Stored since 1976, this blown-apart 1964 Morgan 4/4 Series V deserves some attention and a chance to thrill a new owner. The solid-looking Morgan lies in state somewhere in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, and the listing on Facebook Marketplace shows more pictures and details. Sadly, the elderly owner died before seeing it ride again. It’s offered by a friend in as-is condition for $4,500. The Morgan 4/4 may best define the “timeless classic,” having been produced in multiple series from 1936 to 2018. Amazing! The designation “4/4” refers to the vehicle’s four wheels and four cylinders. If you’re thinking “four wheels” seems redundant and superfluous, check out Morgan’s nifty three-wheelers. Thanks to Wikipedia for some details and to reader Chuck F. for spotting the disassembled sports car.
The ’64 Morgan’s wood and metal structure combine, and everything looks practically ready for reassembly. As one of 635 Series V units built, this mothballed Morgan deserves a second life, either refurbished with a light touch that preserves its time capsule condition as much as possible or completely restored to factory perfection.
If original, this should be the 65 HP 1.5L (92 cid) Ford Cortina 116E engine and four-speed manual gearbox. Take a digital detour to ClassicCars for a look at a fully assembled and glistening 1964 Morgan 4/4.
The “banjo” steering wheel looks ridiculously upright, fixed to a spear-like non-collapsable steering column aimed directly at the driver’s sternum. The lack of deterioration is nothing short of amazing for a vehicle stored since America’s Bicentennial. The car’s dashboard and instruments are pictured in the listing.
The curvaceous nose recalls the “track nose” fitted to pre-war racers, lending the Morgan an aerodynamic-looking and sporty look. The long hood and short rear evoke a timeless sense of elegance and speed. We might lament this car’s history, socked away at age twelve and missing nearly six decades, but as with many decisions in life, the second-best time to complete this project is now. We’d love to hear an updates from the new owner in the comments below. Have you seen a better-preserved car parked 58 years?
58 years no but a few for 30 years. The almost rust free Bigeye Sprite we are doing a complete restoration on sat outside under a plastic tarp for over 30 years with one small rust area to fix. They are out there, like this Morgan, and if you are lucky you will trip over one. The Morgan’s engine with it’s wide open intake/exhaust ports and open cooling system will probably require a complete rebuild which will add to the time and money numbers but it certainly is a great start on a semi-rare car.
I’m completely unsure, but think this might have a Standard (Triumph) engine. My memory of the Cortina engine tells me they had a smooth valve cover, while the TR’s was ribbed. That was a more powerful alternative to the Ford engine.
As the engine is incomplete, that hardly matters. Hope the bits needed to complete the engine (and everything else) are on hand, though they’re not impossible to find. Wish I could take this on, as Morgans are great fun to drive.
If you are a workworker, frame fixes on these are straightforward. While I am a carpenter and car guy, I have never worked on a Morgan. Does anyone out there know the wood specie of the frame? Correct me if I’m wrong but I believe it is ash. Thanks in advance. The nice part of this project being disassembled is that you can see what is needed and what needs to be fabricated. I also hope the bonnet is there because those are completely handmade to each car at the Morgan coach builders. I have viewed the process and it is quite amazing!! I used to live in NJ and know that town, Whitehouse Station. If I was still there, it would be fun to just go check this out. May people do not like ‘basket case’ projects however sometimes they are the best finds because they scare away much of the market!
The frames are made of white ash.
I can proudly say my brother-in-law had one, a 1991 Plus 4 unit. They didn’t change a lot over the years. His car was in excellent shape, having been imported shortly before he bought it and he was the second owner. The car had a propane conversion to get around the US import EPA regs. . That engine was pretty slow and gutless, so he had the drive train swapped out for a complete Honda S2000 setup. That conversion turned that charming car into a serious tourer, yet for some reason he sold it so he could buy a then-new 2013 Ford Mustang V6 convertible. Since then, he regrets letting “Moggie” go, as he’ll never have another like it.
Was that S2000 powered car a light cream or white and originally in the Seattle Washington area? Such a car was in our NW club and I saw it on a couple of tours into Oregon. Very impressive!
Isn’t that a TR-4 engine, which would make this a +4, not a 4/4, and a real steal.
And already sold.
Folks, this is a Plus 4, not a 4/4. Three points of evidence: 1) Triumph TR engine, 2) the “+4” badge on the cowl and 3) the transmission cover and the Moss gear lever sticking through it. It is also a four-seater.
The FB link doesn’t work for me so I only can see the pictures in the Barnfinds listing. There are likely other items showing that it is a Plus 4, like the 4-in-1 gauge (fuel, oil press, temp and amps) where the 4/4 has a 3-in-1 gauge.
Yes, that’s a Plus 4 with a TR-4 motor and a Moss gearbox. The Ford powered 4/4 has the exhaust on the left and no louvers on the top of the bonnet.
Looks like the ad was pulled.