For anyone who didn't see it here is a link the the fifth gear crash test between a J reg Volvo estate and a New Renault; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3ygYUYia9I
The results may surprise you (Not really suitable for dial-up connections)
As I said before being safe in a Minor is up to YOU and or karma God etc.
It was a very good car for its time but that was over 40 years ago and things have moved on a lot since then.
I still think a Minor is a good choice for a first car as it will be educational and very usable but you need to be aware of its shortcomings compared to a more modern car like your mates at uni will have.
If you are happy with character and not competition it'll be fine.
Maybe I'm just being fatherly but those are my thoughts for what their worth
You could be driving a modern so say really safe car - but that wont help if you get sided by a landrover / truck / lorry - you'll still be goosed same as you would in a mog.
THink driving a mog migth be beificial in forwrd thinking for driving style - and thats no bad thing to learn.
Regarding safety, a good Minor will probably beat a cheap 80's car in crash performance. 'Crumple zones' were not even thought of in the 40's when the shell was designed, however they did a very good job and as luck would have it, the Minor shell will absorb a lot of the impact of a heavy front crash.
Bear in mind that whatever car you get, if the sheel is very rusted (rotten) then it will fall to bits in a crash!!
All Minors from 1965 onwards have seat belts anyway - that's the law (and so do many of the older ones, but they are optional on pre 65 cars). The interior is not ideal for a crash as they have strong steel pedals, and a metal bar to hold up the shelf under the dash, so leg and foot protection is poor compared to 90's and 2000's cars.
The later saloons have 1098cc engines, reasonable gearing and diff ratio to allow easy town driving and reasonable motorway driving (could do with a 5th gear for motorway though!). They also have bigger front drums which give a marked improvement on stopping power.
Front disks are an obvious improvement but are not the only way to upgrade the brakes (you can get 9" drums but these are rare and pads/cylinders are much more expensive). A servo reduces the pedal effort, but does not improve the brakes.
I had a Minor as my first car, and I never regretted it. It certaily improved my road awareness and driving skills, therefore gives a long term safety benefit - I also rode motorbikes, so in comparison to a Volvo hitting a Renault... well there is no comparison. however if you stay alive on a motorbike, that means you've learnt how to avoid very badly driven cars!
One word of warning - make sure you get a decent minor, not just one that 'looks nice'. For a first car, looks are much less important than mechanical condition. You don't want to spend a fortune then end up scrapping it when the next MOT comes up.
Ideally get it checked by someone who has had lots of Minors and DIY's their own repairs and maintenance as they will know what to look for.
Ray. MMOC#47368. Forum moderator.
Jan 06: The Minor SII Africa adventure: http://www.minor-detour.com
Oct 06: back from Dresden with my Trabant 601 Kombi
Jan 07: back from a month thru North Africa (via Timbuktu) in a S3 Landy
June 07 - back from Zwickau Trabi Treffen
Aug 07 & Aug 08 - back from the Lands End to Orkney in 71 pickup
Sept 2010 - finally gave up breaking down in a SII Landy...
where to break down next?
2013... managed to seize my 1275 just by driving it round the block
I don't know for sure what they had originally but I think they might have been three point static belts. If the car is late enough to have the mounting points in the shell then it's very easy to fit modern three point inertia reel belts. Rear seat belts are a bit trickier to fit (because you have to drill holes and fit special nuts) but still doable in an afternoon.
Alex Holden - http://www.alexholden.net/
If it doesn't work, you're not hitting it with a big enough hammer.
Ignore that crash video, it wasn't between a Minor and a new car. A Minor has a lot more strength due to thicker metal. I have heard of people who sadly did have accident in their Minor and the car performed very well, better than moderns in some cases.
My advice, drive the car sensibly and well, and safley and it will be fine.
As a first car the minor is perfect, makes an ideal learning tool.
Since owning one my driving has improved tenfold. I actually think about stopping distances and safe driving - the two never bothered me before.
You'll also learn how to fix it yourself, thus saving you from unscrupulous 'teeth sucking' local mechanics.
I agree absolutely with Dunketh, modern cars make bad drivers of people. A Minor makes you a better driver and therefore much less likely to crash in the 1st place. Thats why the insurance is cheaper.
As for Minor safety- look on the recent thread where someone was unfortunately t-boned in their Minor on the motorway by an HGV. They got out unhurt and even the car was fine apart from a mashed up drivers door.
chickenjohn wrote:
As for Minor safety- look on the recent thread where someone was unfortunately t-boned in their Minor on the motorway by an HGV. They got out unhurt and even the car was fine apart from a mashed up drivers door.
I've got one into repair at the moment, that got T boned on the motorway. The lorry driver changed lanes without 'allegedly' noticing the black Minor, clipped the back corner, spun it round in front of him and pushed it sideways along the motorway. Other than slightly battered looking bodywork on the drivers side the car is fine. The owner used it for a few months till the insurance claim went through. Only thing that didnt work was the door window wouldnt wind down because the door was too bashed in. But it opened and closed perfectly. Needed two new wings, a door skin and a bit of pushing out of the 1/4 panel. Stood up to it very well.
Did anyone see that 'emergency 999' type program a few years back, where a lorry overturned on a roundabout and landed on the Minor that was waiting at thr giveway line? The reckoned the strength of the Minor bulkhead and steel dashboard was what saved the lady driver and her two children in the back and that if she'd been in a modern car it would have been a much different outcome.
There's a couple of accident damaged Minors on ebay at the mo. The one with the frontal impact shows how they absorb impact quite well.
cheers
Iain
Fairmile Restorations.
'49 MM, '53 convertible, '55 van, and a '64 van.
Marina p.u., '56 Morris Isis Traveller, a '59 Morris JB van, a'66 J4 van, a '54 Land Rover, Land Rover 130, Renault 5, '36Railton, '35 Hudson, a Mk1 Transit and a Sherpa Camper...
A car can be restored at any time, but is only original once!
"The reckoned the strength of the Minor bulkhead and steel dashboard was what saved the lady driver and her two children in the back and that if she'd been in a modern car it would have been a much different outcome. "
Yes, I'd heard of this one too!- I read it was the strength of the A and windscreen Pillar that helped too. The Minor doors are strong because of the gauge of steel used and construction, its not just a door frame and outer skin, there is also a substantial (1.2mm thick steel) diagonal structure inside the door, almost like having a chassis inside your door!
