jonny69 Posted May 23, 2016 Share Posted May 23, 2016 Seem to have missed this thread until now, somehow. Quite a lot of this looks very familiar... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted May 28, 2016 Author Share Posted May 28, 2016 As reported elsewhere, the 2CV's chassis is back in my garage. Here I am bringing it home.https://twitter.com/dollywobbler/status/735423189430468608 Now, the main job is to check it over before the body goes back on. It's a good time to give the suspension a good going over. Here's a knife edge. The knife edge is what connects the suspension tie rod to the axle arm. The tie rod attaches to the horizontal spring inside the can mounted on the side of the chassis. Push-rod suspension - just like an F1 car! The knife edge rotates within a shackle at the end of the tie rod and is one of the 1000-mile grease points. I squirt in spray grease, then slop thick grease around to prevent the ingress of dirt. It's not exactly ideal, but does the job. As you can see, there is some wear to the knife edge, and to the shackle too. Not sure I'm going to replace them at this stage though. It's not that much more difficult to replace them with the body on, it's just that you have to do a lot more lying down on the ground. Otherwise, I'm mostly just scraping off the old remnants of tape - the foamy stuff that goes between chassis and body. Not a lot else to do really. It's all sound. Here's the full chassis. And here's what it looks like inside. Immaculate! anonymous user, Dick Longbridge, oldcars and 7 others 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timewaster Posted May 28, 2016 Share Posted May 28, 2016 How feasible is it to sit on a milk crate and drive that up the road? Just wondering.... privatewire 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted May 28, 2016 Author Share Posted May 28, 2016 How feasible is it to sit on a milk crate and drive that up the road? Just wondering.... I have pondered this myself. I could bolt the fuel tank in, and chuck a battery on somehow. Main issue is that none of the engine wiring is in place and the footbrake is entirely missing. Oh, and no clutch pedal either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted May 28, 2016 Author Share Posted May 28, 2016 Yup. The middle of the floor is the top of the chassis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted May 30, 2016 Author Share Posted May 30, 2016 I've made an error. One of the rear dampers on the Dyane was completely shot - it had no resistance at all. I nicked one from the 2CV but then felt I couldn't pinch it back. It was unsafe. But you can't get decent replacements at the moment - something I had forgotten. Bother! Also, I ended up having to cut off a damper mounting pin after a bush got entirely stuck on it. So I really need a pair of rear shockers. You can get gas adjustables, but that seems a bit OTT. As you can imagine, with such soft springing, dampers are absolutely critical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HillmanImp Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 How feasible is it to sit on a milk crate and drive that up the road?Just wondering....My mate was driving through the centre of Bramley in Leeds at lunchtime on a Saturday a few years ago when some lads came through the traffic lights at speed doing exactly this. If it was anywhere else I would've been surprised. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forddeliveryboy Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 The eyes/shackles can develop cracks from the point of wear, worth checking whilst things are apart given they transfer all the dynamic loadings on the suspension. They're not known to fail unless a grease nipple has been tapped in or a GS flat four strapped on. The knife edge does rotate with the arm, but it's a rocking motion where there's contact between the eye and the knife edge, like a see-saw. Almost frictionless and cheap to make, once you've got the metallurgy right. </pedant> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted June 1, 2016 Author Share Posted June 1, 2016 I think I'm going to stick with what's fitted for now. Not like it's impossible to do when the body is back on, it just involves more lying on the ground. I'm off to check progress on the body in a couple of weeks. Hoping it'll be finished a couple of weeks after that. He's a busy man, fitting it in around other jobs. In the meantime, I need to get both bumpers blasted back to metal, find a pair of rear dampers (starting to wish I hadn't given one good one away with the Dyane now) and replace the shock absorber stud I had to hack off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonny69 Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 Now, the main job is to check it over before the body goes back on. It's a good time to give the suspension a good going over. Here's a knife edge. The knife edge is what connects the suspension tie rod to the axle arm. The tie rod attaches to the horizontal spring inside the can mounted on the side of the chassis. Push-rod suspension - just like an F1 car! The knife edge rotates within a shackle at the end of the tie rod and is one of the 1000-mile grease points. I squirt in spray grease, then slop thick grease around to prevent the ingress of dirt. It's not exactly ideal, but does the job. Question: is there supposed to be a bush in the end of the shackles? My engineering head says there really ought to be, but mine are empty and so are yours... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forddeliveryboy Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 A bush would simply increase friction. No need whatsoever. It's typical of Citroën's approach from the 30s-70s, it looks wrong at first glance but with a little thought and applied knowledge, it's often clever engineering. In comparison, modern suspension (with none of the subtleties of what a 2cv applies) wears out rubber bushes with routine monotony, even when OE rubber is used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted June 9, 2016 Author Share Posted June 9, 2016 I have been sent a rather terrifying photo. Much chopping has occurred! chaseracer and Eddie Honda 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldcars Posted June 9, 2016 Share Posted June 9, 2016 Going to need some amount of filler to smooth that lot off dollywobbler 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted June 9, 2016 Author Share Posted June 9, 2016 The really scary bit is that there's pretty much sold all left of the original body below the spikes - the B pillar is original down to the sill, but pretty much everything else has been chopped out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forddeliveryboy Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 I have been sent a rather terrifying photo. Much chopping has occurred! I very much doubt the new metal is so much worse than the appalling stuff PSA were using in the late 80s. Even if it is, you can protect it with decent etch primers. The only terrifying thing is the financial cost, no matter how