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Performance 3000
Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 12:09 am
by Pine
Re: Performance 3000
Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 4:41 am
by Watercool
Can you say fugly for the nose conversions on these busses
Re: Performance 3000
Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 5:10 am
by 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...
Re: Performance 3000
Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 8:29 am
by 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

Re: Performance 3000
Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 8:38 am
by Chris
Nissan Laurel was most likely the ugliest Nissan ever built.
Re: Performance 3000
Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 8:40 am
by Pine
You got that right
Re: Performance 3000
Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 9:30 am
by Blitzkrieg
Pine wrote: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

Re: Performance 3000
Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 1:47 pm
by 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.
Re: Performance 3000
Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 3:38 pm
by 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
Re: Performance 3000
Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 4:33 pm
by 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
Re: Performance 3000
Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 4:35 pm
by Pine
Valiants rule the road in front of a caravan!

Re: Performance 3000
Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 5:53 pm
by Chris
Jy gooi petrol in,rev hom,en die petrol is V8.
Re: Performance 3000
Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 8:45 pm
by Pine
That's why they're called gas guzzlers
Re: Performance 3000
Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 8:54 pm
by Chris
With the current fuel prices most people can't afford to drive it anymore.
Re: Performance 3000
Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 11:13 pm
by 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