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Old 7th February 2019, 01:18 PM
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Dezzy Dezzy is offline
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: N. Devon
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Quote:
Originally Posted by moltuae View Post
Soon after passing my test, around 17 or 18, I owned an Morris Ital ('facelift' Marina) which did that all the time, regardless of tyre condition. In fact it would do it in the dry too with anything more than a sedate driving style. Thinking back, it seems like I spent more time going sideways than I did going forwards in that car, but it certainly taught me to drive and how to control a skidding car. It was like learning to drive on a skid pan.

The main reason the Ital/Marina was so bad (apart from the utterly terrible build quality and front torsion bar suspension) was that it had a 'live axle', with rear wheel drive and leaf-spring suspension. As a result, when cornering on anything but the flattest of roads, rear tyre contact was very poor. I suspect the Morris Oxford had a similar rear setup.
The "live" axle just means it supplies power, as opposed to just being an axle. I imagine your diff had been welded i very much doubt it had LSD. But fun all the same. Also cross ply tyres will help get the ass end out but are / were quite dangerous but were fitted to a lot of cars of that era.

As most of you old guys learnt to drive when you had to light a fire 2 hours before you wanted to go anywhere, do you think that the drivers aids have helped to reduce the driver skills. ABS, TC, ESP, brake assist, bloody cutting fuel when you left foot brake.
Anyone that has learnt to drive in a car less than 30 years old probably hasn't locked up one wheel going straight on at a hedge at 20 not being able to stop
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