Steve Harman - SHA <SHarman@ideal.co.uk> writes
>Maybe I could prompt some discussion about the pros and cons of ownership,
>especially of the newer cars and of dealer/manufacturer support?
>
cribbed from something I wrote to a newsgroup:
"I have run a 1972 Morgan 4/4 since 1991 and I have done 8k-10k miles
per year. It does about 30mpg, costs £230 to insure and I spend about
£150 a year in servicing. (It was rebuilt completely in 1996, so is
virtually as new, but it has a Kent engine, no catalyst and no
electrickery).
The current Morgan 4/4 uses a Mondeo 1800 engine, but I'm told it still
does about 30mpg, it will cost GBP250-350 a year to service, depending
on mileage and your local dealer.
The biggest single cost on running a car is depreciation and a new
Morgan, once you have got one, will not depreciate a great deal. New
with some options will cost you £23000 and will be worth either the same
or slightly more for 2-3 years and then will slowly depreciate.
Problems: could you really live with one? a lot of new cars get sold
quickly as the rose tinted owner discovers that the UK can be cold and
wet and the car just doesn't fit into their lifestyle! The ride is poor,
although a new one is much better than an older one, it does need a lot
of basic maintenance, (tightening the exhaust bolts!), it really needs a
garage to dry out in and it is not secure, but only a moron would steal
a whole one.
Good Points: people will normally let you into traffic queues and smile!
any Ford dealer can service the engine, the rest of the car is so simple
that anyone who has had lego as a child should be able to learn how to
service the rest, it's a damn sight more interesting than the donor
Mondeo!
Rent one and see if you can live with it before waiting 6 years.
--
Jeremy Edwards
1972 Morgan 4/4 2str
Melton Mowbray, England
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