Headlamp chrome eyelids

[forddeliveryboy]

Anyone else think they're ridiculous? 2cv owners seem to love them, but they must take at least 3 or 4 mph off the top speed - significant. And increase fuel consumption. Bloody crazy. Sommut akin to the dubbers lowriding types.

[vulgalour]

I do think they're ridiculous, but in the right application - Council Estate Elvis, For The Lols, 2CVs - I think they can look pretty good.

[Spiny Norman]

Hideous things, surpassed only recently by these stupid eyelashes.

 

The only car I ever thought didn't look totally ridiculous with the chrome peaks on them were the original VW Beetles.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

I don't know exactly how EuroNCAP pedestrian safety ratings work, but I imagine running into someone with your chrome eyelids would look and feel like taking the first scoop out of a new box of ice cream.

[forddeliveryboy]

Almost as daft is those 2cv types who have to have boot racks (fair enuf, they weigh little and do extend the carrying capacity for duvets - but why not add a boot box - which also speeds up the car - if you've a load of soft furnishings to transport?) and 'adventure bumpers'. These are appalling bits of engineering which are usually cheap copies of originals and serve little purpose, other than to make the handling of those French sheds even worse than they already are on cheap-but-shiny aftermarket chassis (they handled sublimely when on the original) and more than replace the missing kgs in the shiny chassis. Except it's the last place you want extra mass, especially when it's a carefully engineered machine...

[vulgalour]

  Peter said:

I don't know exactly how EuroNCAP pedestrian safety ratings work, but I imagine running into someone with your chrome eyelids would look and feel like taking the first scoop out of a new box of ice cream.

 

Which is why they also get called Kidney Choppers. Was years before I found out they had any other name.

[gricer]

They also make cars look upsettingly sad. Like they're about to cry, probably because of the horrible modifications inflicted on them by their stupid owners.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

They look half-tolerable on an A35 or other dismal 50's saloon I find, but you get idiots putting them on Marinas, HA vans, anything with round headlights, 95% of applications look shit.

[messerschmitt owner]

  Mr_Bo11ox said:

They look half-tolerable on an A35 or other dismal 50's saloon I find, but you get idiots putting them on Marinas, HA vans, anything with round headlights, 95% of applications look shit.

And Sherpas. Reminds me that I MUST post them off to Norwich.

[Pete-M]

Mate of mine used to have 'em on his FX4 cab. Made his cab easy to spot if nowt else.

[Angrydicky]

One of my old A35's had a pair when I bought it, which were the first thing I took off and threw away, as I think they look totally shit. At the club rally at the weekend I saw said car again for the first time in about two years and although it hadn't changed much (apart from the rusty bits having been painted over with the wrong shade of blue) I saw to my dismay that the new owners have fitted another pair of those horrible headlight peaks!

[dollywobbler]

  forddeliveryboy said:

Almost as daft is those 2cv types who have to have boot racks (fair enuf, they weigh little and do extend the carrying capacity for duvets - but why not add a boot box - which also speeds up the car - if you've a load of soft furnishings to transport?) and 'adventure bumpers'. These are appalling bits of engineering which are usually cheap copies of originals and serve little purpose, other than to make the handling of those French sheds even worse than they already are on cheap-but-shiny aftermarket chassis (they handled sublimely when on the original) and more than replace the missing kgs in the shiny chassis. Except it's the last place you want extra mass, especially when it's a carefully engineered machine...

 

Ahem! I happen to like the adventure bumpers on 2CVs actually. I've got a Louis Barbour bumper up front (he of the incredible 4x4 2CVs) and an adventure bumper on the rear. The front bumper gives more clearance for getting the wings off while the rear bumper has its uses too...

 

Back to the original point of the thread, those chrome eyelid things really do my head in. I can't remember them being fitted before about ten years ago, so they're not a 'period' fit. And they look shit. My Westy had them but because the headlamps were recessed, they weren't too visible. I would never fit them to a car though. At least the 2CV adventure kit is something that was fitted in period, when the cars were new.

[idiotboy]

Yes the chrome eyelids are a bit crap, one of our local group members has fitted some to his square lighted 2CV. He made them out of a couple of Quality Street tins

 

The louis barbour designed tube bumpers are much nicer than the Adventure kit ones and also stronger. This is handy to deflect parking knocks by those who use the Braille method of parking. The originals are about as much use as a gaffa taping a curly-wurly to each end of the car.

[Louise2cv]

I always thought adventure bumpers (esp front) were Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuugly.

 

I do however love some of the "raid" cars:

 

 

And a"well worn" car fitted out in the proper adventure kit (for example 2cvgbers, I'm thinking the Page one) can look cool.

 

But adventure bumpers on a Dolly? Or a Charleston. No!

 

Sorry Ian!

[richardthestag]

Louis Barbour is one of mrs thestags friends from years ago. Still bumps into him every now and then when the old gang get together.

