What no doughnut!

[Method7]

Well summer is upon us and like most, we are out and about parking in fields and enjoying ourselves. Well we were rather late leaving this particular event and the huge field was more or less empty. Anyway don’t bother - the nanny systems render the vehicle completely joyless! The only noticeable thing I could achieve was a modicum of under steer - and I’m sure that was allowed by MB as a slap in the face.

The moral (sp?) of the story? Do not mix recreation and recreational!

 

[Steve B]

Unlike British Leyland who built scary systems into their cars; my 1986 MG Metro (and all other Metros) eventually had a recall for a faulty fuel filler gasket, if you brimmed the tank and went around a tight left handed bend the petrol would run under the offside rear wheel and sent you spinning!! It happened to me twice in busy traffic, not something I enjoyed though

 

[Method7]

I had a slightly later metro 1.0 city... Absolutely hateful tin box of a car, with several washing machines welded in the footwell and pillows shoved in the rear wheel arches as sound proofing... that old car would drive flat out at 80 - tyres 50psi from Cornwall to Ipswitch for hour on end it would't miss a beat, the only issue being a good amount of engine oil would end up on the rear window, the rear of the white car would be black when we arrived... .

The MP is incredibly stable due to all these systems, its reassuring to climb in with the family on board but It hasn't yet filled our hears like the crappy metro or our previous W638 Vito... the reliability and dare I say it blandness isn't doing it any favours, its those odd out of the ordinary moments that seem to bond us with vehicles..

5 years in and we had some understeer in a field... We've been on some great trips, had awesome times but the van rarely features - it demands nothing from us..

 

[Steve B]

I sold my metro after a year, really didn't like it!

 

[Epigram]

You are both right about modern vehicles being incredebly bland. The fun has been designed out.
I learned how cars handled on Morris Minors and Austin A30/5s with cross ply tyres with minimal tread because I couldn’t afford replacements.
The joys of heading into roundabouts flat out in the rain and keeping the rear end nicely balanced, all at the ”safe” legal speed of less than 30 mph!
A snow covered car park might provide an opportunity but at the first sign of snow my MP will be tucked up in bed!

 

[Steve B]

I missed cross ply tyres, but remember my dads vauxhall vivas all having them. Luckily the 1256 cc engine didn't get it up to any serious speeds so I suppose the danger was reduced.