BLUE BELLE (PRONOUNCED BLUE BELL)

[Cyndi Kritzinger]

JUST TO SHINE SOME LIGHT ON THINGS AND PUT THEM INTO PERSPECTIVE.
SOME BEFORE AND AFTER SHOTS.

[Jdt1976]

Looking good Mark, keep up the good work.

[Cyndi Kritzinger]

THANKS FOR YOUR WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT.

[Cyndi Kritzinger]

HEADING INTO THE (ALMOST) FINAL STRETCH OF THE BUILD......

THE ENGINE.

DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE COULDN'T GET THE ENGINE TO FIRE WE DECIDED TO GIVE IT A ONCE OVER.
THIS PRETTY MUCH INCLUDED A FULL TOP END REBUILD.
I RE-DID THE HEADS INCLUDING VALVES, GUIDES, INSERTS ETC....
CARBURETTORS RE-BUILT AND BALANCED (BALANCING DONE BY A PROPER PORSCHE REPAIR GARAGE)
NEW GASKETS AND RUBBER SEALS HERE AND THERE
EXHAUST
COMPLETE CLUTCH
FUEL HOSE ETC.
PISTONS, RINGS,PUSHROD TUBES BLAH, BLAH BLAH........ YOU GET THE PICTURE.

AGAIN; JUST KEEP IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND THAT THIS WAS APPARENTLY A RUNNING BUS THAT I COULD DRIVE HOME.

[Tony Z]

yikes!!!

[Cyndi Kritzinger]

MY SENTIMENTS EXACTLY TONY!

ALTHOUGH WE MADE A DEAL WHEN I BOUGHT THE BUS THAT IF I HAD TO DO ENGINE WORK THE PREVIOUS OWNER WOULD REFUND ME R5000.
I DID NOTIFY HIM OF THE WORK NEEDED BUT OF COURSE NEVER HEARD FROM HIM AGAIN. FORTUNATELY I WASN'T HOLDING MY BREATH.
REGARDLESS, I HAVE ABSOLUTELY FALLEN IN LOVE WITH THE BUS AND AM REALLY ENJOYING IT.

A FEW MORE COMMENTS AND PICS JUST FOR THE PROJECT JUNKIES OUT THERE AND FOR GUYS LIKE ME THINKING THE FORUM IS A BIT SLOW.

I WANTED TO REPLACE THE BALL JOINTS BUT COULDN'T FIND ANYONE DOWN HERE WHO COULD DO IT. I EVENTUALLY LEFT IT WITH A GERMAN GUY WHO SAID HE WOULD MAKE IT HAPPEN FOR ME AND WHEN I WENT TO FETCH IT, HE HAD PUMPED THEM.
I ALMOST BLEW A FUSE BECAUSE I COULD HAVE HAD THAT DONE AT 10 OTHER PLACES.
ANYWAY HE SAW HOW MAD I WAS AND DIDN'T CHARGE ME. I'VE JUST LEFT THEM LIKE THAT.
I ALSO CHANGED THE CONTROL ARMS.
I ALSO REPLACED THE EXHAUST WITH THE TUFFEX COPY.


THERE ARE STILL A FEW ODDS AND ENDS THAT NEED TO BE COMPLETED.
I BROUGHT IN THE RIVETS TO RE-CONNECT THE QUARTER WINDOW, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT TOOL TO USE TO CRIMP THEM (ANY ADVICE?) , SO THAT'S STILL TO DO.
I NEED TO PUT LEGS ON THE R&R BED.
FIX THE DRIVER'S SEAT AND MAKE NEW COVERS TO MATCH THE R&R BED.

[Cyndi Kritzinger]

THE OTHER SMALL CHANGE I ADDED WAS AN ELECTRONIC IGNITION.

[jolas]

I took a pic or two of the bearded wonder and his projects when I was in Durban last year









Nice one Mark, lekker thread


...... now what about the other projects going on there .......

[Cyndi Kritzinger]

THANKS PAULIE.
YOU ALMOST MANAGED TO MAKE ME LOOK PHOTOGENIC! AT LEAST YOU TRIED.

JUST A FEW RANDOM PICS FOR SOMETHING TO LOOK AT.


HOW NOT TO FIT A WINDSCREEN.



OK; SO OCCASSIONALLY THE LOCAL HELP DID PULL THEIR WEIGHT. CYNDI HELPING FIT THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT DOOR SEAL.



MY FRIEND AND OWNER OF XTREAM PANELBEATERS WHO HAS BEEN KIND ENOUGH TO LET ME USE HIS SHOP.



CYNDI AND HER FRIENDS USED BLUE BELLE AS THEIR MATRIC DANCE VEHICLE.




BLUE BELLE AND SOME OF HER PALS.



TRIP TO THE MIDLANDS WITH CLUB MEMBERS.



SOME POTENTIAL FUTURE PROJECT POSTS?

[Terry Phillips]

Nice job Mark and Cyndi, anice soothing blue. Only thing missing are the surf boards.

[Cyndi Kritzinger]

THANKS TERRY.

WE HAVE TANK FOR THAT.


I'M A BIT DISSAPOINTED WITH MYSELF TODAY. I HAD DOUBLE B OUT TODAY AND SHOULD HAVE TAKEN A FEW SHOTS OF HER IN HER CURRENT CONDITION BUT IT DIDN'T EVEN CROSS MY MIND UNTIL NOW. IT'S A BIT DIFFICULT AS SHE LIVES IN A TANDEM GARAGE AND SO VEHICLES HAVE TO BE MOVED AROUND TO GET HER OUT.
I JUST WANT TO SHOW THE R&R BED, DVD PLAYER, THOSE QUARTER WINDOWS (I NEED ADVICE ON THE RIVETS) AND MAYBE A FULL OUTSIDE SHOT OF THE BUS.

PERHAPS TOMORROW DEPENDING ON THE WEATHER.

[GERHARD73]

I love TANK's interior "decorating".

[Cyndi Kritzinger]

THANKS MAN.

YA, THIS BUS CHANGES EVERY NOW AND THEN.
THE GROOM AT THIS WEDDING IS A GRAFITTI ARTIST AND ASKED IF HE COULD DO SOMETHING WITH THE DOOR PANELS. THAT'S WHAT HE DID AND OTHER THAN FOR ONE OTHER WEDDING, THEY HAVE REMAINED.
THE SEATING ARRANGEMENTS ALSO CHANGE DEPENDING ON THE USE AT THE TIME. THIS SAME COUPLE USED THE CURTAINS FROM THEIR HOTEL ROOM TO DRAPE OVER THE SEATS.
THE RIMS AND BUMPERS HAVE SINCE BEEN CHANGED. THE RIMS ARE WHITE ROSTYLES FROM A BEACH BUGGY AND THE BUMPERS ARE THE ROUND ONES AND ARE ALSO WHITE.

THANKS AGAIN. WE LIKE TO CALL TANK OUR "CHARACTER" BUS.

[sean]

Looking good Mark.

You must be grateful on how good that bus was. You could have had one that's been turned into a bastard by people thinking they know better and making "modifications" with foreign parts and even worse, conversions where you have to fix both the body and mechanical because of it.

Its near impossible to get a bus that doesn't have worn suspension and brakes.......

Keep the pics coming

[brucet]

Hi Mark

Do you perhaps have the paint code for your bus?

Thank you