Bella - 1958 Australian Beetle

Last weekend I took Bella to the Retro Rides Gathering at Haynes. It was the first time I'd taken her out on my own without Steve shadowing me in a support vehicle as he had to work got there ok, she ran fine but was slow starting - when I got her out of the garage.

Got to the show, parked up and went to find people I knew. Found Jim and Purple Pete and moved Bella over to the Wilts Dub Club stand to make up the numbers a bit - she started slowly (and noisly... like a grumbly bearing like noise) so when I parked up I asked Pete, Jim and anyone else who was around to have a listen.... turned the key and 'click'..... oh goodie..... jump pack out - still just a click, added Pete's jump pack, and still just a click. Battery ruled out, so Pete got his jack and hammer out and beat the starter and eventually the engine turned over - still slowly and grumbly. When I came to leave a load of fellow VZIers helped me push start her, and off I set.

As soon as I got out of the gates I noticed that the semaphores weren't working, which meant the brake lights weren't either.... pulled over to find the fuse had gone, and all the spare fuses I could find in the bonnet were also blown. So back to the show to see if Jim or Pete had any fuses and found more in the glove box whilst trying to find my pass to get back in! Fitted that and then got home without any added drama.

So, once I got home we let her cool down and then Steve helped me to take the starter out. No obvious signs of brokeness, but there was obviously something wrong. We found our spare 6v starter out of the shed which we originally bought for the Splitty. We'd had it since 2004 and never fitted it so didn't know if it worked or not. Fitted that the next night and she wizzed into life. The new starter makes a much healthier noise than the old one ever did, so we're thinking that we were lucky that it didn't die significantly earlier than it did!


Fast forward to today and we set off in Bella for Dubs At The Beach down in Paignton. This was to be the longest Journey Bella had ever done - around 65 miles each way. Steve came with me (another 1st as he's normally following!) and off we went down the M5:


She was running lovely, at an estimated speed of around 60mph most of the way down. The only bit she didn't like was Telegraph Hill just below Exeter - but I don't think many cars particually like that much!

Got to the show:




Had a nice time at the show and set off home. Again she was very well behaved. We stopped off where Steve works on the way home as he had to do some work, and I took some piccys of her:

cool pics ...glad shes behaving now

Well I wouldn't talk too soon!

Appologies if Howard's starter motor packs in!

Glad she's found her running daps now!
Nice pics.