1999 Morgan Plus 4 (V8 Conversion)

This Morgan we think, started its life on the road in Scotland, where it would have been ideally suited to the curving lanes and rolling hills of the Highlands with its Rover T16 2.0 litre, 4-cylinder engine before making its way to the other end of the country to the very different landscape of Norfolk where it was purchased and developed by the owner of a V8 Specialist company called ‘RPI Engineering’, as a testbed and demonstrator for their work. The owner had a liking for Morgan at the time and decided to buy the cheaper Plus 4 with the Rover powertrain as the gearbox would mate up to the bigger engine options that came with the Plus 4 from factory. During the car’s time with RPI Engineering the Morgan went through various stages of development relating to the powertrain, firstly with the 4-cylinder powerplant then moving on to a 4.6L engine and finally onto a 5.6L V8. The car’s progression is documented on their website too at (http://www.v8wizard.com/photo_gallery/Evolution_RPI_Morgan.php).

The car was then moved on in 2014 to its previous owner with an LPG only conversion on twin carburettors on the bigger 3.5L engine. This owner had intended to use the car as a joint project with his father but due to ill health they didn’t get completed as much as they wanted to. The current owner purchased the car around 4 years ago circa 2018 and had plans to lightly recommission the car, complete a few jobs and use the Morgan for sprint and hillclimb events, however, as is often the case with these things and life getting in the way, a projected 6-month turnaround quickly morphed into 4 years. With continued life commitments trumping the car, the current owner made the decision to move the car on to save it from sitting around.

This Morgan looks fantastic in the metal and the style is iconic of the British car maker, the timeless convertible British sports car looks have won it many admirers across the globe. This example has been given a decidedly race car look to fit the intended use the current owner had for the car. The door roundel coupled with the race roll cage and harnesses hints at the increased power this car possesses. There have been a few additions on the outside of this car that should entice buyers to bid on the little sports car, such as the folding windscreen upgrade which allows the screen to drop down for reduced drag on the track. The wingmirrors have also been changed to the round type, which look much tidier than the factory options. The exhausts have been changed from they’re previous iteration where they exited at the side just in front of the rear wheels, to dual rear exit single pipe systems to retain correct back pressure whilst quietening down the noise without affecting performance. If you see the back of the car, you’ll notice a ‘Wolf Performance’ sticker, this is due to some parts being added to the car from the Morgan specialist based in Cambridgeshire, these being the front valance and the spare wheel cover. Further to the front valance, the car has had a bumper delete and had period correct rear over fenders fitted.

A Previous owner had a condition assessment done on the car before his purchase which found that the chassis and body were sound with no signs of rot in either the wood or the chassis. This has continued during the current owner’s ownership as the car has been garaged and kept in the dry to prevent any corrosion from starting, which is backed up by the photos of the underside in the gallery below. As the car has been used for its intended purpose, the paintwork has stood up well to the use the car has seen, however there are the usual paint chips you’d expect. From what we can see though, the paintwork is simple but very effective in highlighting this car’s clean lines and giving a level of modernity to a 70 plus year old design. The front nose has black vinyl applied to protect the paint work underneath however there are still some paint chips under the vinyl from before its application. Another thing to note on the outside of the car is the cut off switch located just in front of the driver’s side door hinge just underneath the windscreen, this is a necessary feature for racing should marshals be forced to cut power in the event of a fire on track. We noticed a few small cracks & blisters on the front & rear wings, but given the intended use of this car, it isn't an essential fix. 

The wheels and tyres are in fantastic condition, the spoked wheels are superb and really lend themselves well to the overall image of the car. The tyres also have plenty of tread left on them and look to have a fair few tracks days’ worth of use still in them.

The red leather trimmed interior wonderfully contrasts against the crisp silver paintwork and matches the red convertible hood. The leather looks to have lasted very well during the cars time on the road, with only minor wear on the driver’s seat base, although if this car is destined for the racetracks, we suspect the new owner would want to fit a more supportive seat to save sliding side to side during cornering. The dashboard houses a range of dials inset on red leather trimmed panels inside the walnut finished dashboard cover, these include oil, fuel, voltage and temperature to give the driver a good idea of how the car is behaving. The speedometer has recently been refurbished as it had stopped working, it is now fully operational along with the tachometer, the mileage reads 20872 however with the amount of engine changes the car has been through this we assume would be on the chassis as opposed to both the chassis and drivetrain. Despite that, it is still very low mileage and that shows in the condition of the car. The interior of the Morgan is not an expansive area, but it is nicely finished and adds a bit of class to a car developed for a more hardcore track day blast than a trip to the local pub. It is perfectly suited to the car however and shouldn’t need much work other than a quick tidy and leather restorer. 

