Myrtle Bad News

Happywanderer · The Master

Myrtle Bad News

bill12 · Guru

I,m very sad to hear about Myrtle.Perhaps you could pck up a good low klms second hand motor. Can you give me the engine model so Ican have a look around and if I find a suitable one, I will pm you. They are very common motor and we should be able to find one.Will keep in touch.

rockylizard · Guru

Gday...

...... WOW ..... I do feel the shock but was half expecting the diagnosis.

Now is the time to just have that good cry .... thump the table a few times .... learn a few cuss words and use them over and over for a while .... then sit down with a strong cuppa (or what ever takes your fancy) and let it all slowly seep in.

This is not the time to make any decisions.

The downside is that the bloke who 'fixed it up' originally so you could travel sure missed what are pretty obvious signs ... as this mechanic probably said .... and cost you a quid or two.

The upside is that when you can scrape together the where-withall to put in a long motor it will be good for another 250,000km of pretty much trouble-free motoring.

I assume the rest of Myrtle is in pretty good nick from what you have described over this adventure.

I hope you do not lose your focus on enjoying your life in the way you had hoped ... it is only a setback (and a bloody expensive one too I guess) - but it is now a starting point to achieve your original goal.

Wish there were more than words I could offer.

Cheers

John

Travel Bug · Guru

Oh Marj, I am so sorry.

I just logged in hoping to see your good news...or at least not so bad.

I don't know what to say...
except that, if I win Powerbal, I'll buy you a brand new van....

I'm sending you a great big cyber hug....

Take it easy mate. If you feel like venting, you know that you are with friends here.

Hugs. Pam.

lilly31 · Guru

Marj .sorry about Myrtle

Must seem like nothing will go right for you right now .. but chin up things will get better somehow

Not sure i would have keep it together till i got home .

I hope your numbers come up in Powerball you deserve to win ...

-- Edited by lilly31 on Wednesday 22nd of June 2011 01:55:21 PM

gubby · Guru

Sorry to hear that Marj, don't get upset, at least you know what the exact problem is now.

Bill I was thinking the same thing, in Geelong there was a business called 'The Motor Shed'.

They used to import container loads of engines from Japan, low km's and complete engines, I've just been trying to find them but they're not listed in the phone books anymore. I'll keep looking..

gordon_adl · Senior Member

So sorry to hear. I do wish you the best of luck in getting it all back together.

ChiChi1 · Guru

Hey, 50 or 60,000k's is a long way. Certainly will get you up north before you have to put in a new motor. Maybe by that time you will have saved up enough to put in a new motor. Or did I get that wrong?

So sorry Marj

Happywanderer · The Master

Thanks guys.
Bill, not much point in looking at the moment as I don't have the cash to do anything about it, but thanks anyway.
If and when, Geelong would be the place as I have family there. My older son who is very mechanically minded and seems to be talking again now that he's going through a bad patch himself, will know where to find anything I would need. He lives in Geelong.
Just have to find someone with the money, haha!

My thoughts at the moment is to just keep going the way I am with a good oil. Sam said she won't just stop suddenly in the middle of the road but will give warning signs when she is getting closer to needing replacing. Like suddely blowing out a hell of a lot of smoke.
She may struggle up the steeper hills with a full load he said, so stay away from them. I knew she was struggling on the hills but goes so well on the flats. So that lets out the Cunningham Gap!!
He said just check every mornig when travelling and top up when necessary.
Who ever said learn some cuss words. Don't worry I already know them, just don't have to use them much.
I am more upset at being taken in and being so gullible and where were my instincts. They weren't working over the last few months were they.

The irony of all this is my Myrtle sticker arrived in the post today, Putting it above the turtle. Might as well, she not going to get any faster.

Happywanderer · The Master

Chichi, thats what I'm thinking. A few trips up north, probably only 5 or 6,000 ks at a time depending how far I go. Its only about 1800 each way and a little bit of seeing the sites.
I really can't do anything else at the moment anyway.

May hop on the train in the next few days and go down to Geelong to see the family. Will take my mind off it for a while and then plan what to do.

Sheba · Guru

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So sorry Marj. Wish I still had some money left. Never mind, by the time we all get down there, you might have enough saved for the new Motor.

Guess what ? I finally got the Dragon Wagon Stickers on.

Cheers,

Sheba.

Travel Bug · Guru

Hey Marj,
Glad that your sense of humour hasn't deserted you....and the Myrtle sticker should look great! smile
Don't beat yourself up too much about your instincts not working.
Sometimes we can want something so badly and wait so long to get it that we make out of character decisions. It is all part of being human.
I think it's a great idea to go with the suggested oil....and as Chi Chi said.....50-60,000 kms is a long way.
We may all still manage to meet up for that "hen's party" (as Jon called it) yet. smile

Travel Bug · Guru

Sheba, your stickers look great!! smile

Happywanderer · The Master

Sheba, that sticker looks fantastic.

