Morris Minor Owners Club

I rarely use 1st gear. Unless it is very steep I start off from stationary in 2nd.

scrooge95 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 26, 2022 6:57 pm ... and apart from still not entirely getting the hang of changing down to 1st gear, all is good and fun.

I can't imagine the need to ever change down into 1st.
On the flat I pull away in 2nd.
It would have to be an incredibly steep hill to consider dropping into 1st on the move.

Agreed. Hardly ever use first - and although I can double de-clutch - I hardly ever have any need to. I'd only use first gear for a hill start

Hills are not as steep as they used to be.
I can remember the time when my father would reverse the car up the hill as reverse was lower geared than 1st gear.
The passengers would have to walk up the hill.
Happy days.

My 1098 saloon seems to be in very good mechanical condition, but unlike the reports above I have to use 1st gear nearly every time I start from stationary. Further, I often need to slip the clutch a fair bit to move away. I can only think that it is because it has fairly big tyres (155/80 on standard wheels).
Don

philthehill wrote: ↑Wed Jul 27, 2022 9:25 am I can remember the time when my father would reverse the car up the hill as reverse was lower geared than 1st gear.
The passengers would have to walk up the hill.

Waving a red flag eh Phil?

philthehill wrote: ↑Wed Jul 27, 2022 9:25 am Hills are not as steep as they used to be.
I can remember the time when my father would reverse the car up the hill as reverse was lower geared than 1st gear.
Happy days.

That's a very good point about hills not being as steep as they used to be Phil, I've noticed that nowadays all cars can climb them in one or other of their forward gears but, till now, I hadn't realised just why that was the case!

aaah okay, thanks all, fair points!
looks like I'll try avoiding 1st gear, and the need to double declutch will instantly disappear. Fab!

Although I'm not strictly a newbie and have a few posts to my name, I have never introduced myself. I am one of the older members here, I live in Reydon near Southwold, Suffolk with my three Choc Labs. In February, I took the plunge and bought Maude, a 1962 2 door in Dove Grey, and she has been sitting on my drive ever since. In a few weeks (10/5), a nice man will be picking her up, hopefully to make her roadworthy enough to drive and pass an MOT. From a distance she looks good, but she obviously has a few issues, and I'm praying she doesn't become a money pit. I could have spent more on a roadworthy example, but I liked the idea of putting life into the old girl once more. Best wishes, Mike.

geoberni wrote: ↑Wed Jul 27, 2022 8:48 am

scrooge95 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 26, 2022 6:57 pm ... and apart from still not entirely getting the hang of changing down to 1st gear, all is good and fun.

I can't imagine the need to ever change down into 1st.
On the flat I pull away in 2nd.
It would have to be an incredibly steep hill to consider dropping into 1st on the move.

I can and it has happened to me quite a few times. Long steep hill and a very slow moving vehicle in front is one scenario. Eventually I end up going so slowly that second gear just won’t work. That happened on Titsey Hill. It also happened when I was a teenager with 5 lads in the car going up a steep hill (Gypsy Hill). That was so bad that two of them had to get out and walk for a bit. I am reasonably good at double declutching into first but sometimes I mess it up because it is a rare occurrence to need to do so.