18,000 miles in a Morris 1100

Sir,

This is the first time I have written to a motoring journal, or indeed to any journal, but after completing 18,000 miles in a Morris 1100, my experiences might be interesting. As I travel over a very wide area west and south of a line from Portsmouth to Birmingham to Aberystwyth, you will see that I encounter all types and classes of terrain and roads. On top of this I drive, given the opportunity, with foot well down! In the 18,800 miles completed to date the car has drunk 540 gallons of B.P. Super Plus or Shell Super, an overall average of 34.8 m.p.g. She has been meticulously serviced every 3,000 miles, using B.P. Viscostatic plus Molyslip in the sump. In between services she has consumed 34 pints of said oil—about 550 m.p.pt. At about 10,000 miles the thirst for oil increased alarmingly due to a leaking oil pressure switch, but this was cured under guarantee with no further trouble.

Troubles encountered are few and far between: at about 1,800 the Morris was apparently run-in and as this was the beginning of February the engine water temp. would not rise above about 100°, which was cured by blanking off part of the grille. At 2,800 new thermostat was necessary in the wiper motor (didn’t know they had one!) At 7,500 a new Hardy Spicer drive shaft and timing gears were fitted under guarantee as they had both become noisy, and at 15,000 a crack developed in exhaust below manifold due to the exceptional stresses with a “sideways engine,” and this was replaced with a flexible section welded in (not guaranteed). Since then, no trouble at all.

I bear out everything that has been said about the exceptional handling of the 1100, and I have found that cars with conventional suspension go through alarming manoeuvres in their efforts to keep me in sight on average British roads! The suspension ensures that your average does not drop very much even over the snow-covered potholes met last “freeze-up.” Tyres have still plenty of tread despite my driving. A timed top speed of 83 m.p.h. was recorded at 16,000 miles, which seems to bear out the Molyslip claim, and I regularly cruise comfortably with 85 on the clock on the M 5 from Tewkesbury to Birmingham with no complaint from the engine.

As you will observe, I love the 1100, despite the fact that I have driven most contemporary makes, and will always have another, at least until something supersedes it, which is going to take a lot of doing.

Usual disclaimers with regard to the products mentioned. Thank you for your most entertaining and enlightening magazine, which is avidly read every month.

N.J.V. Cownie.
Bristol.