The Twelve Days of Gheorghemas: Day 5

On the first day of Gheorghemas

Big Gheorghe gave to me...

Five roadsters you can and should buy right now

FORE! An overdue update on LIV & the PGA Tour

Three Ways of Coping

Stories from two three strokes

And much needed hip mo-bili-ty

I'm the car guy here and I haven't written much about them this year, so for Gheorghemas I'm giving you five very cool, very unusual classic or near-classic roadsters that are available right now for less than $25,000.  For the uninitiated, roadsters are convertibles with two seats, ideally they are rear wheel drive so you can slide them around.  The most enjoyable are often underpowered but very light and nimble so you feel like you're going fast even when you aren't and you can't get yourself into too much trouble (with the law or with trees and houses).  I love roadsters and you should too.  Hopefully one will strike a chord and you'll buy one and let me drive it.  I know the only chord these will strike with Dave will be dissonant, and I eagerly await his screen against cars in a post about books, pickleball, sports injuries, and/or body hair.

1. 1992 Pitcrew Eunos Roadster 

There's a joke among car guys that Miata is an acronym for Miata Is Always The Answer, which should be your response to when people say "What car should I get?"  Mazda sells it as the Eunos Roadster in Japan which is a little too close to Eunuch Roadster for my taste, and probably why it's a Miata here.  There is a very special Eunos Roadster for sale at Japanese Classics in Richmond.  Some genius took a 1992 Eunos and made a few go-fast mods, grafted onto it what appears to be the front end of an AC Ace, then remodeled the interior with steampunk flair (including some Heuer stopwatches, looking at you Danimal) and slathered the whole thing in British Racing Green.  

Your local Mazda dealer should be able to service it, my 1993 Miata got over 30 MPG as a daily driver and was a total hoot to drive, you won't see another one, the removable hardtop is a sweet perk, and they're asking $22,495 but I'm confident you can do better than that if you try.  Good luck finding more smiles per mile, practicality and uniqueness at that price point.  It's divine.

2. 1985 Morgan 4/4 1600

Much less practical than the Eunos but similarly green is this 1985 Morgan 4/4 1600 available at Duncan Imports' Christianburg VA location.  I've written about Duncan Imports before, and I've written about Morgans many times.  I'm not going to pretend that this is a purchase you make with your head--it's all heart--but it has a Ford engine so you can convince yourself that at least part of the car should be easy to service.  Just look at this thing though!

It has a hood strap!  And a Dog On Board sign!  With enough scuffs and dings that you won't worry about getting rock chips when you drive it.  Smiles per mile off the charts and you will rule your local Cars and Coffee.  They're asking $24,777 but the interior should be reupholstered so use that fact to chisel them down.  Seems like Mr. KQ, rob and Marls should go thirdsies on this given their love of fragile British sports cars and relative proximity to it and each other.

3. 1970 Siata Spring

I've never heard of this manufacturer before, let alone this model, and that doesn't happen often so you're practically guaranteed to never see another Siata Spring at your local car meet.  Like the preceding two cars on my list it's a green two-seat convertible, a formula that always piques my interest, and they're only asking $8,500 for it.  The car is located in Hillside, NJ which explains why they photographed it in front of a dumpster.  Bring in by my house after you pick it up and we'll go for a spin.

Unfortunately it combines the most awkward aesthetic features of an MG TD and a VW Thing, it has a Fiat engine, the engine is mounted behind the rear axle, and it has no seat belts.  But it takes 25 seconds to hit 60 MPH so maybe you won't need seatbelts?

It's in remarkably good shape and I doubt anyone wants it so complain about the rusty underside, offer $5k and see what happens.  This might be a great shuttle to and from the beach for our man in the OBX. 

4. 1984 Fiat Spyder

Another Italian car?  Powered by a Fiat engine?  Yes and yes!  One of the cleanest Fiat Spyders I've ever seen is currently available at Classic Auto Mall in Morgantown, PA.  The color combo is divine--Azzurra Blue over tan leather and cherry wood--and the rock guards on the headlights are fantastic.  

