BERT DEGENAAR`S 4 LITRE BLOWER BITSA.
0RIGINALLY BUILT FOR DUTCH LAWYER JOS FRUYTIER BY THE VINTAGE GARAGE IN AUSTRALIA, THIS CABIN BLOWER BLOWN 4 LITRE ENGINED CAR IS THE ONLY BLOWN 4 LITRE ENGINED CAR KNOWN TO EXIST IN THE WORLD. JOS CONTACTED ME FOR INFORMATION AS I`M SUPPOSED TO BE THE "EXPERT" IN 4 LITRE MATTERS, THE REALITY IS THAT PROBABLY I`M THE ONLY PERSON THAT IS INTERESTED ENOUGH TO DELVE INTO THIS RELATIVELY UNKNOWN PERIOD OF BENTLEY HISTORY.
ANOTHER DUTCHMAN BERT DEGENAAR BOUGHT THE CAR FROM JOS AND ABOVE IS AN UNDERBONNET PHOTO SHOWING THE MANIFOLD FROM THE BLOWER TO THE ENGINE AND THE BLOW OFF VALVES. YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE THE ORIGINAL 6.5 STEERING COLUMN AND NEW 6.5 BULKHEAD. THE CAR IS BASED ON A REPRO 4.5 CHASSIS.
THE ABOVE PHOTOS SHOW THE CAR IN THE PADDOCK AT THE 2012 BDC SILVERSTONE. ON THE LEFT HAND PHOTO CAN BE SEEN THE IMPRESSIVE FRONT ELEVATION OF THE CAR WITH THE CABIN BLOWER THRUSTING OUT LIKE HENRY V111 th`s CODPIECE. THE RADIATOR IS A SEPARATE SHELL WITH A MODERN RADIATOR BEHIND WHICH IS MUCH MORE PRACTICAL AND CHEAPER THAN AN ORIGINAL. THE RIGHT HAND PHOTO SHOWS A THREE QUARTER VIEW OF THE BODY WHICH IS SORT OF VDP ISH
ABOVE LEFT, BERT IS WONDERING IF THE BLOWER WILL LAST THROUGH THE TWO LAPS OF SILVERSTONE AND ABOVE RIGHT, A VIEW OF THE COCKPIT, THE STEERING WHEEL LOOKS A TREAT.
I SENT A REPLY TO JOS`S LETTER CONGRATULATING HIM ON HIS CREATION AT THE SAME TIME SPELLING OUT TO HIM THE POSSIBLE DOWNSIDE OF BLOWING THE 4 LITRE ENGINE AS THIS HAD NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE SO THAT ADDING THE BLOWER WAS TAKING A STEP INTO THE UNKNOWN. THE COMPRESSION RATIO HAD BEEN INCREASED ON HIS ENGINE, WHICH TO ME, WAS A WARNING SIGN THAT POSSIBLE PROBLEMS WITH BLOWN GASKETS COULD BE LOOMING ON THE HORIZON.
I SENT A REPLY TO JOS`S LETTER CONGRATULATING HIM ON HIS CREATION AT THE SAME TIME SPELLING OUT TO HIM THE POSSIBLE DOWNSIDE OF BLOWING THE 4 LITRE ENGINE AS THIS HAD NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE SO THAT ADDING THE BLOWER WAS TAKING A STEP INTO THE UNKNOWN. THE COMPRESSION RATIO HAD BEEN INCREASED ON HIS ENGINE, WHICH TO ME, WAS A WARNING SIGN THAT POSSIBLE PROBLEMS WITH BLOWN GASKETS COULD BE LOOMING ON THE HORIZON.
ABOVE LEFT SHOWS THE EXTERNAL EXHAUST SYSTEM FITTED TO THE CAR AND ABOVE RIGHT SHOWS THE NORMALLY ASPIRATED TWIN CARBURETTOR SET UP FITTED AFTER THE REBUILD OF THE ENGINE DURING THE RUNNING IN PERIOD BEFORE RE FITTING THE BLOWER.
IN PROGRESS