The new news 24 thread

[cort16]

Once the mot runs out buy a cheap mig and get busy. It doesn't really matter if it takes a while as you'll get there eventually.

[Asimo]

I have had a failiure to commence! A proper one too, at home fortunately.

The Subaru failed to start yesterday, starter whirring normally, not firing at all. Full tank, no unusual lights on.

 

I will investigate in due course but this has got me thinking, it is years since I have had a real fail to start ( ie not just a flat battery 'cause I left the lights on)

 

. In fact I can only remember four others: BMW flooding because the float valve fell out into the float chamber, Avantime engine full of flood water due to driver over confidence, Cavalier auto with no drive, Audi 80 auto with broken gearselector cable. Of course there have been plenty of other failiures, but not of the "it won't move at all" type.

[dollywobbler]

Once the mot runs out buy a cheap mig and get busy. It doesn't really matter if it takes a while as you'll get there eventually.

 

It's a nice thought, but I don't think 2CVs get more rotten than this one. At the moment, my plan is to stash her in the garage and ponder my next move. Can't afford a major rebuild (we're talking well over a grand of panels alone even if I did somehow manage to do the work myself). I reckon the best answer is to find a better 2CV that needs a galvo chassis and make a good one out of two.

[Inspector Morose]

Remember the garage in Chester, where you bought the XM from. When I was up there relieving him of one of his 16v interiors, he had a Charleston bodyshell sitting around the back. I think he was going to use the chassis for another restoration. Might be worth a call.

[Lacquer Peel]

Bought the wrong oil filter for the Vanette today, it's a gutting to put the old oil filter back on and fill the engine with new oil (as per explosive-cabbage's advice, 15W40 at £11.99 for 4l at Morrisons).

 

It's very service friendly though, the sump drain plug is next to the oil filter so you can drain them both at once. LD23 FTW.

[dollywobbler]

Remember the garage in Chester, where you bought the XM from. When I was up there relieving him of one of his 16v interiors, he had a Charleston bodyshell sitting around the back. I think he was going to use the chassis for another restoration. Might be worth a call.

 

Ah, good call. I have been hunting for a decent shell. Naturally, it doesn't have to be immaculate, but restoring a shell that hasn't been touched before will be a hell of a lot easier than trying to resurrect mine, which has been bodged by many different people over the years and has repairs on repairs.

[Richard]

If you put another shell on your chassis can you keep its identity?

[vulgalour]

Speaking of MIG welding, I had moderate success doing this on the Princess floor today after some advice from a professional welder.  Felt like more of a battle than it ought to have though, I seemed to have very little patience with anything.

[HMC]

Sorry to hear the 2cv is as bad as it is DW. Mustard mitt, I was lured into a false sense of security - all my 2cvs were from Graham Wilson at his 2cv workshop over the border in Cornwall. New floors and sills all round basically. Only when I bought one privately did I realise just how fast a rusty one gets more rusty!

[richardmorris]

If you put another shell on your chassis can you keep its identity?

Yes. The body is only one part of the identity- chassis, engine, gearbox, axles etc

[dollywobbler]

Yes. The body is only one part of the identity- chassis, engine, gearbox, axles etc

 

Well, I think the rear axle is still original...

[vulgalour]

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Owner of this car is unsure if he's selling the rear window louvre.  I have EXPRESSED AN INTEREST.

[richardmorris]

Well, I think the rear axle is still original...

Well it only matters (to Swansea) if you change everything at once. If you just do one thing at a time, then there should be no issues.

 

Ps. Fitted this today for extra luggage space on holidays. Leaves mores room for alcohol!

 

PPs. According to anecdotal evidence it gives an extra 5mpg following the principles of Dr Kamm.

[philibusmo]

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Owner of this car is unsure if he's selling the rear window louvre.  I have EXPRESSED AN INTEREST.

I just clicked the like button about 20 times.

[phil_lihp]

That is, by some order of magnitude, the best thing I've ever seen attached to a Princess.  

[vulgalour]

I NO RITE!  I had imaged such a thing must exist, and had hoped against hope to witness it, but to see one in brown as well!  Pretty much an horrific multi-yoghurt-truck-pile-up happening metaphorically speaking.

[dave21478]

Well, I think the rear axle is still original...

