Performance 3000

[Pine]

All those conversions done to VW Buses in an attempt to tow the old Jurgens in a record time from Pretoria to Margate, is just as much VW history as any air cooled. I took this pics in Brixton in 2003 (because I reckoned no-one would believe me if I told them what I saw), at the time I thought that it was a home made creation, but meanwhile back at the ranch it seems like Performance 3000 was to blame




This one, seen at the Sandstone Steam Festival in 2002, is a once-off, though

[Watercool]

Can you say fugly for the nose conversions on these busses

[Ron&Gill]

I ever saw ONE done nicely, also the 3 liter V-6, but they had installed two small radiators in the bumber, side by side, in such a way that just about the entire front facing surface area was air intake and heat exchanger. It didn't change the shape or look of the bus (also a bay). Don't know how it would have performed in mid January through the karoo, just other-side Prince Albert, at midday, but then that's not on the way to Margate if you come from P-Town.

By the way, that one in the pic is a Sprite... But I do agree, the Jurgens was the challenge, by all the gods, that thing was heavy!! My dad towed his 525(?)B Superior with a '78 3.8l in-line 6, Chev Commodore with a Holley carb on it the size of a small breeze block. Glug-glug. He bought the Chev after the Jurgens destroyed his Audi 100GL on the way to Knysna, from Hendrina. While the Audi started whining already at Zastron, it's goose was cooked at Graaf Reinet . But we did make it to Knysna, and even the Red Lantern at Simons Town, but that was it, klaar gelag... He bought the Chev at William Hunts in Wineberg. They still exist...

[Pine]

My Dad tried to tow our Caravette 6 (not a very heavy caravan) with our 1.9 wasserboxer - but it was only an frustration. For a short while our tow car ended up being a Nissan Laurel 2.8 SGL - I didn't want to be seen DEAD in that car

[Chris]

Nissan Laurel was most likely the ugliest Nissan ever built.

[Pine]

You got that right

[Blitzkrieg]

My Dad tried to tow our Caravette 6 (not a very heavy caravan) with our 1.9 wasserboxer - but it was only an frustration. For a short while our tow car ended up being a Nissan Laurel 2.8 SGL - I didn't want to be seen DEAD in that car

Hey - In the 1980's they built a 198kw Laurel to chase bank robbers with

[brianj]

on the subject of caravans.... our only family camping holiday when we were kids was to the eastern tvl - lakeside chalets, magoebaskloof, merry pebbles etc.
my dad borrowed a gypsey 6 from friends. Some will know that this twin axle caravan was a monster - super heavy. We towed with the rover v8 my dad used to have. I cant imagine how much juice that must have used. Anyway, at one of the campsites, not even the rover could drag this caravan out of the park up a steep hill... just ran out of traction. The park luckily had a tractor to help.

[BARON]

I had aVanagon type bus with a 3lt Ford engine and that thing could pull a caravan with no efford but the consumption was not so good,but when you are on holiday that seldom bothers you.(What a pleassure to drive)
It was not a P3000 but home made conversion so when the bearings went Istripped the engine and discovered that the PO used a vw flywheel which was out of balance for the V6 engine(better put fullstop here in case bugger is reading this haha) The V6 has a cast in counter weight on the flywheel to balace the naturally out of balance V6 , enginbut the PO modified a VWflywheel by welding small steel blocks on it. He must have done the trail and error way because there were several of these and they were all cracked in the welding. I then went to a Daan Jacobs conversion with correct flywheel ,clutch and bellhouse.
cheers
Baron

[vader]

Our caravan holidays were to Durbs by the sea, Kruger park, N Tvl Chipeeze and Cape Town. We towed a Gipsy 6 berth with a '71 Valiant Rebel slant 6 cylinder, now if you ant to talk about the best 70ties towing car go no further than the Valiant. 146Kw of yank tank muscle, with I think the best Auto box of the time.... We once towed the caravan and a V8 in board speed boat with it.... AMA GLUGGLUG

[Pine]

Valiants rule the road in front of a caravan!

[Chris]

Jy gooi petrol in,rev hom,en die petrol is V8.

[Pine]

That's why they're called gas guzzlers

[Chris]

With the current fuel prices most people can't afford to drive it anymore.

[Pine]

But they still look oh-so-good on a Saturday afternoon in your driveway, even if you have to push it out of the garage