One thing Sam did say, I've just remembered. One of the spark plugs is completely different to the others. Thought it a bit strange and wasn't done in the work I had done.
Thinks might have been done when something was amiss. Way back.

kandagal · Guru

Just want to add my bet wishes to you. Hope tgis adversity has a happy ending some how. Glad to see you're still optomistic & positively thinking. Kind regards Alice

Pejay · Guru

kandagal wrote:
Just want to add my bet wishes to you. Hope tgis adversity has a happy ending some how. Glad to see you're still optomistic & positively thinking. Kind regards Alice

Marj,

Just want to add same, same as Alice from us in The Wood Shack.

Pete & June

PS Will have a slurp for you tonight - cheers!

Cruising Granny · Guru

Aw HW, sorry to hear the diagnosis, but we all sort of suspected it.
At least you know, and can work with it carefully, for the time being. It's like feeling crook and thinking the worst. The the Dr tells us what's wrong and we don't feel so crook.
If you treat Myrtle gently she'll give you a few good trips.
The offer from Bill is a good one. In fact if anyone knows of the whereabouts of a recon or low mileage Toyota Hi-Ace 4 cyl engine, you could advise Marj.
Is it petrol or diesel?
I put my Rosy in for a service and a couple of maintenance jobs and the injectors have to be replaced. By the time I've had everything done on her she'll be as good as a reconned one.
The engine is good, but it's tappets and injectors now. I depend on her, so I have to make sure she's up to the job. That's cars.
I can relate to the budget issue, and the pension is an existence which doesn't including "living". Good luck with that lotto ticket. It must surely be your turn for some good luck.

Ron and Shirley · Senior Member

HW

Can only echo the thoughts of others.

We had our fingers crossed hoping for a better outcome.

jules47 · The Happy Helper

Hey Marj - bad news, but at least now you know, and as you say, some trips within the limits would be fine - with the right oil. Coming down Cunninghams Gap is not a problem, and there are other ways to go back, once you are up here it can be worked out - even if i means going down the coast a bit, or inland more - talk soon.

Esmeralda · Guru

Hi Marj - like you I had hoped for a better outcome for Myrtle. You can still get a good few trips in if you follow the mechanics advice. Don't forget when you put your sticker on you must post a photo.
Helen

bill12 · Guru

I am prepared to donate $50 to the reserection of Myrtle if other GNs do the same. Come on you people- lets help a damsel in distress.As long as its put in by a competant mechanic. I would help, but I,m 2000 klms away.There must be someone with the knowledge close to HW.

-- Edited by bill12 on Wednesday 22nd of June 2011 05:10:54 PM

Esmeralda · Guru

Sheba - the sticker looks terrific!!!

jandas fun · Guru

Count me in ,bill.
I will never meet H.W if we can't get her back on the road.

Johnw

robell · Senior Member

bill12 wrote:
I,m very sad to hear about Myrtle.Perhaps you could pck up a good low klms second hand motor. Can you give me the engine model so Ican have a look around and if I find a suitable one, I will pm you. They are very common motor and we should be able to find one.Will keep in touch.

Hi HW, sorry to hear about Murtle,but i'm with Bill, I know of a couple of good reconditioned motors that would probably suit Murtle in my district, so if you can post the engine model we can check out what is available over this side.

Keep your chin up mate, cheers, Rob

PS, count me in to Bill

-- Edited by robell on Wednesday 22nd of June 2011 05:30:45 PM

Sheba · Guru

Glad you like the Sticker every-one.

Bill, I'll be in that. How are you going to organise it ? A Trust account ?

Cheers,

Sheba.

-- Edited by Sheba on Wednesday 22nd of June 2011 05:32:33 PM

Happywanderer · The Master

No, Please I wouldn't accept it. Don't even think of doing that.
I will find a way.

JRH · Guru

bill12 wrote:
I am prepared to donate $50 to the reserection of Myrtle if other GNs do the same. Come on you people- lets help a damsel in distress.As long as its put in by a competant mechanic. I would help, but I,m 2000 klms away.There must be someone with the knowledge close to HW.

-- Edited by bill12 on Wednesday 22nd of June 2011 05:10:54 PM

Count me in also Bill.

Marj please accept and a simple thankyou would be more than enough as payment.

John

Esmeralda · Guru

I'm in Bill

jonathan · Guru

Sheba .. absolutely great sticker .. !!

HW .. I's gonna get a lotto ticket tomorrow called MYRTLE .. gotta be a winner .. so you get half of it .. !!

Jon

jules47 · The Happy Helper

What an amazing bunch of people - such generosity - though if I was in Marj's position I would not be able to accept it either, so I understand her feelings, as I am sure you all do - just shows what a caring community we are.