THE DOOR AREA

A quick way to give you an idea of the state of the car is to check the wooden rocker below each door and the sill board that underlies it. With the door open, press your fingers into the cabin's side padding to feel for softness in the rocker and look for loose tack pins in the threshold strip.

Another check is to look for cracks in the elbow panel because of the door being shut too hard, or problems in the wood behind. Doors can also give you an idea of other problems and if the hinge is flexing, the bottom joint will be weak. (This is less of a problem on post-1976 North American models where the hinge is screwed into a metal reinforcing plate and an under the scuttle rollbar is required to meet local government standards after 1976.)

THE WINGS (read section 5)

The 1986 date is important because before this the cars were spray painted with the wings already attached, while after this date, the wings were painted separately then attached. As the body is designed to flex, the paint cracks around the painted over beading on pre-1986 cars allowing moisture in and it is not uncommon to find extensive rust behind the wing. (If a rubber molding has been installed between the wing and the body there is much less likelihood of this having occurred.)

Another important date is the switch to Superforms.. (1996) which are moulded with a hi-tech process rather than hand-beaten 

If you do need a replacement wing (appr. 800 US in 2006), they take a fair amount of time to install well as they are not pre-drilled by the factory. They can take as long as full day to fit properly.

With the bonnet open, check for rust where the bulkhead meets the wings. Once moisture has penetrated into the back of the toolbox, rust can spread into the inner wings (valances) and wood rot can begin and spread around the door himnge posts.

On cars with aluminum wings, an electrolytic reaction can occur along their edges, which are rolled over a steel wire, and on the front wings where the steel support brackets are attached.

Special attention should be paid to the area around the headlamp nacelles, the lower door areas, the bolts holding the wing lights and all places where there are fittings on the car. In these places, watch for paint blisters that are the first evidence of speading rust underneath the paint.

UNDERNEATH THE CAR

Check underneath the car where the bulkhead meets the valance. (Stainless steel inner wings and bulk heads are now available from the factory.) Examine chassis members for ripples or creases which will point to an accident damage.

If you sniff petrol, check the corner of tank for leaks as the mounting brackets can be stressed when the chassis flexes. The later cars' fuel tanks are mounted on wooden planks which reduce the stress and this type of support floors can be retro-fitted.

INSTRUMENTS & SWITCHES

Morgan has a tradition of using components until they are completely out of manufacture. By that point they are way obsolete already. On the older cars, (pre-90) instrument replacement is no easy or automatic task. Rebuilding and reconditioning is possible but a chore, so carefully check each instrument and switch.

ENGINES AND GEARBOXES

As a rule of thumb, Series II and later 4/4s use Ford engines and gearboxes. Plus 4s have Triumph TR2-4A engines and Moss gearboxes. Plus 8s from 1968-April 1972 have Rover V8 engines and Moss gearboxes, from May 1972 until the end 1976 they have the four speed manual from the Rover saloon and post 1976 cars have the five-speed Rover gearbox.

The 4/4 1600 replaced the Series V 4/4 in 1968 and was fitted with Ford's British 1600 Kent engine until supplies dried up in 1981. Morgan then turned to Fiat's twin-cam 1600 and 2-litre engines and fivc-speed gearboxes, which they fitted in only 93 of the 4/4s.

The Plus 4, whose name was revived in 1985 (canceled again in February 2000) after disappearing with the last of the TR-engined cars in 1969, kept to 2-litre Fiat until 1988. Fortunately, both Italian engines and gearbox are tough units though, as in the case of the new German component Morgan Aero 8, they seem out of place in such a thoroughly British car. Check for cam and cam-belt wear. This 2-litre was never fitted in a Fiat sold in Britain and parts can be scarce.

Alongside the usual checks for worn bores, valve guides and piston rings, as well as bottom-end rumblings, you will also need to consider the following;

FOR THE 4/4s

FORD SIDEVALVE 1172cc

This engine, used in the Series II will last only 50,000 miles before its white metal bearings wear, creating a worrying rumble. It is possible to convert the engine to shell bearings with new con-rods. Coolant pipes break down with age  and can lead to over-heating. Because of its long stroke, this engine is prone to wear in the rings and bores.

997cc ANGLIA 105E

This Series III over-head valve four can be difficult to start if its compression has dropped because of wear.

109E

The Series IV Classic 109E three-main bearing 1340cc is weak and suffers from bearing wear, timing chain rattles on high-milers, piston "slap" and broken piston rings.

KENT 1600

This Series V engine shows its age first in its camshaft and followers (lifters), which can give off a "clacking" sound. Please note that it is not unusual to find a pre-1600 car running a 1600 Kent engine as owners fitted the newer power plant to overcome parts problems in the Seventies.

CVH FORD

This engine from the XR3 and was fitted in the 4/4 1600. It  is prone to wear in its valve guides. If the bottom end is worn, it is usually cheaper to buy a short engine from a reconditioner than to rebuild one.
Parts and upgrades are plentiful.

