question Do any of you dread driving your MVs?

NEVER What's the point of having them if you're not prepared to maintain and look after them ? I admit it can get a bit stressful at times especially if there's a deadline like Normandy looming (been there with the Dodge ) but I would rather have a vehicle with character and history than a bland euro box any day !

Nope I enjoy it, very theraputic. Especially out of season.

What I dread is driving on the motorway. Because:

People can't grasp that you are not driving as fast as the general flow

People joining the motorway these days feel they have the right (I believe drivers are taught to do this) to barge in & you have to lose your momentum or suddenly pull into the next lane. Limited vision may prohibit this & the knowledge that you will be trapped in the middle lane, unable to see with complete certainty that you can get back into the inner lane.

There is a place that I dread on the M27 where it is 4 lanes then I have to get from lane 1 into lane 3 to continue east. This change over point is uphill, if I leave it too late they try not to let me in but if I move over to early then I am "punished" by HGVs who will drive on my tail trying to force me to go faster, which I can't.

That's why it takes me twice as long to go to W&PR using minor A roads or B roads than the "easy access" motorway which is very frightening.

Hi LarryH57

Your not alone believe me, it's not to bad if your MV is small enough to be towed home by your mates

car or landy or your a member of the AA or RAC.

It's a different matter if it's a Diamond T or a Leyland Hippo etc.

I ( most of the time ) try and have some kind of continuance plane if possible, or just go for it :nut:'

What MV is giving you this problem.

Regards

Mal.

It's a bit like trailer tail wagging, Larry - you've just got to drive through it.

The more frequently you take it out, the quicker the dread will turn to a big grin across your face, and the less fearful progressing to more confident you'll be the next time you drive it.

:drive::banana:

Wish I could find more excuses to drive mine. The more there driven the better they go.

Wish I could find more excuses to drive mine. The more there driven the better they go.

Very true, I have far more problems with my laid up stuff than I do with the ones used all year round.

That's why it takes me twice as long to go to W&PR using minor A roads or B roads than the "easy access" motorway which is very frightening.

Clive

You have probably taken the best option here as the M25 would extend this journey by at least 2 hours.

Larry

Sometimes I worry about taking my 109 out but I then decide that if the rest of the workd is in too much of a hurry to enjoy them selves that is their problem.

Over the years I have learnt that regardless of what speed you can travel at there is always some idiot who thinks it is not fast enough or that you are going to fast.

I have got to the stage that if I am on a 4 or 5 lane section of motorway travelling at the ridiculous speed of 55 mph in a series 3 land rover and some iddiot is one lane or more over doing 45 mph that I go by on the inside.

I went out to lane 4 once and it was the scariest thing I ever did and I was quite scared at 16 when I soloed in a glider.

just go out there and enjoy yourselve and your vehicle

Mike

If you don't like the motorway; don't go there. The flat out thrash of a motorway journey isn't very good for any vehicle designed prior to the motorways being built anyway and if you have a problem your stuck on it. There are plenty of more pleasant routes to use. If you are in too much of a hurry (such that a couple of hours makes a difference) to enjoy your journey on a different route then send the vehicle on a low loader.

I can't understand at some shows all the vehicles (some not that old) arriving on low loaders; I often find a 5 or 6 hour drive at 25 m.p.h. on old roads quite satisfying, planning the route carefully is essential but practicing your gear changes and generally getting to know your vehicle is all part of the enjoyment.

Saying that I have also driven other peoples trucks long distances like to Beltring by motorways but aim for quiet times like the middle of the night but only in agreed convoy of several vehicles should there be a problem and speeds fast enough to avoid being tail ended.

Like someone else has said whatever speed you go it will be slow for those behind you and you will at some point be stuck behind some one slower.

If you don't like the motorway; don't go there. The flat out thrash of a motorway journey isn't very good for any vehicle designed prior to the motorways being built anyway and if you have a problem your stuck on it. There are plenty of more pleasant routes to use. If you are in too much of a hurry (such that a couple of hours makes a difference) to enjoy your journey on a different route then send the vehicle on a low loader.

I can't understand at some shows all the vehicles (some not that old) arriving on low loaders; I often find a 5 or 6 hour drive at 25 m.p.h. on old roads quite satisfying, planning the route carefully is essential but practicing your gear changes and generally getting to know your vehicle is all part of the enjoyment.

