Morgan Plus 8
Left behind by the price boom, Morgan’s V8 roadster looks better value than ever
Morgans have largely failed to follow the upward surge of classic car prices by virtue of brand new examples being readily available. But while the Worcestershirebased company resurrected the Plus 8 roadster using a BMW V8 in 2012, the original Rover V8-powered car ceased production in 2004 and is therefore finite in number. Driving experiences don’t come much purer than the Plus 8’s, so first-generation examples are starting to look like excellent value in a market that’s always in search of new (old) thrills.
In typical Morgan style, there were no defined model changes in the 36 years of original Plus 8 production, but there was plenty of evolution, principally marked by engine and transmission upgrades. With more than 40 years’ experience of Morgan sales, service, parts and restoration, Melvyn Rutter knows the cars inside out. Martyn Webb is the archivist at the Morgan Motor Co, and Andrew Clark is the Morgan Sports Car Club’s technical advisor for 4.6-litre models.
Which one to choose?
Announced in 1968, the 168bhp 3.5-litre Plus 8 managed 0-60mph in 6.7sec and topped 122mph. The gearbox was the ancient, slow but robust Moss unit, with no synchromesh on first gear. A year later the traditional Z-section steel chassis was widened by two inches to better accommodate the engine and give more interior space, and an aluminium body became an option to the standard steel.
In 1972 the all-synchro Rover four-speed gearbox replaced the Moss unit. In 1973 it was given a higher differential ratio and the track was widened, though power dropped to 143bhp. A major overhaul came in 1977 – the running gear was brought up-to-date by the 155bhp SD1 engine and its five-speed gearbox, while the body was widened by 4in with a new-look dash, aluminium bumpers and new alloys (with 205/70 tyres) that would be the preserve of Plus 8s to the end of production (flex-prone wires an option from 1993).
In 1983 came electronic fuel injection and 192bhp, giving a 5.6sec 0-60mph time and 125mph, with lighter and more precise rack-and-pinion steering. In 1990 came the 3.9-litre engine and telescopic rear dampers;
early non-cat examples are sought after. Four years later the stronger R380 Rover gearbox was fitted, then from 1997 came the long-door, deep-dash cockpit with stainless-steel bulkhead and inner wings; customers could also specify airbags and/or the 4.6-litre engine.
GEMS fuel injection replaced Lucas in 2000. Latelife special editions followed, such as the Le Mans 62 in 2002 and the Anniversary Edition in 2003, before production stopped in 2004. A total of 5891 were built, an average of just 163 per year.
Rotten chassis take a lot of work to replace – the whole car has to come apart. A new one is around £1200, but the work involved can easily exceed 500 hours so it’s cheaper to buy a new Morgan than to buy and rebuild a rotten Plus 8. Pre-1986 Plus 8s are prone to rot so a galvanised replacement chassis is a positive, provided the work was done well. Check all the crossmembers on pre-1986 cars, especially at the rear end; thereafter the chassis was galvanised. On all ages inspect the engine mount area, which can fatigue and crack if the mounts have come loose – it’s more common on later cars because of their higher power and torque.
The ash wood body frame is a charming pre-war throwback, but can become a nightmare if the car has suffered heavy use or neglect. Again, up to 1986 it was not protected against rot, and in a damp environment can become extensively rotted. The lower the wood is located in the frame, the worse it is likely to be, with the sills and rockers (to the outside of the seats and under the doors, where the running boards attach) particularly prone, along with the A- and B-posts (which also suffer from heavy use, door slamming and leaning on the doors). Vertical movement in a door may just be worn hinges, but check carefully – the brass hinges are no longer available. Morgan supplies stainless steel versions at £50 each; alternatively the originals can be reamed out and larger pins fitted. The timbers around the rear end and rear wheelarches are also vulnerable. From 1986 Morgan treated the ash frames with Cuprinol wood preservative. This eliminated rot but damage and hard use can still take a toll. A new body frame costs around £4200; to fit it would run up a labour bill for around 300 hours.
