Morris Minor Owners Club

Just taken my 17 year old daughter for a run in the car (61 convertible with no seat belts), she wanted to know if it has air bags. The kids of today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes it was very similar when my 21 yr old daughter wanted to have a look in my newly purchased minor. She wanted to know what all the switches were for as she could not turn on the lights. Have you ever tried explaining what a choke is to a bemused blonde?

I have recently, in the end lost my rag and said old cars need them to start when cold thats all you need to know!

I would fit seat belts, if i were you, you will never know when you need them

Absolutely fit good belts - mad to be out and about today without them.

You don't suppose there'd be a way to fit air bags in a Minor? Those metal dashboards are a bit scary.........

OOOOOOh. Been there and done that. 18 months off work. Both knees had nice lines on them where they'd struck the bottom of the dash (plus numerous other injuries). Fortunately I had Newton seats and inertial reel belts.
That steering wheel on later 1000s is VERY unforgiving in a crash and will snap thumbs and wrists.

RobThomas wrote:OOOOOOh. Been there and done that. 18 months off work. Both knees had nice lines on them where they'd struck the bottom of the dash (plus numerous other injuries). Fortunately I had Newton seats and inertial reel belts.
That steering wheel on later 1000s is VERY unforgiving in a crash and will snap thumbs and wrists.

hmmm, my dashboard on the van has a 'nice line' in it where my right knee hit it.... I'm leaving it as a reminder as if the bent three spoke steering wheel (hanging on the garage wall), broken sunvisor, dented dashboard and bent headlamp switch from my left hand aren't enough...
A good inertia reel seat belt will be going in for the rebuild. The slack static one didn't do a lot.

static belts need to be kept tight - but when it comes to not having belts, head first not so many people live to tell the tale.

rayofleamington wrote:static belts need to be kept tight - but when it comes to not having belts, head first not so many people live to tell the tale.

That is true. The adjusters were seized with a bit of rust, and it was always on my 'list of things to do' but only thought about when setting off somewhere and putting the belts on.... Knee's about right now, 2 years on. Vans about done too as well!

I remember seeing a split screen at one of the Nationals and its elderly owner had taped a deflated balloon to the steering wheel and written air bag on it........

Fingolfin wrote:You don't suppose there'd be a way to fit air bags in a Minor? Those metal dashboards are a bit scary.........

Yes you could fit airbags but you would need a huge development phase to get the deployment correct and the sensing sytem working.

It would be interesting to see a crash test of a Minor.