312 TROUBLE FREE **??!!! MILES IN ONE DAY ON THE PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY RUN SEPTEMBER 2nd 2012
This event is organised by Jeff & Sian Edwards and it is to promote Pembrokeshire and also help both the British Heart Foundation and the Intensive Care Unit at Withybush General Hospital and ALL proceeds of the £1 programme goes to these organisations.
It is sponsored by the Western Telegraph who supply rally boards to each entrant and a completion certificate at the end of the run.
This year the Cleddau Bridge was included on the 92 mile route circumnavigating around the county, thus making the Pembrokeshire County Run 2012, well and truly a COUNTY Run!
I have taken part in this event for the last seven years and it has always been a day of fun and sunshine with some fantastic cars. The start line used to be from the County Council car park in Haverfordwest and would finish in the large car park in Tenby which for the day was reserved for the run entrants only. Over the years the run has grown in popularity and for the last few years the start line had to be moved to the Pembrokeshire County Showground with the run also finishing there.
Last year there were over 600 cars entered, however, numbers were down to about the 500 mark this year possibly due to the weather. Cars of all descriptions take part from 1920’s Bentley’s to more modern “classics” (new style Fiat 500’s a classic ? ) and the people of Pembrokeshire stand out in their front gardens, outside pubs and take many different vantage points along the route to encourage and support the entrants, it really is a great day out.
I left my house in Cardiff to start the 100 odd mile journey to the Pembrokeshire show ground, I had filled the petrol tank of my TR4A to the brim about 3 days before so I knew that I would only have to make one fuel stop. On my own as my son Jack did not want to come ( I had contacted a few of the area members to see if they wanted a ride, but it was a bit too short notice ) I made my way down the M4 on the first leg of the journey which was to the first rendezvous point at the McDonalds on Junction 35. The weather was not good, all misty rain and damp but the TR performed without a fault. As I pulled into the car park there was Rob & Pete, fellow S.Wales area members waiting in their Vitesse, we had a chat about how it was a shame that the Tall Ships visit to Barry had coincided with the run as our friend and fellow area member had contacted us a few days earlier to tell us about the Tall Ships event and that he could try to get us an invite if we were free, but we had booked twelve months in advance for the road run and everything had been arranged in advance, sorry Mikey J, but we really appreciated the offer and hope that you didn’t feel let down. We then waited to see if anyone else turned up before we left at the pre arranged time of 6:45am.
After about 5 miles still driving in the wet and misty conditions I thought I felt the engine stutter “no I said trying to convince myself, it’s just road imperfections making it feel that way”. Anyway the stutter turned out to be a misfire with got progressively worse and although we still managed to pass two MGB GT’s I was glad to make it to the second rendezvous ( 35 miles from the first ) at Pont Abraham Services at the end of the M4.
I pulled into a parking space and the TR’s engine cut out and would not start.
With Rob and Pete giving moral support ( which those of you who have had motoring troubles will know is invaluable at these times ) first I took the distributor cap off and checked all was well, with its red high quality rotor arm still only a week old and the cap looking like it was still brand new I removed number 4 spark plug. Rob turned the engine over while Pete & I watched for a spark, there was none. So, I thought, it’s either the electronic ignition or the coil, I had a spare brand new coil in my toolbox and quickly changed it for the old (about 10 months old ) coil and Rob turned the engine over, not only was there a strong spark, but the engine fired and ran on 3 cylinders. Rob turned the engine off, I replaced the spark plug and we tried again, the engine fired first time and revved up cleanly. All sorted we thought, great we’ll get a coffee and leave for the next 40 mile leg of the trip to the rendezvous at Penblewin Truck stop on the A40 where Mark Davies and Paul “Johnny Breakfast” Price were to meet us.
Mark lives in Pembokeshire and PJBP and his daughter Arianne had taken the opportunity to stay in a B&B in Tenby for a father/daughter weekend. By now we were running about 15 minutes late, but at least it gave some extra time for anyone else who may have decided to come to arrive, however, no one did. We jumped into our cars and I turned the key, the engine would not start. Out of the car, up with the bonnet, out with spark plug number 3, Rob turned the engine over and no spark. Thinking my day was over I told Rob & Pete to go on ahead as it was unfair that their day would be ruined. “No chance” was the reply “we’re staying with you buddy” ( a couple of diamonds ! ). Right then, it had to be the electronic ignition, I had the points and condenser to put it back to standard, but my limited experience of optronic electronic ignition is that they either work or don’t so I thought I’d try the original coil again, after all I have heard and experienced so many instances of poor quality new components. I fitted the coil and Rob turned the engine over, there was a strong spark and once again the engine started on 3 cylinders. Rob turned the engine off and I replaced the plug and gave all components a good spray with WD40. While I was doing this Rob phoned Mark to try to catch him before he left his house to see if he had a 12 volt coil he could bring to the next rendezvous ( if I could make it ). Rob reported back that Mark would have one there waiting for us ( I found out later that Mark had actually been waiting for us at Penblewin when he received the call and had gone back home for it, when I thanked him his reply was “and how many times have you helped me out I’m glad that I had the chance to do this one small thing for you”, well thanks mate, it won’t be forgotten ) so we got back into our cars and with fingers crossed I turned the key, the TR started.
