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Zut alors it’s brownnova’s Deux Chevaux!! I am not a number I am a free snail!! Portmerion pictures


brownnova

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Hope you don't mind me hi-jacking your thread (let me know if you want this post removing) but I thought you might be interested in how the 2CV changed over the years. Whilst at my friends at the weekend I had a look at his latest addition, a 1959 model so took a few photos. I loved the speedo and the high comfort seats...

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Hope you don't mind me hi-jacking your thread (let me know if you want this post removing) but I thought you might be interested in how the 2CV changed over the years. Whilst at my friends at the weekend I had a look at his latest addition, a 1959 model so took a few photos. I loved the speedo and the high comfort seats...

Not a thread hijack at all, it’s fascinating to see the difference between the two. I’ll admit that does look lovely with all it’s older charm!

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Glad you found a car. One tip  - presumably the black tape round the headlamps is to stop them rattling? If they're metal shells (as they should be on a C reg car) you just need to bend the rolled edges out a little to take up the slack.

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Done about 200 miles in her now. Mostly run trouble free...

 

Took her to Chester Saturday, ran perfect.

Took her to work Tuesday, ran perfect.

Decided to go to beach for chips Tuesday night.... absolute bugger to get started. Warm starting appears to be a little bit of a challenge... set back off from chips to pick up gf’s sister, now getting dark so lights are on... this causes the idle to be very low. She keeps running, but each time we stop at junctions it’s touch and go...

 

We get to the sisters she restarts (eventually) but cuts out at the junction. No restarting... so I push her to the side of the road. Gf steers and gets her going again, but she sounds rough.... once home it’s still not sounding right, but not cutting out.

 

Tuesday morning we go to use her for work- cold start no problem. However she kept dying off. Even the choke wouldn’t get the revs up (guessing over-fuelling) I pull her back and go in the Saab.

 

Then last night I start her up and.... runs perfectly! Holds the revs, sounds perfect even with the lights on....

 

It’s had an electronic ignition, and s Harley Davidson coil. So I have faith in both of those. I’m guessing carburettor... now I also know that there appears to be a hot start procedure for 2CVs, which involves putting you foot down whilst turning over the car if hot. Any 2CVers confirm this?

 

Any ideas collective brain?

 

I’ll get her out again at the weekend to see how she goes!

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At least you have a stereo. None of my dream cars (apart from the Datsun I think) have facility for one, apart from the Lada which has a cutout in a wonky angle.

 

Still digging the colour. Family friends used to own Dyanes and 2CVs. One was known as the "Flying Banana" because.. well... it was Hi-Vis.

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Hot starting should be done with full throttle. Don't pump. A fresh set of plugs may help, but I'm surprised it's playing up given where it came from.

 

Could be a mucky idle jet - it's the small 'nut' on the front of the carb. Don't drop it!

I think pumping may be my hot start issue... I’m used to pumping the van- I won’t pump in future...

 

I wonder if there was just too much fuel yesterday morning after the overfuelling from my pumping the night before...

 

It was odd that she ran so well last night after really struggling in the morning. I’ll take her out Saturday and see.

 

Thanks for the carb tip too!

 

I know it’s a good one, it may just be that I think it’s dobe a few more miles this week than it had done for a little while....

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  • 2 weeks later...

So...

 

We left her in the garage for a new days, before getting home sharply from work on the Thursday and decided to get her out to see if she wanted to behave.

 

Good news!! Yes she did.

 

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We had a lovely run through the hills and pottered about perfectly happily.

 

I’m thinking there may be an element of user error in my running issues. I think I’ve been over choking it and possibly flooding her a bit. Hot starting is still a little inconsistent but doing the hot start procedure right is yielding better results.

 

So Friday we used her for the commute, and ran spot on! The only time she struggles is when the lights are on, I think this seems to draw too much power from the battery and makes her struggle. The battery charge indicator reads low, but the aftermarket voltmeter reads fine. So I might whack the battery off and give it a charge and see if that helps things.

 

She really does elicit smiles wherever she goes, and is superb fun. Going to aim at a 2CV meet this weekend, will grab some photos if I do!

 

Anyway have one more shot of her in repose at Parkgate. post-18217-0-76661700-1538814776_thumb.jpeg

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Sadly, we're away, so won't be at the local meet. Headlamp really shouldn't make any notable difference, though I need to investigate mine a bit. Having the main beam on generates a rather unpleasant electrical smell. Might need to fettle the switch...

We're going to aim for this one and the run to Lake Vyrnwy in November - should be fun!

 

Side lights appear not affect things too much, but as soon as you put the main dip beam on the revs drop right off, didn't do it on the drive home though, just more recently.  A lot of cranking to get hot starts has depleted the battery I think... I'll charge it and see...

 

Alex, do you have a spare 'known good' coil?  Always carry one.  Poor hot-starting often tracks back to the coil.

 

Thanks for the tip. Ours has an uprated Harley coil and electronic ignition so that *should* be OK. Think I need to do more hot starts (I avoided them yesterday) to trace it back. 

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If you've got a Harley coil, I wouldn't bother with a spare resin one. The Harley coil should be fine, and there are wiring mods to fit one, which means the standard-type is no longer a quick replacement. I'd check the following instead:

 

1. Spark Plugs. 2CVs are hard on them due to the wasted spark design. 

2. Valve clearances (0.20 inlet, 0.25 exhaust), though you can ruin the rocker covers quite easily as a novice. The nuts often get overtightened, which bends the top of the rocker cover into the valve gear. Nice! Did it myself on my first 2CV...

3. Battery. I think you said 123 was fitted. It's VERY voltage sensitive. Easy to check - if you have jump leads and a second car, hook up leads and see if that improves starting.

 

Putting the headlamps on really shouldn't affect the running of the engine. You might get a slight rev drop on idle, purely because there's a bit of extra drag on the alternator, but if you're driving along, it shouldn't make a difference. 

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Thanks for that advice Wobbler. I’ll check through that list.

 

Update is that I’ve used the 2CV a fair bit over the past couple of days and she’s run fine. Starting has been ok, except for once outside Tesco where she took a little bit of persuading, but that was second time and the only instance where she hadn’t started first time. I was a bit concerned starting from warm in front of most of the local 2CV lot!! mylocal 2CV enthusiasts we’re warm and welcoming and we had fun looking at others 2CVs!

 

Back to the running I think my issues must be in part user error. But When she fires from cold I have to hold her revs up as she seems like she’s not quite firing on both, after a couple of seconds all is well. So spark plugs and battery will be my next check point.

 

However the idle is a bit all over the shop, meaning she sounds like she might cut out randomly at some junctions, she hasnt though. It’s just with the lights on she really dies off and has cut out but only at idle. Runs fine actually running. So with the lights on it’s choke out a little and that should hold the revs up enough until we can work our what’s causing it.

 

Good news is that she does run really well when going along! Also closer inspection shows that bodywork, whilst not perfect, is above average and seems like a really good solid car. Most importantly I do like driving it. Once I trust it a bit more I think I’ll love driving it even more!!!

 

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