MG MGB and MGB GT Tech Talk
We've only had our "B" since May and have yet to drive on the BIG highways... only state and secondary (paved) roads.... those huge tractor trailers and other preoccupied cell phone wielding drivers scare me.... so does anybody else feel this way? Or is it some type of phobia that I need to overcome?
I drive on I-20, I-26, I-77 regularly. We drove from SC to Lake Erie and had no problems. Big trucks worry me less that SUV's. Trucks drivers are usually proffessionals, SUV driver are usually on the phone.
Try it a short distance and see if it really that bad.
Steve
I usually grab the middle lane (if you have one), I gives me two escape options. It is really not much different from ant other small car. Keep your eyes open and make sure your horn works. We did not get the MG to drive turnpikes but we have done it when needed. I am on the pike one day a week commuting to a school and it is not any worse than being in the Sable.
To Watkins Glen and back - 970 miles, almost all of it on freeways!
As others have said, trucks are not so much a problem, it is SUV's that worry me!
I drive mine in LA everyday. Usually end up go 80 mph for at least some part of the drive. I have a loud Hella air horn and I scan (just like every good driver does, right?) I find that there are more "outs" with a smaller car.
BTW, it seems to me, that you're not supposed to drive without holding a cell phone in Lost Angeles...
Today, its just like riding a motorcycle.
Your best assets are having a bright paint job, a loud exhaust, lights on always, and a loud horn (that works).
Its a far cry from the good old days, when an LBC's chief worries were ponderous, lumbering trucks and the pointy bumpers of full-size sedans.
You have to be constantly alert for other drivers. Don't allow yourself to get in the 'blind spot' of another vehicle if at all possible for any sustained length of time, they might forget you are there. Try to keep as much seperation between your car and any following or preceding, that makes you more visible to cars overtaking and wanting to pull into your lane. You are probably better off keeping up with the traffic no matter what the average speed than running much slower or faster. So far it's worked for me in my Midget, which is even less visible than a B.
A good "rule of thumb" to remember, no matter what car you are driving, or what speed you are going, is to be three seconds behind the vehicle in front.
In fact, there is good reason for this - many studies have been done on "perception-reaction" time. This is the time taken for a person to perceive there is a problem and then to react to it. IF you are paying attention, your P-R time is typically about 1.6 seconds. Surprisingly, this number varies very little with age, fitness etc. If you are anticipating a SPECIFIC situation, the time is about 0.6s.
Remember that the 1.6s is if you are paying attention - so it is a good idea to double the number giving 3.2s - so three is near enough.
Also remember that if the guy in front of you stops suddenly - and you run into him, no matter why he stopped, it is ALWAYS your fault!
All of the above.... My first B was a '71, and I drove the bejeebers out of it. Most of that was highway miles - the Interstates in and around the SF Bay Area, plus a cross-country trip after which it was my daily driver in the Washington, DC area.
These days, I drive my '73 in the DC rush hour - I-66 and the Beltway. Even in crowds, the speed is usually in excess of 70 - 80. The main trick is to be sure you are paying attention. There are lots of other small cars out there (Miatas, Mini Coopers, VW's, etc.) - plus, as noted, motorcyclists - who have the same problem. Basically it's a state of mind.
Eric's comment about loud horns is a good observation, BTW. I have a set of salvage-yard Cadillac horns under the bonnet of my B and whenever another driver - almost always some jackass in an SUV - starts to do something stupid I blast them. It gets their attention, and sometimes they even pull back into their own lane.
One thing not mentioned: Your car is 36 years old. Make sure you trust it mechanically before putting it under highway stresses. (The car itself is over-engineered and tough - it's the intervening years and owners that you should be sure of....)
Enjoy. :thumbup:
R.
Having ridden motorcycles for close to 40 years (and a B for only 4), I think the same #1 rule for riding a motorcycle applies: Assume the other drivers don't see you! If you don't learn this on a motorcycle, you don't keep riding for 40 years.
I think visibility in the B is usually a little bit better than on a motorcycle, but I can see the rest of the traffic much better on the motorcycle, and if a bad situation develops, the possibility of getting out of the way is far better on the motorcycle. I'd say it's a toss up as to which is safer, but I do get a little bit wetter on the motorcycle when it rains. :)
200mph Wrote:
Maybe a motorcycle ride should be mandatory for all people getting a drivers license. I think it would give people a bit more appreciation for what active driving habits really should be.
BTW, this is another reason I'm thankful for riding and racing bicycles for 9 years. Not only am I fit, but I'm also very aware when operating any vehicle on public roads. It truly is a state of mind and I now do many things out of habit because of that experience.
Don,
When journeying for fun or time is not an issue, and then I prefer to take the back roads and the two lane highways. The scenery is normally better and there is far more shade when traveling the back roads.
Other times driving on the expressway in necessary. Like the other have mentioned, drive defensively and assume that nobody see you while you are driving. This is especially true on those occasions when I have the Midget on the highway. :)
-bcw
http://www.MG2008.com
It just takes getting used to and always knowing that you are pretty much invisible. I usually stay ahead of large groups of vehicles if I can unless in the Midget then I stay behind them. I find the Midget to be much worse on the freeway than riding my motorcycle.
As I get older I find myself trying to stay on secondary roads regardless of what I'm driving/riding. Not a fear thing, I've just become less aggressive and more mellow which those who know me say is a very good thing.
