racing duck 2CV racing with car #48: round the clock again...

[chaseracer]

Storm Dennis was... unhelpful... ?

...but we managed to get the shell into position, despite the wind and rain.  Surprisingly easy, considering it was acting like a tin kite.  Still a lot of air where there should be metal, but actually stitching the two parts together was a job for the next day.

We were KNACKERED.

[chaseracer]

Sunday 16th February 2020.  This is a MOMENT.  

The spot welder is ready and we're about to join the shell to the new floor pan.

We're using a spot welder where we can because (A) we've got one, and (B) it's how Citroen did it originally.  With judicious and frequent use of percussive adjustment, as you can see both in the photo and this excellent video: 

Reunited!  The hammer-and-dolly work on that flange (stop that tittering at the back there) is a damn sight better than anything Citroen could be arsed to do.  I have discovered practical skills I didn't know I had, which makes me a very happy bunny.

The side of the car that had a sill fitted also received its inner rear wing, which gave the back end of the shell a level of increased rigidity it had not enjoyed for several months.

[chaseracer]

Counter-intuitively, today was all about cutting even more holes in the car.  Rather than fiddle about chasing and repairing rust in the rear quarter, the team principal decided that another shiny panel was required from those lovely people at ECAS.

There was a brief explosion of Sharpie action before the thin spinny cutty disc was deployed to cause another large gap to appear.

AAARGH.

Then, after various well-hidden spot welds were drilled out, the hole became even bigger.

Due to the unique way the 2CV body shell is constructed, removing the rear quarter is not simply a couple of minutes with the angry disc and hope for the best.  The original panel is spot-welded to a folded steel structure that supports the rear of the shell and forms the sides of the boot aperture.  Inch by tortuous inch, we carefully separated the layers of metal until what remained was a sound platform for the new panel.  This was mostly done very gently...

...or not, where necessary!

As you'll see in the second pic above, there are two folds in the panel along the lower sweep.  These have different radii.  Unfortunately, the makers of this otherwise excellent panel had transposed these very important features.  Several hammers, tubes and clamps - and a considerable length of time - were involved in reversing this error to persuade the new metal to match the shape of the old.

Finally, however, we achieved this.  Once it's ground back, sealed, filled and painted, the possibility exists that nobody will be able to tell where two ageing numpties struggled for SEVEN BLOODY HOURS to stitch an uncooperative piece of tin into a weird-shaped hole.

Still good fun, though.

[chaseracer]

Forgot to tell you...

Laurence has rejoined the 2CV Racing Club and the BARC, and the entry for the 24-hour is in.  Looks like we'll be carrying number 28, which is appropriate since that's the number of years since we first built the car.

?

[chaseracer]

[richardmorris]

Just to let you know D that I've written up the last dozen or so posts for the next issue of the CCC mag. No events, past present or future to report on and no one else has sent me anything, so for the second month in a row - it's all YOU! DO you want to take over the role again?

[chaseracer]

Happy to help!

Laurence is continuing some work on the car in my enforced absence, so there'll be more copy for you soon.

[richardmorris]

16 minutes ago, chaseracer said:

Happy to help!

Great, when do you want to take over the role?  Is tomorrow too soon?

[chaseracer]

Though I can't be there, Laurence is plugging away at the jobs that require only one delusional idiot.  Photos, etc. to follow.

Calibrate your excitement.

[chaseracer]

On 11/20/2019 at 9:03 PM, richardmorris said:

I shall ask Anna for a pdf of the column, otherwise I shall scan it in myself. Rest assured, no contributor goes home unhappy.

Rich, is this available yet?  I'd love to have a look at the story so far... #withdrawal_symptoms ?

[richardmorris]

1 hour ago, chaseracer said:

Rich, is this available yet?  I'd love to have a look at the story so far... #withdrawal_symptoms ?

Sorry, I’ll chase it up. 

[chaseracer]

Aaaaaaaand we're back.

The other rear quarter didn't require quite so much TLC, so the smaller available repair panel was hacked about by Laurence to suit the car rather than vice versa, which made a refreshing change.

