The nice thing about driving a Morris Minor.....

[HarryandDoreen]

Hello everyone

I have been a member of the club for a year now, having purchased Doreen (see picture below) from Charles Ware in January. I had the car professionally restored, as I could turn a viable car into a death trap in ten minutes with a spanner.

Doreen (previous owners name) has done 9,000 miles since then, including a trip from Bath to Dublin via Holyhead, and is an utter joy to drive. My 10 year old also thinks we have the coolest car on the school run.

I have been reading this website for over a year now, and am in awe of the knowledge and skill so many of you demonstrate. Especially those restorations...

One thread I have never seen is a gentle one around the simple pleasures of driving a Morris Minor. I am sure that we could build up a substantial collection here. Here is my offering to start things off...

The nice thing about driving a Morris Minor is...

... the soft green flashing of the indicator when driving in the dark.
... the fact that the road ahead of you is always clear (don't look in the rear view mirror!).
... the unmissable engine noise which is inversely proportional to the speed of the car.


I have left loads of scope, and this could be quite a bit of fun!

Thanks for being here!

Harry and Doreen

[MColes]

...the fact almost everyone smiles and waves as you Drive past

[mike.perry]

The fact that breakdowns can nearly always be fixed at the roadside with a few tools!

[Jonah681]

Unlike Mercs or BMW's, people let you in at junctions just to get a look at your car.

You're a current member of the ' I used to have one of those' club.

Basically, the car puts a smile on peoples' faces!

[billlobban]

The fact that --- Its impossible to get work done on your car outside as everyone who walks past wants to talk to you.
Most fun car I've ever owned

[pjh56]

It conjures up nostalgia in every thought, shape and form

[Blaketon]

Unlike Mercs or BMW's, people let you in at junctions just to get a look at your car.

You're a current member of the ' I used to have one of those' club.

Basically, the car puts a smile on peoples' faces!

I don’t know about being let in by others. A lot of people seem to assume its going to be slow and in the way, so want to be in front of you (It can come as a surprise to some when you overtake them). I certainly get more of the “I / my uncle used to have….have you restored it….that’s a nice old car” with the Traveller than with either of the MGs (Which is odd in one sense, as the BGT V8 is more “Exotic”).

If I’m out driving, I prefer to be in the company of other “Classic” drivers, as they are generally safer than “Pleb” motorists, especially some of those who seem to favour the vehicles mentioned earlier. My father and I were once travelling back from a VSCC event at Prescott, in the Midget. My Midget has over 100 bhp and an overdrive, so it will pop along. On the M50, we caught up with a Morgan +8 and a Jensen Healey, who were travelling along at about 60mph. I slowed down and followed them. The Morgan turned off at Ross and when I turned off for Abergavenny, the Jensen was heading for Newport. Whether the two cars were owned by people, who were connected, I have no way of knowing. Perhaps they were like me and just preferred to follow people they perceived to be sane. Generally if I am out and I see another “Classic” car, lights will be flashed (I’m well used to it after 25 years of MG ownership).

As to the car itself, I bought it as a runabout (The VW Scirocco Storm, that I owned before it, was starting to give me cause for concern on spares – not so bad if it’s the “Toy” car but not good for the runabout), even though, for me, that means no more than about 2000 miles a year (I cycle to and from work). I had driven a few Minors but until we got the Traveller back home, I hadn’t driven it. For some reason my father did the test drive and drove it home, whilst I drove the Scirocco home, with various Minor spares (Original 1098 engine and box) in the trailer. When I drove the Morris, it seemed a little high and the brakes, although servo assisted, seemed a bit lacking after the 4 wheel discs on the Scirocco (I have since fitted discs to the Traveller). My next trip was to a meeting of the local classic car club and on the way back, the roads were quiet and I suddenly realised “This car handles rather well, I’m enjoying this”.

The car has really grown on me and six years on; I couldn’t really imagine life without it. I’ve always maintained my own cars and the Minor is very good in this respect. It’s very useful and I find it nice to drive. I like the driving position (It has a Newton seat) and it just drives so nicely. It’s in touch with you and predictable. I hardly ever drive modern cars nowadays and the last one I drove (Passatt) had power steering, which I found to be vague; it reminded me of driving something on a fairground merry-go-round. Classic cars are a way of life (I also like steam engines). At one time, I liked cars from all periods but since the 1980s (And not many '80s cars interest me), something of a cut off has developed.

[stevey]

that there is more metal in your front bumper than in most other cars!!!

[woodiesenfrance]

People smile, and stop to chat with you in car parks.

However, I wish Brits abroad on holiday wouldn't be so rude, you can see them pointing and saying 'oh look there's a Morris Minor'. I was always told it was rude to point!

[DAVIDMCCULLOUGH]

One of the first questions Im always asked is 'does it have stick out indicators?' When im out in the lowlight people say that they owned a tourer version and I always ask them where is it now? There was a precious thread about people giving you spare parts or workshop manuals too.

Has anyone ever asked to smell the inside of your car????? That lovely mix of old leather and oil, takes people right back!

[ASL642]

Yep - stopped by an elderly pair when going into the Supermarket and asked if I would mind opening her up again so they could "have a sniff!"

[sgray]

My modern car is also my company car and I'm in it a lot of the day. At the weekend it's nice to get the truck out of the garage and just use him for pottering about - it helps remind me it's the weekend and I don't have to rush everywhere.

[borderblue]

Unfortunately i cannot say what it's like to drive my minor because i have to fix it up,but i quite often sit in it and pretend,sad isn't it

[aupickup]

yes

[d_harris]

Yep - stopped by an elderly pair when going into the Supermarket and asked if I would mind opening her up again so they could "have a sniff!"

I've told it before, one of the best I've had was when there was a bin strike the (previous) traveller was called into service as the only estate car and piled high with bags of rubbish to go to the tip.

On arrival at the tip somebody pottered up and asked for a sniff as they used to own one. "Aaaah, just like I remember, they all smell like this!" after taking a huge lungful of household waste fumes

[Mog-nuts]

One of my delights was when an Aston Martin DB9 stopped alongside me at traffic lights,the driver dropped his window and commented on how much he admired my Traveller. And yes,he was genuine !

[limegreen]

the horn.

i cannot stress how much i love the horn.

it's not a "GET OUT OF THE WAY!!!" horn, it's an "excuse me? maybe... please?" horn.

[stevey]

the third gear exhaust parp!!

[StaffsMoggie]

The best one I had was when I was starting mine on the handle at a petrol station just as an old fella was walking past. He said that he hadnt seen that done in years!

The reason for the starting handle trick was of course that I was running about with a dead dynamo for weeks because I was too idle to change the brushes......

[DAVIDMCCULLOUGH]

Do the wheels still fall off those????????

How many times have you been asked that one!!!!!!!!!