Buying and Maintaining a Modern Traditional Morgan E-Book

David Wellings

• Herausgeber: Crowood
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 294

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

Beschreibung

From 1997, traditional four-wheeled Morgans were modernized with superformed aluminium wings, a stainless steel bulkhead, stainless exhausts, and alterations to the body tub that provided longer doors, an increase in interior width, and a roll hoop under the dashboard. Buying and Maintaining a Modern Traditional Morgan provides practical advice on choosing, running and even modifying one of these exceptional cars, including full technical specifications of each model since 1997. Topics covered in the book include: buying your first Morgan, and the variations available; making the best of the cockpit area and optimizing comfort; staying dry in the rain and protecting the bodywork from wear and tear; Morgan suspension, the practicalities and the modifications available; service and maintenance for the home mechanic and, finally, a practical guide to touriing holidays in a Morgan. Includes a Foreword by Steve Morris. Superbly illustrated with 251 colour photographs.

Leseprobe

BUYING AND

MAINTAINING A

MODERN

TRADITIONAL

MORGAN

DAVID WELLINGS

Foreword by Steve Morris

THE CROWOOD PRESS

First published in 2018 by

The Crowood Press Ltd

Ramsbury, Marlborough

Wiltshire SN8 2HR

www.crowood.com

This e-book first published in 2018

© David Wellings 2018

All rights reserved. This e-book is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of thistext may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 1 78500 378 3

Disclaimer

Safety is of the utmost importance in every aspect of an automotive workshop. The practical procedures and the tools and equipment used in automotive workshops are potentially dangerous. Tools should be used in strict accordance with the manufacturer’s recommended procedures and current health and safety regulations. The author and publisher cannot accept responsibility for any accident or injury caused by following the advice given in this book.

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

FOREWORD

INTRODUCTION

1 BUYING A MODERN TRADITIONAL MORGAN

2 MAKING YOURSELF COMFORTABLE

3 KEEPING THE RAIN OUT

4 PROTECTING THE WINGS AND BODY TUB

5 THE REAR PANEL, VALANCE AND SPARE-WHEEL WELL

6 SELECTING AND FITTING ACCESSORIES

7 THE ENGINE BAY

8 TRADITIONAL MORGAN SUSPENSION

9 THE TOOL TRAY

10 THE UNDERTRAY AND FRONT VALANCE

11 SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE

12 TOURING HOLIDAYS

SPECIALIST WEBSITES

THE DEALER NOTICE FROM 1997

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This book would not have been possible without the following:

My wife Margaret and daughter Jayne, for putting up with a car fanatic in the house for so many years, with so much patience and tolerance. And mugs of tea!

My two ‘willing volunteer’ proof readers, Simon Hall and John Stride, and all those Morgan enthusiasts who frequent Talk Morgan on-line, and have welcomed and encouraged my ramblings since 2008. Also very special thanks to Simon Murphy, who founded the Talk Morgan forum, and also Brian Voakes, and Keith Jackson at Brands Hatch Morgans for their invaluable assistance.

All those officers and members of the Morgan Sports Car Club, who have made such encouraging noises about my monthly ‘Concours Spot’ in Miscellany over the last six years.

Steve Morris, managing director of Morgan Motor Co., for agreeing to contribute the Foreword, and especially to all the people who work at Morgan Motor Company: for what they build, for the unique experience their cars provide on the road, for the magical experience provided on factory tours, and their personal involvement with customers who take the plunge on a new build.

Finally, my grateful thanks to Richard Palmer, a Morgan enthusiast who lives in Australia, who sent me a copy of the Dealer Notice from Morgan Motor Company, dated 3 July 1997. The title is ‘June 1997 Bodywork Revisions’, and six pages from this notice are reproduced at Appendix II.

All photographs are by the author unless otherwise credited to the following: Glenn Barker; Jochen Ernsting; Roger Gates; Peter Gilbert; Steve Harris; John Hayes; Steve Langston; Dirk Mattheus; Richard Palmer; Adrian Slade; John Stride.

FOREWORD

Morgan history is steeped in examples of sheer dedication as demonstrated by the individuals, companies and bodies of people who have collaborated with Morgan in a quest to create a luxury vehicle, or an associated Morgan-related product or service, which will, quite literally, put a smile on the user’s face from the day they collect their vehicle. Their aim is to create a unique, total experience which ensures that customers create a special bond with their vehicles.