There has been much necessary social distancing since lockdown began but Laurence kept busy on the car, even though it's definitely not going to see a race track this season.  This is what I found when I re-entered the SL Racing 'bubble' recently...

All the grim seam-sealing jobs - which I really wasn't looking forward to - had been done!  We decided that it was time to crack on and get the shell finished, so we both arranged a few days off work, some of which even coincided.  

Laurence made a good start on the lower screen panel, meaning the new spot-welder (actually older than the other one) could be deployed for that 'factory' look.  Obviously, to achieve this, we had to ensure that our work wasn't too precise or tidy and on this score we did well.

That's the screen panel welded in, ground back and etch-primed.  A few dabs of wob then a coat or two of high-build primer and all will be hunky-dory.

 

[richardmorris]

3 minutes ago, chaseracer said:

Aaaaaaaand we're back.

The other rear quarter didn't require quite so much TLC, so the smaller available repair panel was hacked about by Laurence to suit the car rather than vice versa, which made a refreshing change.

There has been much necessary social distancing since lockdown began but Laurence kept busy on the car, even though it's definitely not going to see a race track this season.  This is what I found when I re-entered the SL Racing 'bubble' recently...

All the grim seam-sealing jobs - which I really wasn't looking forward to - had been done!  We decided that it was time to crack on and get the shell finished, so we both arranged a few days off work, some of which even coincided.  

Laurence made a good start on the lower screen panel, meaning the new spot-welder (actually older than the other one) could be deployed for that 'factory' look.  Obviously, to achieve this, we had to ensure that our work wasn't too precise or tidy and on this score we did well.

That's the screen panel welded in, ground back and etch-primed.  A few dabs of wob then a coat or two of high-build primer and all will be hunky-dory.

 

Just in time! Did you follow the Cadwell park racing this weekend? My friend rick’s Car was third in qualifying.

[chaseracer]

This weekend's main job was the tail panel, which was the last panel of the main shell to be fitted.   Here, the Team Principal gives it a good coat of looking-at first, to show it who's boss.

Yes, that boot lid is the original and will be reused.

Using the spot-welder where possible - to ensure the trailing edge of the boot floor was properly secured - everything was attached in the time-honoured sequence of weld/grind back/weld again/extinguish flames/swear/grind again/etch prime.

That's IT - the shell is COMPLETE.  Everything from here on in is BUILD-UP.

[richardmorris]

3 minutes ago, chaseracer said:

This weekend's main job was the tail panel, which was the last panel of the main shell to be fitted.   Here, the Team Principal gives it a good coat of looking-at first, to show it who's boss.

 

Well if it doesn’t fit, it’s the body that’s the wrong shape! There was a time when that phone number was in my speed dial ( and that dates me too).

 

[chaseracer]

A reminder of what we started with late last year:

[320touring]

I'd have rolled that as was.

 

But I am a lazy sod, and also not planning to race it

[chaseracer]

11 minutes ago, 320touring said:

I'd have rolled that as was.

I think the BARC scrutineers may well have had words.  And kittens.

[chaseracer]

As ever, though, things are different across La Manche...

 

[320touring]

2 hours ago, chaseracer said:

I think the BARC scrutineers may well have had words.  And kittens.

hence the " wouldn't have raced it"

[big_al_granvia]

Bag of donuts or tin of sweets would have sorted the scroots... Ever wondered why you never see a skinny scroot??

[chaseracer]

Oooh, now... this looks dangerously like a car...

[chaseracer]

Smidge more fettling to the rear panel:

See if you can spot where...

[bunglebus]

Bottom edge....

[chaseracer]

WINNAR!!

Both sides too... ?

[richardmorris]

just writing up the latest news. will ask for a pdf for you.

 

 

[richardmorris]

Wakey wakey. I see Laurence has been busy on FB. Can you update here please? 

 

[chaseracer]

Certainly.  Where's my pdf of the last one...? ?

[richardmorris]

4 minutes ago, chaseracer said:

Certainly.  Where's my pdf of the last one...? ?

I have asked! I'll physically scan it tonight.

[chaseracer]

Thanks!  I've forgotten where we're up to... ?