This car is so nice that as I'm writing this zdaughter came over and said "Ooh, that's a cool car!  I like the color.  Let me see the inside.  Ooh the steering wheel is so cool!"  So that's proof this thing is legit because she knows her stuff.  The Enkei wheels are too 1998 for my taste but the car is only $16,500 so budget another $1500 for more suitable rims.  Leverage that grievance while you're trying to get them down to around $13,000.  Most Fiat Spyders were mechanical and electrical basket cases so they wound up abandoned and unloved, you typically see them rotting away in a garage half covered by a tarp or under a tree behind a service station.  They are not valuable so no one spends the money to restore them, which means this one was doted on and loved for 40 years.

5. 1969 Datsun 1600 Convertible

You may recall that I learned to drive in a 1986 Nissan Sentra.  The family stable also included zstepfather's beige 1984 Datsun-Nissan Sentra, a rare and not-at-all-coveted car with dual badging from the crossover year where Datsun rebranded itself.  A much much better Datsun is the 1600 convertible.  Just look at this magnificent beast--you know I'm a sucker for pastel yellow convertibles, and this one could fit inside Whit's WCSAGD Impala.

Look at that hood scoop!  And the chrome scallops around the headlights!  And the dog dish hubcaps!  It's in Jefferson, GA which is about 30 minutes outside of Athens, so couple the purchase with a trip to a football game or a concert.  They're asking $12,000, the ad says "Runs very well" and they're throwing in a new top.  And it's a '69.  The whole thing drips charm.  One of us needs to buy it, probably whoever else drips too.

6. BONUS ROADSTER - 1991 Lotus Elan Turbo

I know Day 5 calls for five things but this is Gheorghemas and it was my understanding that there would be no math.  So there are six roadsters today.

There are two versions of the Lotus Elan.  The first was made from 1962 to 1975, is rob's WCSAGD, and is considered one of the all-time greatest roadsters, serving as the inspiration for the aforementioned Miata.  The second was manufactured from 1989 to 1995 and is also an awesome roadster but was considered heretical by Lotus's tweedy cultists because the powertrain was sourced from Isuzu and, even worse, it's front wheel drive.  To those cultists I say "Lighten up Francis."  

The 1991 Elan for sale in Springfield, MO is a beaut.  Just under 16,000 miles, red over black, it's a study in perfect proportions.  It appears to be shrinkwrapped over the wheels--there's practically no overhang.  As a result almost all the weight is between the axles, exactly where it ought to be, resulting in what was lauded at the time as the best handling front wheel drive car ever.

It just barely scrapes under our $25k limit at $24,900, but good luck finding another British roadster with modern electronics and a reliable engine in crisp condition at this price point, let alone one that won't fishtail in sloppy weather.  Less than 5,000 were made (and only 800 had the turbo engine like this one) and less than 600 were shipped to the US so you probably won't see another one at the Dairy Queen.  Parts may be scarce but I suspect the boys in Norwich will take care of you, and you should be able to get the Isuzu bits online.  

Now go get a roadster!

More Mogs

 Morgan released some videos detailing their new three-wheeler.

The model's website has lots of information and if you want to spend hours trapped in an automotive rabbit hole, they have a bonkers configurator.  

There are many ways to spec this car and it's easy to screw it up.  Any black, silver, or gray version is incorrect.  For example, a murdered out Super 3 is stupid.

Matte battleship gray is better but still wrong.

Either way you can't see all of the car's details.  And it's a fucking three-wheeler with no roof or windshield, there's no point in trying to be subtle.  I see a few obvious builds.

First is green over biscuit with ivory side blades and matching wheels.  They offer at least five different shades of green (six if you count the blue-green "Eden Blue").  I'm going with glossy Almond because it's solid, not metallic.  Alligator would be better if it wasn't metallic, but that's life.  The side blades are matte Sport Ivory, as are the wheels.  I am not a fan of matte paint generally because it often hides the car's lines--my old neighbor had a matte black Audi A7 and it made one of the prettiest cars on the road completely two-dimensional.  But the wheels and side blades have no lines, they are completely two dimensional so matte paint will only accentuate them.  While I'm at it I'll take "zman" and "zwoman" callsigns on the driver's and passenger's sides respectively, American flags (they don't have that in the configurator so there are Union Jacks in the picture), a tinted flyscreen, Rich Tan interior, Zebrano wood on the dash, extra driving lights with protective cages all around, and because I'm an idiot I'll get body-matching luggage too.