Saying that I have also driven other peoples trucks long distances like to Beltring by motorways but aim for quiet times like the middle of the night but only in agreed convoy of several vehicles should there be a problem and speeds fast enough to avoid being tail ended.

Like someone else has said whatever speed you go it will be slow for those behind you and you will at some point be stuck behind some one slower.

The trick is to make lots of local journeys before a big one to gradually build up confidence and reliability before a long journey and get all the bugs out. Before taking my GMC 353 to Normandy this year..i did a lot of local trips.. encountered fuel starvation which stopped the truck ...had 5th gear break ...the headlights die in the dark etc... The actual 975 mile round trip to Normandy was a 100% reliable experience and hardly used any oil ! and of course carry all the correct spares...

I made the mistake of coming back using Motorway,s which already mentioned is a drag and stress producing...older vehicles soon get their engine oil very hot with dire consequences.

I have had my fair share of coming home on ropes in the early days in my Jeep , but I always say to myself ( even now ) what is the worst that can happen from a breakdown?? get cold/bored.....at least with mobile phones now its no big deal...its not as if you are crossing the Sahara or getting shot at !!! and liable to die !!! Ed Abbott

Out of interest do any of you dread driving your MVs on the basis that something is likely to go wrong and for the same reason you delay taking them for a test run, when you know they need to be taken out every now and then.

That's what breakdown insurance is for (although I've never had to use it)! I broke down in my Dodge bringing it home from storage the night before I left for Normandy. I managed to get home and sort the problem the next day before setting off to catch the ferry from Hull. I drove between 120 and 200 miles a day and got to Normandy in 3 days, spent a week there and drove home via Ypres......1400 miles in total, without any problems whatsoever, mainly on B roads (D roads in France) and one of the best experiences I've ever had. I've always had total faith in my vehicles and would drive them anywhere :laugh:

Out of interest do any of you dread driving your MVs on the basis that something is likely to go wrong and for the same reason you delay taking them for a test run, when you know they need to be taken out every now and then.

Larry I am really glad you brought this up........I bought my 1954 Ferret almost 2 years ago...I finally have it all tuned up and street worthy thanks to my friend Earl.........For months now I have worried like you...Where my Ferret is now is near Chicago where the traffic is really congested with lots of stop and go traffic...I hope someday to have it at my main residence in the rural area of South Dakota...I think it is just a matter of confidence building in getting it out someday..I have it jacked up on jack stands and about every 5 months I run it thru the gears on the jack stands.......It is really easy to get a tow on a flat bed truck if needed....Glad I am not the only one that thinks this...Thanks for posting about this....

I'm always a bit apprehensive before a trip in the Saracen, but once moving I always enjoy it greatly, even when there are problems (most of which have been my fault).

As I have been driving it more and learning its quirks, the apprehension has been going down and the enjoyment up. I don't even mind driving it in heavy traffic or on freeways.

Surprisingly, the hardest part seems to be finding someone to act as a commander. You'd think there would be people lining up to go for a drive in a Saracen

Cheers,

Terry

Well, I'd volunteer, but it's not the acting as commander, Terry, it's the 10,000 mile journey each side!

Well, I'd volunteer, but it's not the acting as commander, Terry, it's the 10,000 mile journey each side!

Come on, Sean, it's not like you'd have to get over here on a prison ship

Cheers,

Terry

When I bought my GPW a few years back it had been a long time ambition to own one and also to take that vehicle to Normandy and visit the beaches to pay my respects. I did a few local shows after giving the jeep a complete service and then decided to go for it. Obviously I took spares such as coil, points, condenser, rotor arm, etc and a decent amount of tools, oil, brake fluid, anti freeze etc.

My wife and I set off on our own not in a group and firstly made our way to the Somme to visit the First World War sites before driving nearly seven hours solid in a day to Pegasus Bridge and beyond. The jeep ran like a clock with only one problem in the whole 10 days when a wire chafed through on the bulkhead. This was a wire the previous owner had fitted to enable the brake lights to work without them having to be turned on each time as they were originally. He had poked the wire through a bare hole (no grommet) ! I soon sorted that and were on our way, so the only problem I had was man made NOT the jeeps fault. I didn't need any oil or for that matter 99% of my tools so long trips no longer hold any fear for me. In fact to be honest when I look back I surprised myself by just going for it but I am of the belief if a jeep was good enough when the bullets were flying it's good enough for anything. I certainly do not think any WELL MAINTAINED older vehicle is incapable of making longer journeys if treated with respect and driven with the understanding of their capabilities.

