Cruising Speeds 1098cc Motorways etc

[svenedin]

I know this has been asked before but a forum search suggests the threads discussing this sort of thing are rather old (10 years+).

I have had my car for a very long time. 34 years since I was 17. My first car. I learned to drive in Xavier. For quite a while he was my only car but eventually I got something "hot hatch" and poor Xavier my Minor ended up having a long sleep in the garage after his gearbox destroyed itself inside.

Long story short, since my Minor has been back on the road we have not ventured that far but recently I have taken him on some longer trips (100 miles or so). This has meant driving on dual-carriageways and motorways. That includes the M25, M23, M3, A3, etc.

The modifications I have made are to fit a hazard switch, LED headlights and modern seatbelts. I would not feel safe without hazard lights in the event of a breakdown. I carry a warning triangle as well.

Even all those years ago, when he was my only car, I was not keen on motorways and I would plan routes to avoid them but this time I am using the car to get to work meetings etc and so motorways are more or else essential. In my modern car (an Audi S3) I use motorways without a thought.

I find my Convertible, top-down, is happiest at about 50-55 mph. At 60 mph the noise gets a bit unbearable. It is not the wind noise but the engine, gearbox etc. I can get to 65 mph and could go faster but I don't like the fact the car gets rather "floaty" at high speed. I find it quite disconcerting. That and the even noisier engine at 65 mph that sounds like it might blow up!

Hills I can cope with (unless very steep) but it does take a bit of skill to maintain speed. I can usually overtake lorries on hills (if I want to).

I leave big gaps being aware of my long stopping distance. My brakes are in top order but they are drums all round as original. The car does tend to nose-dive if braking hard at high speed but it stays dead straight. One thing I notice is the time delay between amber and red at traffic lights on fast roads seems a bit short for elderly cars that don't stop very fast.

Today I found myself on the M3 without realising it is a "smart" motorway. I was quite nervous about that. The emergency bays seemed a long way apart (1.5 miles) but eventually I realised that most of the time it would be possible to pull over onto the soft verge rather than being stranded in a live lane.

I do feel quite vulnerable in an elderly little car, with no roof and no modern safety features but the fun-factor is immense and I enjoy the feeling of driving a car that has to be actively driven every moment.

I think the convertibles are a bit lighter than saloons or two-doors but there is probably significantly more drag with the hood down than a car with a hard top so convertibles may actually be slower.

Today's 100 mile trip was fine actually except for the attention my car gets and 2x offers to buy it! I should be flattered but it does make stops take much longer with all the conversations......

I wonder what other forum members experiences are of driving on dual carriageways and motorways these days? I am really asking about unmodified cars, not cars with bigger engines and non-standard gearboxes.

Stephen

[les]

It’s no fun so if you’ve got another car use that for fast roads. Save the Minor for pleasure, on more compatible roads.

[mowogg]

I am glad you enjoyed your trip.

I drive my standard car on all roads. I am happy to take motorways including m25, Smart Motrowater etc, and mine cruises at a steady 60mph. This is good for sitting in behind lorrrys and the like if this works. Alternatively i am happy on A or b roads. I would ideally avoid inclement weather but as we know thats not always possible

Its nice our cars bring joy to others, and offer to buy them (have you ever done a tip run in one and tried to get away).

Like you i have hazzards and recently upgraded the bulbs to LED's as these are brighter than the originals

[svenedin]

I am glad you enjoyed your trip.

I drive my standard car on all roads. I am happy to take motorways including m25, Smart Motrowater etc, and mine cruises at a steady 60mph. This is good for sitting in behind lorrrys and the like if this works. Alternatively i am happy on A or b roads. I would ideally avoid inclement weather but as we know thats not always possible

Its nice our cars bring joy to others, and offer to buy them (have you ever done a tip run in one and tried to get away).

Like you i have hazzards and recently upgraded the bulbs to LED's as these are brighter than the originals

Thank you. I too avoid inclement weather in the Morris because it defeats the object of a convertible and I might as well take my modern car.

