What is too slow then?

[Parky]

Chevette 1256cc with a tired engine. There was one hill locally which had to be taken In Second as it just didn't have the oomph to get up it otherwise. Every other car I ever owned could be left in top.

 

It was the victim of a friends rebuild. Loads of hours of work polishing and detailing and the crank had been reground nicely but he hadn't bothered with a hone or rebore or a decoke whilst it was stripped. Nor had he changed the rear crank seal so the new clutch got soaked in oil. I say new clutch, it had a new plate but he decided the original diaphragm and bearing were ok.

 

Took it all out to redo the clutch and oil seal. Gave it a decoke whilst it was on the bench which made a world of difference - it could now do the hill in third!

[RoadworkUK]

Back in the dim and distant past I had to drive a Vauxhall Combo for a well known supermarket chain from which Kerry Katona got her prawn ring.

 

It had a fridge unit in the back and a very beefy alternator, all connected to a normally aspirated (1.5, 1.7?) diesel. It couldn't actually keep up with its own shadow. I once committed to a rural overtake which I could probably have managed on a spacehopper, all was OK until I hit a 0.0003% incline and I had to abandon the manoeuvre sheepishly.

[Cavcraft]

I had a Polo 6n 1.9D in 2000. It was pretty decent on the motorway, and not too noisy. It also stood up pretty well to being T-Boned my a BFO Mercedes van.

 

But that fuckin stereo -bebopbebopbebop every time you switched off the ignition....

 

 

So that's what it is? Drive me fucking mental those things, I always used to try and get out of the car before it went off, and it was like a major 'man Vs machine' victory when I did.

It's happening in the 206, so now I know what it is, the stereo can get launched.

[Cavcraft]

One thing about slow cars though is they're tiring to drive. I've got all the economy I need in the 306, but it's hard to pilot on long motorway journeys as you're constantly planning moves in advance, knowing you haven't got the poke to overtake ad-hoc.

It's actually easier to drive it either at about 70mph (you've got about a 10mph leeway then) or flat out like a bastard, exploiting every gap in the traffic. Compare it to something with some poke (like the CLK320 I had) and you can see why people like having some power under their right foot.

[dollywobbler]

One thing about slow cars though is they're tiring to drive. I've got all the economy I need in the 306, but it's hard to pilot on long motorway journeys as you're constantly planning moves in advance, knowing you haven't got the poke to overtake ad-hoc.

It's actually easier to drive it either at about 70mph (you've got about a 10mph leeway then) or flat out like a bastard, exploiting every gap in the traffic. Compare it to something with some poke (like the CLK320 I had) and you can see why people like having some power under their right foot.

 

This is definitely true. Driving a slow car long distance is more of a battle. Overtaking in the 2CV requires superhuman levels of concentration and a similar level of bravery. Trying to spot gaps on the motorway requires massive levels of preparation, or you find yourself having to slow down to the same speed as the truck you're trying to overtake, with valuable momentum lost. Mind you, driving a 2CV was good preparation for driving long distance in an electric car. Exactly the same momentum-conservation tips were employed. Main difference is that the EV still had a good burst of poke if I needed it to slot into a gap. I still can't imagine life without a 2CV though, no matter how slow they can sometimes be.

[mouseflakes]

My Saxo 1.5D is slow on paper, but you can bowl along quite happily if you just avoid using the brakes.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

This is definitely true. Driving a slow car long distance is more of a battle. Overtaking in the 2CV requires superhuman levels of concentration and a similar level of bravery. Trying to spot gaps on the motorway requires massive levels of preparation, or you find yourself having to slow down to the same speed as the truck you're trying to overtake, with valuable momentum lost. Mind you, driving a 2CV was good preparation for driving long distance in an electric car. Exactly the same momentum-conservation tips were employed. Main difference is that the EV still had a good burst of poke if I needed it to slot into a gap. I still can't imagine life without a 2CV though, no matter how slow they can sometimes be.

This reminds me of a Car Giant Test of a Robin,2CV and I think an Estelle. They took them to Wales and apparently on the M4 used the slipstream from National Express coaches to improve the top speed. This would have been in the days before speed limiters on coaches and when they were allowed in the fast lane, it wasn't unusual to see coaches doing 90 on downhill sections of motorway.

