Morris Minor Owners Club

mrs.smith2012 wrote: ↑Fri May 29, 2026 12:41 pm Okay, I think I’ll take her somewhere quiet to practice this!

I was driving her a few weeks ago and accidentally put her into neutral instead of 3rd… she made such a racket

But thank you for that breakdown, if I can master it, it will help me out a lot!

When you say ‘raise the clutch’ you mean raise up to the bite point, not take your foot off completely?

When you have it coordinated, the whole process will take just a couple of seconds.
Don't take your foot off, but let the pedal come fully up while pressing the accelerator down a little and then immediately press the clutch back down to complete the gear change.


See this little video I found, she's driving something from the 1930s with no synchromesh on any gears, so doubling both up and down the box.
https://youtu.be/eERX_CtLxeM

les wrote: ↑Fri May 29, 2026 1:04 pm I can’t see the need to change from second to first on the move, if you find the need to go into first, presumably you will eventually intend to stop. From there select first, it’s usually better to move the lever towards second (but not select) then select first.

It’s mainly because there are a lot of roundabouts where I live and often due to poor visibility you have to stop to check the coast is clear, even if it’s a brief 1 or 2 second stop… if there is no incline I normally just stay and pull off in 2nd, but if there is an incline Nellie will require a moment to gather her thoughts before she’ll let me put her into first

I don’t mind, I just worry other drivers might get inpatient as it’s pretty chaotic where I live… that said, I’ve not had any bad experiences so far, I’ve found people to be fairly patient when they see my little old car!

geoberni wrote: ↑Fri May 29, 2026 1:47 pm

mrs.smith2012 wrote: ↑Fri May 29, 2026 12:41 pm Okay, I think I’ll take her somewhere quiet to practice this!

I was driving her a few weeks ago and accidentally put her into neutral instead of 3rd… she made such a racket

But thank you for that breakdown, if I can master it, it will help me out a lot!

When you say ‘raise the clutch’ you mean raise up to the bite point, not take your foot off completely?

When you have it coordinated, the whole process will take just a couple of seconds.
Don't take your foot off, but let the pedal come fully up while pressing the accelerator down a little and then immediately press the clutch back down to complete the gear change.


See this little video I found, she's driving something from the 1930s with no synchromesh on any gears, so doubling both up and down the box.
https://youtu.be/eERX_CtLxeM

That’s extremely helpful thank you!

Congrats on passing

Driving a manual car in my opinion is so much more fun and engaging . And driving a morris minor is even more fun and engaging. I just love to take my moggy out for a spin. Everyone looks and smiles when I drive her. Happy motoring.

Firstly, well done Mrs S for passing your manual test. As you say, 'let the fun begin'.

One thing I did pick up on was this:-

I had to do the test in a modern car as I wasn’t allowed to use Nellie

I'll confess to being totally ignorant of modern day driving test rules and regs but I just wondered why you were not allowed to take the test in Nellie.

Congratulations Mrs S.
This might be unpopular, but I am of the opinion that it would be good experience for new drivers(not you Mrs S!) to have a go in an old car, not necessarily a Minor, to practise actually DRIVING a car without all the aids, computers, touchscreens, assisted everything etc..
"I had to do the test in a modern car as I wasn’t allowed to use Nellie". Lack of head restraints? I know there has to be seatbelts and an additional rear view mirror for the examiner to use.

Thanks for the congrats all, and yes Mervin you are correct, it was the lack of head restraints that prevented me using Nellie for my test.

Nothing wrong with my instructor’s car of course, but it felt very ‘weird’ and I didn’t find it ‘easy’ like everyone said I would. I actually find Nellie much easier to drive, but I think it’s because I’m so used to her!

Are there different classes of licenses for manual and automatic transmissions over there?
Many new drivers take their test in an automatic just because it’s easier even if they have own a manual. Not many cars with stick shifts anymore. So much so that they are kind of an anti theft device.

Yes, we have many classes of driving license now. The automatic car class was introduced back in 1969 I think and restricted the driver to automatic cars only. Passing in a manual still allows you to drive a manual and an automatic. These restrictions apply to lorries and coaches as well. If you want to drive any manual vehicle you need to pass the car driving test basically.
There are a few exceptions though. My first two cars were Reliant Regals that I bought from a scrapyard. Once roadworthy I kept one and took the other back to the scrapyard. These three wheeled cars could be driven on a motorcycle license. This changed in 2013 when EU rules changed.

You can still drive a 3 wheeler on a motorcycle licence, the gov website states

You’ll need a full category A1 motorbike licence to ride motor tricycles up to power output 15 Kilowatts (kW), and a full category A motorbike licence to ride trikes with a power output more than 15 kW.
Riding a motorcycle, moped or motor tricycle: Overview - GOV.UK https://share.google/A2jVvZHUlX4ENk4p8

What about antique vehicles? Once upon a time wasn’t horsepower rated not on actual output but on some formula based on bore and stroke? Or does one have to have the motor tested on a dyno to determine kw?
Over here three wheelers are usually classified as motorcycles as well. I have an old James ML125 that I’ve never got running so have never pursued a motorcycle license.

UK, old motorcycles are rated by the exact same engine power (kW) and power-to-weight ratio as modern bikes. Age is irrelevant for the licence requirements themselves; you must hold the category (A1, A2, or A) matching the bike's output.
The standard categories include:A1 (125cc up to 11 kW / 15 bhp): Minimum age 17. Requires CBT (Compulsory Basic Training) and a theory test.
A2 (Up to 35 kW / 47 bhp): Minimum age 19. Power-to-weight ratio must not exceed \(0.2 \text{ kW/kg}\).
A (Unlimited Power): Minimum age 24 (or 21 after 2 years on an A2 licence via Progressive Access)

Slightly off topic, however something to watch if you’ve ever passed a motorcycle test and that is, to make sure if/when you renew a driving licence make sure the bike category is still specified on the current licence otherwise you loose that privilege.

Very true Les the older of us also lose grandfather rights to drive upto 7.5 tonne on a car licence unless you take a medical.
You are limited to 3.5tonne like younger drivers.

"Over here three wheelers are usually classified as motorcycles as well."
Yes, before passing my car driving test, and having a motorcycle licence, I owned a Reliant 3 wheeler van. I think, originally, a m/c licence was good for a three wheeler if it didn't have reverse functionality, it was allowed to fit a plate to blocking reverse gear. The rule had been cancelled and my van had an unblocked reverse gear.
Possibly the logic was that 3 wheelers were so light they could be easily pushed backwards. No doubt owners didn't remove the plate because there were more Police on the roads then.

I think there was logic that a motorcycle and side car had three wheels, and therefore a car with three wheels was the same if it did not have reverse. I have a feeling that a CZ 650cc motorcycle with sidecar did have a reverse gear that would also operate if the sidecar was removed

Very happy for you, enjoy your new way of driving.

simmitc wrote: ↑Tue Jun 02, 2026 12:04 pm I have a feeling that a CZ 650cc motorcycle with sidecar did have a reverse gear that would also operate if the sidecar was removed

Interesting, I know my CZ 125 had no reverse gear, but it did have automatic gear change.

On the subject of three wheelers, you can ride a Piaggio MP3 125 or a Yamaha Tricity 300 on a UK car drivers licence (some older models still count as bikes and can't be ridden if you don't have a Motorbike licence though) apparently it's all down to the distance in width between the 2 wheels as to how it's classified.

Many congratulations on your pass. Go and enjoy driving Nellie now.