If one word could describe the Morgan story it would be evolution, because since the birth of the company in 1909 we have been fortunate in witnessing an ever-increasing global customer base, people who own, maintain and add to their Morgan stable, which for any marque is a testament to both vehicles and customers. More importantly for Morgan, this demonstrates the value of our cars to their owners, and the longevity of ownership – in some instances more than forty years – clearly places further emphasis on the importance of vehicle maintenance.

Because of this unique customer/ownership model, the maintenance of their vehicles has, and remains, an extremely important part of the overall Morgan experience. This book helps to describe this crucial and intrinsic facet of their journey.

Morgan is now in its 108th year of vehicle manufacture, and reliable sources indicate that in excess of 90 per cent of all four-wheeled Morgan cars are still on the road, or in existence in some form or another. It is therefore even more important that the knowledge and practical experience contained within this book has now been made available for owners to reference throughout their vehicle/ownership lifecycle.

It is often quoted that every Morgan is bespoke and entirely individual, and this is very often an important factor in customer satisfaction, particularly because this element of ownership adds to the experience at the ever-increasing number of Morgan gatherings and events. This unique Morgan experience is further enhanced by the significant variety of vehicle options and after-market accessories that are available. It is widely acknowledged that this, in addition to the evolution of the model range throughout our history, has ensured that each customer can create their own unique and individual car to suit their personal taste and requirements.

An intrinsic part of the Morgan story are those owners and enthusiasts such as David Wellings, who are tremendous ambassadors for the marque. They ensure that both existing and new customers are welcomed and have the opportunity to access vital expertise, knowledge and statistics pertinent to the model range. This gives an extremely useful platform both for the existing customer base, and to those who are considering buying their first Morgan.

The traditional Morgan story and model evolution has been exciting, and is extremely interesting when looking back. The company heritage has been well documented in a variety of sources over the years. It is certainly timely for a publication of this nature, with the 4/4 now in its eighty-first year of production – which as a company we are proud to say, makes it the longest-running production vehicle model in the world.

This book is a truly valuable addition to the Morgan knowledge base, and exemplifies the embodiment of the Morgan community spirit, demonstrating how individuals strive to add value to the Morgan experience for the wider Morgan audience. I would personally like to thank David Wellings and the contributors to this book, for their valuable effort in ensuring the traditional Morgan continues to thrive, and remains operational through good maintenance and the knowledge acquired through shared experiences.

Unquestionably the production of this book has been a huge undertaking, involving a significant amount of work, time and effort to collect and collate information of this nature, and I have absolutely no doubt that all Morgan owners and the Morgan community as a whole will be extremely grateful to the author David Wellings.

Steve Morris

Managing Director

Morgan Motor Company Ltd

INTRODUCTION

I joined the Morgan Sports Car Club in 2003 after many years of living and breathing MG cars. I had reached the point where I could consider fulfilling a dream of buying a Morgan. My previous experiences of the MG Owners Club and MG Car Club had shown clearly that marque-specific car clubs provide an invaluable resource, and a huge amount of information and pool of knowledge to both potential and new owners. I wished to take full advantage of this expertise, before taking the plunge into my first Morgan. This cautious approach also gave me a five-year lead-in, during which time I hoped to convince my wife that my plan was a good idea.

In the summer of 2008 I had visited my nearest Morgan dealer, where I was made very welcome, and I had a short test drive in a 2005 Roadster, courtesy of a very considerate and generous regular customer. I had also arranged a ride out in an older Morgan Plus 8 with a local MSCC member, so I could make a direct comparison with the MGBGTV8 which I owned at that time. All of this confirmed to me that I was doing the right thing.

It didn’t take long to sell my MGB, in July 2008, and this happened rather sooner than my wife or I had expected. Earlier in the year, my first step had been to create a list of the optional extras which I thought I would like to have when buying a Morgan. This list was based on my acquired knowledge from reading Miscellany, the monthly magazine of the Morgan Sports Car Club, over the previous five years. I had also researched various Morgan-related websites at length.

The author, plus 2005 Series 1 V6 3-litre Roadster.

By July 2008, I believed that I had enough of the detail clear in my mind – but the reality was very different. In truth, I only had some of the information that I really needed to buy the right Morgan. Despite this handicap, I did manage to locate and buy the car that I really wanted, but a lot of luck was involved! I had been scoping the classifieds for some time, and at the end of August 2008 I drove home from a village near Telford along the A5 and A38, on a fine, dry summer’s day, soaking up my first real Morgan experience in a 2005 3-litre V6 Roadster.

