OCD does not go hand in hand with an old car.

Myrtle is kind of drivable now, by that I mean the semi auto-clutch is taking some getting used to, it is a little bit fickle. At times, I think it is either engaged or not engaged depending on how you look at it, by that I mean if I did have a proper right leg I would press my foot down to engage the clutch and release it to disengage and therefore be able to drive off. Oh! and her brakes have given me a few scares as she keeps loosing her pedal. Ern (my dad) thinks they may require bleeding again, after we fitted a new brake master cylinder.

I have come to realise that owning an old car and having somewhat of my own quirks, as in a spot of OCD that it can be quite stressful. Not everything is going to be perfect, and I am going to have to learn to live with Myrtles little idiosyncrasies.

I love wee Myrtle, so I am  trying really hard to reign in my anxiety and compulsion to get every little thing working and every single measurement, blemish, rattle or squeak sorted. Mind you that rattle on the passenger side door is bugging the hell out of me so I will have to have a look behind her makeshift door card.

So this morning's idea was to get up and give Myrtle a wash and a polish, then take her out for a little spin. I just wanted to practice getting used to her clutch and the gear change and kept my fingers crossed that her brakes would work somewhat when I needed them.

 

We didn't go far, just along to Craghead, turning up towards Wagtail Lane, or the lonely road as we used to call it when we were kids.

It was another beautiful morning, so I wound Myrtle's window down, yes wound it down, there's a novelty no leccy windows in the old girl. I tried adjusting her little wing mirrors I can just about see out of the drivers if I bob me heed about, but the passenger side is a lot more difficult to see out of. 

I made a short video today and got some pictures, then decided to drive up to Stanley, parked up at Asda, drew some money from the speed bank and went and got my hair cut over at the barbers. Upon coming back I was sure Myrtle was leaning over again... I had to reign in my OCD and drove home to publish me stuff and write this blog.

Myrtle 1965 VW Beetle

It takes some getting used to driving an old car I mean Myrtle is only a 1200cc, she will probably do 60 mph at a push, but she is quite content to amble around at about 40 to 50 mph, much to the annoyance of a lot of drivers. There really are some pretty unhappy and not very nice people out there. Not today as there wasn't much traffic locally, but whilst I have been going backwards and forwards in Myrtle I have received angry beeps, people undertaking me, and people overtaking me, which is a given, I just wish they wouldn't do it in dangerous places. There are some all together raggie drivers. One wifey was about 6 feet off my bumper the other week and not a happy bunny at all. She beeped at me and got a beep back, as Myrtle's horn now works Lol

Of course, it hasn't been all bad I have had a bus driver in his double-decker bus wave at me with a huge smile on his face, a couple of classic Mini drivers wave and a few people rubber neck as I go by with smiles on their faces.

I guess you either love or hate these Wee cars, for me Myrtle just makes me smile. She is heavy on the steering with a huge yet thin steering wheel, her brakes like I say are nowhere near a modern cars, she is noisy and rattly, to be fair no proper carpets or sound deadening down, and her door cards are not trimmed so rattling. She doesn't have a heater, or a radio and I definitely need her seats sorting as I can feel the old springs and something sticking in my back, but like I say I love her.

I'm also used to driving an automatic, my little Smart car Tango, which although is an auto, has a notorious horrible gearbox and, my new 12Up Beetle GSR which has a lovely Dsg box. So getting used to a manual 4 speed, yet relying on a sensor to dip the clutch is a bit daunting.

Myrtle 65

Cars have come such a long way, my cousin came to see me the other week with his brand-new Volvo, a lovely looking motor, however when he got on about all the safety features and the bells and whistles I just though Wow! I am surprised you now don't have to take a separate functional part to your driving test. I know it is not in the too far future of self drive cars, but hey where is the fun in that. Also looking at electric cars, yes the future, but Omg! There soundtrack is so boring as they whirrr! Along. I guess I am still old school.