Talk Morgan Forums Thread Like Summary - SSL 5L Suspension on a Plus Four Super Sport

Hi,

I am new to the forum, and indeed Morgans. I’d really appreciate some advice. I have recently been looking at Morgans and thought I should take the plunge. I’ve only visited Morgan in Malvern and one dealer, Williams, who were incredibly helpful, I test drove a 2012 Plus Four and a 2011 Plus Four Super Sport, and absolutely loved the super sport. I didn’t find it crashy at all and loved the handling. It was much better quality than I was expecting.

My current ‘toy’ is a 2003 Lotus Elise S2 135R, which is brilliant and a complete antidote to modern cars. I reckon a Plus Four Super Sport would make a perfect stable mate for it.

I’ve seen a few Plus Four Super Sports for sale, and one has the SSL five link rear suspension. I wonder if this improves the car or just takes away a bit of its character?

I recently owned a 992 Porsche. A defining feature of this model is rear wheel steering, so I specified this in my build. I found that although it improved the ‘already too good’ handling, it took away from the car feeling like a Porsche. I drove a car without the rear wheel steering and much preferred it.

Can anyone advise please. Generally, are Morgans improved with SSL 5 link suspension or do some people think it just takes away the cars character? And specifically, is a Plus Four Super Sport best left alone?

Thanks in advance.

There are 2 opposing views on the ssl kit. I think it detracts from the classic mog experience others disagree and like them. Would i fit it no but if the right car showed up with it on it wouldn't put me off.

I suggest you try a few more trads to see if other models grab you.

I think the main objection to SSL kit is the cost, over £5000 fitted. Whilst I accept John's comments that it's a matter of taste it indisputably provides dual trailing arms and panhard rod for much better axle location, tramp control etc. together with adjustable progressive springing and damping. You can maybe take advantage that cost of such mods by previous owner do not reflect in secondhand price significantly.

FWIW the factory adopted their own version of this rear suspension on the limited production Cosworth engined ARP4 and all Roadsters built after April 2018.

I'd say the Plus Four Super Sports is a bit of a modern Trad Morgan sweet spot, it uses the engine from the updated Mk3 Mazda MX5 known as the NC2, the NC2 got several upgrades including a forged steel crankshaft, forged steel connecting rods with floating wrist pins, revised pistons with stronger wrist pin bosses, and stiffer valve springs. As a result the engine in the NC2 produces it’s maximum output of 158hp at 6,700 rpm with the fuel cut at 7,200 rpm, in simple terms it's the best 2.0 Duratec, Morgan then added a really good long tube equal length exhaust manifold and a set of individual throttle bodies, fuel and ignition was controlled by an Omex ECU, this all took the output from 158hp to 200hp.

TBH the Duratec is a fantastic engine full stop in any guise, its super easy to tune and very strong, Morgan only produced 60 Duratec Super Sports, they're quite rare and comand a significant premium over a standard Duratec Plus 4 so I took a standard Plus 4 that had benefited from a Mulfab front wishbone conversion and created my own Super Sports. I commissioned a talented local fabricator to build me a Super Sports replica exhaust manifold, a freer flowing exhaust system, and a long runner inlet as an alternative to the ITBs Morgan used as I wanted torque.

ITBs can be fussy to setup and keep balanced, cold starts are also nearly always poor with throttle bodies in my experience, instead of the old Omex ECU which is a bit outdated these days I went with the latest EMU Black from ECU Masters, I then fitted a set of 440cc Bosch Green Giant injectors a pair of Newman Phase 2 cams and 80lb beehive valve springs. The result being more power and better drivability than an SS for less money than an SS, peak power now arrives at 7,250rpm with the fuel cut coming in at 7,500 rpm.

So don't discount taking a standard Duratec Plus 4 and tuning it as I did, I must say I got lucky with the previous owner shelling out £6k on the Mulfab front wishbone conversion which replaces Morgan's rather vintage sliding pillar front end, if you can find a Trad Morgan with this set up I can highly recommend it. I've not tried a Morgan with the SSL five link rear end, its another £6k fitted so if you're looking at an SS with it already fitted it'll probably offer a good saving. However, while I'm sure coils will give a better ride than leaf springs, at the end of the day it doesn't get rid of the old beam axle so I decided to take a different path. I fitted BCC anti-tramp leaf springs pairing them with a set of quality Bilstein dampers from SSL, a Pahard rod stopped the axle lateral movement and a lowering kit from SiFab was fitted and dialed in by Techniques Morgan.

I'm super happy with the results and saved myself a good chunk of cash over a Super Sports, so perhaps taking a standard Duratec Plus 4 and tuning it to create your own SS is another option to consider?

Can you post the numbers please.

Just my humble 2 cents. I too have a 2007 Elise since new, with Rotrex supercharger a very sporty little car. And I had a P4SS from 2012 to 2015, converted to LHD especially for me. It was my most exciting Morgan, the pinnacle of racing cars with good road capability. Because it would never have passed the MOT legally (no OBD2) I sold it with a heavy heart after 3 years to someone who only drives it on the track.
If I were you, Ted's owner, and this is my completely subjective opinion that should not offend anyone else, I only know SSL as a passenger, it was very comfortable. It would not suit a P4SS as well, it is no longer the authentic quaint Morgan it should be. SSL is comfort but on a P4SS it's like a fabric softener.
I would watch for another issue, 2011 was a year of the worst leaf springs at MMC. My new P4SS completely sagged in the rear on the driver side after only three quarters of a year. I got new leaf springs under warranty that held up well until I sold it. Ask if yours are still original, if they perform you don't have to change but most likely you have to.
If I were that new to everything Morgan I wouldn't directly replace an 80 year old design without even getting to know it. For me the leaf spring belongs to the traditional Morgan like the hydro-pneumatics to the old Citroen. If you want to drive very comfortably, you have other cars for that and the Morgan remains intense and unfiltered in the experience. But as I said, that's just me, you or others may like SSL well in the P4SS.