Question

1963 series 1 xke FHC I too live in mass,& have a xke.some police depts. watch for antique plates Believe the rules are very restrive.I drive mine daily in good weather& have regular plates.I use an english car repair shop on cape cod He,s very good average prices.i do much of the work myself

Stu,

You know that you Morgan folks are okay people -- as long as you also own a Jaguar. ;-) (David, Stu is the President of the Jaguar Auto Group in NJ, a JCNA club of which I'm also a member.)

Steve Weinstein, JTC/JAG-NJ
'70 XKE FHC
'69 XKE OTS
'84 Ferrari Mondial QV

The Three/Four club has a web page www.morgan34.org and look for the heading
for Autumn Mog. You can also try to get it through the big Canadian club
site that has links to many Morgan clubs and events www.gomog.com If you
can't find it, I can supply all the info becuase I am the chairman of the
meet. Basically it is at the Williams Inn in Willimastown October 1-3. The
concours will be nearby at the Clark Museum on Saturday AM (it is about a
mile from the hotel, maybe less) followed by a rally in the afternoon. We'll
have a reception of Friday evening and an awards banquet on Sat evening with
a guest speaker from the UK. Sunday's event is a gymkhana. Oh...Friday
afternoon we have an autocross (or as Jag folks call it, a slalom) at a race
track near by but in NY state, then the reception at the hotel. If you show
up on Saturday AM, you can attend the concours at the museum as a spectator
without any charge. If you actually want to participate in the meet, I can
send registration forms, but basically, it is all Morgans with a few "tin
tops" but usually members cars. However, we are not snobs and we really
enjoy showing off the cars and having guests attend our meets, so we'd be
more than happy to see you. There is a one day registration fee but as I
said, you can attend the concours without any charge since it is behind the
museum and not restricted to club members. It is the Three Four club (3
wheeled cars & 4 wheeled cars) not the three-quarter Morgan club as the 3/4
might lead you to think.JAG FOLKS.....Thanks for allowing this Morgan stuff on the JCNA pages. Hope I have not infringed on the protocols for this site. I DO have 2 Jags but only 1 Morgan!

1974 XKE OTS
2000 S-Type V8

David,

Congrats on the new Jag. She's beautiful. I'm sure you will enjoy having her and driving it around. Just a couple of comments:

1. Most states have a "collector" car designation that is not as restrictive as "historic" or "antique" (depending on what your state calls them). In any event, even if you do a normal registration, because it is more than 25 years old, you should be exempt from emissions testing when you take it through inspection.

2. Consider a classic car insurance policy. Check out some of the major companies like J.C.Taylor, Haggerty's, Classic Car Insurance, etc. These policies usually assume some form of limited usage or limited annual mileage, but you can save a bundle of money.

3. Are you going to work on the car yourself or use a mechanic? Consider joining the E-type list on www.jag-lovers.org. You'll find a lot of useful information in the archives there, and it's a good place to ask questions in addition to this forum. Much of what you need to do on the car you can do yourself with minimal skills and some basic tools.

4. Join Jaguar Association of New England (JANE). It is a terrific group of people, they have lots of Jaguar activities, and you will make a network of friends who can help you enjoy the car, learn more about it, and get the most out of your investment. Also, it's a great source of information on things like good, trustworthy, reasonably priced mechanics who know what they are doing.

5. Continue to ask questions. That's how you'll find out. And pick up a couple of the books about the E-type and Jaguars in general (you can find them at the local Barnes & Noble, on this website or elsewhere on the web, like Amazon). The more you know about the car, the more you will enjoy it and the less likely that you will get ripped off by a mechanic (which is pretty easy to happen with a novice).

Best of luck. Enjoy the car and let us know how things go. And I look forward to seeing you at some of the JANE or JCSNE (Jaguar Club of Sothern New England -- Connecticut based club) events in your area.

Regards,

Steve Weinstein, JTC-NJ
'70 XKE FHC
'69 XKE OTS
'84 Ferrari Mondial QV

Thank you Stuart.
I called the Registry here in
Mass. and the only plate they offer is antique and there implied a very restrictive use policy.
Your information is very helpful and much appreciated.
Also, Is there a web link to the Morgan show you mentioned in Willaimstown?
Thanks again,
David

'70 e-type sII OTS

Most antique car policies will allow a certain amount of "pleasure" driving. Some companies will restrict your mileage to about 2,500 a year but will give extensions if you go to lots of shows or take a trip to a distant event. In NJ you can register as a "classic" for a 20 year old car and an antique at 25 years. I suspect most states have similar laws. Usually you are allowed to place a value on the car yourself and give photos to the insurance company. The premiums will be based on the value of a car. If you but a fixer-upper at a low cost and restore it, then the original cost vs the restored value will be much different. Several of the major insurance companies seem to operate along similar lines based on what I have on my cars and what other club members and fellow collectors have told me. Some state laws may restrict your use of a car with antique plates, but in all the years I have driven my cars, I have yet to be stopped and i know only a few people who have been here in NJ. One was driving a Morgan Trike, which is obviously going to attract a bit more attention than a 4 wheeled car. You have to go to buy gas, you have to road test a car if you've worked on it etc, so it is doubtful that you will encounter any problems for misuse of antique plates. BTW, if you are near Williamstwon, MA on the first weekend in October, stop by the Williams Inn to see the Morgan club's fall meet. We'll have about 50 cars and twice that many people. Besides my Jags, I have been an active morgan owner for many years.
1974 XKE OTS
2000 S-Type V8

Thank you Peter

'70 e-type sII ots

Welcome David;
I know youÆll enjoy your new car. As for your questions, the only one I can answer is the ôantiqueö registration/use. As I recall, yes, there are restrictions on use, i.e.: to shows; road tests; etc. I suggest you contact your insurance agent, they should confirm and direct you properly. (Nice looking wheels, good luck!)

'92 XJS Convertible