 

Hate headlamp peaks and can I add wanky sun shields like are so popular on the 50's ford scene.

 

Eye lashes are quite useful for spotting dappy bints in new beetles / fiat 500s who are more than likely to make random and unexpected driving decisions because they are doing lippy or texting or some other shite

[tonedepear]

If I ever buy a Daewoo Matiz it's getting massive eyelashes whether it wants them or not. 100% definitely.

 

On any other car they're shit though.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

  volksangyl said:

  Peter said:

I don't know exactly how EuroNCAP pedestrian safety ratings work, but I imagine running into someone with your chrome eyelids would look and feel like taking the first scoop out of a new box of ice cream.

 

Which is why they also get called Kidney Choppers. Was years before I found out they had any other name.

 

Kidney choppers! I'd never heard that before. I love it.

[forddeliveryboy]

  dollywobbler said:

Ahem! I happen to like the adventure bumpers on 2CVs actually. I've got a Louis Barbour bumper up front (he of the incredible 4x4 2CVs) and an adventure bumper on the rear. The front bumper gives more clearance for getting the wings off while the rear bumper has its uses too...

At least the 2CV adventure kit is something that was fitted in period, when the cars were new.

 

Equip your car to allow it to function well. If attaching several tens of kilos of steel outriggers to a car as carefully engineered as a 2cv (just look at the massively strong original bumpers which weigh grams - not tens of kgs - when attached correctly with the original brackets and overriders) which weighs only 650kg or so just be aware what that does to the acceleration and general roadworthiness. Especially when bolted to each end of one of those 'value' shiny chassis.

What a shame Citroen bothered to spend so much time making such a good job of those super-lightweight yet super-strong chassis elements and bumpers, not to mention the lightweight bodywork, in my 'umble.

 

If you park between two blind old biddies who find their way by feel then chances are you need an old Land Rover, not a 2cv.

 

On the other hand, if you're setting off for Cape Town via Marrakesh, Bamako, Lagos and Brazzaville then use the originals, but make sure you carry out all the other alterations recommended for tough terrain and Pays d'Outre-mer...

[cheguava]

I don't like adventure bars, I think they're Fugly. BUT

 

Several tens of kilos of steel? Errr, No. But would you like to buy some scrap? I've got tons of it.

And those wonderful original bumpers. The first 2cv I bought was 3 years old, the horizontal plate on the front bumper had already rusted through due to Citroen weight-saving measures - no paint on the inside of them. And unless the impact is squarely on the chassis end, the bumpers will bend, particularly the rear one which has all the torsional rigidity of plasticine, and even less once you've used Citroen special tool H4-MMR to straighten it.

 

Some replacement chassis are better than others. Personal experience of cutting up an original that had folded up at the pedal box (where they all go, when the water that collects in the box section above** has rusted out and filled the chassis ) didn't fill me with awe for its manufacturer. The ride, handling and grip of the galvanised replacement were the equal of the original, but I did some research and bought a good one.

 

**That's "lightweight bodywork" for you. My first deuche rusted through after 4 years.

[idiotboy]

  richardthestag said:

Louis Barbour is one of mrs thestags friends from years ago. Still bumps into him every now and then when the old gang get together.

 

Hate headlamp peaks and can I add wanky sun shields like are so popular on the 50's ford scene.

 

Eye lashes are quite useful for spotting dappy bints in new beetles / fiat 500s who are more than likely to make random and unexpected driving decisions because they are doing lippy or texting or some other shite

 

Yes really miss old Louis, spending Saturday morning over at his workshop was cool. I'll never forget what he said to me when I turned up one Saturday morning with my latest car (at the time) a 1978 GS Pallas C Matic, that needed a little work...

 

"Piss off you C**t and take that ********* piece of *****p with you you B**********d"

 

We all had a laugh, drank tea and then I realised he wasn't joking . I think he was badly mauled by a GS when he did his apprenticeship at Citroen Slough in the 70's.

[Louise2cv]

Seeing as Citroen made?/sold the adventure kit I guess they didn't get quite so upset about the idea of them

[dollywobbler]

The main problem with the adventure kit is that it can just prove to be the start of something silly.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

One minute you’re putting on an adventure bumper, next thing you know you’re running around a campsite dressed as a pantomime dame

[Louise2cv]

You've been to a few 2cv camps then Mr B?

 

Actually you don't even have to have the adventure kit to do that.

[idiotboy]

  Mr_Bo11ox said:

One minute you’re putting on an adventure bumper, next thing you know you’re running around a campsite dressed as a pantomime dame

 

 

So you've met Adrian Chapman then...

[forddeliveryboy]

Oh gawd, it's the 2CV owners club... RUN!!!

 

Remember a thread ages ago on here about one marque/model owners clubs, the conclusions were fairly decisive. Lots of great people, it's just that when they come together...