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MG MG Y Type - Y type performance

I would like to put the case for all classic car enthusiasts to please realise that it is just not good enough to travel down motorways at 50-55 mph Unfortunatly such slow moving vehicles annoy lorry drivers and cause congestion as they try to overtake. The Y type will cruise at 60-65 and even by fitting larger rear tyres can give some 2-3% more speed. I was critised for suggesting that raising the compression to 8.6:1 would ruin the engine. It is said that the bee cannot fly because it is too heavy for its wing span however unaware of this it flies on. Likewise I drove on for a 100 thousand miles often cruising at 65 and sometimes towing a 4 berth caravan over the Alpes completely unaware of the impending failure of the engine.
Bryan Mellem

I fully concur that I too would not want to drive on a motorway at 50-55 MPH but to suggest it annoys lorry drivers is absurd.

Middle lane drivers.
Users of mobiles.
Caravans & Trailers in general.
Drink drivers
99% drivers exceeding 70 MPH limit on M/Ways
Tailgaters
Inexperienced drivers
UK Policy on road building and taxation (Toll Proposals)
Less front line visible Road Policing Officers due to implementation of speed cameras that cant detect driving standards.
Lorries overtaking Lorries


This is not an exhaustive list but these are the real problems not the humble classic car enthusiast who is taxed, insured, MOT'D and the car well looked after and well driven, usually by the older driver sadly as young people cannot afford such a great hobby.

Regardless of compressions, caravans and number of miles the fact remains 55 MPH is a legal speed to travel on a motorway and if lorry drivers don't like it revert back to train freight and save the environment in the process.

The roads are for the majority not for the selfish few, "move out my way, lane 3 only" brigade to stereotype. Like everything there is good and bad in everything therefore I would like to put the case that there is a far wider picture than just 55 MPH on a M/Way as the previous post suggests.


R. Knight

Bryan,

I do agree that is annoying/dangerous to drive to slow on the motorways most of the times.

But I experience that feeling of danger more without lorries than with; in Holland (and Europe?) they are restricted to 90 km/h (officially 80 km/h) which is 50-55 mph. Because of that restriction I use them as a shield for fast driving cars. On sundays or at night, with less lorries present, I feel much more vulnurable (sp?).

I think I saw pictures of your Y with caravan and must admit muttering something about "mad dogs and Englishmen" but I do admire it.
Willem van der Veer

Personally I hate using motorways or freeways with the Y - even though I go at 65-70. If I can find a back road that will get me where I am going I will always take that, even when I am driving the Range Rover or other modern car as they are much more interesting and fun to drive.

However, one observation that is interesting is the European obession with speed on these super highways - autobahns, autoroutes, motorways or whatever you want to call them. I recently went on a 2,000 mile journey and it was very noticable that the speeding motorist over here in the northwest and central USA (and I went through 4 states on my trip) is very much the exception. The average size of trucks (lorries) over here makes the european average size into breakfast food: 18 wheel, 60,000+lb bohemeths, yet I have to say what a pleasant and well mannered lot they are. They are kind and courteous to all - but then so are car drivers for the most part. The distances here are enormous and beyond comprehension until you have driven them.

Bottom line - this is a European thing and the sooner everyone learns that the fastest way for everyone to get from A to B has more to do with HOW you get there than HOW FAST one individual can do it, the better and safer their roads will become. My US observations are based on cross-country as well as having been on a 7 lane highway ... where we were all crawling!

I am in complete agreement with Richard, but on the other hand if an owner wants to increase his power of the compression/use fatter tires, whatever, that is up to the owner. It isnt my personal preference. Equally Bryan has a point that our Ys CAN go pretty well.

In any traffic environment though, causing other road users to suddenly swerve, slow down, increase their speed or to have to change direction is a potential problem. One should always drive in such a way so as to avoid this happening or being a cause of this happening to other road users. Remember the motto Safety Fast - safety is the first and most important part of that, it is not DEAD QUICK!

Whereever you go, however you do it, drive safely folks, and be courtious and considerate to other road users. How they behave and react - that is their problem between them, and their god!

Paul
Paul Barrow

I sometimes get annoyed by drivers getting too close on main roads..is it legal to fit a red reflective warning triangle to the back of the Y?
David Mullen

There are plenty of open lanes to my left. Go around.
Steve Simmons

Surely Bryan is joking? There are far more important considerations than whether or not lorry drivers are annoyed by vehicles travelling at 55mph. I'm sure I can't be the only person who's been held up on a dual carriageway by a lorry driver trying to overtake a similar vehicle whilst only travelling 1mph faster! On the rare occasions that I took my YA on the motorway I found myself travelling at (an indicated) 55mph far more often than 60mph. This was usually because drivers of other vehicles (including lorry drivers) fail to take into account the fact that a 1940/50s car cannot stop, or change direction, as quickly as a modern car, and doesn't have all the modern safety features such as seat belts and airbags. The 70mph limit on motorways is, after all, a maximum speed not a minimum. At no point have I ever had a long procession of vehicles trying to overtake me. That's what the other two lanes are for!
Andrew Adamson

So, just offhand, what do you guys think an addition of a Shorrock Supercharger would make..I have one on my car but do not have any basis of comparison...Thanks...M
marvin soroken

Send it to me and I'll let you know. ;)
Steve Simmons

The problem as I see it is that we do not pay tax to run our cars on the public roads, being tax exempt. It is a concession which could lead to restrictions in the use of our cars if we are not careful. Unfortunatly many drivers do not give a pin for our gleaming pride and joy and others, while mildly sypathetic, soon loose any admiration if, as they see it, they are held up. We can only compare what could happen to us if like caravanners we come under the scrutiny of that famous expert on Top Gear who knows all things to do with motoring. The differance is that most caravaners now-a-days can easily exceed their speed limit. Politians who may appreciate our commitment to British motoring history will not risk losing voters.
Bryan Mellem

Bryan, I sympathise with the predicament, however, as I saw it there were too many things that needed fixing in the UK, all of which the politicians were too frightened to fix ... so I left. Not much in the way of comfort to you, but one day the politicians need to become men (or women) again, and not sheep or mice.

Paul
Paul Barrow

As a PS

I maybe accused of being a pessimistic alarmist but to my astoshiment I read in the caravan magazine that all diesal powered vehicles that don't comply to class 3 or 4 regulations will be charged £100 per day to enter Greater London irrespective of size! This in effect covers most built before 2000. Presumably it will also cover classic Land Rovers, Buses, Lorries etc and as the caravan magazine points out older camper vans. This is clearly aimed at giving a green image to Politians, since as older commercial vehicles will naturally be phased out due to age there will remain only an small minority of private owners who are of no political importance. While our MG's are not diesal powered it could be that we may well be the next casualty in political green strategy. In view of climate change small and insignificant minorities are clearely to be blamed for what is a major dereliction of duty at government level. It is therefore important to keep the general public on our side.
Bryan Mellem

This thread was discussed between 20/07/2007 and 26/07/2007

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