The Morgan Roadster was not part of my initial thinking, because I had intended to seek out a classic Morgan Plus 8, after driving behind the Rover V8 engine in my MGB for the previous twenty-two years. But they do say that a Morgan will choose you, and this Roadster literally took my breath away. It looked spectacular in Corsa Red with a black interior, black carpets edged in red, stainless wire wheels, and an easy-up hood. It was just three years old, and with around 5,000 miles recorded. The fact that it had first been a dealer demonstrator, and had already had two owners subsequently, did not put me off! With the benefit of eight years’ experience, and a dash of hindsight, I now realize that I went into this adventure quite ill informed, despite trying to get to grips with the intricacies of Morgan cars over the previous five years.

My experiences in buying my first Morgan, and in maintaining and improving it, became the catalyst for this book. Despite there being a wide and interesting selection of Morgan books on the market, none provide a layman’s ownership guide to the modern traditional four-wheeled Morgan. Towards the end of 2008 I discovered Talk Morgan, an on-line forum of Morgan enthusiasts, and it wasn’t long before I was posting my ‘taking care of things’ efforts on to this forum, something which has continued to this day.

In 2013 we decided to expand our fleet, and added a 2-litre Morgan 4/4 75th Anniversary to our collection. Again, this Morgan chose us, and with 12,000 miles already recorded in twelve months, provided even more opportunities to take care of things. We enjoyed this Morgan for three years, and had some fantastic touring holidays in it. Then in the spring of 2016, we decided to push the boat out, and order a new Morgan Plus 4, so that we could enjoy the full new car factory experience. This time I knew exactly what I wanted! Our car went through the factory in June 2016 and I was present to watch the build whenever I could get down there. We were not disappointed with the result.

In 2010 I became Concours Secretary for the Morgan Sports Car Club, and I held this position until the AGM in April 2017, when I stood down. In that role I organized the annual concours event, and wrote a monthly column, ‘The Concours Spot’, in Miscellany, the magazine of the MSCC. Of necessity, my brief extended beyond pure concours matters, and some of the Morgan improvements and maintenance tips which featured there, are incorporated in this book. Over the past eight years I was often asked why I didn’t compile my ownership experiences into a book. For all the usual reasons, but mainly due to lack of time, this didn’t happen until ‘now’, when my New Year resolution finally took hold, and the writing began in January 2017.

In the context of this book title I would like to set the scene, and explain how my definition of a modern traditional Morgan came about. My own experiences have related to a conventional steel chassis car with aluminium panels, Superform wings, and a stainless-steel bulkhead. This definition, and therefore this book, doesn’t include the Aero range, or Aero-based Plus 8, although the chapters on the body tub and hood are equally relevant to the current Aero Plus 8.

For those readers who may not be too familiar with the evolution of the traditional Morgan, I will add a little more detail. To the untrained eye, a Morgan is a Morgan, and they all look the same. Well, they do from a distance. But the reality is very different when you look more closely. The traditional shape, which has survived for so long, actually hides a huge number of evolutionary changes. It is not my intention to ignore the four-seater variant, and most of my writing will relate equally to the four-seater, but my personal experience is wholly based on the two-seater Morgan. The pivotal moment in the evolution of the modern traditional Morgan arrived in 1997, and I will explain more about this in Chapter 1.

Within the Morgan Sports Car Club is an active group of owners who race, hillclimb and sprint their modern traditional Morgans. Using a Morgan in this way is outside the scope of my experiences, and this book. I will admit though, to having driven up the hill at Prescott and Shelsley Walsh, and enjoyed these experiences! There is a huge range of competition information available from the MSCC, and from a number of dealers and specialists who are long-standing and highly experienced Morgan competitors, if you wish to participate in these activities.

CHAPTER ONE

BUYING A MODERN TRADITIONAL MORGAN

The pivotal moment in Morgan history, which became the genesis of the modern traditional Morgan, arrived in 1997. It was during this year that the Morgan Motor Company made a huge investment into commissioning Superform wings.

