Possible Ebay purchase

[gilberto]

As title has anybody bid and bought a car without act vieiwing.
Really tempted by this as I have always wanted one and at my age it’s now or never!!
Item no 274508745107
Any I put/ advice much appreciated
Thank you

 

[Lennox]

Stunning. My dad had a plus 8 years back. They are awesome cars but due to the Ash chassis I woukd highly recommend a visual inspection underneath. Rot and rust here are killers.

 

[gilberto]

Stunning. My dad had a plus 8 years back. They are awesome cars but due to the Ash chassis I woukd highly recommend a visual inspection underneath. Rot and rust here are killers.

Thank you

 

[Chrishazle]

30 year old car with only 2000 miles on the clock and only 1 service in that time, I'd be concerned about perishables - radiator hoses etc - despite the "one very careful owner" description! Is it too far away for you to go and see it - maybe there's someone closer for a (paid for) inspection. £20k is a lot to spend blind then find you're facing a large "recommissioning" bill!

 

[WOODYTHEWISE]

Sorry guys, i don't think Morgan cars ever had wooden chassis. Wooden frames but standard chassis.

 

[WOODYTHEWISE]

Myth-busting: Morgan chassis are made of wood, true or false?

False. One of the great urban myths of the motoring world is that Morgan chassis are made of ash, but they’re not. Morgans have – and have always had – conventional steel chassis, but ash is used for the frame: the structure that supports the body...

www.classicdriver.com

 

[Lennox]

Sorry guys, i don't think Morgan cars ever had wooden chassis. Wooden frames but standard chassis.

My bad words..... Not mechanical. All I know my mum smashed the Morgan and my dad waited over a year for replacement wooden parts. Ended up getting a wood master crafts man to re make the parts he needed.


Lots of wood in there...

 

[bob6600]

Wheeler Dealers did a Morgan a few years back, worth watching

 

[E55BOF]

OP, it's a collector's car as it stands. I'd contact the Morgan Owners Club to ask what might need doing at that age and mileage with only two services, presumably fifteen years apart.

Have you actually driven one? Awesome it's not; even thirty years ago, it wasn't exactly state-of-the-art...

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

You'd be mad.

Even with a thirty year old mass produced car you'd need to see and drive it first, with someone who really knows cars by your side. With a Morgan, you need someone who knows their way around these cars.

I love ultra low mileage cars - I've had a string of them - but they depend on how they've been stored, maintained and used. If this has just been locked away without servicing and regular / occasional use, you could easily spend £5k recommissioning the car for safe, regular use. (And much more if tin worm has gotten hold)

At the very least, see it and test drive it with a mechanically orientated friend. If you like it, book a motor engineer to do an appraisal on it.

https://www.rac.co.uk/buying-a-car/vehicle-inspections

As E55BOF has pointed out already, these are challenging cars to drive. I rode in a nearly new one in Tuscany in Spring 1990, and I could not get out of the bloody thing fast enough. Compared to the 944 I was driving at the time it was horrible, just horrible.

But if you've driven Morgans before, fair enough. They have enormous presence - just don't, ever, try to drive them fast or hustle them through corners.

Ps. Only chiseled whippets over the age of 50 find these cars easy to enter / exit - we run an early MX5 - which is more accessible than a Morgan- but we can't use it with our older or even middle aged portly friends)

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

(Cough) "Some say a more sensible choice would be...."

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-de...-asc&model=911&make=PORSCHE&colour=Red&page=1

"All we know is that it's a "

Whereas a Mercedes SL55 is what you really need.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-de...ew&onesearchad=Used&make=MERCEDES-BENZ&page=1

 

[baxlin]

Ps. Only chiseled whippets over the age of 50 find these cars easy to enter / exit - we run an early MX5 - which is more accessible than a Morgan- but we can't use it with our older or even middle aged portly friends)

Sorry to hear that, I’m well over 70, BMI of 30, yet have no problems with my JZR, which, as you see from the avatar pic, doesn’t even have doors......(the person in the driving seat is a rather small boy, the car is tiny!)

 

[gilberto]

Thanks all,struggling to get an inspection before auction ends!

 

[Lennox]

As title has anybody bid and bought a car without act vieiwing.
Really tempted by this as I have always wanted one and at my age it’s now or never!!
Item no 274508745107
Any I put/ advice much appreciated
Thank you

Just mentioned this to my dad. He said V8 or nothing. The cars nothing special without it. He wouldn't have another.... He still has a small convertible sports car in the collection (if that the right word for him having too many cars)

 

[french]

Guy I know has an Aero 8, I asked about the wooden Chassis & he said it has a Alloy chassis with a wood running through that ...

 

[Darrell]

(Cough) "Some say a more sensible choice would be...."

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202006059832405?advertising-location=at_cars&onesearchad=New&onesearchad=Nearly New&onesearchad=Used&maximum-mileage=70000&postcode=w1a1aa&radius=1500&price-to=35000&sort=price-asc&model=911&make=PORSCHE&colour=Red&page=1

"All we know is that it's a "

Whereas a Mercedes SL55 is what you really need.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202009143697688?colour=Red&postcode=w1a1aa&advertising-location=at_cars&radius=1500&sort=price-asc&price-to=35000&maximum-mileage=70000&model=SL CLASS&onesearchad=New&onesearchad=Nearly New&onesearchad=Used&make=MERCEDES-BENZ&page=1

I’d like those alloys on my 996.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Sorry to hear that, I’m well over 70, BMI of 30, yet have no problems with my JZR, which, as you see from the avatar pic, doesn’t even have doors......(the person in the driving seat is a rather small boy, the car is tiny!)

No need to be sorry, we chiseled whippets just get on with it.

But it's true that there are many "more traditionally built folk," to quote Mma Precious Ramotswem around who struggle in terms of bulk and flexibility. No disrespect to any Americans present.

The Morgan is an awkward thing. But lovely if you're OK with it and have a garage to store it in.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

I’d like those alloys on my 996.

997 19 inch Carrera S Lobster claws. A fairly popular addition to the 996.

Yours, with top quality tyres with good tread, for about £1200 from Germany, one is told.

(I really must get out more)

 

[Scooby_Doo]

Friends of mine had always hankered for a Morgan and about three years ago sold their 5 year old Bently Continental and bought one.They were in their late sixties and I think the Morgan was about one year old. They only kept it for about a year , the main problem was the big difference in the overall ride , drive and comfort. They had problems with water leakage through the hood and as my friend commented - "there's no point having a radio in the thing , you can't hear it because of the noise ".
I'd recommend a good test drive before buying one .

 

[tonysmb]

OP, have you ever driven one? They aren't everbody's cup of tea but some love them. [The Aero 8 (and Aero Plus 8) are totally different cars with aluminium chassis but a small amount of wood, primarily around the top of the body 'frame'].

I can't recall the date that they started doing it but wood preservative wasn't used until quite late (relatively speaking), possibly mid-90s but might be worth checking further, which helped. The body frame can rot quite badly in places. Buying one without viewing is clearly a risk and after 30 years there are so many variables that it's difficult to be precise but it's no different than any other old car except you can't just buy body panels etc. if you need them; as they're hand built they're all different, often from side to side on the same car and, therefore, IF work is needed, it tends to be more expensive than other more 'run of the mill' cars.

Very strong owners club/forum. Do you have a dealer locally in case you needed one?
Eta, just seen the above post, agree re driving one first, (unless you're absolutely sure it would suit).