic Ferrari's and made serious money as the models came into favour, but spent oceans of money keeping them on the road, well in his garage most of the time......always a balancing act with Ferrari's are they a future classic and will they in time rise in value, enough to compensate for the ongoing investment..........many are nice furntiture ornaments. He eventually gave up on them and now is into his classic Bentley's another very large money pit.

The MST is still just a Ford Escort, maybe good fun, but everytime you park it up, you will wonder when you come back to it ,will it still be there...........or on the back of a low loader on it's way to Essex....it will be on every wibeboys radar and as such is highy nickable .

Where is Howard when we need him..? Howard`s Ferrari ownership experience, seemed to promote a more reliable picture..? Perhaps that like so many machines that may be primarilly bought for their investment value, Ferraris suffer more than most from lack of use leading to all sorts of issues in time...? I suspect no matter what the marque, finding a reasonable balance between usage and maintenance costs as well as personal ideals of preservation of an icon or asset, can be a bit of a plate spinning game...and as such a game played at all levels of personal financial ability, from the utilitarian mundanemobile up to whatever might be the most valuable vehicle in the world today...?

"Just a Ford Escort", seems to be on the verge of being a tad snooty....? Though feel exactly the same way about Ford Capri`s that my friend gets all hot and sweaty over, he having restored a few as his hobby, his current project is a Brooklands Capri restoration..... Whereas my preferred vehicle from that era was ever the 911... As ever each to their own.. (-:

BTW John, think those Escort stealing wide boys may all be in their mid sixties and beyond...Now wide grandpa`s perhaps ? (-:

Never been into the Ford Escort, had a fast Sierra or 2, loved the Ford Capri especially the 280 last of the roll out models, had a couple of Granadas as company cars, great cars and utterly reliable, comprehensively equiped, fast and quite economical for their massive size. Escorts have their following,, can be easily broken up for the parts and could disappear in no time at all. The Capri's and Granadas dont quite have the same fast Ford demand curve as the Escort, so might still. upon your return, be where you parked it..

As with most mechanical contraptions, they usually benefit from regular use.

As my cars are out the front, I often have passers-by stop and have a natter. One was involved in the Ford Escort scene - he said that there had been a real increase in thefts. The latest trick is at car shows. People will go round, identify a target and secrete one of those small magnetic GPS trackers on the car. That will then lead them to the cars permanent location, where they can scout it out and steal at their leisure.

Apparently there is a thief for every car. I never understood the Escort thing. One was more than enough.

I loved mine, but in fairmess it was my first proper car. Old four door Mk1 in Bronze. I remember one winter driving round the local estate repeatedly in the snow getting the back end out round ever corner - pushing it further and further each time. Great fun. Stuck a ridiculous PECO exhaust end box on it. All show and no go.

Ah Simon, the voice of common sense. Shhh, this is my head, common sense, nothing to see, move on.

Well I do currently own 2 Aero's so there may be some history there in self-flagellation......

I do agree the 400 (especially the late i model) even in perfect condition feels like it is going to eat my wallet. The photo's always make the decision easier.

If you want to see lots of Ferraris we're expecting 250 at Prescott this weekend...

I thought the same but then I also believe that Howard suffers with the same affliction with regards to Ferraris, that he is quick to call Morgan owners out on... namely rose-tinted glasses!

Perhaps he'd just been lucky or his 360, being newer, was less problematic; however, the two stories I mentioned, and a few others, relate to older 'classic' 70s and 80s Ferrari ownership.


"wide grandpa's" is my word of the day! Brilliant

I was lucky enough to do a rally school with Phil Price in Wales, whilst he still used Mk1 Escorts for his students. It was a petrolheads dream day - thoroughly enjoyable and an insight into just how talented (crazy!) rally drivers are (and their navigators!). When I next visited, all the Escorts were gone and he'd moved fully to Subaru Imprezas. The Fords were worth too much and he couldn't justify having them in the hands of muppets like myself!

Alistair, you didn't put the mandatory disclaimer!

If I knew this was a man-logic thread, I'd have commented appropriately! My humble apologies

What I will say is: you know I'm part of the self-flagellation club, so I'm not immune to rose-tinted car buying and have had my fair share of poor purchases as a result!

If we really want to cost you some money, I'll put my thinking cap on and come up with some really terrible car buying advice...

I'm off to look at Gumtree and Fakebook Markeet Playce! "Never raced or rallied. One careful owner. Not used as a taxi or delivery vehicle", here we come!