This process is where sheet aluminium is heated to a plastic state, and then moulded over a former, using air pressure. Morgan Motor Co. have informed me that the Superform wings were originally CAD designed and tooled from three sets of Morgan 4/4 hand-fabricated wings, so when they were first test fitted in wider form to the Plus 8, some additional shaping was needed to get a good fit. It was also the intention to wire roll the edges in order to maintain the look of the earlier hand-made wings, but this was found to be impossible due to the inherent stiffness in the Superform structure. This is why the U channel edge finishing profile was introduced.

It was around this time that the Plus 8 was at its widest, due to a batch of 7in-wide wire wheels being fitted as an option, and for a while the headlamp bowls were shifted inwards slightly to balance the gap to the cowl.

The 1997 (1998 model year) sales brochure covers some of these changes:

The new cars feature one-piece front wings manufactured using superformed (SPF) aluminium. The result is a superior lightweight wing with improved strength and corrosion resistance. Stainless-steel exhausts are now fitted as standard on all cars. The front wing valances, bulkhead, and front and rear bumpers are now manufactured in stainless steel for strength and durability.

In addition, a revised side-impact scuttle bar was fitted as standard behind the A posts.

In order to offer airbags as an option, the cockpit area was redesigned, moving the occupants back slightly, moving the scuttle forwards slightly, and adding a couple of inches to the doors – hence the term ‘long door’ and ‘short door’. At the same time, the Salisbury rear axle was replaced with the Australian BTR unit. These changes were announced mid-year, and would therefore have fed through into production later in 1997. However, a very important point to note is that although the body tub revisions were notified to dealers in June 1997, this update does not mention the Superform wings or stainless-steel bulkhead. Recollection at the factory is that the wings and bulkhead changes came later in that year, around October.

So we can now understand that 1997 was a year of radical change which progressed from June. Any Morgan built after June in that year is likely to show some signs of these changes; thus any Morgan built between June and October may well be a long door car with a steel bulkhead and hand-formed rolled-edge wings. Only the cars built after October are likely to feature all these enhancements.

My first Morgan, a 2005 Roadster, as viewed for the first time on 23 August 2008.

My definition of the modern traditional Morgan therefore very conveniently spans the period from 1997 to the present day, and so is ‘twenty years of the modern traditional Morgan’! Thousands of books have been written about cars, and in most cases, if the author digs deep enough and speaks with the right people, the facts and the detail will emerge. But Morgan isn’t really like this, because there is no production line: order numbers are not necessarily commissioned into production in numerical order, and chassis numbers are not necessarily built in order.

Therefore the usual basis for establishing change points in production doesn’t apply. On a working day in Malvern, a box of parts from the stores, with a build book, is paired with a chassis. So for example, on the day the brake calipers were changed from Lockheed to Caparo, cars could have been built with either type of caliper, and it would bear no relationship to either the order number or the chassis number.

With that in mind, when I mention change points, it must always be regarded as indicative and approximate. Not only that, but change points are never at 31 December, and so when a year for a change point is noted, all we can know for certain is that the change probably happened sometime during that year.

THE NEW OPTIONS

There is a comprehensive and wide-ranging list of optional extras which your dealer will be happy to provide, and which is also available on line on the Morgan Motor Co. website. There is also a ‘car creator’ function on the Morgan website, and this will allow you to build your ideal virtual Morgan.

If you are fortunate enough to be able to order a new Morgan, then relish every moment of the process, from when you first visit your chosen dealer, to when you take delivery of your new Morgan. If at all possible, you should try to visit the factory at Malvern Link as often as possible during the seventeen-day build, and make the most of an incredible, probably unique car-buying experience. Your dealer will advise you when the build commences, and your car will make rapid progress through the factory. A photo-build record is available on the new options list, and you should give this very serious consideration, because it adds greatly to the overall experience.

If you are looking at a used Morgan, then begin your search by scrutinizing the new options list. Every Morgan is different, and you may find a used car which has up to £10,000 of optional extras. That additional cost new won’t necessarily translate into the secondhand asking price, and two used Morgans at similar prices may have had significantly different prices when new. Don’t rule out a private purchase, either. I fully expected to buy my first Morgan at a Morgan dealer, with all the security and reassurance that this brings, but I did the unexpected in buying privately, without regret (the usual buyer’s precautions apply when doing this).

Production Numbers

This subject is really quite difficult to research and establish the facts. We know that the factory produce somewhere in the region of 750 to 850 Morgans each year. Within that number from 2002 has been the Aero8 and derivatives, and from 2012, the Morgan three-wheeler. The Morgan 4/4 has always tended to be the most popular model, and therefore built in greater numbers. Since 1997, from the information which is available, we can deduce that around 200 4/4s have been built each year, making a total number of over 4,000 cars since 1997.

