I’ve been after and Optimus 99 for some time and was lucky enough to get a very good order smooth bottomed one recently which appeared to have had very little use. It even and came in its original cardboard box. In was rather chuffed with this neat little stove so imagine my glee when another, this time the later variant popped up dead cheap. The second one was also very complete (no box but all the bits and pieces and the original paper instructions).
Realised I didn’t post any photos of the box. The instructions were for an 8r on the earlier stove, and much more utilitarian than the later illustrated 99 ones.
Not so many in the UK either so I was surprised to be able to get two complete ones in short succession
Swell finds. I love the 99s myself. I got one from a local Craigslist. Seller was in Prescott, AZ -- about 3 hours drive. I talked him into mailing me the stove for an extra $10. Included [but not advertized] was a 1 liter Cavog fuel tin, a Coleman aluminum filtered funnel, and a tailor made corduroy slipcase with velcro closure. If placed in a cookset, the stove does not rattle with the slipcase. I got an Optimus 8R off the site, ETSY. Later an old service buddy sent me an M1950 military stove and another 8R in a very rusty case. I'm converting that 8R to a 99 by changing the lower pan. I am using the chromed steel heat shield from the 8R. I have an upper case/pan and pot supports on order from evilBay, and soon it will almost become a 99. I still have to acquire the angled aluminum windshield. Kitefox in Taiwan makes a perfect copy, but its $25 before shipping and taxes. If I can get ahold of some scrap aircraft ''skin'' I might try bending my own. I see the one on the left in your picture also has the 8R style steel heat shield. [But it's upside down. The notch is for the fuel pipe from tank to burner.] Production 99s have an aluminum heatshield, which also puts tension on the pot support bales.
Your 8r conversions sounds great! Good spot I need to flip that shield! As I understand it the 8r style heat shield is correct early 99’s such as my smooth based one. These were fitted prior to the introduction of the aluminium shield which was around the same time the ‘tank dimples’ were added to raise the tank off the ground to allow quicker heating when used in snow. I’ve also heard the very last 99’s made also had standard 8r shields. it’s a shame Optimus never made (as far as I know) an nickel plated 8r tank like those on the 8. A fully silver 99 would look great!
@optiben80 Good job getting two. Correct about early ones having bright chrome heat shield and later ones made of alloy to reduce production cost from what I have read. Have two myself and they are a pleasure to use. Mine have a little different style red, white and blue belt. Can view plenty in gallery. Sold two clones which were basically the same. Maybe the pot supports are not as sturdy as the 8's but will never have rusty case or floppy door.
On the subject of pot stands I’ve noticed that the ones on my earlier 99 warp a little under high heat. I’ve reshaped them once but after another couple of fire ups again they are not a tight fit in the holes. Any suggestions or does anyone have any spares (in the UK ideally!) ?
I have a pair of OEM Optimus pot bales on order from a Canadian seller thru US eBay. There were others available from them and other sellers. Not UK based, but Britain still has diplomatic ties to Canada, I believe. As for the original pot stands wilting under heat -- I have looked at the Kitelamp replacements for the 8R and considered that they might work. Cost is 600 Taiwan Dollars which is about $25 USD before shipping, tax and import duty. Kitelamp also has a perfect copy of the 99's 90* angled windbreaker for about the same price. www.kitelamp.com The steel heat diffuser for the Soviet Prymus PT-1 Tourist is available thru eBay from a seller in Ukraine. I am also waiting on delivery for another of those. It works very well to stabilize the floppy pot stands of the 99. Fits perfect on the 8R, too. Very reasonable at $6.90 USD with free shipping. The Upper Pan for a 99 [from a (different) Canadian eBay seller] came last week. It was the missing link. I was thinking of cutting a Coleman Peak 1 upper aluminum case down to fit the 99 base, but without the jimping around the edges, it might have been hard to separate the halves. I have a short Bundeswehr field equipment strap in khaki that I can use to keep my cloned Optimus 8R to 99 closed.
View attachment 337053 I also have a stainless steel wire grid, about 5 x 5''. [Amazon purchase. A 5'' circular grid and a 5 x 5'' square grid for about 12 - 13 USD.] Quite handy supporting the GSI ''Toaster'' attachment.
My OEM Optimus 99 Pot Stands came in from Canada, today. Also the heat diffuser plate from Ukraine for a PT-1 Touristi [8R Clone]. This one's a little more rough around the edges. Reflects war time production, I guess. If only I could find that 99 base...