I don't mind at all sitting in the inside lane. In fact, it is quite relaxing that there is no temptation to treat the journey as a race. I'll get there when I get there. I like that.

Yes, it is nice that our cars our so loved by others. In a convertible they try to talk to me at traffic lights. There is no escape!

I have never taken the Morris to the tip because he can't carry that much junk!

[svenedin]

It’s no fun so if you’ve got another car use that for fast roads. Save the Minor for pleasure, on more compatible roads.

I agree but sometimes the fun to be had is at the other end of the journey and I can't take all day about it.

[MorrisJohn]

My last car was a totally standard 948cc (with only trafficators.) I drove it from Glasgow to West Yorkshire and back last summer on the M74/M6 and various A roads.

I found the car fine at 60-65mph, though I used arm signals to pull out to change lanes on motorways as the trafficators tended to stick at that kind of speed! No signal for returning left.

I can’t say I felt particularly vulnerable or unsafe. If I did I wouldn’t have done it.

Our club is driving to south Cumbria next month. There will be a couple of 803cc cars in the convoy, so it’ll be A roads. That engine is a bit out its depth on the motorway, but Minor 1000s are fine in my opinion.

[les]

The saying——travelling (in the mind as well as on the road) is better than arriving, is so true. ——- but perhaps not always in a Minor

[MikeNash]

Dear Stephen,

My '63 Traveller is unmodified except for seat belts, a towing hitch and radial ply tyres. It'll cruise at 60-65mph (GPS read) all day without distress with a bit in hand for motorway type hills and headwinds when full throttle can be used for quite extended periods. (Maximum speed is about 76mph but above 65 the noise will make your ears bleed.) I'd expect any 1098 with good compression and set up as the manual says regarding carburation and ignition timing to do as well as this.
Regarding yours feeling ". . rather "floaty" at high speed" mine in contrast runs straight as a die and with its rack and pinion steering gear feels better than a number of modern cars we've had that've had power assistance. (That seems to bring with it a degree of "vagueness".) Is your tracking correct?

For a couple of years I dashed along the M3 and also occasionally from Andover to Newcastle and back (some 650 miles in the weekend) using the A1(M) were I'd sit at 60-65 for an hour or so, sometimes towing a trailer. Apart from the old 1965 Gold Seal engine drinking oil at about 160 to the pint all was well except once when the heel on a modern set of points wore away.

Regards from MikeN.

[svenedin]

Dear Stephen,

My '63 Traveller is unmodified except for seat belts, a towing hitch and radial ply tyres. It'll cruise at 60-65mph (GPS read) all day without distress with a bit in hand for motorway type hills and headwinds when full throttle can be used for quite extended periods. (Maximum speed is about 76mph but above 65 the noise will make your ears bleed.) I'd expect any 1098 with good compression and set up as the manual says regarding carburation and ignition timing to do as well as this.
Regarding yours feeling ". . rather "floaty" at high speed" mine in contrast runs straight as a die and with its rack and pinion steering gear feels better than a number of modern cars we've had that've had power assistance. (That seems to bring with it a degree of "vagueness".) Is your tracking correct?

For a couple of years I dashed along the M3 and also occasionally from Andover to Newcastle and back (some 650 miles in the weekend) using the A1(M) were I'd sit at 60-65 for an hour or so, sometimes towing a trailer. Apart from the old 1965 Gold Seal engine drinking oil at about 160 to the pint all was well except once when the heel on a modern set of points wore away.

Regards from MikeN.

Thank you Mike. I think the tracking is correct but I have not actually had it checked in a long time. The "floaty" is just how the steering gets lighter and lighter the faster you go. My modern car compensates for this so perhaps that is why I notice it so much. My Morris does not "wander" or anything dangerous like that but it does not like strong gusts of wind and I have to correct it.

