Does anyone use a classic as a daily driver?
Discussion
I suggested the things that gave the most trouble. Mine seldom let me down.
The secret is to keep a tobacco tin with spare parts in the car. You carry all the parts that could potentially fail. This guarantees that none of the parts you have spares for will ever go wrong and causes the car to become reliable.
The other secret with the TR6 was who set the injection up. The average Leyland mechanic suddenly got the Lucas injection system dumped on them after a brief training session. Carburettors they understood, but for most of them, you might as well have asked them to service the Starship Enterprise. A very few people became very good with Lucas injection and made it run sweetly, while the majority of Leyland mechanics serviced it beyond repair. Thus the reputation for unreliability was born. One day another owner recommended a specialist to me. He transformed the car.
Stick an electric fan on it. I used to do a lot of London driving.
I tried to teach the wife to drive in mine. She physically struggled to turn the steering wheel at low speed. In fairness, it did have oversized road wheels and an undersized steering wheel. The original wheel is a bit large and if you’ve big thigh muscles you wear out trousers on the bottom of the standard wheel.
Definitely go for one with the overdrive, preferably the earlier cars with the Laycock ‘A’ rather than the later ‘J’ type overdrive unit. These had overdrive on 2nd gear as well; the later ‘J’ only had it on 3rd. The earlier ones had more power, although I found it still needed tuning for more.
In those days I regularly used to drive between St John’s Wood and the Essex borders. There were no speed cameras, or traffic in the early hours. I doubt if you could average 70+ these days over that run; you could back then.
The secret is to keep a tobacco tin with spare parts in the car. You carry all the parts that could potentially fail. This guarantees that none of the parts you have spares for will ever go wrong and causes the car to become reliable.
The other secret with the TR6 was who set the injection up. The average Leyland mechanic suddenly got the Lucas injection system dumped on them after a brief training session. Carburettors they understood, but for most of them, you might as well have asked them to service the Starship Enterprise. A very few people became very good with Lucas injection and made it run sweetly, while the majority of Leyland mechanics serviced it beyond repair. Thus the reputation for unreliability was born. One day another owner recommended a specialist to me. He transformed the car.
Stick an electric fan on it. I used to do a lot of London driving.
I tried to teach the wife to drive in mine. She physically struggled to turn the steering wheel at low speed. In fairness, it did have oversized road wheels and an undersized steering wheel. The original wheel is a bit large and if you’ve big thigh muscles you wear out trousers on the bottom of the standard wheel.
Definitely go for one with the overdrive, preferably the earlier cars with the Laycock ‘A’ rather than the later ‘J’ type overdrive unit. These had overdrive on 2nd gear as well; the later ‘J’ only had it on 3rd. The earlier ones had more power, although I found it still needed tuning for more.
In those days I regularly used to drive between St John’s Wood and the Essex borders. There were no speed cameras, or traffic in the early hours. I doubt if you could average 70+ these days over that run; you could back then.
The E-type used to be a daily driver and it always surprises me, when we do rallies or tours, just how many people don't carry any spares at all. Of course, you always get some stupid people who top up the oil and forget to replace the filler cap so oil everywhere so there's alwats a spare in the boot. What I also carry are the following:-
Points and condenser.
Spare rotor arm
Set of hoses
Light bulbs
Brake light switch.
Spare fuel pump
Fuses
This isn't an exhaustive list but just off the top of my head so there's sure to be other things in there but those above I consider essential.
Points and condenser.
Spare rotor arm
Set of hoses
Light bulbs
Brake light switch.
Spare fuel pump
Fuses
This isn't an exhaustive list but just off the top of my head so there's sure to be other things in there but those above I consider essential.
Uncle Fester said:
The secret is to keep a tobacco tin with spare parts in the car. You carry all the parts that could potentially fail. This guarantees that none of the parts you have spares for will ever go wrong and causes the car to become reliable.