The Morgan Plus 4 has been built in smaller numbers, and the evidence suggests that around 750 were built from 1997 with the Rover T16 engine, up to the year 2000. The Duratec-engined Plus 4 seems to be closer to 1,000 units up to 2012, and the GDI, which remains in production, stands at over 200 units. The Morgan Plus 8 was built in similar numbers to the Plus 4 in the period up to 2004, although production increased towards the end, when its demise became public knowledge. We can therefore deduce that around 1,300 Plus 8s were built in long-door form.

Finally the Morgan Roadster. With so many versions in such a short period of time means that without knowing the exact month of change we can only estimate the numbers of each. The evidence suggests around 600 Series 1 Roadsters, 300 Series 2, and 600 Series 3, making just short of 1,500 units up to 2012. It appears that the 3.7 Roadster has not met the numbers achieved by the earlier models, and that somewhere in the region of 400 have been produced at the time of writing. Around 80 per cent of production is exported, and this means that UK-specification cars across this period are only available in very small numbers. The Morganville Registry (www.Morganville. org) contains some valuable data on production numbers, and an owners’ register of Morgan cars.

THE MODEL RANGE 1997–2017

There are only three models in the modern traditional Morgan range: the 4/4, the Plus 4, and the Roadster (which replaced the classic Plus 8 in 2004).

THE MORGAN 4/4

By 1997, the Morgan 4/4 was fitted with the 1796cc Ford Zetec engine. The Zetec Silver Top 4/4s were built up to 1999 with a Gemmer steering box, but with an option of a Jack Knight steering rack. The Silver Top continued to 2002 with a steering rack as standard, and with a quick rack option (three turns lock to lock) to match the light weight and agile handling of the 4/4. The Zetec Black Top replaced the Silver Top in 2002 and was built until 2005, when the Zetec unit was replaced with the 1798cc Ford Duratec engine, with a small increase in power, from around 111bhp to 125bhp. Around the same time, a Quaife steering rack was fitted with three and a half turns lock to lock.

In addition, in 2003, Morgan had launched a new entry level model, the Runabout, which was based on the 4/4. The Runabout had a reduced number of bonnet louvres, and this model came in three standard colours with a fairly basic specification. The colours chosen were red, white and blue, these being Regal red, Whitehall white, and Bulldog blue. Obviously very patriotic! I have seen a silver Runabout, which indicates that a special paint order may have been allowed.

In 2008, the 1800cc Duratec engine was replaced with the 1600cc Ford Sigma engine in the 4/4, which was initially built only in Sport specification. This engine delivers 110bhp, and loves to be driven hard. The Sport model came with no spare wheel and with a track pack option, which included a competition roll hoop, and four-point racing harnesses. The philosophy of a limited colour palette, and limited bespoke options from the Runabout, was continued into the 4/4 Sport production run. As the factory concentrated on 4/4 Sport production, for a while there were no bespoke 4/4s. Eventually the Sport specification was incorporated into the relaunched bespoke options list for the Morgan 4/4. The 4/4 used the Ford MT-75 five-speed gearbox until 2012, when it was replaced with the Mazda MX5 five-speed unit.

THE MORGAN PLUS 4

This might be ‘any model’, as the wings are not yet fitted. The factory use slave wheels to move cars around, and here there are two Plus 4 wheels and a Roadster wheel. Only the engine gives the game away. This is a Plus 4, and the body tub has just been fitted to the chassis. The roll hoop which fits under the scuttle is visible on the floor under the rear axle; this will be fitted next.

In 1997, the Morgan Plus 4 was fitted with the 2-litre Rover T16 engine, and Rover R380 five-speed gearbox. This model lasted in production until 2000, when the Plus 4 temporarily ceased production. After a four-year break the Morgan Plus 4 was reintroduced, and was fitted with the 2-litre Ford Duratec engine with the Ford MT-75 five-speed gearbox. This proved to be a very successful and popular package, and this model survived until the Geneva motor show in 2014, when the Plus 4 GDI was announced, with 154bhp and 148lb/ft of torque, which was a small increase over the 145bhp and 138lb/ft of torque of the previous Duratec model. In 2012 the Plus 4 was fitted with the Mazda MX5 five-speed gearbox.

