1980 Morgan 4/4 2 seater

‘I had one years ago,’ explains vendor Peter Williams. ‘Which I bought in pieces and restored around 75 per cent of the way, before moving house and selling it.’

Hankering after another, he found this example 11 years ago. Sadly the original owner had passed away and his son was selling it. ‘When I bought it, it had its original Ford Kent 1600 crossflow engine and gearbox.’

The following year, attending a racing car show at the NEC, Peter road tested a 4/4 endowed with a Market Drayton-based Tudor Motor’s upgraded replacement engine and gearbox kit.

‘I was very impressed, and commissioned them to carry out the change,’ he recalls. For the princely sum of £4830, the Mog received a brand new Vauxhall 1.8VVTi Twin-Cam unit, allied to a reconditioned Ford Sierra 5-speed Type-9 gearbox.

At the same time Peter fitted a stainless steel exhaust system, a fresh radiator, new clutch and all ancillaries, as well as Koni shock absorbers at the front.

‘The power output grew to 135bhp and torque to 150lb ft. It transformed the performance and was very economical by comparison as well.’

The car itself has covered 54,000 miles from new and had a total of three owners, but Peter has only covered around 3000 miles since the conversion. ‘I recently bought a Volkswagen Golf R32 and a Mazda MX-5, so it’s not getting the use it should,’ he explains.

As he still has the original Ford Kent 1600 Crossflow engine and gearbox the opportunity to return the car to standard specification is also there.

The vender is obtaining a new MOT during the auction, and is also open to having a conversation about the original engine and gearbox.’

‘The car had a complete wings-off re-spray, which was completed a few years before I got it,’ explains Peter. ‘I never actually received an invoice from the previous owner’s son, but the work was carried out and the estimate from Brands Hatch Morgans is in the history file.’

With fairly limited use since, the Black paintwork still presents very well with a deep lustre. There’s the odd little mark here and there, such as the small chip towards the front of the lower nearside wing, but nothing that couldn’t be easily tidied up.

‘It does have a beautiful shine, and there’s no rust coming through anywhere on it. At the same time as it was re-sprayed, all new seals and piping were also fitted.’

The bumpers have a satin silver finish, which suits the car and works well with the painted wire wheels. Peter changed these from the original chrome items, and sourced an unused 2nd hand set. At the same time he fitted new Continental tyres and tubes all round. There’s also a luggage rack – perfect for long distance tours – fitted on the car’s rear end. 

Up top the 4/4 sports its original hood and side screens, all of which appear to be in decent condition. The former could do with a refresh with some vinyl restoration product as it’s a touch faded, but then who fits a hood to a Mog?  

The cabin is now approaching 40 years old (was the Eighties really that long ago!) and has a pleasing, comfortable patina of age. There are no rips or tares in anything and is in good, solid condition.

A thick-rimmed Moto-Lita steering wheel lends the cabin a sporty aesthetic, while the all-black leather lends a purity of focus. Protective mats are fitted in both foot wells, and all electrics function, as they should.

The seat headrests aren’t in place and Peter says the car was delivered to him like that – no doubt they were removed at some point so the tonneau cover could be fitted.

‘It starts well, and goes really well,’ says Peter. ‘The advert for when these were fitted stated “Plus 8 performance with 4/4 agility”. Like all Morgans the ride is on the stiff side, but on a decent road it’s lovely and comfortable.’

‘It’s got a lot more torque and more performance than it originally had, and is far more economical. The exhaust note has a nice sporty sound to it, without being too loud.’

‘The Type-9 gearbox is nice to use, and the non-servo assisted brakes need a hard push but pull the car up well.’ This car is located at his East Sussex home, so we suggest interested parties hit the ‘Contact Seller’ button above and arrange a viewing.

Given the limited mileage covered since the conversion, the mechanicals, engine and all ancillaries are pretty much as new. As with those the fresh clutch only has around three thousand miles on it, as does the altered propshaft, and new UJs.

The original rear axle is a bit oily in places, but Peter says it’s still in fine fettle and all wheel bearings are good. Underneath it’s a nice solid looking picture; there’s a touch of light surface rust on suspension components, but nothing that appears untoward. There’s also evidence of WaxOyl treatment, which is backed up in the invoices in the history file.

The engine under the bonnet leaves you in no doubt as to what it is and provides modern oomph in a classic body (which has always been the quintessential Morgan offering).

As well as the current V5 document, the car’s most recent MOT certificate is present, as well as a bit of blurb on Tudor Motor’s conversion and the all-important invoice for works carried out.

There’s a wealth of invoices from well-respected specialist Brands Hatch Morgans, who looked after the car in the previous owners time. And in more recent times Peter has continued to use them.

As such, more recent ones include: the Koni shock absorber upgrade in 2010 (£657.84); fresh Continental tyres and tubes in 2013 (£464.98); as well as others for servicing and consumables.

Finally, the original owner’s handbook is also included.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been converted and maintained to the highest standard.

You don’t just buy a Morgan, you buy a way of life. For the next owner the joy of Club meets (should you wish), continental tours and good old-fashioned top down, any-time-of-year blasts awaits.

This car still benefits cosmetically from the re-spray carried out by the previous owner, and by the upgrades made by the current one. The Vauxhall engine seriously ups the original’s chutzpah, while bringing the fuel economy and reliability benefits of a modern unit.

With almost as much power as a Plus 8 of the same era, but in a lighter and less noisy package, it’s a win-win situation. The good news is that vendor Peter still retains the original unit, which is another bonus.

We think this rather pleasant example will sell for between £15k and £19k, which when you factor the 4/4’s pretty rock-solid residuals (Morgan prices usually remain steady like an ocean liner, even in the rockiest of financial waters) means it should be a safe harbour for your money.  

And of course, that’s before the next owner enjoys many a year of tally-ho driving pleasure.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located at the owner’s home in East Sussex; 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’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.