Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi folks,

I'm living in Scotland for the foreseeable future now but still have family and friends down south. This has got me thinking about cars that I'd be able to tolerate owning that could get us down south for a weekend comfortably. The Minor can get us there without a problem but it's pretty noisy, lacks basics like arm rests or cup-holders and is quite uncomfortable after an hour or two (I'd rather keep the original seats which are still painful after a while with new foam and straps).

My knowledge of cars isn't particularly broad - are there any decent more luxurous 60s or 70s examples that would take me on 800 mile round trips without too much pain?

Rover P4? Wolseley 1500? Riley 1.5?

I'd go for a Rover P6! Oh, with the big v8 in. Amazing motorway cruiser,very comfy and good parts availability. A bit thirsty but prices are going up so you'll not lose any money if you care for it. The engine is wonderful,but a little prone to oil leakage. You'll always know where it's been.

i drive a Triumph Herald 1200 convertible,but i wouldn't want to travel too far in the old boneshaker!
if i could afford one,i'd have a Triumph 2000,or a Stag,for the longer journeys.

Sunbeam Rapier fastback with overdrive. Great cars, on my wish list

When we got our first morris in 1970, a 1935 eight series 1 we used to drive from Hull to Newcastle on Tyne every 4th weekend, it used to take 4 hours. When we got our Morris MM tourer it did the same journey in 3 1/2 hours in comfort, the bucket seats are excellent. We still have both cars and when you compare the road holding and steering the MM comes out top every time. I must admit at 78 and 75 years old now we prefer the Volvo for longer trips over 100 miles, we must be getting soft.

I'm getting soft a bit earlier! May have started out soft, actually.

Sunbeam Rapier looks tasty, as does the inside of a P6. Triumph might be a hard sell with the other half, perhaps a little "blokey".

What's the deal with Wolseley 1500/Riley 1.5? Criminally undervalued or not that good?

Let's face it, you've got one classic and unless it's been stripped down and rebuilt I bet it always wants something doing to it. Do you really want the hassle of another old car? Get yourself a modern Golf and enjoy your trips south.

An old fiesta, basic cheap and great fun. I'm on my 7th tho have got a newer mk4. The mk1 fiesta might even be tax exempt by now!

I've owned a Mk1 Riley 1.5 and a Mk2 Wolseley 1500 in the past. The Riley was a great car in its day and was considered to be quite fast and have relatively high gearing. The front seats were very comfortable too BUT that was a long time ago and things have moved on. They are quite a small car - almost more cramped than a Minor. Far from ideal on a modern motorway. I make the trip between Scotland and southern England fairly regularly and if I wanted a classic car to do it the BMC 1800 "Landcrab" or (better still) the Triumph 2000/2500 with overdrive gearbox would both be high on my list. Otherwise I'd consider a modern classic such as the Mercedes 124 series - probably a E220 or E230 which are MUCH more economical than you might imagine and will cruise happily on the motorway all day........They were introduced about 30years ago so are not SO modern now and are starting to be appreciated by classic car enthusiasts.

les wrote:Let's face it, you've got one classic and unless it's been stripped down and rebuilt I bet it always wants something doing to it. Do you really want the hassle of another old car? Get yourself a modern Golf and enjoy your trips south.

True and boringly sensible.

I may actually end up selling the Morris if i don't get more usage from it. Running two cars is expensive, old or new.

I don't dare to look at P6's for sale,because I know there's going to be a good one and I'll buy it and then we'll need another garage building and then she'll get cross and then I'll have to take her on another holiday that I don't want to go on and....and...and...

Why don't you just make your minor more usable for you! Seats can easily be changed, sound proofing added. Decent stereo. It can all be put back to standard easily.

What about a Jaguar x300?

Sure, it's from the 90's so neither classic nor modern but looks good and it's VERY comfortable for long trips.

Find one in good shape and maintenance shouldn't be too expensive. My dad has one and hasn't had many problems other than heated seats and sunroof not working, which many other cars never had in the first place so it's not such a big deal.

If you're set on an older car some other Jaguar Saloons can still be found at affordable prices but especially the 60's and 70's models are getting more expensive.

As above - fit soundproofing, and a pair of decent seats (even if just for the long journeys) - anything larger is going to eat much more fuel - and another string of maintenance issues. Or - let the train take the strain!

bmcecosse wrote: - anything larger is going to eat much more fuel - and another string of maintenance issues.