Rust isn’t often a severe issue on a Morgan’s skimpy bodywork, but it’s important to check the panels
‘In typical Morgan style, there were no defined model changes in 36 years of Plus 8 production’
carefully. Check what type of metal it’s constructed from – around half had aluminium bodies, which are slightly lighter but more prone to dents, including those from the inside out on the wings caused by stones kicked up by the wheels. Corrosion can set in around panel joins and on aluminium wings the wheelarch edges are rolled around steel wire, which can rot and set up electrolytic corrosion in the panel, which is difficult to eradicate. After 1998, aluminium wings were vacuum-formed by Superform and the rolled edge was created by bonding on an extra aluminium section, avoiding the electrolytic corrosion but bringing a new problem – paint bubbling caused by a reaction with the bonding medium.
The V8 engine is very robust and Melvyn Rutter knows of one Plus 8 that has covered 270,000 miles on its original motor; it had a new chassis at 260k. However, servicing is crucial and if the oil is not changed regularly the hydraulic tappets, valvegear and cam lobes wear down, and the engine becomes rattly and loses power. Oil pressure should be at least 35psi at speed when hot, more on 1997-on engines. ECUS on later models do occasionally fail, but can be rebuilt for a few hundred pounds.
Cooling was never great and if antifreeze/corrosion inhibitor levels are not maintained, the all-aluminium engine corrodes rapidly, silting up the coolant passages in the cylinder block and cylinder heads as well as the radiator. Overheating is the inevitable result, and a bigger electric fan (£100+) is not always the answer. In addition to maintaining inhibitor levels, a thicker-core radiator (around £500) will help, as will an oil cooler (with a thermostat to avoid over-cooling).
Gearboxes inform the buying decisions of many prospective Plus 8 owners. The original Moss ’box was a pre-war design with no synchro on first and slow synchro on the other three, but otherwise was strong and a good one is a delight to use. However, few specialists know how to rebuild them properly and parts are scarce. Fewer than 400 Plus 8s had these before the all-synchro Rover four-speed was slotted into the next 500 cars; thereafter the five-speed Rover SD1 unit was incorporated. That lasted through to 1994, by which time the engine was getting a bit too powerful (check for noisy bearings and jumping out of gear) and finally the R380 Rover unit was slotted in. Only high-mileage cars (200,000+) are likely to need gearbox replacement, though racing use reduces that.
Monzanapolis By Aldo Zana, £49.99, ilcammello. it, ISBN 978 88 96796 52 8 Although the title of Aldo Zana’s book references the ‘Race of Two Worlds’ F1-versus-indycar challenges held at Monza in the Fifties, its subject is the Vanderbilt Cup and the exciting races it spawned, as the European and American automobile industries battled for engineering supremacy throughout the early Twentieth Century in competitions designed to test speed and reliability.
Zana chronicles each titanic clash from the first Vanderbilt Cup race of 1905 to the last Monzanapolis of 1959, with corner-by-corner action and every driver profiled. He also charts the evolution of motor sport itself from point-to-point duels on dirt roads to purpose-built spectatorfriendly stadiums.
What’s perhaps most fascinating is the way the now-forgotten Vanderbilt Cup demonstrated how American and European motor sport cultures learnt from each other. It makes you wish for a revival. Bizzarrini Facts and Figures By Jack Koobs de Hartog, £79.99, bizzarrini.jack@gmail.com, ISBN n/a Another big-money softback, and at £80 it’s even more money for fewer pages than the above Abarth chronicle – but to judge this exhaustive, passionate work on these terms would do it a great disservice.
Koobs de Hartog is the Bizzarrini registrar and here he has essentially published everything he knows. Every chassis number – whether it bore the name or was merely a project worked on by Giotto Bizzarrini – is catalogued.
We also get technical drawings, patents, brochures and exploded drawings. If you’re interested in Bizzarrini it’s invaluable; if you want to buy a Bizzarrini it’s essential.