[I_am_Diesel]

It doesn't matter what you drive, at some point you will end up stuck behind a supermarket delivery lorry doing 40mph with little or no chance of overtaking. Well that's what happens in East Anglia anyway.

[Angrydicky]

None of my cars are 'too slow', although something I would say is if you head out on the motorway, try and do it in a car that can hold at least 56mph. That way you aren't getting constantly overtaken by trucks and winding up the people behind you (and Pete-M) by causing more glacial HGV overtakes.

 

I've driven an Austin Seven at 35mph. That was rather terrifying. 

[dugong]

I tried to drive a Model T once. You want terror? Try one of those.

[Pete-M]

When I brought the Mk2 Escort to the UK it was the first time for a long time that I'd driven something low powered other than the occasional old Transit van. On the autobahn the Escort was out of its depth, partially through being off tune, partially because it only had 75 bhp to start with. It would cruise at 75 mph (deafeningly) on the level but on long uphill sections speed could drop to 45-50 mph. This meant that trucks would pass (rightfully) up the uphill sections but on the level or downhill bits overtaking the trucks was necessary to get back up to 75.

 

On a two lane derestricted autobahn it's not much fun knowing that the second you start to overtake someone is likely to appear behind you going 50 mph above your top speed and there's bugger all you can do about it other than plan,time and signal your overtaking very carefully.

 

Having said that, it was my fault for driving an underpowered car on the autobahn. Herman the German in his Audi doing 130 mph is in the right, going quickly is what motorways are for. Driving something that can't keep up with the trucks uphill on a motorway is foolish at best. Use A roads instead.

 

Once the Escort was set up properly it would happily go up hills at 65-70 but you live and learn.

[Pillock]

Aye, I'd say "too slow" is not being able to keep up with motorway traffic - assuming you want to take it on the motorway. 

I had a 1600 1303S Beetle when I first started driving, that was fine - cruise at 70mph all day, would do 85mph if you needed to overtake.

My ex had a 1303 with a 1500 engine, but retaining the lower gearing of the 1303 box that was suited to the 1300 engine. At 55mph it was deafening and you certainly didn't want to go any faster, even though the engine wanted to, so the rear view mirror was usually full of Scania and you became part of the snail-racing problem.

 

If you have a 35mph Austin 7 or whatever, just know your limits. Too slow for motorway, but there are plenty of other roads to use. Enjoy those rather than thinking the M1 is the only way to get north to south.

[Cavcraft]

Actually, driving the ex-PBK FX4 back from that there London was quite an experience. It was a juggle between overtaking and not pissing lorry drivers off, but it was actually quite pleasant just pootling back in no particular hurry.

[oman5]

I had a Morris minor, weirdly it didn't actually feel that slow to drive. Motorways were a bit of a chore as 70 is just that bit too much to sustain comfortably but on the A roads it would keep up with everything else no bother. It seemed to punch above it's weight.

[CortinaDave]

I had a Sierra base 1.3 on a B plate years ago. THAT was dangerously slow. 45 flat out on even the mildest incline

[Keymaster]

My Talbot camper is blessed with a 2.0 petrol with 75 asthmatic horses to pull about 3 tonnes.

 

Its actually ok in town and on A-roads but can be hard work on motorways. Once up to speed it will cruise at 70 in 5th on the flat but hit a hill or a headwind and it will lose momentum worryingly quickly and then struggle to hold 50 - if I drop a cog on the hill its already too late. It also drinks more fuel than I want to think about when driven like that!!

 

Like others have said its all about reading the road. In the camper I tend to stick with the HGVs at around 55-60 and drop to 4th when approaching a long hill to maintain that speed.

 

At the grand old age of 34 I think I am from the last generation of drivers who often started out with small slightly underpowered cars, so had to learn defensive driving & how to adapt driving style to a vehicle. My mrs passed her test 8 years after I did & by then first cars had moved on a bit... First time out in the Talbot she found herself doing 35 on the M6 as she assumed flooring it in 5th would be enough to deal with a steep hill. I'm proud to say she says the Talbot has taught her how to drive defensively.

