Morgan +4 Forum

Most of these "classic cars" are rented out for a day or weekend and not really intended for a long distance tour. When returned they are looked over cleaned and prepped for the next client. I almost brought this up but thought I would see how you get along. The Morgan factory itself rents out cars that are new and modern mechanics and maybe was a better bet but of course more expensive overall. They all can be made to hold up for a long tour but its usually by a private owner who knows his car inside and out. A friend of mine has driven his MGB around the world in 2 years and just completed a trip of 2500 miles through France/Italy in super hot weather with NO problem.
Oh well hope your trip goes smooth with what ever car you have. Best of luck. ...visit the Morgan factory if you get an opportunity you will love it!

Pity. But our Morgans are so similar, I can fill up your trip album. Curiously, you moved from my Morgan to my wife's etype.. You have a Series 1.5 there. 1968-1969?


I think I know (again) what might have happened with the Plus 8. I shall explain for the group. Many Plus 8 people upgrade the rather feeble fans Morgan used until they
opted for the hyper powerful SPALs (circa 1999). However, in the beginning, the company simply installed the SPAL and nothing more. That was unwise.

The SPAL's electrical draw, especially on startup, uses far more electricity than the earlier fans. So much so that even using a 30 amp fuse in the fusebox only worsened
the issue, as the earlier fan wires were not rated that high and the wires could melt. They blew some engines in Europe. Not everyone is as smart as you (including my son-in
-law). That coolant temperature gauge is there for a reason. A SPAL after-the-fact, must be installed with a special hefty relay and upgraded writing hooked into the starter or
alternator. http://www.gomog.com/allmorgan/TANKS.html#Cooling If there is no wire/fusebox damage, it can be fixed for a few minutes and fewer quid on parts from an
automobile factor. Otherwise, the fan will work only until it is in bumper-to-bumper traffic where the fan goes off and on constantly.

I am disappointed. But there is nothing wrong with an etype. What a sublime suspension!

Blow it off. Aside from understandable annoyance..nothing has changed about the joy of your trip Please continue your updates.

gmg.

John Harrison and Lorne raise a good point: Any car can be turned into a reliable long distance tourer as long as you know your car's personal idiosyncrasies and compensate accordingly. Based on personal experience that even goes for notoriously "binary" on/off cars like Alfa, Ferrari, Jags and anything riddled with Lucas issues. Simply upgrade and modify in a thoughtful manner to compensate for any known weaknesses, exactly like Lorne's relay suggestion for the fan.

All that said, some of the best adventures in life can be had if you buy a car located far away, fly out and drive it home. By the time you're safely in the driveway you truly know that car.

In a sense that's what Ken is doing, albeit in a more civilized fashion. If he wanted a Camry he would have rented a Camry, but now we get to share his adventure. Thanks Ken!

Well written Ascari! And thank you for the kind words.

Some respectful codicils?

1. Yes..any Morgan can be made into reliable and eminently comfortable long distance vehicle. It is merely easier for amateurs to do so with Morgans than other, more
complex cars. I have done so with three Plus 8s of varying ages. They all took about 2 years...10-20 thousand miles. The new Morgan required more inetensive care
than the pre-owned ones.

2. Yes. Driving your new Morgan home is a learning experience....an ongoing experience with a Morgan is each time. A long first drive shows one how the car handles but
not all its hidden secrets. For example, on the drive home (500 miles) I learned the tyres the car came with were terrible (14 years old!) and bought new ones before
arriving. But I didn't realize the car's electrics were too fragile until I lost my engine ground/earth the next day.

Coilector cars too often show their lack of usage. The rental ones do a fine trade from to a wedding ceremony and back, but are less used to long trips...and their owners
and the renters are not as savvy about them. That being said, the adventures of driving such a car for weeks through many placss are infinite., life-affirming. That's why
we bought, built up and kept another Morgan in Morganland.

I have always wondered why there isn't a Morgans-Across-Europe annual tour. Actually makes more sense than touring the Americas .

