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Revisited After Two Years: 1948 Morgan 4/4

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When I saw the pictures of this 1948 Morgan 4/4, listed for sale here on eBay for $5,000 and no reserve, it had me thinking that we had featured the car before. It turns out we have–Josh wrote it up here in April of 2014. It looks like quite a bit of assembly work has been done since then and the owner has answered any authenticity questions by securing the chassis record from Morgan themselves. The car is currently in the same garage in Portage, Michigan it was in the first time it was listed. Apparently the first sale fell through as the owner requests that you don’t bid if you “don’t have the cash or have to ask your wife or mother.”

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Although slightly more ungainly than the two seat versions, the 4/4 as pictured here has a genuine rear seat. I’m not sure how you’d easily get there, because despite the seats folding forward it doesn’t look like an easy journey, especially if the convertible top were up. But who’d be driving this Morgan today with the top up?

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Here’s a look at what you’d be seeing while you were driving. Only one of the gauges was present in 2014, and neither Brooklands screen was there. The seller tells us that they have had the car as an unfinished project for 32 years–they are now 70 and with some health issues–and they would like to sell this car in order to pay a mechanic to fix up some of the other projects they own. Apart from the engine having been replaced with a Nissan engine (pretty much a BMC clone engine–the design was licensed) which was adapted to the Moss gearbox by the previous owner, the car appears stock. Of course, with Morgan having all the build records, you could certainly return it to stock, and I think I would at least try to pursue a more period engine.

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I know one thing–this car belongs back on the road! Are you the enthusiast to finish the job?

Comments

  1. Avatar CoventryCat

    The Nissan engine popped my balloon. The price is attractive, though, if it stays in that range.

    Like 0
    • Avatar MikeH

      I love the line “apart from the engine having been replaced with a Nissan”, the car appears stock. Replacing the engine makes the car NON-STOCK!

      Like 0
      • Avatar 1fstO2ti

        Appearance usually means looking at the outside.

        Like 0
  2. Avatar Alan (Michigan)

    There is a bid, so someone will be taking over this project. If it is a BF reader, I hope we can see updates along the way.

    Like 0
  3. Avatar Greg

    Alan, are you the seller? if so I just left you a message

    Thanks Greg

    Like 0
    • Avatar Alan (Michigan)

      No.

      Not old enough…. Seller is over 70?

      Like 0
  4. Avatar Dolphin Member

    This old Morgan has a lot of charm, and the work needed and the price are both reasonable. I might consider it—if I didn’t like the +4 a lot more.

    I think the seller is making a mistake the way he is marketing it. It’s a vintage ’40s Morgan, it has the Morgan chassis record, and it’s mostly together. The downside is the modern OHV engine, but at the right price that would be OK.

    But it’s RHD, and yet the seller won’t sell it outside the continental US. I could be wrong, but I would guess that the biggest market for the car would be the UK.

    Too bad the previous sale fell through. You see the results of irresponsible bidding on Ebay all the time when sellers have to relist their car with the comment that if the bidder needs to get a loan or ask their wife first, then do it before bidding, or don’t bid at all. Seems to me a pathetic sign of a bidder you just don’t want.

    I sold a car on Ebay and the winner went to the bank for a loan, and of course was turned down. It was an OLD USED CAR. Banks don’t give loans for those.

    Fortunately an underbidder came through with actual cash money, and since the winning bidder was in my jurisdiction I was able to get him to pay me the difference.

    A way to help avoid that kind of problem bidder is to require an immediate deposit of some chunk of the bid price, at least $500 or more—nonrefundable. You might scare away a few bidders, but you probably don’t want them anyway.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Alan (Michigan)

      Dunno why anyone would give this well-put contribution a thumb down.
      My eBay experience tells me that Dolphin’s comments are spot on.

      Like 0
      • Avatar Dolphin Member

        Thanks, Alan.

        There will always be people with attitudes who give negs, because they can. I think it has been increasing the more popular Barn Finds gets, so I actually take it as a good thing for that reason. It hardly ever happened when BF was new.

        I try to acknowledge and correct when I’m mistaken and people correct me, but I could care less when people give a neg and there is no follow-up below with better / more accurate / just plain more information. That tells me it’s probably bad attitude, if only because there is no effort to add anything to the discussion.

        Either that, or flippers.

        Like 0
    • Avatar brakeservo

      I’ve never had a problem selling RHD cars in North America. All my fun cars here are RHD too. Seller may simply have no idea how easy selling to an overseas buyer is though – basically no different than with a long distance stateside buyer.

      Like 0
    • Avatar Bill McCoskey Member

      Dolphin —
      Agree with requiring a substantial deposit within a certain time frame [24 to 48 hrs]. I suspect he’s missing out on a potentially large selling audience: Japan. It’s RHD, and with the Nissan engine, that may be a plus to some Japanese buyers.

      And shipping overseas is simple if you follow these tips:
      1. Get paid 100% in advance of the car leaving your sight.
      2. The money MUST be confirmed as being in your bank account.
      3. Before the car leaves your place, transfer the money to another account the buyer cannot possibly touch.
      4. Contract with a shipper to pick up the car & transport it to the port*. The shipper will be responsible for all paperwork to export the car. Shipping fees at this end can be paid by the buyer when he picks it up at the other end of the trip.
      5. Take plenty of pictures [details, details] before the car leaves. Also take pics/video of the car being loaded, showing WHO did the loading & securing of the car. Send copies by email attachment to the buyer so if there is a question of damages when the buyer picks the car up, it’s documented.
      6. Scan a copy of the “damage report” provided by the shipping company, and send copy to buyer. You keep the original copy provided by the shipping company’s driver.

      If you have a genuine buyer, he will appreciate your effort. If you are dealing with a thief or con artist, he will likely never complete the transaction.

      A friend just this past week sold property in Spain. After getting the deposit & placing it into his bank account, The buyer’s agent asked what bank account to make the balance payment directly into, as it was too much cash. When he gave them the account number, they drained the account of all the Euros in it. Even the buyer’s agent was in on the scam. My friend is an attorney, and said they were so good, he never suspected anything was wrong until they all vanished.

      *Contacting shippers: If possible, have buyer select shipping agent. If something goes wrong, he’s the person who selected the company. Then if he asks YOU to find a shipping company, you are only following his request.

      I’ve sent many cars all over the world, almost every country in Europe. Plus Japan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Australia, South Africa, Brazil, Argentina, etc. The above tips are from learning the hard way what should be done to protect both buyer & seller.

      One half of my brain says buy this car! The other half says NO! You’ve got too many projects already!

      Like 0
  5. Avatar bcavileer

    Dolphin is spot on. A non refundable deposit will put off the flippers , who are reselling on your dime. A real buyer is ready to buy. If a flipper wants to stick their neck out, that’s fine. But the guys who hang you for weeks while they look for a buyer to put money in their pocket… well I could ‘out’ a few of them for the common good they can go to .. well you know.

    Like 0
  6. Avatar Bob Ensfield

    I’m very appreciative of the constructive comments, especially by Jamie, Dolphin, and Bill McCosky.. I wish I had found Barnfinds before I listed the Morgan the first time!!!
    I am now open to overseas bidding..

    Thanks a lot!!

    Bob

    Like 0

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