 

 

It will be fine. Nobody knows if or when un-numbered parts may have been replaced throughout a cars history.

 

 

 

Just my opinion and all, but I reckon that identity issues in general (not your specifically) can be summed up like this....

 

Buying a Mexico ringing kit on ebay to turn grannies old 1.3L into a 5-figure addition to your retirement fund - BAD.

 

Cobbling two old cars to make one good one to keep yourself on the road, with no intentions of defrauding anyone for profits or tax exemption - ACCEPTABLE.

 

Just dont blurt what you do all over the internets.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

^^^^^^ Never was a truer word spoken!!! Sadly the car world seems to be full of halfwits who enjoy tying themselves in knots over this rubbish and making it more complicated for themselves and everyone else.

[cobblers]

What the DVLA don't know won't hurt you.. There's nothing to be gained by telling them anything more than change of colour if you paint it and change of owner when you flog it. Any more than that is going to cause you a headache.

[mat_the_cat]

^^^^^^ Never was a truer word spoken!!!

 

+1!

 

If you ever decide to sell it, it's not going to matter one jot (in terms of value) whether it has Elly's identity or that from a donor car, but I suspect it matters to you a lot more to keep the original plates etc. It could be argued that the 'essence' of Elly has been transferred to the replacement chassis by now, so surely that's enough justification for a re-shell?

[dollywobbler]

Indeed. I think that's where I am at the moment. As I've pointed out, so much of the car I bought in 2000 has already been replaced (in stages Mr DVLA so it's all legit) but somehow it is still the same car to me. I have been pondering a somewhat more creative colour-scheme for some time though. There aren't enough hand-painted, hippy-style 2CVs about anymore. And I'm hoping that several layers of brush-applied paint may help protect the bodywork...

 

That's all going to take time to sort out though, so I reckon my priority will be to get another motor. I'm quite prepared to SORN Elly for a bit so I can enjoy another A Series for a bit. It's many, many years since I had another A-Series Citroen on the road. In fact, I don't think I've managed it since buying this one in 2000. A few projects have gone, failed to improve much, then moved on. Oh, hold on. I think I owned a Dyane for a bit when the 2CV went through its first rebuild in 2002/3. Possibly.

[vulgalour]

I know it's hypocritical of me to say so, but you could focus on keeping the XM in fine fettle while hoarding stuff to make a shiny Hippy Elly when the sunny weather comes along.

[Inspector Morose]

My 2cv was definitely not* a combination of various good bits of other cars with the identity of one of them as the red number was the nicest. (Did involve having to fabricate new inner wings with seat belt mounts and adding side repeaters as the reg could have been a later one than on the shell originally)

 

Sold to another enthusiast for the going rate at the time and now lives in France. No kittens or nuns killed.

[dollywobbler]

I know it's hypocritical of me to say so, but you could focus on keeping the XM in fine fettle while hoarding stuff to make a shiny Hippy Elly when the sunny weather comes along.

 

We need at least two working cars. Especially if the main one is a Citroen XM. I've no real reason not to trust it, but I somehow don't entirely! It'll take a goodly while for any 2CV transformation to occur, as I'm hardly the quickest of workers. Even though I did once re-chassis a 2CV in a couple of weekends (the fact that the replacement chassis was rolling was a big help, but it still took me ages to do what some folk can do in one day).

[Bren]

I have started my dry January.

Going to see if I can go a month without getting wet.

[vulgalour]

Fair reason that.  I'm guessing you want something with similar qualities to the 2CV, just without so much propensity to rot.  Just something small and basic and easy to maintain without worrying about bits falling off when you go over bumps.

[Twiggy]

I have started my dry January.

Going to see if I can go a month without getting wet.

 

It`s hard work.......... but worth it. You can do it - you can do it - you can do it

[Alexg]

Cobblers, I love it that you have the first Bonkers album as his avatar. Hixxy and Sharkey 96 style Hardcore all the way

[skattrd]

I am home with the new Daihatsu, no collection thread as I can't be arsed and didn't really take any pics. Non-stop drive home from Portsmouth, 3hrs, 42mpg after the overnight ferry and maybe 2hrs sleep. I am knackered.

[cms206]

DW surely a lime green 2CV with a black marker Muttley would be the answer? That'd be classy and would channel the essence of the Daihatsu too.