Incoming!!!

gmg

Lorne is absolutely correct - each of the cars we hired - Morgan and Jag - were only "tested" for a day or so by prior clients. None subjected them to a long (1000+ mile) trip.

Very spotty wifi here so I will fill in more details of our adventures later this week.

- Ken

Next time we can see if we can find you a well-sorted private car.

That being said..some of our best impromptu adventures have resulted from a mechanical issue. I laugh just remembering them.

gmg

OK, I'm back to the USA and have good WiFi

The Jag was also a recent acquisition by the firm we used. It was a 1968 2+2 which they said it had only 22,000 miles on it. I believe it was actually 122,000 miles based on the condition of the interior and engine compartment.

Very nice car on the road, but it also had problems. In the first rainstorm, the driver's side wiper arm completely flew off. Luckily it was at relatively low speed and was caught against the antenna. I hammed it back on but it did it again, this time in a roundabout, as I entered into a 60 mph road with no pullovers. Again it stayed on the bonnet, up against the antenna. I drove slowly for over a mile with flashers going until I could pull over and retrieve it. Drove the next 2 hours to our destination in heavy rain with poor visibility.

Next day the car refused to shut off. Turned it off, pulled out the key and it keep running! Had to stall it to shut it down.

Next day it wouldn't start. The battery, which I had questioned when they delivered it, was very old and tested bad. Also had no tie-downs so it was bouncing the entire time.

All this was happening the day we had to get on a ferry to Ireland to continue our trip, so we left the Jag at long term parking for the Ferry and terminated our contract with the agency.

In Ireland we rented a new Audi from Hertz and, while less fun, it was a relief to not worry about problems.

All in all it would have been wiser to spend 50% more and rent a new Morgan from the factory...

- Ken



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2019-08-22 01:41 PM by Lowcountry Ken.

Look at it this way: This thread has 67 posts. If you had rented a new Morgan from factory it would have one post: "Arrived in the UK. Picked up Morgan. Drove to all planned destinations without incident. Had a good time. Left the UK.". Nobody would be interested in reading about that.

To be honest the Agency you used does not seem very competent whether the vehicles are used for short distances or not.

Trust me..renting from that source often ends the same...and 50% more costly.

The best bet is a private rental from a good owner or topflight dealer. The degree of Morgan reliability (new OR old) is not a function of age
but rather who the owner is and how he/she cares for their car. Ditto for etypes. And this is only after the standard two year sorting period
(again whether the example is new OR old). The sad bit about new Morgans is, like all cars today, they are not conducive to full owner interaction
in this regard. Your experience with battery that was not tied down and only held by its electrical cable and ground, reminds me of two incidents
of owner factory pickup of new cars with the same issue and those are only the ones I know of.

I bought my 1990 UK Plus 8 sight unseen..and it turned out a mess. But I didn't give up, had it restored. http://www.gomog.com/restoration/restoration1.html
and worked myself on the brakes, suspension, engine, exhaust for that famous couple of years. It then loyally responded by giving me 7 absolutely trouble-free
years and 55,000 miles in England, Ireland and Europe. One of the finest periods of our lives If I still had it, I would have let you take it. Yours was a
noble adventure that spoke to me.

I had no wish to fill you with warnings like a worried granny. The ONLY professionals I trust with Morgan hire in England is the best dealer in the world
network, Brands Hatch Morgan..near the Brands Hatch race track southeast of London. They are not simply smart and knowledgeable, they are super
sweet people, always with a fresh cup of tea and a smiling face. Next time, we will find you a well sorted Morgan and a load of backup.
http://www.morgan-cars.com/hire/

Lorne

Lowcountry Ken,
I've enjoyed following your adventure. Not sure if you belong to one of the local Beaufort clubs with your MGA, but invite you to consider joining the British Car Club of Charleston, if not already a member. Driving up from Beaufort would be a piece of cake after your adventure! Our 35th annual British Car Day is coming up on October 26th and we do get folks from your area. It promises to be another incredible show!

Glad you made it back safe and sound to our beloved Lowcountry.

Cheers,
Irene