That's a classically British car.  The luggage is ridiculous.  This is not a car you take on a road trip.  It has no top for God's sake.  But it looks cool in the picture so I included it.

It would also be correct to make the whole thing Sport Ivory and put a pop of color on the inside, like Cotswold Green.  I would go with silver wheels to get some contrast and some WWI flying ace decals for fun.

Austin Powers would go full Union Jack with this thing.

That's Sport Blue with Sport Red blades, cowl, and wheels.  Ivory seats with quilted red stitching and the Morgan logo between the seats.  The exhaust pipe is white too.  The brightwork is silver, the flyscreens are clear, and I only specced two driving lights to give the car less of a spider's face.  I added the Union Jack decals to make it as preposterous as possible.

If I were plunking down my hard earned zcash, I would go with glossy Classic Blue and matte White Gold blades and wheels, Tan mariner leather with pleated seats and blue stitching, silver brightwork, a walnut dashboard and a big Momo wood steering wheel.  I'd get the big flyscreen just to make it more livable, and a "03" decal on the blades.

Ideally the blades and wheels would be slightly browner and the body would be more of a robin's egg blue.  They have an infinitely adjustable "special solid colour" widget but it's too hard to figure out.

With all that said, the previous 3 Wheeler was cooler.  The exposed exhaust pipes running down the side were a major burn hazard but boy were they awesome to look at.  Having the engine hanging off the front bumper was a goofy idea just from a physics and handling dynamics perspective but it was also very aesthetically pleasing.  And the wire wheels were orders of magnitude more beautiful than these dog dishes on the Super 3.  The digital dash in the new car isn't heresy but I'm not sure it works with the whole old-timey steampunk vibe they're going for.

It starts at £35,000 and every time you do something in the configurator it adds more to the pricetag.  Sport Ivory paint is £595, for example.  Any wheels other than silver is another £595.  Any interior other than black vinyl and they start at £895.  It's insane, especially for a car you can't drive far or often.  It has no roof so you can't use it when it might rain (unless you don't mind ruining the interior).  The flyscreens are clip-on pieces of plastic so I doubt they provide any serious protection from rocks, insects, or anything else that might fly into your face at 40 MPH.  I cannot imagine driving one of these on a real highway--you would be invisible to, and thus likely run over by, an 18-wheeler or a Cadillac Escalade.  

Naturally, I registered my interest on the Morgan website and Linda from Morgan Motors of New England already contacted me.  I'm pretty sure I'm not stupid enough to buy a Super 3.  Pretty sure.

Froadin Mogs

More Mogs!  I'm on Morgan Motor Company's email list so I'm periodically treated to insanity like this:

That's right, they converted the Plus Four into an off-road Safari-style contraption called the Plus Four CX-T.  No one needs this.  In fact I'm not sure anyone wants this.  And perhaps Morgan knows both assertions are true--they're only making eight and each will cost £170,000 (that's about $237,000 according to Google).

I'm conflicted.  On one hand, this seems like those stupid $300 Best Made hipster axes.  Just as the young man in Cobble Hill with a beard and beautiful black and white portrait tattoos will never actually fell anything with his fancy hatchet, no one is going to tear their quarter-million-dollar CX-T around dirt roads in Great Malvern only to wind up sitting on a cargo box staring off into the distance with a random make-shift campfire behind them.  Or maybe it's more like commercials from the 1980s that make relatively mundane or stupid toys seem exciting, typically by putting the kids in some awesome backyard with tons of rocks and trees and a creek.

On the other hand, I'm delighted that people are off proudly and passionately doing ridiculous shit like this.  They could've turned the Plus Four into some stupid seven-passenger SUV with fifteen cup holders, five TV screens, a digital gauge cluster, and no buttons on the dashboard.  Instead they made something really unique, albeit dumb.