Now 30 minutes late we pulled out onto the A40 and started the next 40 mile leg of the journey to Penblewin . The TR ran fine for the first 5 miles then the misfire returned again with a vengeance, with the car cutting out completely as the revs dropped on the approach to the various roundabouts and traffic lights I had to coast and bump start the car, it was getting far worse and if through the mist and rain I hadn’t had a vision of a 12 volt coil shining through the clouds like Monty Python’s Holy Grail I would have given up there and then. I coasted into Penblewin Truck stop and Mark and I were like an Olympic relay team with the coil as a baton. I fitted the “old but known to be good” coil and removed spark plug number 2 ( I alternate the plug removal and check in the hope that there is no spark at that plug and the engine fires, this would tell me that there was a problem with that plug or lead). Rob turned the engine over and once more it started on 3 cylinders. He turned the engine off and I refitted the plug, started the engine and we made our way to Pembrokeshire County Showground, Mark leading in his Frogeye ( he has a Vitesse estate which he is restoring ), me following in my TR and Rob and Pete at the rear.
The TR went well for the first few miles, then that bloody misfire returned! Not as bad as it had been, but it wasn’t going to get any better, but at least it got me to the Show Ground without cutting out at the junctions, so there had been an improvement. With all sorts going through my mind I knew that I would have about ½ an hour to try to get the problem sorted out at the start line while people were registering at the check in point. Everything was pointing towards a coil issue and although when you are home in your garage or on your drive without a deadline to make, a problem like this can be overcome by the process of elimination, when you are over 100 miles from home, in a row of cars waiting for the off and with limited tools in the rain things are a lot different. Trying to think rationally and with the other boys taking my entry number along with theirs to check in and collect our rally boards I found myself thinking that there is a difference every time I remove and replace a coil, could it be something as simple as a connection ( which were both firm ) as I really didn’t believe that 4 spark plugs that had only covered about 2000 miles would break down simultaneously and the cobalt leads had been on the car for about the same time.
As I would not be able to drive the car until the rally started I had to cover all options and as I did not have the time to re fit the points set up I replaced all the spark plugs with the new set I had in my toolbox and cut the connection ( as far as I know the original 44 year old one )of the low tension lead to the coil replacing it with a crimp on one. The old connector looked to be solid, but with my final straw of the soldered joint having become a “dry joint” firmly clutched I had done all that I could at that moment. The electronic ignition connection to the coil is relatively new so I left that one alone. The TR started first time, just as it had a few times earlier in the day, but had the problem been corrected? Only time would tell.
I then noticed that I had received a txt message from Paul “Johnny Breakfast” Price to say that he was running late and would not be able to meet us at Penblewin, so he would seek us out at the start line. I made a quick call to him and told him roughly where we were in the start line, and he came over with his daughter, shortly after Rob, Pete and Mark came back with our rally boards and we had a quick cup of tea as the lines of cars were being marshalled out, we made arrangements to meet up with PJBP at a lay by that we have used many times before on this run for an early lunch ( if the TR made it that far ).
With 106 miles on the trip meter and 81 miles of those having been a nightmare I sat in my TR waiting for the line of cars that we were in to be directed out of the show ground, with Western Telegraph photographers ready to record any TR related embarrassing breakdowns as we left! I started the engine with no problems, we were marshalled out of the Show Ground and I could not tell if all was well as the ground was very rough and we were only going at walking pace. We left the showground and headed towards the surfing beach of Newgale, the TR running perfectly, but I was not going to start celebrating even cautiously until we had covered 10 miles. With the 10 mile mark passed and my confidence growing we passed through Newgale and onto Solva, being waved at along the way, through Solva and on to St David’s where Rob & Pete made a few unscheduled stops to pick up flags that had fallen from cars that went before us! After St David’s we took the road to Fishguard and a few miles afterwards we pulled into the designated lay by to wait for PJBP in his 1500 Spitfire with his daughter Arianne. They pulled in about 5 minutes later and we had a good packed lunch in the now dry ( but still rain threatening ) weather.
Mark informed us that he would not be completing the run and would leave us when we drove through his village of Llandisilio, so we set off with the Frogeye in the lead followed by PJBP in his Spitfire, my TR next then bringing up the rear were Rob & Pete in their Vitesse. Mark duly turned off and we continued through Narberth, then Kigetty and on to Pembroke dock where we crossed the Cleddau toll bridge in the brightening up weather. A few miles later we pulled into a petrol station where I filled the TR to the brim with fuel, 200.5 miles and it only took 24.1 litres of fuel, work it out for yourself, those fuel magnets are truly unbelievable! We then carried on through Haverfordwest to the finishing line at Pembroke County Show Ground where we each received a certificate of completion.
We had a cup of coffee and a chat then with all our soft tops down in the sun we headed home, I led in my TR with Rob & Pete following in their Vitesse with PJBP acting as tail gunner. We stopped for another coffee at a cafe just before the M4 and PJBP said he would be turning off at Junction 36 and Rob & Pete would be turning off at Junction 34, I would then continue on my own back to Junction 30. With the Vitesse leading to set it’s comfortable speed , me following in my TR and PJBP again acting as tail gunner we proceeded along the M4 still with soft tops down in the sun. PJBP duly turned off at J34 and Rob & Pete at J 36, I then “upped” my pace and with the TR running as good as it ever has I reflected on what a great bunch of guys I had just spent the day with, true friends and the salt of the earth.
Although the journey to the Show Ground was an unpleasant and worrying one, it had just seemed to make the whole day that much better, overcoming issues and problems along the way making the experience that much more rewarding. In the next few days I will put the “old” spark plugs back in the car to see if the miss fire returns, if it does I will know that the problem had been plug related, if it doesn’t return I will replace the coil that I had off Mark with the “old” coil that I had started the journey with, if the misfire returns I will know the coil(s) were at fault. If no misfire returns I will have to concede that it was the (very unlikely ) low tension “dry” joint or a break in the cable from the connector ( which is now nowhere to be found ). I’ll let you know.