Buying a used four wheeled Morgan

So it is time to treat yourself to the car you have been dreaming about, this article is intended to make sure that the dream comes true and does not turn into a nightmare. Having spent most of my adult life either repairing or driving Morgans and as somebody who does not sell cars I feel qualified to offer the following impartial advice.

A good start would be to join the Morgan Sports Car Club, this is an excellent organisation that brings together like-minded enthusiasts of four wheeled Morgans. Joining the club gets you a monthly magazine in which you will see many cars for sale both private and trade. You will also get details of local centres and their meetings, it is always a good idea to go along and have a chat to a few people, especially if you are unsure of which model to buy. For the cost of a drink or two you will get to view and possibly get a ride in a few cars. Join by logging on to www.mscc.uk.com

Which Model?

4/4
Designating four wheels and four cylinders, produced from 1936 to the present day and available with either two seats or four. This is the entry model still giving a sporting performance but having the smallest engine of the range. Anything between 1100 and 1800cc according to the year of manufacture.
+4
Introduced after the Second World War in both two and four seater versions, these are basically similar to 4/4's but with a larger engines usually around 2000cc. Later cars were built on wider +8 chassis's. This gives a bit more room in the cockpit but makes the car a bit less agile round the bends.
+8
From 1968 Morgan offered a car fitted with the Buick/Rover V8 engine. Apart from a couple of specials they were only ever made as 2 seaters. The actual power output and cubic capacity varied throughout the thirty-year production, but all have massive torque and vary between 3500cc and 4600cc. Great cars for long distance touring and surprisingly good on fuel.
Roadster
This model replaces the +8 as the V8 engine is no longer produced. As with the +8 only two seaters are made. The engine is a V6 Ford unit of 3000cc. This modern engine equates to faster acceleration than a plus eight, but without the massive torque and the V8 exhaust rumble.
Runabout
Only produced for a couple of years, basically a super value 4/4 with fabric seats, limited colour range and only a few louvres in the bonnets.
Lowline/Wide Body
You may see adverts for 4/4's with lowline or wide bodies, these are 4/4's with wider than standard wheels and wider wings to cover them. Condition If you are a hands-on person looking for a project, then a Morgan being fairly straightforward to work on is a great car to restore. Most parts are readily available and there are a network of specialists offering both upgraded and replacement parts. The rule here is to work out a budget for the required parts and specialist services before you buy the car, then double it! If you are not very hands on it will probably be best to search for a car in good condition, as a professional restoration will cost around the same price of an equivalent new car. This sounds ridiculous but quite a number of people still choose this route if they are looking for a very bespoke, high quality, or early styled car.

Where to Look

The dealers, especially those that have been dealers for many years, are a good place to start. The Morgan world is generally a friendly one and has a very effective bush telegraph, so dodgy dealers don't last long. There are indeed great bargains in the private adverts, but beware, owners having cherished their car for many years are inclined to think it is worth more than it really is.

Over the phone - what to ask about

Interrogate the vendor, get some history, how has the car been stored and used? Damp storage conditions and daily use are a real killer for the bodywork. These cars are constructed using old-fashioned methods and materials; they need to be loved. Has the car been serviced? Some owners neglect this because they only do low annual mileage, but things seize up when not in use!

When you get there

Check out the paper work. Most owners keep old M.O.T.'s and bills which can be useful in checking out the mileage and gives an indication as to how the car has been maintained. Check the chassis number, which can be found on the chassis crossmember below the driver's seat.