I have to confess that a long long time ago, probably when I was 20 years old I did half full of petrol miles a hour. A long downhill. The speedo needle went beyond the end of the scale at 95 to read half a tank of petrol. Complete madness of course and now I find it hard to imagine what I thought I was doing! I recall the "floaty" became so extreme that it did not feel like the car was in contact with the road.

I forgot radial tyres. Yes I've had those for decades.

I will have to compare the speedo with a GPS by asking a passenger. My car is positive earth so I cannot charge a satnav or phone and I have not worked out how to mount a mobile phone so I can see a route.

State of tune (mixture) and timing is fine and is something I did recently. Compression I must test but I cannot afford an engine rebuild at the moment anyway. Car seems as powerful (or powerless) as it always was but I am heavier and so are my passengers........

Stephen

[MikeNash]

Stephen,
Some more thoughts on steering feel at high speeds. Are your front dampers functioning properly? I say this, because prompted by discussion a while ago on this site I found the oil in mine was low and the damping was much reduced. I refilled them and was surprised at the feel improvement (and now wished I'd used thicker SAE30 oil.)
Comparing modern cars with Minors, the feel of the former with their powered systems is all artificial (as is the feel of their brakes and even their clutches). Our newish Nissan Quashqai and my 1965 Traveller both have 1/2 inch movement at the wheel but both translate quite differently in steering effect. In motion, the Nissan seems to have no play but at speed (60mph and above) you can't take your eyes off the road. Say there's a deer in a field, well with the Nissan a quick glance of say half a second is all you can spare. With the Morris, although the slop is all wear and gaps you can take a distinctly longer look because the car will hold the line you've demanded and it won't wander. (Of course, a well set up Minor will have less slop; mine's still got it's rather worn 1965 swivel pins. When I replace them I'll go to polybushes too.)
Overall, feel is a funny thing (and probably very personal) being a mixture of good vehicle condition, wheel balance, engine vibration and noise as well as comfort and ease of driving. And then there's the harmony of the controls, that they feel and work as a set, a feature that I think the Minor achieves.
Regards from MikeN.

[svenedin]

Stephen,
Some more thoughts on steering feel at high speeds. Are your front dampers functioning properly? I say this, because prompted by discussion a while ago on this site I found the oil in mine was low and the damping was much reduced. I refilled them and was surprised at the feel improvement (and now wished I'd used thicker SAE30 oil.)
Comparing modern cars with Minors, the feel of the former with their powered systems is all artificial (as is the feel of their brakes and even their clutches). Our newish Nissan Quashqai and my 1965 Traveller both have 1/2 inch movement at the wheel but both translate quite differently in steering effect. In motion, the Nissan seems to have no play but at speed (60mph and above) you can't take your eyes off the road. Say there's a deer in a field, well with the Nissan a quick glance of say half a second is all you can spare. With the Morris, although the slop is all wear and gaps you can take a distinctly longer look because the car will hold the line you've demanded and it won't wander. (Of course, a well set up Minor will have less slop; mine's still got it's rather worn 1965 swivel pins. When I replace them I'll go to polybushes too.)
Overall, feel is a funny thing (and probably very personal) being a mixture of good vehicle condition, wheel balance, engine vibration and noise as well as comfort and ease of driving. And then there's the harmony of the controls, that they feel and work as a set, a feature that I think the Minor achieves.
Regards from MikeN.

Hello Mike,

One of the front dampers was recently replaced with a refurbished unit and is definitely OK. The other front damper has a bit more bounce and I intend to drain the stinky oil, flush and refill. Eye bolt bushes (poly) are new and top trunnion bushes. Also I did both tie bars and bushes.

I have noticed that one of the rear dampers is leaking and neither of them have been checked for oil level in a very, very long time. An overhaul of the rear suspension including bushes, dampers and drop links is on my list (the never ending list). The leaf springs look OK. One of them was replaced over 30 years ago, the other is older. I haven't tackled this job yet as things look quite rusty and time and money constraints. It looks like the nuts will put up a fight.