I would drive my jeep anywhere safe in the knowledge that unlike modern electronic laden modern stuff I can fix it should the need arise so my advice to anyone unsure of the viability of using their MV day to day is go for it what's the worst that can happen ? Life is for living not for worrying

Biggest joy, is that you CAN'T Rush! 40/45 mph is what your going to do, and everyone else seems to be nice to you. Probaly thinking 'Poor old B****rd! Can't even afford a decent car'. Try driving the Jeep down an unlit Belgian road in the countryside at midnight, with a thunderstorm in distance and the smell of the grass 'It's too quiet Sarge! I know dem Krauts are there somewhere!'

They also attract a large social side. I've met some fantastic people through taking the Dodges out and about. One who will stick in the mind is a gentleman called Tony who came to Ver Sur Mer this year. He was ex RNVR and very unassuming, but his stories kept us in stiches for an hour. The other thing I treasure is that you have to DRIVE them. There is'nt a computer doing it all for you. Listen to the vehicle, she will tell you what is going on. Advice I was given many years ago, and very relevant to old vehicles.

:rotfl:Sums it up to a T Tony. I once had someone in at most a £2k car say to me why do you drive that old jeep why not save up and buy a newer car ! I didn't have the heart to tell him

Biggest joy, is that you CAN'T Rush! 40/45 mph is what your going to do, and everyone else seems to be nice to you. Probaly thinking 'Poor old B****rd! Can't even afford a decent car'. Try driving the Jeep down an unlit Belgian road in the countryside at midnight, with a thunderstorm in distance and the smell of the grass 'It's too quiet Sarge! I know dem Krauts are there somewhere!'

 

They also attract a large social side. I've met some fantastic people through taking the Dodges out and about. One who will stick in the mind is a gentleman called Tony who came to Ver Sur Mer this year. He was ex RNVR and very unassuming, but his stories kept us in stiches for an hour. The other thing I treasure is that you have to DRIVE them. There is'nt a computer doing it all for you. Listen to the vehicle, she will tell you what is going on. Advice I was given many years ago, and very relevant to old vehicles.

:rotfl:Sums it up to a T Tony. I once had someone in at most a £2k car say to me why do you drive that old jeep why not save up and buy a newer car ! I didn't have the heart to tell him

Just point out any $%^££ can have a Ferrari only needs money, and what can you really do with it, go fast and get nicked for speeding? Ours, they 'aint bulding them any more, and I can do lots of things with it!

yes and no :nut: the Jeep I'd jump in and drive to Normandy tomo no probs, in fact I restored it in 93 managed to finish it just in time to do just that in 94, the Norton again has never let me down so far touch wood as for the Champ well its a lovely thing to drive and now it has a new carb I am beginning to have more faith in it, but again it has never let me stranded, just !!

I used to own a Chev C 15 and I must admit I never looked forward to driving it, funny pedal arrangement, noisy, hot and I just didn't trust it to get me to where I was going and I found it stressfull so sold it

As for the MW I look forward to driving it to shows etc, and hope once the odd gremlin is sorted that it will be a reliable truck, I hope so anyways.

The best thing about all our vehicles etc is its a very sociable hobby and I've met some great characters and made some good friends over the years and continue to do so

Thanks for all the replies; I must admit that in the last year I have had something like 14 breakdowns in my Lwt, as I had a fault that was hard to trace AFTER I had done much work on it to improve its reliability. It was always stalling at the lights and it refused to start after a new carb and electronic ignition was fitted. Was it the carb, the dizzy or the fuel pump?