 

In my view its just as often the driver that can be blamed for being dangerously slow as it is the vehicle itself.

[jonathan_dyane]

My daily driver used to be a 2cv4. It wasn't fast but seemed it after driving my fathers Merc 307D. He now drives a 306D caravette and has taken it all round the continent. He always says that the nice thing about it is there's always a clear road in front of you!

[jonny69]

My Ford Pop was the only vehicle I've had that I thought was too slow for the motorway. In standard trim it would do 60 but 55 was more realistic and it would drop down way below that quite quickly on an incline. I think the main problem was the long sliproads where you'd be doing 50, traffic passing you at 80-90 on both sides and people's just utterly spectacular misjudgements of their closing speeds. See, 50 isn't really a problem on our motorways if people are doing 70, but people don't. You only have to take a drive for yourself out in the traffic flow to see that 80-90 is more the norm.

[Cavcraft]

Actually, I've just remembered a dangerous one;

 

Iveco Cargo 75E14, the hopeless four cylinder bag of wank. Try driving one, even empty they're appalling, but when your gross weight is anything over about 6200kgs they are dangerous. There's not enough poke to maintain safe speeds climbing hills, overtaking or emergency manoeuvres are between impossible and frightening and they just impossible to live with.

[Mr Livered]

I occasionally drive the Mazda dizzler thing that is mainly for the missus.

 

If I have been driving the Minx or the Campershite it seems jolly nippy, but if I have been driving a Saab it seems slow as fuck. Obvious innit... the sports cars of thirty years ago weren't quick by "modern" standards but people considered them to be so because they were faster than whatever else was available

[Bamboocarman]

''Some folk are so insular they have no idea - and my 306 was dog-slow anyway.'' Dugong.

 

You're absolutely right; I gave up trying to help people see the other points of view on such matters a couple of years ago, and am now much more relaxed (!).

[Ghosty]

It doesn't matter what you drive, at some point you will end up stuck behind a supermarket delivery lorry doing 40mph with little or no chance of overtaking. Well that's what happens in East Anglia anyway.

Also true of the A1: full of cretinous truck drivers that try to overtake each other, thus blocking both lanes, jamming the whole road up.

[DVee8]

My Daimler V8 can show a modern a clean pair of exhaust pipes.You do get some drivers that think i must get in front of that slow old car as it will slow me down.

[oman5]

I hate driving my truck on the A1, every time I want to pull out to get past another wagon, the overtaking lane is blocked up with cars

[Rocket88]

other people's perceptions of someone in a "slow" car are always interesting. Used to have a "sit up and beg" ford pop, which looked pretty "standard", but had a Buick 454 under the bonnet....................I must admit to some fairly childish behaviour when driving it.........................

[Cavcraft]

Morris Minors are brilliant in traffic, a motorway journey would probably grate after a while, but round town and local-ish commuting they're great fun.

[Lord Sterling]

Too-slow is all down to the actual driver themselves and what they've experienced. If you've spent all of your time, or at least the last few years driving high-powered/turbo-charged cars, your expectations will be very high.

 

Cars these days (here we go again, me sounding like an old bloke) seemed to be highly pressured pocket rockets, they are built, specced and powered for the modern generation of motorists and of course customer base as per country, which is why some parts of the world get truly base-spec cars with truly glacial powered things with 4-speed boxes, steelies and Grey bumpers, our "base-spec" cars might still come with a turbo-charged unit, alloys and body coloured bumpers. Also in England, we seem to have a bias for "sports" specced vehicles; big wheels and turbo engines seem to be a recurring theme for the modern motorist out there.

 

This is where expectations get high because the bar has already been set too high. Many motorists these days will not drive anything older than 2010 because they are scared of "old" technology and it might break down and what have you. The reality is, they don't want to feel embarrassed by driving anything they consider old because they might be seen driving it (as if they actually think the paparazzi are interested in them).

 

Of course this attitude also drives those in thier blingy new cars to treat others in what they see as older/slower cars with utter contempt, as if we are peasants in "thier" way.

 

I've suddenly got bored of writing this and become distracted.... I might edit it in a bit.