A limited number of Plus 4 Sport models have been built, and a limited number of narrow-bodied Plus 4s, which were initially launched as the ‘4/4 75th Anniversary’ cars. This model had Plus 4 running gear in a 4/4 package, with narrow wings and wheels, and with 185/70 Avon performance tyres. Three standard colours were available – Sport black, Sport red, and Old English white. One car was finished in Sport yellow to special order. There have been three high performance versions of the Plus 4 in this period, all of which were produced in limited numbers with very limited bespoke options. These are the Plus 4 Super Sport, the Plus 4 Baby Doll (a competition car), and the Aero Racing Plus 4 (ARP4).

THE FOUR-SEATERS

Note here the narrow gap between headlamp nacelle and cowl of a Morgan 4/4.

Towards the end of 1996, the 4/4 four-seater was built with a rear bench seat. A change in safety regulations overtook this design, and it wasn’t until 1999 that a redesigned twin rear bucket seat was made available in the long-door body tub, and the 4/4 four-seater restarted production. But this was only until 2003, when once again the four-seater was discontinued. The four-seater was relaunched at the end of 2005, and exhibited at Geneva in 2006 as a Roadster, with a Plus 4 four-seater also available. The design now had curved rear sidescreens, a redesigned rear body section, and a much improved hood design. These models continued in production to November 2016, but were only built in very limited numbers.

THE MORGAN PLUS 8

In 1997, the traditional Morgan Plus 8 was available with the Rover V8 engine, of either 3.9 litres (some were marketed as 4.0 litres), or 4.6 litres with the Rover R380 five-speed gearbox. The GEMS (Land Rover) 3.9-litre V8 produced 190bhp, and the 4.6-litre produced 194.4bhp. The real difference was in the torque – 225lb/ft vs 260lb/ft. The Morgan Plus 8 was never offered with the four-seater bodywork, although two four-seater Plus 8s are known to exist.

THE MORGAN ROADSTER

The wider gap of the 2005 Roadster. In 2010, the Plus 4 and Roadster received a wider front frame (crosshead), so the more recent Plus 4 has a gap similar to this, whilst the later Roadsters have a wider gap. Note also the different position of the indicator lamp relative to the headlamp.

In 2004, the Rover V8 engine was replaced with the Ford 3-litre V6 Duratec engine, and renamed ‘Roadster’. Retrospectively this model became the Series 1 Roadster, and the Ford Mondeo ST220-derived V6 produced 223bhp, and 200lb/ft of torque. The initial engineering on this unit came from Porsche, who were also developing a V6 engine, and Cosworth, who helped with cylinder-head manufacturing. The Series 1 Roadster has a Getrag 221 five-speed gearbox with direct drive in fifth, and used a 3.08:1 rear-axle ratio.

A limited number of lightweight Roadsters was built, and these were aimed at competition use. They were fitted with bolt-on alloy wheels and were stripped out inside. These cars were usually two-tone, and most appear to have been built with a dark blue body and silver wings, and with a hardtop, although other colours were also produced.

The revised Series 2 and Series 3 production Roadsters have the Ford MT-75 five-speed gearbox with direct drive in fourth, an overdrive fifth, and with a 3.73:1 axle ratio. The overall gearing is almost the same, but the later Roadsters are very slightly higher geared overall in fifth gear. These later Roadsters were powered by a Ford Escape-derived 3-litre V6, which is closely related to the earlier V6, and which was fitted to a range of small SUVs in the United States.

The S2 Roadster specification engine delivered 201bhp, and was adopted by Morgan from around 2007 to 2010. In 2007, this engine had been significantly reworked by Ford, releasing 240bhp, and 223lb/ft of torque. This engine was adopted by Morgan in 2010, into what became the S3 Roadster, and a Roadster Sport option was introduced at the same time. Finally, in 2013, after a short break in Roadster production, this V6 engine was replaced with the Ford 3.7-litre V6 Cyclone engine used in the Mustang, and the power increased to 280bhp. This model is fitted with the Ford/Getrag MT-82 six-speed gearbox.

In 2015 the first customer Morgan Aero Racing V6 (ARV6) was produced: this model is a hard-core competition car, based on the 3.7-litre Roadster, and has been built in extremely limited numbers. At the Geneva Motor Show in 2006, the new Roadster fourseater was exhibited, and this model was available until November 2016.