Car guys are still out there!

More Morgan EV3

I previously posted about the Morgan EV3. It appears that the design has been refined a bit since then and it is still gorgeous.

That said, I really wish they kept the headlight as a single off-center affair because the front end looks a bit like a cartoon clam now. As part of the launch, Morgan teamed up with Selfridges and nine other British companies to create a limited edition called "UK1909." So you not only get the car, you get customized luggage from Globetrotter, driving goggles from Linda Farrow, a white scarf from Alexander McQueen, and a shearling helmet from Karl Donoghue, and other similarly preposterous accouterments.

Here's an interview with Jon Wells, Morgan's head of design, explaining the project. I must warn you that Mr. Wells's youth will only exacerbate any preexisting inferiority complex you might have.



You should check out the photos of the cool styling details here. The reverse-neutral-drive selection knob absolutely kills me, it looks like something from a mad scientist's laboratory. The switchgear is marvelously steampunk too.

Don't start writing a check--only nine copies of this version will be made and all will be sold in the UK, which makes sense given the theme. Hopefully I'll be able to get the goggles, helmet and scarf separately.

zPorn Redux: WWzD Meets Mog EV3

It's time for our annual Morgan post. Last March rob blogged Mogs, specifically the Aero 8. I pronounced my love for the Morgan 3-wheeler in the comments of that post. Turns out I'm not alone.



I've spend hours building my own 3-wheeler here. But it's wildly impractical. It has no roof, windows or windshield ferchristsake. So I'm looking for something more usable on a daily basis. My commute is so short that I've considered buying an electric car, but Teslae are hideously expensive and most other EV's look like a clown's shoe. Seriously:



I wouldn't drive one of those if you paid me so I certainly wouldn't pay to drive one. Remarkably, Morgan, the oldest of old-school car manufacturers, decided to get in the EV game. They turned the 3-wheeler into an EV, called it the EV3, and it's so awesomely zpornographic that Justice Stewart would immediately know how to classify this video if he could see it.



It weighs about 1100 pounds, has a 150 mile range, carbon fiber and aluminum bodywork, and aside from the fact that it requires no petrol it's just as impractical as the V-twin version. But that tonneau though! According to Linda at Morgan Motors of New England, the EV3 will be available in the US sometime next year. She added "We are currently taking names for a wait list." Various sources state that the base price will be around $36,000. God help me if she follows up with an email dangling photos of one in BRG ...

ZPorn

1963 Morgan +4

I'm not much of a car guy. (So much not a car guy, in fact, that I've used exactly that phrase to describe myself previously.) Pretty happy with my Toyota Camry with 150,000 miles on it. I might splurge on a MINI when the Camry finally kicks the bucket, but I don't think that'll happen anytime soon, given Toyota's well-deserved reputation for durability.

There are a few exceptions to my general automotive indifference, though. I'm a sucker for the Jaguar F-Type, for example. That thing is sexy as hell. I like the aforementioned MINI, too. It looks cool, and it fits my own personal little guy narrative.

But ever since I was a young lad, I've had a favorite automaker. In 1909, Henry Frederick Stanley Morgan founded the Morgan Motor Company in Malvern, England, producing three-wheeled sports cars for the turn of the century set. The company remains based in Malvern, and in an industry dominated by corporate behemoths, remains family-owned and operated.

(Click play to hear the engine sound of a 1928 Morgan Aero. I know Zman will do it.)

Put simply, Morgans are beautiful. They're works of art as much as they are conveyances. The Morgan +4 is a quintessentially British roadster, all sloping fenders and long bonnet. Every Morgan, really, can stand in for the United Kingdom's automakers. As Wired.com says, "Leather-gloved hands down, Morgan Motor Co. is our favorite retro-modern car maker."

I wanted one as a kid. British racing green, please.

And now, I want one even more. 

Morgan just announced the release of its updated Aero 8. It's gorgeous, and it can be yours for $121,000. I think that's a small price to pay to drive a sculpture.