19 Years of Tin Snail - Back to normality

[dollywobbler]

What a bloody awesome day. Had a great hoon around the hills, then lunch on the beach.

[richardmorris]

I'm in love with these cars they seem to have a personality.

I've watched your videos and the noise the car makes. Well I could listen to that all day long

They do have a joie de Vivre. It's hard to explain, but they are fun to drive in a way that probably takes getting used to for someone used to modern ( post war!) cars. I took mine up to laithwaites in Virginia water this morning for an emergency restocking. Parked right outside next to a new Bentley continental GT. It was the little 2cv getting the attention though.

[dollywobbler]

I was having THE most fun this morning, at less than 50mph. Video hopefully to follow. Not a 'talking head' this one. I just aimed the camera out of the windscreen and went for a lovely drive. On ice at times...

[dollywobbler]

More video action. Lots of hoon. Some ice. Some Autoshiters may recognise the road.

[Lukas]

That engine sounds great. Almost like an old Subaru-boxer: 

 

 

[dollywobbler]

I do love the sound of a boxer engine, I must admit. I've become quite a fan of the Mighty Car Mods Super Gramps - a Legacy with the Tribeca flat-six installed. Sounds absolutely incredible.

[Sigmund Fraud]

That engine sounds great. Almost like half an old Subaru-boxer: 

 

EFA

[dollywobbler]

Had a thoroughly fantastic drive to Hereford this morning, albeit a mucky one. At Sparrow Automotive, I took the rear brakes apart, replaced a wheel cylinder and then ended up replacing all of the shoes too (I had some with me). The pivots were a right state. I'm amazed they worked at all! They certainly work a lot better now. One adjuster had to be cut off (pictured) but it otherwise went fairly well. 

 

That's the first time I've actually dismantled the rear brakes on a 2CV. You need over 250lb/ft of torque to undo the rear hub nut, with a 44mm socket, which is why I've never done the job at home. Air tools FTW!

[loserone]

Had a thoroughly fantastic drive to Hereford this morning, albeit a mucky one. At Sparrow Automotive, I am not going home until Elly has a BMW engine

 

What I wanted to hear

[dollywobbler]

Ha! She might get better than that. There's a Belgian tuning firm doing upgrades for 2CV engines. Pete had a 720cc engine that's just been dyno'd at over 50bhp. Now that sounds like fun! Rather easier than the Beemer conversion too.

 

Downside to today was sheer filth. Herefordshire roads are disgusting. Elly was immaculate when I left the house this morning.

 

The day started like this.

 

Then it got colder as I entered England. And foggy. Roof back on!

 

Headlamp performance may have suffered.

 

My pal Joey cuts off a seized adjuster. I wussed out and let a girl do it.

 

Almost home.

[richardmorris]

Had a thoroughly fantastic drive to Hereford this morning, albeit a mucky one. At Sparrow Automotive, I took the rear brakes apart, replaced a wheel cylinder and then ended up replacing all of the shoes too (I had some with me). The pivots were a right state. I'm amazed they worked at all! They certainly work a lot better now. One adjuster had to be cut off (pictured) but it otherwise went fairly well. 

 

That's the first time I've actually dismantled the rear brakes on a 2CV. You need over 250lb/ft of torque to undo the rear hub nut, with a 44mm socket, which is why I've never done the job at home. Air tools FTW!

 

Hope you wore a mask!

[dollywobbler]

Hope you wore a mask!

 

I doubt there was any asbestos present. No chance these were the original shoes. Oddly, one shoe seemed to be different to the others...

[lexi]

What do you get to the gallon on those country road runs Hubnut?  2CV have taken some price hike since I was looking for one  a few years back. The daft question is............how much is a 2CV? It seems that you get a rusty pile of bits needing a total rebuild and 2yrs of your life for a couple of grand. Then 2grand of your savings will go on the bits to get it good. Am I about right?

[dollywobbler]

Very occasionally, a decent one crops up for under three grand, but mine is insured for six. It isn't anywhere near original or I'd insure it for more.

 

Haven't done an MPG calculation for a while, but 45mpg tended to be where it averaged out in the past, with 54 possible if I drive gently. Which I don't.

[forddeliveryboy]

It's so good to see someone enjoying a 2cv without spending megamoney on it. 

 

Don't anyone be put off by not having airtools who wants to work on them - a rear hub nut just needs a long bar, for example. And heat works for 99% of brake adjusters, perhaps oxyacetylene is more expensive now than a grinder and MiG?