Hey.... thanks to all for the tips. Yes, I have to agree that it's always best to employee defensive driving techniques... no matter what vehicle your traveling in. In the short road/day trips that we've been on so far we've chosen to take the back roads for the opportunity to view the country side and see sites not always visible from the interstates. Although the semi traffic is nearly zilch there are other vehicles that you need to be aware of.... typically farm implements and local traffic. Another consideration is wildlife..... in Missouri the deer population has increased dramatically over the years and so have the number of vehicles that hit them.... I hit one with my full size Chevy truck.... (totaled it) ..... and I shutter at the thought of hitting one in the MG.
We are however looking forward to making longer trips in the future and I suspect that interstate travel will be necessary at some point. I'm confident that after traveling on them a few times we'll be more confident but I still feel that the "back" roads is where we will enjoy the trip the most.
Thanks again.... Don
DonW Wrote:
My boss is just back from Denver and until he showed me a photo of him standing next to one of your utility trucks (he stands about 6'5") and was being dwarfed by it did I realise the problems in this area that you guys face. Our SUVs are a lot smaller.
Russ
Put the peddle down and flip the overdrive switch. Oh, and a nice loud exhaust helps!
No different than driving my Miata. Keep a thumb on the horn button and stay out of other people's blind spots.
It's actually BETTER today than when I had my first B in the late 70's. Back then I was always getting run off the road. Usually by pickup trucks. Today, I would still rate the pickups as the least likely to look before swooping into your lane, and SUVs driving their cell phones run a close second. I do interstates all the time. Piece of cake.
Greg
I agree with all the above, particularly Jim Brown's and Eric's. I have been driving LBCs on some of the busiest freeways and roads (LA, Autobahn, interstates, etc) since the mid 60s and it is both a matter of being aware of what is going on around you, AND having that motorcyclist's mentality they mention. Those have contributed probably more than anything else to my still being here to bug you all today.
And I also agree with Rick's observation that the car must be capable of driving at higher speeds and providing both safety and reliability. Ya gotta have good brakes, a reliable engine, a good clutch, a good drive line, and running gear fore and aft that is in good solid condition. And yer darn lights, all of them, have to work properly if you expect to see your way at night or let those around you to know your intentions.
If you have to make an evasive maneuver, it is in your's and your passenger's best interest that your car makes it as you intended and you retain control. The MGB is very decent handling car if all the component systems and parts work as they should. But, like any car, degraded handling and components can sometimes end up putting you in more jeopardy than dodging some idiot or situation that comes up on you fast.
But mostly, you cannot assume that the other driver is responsible, so YOU have to be. It demands more of us, but isn't that what driving a sports car brings with it even in the best of situations?
I like the back roads but find sometimes you just have to take a freeway to get to them.
Ditto to all the above. Don't let the idiots who are on their cell phones in their oversized vehicles drive you off the public highways. You have just as much right to be there as them.
1. Changing lanes can be a challenge in a smaller car . . . especially if Mr. SUV is coming up fast in the next lane. So, wait till he passes, then slide over, and sure to use your turn signal before you do. It's strange, but most cars sold in California do not appear to have had turn signals installed.
2. I drive with my headlights on.
3. I don't hesitate to use my horn (extra loud model). An air horn or other loud horn of some kind is a good idea.
4. In deer country, try adding some deer whistles -- those plastic whistles that make an ultrasonic whistle as you drive. They can be glued onto the front bumper. My roadster has a pair since it's from Oregon originally. They're supposed to alert the deer as you approach them so they don't suddenly bolt across the road.
And, if you are confronted by a deer, I've been told you're best bet is to hit them head on. You will kill the deer and ruin your vehicle, but trying to swerve will most likely roll your car, saving the deer but possibly crippling you. I want the deer dead, not me, frankly. Now, for a person, I'd swerve if necessary.
I find most people are fairly considerate of smaller, older cars. It's the 20% of drivers who simply aren't paying attention that you have to worry about. And so many are in huge vehicles, they can do some serious damage, so don't challenge them, but get out of the way. It's all a mental game of calming yourself down and playing "Survivor," not "Winner". In "Survivor," you win if you get there in one piece and aren't frazzled by the drive.
For the angry SUV driver who's right on your rear bumper because he's late to work (because he overslept and is hung over), there's always that bumper sticker that reads "I'm not in your rush."
Aside from keeping your head on the proverbial swivel, the B's manueverability is a big plus on your side.
I actually feel more comfortable driving my B on the highway than our Jeep Grand Cherokee - I've got much better awareness of who is around me and where they are going. Really like being able to tell when a car is in the blind spot by sound. Also like being small - had to occupy half a lane a few times when someone tried to merge into me.
The only difficulty I've run into: braking. A modern car can stop faster than you can - I've locked up the tires before when someone did something stupid and stopped from 70 MPH.
When possible and reasonably safe, remember too that the roadway is only a convenience. I am not advocating barreling off into ditch and flipping your car, but if you can avoid an accident by leaving the roadway in a reasonably controlled manner, it is not a sin. I have had to do this a couple of times, and in both cases, I, my passenger(s), and my car came away with only minor damage (or none at all) while those who stubbornly stayed in the lanes got clobbered. In one case all I did was pull onto the shoulder while the guy ahead of me took a big hit from some jacked up Pickup.
In Wyoming we have rush minutes not rush hours!!! I can drive for 100 miles and see two dozen cars. Course if I drive that far I have to stop and check the oil!!!! lol....