Cruising speed ?

[chrisryder]

Talking of cruising speed...

I've just this evening driven from Darlington to Bromsgrove. All on motorways and A roads, a total of 195 miles according to good old google. Did it in 3 hours 15 mins.

An average of 60mph for all you maths fans. Motorway cruising was all at 70-75. Rarely below. But the average was brought down a little by cutting out a bit of the M1 going near Worksop.

A pleasant warm evening but the temp gauge never moved, and the oil pressure never went below 50psi.

Ok that's with a Ford 5 speed box, and a 12G940 headed 1098. But goes to show that a good long slog at normal motorway speeds isn't too unattainable in a relatively standard minor

[JOWETTJAVELIN]

In my other car with the 1275 engine it is happiest cruising at 60-65. Doesn't really like to be pushed above that. You have the benefit of a 5th speed which is effectively an overdrive.

[les]

It seems to be becoming less attractive to fit a 1275 engine as now we have a case of a 1098 cruising at 70-75 yet a 1275 happiest at 60-65!

[David53]

Just came across this post. Don't really agree that driving at 50 mph (80 kmh) on Aussie motorways is "dangerous" it's only 20 k's below the limit and easy for cars behind to pass. I just today came in on the M4, then onto M7 and M5 doing a tad under 50mph and it was fine.

[MarkyB]

If you did that on UK motorways you'd be like a rolling roadblock.

[millerman]

If you did that on UK motorways you'd be like a rolling roadblock.

Well said Mark

Driving slow on a UK M'way is around 60mph so that you don't impede HGV's because love or hate 'em they have a job to do.

There are are very, very few Minors on the motorway that are being driven for a living

[David53]

Well, I would prefer not to but sometimes unavoidable. As I say, cars and trucks behind can always pass. I don't think anyone was behind me for more than 2-3 minutes

[Tom and Maria]

I always take the a roads, much more interesting than the motor ways, and you get to go through all the towns you'd never normally see.

The motorway always feel like your being chased by homing missiles that turn away at the
Last minute.

[Andy Rose]

Just discovered that I am cruising a bit slower than I thought. Had need to use my GPS navigator in my van for the first time and it shows that my speedo is some 15% optimistic. At 50 MPH according to the GPS my speedo showed a very eager 57!!! I guess the spring in the speedo is a bit tired after some 40 odd years. is there any adjustment inside the speedo I can fiddle with??

[dalebrignall]

i tend to cruise between 55 and 65 gets too noisy otherwise

[MarkyB]

As long as you can keep up with lorries I don't see a problem, if you go even 1mph slower they will try and overtake and there go 2 lanes out of 3, leaving 1 lane for everyone going faster which is a lot of people on a motorway.

[lowride stepside]

Just discovered that I am cruising a bit slower than I thought. Had need to use my GPS navigator in my van for the first time and it shows that my speedo is some 15% optimistic. At 50 MPH according to the GPS my speedo showed a very eager 57!!! I guess the spring in the speedo is a bit tired after some 40 odd years. is there any adjustment inside the speedo I can fiddle with??

All speedo's are about ten percent optomistic they are manufactured that way