+1 the only times I have broken down in the last 20 years is when not carrying a tool kit 
Edited by chard on Thursday 18th February 15:13
Sorry I'm going to have to disagree with carry too many spares (once you've been running the car for a good while) - get the car sorted so you don't need so many spares
A chap in our club with an E-Type carried a spare petrol pump for years upon years then fitted it when the car was laid up as a preventative measure and kept the old one in his boot as a spare - sure enough on a tour the car spluttered to a stop after a tea/pee rest and he cursed the new (old) pump but it was just vaporisation - I think he still swapped the pumps back later !
Points and condenser (no way go electronic)
Spare rotor arm (replace every 3 years or so that way you need not worry)
Set of hoses (replace with silicone - Fit & Forget)
Light bulbs - yes I agree but you'll also need tools to replace them
Brake light switch - Triumph (replacement) part so carry 3
Spare fuel pump - no replace it with electronic
Fuses - yes but if you should ever need to use them you'll need to find out why
A chap in our club with an E-Type carried a spare petrol pump for years upon years then fitted it when the car was laid up as a preventative measure and kept the old one in his boot as a spare - sure enough on a tour the car spluttered to a stop after a tea/pee rest and he cursed the new (old) pump but it was just vaporisation - I think he still swapped the pumps back later !
Points and condenser (no way go electronic)
Spare rotor arm (replace every 3 years or so that way you need not worry)
Set of hoses (replace with silicone - Fit & Forget)
Light bulbs - yes I agree but you'll also need tools to replace them
Brake light switch - Triumph (replacement) part so carry 3
Spare fuel pump - no replace it with electronic
Fuses - yes but if you should ever need to use them you'll need to find out why
Edited by SB - Nigel on Thursday 18th February 17:31
SB - Nigel said:
Sorry I'm going to have to disagree with carry too many spares (once you've been running the car for a good while) - get the car sorted so you don't need so many spares
A chap in our club with an E-Type carried a spare petrol pump for years upon years then fitted it when the car was laid up as a preventative measure and kept the old one in his boot as a spare - sure enough on a tour the car spluttered to a stop after a tea/pee rest and he cursed the new (old) pump but it was just vaporisation - I think he still swapped the pumps back later !
Points and condenser (no way go electronic)
Spare rotor arm (replace every 3 years or so that way you need not worry)
Set of hoses (replace with silicone - Fit & Forget)
Light bulbs - yes I agree but you'll also need tools to replace them
Brake light switch - Triumph (replacement) part so carry 3
Spare fuel pump - no replace it with electronic
Fuses - yes but if you should ever need to use them you'll need to find out why
Sense of humour needed here, parts are an insurance policy only, if carried they will never be needed.A chap in our club with an E-Type carried a spare petrol pump for years upon years then fitted it when the car was laid up as a preventative measure and kept the old one in his boot as a spare - sure enough on a tour the car spluttered to a stop after a tea/pee rest and he cursed the new (old) pump but it was just vaporisation - I think he still swapped the pumps back later !
Points and condenser (no way go electronic)
Spare rotor arm (replace every 3 years or so that way you need not worry)
Set of hoses (replace with silicone - Fit & Forget)
Light bulbs - yes I agree but you'll also need tools to replace them
Brake light switch - Triumph (replacement) part so carry 3
Spare fuel pump - no replace it with electronic
Fuses - yes but if you should ever need to use them you'll need to find out why
Edited by SB - Nigel on Thursday 18th February 17:31
Ted Simon lugged a spare dynamo 1/2 way round the world in Jupiters Travels. Decided he did not need the extra weight so sent it home. After a day or two without a spare it gives up!!
When I say carry tools I mean it!! Here's a selection in my emergency kit
Subject: FW: Tools and their uses
DRILL PRESS: A tall upright machine useful for suddenly snatching flat metal bar stock out of your hands so that it smacks you in the chest and flings your beer across the room, denting the freshly-painted project which you had carefully set in the corner where nothing could get to it.
WIRE WHEEL: Cleans paint off bolts and then throws them somewhere under the workbench with the speed of light . Also removes fingerprints and hard-earned calluses from fingers in about the time it takes you to say, 'Oh sh--!'
SKILL SAW: A portable cutting tool used to make studs too short.
PLIERS: Used to round off bolt heads. Sometimes used in the creation of blood-blisters.