Not necessarily. A big car with higher gearing cruising at motorway speeds is doing exactly what it is designed to do and will run
relatively economically while the Minor is running closer to its maximum speed. Yes, a big 1960s Jag will use a lot of fuel but I ran a 230 Mercedes for several years and every long trip managed 38/39mpg - just 3mpg worse than my Minor. A small price to pay for the extra comfort, space and quiet. There is comparitively little maintenance on such a car too and parts are readily available. People still consider a "Merc" to be an expensive car but a 25 year old one can be bought for no more money than the average Minor 1000 now. Keen though I am on my Minor I know which I'd rather drive on a 400 mile motorway trip.

Could be worse I suppose; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsdWgmp4TaQ

I really appreciate all the input and discussion guys - thanks! There is a lot of knowledge and experience around.

I'll have a look to see which of the recommendations are available and fall within a reasonable price range. The Morris just flew through it's MOT yesterday and already has the 3.7 diff, a fair bit of soundproofing and this magic stuff to eliminate most wind whistles. It seems a Minor will only ever be so quiet until the prices of batteries go down and I have a Tesla-Minor!

How about fitting a stereo instead of extra sound proofing. Its surprising what a couple of speakers and a decent stereo will do.

My MGB GT V8 is great for distances and the standard 1.8 version is not bad either. I'm guessing you need more seats. If I was looking for a four seater classic, with long legs, I'd be thinking of Rover P6 V8 (Manual box), one of the Triumph 2000/2500, with overdrive (Perhaps a larger engined Dolomite) or how about a Volvo 240/245, with overdrive? My parents and I toured Scotland in 1975, with a 245. We had a large tent and the kitchen sink with us (It takes a lot to fill a Volvo estate) and it coped really well. I have often said that it was a really good car and with a little more urge, plus the optional overdrive (I think later cars were five speed), it would have been an even better car. Not sure how any of these cars are on spares (Volvo used to be good but I think Ford own them now, so ???). Another nice saloon is the MG Z Type Magnette (Some fit MGB engines) or the Riley RMB/F but I think I'm not getting into the realms of fantasy (As I would be if I suggested a Mk 2 Jaguar 3.4 or a Jensen Interceptor.....you'd need a pipe direct to the oil rigs!!!).

I had a Mk 2 Golf GTI 8V and that was a great all rounder; maybe the best "All round car" I have ever owned. It was economical, quite fast, handled well, was quite roomy, very comfortable, quiet and utterly reliable (Yet not overly complex). In some ways, cars reached a peak then, after which they have been degenerating into circuit boards of wheels, with ever increasing and gimmicky, superfluous gadgets. I suppose at best part of 30 years old, it could now be called a classic.

To be fair, the Traveller is OK, with the 1275 and the 5 speed box. Maybe not good for cruising at over 70 mph but with speed cameras, is that a wise thing to do? I have certainly done 500 miles in a day with it and didn't feel fatigued at the end of it, though I can't say I was quite as fresh as I would have been in the V8. When I arrived at Caen, two years ago, in the V8, having driven non stop (Except for a stop for fuel and toilet), half way up France, I didn't feel as if I had been far at all.

Remember to factor in ROAD TAX on some of the cars suggested (and it's far from cheap on some of the cars suggested) -plus more Insurance and another annual MOT worry/cost - and garaging?? Personally - I would go for the best MX5 I could find for the money available - and only run it in the 'summer' - garaging it over winter. But do check previous MOT history on the DVLA site to see if the deadly 'corrosion' has been mentioned. The vendor of a car will only proudly show you the Pass certificates - not the Fails or the Advisories......but it's all there on the web site.

I can vouch for the Landcrab being great on a journey. I've got a Wolseley 6 which is a bit thirstier than the 1800, but I can get 28 mpg out of it on a run and it sounds fantastic. It's rather like driving an armchair and as comfortable as my Citroen DS on a long run. I'd take the Minor anywhere if I had to, but agree that really long journeys on the motorway aren't that much fun - I'd rather pay a little more in fuel and arrive feeling fresh! The Landcrab is a cheap car to buy and maintain too, unlike the Citroen. If you want a real head turner capable of high miles in comfort and aren't too worried about the cost, a Citroen DS might be a good proposition though!