 

The one and only place compressed air is a godsend on a 2cv is for knocking kingpins out the way they were put in - many long-serving Citroen dealerships used air hammers to change a kingpin without breaking a sweat.

[dollywobbler]

I am doing pretty well. I reckon the resto cost me half what I would have paid if I'd simply shipped it somewhere for a full resto, and she looks charmingly not over restored. Perfect!

[dollywobbler]

I've been invited to take part in a 2CV run up to Lapland in February 2018, so it's going to be cold. And snowy. Started looking into the costs. It'll be around 4700 miles from here, to Helsinki, then to the Arctic Circle and then back home. The run itself is a week, and given its 1800 miles to Helsinki, it'd be nice to have three weeks to play with. Not sure I will to be honest, but I'll worry about that nearer the time.

 

I was concerned that it was going to be hellishly expensive, but fuel costs seem pretty consistent across Europe (at the moment), and I reckon the total fuel cost for the trip will be around £600 (based on 40mpg, not sure what she'd actually do in heavy snow). Naturally, there will be other costs - accommodation, winter tyre hire and food, not to mention the need for a fair dose of greasing and servicing given that mileage! Still, it sounds achievable. I guess I may need to invest in warmer clothes too. Minus 40 is a distinct possibility, but warm clothes tend to be a good investment.

 

If I'm going to do it, I really need to rein in the shite expenditure though. Maybe I don't really need four cars...

[timolloyd]

Maybe sell the other 3, and a-frame some chod back from Lapland?

[dollywobbler]

Latest news.

[Noel Tidybeard]

hmm a bit of pogweasel going on there with Elly isn't there mr gandalf

[dollywobbler]

Not really. I painted the front wings myself with rattle cans in a satin finish. I'll be doing the rear wings and bootlid at some point. Honest.

[Noel Tidybeard]

must have been the camera angle

[D Spares & Tyres]

My pal Joey cuts off a seized adjuster. I wussed out and let a girl do it.

 

Is that the same Joey who has the C15 pickup???

 

Has to be really, can't be too many 2CV botherers fitting that description....

 

She bought most of my 2CV stock off me

[dollywobbler]

Yes. She's utterly remarkable, and quite disappointed that she had to service my 2CV and stop fabricating some seat mountings for a rally-spec 2CV.

[Justin Case]

Did I pass Elly  heading West along the A44 near New Radnor on Sunday afternoon about 4pm; she looked in fine fettle in the gloom. We were returning from a day out in Aberystwyth, but I'm sure that you wouldn't have noticed a silver Mazda 6 with three letter three figure registration. It was good to see quite a few cars on the road returning from the Kington Vintage Show, you were not far behind two 1930s Austins, 7 and 16. Were you there or just co-incidence?

[dollywobbler]

Did I pass Elly  heading West along the A44 near New Radnor on Sunday afternoon about 4pm; she looked in fine fettle in the gloom. We were returning from a day out in Aberystwyth, but I'm sure that you wouldn't have noticed a silver Mazda 6 with three letter three figure registration. It was good to see quite a few cars on the road returning from the Kington Vintage Show, you were not far behind two 1930s Austins, 7 and 16. Wree you there or just co-incidence?

 

Twas I, heading home from Shelsley Walsh.

 

I had a Mini Cooper Monte replica behind me at one point and saw loads of classics from that show. In fact, I had to overtake several tractors!

[Matt]

Is that 2CV spec weight reduction going on?

[dollywobbler]

Is that 2CV spec weight reduction going on?

 

Yes. Lots of Colin Chapman references were heard.

[Matt]

Yes. Lots of Colin Chapman references were heard.

 

Ha, just noticed that the bonnet is off too. I think Colin Chapman would question the weight reduced vs the new aerodynamic drag.

[dollywobbler]

Got the 2CV out for a thrash into town.

 

It broke, just as I was hassling a Porsche Boxster.

 

That's Mrs DW trying to create a loop on the throttle cable, so I could hook it around the pedal. That plan gave me about quarter throttle, so we didn't get very far.

 

So, I had a root around in the boot, cursing the fact I knew my spare throttle cable was in the garage, when I found a small ratchet strap. Sorted!

 

Then had to drive home with a hand throttle, which was an interesting experience. Not quite as interesting as trying to reverse it up the slope into my garage! Most strange.

 

So, a bit annoying that technically we had an FTP, but very glad this didn't happen as we were trying to get to a ferry port, or on the hill in front of a huge crowd at Shelsley Walsh last weekend!