Misbehaving Myrtle

Myrtle is still misbehaving! She starts first time and is quite happy to plod along for a good few hours, then will mysteriously start coughing and spluttering, lose all power and eventually cut out. If I then leave her for say 30 seconds, she will restart and drive along as if nothing was the matter for a few more miles, then do it all over again.

I thought my dear old dad "The Ern" may have sorted her out the other day, but apparently not. Ern bought a laser rpm gadget and he re-timed Myrtle and adjusted her carb, thinking this may be what was causing her issue.

Myrtle 65 St Mary's

Well, when John and I decided to head out for an adventure as we were both off work today. We drove towards Gateshead/Newcastle, planning to head to Whitley Bay. I am now expecting a ticket for driving into and through a bus lane. I mean, what the F#@K which muppet decided to change the whole road layout on the approach to the Swing and Tyne Bridge. You are right on top of the bloody thing before you know it, and there are so many sign posts, traffic lights and road markings. Now that I am home and thinking about it, I still don't have a clue how the hell you are supposed to get onto the Tyne Bridge. I think it is just a ploy to get as much revenue in as possible, as when I panicked and checked my rearview mirror, there were about another five cars behind me doing the same thing. I mean was I even in a bus lane, it definitely said so and there were these big camera warning signs, but that wasn't until I was actually in the lane and by that time already potentially nabbed.

Anyhoo...

Myrtle was super well-behaved right up to Whitley Bay. We parked up at St Mary's Lighthouse to go for a little stroll and whilst there, had a chat with a few people, including a very friendly couple who had a Morris Minor 1000.

Moggy 1000

Checking out the Old Morris Minor

St Marys

It was a lot hotter than it looked in the picture

 

As we came to leave, Myrtle just did not want to start and was making some weird noises from her engine. At first, I thought the new fangled Cooler Box I had just bought the day before from Halford's had maybe flattened her battery. My dad had wired the cigarette socket in with a separate switch and I had made sure I turned the Cooler off as I left the car just in case it did drain her battery. Anyhoo Myrtle eventually decided to start and again drove perfectly, with no issues.

Handy Cooler box fits in behind the back seat

John and I didn't really have a plan of where we were going, heading up towards Blyth. I then suggested we go to Amble and John whipped out his phone to see how far away it was. For some reason we totally missed Amble I think we drove through it. Our aim was to find a nice bit of beach, so we continued up to Alnmouth.

We had a few tunes in the car today as we drove with the windows down as it was so warm. Ooh and I actually got to try out Myrtle's windscreen wipers today as it started to spit on to rain, they work and actually park, man it's the little things that make you smile.

A few tunes from my wee case

At Alnmouth I was able to park for free, the benefits of having a leg off. It was chocka block, so we had to wait awhile to nab a prime spot. I wanted somewhere I could get a few pics of Myrtle.

John happy, we found a canny spot

  A lovely day, good company a few tunes and a bit bait

       

Beach Combing for an appropriate pebble

Me

Myrtle 65

Myrtle 65

 

It was red-hot sitting on the bankside right next to the beach. We took my vintage boom box out of Myrtle and sat and listened to some music whilst we ate our sandwiches and snacks, the Cooler box has been a good buy the pop was lovely and chilled, as were my yoghurts I had brought along.

I had a bit of a beach comb looking for a pebble for John and presented him with a small one just big enough to keep in his pocket. I told him all about the gratitude stone I keep in my pocket and how it helps me to be grateful and put things in to perspective.

a wee gratitude pebble

After a while we packed up and drove out of the car park, Myrtle didn't half catch the speed humps on the way out, weird as she was okay coming in.

  

Warkworth Castle on the way there

Driving past the castle on the way back

After a little bit more Googling, John being my navigator, we found the A1 South. Myrtle was cruising along nicely at between 40 and 50 mph. Then, as we went to climb up an incline, she decided to try and do her dying swan act. "Oh no, not here Myrtle, come on just a little bit further please". Fortunately, we had just passed a sign for Parking and a lay-by, so I pulled in. Myrtle proceeded to cut out. I waited about a minute and turned her key, where she proceeded to burst into life and was fine. We managed to get all the way along the A1 turning off for Consett and Myrtle was fine until we hit Rowlands Gill bank where I had to pull in again. Actually we had stopped in Rowlands Gill just before that as my memory serves as the bloody speed hump had attacked Myrtle's front number plate. John had to get out and pull the remaining hanger off as it was dragging along the road.

The main thing is Myrtle eventually got us home. Once home, I was telling Ern about our trip, and he immediately went and had a look at Myrtle. There was a little bit of oil lying in her engine bay, we think it has come from the oil switch, so I am going to order a new one. My dad has also pulled out her back seats and unbolted the inspection cover to look at Myrtle's electric fuel pump. I personally think this maybe the culprit, because I just feels as if Myrtle is loosing fuel when pulling hard, like on the motorway or when going up a hill. So we are investigating getting a new fuel pump, regulator and bracket to try and reposition the fuel pump and also put hardlines in, as Ern doesn't like the idea of a rubber line being so close to the engine where it gets hot.

We have also had Myrtles passenger side rear wheel and brake drum off to check her brake shoes. We were just about to do the drivers side when it started raining, maybe we will get it checked out tomorrow or Saturday. When I reverse in Myrtle, there is a sound coming from somewhere. I thought she may have been picking up a brake shoe, but the passenger side looks ok.

Ahh! the joys of owning an old quirky car, huh? My pulling on Myrtle's rear wing to no avail has now resulted in a crack in her paint work, so I guess that is an excuse to have her re-painted sometime in the future...