1275cc Insurance, MPG, MPH

[sam_uk]

Hi all

I think I want a Morris as a daily driver. I don't actually drive very much at all it would be more a 'monthly driver'. I'm mainly interested in keeping my long term motoring costs down. I'm pretty handy and can change brakes etc.

I'm also kind of interested in safety, joining a 70mph motorway at 45mph doesn't sound much fun. So i'd be thinking of putting in a
* 1275cc http://www.mmoc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=10236(£500? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1275cc-Morris ... 2c7ccdd9e9),
* Disc brakes at the front (£500? http://www.jlhmorrisminors.co.uk/conten ... cation.php) and
* Possibly a roll bar (£200? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MORRIS-MINOR- ... 0896696470) for a modicum of side impact protection. Obviously proper seatbelts too.

My main question is if I do all this am I going to see the insurance skyrocket as a result?

I'm getting quoted about £100/yr fully comp at the moment, does anyone have first hand experience of their premiums changing after the mods above?

I'm hoping my MPG would stay more or less the same? http://www.mmoc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?p=190806

What would a comfortable cruising speed be for a 1275? 65mph? 70mph?

Thanks

Sam

[les]

If you don't really drive much, is it really worth it? Just maintaining a standard car would be the best way especially as you are concerned to keep your long term costs down. There are no significant safety issues I can think of with a standard car in good order.

[busguy]

RH Insurance didn't charge me any more for a 1275 minor as against a 918cc one. £71 each, fully comp, unlimited miles, roadside and recovery, plus they give you the car if it is written off. It must not be the main use car to get these rates, but termed a 'classic'. As I have 3 classics insured none of them is the main use car.

[sam_uk]

Hi Les thanks for your thoughts.

I do see what you mean about cost, however I'm pretty keen on some disc brakes at the very least. I realise no car is 100% safe, but modern cars are statistically a lot safer than 1950's cars.

A roll bar/ side impact protection seems like a reasonable way to spend a couple of hundred quid and a couple of days if I intend to keep this car for life..

Thanks

Sam

[sam_uk]

Thanks Busguy, that's really good news..

[philthehill]

If you have just a roll bar fitted to a Minor you will get very little protection from a side impact in the area of the drivers/passenger door. The normal loop and rear stays are mainly for roll over protection. If you want side impact protection you need to fit an additional loop which fits close to the windscreen posts, has two additional roof bars and two side impact bars (one each side) between the front windscreen loop and the roll bar (see attached picture of the arrangement in my Minor). Those two side impact bars make it very hard to get in and out of the car.
The roll over bar has to be mounted on plates welded to the body so as to spread the load. It is no good just bolting it in place. A roll bar from a reputable company (mine is a Safety Devices approved roll bar/cage) will cost money and then there is the fitting. Whilst a S/H roll bar may look good you never know what it has been through previously. My advice is to buy new or not at all.
The one thing about having a roll bar of any description fitted to your car makes your car stand out as being possibly modified more than it actually is and makes it more desirable to a thief. Also when declaring any mods to your car your insurance company may take a dim view as to it having a roll bar fitted because of the visual appeal; a bit like having alloy wheels fitted and so up goes your premium.

[philthehill]

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[bmcecosse]

There really is no need for disc brakes.......the standard 8" brakes are perfectly satisfactory for any sane motoring...... A standard 1275 is actually not that much more powerful than a 1098 - but it does of course have the ability to be much improved. Even a 1098 will run along easily at 65/70, although of course challenged on long M/way uphill sections - more so if loaded up with passengers... Side impacts are relatively uncommon - and roll=overs are unusual too! You are far more likely to be rammed from behind - and it's up to you not do any ramming yourself.... I would only bother with a roll-over bar if I had a convertible. As Phil explains - a simple bar will do little for side impact protection. You could simply put some 'beams' inside the doors if that's a real worry for you! But Minor doors are actually pretty sturdy (try lifting one...) assuming they are not riddled with rust, of course.

[MorrisMinor-65-1000]

In the interests of attaining a higher motorway speed (you say, "joining the motorway at 45 mph doesn't sound like much fun") I think it would be wise to add an alternative taller differential to your list. Even with a Rover V8 under the bonnet, you could still only achieve 80 or so top speed before the engine hit the red line. Do you really want it screaming away at 4000 rpm just to do 60? It's not what the car designed to do comfortably, so an overall reduction in the final drive ratio would be a sensible move if you wanted to go in this direction.
Having the torque to get up to speed (engine choice) becomes the second issue once it's been ascertained that you have running gear that is mechanically able to achieve the sort of top speed you want at a reasonable cruising rpm. I believe a good number of RWD BMC small car differentials of the period are interchangeable in the later axle type. How available they are in ratios that suit your needs... I'm quite sure others will be able to help.

[sam_uk]

Hi All thanks for your replies.

I guess where I said 'roll bar' I was thinking of a cage that would include side bars. They are high though and would make getting in and out a pain.

Maybe I should start thinking about how to get better performance from the 948 engine first. The scenario I'm concerned about is joining a motorway up the sliproad (which I would do for a short stretch fairly regularly)

I'm reading that the 1048 head and cam would be a worthwhile upgrade? http://mmoc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=42081&start=15

What is a realistically achievable 0-60 speed for a 948 with the 1048 head and cam? What would this do to the MPG figures?

Thanks

Sam

[Chipper]

I fitted a 1275cc MG Midget engine and matching close-ratio gearbox to my 1970 Traveller back in the early '90s, after the original 1098cc engine got a bit tired after 100,000 miles.

It raised the top speed from around 80mph to off-the-clock, i.e., around 100mph estimated, and will comfortably cruise at motorway speeds, even with the standard 4.22:1 diff fitted (I shall, however, probably fit a 3.9:1 MG Midget diff at some point for quieter cruising and perhaps, better fuel economy).

More noticeable though, is the improved overall driveability, with a useful bit of extra torque and a smooth, revvy nature, compared to the somewhat gruff feel of the 1098cc and I find it achieves around 35-38mpg average, so no worse than the original 1098cc engine.

[bmcecosse]

It is worth fitting the 1098 cam and head to a 948 - and a larger 1.5" carb on an alloy inlet manifold (to lose the 'hot spot' . The head needs a 60 thou skim... and that will give you near enough 50 bhp although at highish revs. You ask about fuel economy - and if you drive any Minor hard - the economy suffers... there's no easy way out of that! The 948 will always be best for economy - but only if you drive it carefully. You will easily get speed up on a M/way slip road - in 3rd gear if necessary. But don't worry - as far as I can see most folks join a M/way at about 40/45 mph anyway - even in moderns !