BODY WIDTH

All modern traditional Morgans now share a common chassis and body tub width. This means that any of the current traditional models will provide the same amount of interior space ‘door to door’. However, the 3.7-litre Roadster has a larger gearbox than the earlier 3-litre Roadsters, and current 4-cylinder cars. This means that the transmission tunnel is wider, thus making the footwells narrower, although a small amount of extra space has been found in the outer bulkhead panels on these cars.

The dimensional differences between each model in the traditional range is simply in the width of the wings. These all begin the same size, but are expertly trimmed along the inside edges to fit each car, and to accommodate the different width of wheels and tyres available for each model. This can be observed in two places. The width across the rear wing, from the body tub beading to the wing edge, varies by model. The distance between the edge of the radiator cowl and the headlamp nacelle also varies by model. The Morgan 4/4 has less than 20mm (1in) width between the cowl and headlamp nacelle, whereas the Roadster reveals a significantly larger distance – about 80mm (4in) – between the two. The Plus 4, as you might expect, is somewhere in between. Note also that the headlamp nacelles of the modern traditional Morgan are placed slightly further out on the wings than they were on the cars built before 1997.

Some Morgans are distinctly lozenge shaped, in that the rear track may be almost 150mm (6in) wider than the front track. This becomes very important if you have limited access into your garage. Wire wheels provide a slightly wider track than bolt-on alloy wheels of the same width, and there have been two widths of front crossheads fitted (the front tubular frame). Initially, in the period covered by this book, the crosshead on all models, measured between the bottom of the kingpins, was 1,030mm (40.5in); in 2010 this was widened for the Plus 4 and S3 Roadster, to 1,110mm (43.75in). The 4/4 model has continued with the narrower crosshead.

By searching the dealer websites and classifieds you will also find that there are bespoke Plus 4s with 4/4 wheels, and bespoke Plus 4s with Roadster wheels. No two cars are exactly the same, and it’s very much down to personal choice as to which combination you find most attractive to look at, and live with. Some enthusiasts prefer the narrow front aspect of the 4/4, and this includes the ‘narrow Plus 4’.

Long-Door Cars

A short-door car, without door handles, which were an option at that time. In 2017 door handles are standard, with a delete option at extra cost. Also evident here is the distinct narrowing of the bulkhead above the upper hinge.

A long-door car, with door handles. Compare this to the previous image and you will note the reduced gap between the door and wing, and the wider bulkhead panel above the upper hinge. Note also the shaped lower profile of the sidescreen panel, and compare this with the next image.

The doors gained approximately 50mm (2in) in length when airbags became an option in 1997 (these were later discontinued), and the bulkhead was moved forwards. At the same time the windscreen demister vents were discontinued, and an electrically heated screen was introduced. And so the heated front screen cars are long-door cars.

It is very easy to spot a long-door car: simply compare the distance between the trailing edge of the door and the beading where the rear wing meets the body, and the long door/shorter gap is apparent. Longer doors make getting in and out easier, so if you are taller, then a long-door car may be the better option for you. Remember also that two different door lengths result in two sets of sidescreen dimensions, and the sidescreen shape and seal design has also evolved over time.

Early Morgans in this period, which had the flat composite A pillars, also had sidescreen frames with a rubber seal on the front edge, along the top, and down the trailing edge. This is yet one more reason why Morgans can look so very different from each other. There was a further alteration to the sidescreen trim panel around 2010, when the trailing edge was straightened. Originally the shape was concave to match up with the curve of the rear wheel arch.

There is a factory option available on the doors, of elasticated pockets, which may also have a contrasting colour top edge; there is also a leather trim option on the steering column surround, and also around the interior door locks. When this option is not specified, the steering column surround and door-lock covers are black plastic.

HOOD TYPES AND MATERIALS

There is a simple choice of hood material: either Everflex (vinyl), or mohair (Twillfast). The standard colour is black, but there are many other colour options available, usually at extra cost.

THE TRADITIONAL HOOD

A traditional Everflex hood. Three turnbuckle fasteners are visible on the B panel to the rear of the door; the traditional hood overlaps the edge of the B-post panel.

This hood type fits over the windscreen header rail using nine lift-the-dot fasteners, and fits on to the rear tub with a mixture of lift-the-dot, durable dot and turnbuckle fasteners. Note that ‘turnbuckle’ has become the accepted and recognized name for a fastener which is more properly known as a ‘turn-button’ fastener. I will use the accepted name of ‘turnbuckle’ in this book.