I particularly love the turning circle and manoeuvrability which well surpasses my modern car. I am just not so keen on the Morris when going quite quickly but perhaps that's partly a lack of maintenance and I can improve this.

Stephen

[Monty-4]

Best things I ever did for driving my Minor on the motorway were:

- door seals,
- quarterlight seals,
- scrapping the Toyo tyres,
- under-bonnet sound-deadening pad,
- hearing loss!

[svenedin]

Best things I ever did for driving my Minor on the motorway were:

- door seals,
- quarterlight seals,
- scrapping the Toyo tyres,
- under-bonnet sound-deadening pad,
- hearing loss!

Thank you. Yes, I am wondering about some sound deadening material. There's a type of hessian on the firewall inside the cabin but it is poorly attached and pretty useless. It would be the kind of job to do next time I have both gloveboxes out. Under the bonnet sounds like a good idea too. I did this to my old Skoda Fabia year ears ago and it made a lot of difference.

[MikeNash]

Sudden fort!
What tyre pressures do you run at, Stephen? I've Camac tyres all round, radial tubeless 145R14s and filled to 25 psi at which I get even wear across the treads. (And I hope to follow in Monty-4's footsteps on sound deadening too.)
MikeN.

[svenedin]

Sudden fort!
What tyre pressures do you run at, Stephen? I've Camac tyres all round, radial tubeless 145R14s and filled to 25 psi at which I get even wear across the treads. (And I hope to follow in Monty-4's footsteps on sound deadening too.)
MikeN.

I’ve got Toyo tyres on 155/80/R14 which I gather are not exactly rated highly. I’m running them at 28psi all round

[ManyMinors]

There are all sorts of things which can alter the way a car behaves on the road but tyres are certainly a major one.
I had a full set of new Toyo 155/80/14 tyres fitted to one of my Minors a few years ago and while they seemed fine for daily pottering about they were terrible at any speed above 50mph on main roads particularly when laden. I upped the pressures quite a bit to about 32psi but still didn't like the feel of the car which drove as if the tyres were underinflated all the time. I got rid of them as quickly as I could and fitted Bridgestone 145/80/14 instead. Transformed it. It dries SO much better now.

Motorway driving is not something I do a lot of in my Minors simply because I can use my modern car which is better suited to such motoring. However, when I do venture onto a Motorway I tend to find that 60mph is ample really. My car is a completely standard 1098cc car. It is interesting that over the years I have owned several Minors and although "the same" in specification each car seems to have its own comfortable cruising speed. You just have to listen to the car and not strain it too much for too long

[Bill_qaz]

Never take it on motorways usually cruise at 50 mph on national limit roads. It just for enjoyment so happy to bimble and take in the scenery. Lots of the roads in the area are 40 or 50 limits anyway and many of the villages have 20mph zones.

[chickenjohn]

I've done a lot of weddings in my Convertible, many requiring a dual carriageway/motorway trip to get to the location. My experience is the same as yours in that the car is happiest at no more than an indicated 60MPH. I let the car creep up to 65 down steeper hills (the M2 usually) and settle back to 60MPH on the flat. Pushing these cars harder than that will lead to engine problems (bore wear, burnt valves, broken rings etc). Minors were designed before the days of the Motorway network. That's why they are perfectly happy on A roads and the like.

You are quite right to listen to your car and drive het at the speed she sounds happy with !

[myoldjalopy]

I have driven Minors on motorways but its a bit boring and noisy, much happier on A and B roads and unclassified lanes
Doesn't pay to hammer these old cars.......

[Nickol]

Good to know this information - I drive my traveller of 1098 Motor but 3,9 differential at about 100kmh on the Autobahn when needed. It is a bit noisy and has a horrible vibration induced noise that needs more investigation but otherwise a real pleasure to drive.
A couple of years ago I drove it down to Freiburg in Breisgau mostly at this speed which worked out at 5,9 litre per 100km which I thought was fantastic!