Good Driving - good driving
07/16/2015
"Always downshift early when you're going uphill. It's bad to make the engine work too hard on a hill and downshift so late that the next-lowest gear is already too long again.
You should always take your left foot off the clutch pedal if you do not want to use it. This reduces wear on the clutch.
It is advisable to select a lower gear when descending steeply in order to utilize the braking effect of the engine. Even when braking, do not disengage the clutch as long as you are traveling faster than 10 km/h.
Always apply the brakes carefully and progressively. Harsh braking puts a strain on the car and can damage the tires, cause skidding and can be dangerous. A cautious driver anticipates the need to decelerate and brakes early and carefully .
Never engage reverse gear when the car is moving forward and never select forward gear while the car is still moving backwards. Always bring the car to a complete stop before shifting into reverse. Do not roll along with the clutch depressed."
Yes, that's what it said in the MG operating manual published for the Midget TD 1950 (in English).
We have digitized the entire manual andput it online . And it is not only of interest to MG drivers and owners, but is also an exciting contemporary document that shows the skills that car manufacturers expected from drivers and owners at the time. Among other things, it also explains how to replace the tire and the tube on the wheel ...
And we also documented our driving experiences with the MG TD .
For the sake of completeness, here is the original English text of the section translated above:
"Always change down early when encountering a gradient. It is bad practice to allow an engine to labour on a hill, and the engine is unable to pick up on the lower gear if changing is left too late. Always take your foot off the clutch pedal when you are not actually operating it. This saves clutch wear.
It is advisable to engage a lower gear when descending a steep hill, and leave the clutch engaged to obtain the advantage of the braking action of the engine. When braking, leave the clutch in engagement till a speed of approximately 6 m.p.h. (10 k.p.h.) has been reached.
Always apply the brakes gently and progressively. Violent braking throws unnecessary strain on the car and tires, causes skidding and is dangerous. A careful driver anticipates the need of braking.
Never engage reverse gear when the car is moving forward or a forward gear when the car is moving backwards. Always bring the car to a standstill before engaging a gear which will reverse the direction of movement of the car. Do not coast with the clutch pedal depressed."
