Talk Morgan Forums Community Welcome Forum Newbie in New Jersey, USA

Hello All,

Having always admired the Morgan cars, my interest has been shifted to lust following a recent 30 mile ride in one over some spectacular back country roads. The driver -- who had picked up his car (1984 4/4) in Scotland -- told me they reminded him of the roads there, which he had toured for some 1,000 miles worth before shipping the car to America.

I have been a Jaguar enthusiast for many years, and currently drive a 1970 FHC. It's a great ride, but I am looking forward to having the visceral open-car feeling of a Morgan as an alternative. As I begin learning about them, I am hoping that this forum will be as useful and entertaining as Jag-Lovers has been.

I have yet to actually drive one, and my biggest reservation is that I may prove to be too big for the car, at 6'-3" and 235 pounds. Any of you in that category care to respond?

Regards,
Warren Hansen
Mendham, NJ

Welcome.

Regarding whether or not you can fit in one the only thing you can do is try one on for size. I am told the later models have a little more room for the XL driver.

yes welcome, definitely try a long door car (post 97)
I'm 6'1" and about the same weight, and have no problem,
there'd be room to spare for a 6'3" guy.

Welcome Warren

As Peter says...just try one, You'll probably find a long door (post 1997 I think) model has a bit more space behind the wheel.

Altho' I'm not as tall as you (6ft) I'm about the same weight & I find my 2011 4/4 sport very comfortable. It took a bit of getting used to the driving position - there's not a huge amount of room in the footwell & you have to work out a comfortable position for your left leg. Getting in and out with the hood up is more challenging, but isn't it always with small sports cars ? In any case, I didn't buy it to drive with the roof up & only use it in heavy rain.

Welcome Warren.
I'm sure if you can find other local owners someone will let you have a drive (or at least test out the driving position). There is a little more space in post Sept/Oct '97 vehicles known as long door cars. Can't match your height, but can the weight and I don't have any trouble with my '76 4/4.
Hood up there is NO elegant way in or out of the car - but then all Mog people know that
Hoods are only for heavy (and hailstorms ).

Good luck with your search

Welcome Warren . Sounds like a New Roadster or +8 may suit you well .

Welcome Warren. Your friend will point you towards other local contact points for Morgans but also if you check out youtube you'll see Morgan runs from all over Europe featuring guys who look comfortable in their cars and are dimensionally similar to the figures mentioned. Please don't base any 'view or decision to buy' on the getting in or out for the first few times. It's a knack - or mission. You'll have already noticed this from the passenger side in your friend's car. The steering wheel complicates things a bit - but with focus, determination and a good engineer assisted by a strong and supple team .. all things are possible!

All joking aside, my mobility from time to time isn't perfect and I'm managing easily enough. Sure I spent the first few nights stuck in the car with a fire blanket and boveril Karen brought for me. The garage was warm enough and for the first time I was able to appreciate some of the lesser frequented areas of the house. Thankfully the remote electric garage door meant I could close myself in. Probably shouldn't have run the engine .. but the nurses say I'll be good to go in a week or so. Can't wait to get home!

As for your height, there is considerable leg room and that shouldn't be a problem. I found that, depending on my footwear, I sometimes felt I was catching the side wall liner off to the right of the throttle making it seem like there wasn't enough room down there (you can get your feet in but you can't walk around!)but changing shoes made a big difference, in fact, cured it completely. Like the guys say, there isn't a 'foot rest' but if you've an obliging partner and you guys are close, then there's always the passenger footwell. My size 9's have plenty of room but in fairness to the car, the flippers were a bad idea.

Go grab a Morgan and try it. It's really the only way to see if the car works for you. It will of course - but there's a world of difference between test-driving the car and operating it over a few days. You'll find you want to explore it more and more and for any number of weird reasons you'll invent errands that take you on roads you've driven past for years just because they had scenery and corners!

Enjoy the hunt. It's all part of the journey.

Warren, we also have McDonalds in the UK so YES there are plenty that size believe me

As someone who is 6 feet 3 and a half inches and 256 pounds -welcome to the club. I find my 1989 4/4 4 seater very comfortable - as comfortable as my volvo estate ! Having owned 2 seaters in the past I do find the 4 seater better , particularly as it has a taller windscreen . When I am am out and about in it I receive numerous comments about my head being above the windscreen but it does not bother me one bit.............nothing takes away from the sheer enjoyment of owning and driving it.
GO AHEAD , YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT - we cannot change A our size or B the size of the cars
Regards
James

Thank you for all the replies. You give me hope that I will be able to get into and drive a Morgan! Although I will be looking for an earlier car, not one from the '90s.

The two cars I have tried on for size are both concours queens, and no invitations to drive were offered! But the car I rode in as a passenger is a real driver, and I have been invited to drive it -- but it is about an hour away in Pennsylvania, so a bit of planning for the trip will be required.

There are two cars for sale at one of the registered U.S. Morgan dealers in New York, about 2-1/2 hours away, and I plan to make that trip soon.

I have been told that one solution to the driving position is to fit a smaller diameter steering wheel, and I have a 14" diam Moto-Lita that I originally bought for the E-type, but never installed, so I am ready to go on that front!

To be continued . . .
Warren