The checklist

This is meant to be a basic guide for a first inspection of a Morgan, if it still looks like the right car for you after checking out the following go ahead and get an expert to carry out a full check.
Chassis
All late cars have a galvanised chassis, prior to that, this was offered as an optional extra. If it is not galvanised have a good look at the rear crossmember (the one just behind the fuel tank), as the bottom plate tends to be the first place to rot. Also take a look at the triangular fillets just forward of the front bulkhead.
Crossframe
This is a tubular frame that supports the front suspension, it is quite weak and bends easily in a frontal impact. Take a look at the two bracing tubes that bolt to the lower flange of the chassis - they should be straight. Don't worry too much if the frame is showing signs of surface rust - it is a fairly easy job to clean and paint it.
Ash Frame
Post 1986 the ash frames were treated, but the conditions in which the car has been used and stored will have the greatest effect on the state of the frame. You will struggle to see any of it with the trim in place and most vendors will not like you ripping bits of trim out of their car. What you can do is open the doors by about one inch then lift up and down on the back edge of the door. It is normal to feel a little bit of play in the door hinges but anything more than that means major works. Also take a look at the rail to which the rear numberplate panel attaches, particularly at the ends. Any work to the frame is expensive.
Bodywork
This is an expensive area on which to carry out repairs so look hard. Morgan has used steel, aluminium and latterly some stainless steel in the construction of the body. Start by having a look at the inner structure. Then move on to the outer panels.
Bulkhead
This will not be a problem on very late cars as they were fitted with stainless steel bulkheads. All others, lift the bonnet and look in the toolbox, also get down in the footwell and have a look at the bottom edge of the bulkhead at the side of the pedals.
Valances (inner wings)
These are the upright sheet metal panels between the chassis and the front wings. They suffer badly at the back end where they attach to the bulkhead, get down on your back and shine a torch up underneath the wing. Cars built in the nineties seem to be the worst.
Wings
Post 98 cars were fitted with superform aluminium wings, prior to that steel or aluminium was an option. Superform is generally better but can suffer from corrosion around the front side lamps and alongside the wheelarch flanges. The edges of early aluminium wings were formed around a mild steel wire. Look for signs of the wire bursting out and blistering of the paintwork in this area, anything other than a very small blister will require a new wing. Steel wings are much stronger, but look for adhesion problems of the underbody coating and paintwork problems around the headlamps and wing edges.
Body Panels
The ashframe is clad in either aluminium or steel. The first signs of problems will be around the bottoms of the doors and quarter panels. A small line of blisters about an inch up from the bottom of the doors indicates rotten doorskins. The quarter panels, particularly on four seaters, are prone to cracking between the door apertures and the wing wiping. Also the sloping rear panel of two seaters has a little water trap in the bottom corners, take a look there.
Weather Equipment
Ask to see the car with the hood up, many owners rarely use the hood and some materials are prone to shrinkage. Fitting a Morgan hood is meant to be difficult, but not impossible! The sidescreens have sliding perspex windows, if not cared for they soon become scratched. Don't worry too much about the tonneau cover, these are not expensive and do tend to go quite tatty with normal use.
InteriorTrim
A tatty interior is a sure sign of a neglected car, most cars are fitted with leather trim, this should be supple and look cared for. A day spent cleaning and conditioning will do wonders for tired seats, but a re-trim is very expensive.
Engines
Most cars have done a relatively low mileage, this means that generally the running gear should be in good order. Check out the service history, does the oil look clean? Start the engine and listen for metallic rattles, look for signs of blue smoke out of the exhaust. All Ford engines and Rover V8's should run smooth and should not have any major problems. Rover engined Plus Fours had a problem with the valve gear and tend to rattle a bit when cold, this can usually be rectified by using Redex or a similar product.
Suspension
Stand back and look at the side view of the car, it should be about level. If it looks lower at the back then the rear springs probably need replacing. The famous Morgan sliding pillar front suspension system is prone to wear - kingpins and bushes last around 20,000 miles. Checking the condition of these is therefore not that important as sooner or later you will need them replaced. If you do get the opportunity to jack up the front end, a sharp pull out on the bottom of the roadwheel will reveal their condition (only the slightest bit of movement should be evident).
Steering
Early cars were fitted with a steering box rather than rack and pinion. Expect to feel a little bit of free play when rotating the steering wheel but this should be less than one inch. Lift up and down on the steering wheel as the top bearing in the column tends to be a problem. The bearings can be replaced, but this is not a job for the in-experienced.
Roadwheels
Alloy roadwheels, powder coated wire wheels and early pressed steel wheels are not a problem and can be refurbished fairly cheaply. Wire wheels are quite robust unless you are looking at an early car with 60 spoke wires. These are now very rare, as many have been upgraded to 72 spoke. Chrome wires rust badly and refurbishment is more expensive than replacement! They are unlikely to be dangerous, they just look tatty.
Tyres
Beware of old tyres, many people seem to think that the only important thing is the tread depth. I have seen twenty-year-old cars with the original tyres fitted. They may still have plenty of tread, but the rubber hardens with age and perishes. Look for signs of perishing on the sidewalls of the tyres, if in doubt bank on having to fit a new set. None are expensive.
Exhaust
As with any car, mild steel systems rust, but you are more likely to find a stainless steel system fitted. These are expensive and most are of good quality, so smile if it has one and be prepared to dig deep if it does not. Replacement mild steel systems are not available for all models.
Cooling
A Morgan radiator has a hard life, the suspension tries to shake it to bits whilst the chassis flex twists it. Add to this the fact that the air tends to flow around the radiator rather than through it due to the shape of the cowl and you begin to realise that it needs to be in good order. Look for leaks and cracking of the rather flimsy brackets attached to the radiator. Take the cap off and look at the coolant. If it looks milky it has probably had a dose of Bar Leaks or similar. Most can be refurbished with a new core; new units are extremely expensive.
Body Fittings
Small items such as lights and bright fittings are readily available and inexpensive, with the exception of bumpers.

So that's about it for for the static inspection, now it's time for a roadtest. Beware it will be hard not to be swayed by the exhilaration of the wind in your hair and the roar of the exhaust. Try to remember the car may have 1920's styling but it should drive like a much more modern car. The suspension will feel quite firm which is normal, the steering should feel positive and the engine should not smoke and should pull smoothly. The brakes on pre-93 cars can come as a bit of a shock as they are not servo assisted, they should stop the car in a straight line, but will require a heavy push on the pedal.

I hope that this list of potential problem areas does not put you off the idea of owning a Morgan, they really are great cars and when you find the right one I am sure you will agree.