Fiat

This too, like the CVH Ford is good engine, light weight and strong running with hundreds of thousands made. They love to rev and would like new rod bearings at about 80K miles if you run them hard. Parts and upgrades and plentiful.

FOR THE PLUS 4

VANGUARD

Emulsion in the oil points to the figure of eight gasket at the bottom of the liners rusting out in this 2.1 litre engine fitted until 1956.

TR2/TR3/TR3A

The timing chains in 1991cc TR2 and the more powerful TR3/3A engines in the Plus 4s traditionally wear and should be checked.

TR4/TR4A

This is the best and last engine of this line of Triumph based engines. Check for normal engine wear and overheating.

ROVER M16/T-16

So far these engines have proved to be solid and parts are readily available.

FOR THE PLUS 8

Plus 8s are sensitive to over-heating problems and the coolant system must be carefully maintained. A smart idea is to swap in an alloy radiator and a SPAL fan. Early Plus 8s also had inadequate radiators and the newer ones are not that much improved but are sufficient if the engine's output is not increased, something which is unnecessary for the average buyer as the model in its standard form is very powerful. Oilways must be kept clean by using a quality oil and treating the car to (2500 mi.) regular oil changes to prevent wear. The standard timing chain is of poor quality and will stretch throwing the timing off and should be replaced with a Duplex Chain. The distributor should be checked as well as it is poorly placed for protection and the water ingress will rust its inner workings. A good cleaning, cap and rotor replacement and removable silicone to stop the water will solve this problem.

Generally parts for this engine are readily available with a few exceptions and the choice of options after almost forty years in production are many. As the engine in its Buick 215 format is one of the most popular choices for performance kit cars and engine swaps in the United States, that market can supply the engine alongside Rover and the British aftermarket specialists. Parts for the first injection systems (1984-2004) can be more difficult to obtain but these engines are the most powerful of the lot and their systems are rebuildable. However, the last Plus 8 EFI system, called GEMS, can be very tempermental. In its overseas (the USA and Australia) version, it is the heaviest trad, by a significant amount, ever to leave the factory. 

Early Plus 8s shared the Plus 4's Moss gearbox with either high or low ratios. Parts and repair instructions have become hard to find and though it is possible to rebuild one at home it is unlikely that you'll end up with a satisfactory box and there is a potential for some horrible mistakes.

The Rover 4-speed boxes are worse. They should be replaced for something better. The Rover 5-speed box has gone through 5-6 major versions (the last being the R380). The price of reconditioned older units is much less than newer gearboxes but all are available and all will fit the Plus 8s.

SUSPENSION, STEERING AND BRAKING SYSTEM

The front suspension of the Morgan goes back to 1909. Although unusual, it's very effective if looked after. Excessive play in the kingpin means it and/or its bushings need to be replaced. Wheel wobble can be caused by worn kingpins or its pair of phosphor-bronze bushes but can also due to incorrect adjustment of the damper blades, which should only move in and out not sideways.

There is a one-shot sliding pillar (kingpin) oiler system on all Morgans from 1951 to  2002  which uses engine oil to lubricate the plate under the damper blades and has to be operated when the engine is cold. A better idea is to grease the kingpins regularly through its grease nipples while also checking for cracks in the lugs at the bottom of the suspension pillar mounts. Well looked after kingpins and bushings will last 12,000-18,000 miles though there are after-market solutions that can extend this mileage five-fold with proper care. 

Slack Burman steering boxes on four cylinder cars can be adjusted but the pegs wear, although 0.5 inch play at the wheel is acceptable. It is possible to replace a worn Burman box with the later and better Gemmer box for a price of around 2000 US although brake hose and brackets may have to be changed to prevent these from being fouled when turning with the newer box.

Lack of lubrication will kill the track rod ends, making the steering feel very heavy. They need greasing every 5000 miles and the UJs in the steering column also wear over time.

The Morgan rack & pinion steering system, offered as an option in late 1983 and standard on Plus 8s after 1986, is mildly bizarre but very solid and it is unlikely that you will find wear here though the attaching bolts should be checked for tightness.

At the back, leaf springs can crack and sag while lever damper arms can leak. Kits to convert the rear suspension to telescopic dampers are readily available and recommended.

SUMMARY

One of the most common and severe problems afflicting Morgans new and old is under-use. This inevitably leads to brake calipers seizing, master cylinder problems, shock and damper seizing, tyre "squaring" and cracking, motor hoses dehydrating and cracking, sediment accumulation within the motor, gasket drying and detereoration and so on. When offered a low mileage Morgan, regardless of its looks, it would be wise to insist on a lengthy test drive (50 miles) with the seller.

Whichever Morgan you buy, you get a bit of British history with it. Because each car, prior to circa 1996, was hand built it can also be hand rebuilt but the individual nature of the car means that many parts will have to be adjusted before they'll fit properly. Since 2000, the Factory no longer supplies a growing list of parts new. One is better off looking to a Morgan dealers specializing/adept with trad Morgans or to ask one of the more knowledgeable forums. A caution. Some Morgan forums offer dubious counsel.  

As to pricing, any specific comments here will be dated within months of the posting.