john_g_kearney Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 I have long been fond of the look of Morris Commercials such as the CS8. (Did the one dumped behind Jackson's garage north of Morpeth in the 1970s ever get saved?) However, the driving position - on the floor on a miserably-thin cushion - makes me uncomfortable even to look at it. (I presume that this driving position was dictated by the desire to have as low a silhouette as possible.) I have never envied the drivers of the BEF who had to drive their Morris Commercials across northern France. Then I saw a photograph of a captured Morris Commercial that was being driven by the German Army across Russia; I didn't envy that driver at all... Can any owner of such as a CS8 tell us if the vehicles are as uncomfortable to drive as they appear, and how far one can be driven before the driver is crippled by cramp? John. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Now you know why I drive a Dodge! The Morris isn't to bad on smooth ground, but on anything uneven they are murder on the back, your bum slides around and you get friction burns. The other thing is at least for me the position of the pedals are offset. On some of the very Early Quads the acelerator pedal is in the middle, that requires a lot of concentration. Functionaly they are not bad, they tow a 25 pounder and limber well enough and can deal with a full load. As for silouete, the Dodge stripped down has better seats and driving position, and the lower overall height. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick W Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 You may want to consider the heat coming from the engine bay, half of which is in the cab.:saluting: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 You may want to consider the heat coming from the engine bay, half of which is in the cab.:saluting: I've never found it that bad. The gale over the top half of the doors is usually sufficent cooling. :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_g_kearney Posted July 31, 2012 Author Share Posted July 31, 2012 I guess that the engine warmth was welcome on a cold winter's day (but the friction burns never were...) John. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lauren Child Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 (edited) It's worth remembering that the forces were quite selective of drivers for some vehicles by hieght, so if you are tall (or more amply proportionned ) it's more difficult (if not impossible) to drive some MVs. I've not tried a Morris, but it looks like a similar driving position to the Bedford MW which I just couldn't drive safely. A lot depends on the size of the steering wheel and position of the gearsticks/handbrake. In the MW I ended up with my leg trapped between the steering wheel and handbrake. You can see how tight it is here - http://www.penguin-mayhem.net/gallery/BedfordMW/aap Looking at the photo's on this page - http://www.reocities.com/vk3cz/CS8page.html - there's not a lot of room between handbrake/central controls and steering wheel, and both drivers have their knees bent up into that space. You can see better on this one - http://tinyurl.com/c68h5lc (from http://www.wheelsofvictory.com/Morris%20commercial%20c8%20P.html). At least it looks like the Morris' steering wheel is a bit higher to make room for you to bend your legs. In comparison, the WOT has a bit more room, but also has a more roomy layout. See here - http://tinyurl.com/d376rn (from http://www.wheelsofvictory.com/Fordson%20WOT2a.html). The CMP with a 13 cab has *lots* of space - see here http://tinyurl.com/c2qbkkm (from http://www.wheelsofvictory.com/CMP%20HUA.html) Edited July 31, 2012 by Lauren Child Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.O.S. Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Is this what will come to all of us eventually? "For sale, Military Vehicle - no longer fits" :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerrykins Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 John. If of a tender disposition an extra cushion might help bottoming bum as for friction burns that's just rubbish. Nice gear change, good brakes and on the C4 an engine that pulls are the plus side, on the negative side heavy heavy steering and a willful way for going off course over modest bumps means you have to pay constant attention to the helm. Come rain or shine it's warm not like the freezing cold WP51!! They are good to work on, reliable and good for fuel economy (14/15 mpg). What's more they have great character and they're British. Jerry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lauren Child Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Is this what will come to all of us eventually? "For sale, Military Vehicle - no longer fits" :-D I tried looking, but I just couldn't find any adverts for a MVs in ladies plus sizes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Hey wave the flag, why don't you? I used to drive a mate's C8, he learnt to drive on my WC51, and is now flying jets. I really do prefer the 51's driving position and general handaling. The 54 is nice, it has doors wind down windows and even a heater! So I'm going to persevere with that in my decripitude, and let Number One Son tough it out, sometimes, if I think he can be truted with Precioooous! At the time Britian still had a superb rail system. Freight moved in bulk and was then only delivered by vehicle locally. U.S.A. has big open spaces so stuff had to be bulked by truck, hence there designs were light years ahead. I am 6 foot and have size 10 boots, the pedals in the C8 are tight but managable, and on the later ones are in the right place. Bear in mind that despite Hollywood, the avaerage GI was a lot shorter, so was Tommy. The vehicles were designed for the average then. I'll stick to mey Dodges. The CMP FAT is a palace compared to the Quad, you can hold a party inside one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_g_kearney Posted August 1, 2012 Author Share Posted August 1, 2012 I think I'll continue to wave the flag from the driving seat of my Land Rover. Happily, that too is British and has plenty of character. Though not nearly as much, I freely admit, as a Morris Commercial... John. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lauren Child Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 Don't get put off John - try one before you decide as the smile and the noise makes almost anything bearable. (Even the frequent earbashings from the other half about yet more truck bits all over the lounge and kitchen) Sent from my BlackBerry 9800 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_g_kearney Posted August 1, 2012 Author Share Posted August 1, 2012 The thought of ownership of something as wonderful as a Morris Commercial is indeed very tempting. John. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim gray Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 The thought of ownership of something as wonderful as a Morris Commercial is indeed very tempting.John.WELL SAID THAT MAN!!!! I drive an MCC PU, seat is indeed thin, but has beefed up filling so no probs, steering wheel is offset to the driver but who cares? As long as it is pointing in the relevant direction thats the important thing, brakes i find are reasonable considering the mechanics of the day (cadence braking advised and drive to the limits of the vehicle not what everybody else wants) Excellent cab heater in the form of a straight six lump, windscreen opens as well so one of the first vehicles with full air con.I can even sleep in the back on the diagonal and it does me bad back no end of good! As for head room see pic attached..........no problems Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 I think I'll continue to wave the flag from the driving seat of my Land Rover. Happily, that too is British and has plenty of character. Though not nearly as much, I freely admit, as a Morris Commercial... John. I'll take the Dodge anytime over a Series 3! If the SWB was based on the Jeep, just look under a LWB Land Rover and see where that comes from! I'd go for a Humber, much more refined Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_g_kearney Posted August 1, 2012 Author Share Posted August 1, 2012 As it happens, I have been looking on the Axis History Forum's 'Beute and Umbauwagen' thread at Morris Commercials captured by the Germans at Dunkirk and re-used variously by the Wehrmacht. On page 153 of the thread there is a group photograph including at least two Morris Commercials; on the back of the print is written: 'Brit Beutewg Morris sind viel besser als unsere'. (Captured British Morris vehicles are much better than ours.) Praise indeed... John. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 There were a number of captured vehicles in Jersey, later restored to British ownership. :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 In the past I have driven my Morris for distances of up to 100 miles at a time. I never had a problem with the seat comfort. It was more the very hard suspension, the heavy steering, the heat from the engine on hot days and a max 38mph cruising speed ........Still love it though. Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Owning any WW2 vehicle means , you allow time to get anywhere! See if you can run at a steady 40mph when your 68+ years old!. I normally allow 30 mph as my avaerage. The main thing is enjoy driving and owning them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_g_kearney Posted August 2, 2012 Author Share Posted August 2, 2012 Your Morris looks superb, Ron. No wonder you love it so. Your photograph, and that posted earlier by Tim, shows I think why the Germans might have thought better of the captured British vehicles than their own. The tyres are a generous width, and have a good cross-country pattern. In contrast, German vehicles appear under-tyred in comparison. I presume that this was due to the cost and difficulty of obtaining rubber even in peacetime; we got much of our supplies from the Empire, of course. John. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Rubber ended up in short supply for all sides, especially after the Japanese invasions of the Far East in 1941. The whole subject is a research project in itself. In 1938 the Britsh Army was the most mechanised in the world. As usual being first we made all the mistakes and others learnt from them. It is wrong to say that Germany suffred from the Bombing Campaign, during the end part of WW2 German production actually went up. The Doctrine of vehicles was diffrent in the Axis, concentrating on fighting vehicles, so the logistics were still based on rail and horse drawn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Kember Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Driving comfort fine, and now I've removed the wiper motor I can now see out of the windscreen ! Also in the event of a shunt it won't imprint on my forehead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcspool Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 It's worth remembering that the forces were quite selective of drivers for some vehicles by hieght, so if you are tall (or more amply proportionned ) it's more difficult (if not impossible) to drive some MVs. I agree, by WW2 standards CMP Cab 13 cab has *lots* of space. As a tall guy, I have problems fitting in many HMVs. Jeeps are fine, but I can't drive in first gear (M151's are perfect); GMC trucks ample room; Dodges are cramped; Humber Heavy Utility impossible; Dingo and Universal Carrier I can't drive - but I do fit in the T16. Sherman tank also no problem, even possible with the hatch closed but it's a squeeze. Drove a Scammell once at Beltring, surprisingly bad driving position for such a large vehicle! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brown cow Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Just started reading about Morris driving position. I had a WOT2 in the 1980.s with the same sports car seating and plenty of padding. The fun part was driving on a 40 degC with your feet about 2 inches from the engine in a semi enclosed box. My mate and I were travelling to a distant country rally on a day such as this and I ended up pulling the throttle knob out and sat on the back of the seat (not recommended for city driving!) The WOT2 had a great braking system with the hand brake connected to the foot rods. When you can't apply any more foot force (after being cut off by some idiot) just heave on the handbrake, it was about 2'6" long, like a power booster. The WOT2 was good for about 50mph on the open road. Morris' still look good though, especially that PU4! regards Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_g_kearney Posted August 3, 2012 Author Share Posted August 3, 2012 In the August issue of Classic Military Vehicle there is an article on Model T Fords. These had a what is today the conventional driving position. The subsequent generation of similar-sized military vehicles by various manufacturers had a manifestly much worse driving position, cramped and with the driver practically sitting on the floor. I think this must have been due to a desire to lower the profile of the vehicles in order to better suit them to military usage. Not sure what the excuse was though for the designer of Scammell Pioneer's driving position... John. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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