Full of dread I went out with a few friends in other MVs warning them that there would be problems and sure enough after a few miles the dizzy broke up inside the cap narrowly missing the electronic ignition when the rotor arm broke to bits after the spring in the dizzy broke free! Luckily I had a new dizzy (and friends) with me so that was fitted beside the road but after a mile or so it then cooked the coil. The dizzy then had the electronic ignition re-fitted and the coil to go with it, so that got the Lwt going. But I still stalled at junctions, so was it a fuel pump problem or the carb? Well it was the new Chinese built copy Zenith bought new from a well known LR firm that turned out to be full of swarf that caused most of the problems. But I had previously cleaned it out of all the swarf so why after it was cleaned was it playing up. During the strip down I found that the accelerating pump was sticking but once replaced by an old one from an original Zenith it worked much better but I still stalled and often failed to restart! Eventually after several road side strip down inspections it was discovered that the O ring between the upper and lower sections liked to expand letting in too much fuel. Once the O ring was replaced once again beside the road with a genuine part, it worked fine and has done ever since (fingers crossed). A new fuel pump was fitted for good measure but I have had such a time of it I naturally think something else is sure to spoil my fun!

I can see why your confidence is lost Larry...That's a lot of breakdowns...Maybe go with a different vehicle....The very best to you

Thanks for all the replies; I must admit that in the last year I have had something like 14 breakdowns in my Lwt, as I had a fault that was hard to trace AFTER I had done much work on it to improve its reliability. It was always stalling at the lights and it refused to start after a new carb and electronic ignition was fitted. Was it the carb, the dizzy or the fuel pump?

 

Full of dread I went out with a few friends in other MVs warning them that there would be problems and sure enough after a few miles the dizzy broke up inside the cap narrowly missing the electronic ignition when the rotor arm broke to bits after the spring in the dizzy broke free! Luckily I had a new dizzy (and friends) with me so that was fitted beside the road but after a mile or so it then cooked the coil. The dizzy then had the electronic ignition re-fitted and the coil to go with it, so that got the Lwt going. But I still stalled at junctions, so was it a fuel pump problem or the carb? Well it was the new Chinese built copy Zenith bought new from a well known LR firm that turned out to be full of swarf that caused most of the problems. But I had previously cleaned it out of all the swarf so why after it was cleaned was it playing up. During the strip down I found that the accelerating pump was sticking but once replaced by an old one from an original Zenith it worked much better but I still stalled and often failed to restart! Eventually after several road side strip down inspections it was discovered that the O ring between the upper and lower sections liked to expand letting in too much fuel. Once the O ring was replaced once again beside the road with a genuine part, it worked fine and has done ever since (fingers crossed). A new fuel pump was fitted for good measure but I have had such a time of it I naturally think something else is sure to spoil my fun!

Keep going Larry you will get there! I would not recommend you to buy a tracked vehicle - then you would really know the meaning of paranoia!!!

Cheers

Tim

I can understand how you feel, the first 3-4 years I had the dodge it ran perfectly but the year before last on the way to war and peace i got stuck in traffic and it boiled over .it needed a new radiator and I also changed the pump and all the hoses. Next time on a long run it had fuel starvation problem's so I routed the fuel lines better.it then started cutting out in traffic so I changed the pump. I thought I would treat it to a NOS dizzy(which arrived from the USA damaged) this seemed to cure all my problems and I was happy driving it again. It then started breaking down while hot after a decent distance this turned out to be the condenser changed that it then after a while started it all over again but it would not breakdown when on the drive eventually I found the new coil had started to leak it's insulation out of the bottom (you can't see this unless you take it out).I have just replaced that so am hoping that solves it and I can drive it again without worrying if I can get there.on the plus side I have met lots of very nice and friendly AA relay truck drivers.I agree with the other comments there are lots of really nice friendly people in this hobby .

Simon

There not really yours until they have broken down in a most embarrasing place. My Wepaons Carrier decided to stop in the middle of traffic in Albert. :blush: Problem? One screw loose (Not in the driver , this time) on the ignition switch. Took ten miunutes to find and about thirty seconds to fix. Note: Always use toothed washers on electrical connections!

So saying, that and an over reading fuel gauge, which gave heart faliure the first time, she hasn't been much trouble. Probably pushing my luck, but I've got quite used to towing other MV's in.

We have had 3x engine failure, 1x cracked head, 5x electrical issues and one startermotor that drew 700 amps and cooked the relay and burned the cable.

Perfectly normal i guess, it is a land rover.

My non mot-ed landy is headless as i used items on the other engine.

All part of the game, i might invest in a lorry to haul them myself