reasonable rates are for a motoring journalist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted June 10, 2016 Author Share Posted June 10, 2016 Indeed. I am getting 'mates rates' on the labour, but we've still purchased £1300 worth of panels, and that's with getting a few cheap from a friend. Bloody brilliant that it's all available though. You really can built your own bodyshell if your pockets are deep enough. Or just buy a brand new one (don't know anyone who has done this yet). Then there's the paint. I'm not claiming mates rates on that, so it'll cost what it costs. The crowdfunding (almost two grand) has made this project feasible (as has a change in working circumstances) but this'll still be costing me a pretty penny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted June 17, 2016 Author Share Posted June 17, 2016 I was in Bradford again yesterday. It's getting harder and harder to tell this is still my bodyshell! White is original, brand new metal is plain to see. He's done a staggering job. It's now getting ready for prep before paint. We discussed this at length yesterday. I'm going to make life more difficult for him because I want it doing in cellulose. I just don't like two pack. That's going to push back the timescale somewhat, so I don't think there's any chance of having this car on the road for the Dollywobbler Anniversary at the end of July. Shame, but it's pointless to rush towards a deadline if you end up compromising stuff. Also went shopping for goodies at ECAS yesterday, so new engine breather, new rear shockers and lots of other little bits, like heater tubes and the like. Left the bumpers up in Yorkshire too, which are going to be blasted. Hopefully they'll be solid enough afterwards for reuse. I got talked into powder coating again, even though it spectacularly failed last time. Apparently, these folk are much better. Let's see... Also, the bonnet that Johnk kindly transported to Yorkshire has been declared as f*cked. Not surprising to be honest! Alan has dug out a good replacement. Junkman, Bfg, forddeliveryboy and 6 others 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruffgeezer Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 But you can't get decent replacements at the moment - something I had forgotten. Bother! Also, I ended up having to cut off a damper mounting pin after a bush got entirely stuck on it. So I really need a pair of rear shockers. You can get gas adjustables, but that seems a bit OTT. As you can imagine, with such soft springing, dampers are absolutely critical. Drop me a message on Monday, I shall enquire as to if we have any NOS ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted June 21, 2016 Author Share Posted June 21, 2016 Drop me a message on Monday, I shall enquire as to if we have any NOS ones. Balls. Missed that. I've since bought some Monroes. If you've got any NOS ones though, could still be interested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted August 27, 2016 Author Share Posted August 27, 2016 Still in limbo land at the moment, but hopefully the body will be painted in October. I've committed to taking the 2CV to the NEC Classic Motor Show regardless of what state she's in at the time! I may well be putting her back together at the show, which should be fun. mat_the_cat and chaseracer 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Six-cylinder Posted August 27, 2016 Share Posted August 27, 2016 Still in limbo land at the moment, but hopefully the body will be painted in October. I've committed to taking the 2CV to the NEC Classic Motor Show regardless of what state she's in at the time! I may well be putting her back together at the show, which should be fun. Just put your plates on mine and nobody will ever know, they will just think it's a gaff restoration! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted September 10, 2016 Author Share Posted September 10, 2016 There's extra pressure, as 2CVGB will only let me show the 2CV if it's complete. So, I thought I'd better start preparing. Dug out the shabby, replacement wings (which are far better than the ones I took off) and a new headlamp bar, with plastic headlamp shells. Doused the rusty bits with Vactan. Sadly, one of the wings will need tickling with a welder, but I've decided that this is preferable to fighting with the dreadful fit of pattern wings. (though I think they're better than they were at least). At the moment, cosmetics is playing second fiddle to just getting her back together again. I still have art-project desires, but they aren't as strong as my desire to just drive the thing again. Hopefully, the body will be in paint in about a month's time. Sigmund Fraud, Bfg and oldcars 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted October 18, 2016 Author Share Posted October 18, 2016 Oh hello! That's the bodyshell getting a good coating of U-POL Raptor. I think Wales and my ownership should combine to give it a good test. Coprolalia, anonymous user, Slappy and 4 others 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twosmoke300 Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 That raptor is brilliant stuff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted October 18, 2016 Author Share Posted October 18, 2016 That raptor is brilliant stuff That's good to hear! Given I can be quite rough with my poor 2CV, I thought it deserved a fighting chance of keeping the body solid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twosmoke300 Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 That's good to hear! Given I can be quite rough with my poor 2CV, I thought it deserved a fighting chance of keeping the body solid. Structural paint ! Mind you its prob thicker than 2CV steel dollywobbler and DeeJay 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted October 18, 2016 Author Share Posted October 18, 2016 I am worried that I may have to get the engine tuned to cope with the extra weight... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twosmoke300 Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 That's a very real concern in a 2cv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted October 18, 2016 Author Share Posted October 18, 2016 That's a very real concern in a 2cv It's ok. I know people who make them go very quickly. I knew it was a mistake to have a go in a BMW-powered one... loserone 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richardmorris Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 Have you increased the primary jet size? I've just gone from the standard 105 to 107 ( purchasing spree with Roy the other week), and wow is it an improvement. It will now accelerate from 60 - and not just gain speed like a glacier. My friend Jerry just had his Carb set up at Burton whilst at the icccr meeting. They have a standard engine on the bench and the diagnostic equipment to calibrate everything. He recommended the larger jet ( as does ken hanna) for modern fuel. Six-cylinder and chaseracer 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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