The powertrain, chassis and suspension are the most important aspect of this car, and it has had plenty done to it in the past. That said there is still lots to discuss with the car in its current guise. The engine in the car right now is a 3.5L Rover V8 from the same car, mated to the same gearbox the car came with attached to the 2.0l 4 cylinder as it is a matching box for the bigger V8 unit. It was previously set up as a purely LPG powered unit that had twin carburettors powering the 8 cylinders, however since the owner previous to the current one sold the car, it has had a conversion to run on petrol with the 3.9L plenum chamber with fuel injection system from a Land Rover V8 unit, hence the 3.9L marking on the top of the unit. The chassis plate also says ‘Plus 8’ rather than the correct designation of ‘Plus 4’, we aren’t sure why this is, but the car is confirmed to be a ‘Plus 4’.

The uprated 3.5L V8 engine is bolted to a Plus 8 rear axle which has an LSD from factory which is a big bonus over the usual non-LSD plus 4 item, especially for track work and performance of cornering at speed. As a convenient Segway into cornering and manoeuvrability we come onto the suspension, during the previous owner’s time with the car, some components have been upgraded such as a pan hard rod, an anti-tramp bar with telescopic rear shocks. These upgrades go along with the current owner refurbishing the front dampers and adding a front steering bearing kit. There are also a few more upgrades with regards to cooling, the radiator has been replaced and an electric fan fitted. The brakes have also been upgraded with new callipers at the front and the drums at the rear have been refurbished during the current owner’s time with the car. On the topic of brakes, the current owner stated that they are very hard and suggested maybe an issue with the brake servo, however the car has passed an MOT with the brakes so might be indicative of the upgraded brakes up front, we and the current owner would recommend changing the brake fluid upon purchase though. On our short test drive, we did notice that the engine wasn't running completely smoothly, quite possible just down to lack of use, and it did rather hot so we shut it down. We would reccommend giving the engine a once over & aservice before any hard use. 

This car has obviously had some serious drivetrain tweaks which are all documented in the paperwork and this section will provide a brief overview of the other aspects of work carried out to the car during the current owner’s time with the vehicle.

- Spare wheel cover – Techniques Morgan Service – 30/01/2018

- Bracketry for centre silencer on the +8 single system – Melvyn Rutter Ltd - 04/04/2018

- Speedometer overhaul – Speedy Cables – 27/04/2018

- Fog and reverse light and lamps – Truck upgrades Ltd – 26/02/2018

- Folding windscreen conversion kit in stainless steel – Melvyn Rutter Ltd – 10/12/2018

- Vehicle converted to petrol, general service – Kimberley Motors – 16/11/2015

- Petrol tank – Techniques Morgan Service – 17/02/2016

- New stainless-steel exhaust fabricated with the aim to reduce noise – Kimberley Motors – 16/09/2015

- Brake system overhaul – Kimberley Motors - 16/11/2015

- Steering bearing kit – Mulberry Fabrications Ltd – 10/08/2020

- Rear hubs & wood spare wheel frame – Melvyn Rutter Ltd – 23/11/2020

- Door hinge LH & RH – Melvyn Rutter Ltd – 24/09/2020

- Engine oil and filter change – Mercury motors Ltd – 07/05/2019

- New radiator & Cornex electric fan – SIFAB – 05/11/2019

The Morgan Plus 4 is the company’s shining light and the model that has defined the brand for over 70 years, when you say Morgan, most people are picturing this car in their heads. This particular example looks absolutely fantastic in race spec, and it has an equally intriguing past to go with it. The upgrades, developments and care this car has received during its life has resulted in a well-rounded and well-sorted car that, after sitting up unused for a small while only requires a small recommission to get it back to showing up much more powerful machinery on track.

Alternatively, this would make an incredible sunny weekend B-road blaster that would never fail to put a smile on your face once you step out of it. The recommission work should be well within the skillset of the casual mechanic and would present a fantastic opportunity to continue to tinker and develop the car to its best.

Put simply, this is a well-loved, iconic car, in a great colour combination with plenty of go faster bits added and the shining jewel is the roaring V8 professionally fitted by a specialist company with years of experience. If you’ve got the auction estimated £13,000-£18,000 burning a hole in your pocket, then this Morgan should be firmly atop your shopping list.

Viewing is always encouraged. This particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays between 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.