BELT SANDER: An electric sanding tool commonly used to convert minor touch-up jobs into major refinishing jobs.
HACKSAW: One of a family of cutting tools built on the Ouija board principle... It transforms human energy into a crooked, unpredictable motion, and the more you attempt to influence its course, the more dismal your future becomes.
VICE-GRIPS: Generally used after pliers to completely round off bolt heads. If nothing else is available, they can also be used to transfer intense welding heat to the palm of your hand.
OXYACETYLENE TORCH: Used almost entirely for lighting various flammable objects in your shop on fire. Also handy for igniting the grease inside the wheel hub out of which you want to remove a bearing brace.
TABLE SAW: A large stationary power tool commonly used to launch wood projectiles for testing wall integrity.
HYDRAULIC FLOOR JACK: Used for lowering an automobile to the ground after you have installed your new brake shoes , trapping the jack handle firmly under the bumper..
BAND SAW: A large stationary power saw primarily used by most shops to cut good aluminum sheet into smaller pieces that more easily fit into the trash can after you cut on the inside of the line instead of the outside edge.
TWO-TON ENGINE HOIST: A tool for testing the maximum tensile strength of everything you forgot to disconnect.
PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVER: Normally used to stab the vacuum seals under lids or for opening old-style paper-and-tin oil cans and splashing oil on your shirt; but can also be used, as the name implies, to strip out Phillips screw heads.
STRAIGHT SCREWDRIVER: A tool for opening paint cans. Sometimes used to convert common slotted screws into non-removable screws and butchering your palms.
PRY BAR: A tool used to crumple the metal surrounding that clip or bracket you needed to remove in order to replace a 50 cent part.
HOSE CUTTER: A tool used to make hoses too short.
HAMMER: Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the object we are trying to hit.
UTILITY KNIFE: Used to open and slice through the contents of cardboard cartons delivered to your front door; works particularly well on contents such as seats, vinyl records, liquids in plastic bottles, collector magazines, refund checks, and rubber or plastic parts. Especially useful for slicing work clothes, but only while in use.
SON-OF-A-b
h TOOL: (A personal favorite!!) Any handy tool that you grab and throw across the garage while yelling 'Son of a bh!' at the top of your lungs. It is also, most often, be the next tool that you will need.
Subject: FW: Tools and their uses
DRILL PRESS: A tall upright machine useful for suddenly snatching flat metal bar stock out of your hands so that it smacks you in the chest and flings your beer across the room, denting the freshly-painted project which you had carefully set in the corner where nothing could get to it.
WIRE WHEEL: Cleans paint off bolts and then throws them somewhere under the workbench with the speed of light . Also removes fingerprints and hard-earned calluses from fingers in about the time it takes you to say, 'Oh sh--!'
SKILL SAW: A portable cutting tool used to make studs too short.
PLIERS: Used to round off bolt heads. Sometimes used in the creation of blood-blisters.
BELT SANDER: An electric sanding tool commonly used to convert minor touch-up jobs into major refinishing jobs.
HACKSAW: One of a family of cutting tools built on the Ouija board principle... It transforms human energy into a crooked, unpredictable motion, and the more you attempt to influence its course, the more dismal your future becomes.
VICE-GRIPS: Generally used after pliers to completely round off bolt heads. If nothing else is available, they can also be used to transfer intense welding heat to the palm of your hand.
OXYACETYLENE TORCH: Used almost entirely for lighting various flammable objects in your shop on fire. Also handy for igniting the grease inside the wheel hub out of which you want to remove a bearing brace.
TABLE SAW: A large stationary power tool commonly used to launch wood projectiles for testing wall integrity.
HYDRAULIC FLOOR JACK: Used for lowering an automobile to the ground after you have installed your new brake shoes , trapping the jack handle firmly under the bumper..
BAND SAW: A large stationary power saw primarily used by most shops to cut good aluminum sheet into smaller pieces that more easily fit into the trash can after you cut on the inside of the line instead of the outside edge.
TWO-TON ENGINE HOIST: A tool for testing the maximum tensile strength of everything you forgot to disconnect.
PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVER: Normally used to stab the vacuum seals under lids or for opening old-style paper-and-tin oil cans and splashing oil on your shirt; but can also be used, as the name implies, to strip out Phillips screw heads.
STRAIGHT SCREWDRIVER: A tool for opening paint cans. Sometimes used to convert common slotted screws into non-removable screws and butchering your palms.
PRY BAR: A tool used to crumple the metal surrounding that clip or bracket you needed to remove in order to replace a 50 cent part.
HOSE CUTTER: A tool used to make hoses too short.
HAMMER: Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the object we are trying to hit.
UTILITY KNIFE: Used to open and slice through the contents of cardboard cartons delivered to your front door; works particularly well on contents such as seats, vinyl records, liquids in plastic bottles, collector magazines, refund checks, and rubber or plastic parts. Especially useful for slicing work clothes, but only while in use.
SON-OF-A-b
h TOOL: (A personal favorite!!) Any handy tool that you grab and throw across the garage while yelling 'Son of a bh!' at the top of your lungs. It is also, most often, be the next tool that you will need.
1500 MG midget
In the summer it was 100% reliable, after the obligatory hissy fit of being made to drive anywhere for the first time in years, new battery, alternator, radiator, and all was good.
In the winter everything that can go wrong will go wrong. Next year I'm buying a banger to do the winter months. Even if you wax the whole car, salt just eats the electrics as well
And it doesn't like short journeys, a 30 mile round trip every day was fine, 7 mile round trip and it was having problems by the end of the month!
In the summer it was 100% reliable, after the obligatory hissy fit of being made to drive anywhere for the first time in years, new battery, alternator, radiator, and all was good.
In the winter everything that can go wrong will go wrong. Next year I'm buying a banger to do the winter months. Even if you wax the whole car, salt just eats the electrics as well
And it doesn't like short journeys, a 30 mile round trip every day was fine, 7 mile round trip and it was having problems by the end of the month!
I've been using my 88 morgan every day since september (except the worst snow days). Landed an new job last week which is going to mean driving from west mids to Kent and back each week. I'm in two minds whether i want to put 2k miles a month on the morgan or get a snotter for the weekly motorway run.
s
s
sawman said:
I've been using my 88 morgan every day since september (except the worst snow days). Landed an new job last week which is going to mean driving from west mids to Kent and back each week. I'm in two minds whether i want to put 2k miles a month on the morgan or get a snotter for the weekly motorway run.
s
That'll be a lot of miles but a long run would be good for the cars
How about using the Morgan once or twice a week when you know the weather is going to be reasonable or really nice
It'll make the journey to, and better still from work much more enjoyable especially at the end of the week
You might consider going off route to more enjoyable roads and perhaps even stopping at a country pub for a quick half and relax before continuing back home, even midweek sometimes, leave the rush hour to others
I have only ever owned 2 cars that were less than 10 years old. My wife has used a morris minor as her only form of transport for 12 years. She doesn't drive it every day but does drive it whenever she needs to. It has been off the raod for 3 weeks in total during that time. these were for body repairs. It has never let her down, it gets a service once a year and does 5k miles a year. Up untill last year I was driving a 1989 xjs as my main transport, and a gt6 for fun, neither let me down.
this year I am driving a 2000 xkr as number one car and a 97 quantum 2+2 made from a 1986 fiesta xr2. these may not all be that old, but by most peoples standards they are. I have even been known to commute in my austin seven and that is old. It is easy to run old cars as your main transport. I would personally not want to drive 400 hundred miles in a morris minor, but I would not think twice about doing it in an old 60's jag or rover. Use them people did when they were new.
When we first bought the morris minor it had only driven 200 miles a year for 5 years, the brakes all failed in the first week of use, the dynamo died, and the electrics were unreliable to say the least, after it was fixed it went into a daily drive commute of 20 miles a day for 5 years and never let us down. these days it only goes out a few times a week as Karen works from home
I have in the past used an mg midget, various old 60's minis and a p6 rover as daily transoprt, all very reliable. You just need to maintaine them. You dont have to fix them every weekend, once you have got over the gremlins caused by them not being used. Once all the issues are sorted they will be just as reliable as any car. I have not even had one of my cars fail an mot for 7 years
this year I am driving a 2000 xkr as number one car and a 97 quantum 2+2 made from a 1986 fiesta xr2. these may not all be that old, but by most peoples standards they are. I have even been known to commute in my austin seven and that is old. It is easy to run old cars as your main transport. I would personally not want to drive 400 hundred miles in a morris minor, but I would not think twice about doing it in an old 60's jag or rover. Use them people did when they were new.
When we first bought the morris minor it had only driven 200 miles a year for 5 years, the brakes all failed in the first week of use, the dynamo died, and the electrics were unreliable to say the least, after it was fixed it went into a daily drive commute of 20 miles a day for 5 years and never let us down. these days it only goes out a few times a week as Karen works from home
I have in the past used an mg midget, various old 60's minis and a p6 rover as daily transoprt, all very reliable. You just need to maintaine them. You dont have to fix them every weekend, once you have got over the gremlins caused by them not being used. Once all the issues are sorted they will be just as reliable as any car. I have not even had one of my cars fail an mot for 7 years
SB - Nigel said:
sawman said:
I've been using my 88 morgan every day since september (except the worst snow days). Landed an new job last week which is going to mean driving from west mids to Kent and back each week. I'm in two minds whether i want to put 2k miles a month on the morgan or get a snotter for the weekly motorway run.
s
That'll be a lot of miles but a long run would be good for the cars
How about using the Morgan once or twice a week when you know the weather is going to be reasonable or really nice
It'll make the journey to, and better still from work much more enjoyable especially at the end of the week
You might consider going off route to more enjoyable roads and perhaps even stopping at a country pub for a quick half and relax before continuing back home, even midweek sometimes, leave the rush hour to others
Alternatively. I might pick up an old focus diesel or something for the mid week stint and keep the morgan for my local commute. But I guess even running a cheap snotter will have it's costs (insurance etc) question is how it all stacks up overall cost wise, taking into account wear and tear and convenience
sawman said:
I'm just thinking through the options, my week will comprise a day at either end of the week working locally and then 2 days in the middle in kent. Its just about trainable, so i might do some weeks in the morgan and some on the train.
Alternatively. I might pick up an old focus diesel or something for the mid week stint and keep the morgan for my local commute. But I guess even running a cheap snotter will have it's costs (insurance etc) question is how it all stacks up overall cost wise, taking into account wear and tear and convenience
For the Morgan mix it up a bit with local and long runsAlternatively. I might pick up an old focus diesel or something for the mid week stint and keep the morgan for my local commute. But I guess even running a cheap snotter will have it's costs (insurance etc) question is how it all stacks up overall cost wise, taking into account wear and tear and convenience
A few local runs is fine but not too regularly as regular short journeys do the car no good and will not prepare you or the car for the longer journeys
With regular use of the Morgan over variable length journeys you'll learn what is normal for the car and what needs attention and you'll get used to driving the car in different conditions
I personally would never be lucky enough to run a banger without trouble because somebody else's god doesn't like me but I know others that run bangers on TPF&T insurance (you can even get Third Party only insurance!), have the very minimal, if any, maintenance and these cars run for years with no problems
But bear in mind it's another car to park at home, MOT, insure, road tax, perhaps sometimes clean and maintain
The guy that used to look after my Griff had an old Ford diesel that he used (and as a tow vehicle) which he got it and used for two and a half years by that time and he'd abused it but never serviced it, not even an old change, and was just waiting for it to stop but it wouldn't, same with someone else I knew with a Rover 620(?) diesel two years plus use and abuse but not servicing so it can be done
ARH said:
all good stuff. . .
Well put sirPeople who use classics as dailies will be saying a lot of the same stuff as it comes from experience and (altho' not necessarily in my case) common sense
Those that have or will have the most trouble running a classic as a daily are
a) those with an example of the car that's not a good example
b) those that do not properly prepare the car for regular use (and do preventative maintenance)
c) those that do not use the car regularly enough
d) those they do not regularly service the car and replace faulty components (but put up with them instead)
Above is a bit preachy but concise at least
Gassing Station | Classic Cars and Yesterday's Heroes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff