Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

Old-Nail · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 853

And not the one I had intended either!

The story goes like this; My trusty Citroen 2cv 'practical classic' which is used every day come hell or high water has finally succumbed to the tinworm.

It's still in MOT until July but will need a serious amount (read ££££s) of welding to the bodywork to survive so the future for old 'Ella' looked bleak.

I bought a replacement 2cv intending to create a smooth transition but the lure of profit got the better of me and I sold it on a week later!
My sights were then set on a Standard 8 or 10 and I had one in mind when... fate intervened.

A chance ad for a '2cv dolly breaking' at a local-ish scrap yard had me down to see what I could use, I wasn't prepared for what I found - an absolutely mint condition, professionally rebuilt and restored 2cv!

Some scumbag had cut the fabric roof and dropped lighted paper onto the seats thus causing the interior to burn out. The bodywork, doors, panels, and body shell itself are smoke fire damaged but sound... so I bought the lot!

I've spent the last two days in the scrapyard stripping the bodyshell and removing it from the chassis, my own chassis is a galvanised item and I have a good motor so now begins the long slog of restoring the fire damaged components before transplanting my mechanicals onto it!

There will be swearing in the coming months, and no doubt much bleeding of hands/fingers/arms (as they are now! Rolling Eyes

) but I shall post some pics once I get the damaged bits home.

47p2 · Joined: 24 Nov 2007 Posts: 2009 Location: Glasgow

Nice one Old-Nail, that should keep you out of mischief for a couple of weeks Very Happy

Looking forward to the pictures.

I have memories of visiting scrap yards when I was around 17 to pick up bits and pieces for my car and often thought the car I was taking the parts from in the scrap yard were better than what I was driving Shocked

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Rick · Site Admin Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22446 Location: UK

Great stuff ON, sounds like you have useful scrapyards up your way still!

Look forward to seeing some piccies, did you take any prior to or during the stripdown?? Smile

RJ
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Greeney in France · Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 5:57 pm Post subject:

Well done Old Nail I am in the middle of my AK400 the 2CV van to you its my 3rd 2cv related vehicle. They are the most straight forward vehicles I know Rolling Eyes

if a little quirky!!
With a galvanised chassis you are half way there Shocked

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Uncle Joe · Guest

Come on then O-N, get some pictures posted.... Very Happy

Old-Nail · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 853

I've just nipped out and took a couple of the bits that I brought home with me, the body shell is still at the scrapyard as I was unable to hire a van until tomorrow.... I told the hire company that I was moving a 3 piece suite Laughing

Here's two of the doors:

And these are some of the other bits I rescued. I also have a bonnet and two front wings in the back garden! (Much to Mrs. Nails delight - NOT!)
Notice how the door cards have burned away? The interior was completely gutted by fire and yet the window rubbers are sound as is the door draught excluder rubber, a 2cv has no carpets only rubber mats for flooring and they were intact too! - Very odd.

In the background can be seen a very nice green 2cv 'Bamboo' which I had bought to replace my own and is now awaiting it's new owner picking it up.
See how full the garage is?...well a bodyshell has to go in there tomorrow! Shocked

poodge · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 687

ON,glad to see you're going to keep your 2cv .I saw plenty of them when i was a kid,in Holland,but here in new Zealand they are a rarity.There's the odd import ,and they sold a few two tone grey Charlestons in the 80's at some horrendously inflated price.There is one AK van that I've seen,owned by a french restaurant owner.I imagine he brought it in from France,as it's a left-hooker.He also has a Dyane in top nick,but that doesn't do much for me.
Perhaps the reason the panels of the burned one are so good,most of the heat would have escaped through the open roof,wouldn't it?The vinyl on the doors seems to have melted more than burnt.The perpetrator should be strung up by the b%$$*%s,assuming he had any.

Uncle Joe · Guest

Poodge: It was interesting to read that about two tone grey Charlestons, as I always thought that they only came in red/black. I saw a two tone grey 2CV a while ago, it looked really nice...I was almost tempted.

I love the dutch nickname for these cars, Ugly Duck... Laughing

Is a bit of an insult though....

47p2 · Joined: 24 Nov 2007 Posts: 2009 Location: Glasgow

Old-Nail, I thought you might like to see a picture of my mates 2CV. This was taken in 83 when he bought the car new.

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Old-Nail · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 853

That's great! Not sure about those wheel trims though! Laughing

The square headlight '83 model was the last to have a 'heavy' flywheel which I actually prefer as it gave a more relaxed feel to the engine. Post 82/3 they lightened the flywheel and made them much more revvy.

UJ they did Charlestons in Burgundy and Black, Grey/grey and yellow and black too. The Germans call them 'Enten' also (Ducks).
I'm off to pick up the shell now will post some pics of it later.

Rick · Site Admin Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22446 Location: UK

Look forward to the pics ON, hope it doesn't rain!!

Nice pic P2, can you still buy those earth things that dangle from the back bumper? I haven't seen one of them in years yet in the 80s no Cortina was without one! Smile

R
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47p2 · Joined: 24 Nov 2007 Posts: 2009 Location: Glasgow

I am sure you can still buy the earth straps, I never remember them working though as they usually ended bending rearwards and never touching the ground.

Better with a chunk of anchor chain dangling from the rear shackle pins Shocked

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Old-Nail · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 853

Well The Eagle (or should that be Duck?) has landed!

I was too busy 'supervising' the FLT driver in the scrapyard to take any photo's of the car in situ, this was taken by the seller.

When I first saw it I had mixed emotions, on a personal level I was elated that almost everything I needed for a complete rebuild was present, but that feeling soon gave way to sadness as I came to realise how cherished the car must have been by it's former owners. Crying or Very sad

Anyway! - The show must go on, so the car was stripped and the body removed from the chassis, and here it is arriving at it's new home.

As mentioned the car had been put on the wagon by a fork lift, now to get it off again without one...hmmm Shocked

Having managed to get the shell off the truck she is now sitting (on the floor!) in the garage, note to self; I need some stands.

The fire damage has pretty much wrecked the interior so first job will be to strip it out completely and start again.

While inspecting the wreckage a wipe of the speedo revealed this:

Which means I'll be back down the scrappy for the engine and box asap!

Rick · Site Admin Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22446 Location: UK

great rescue job there ON, bet you're glad you found it in time!! out of interest, did I read somewhere that you have to be very careful handling some plastics in modern-ish (!) cars once they've been burnt? sure I heard or read something from the fire service about this. I guess there isn't too much plastic in a 2CV, but might be worth checking?

R
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Old-Nail · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 853

Thanks for that Rick, duly noted.

I think I'll be too eager to get started to worry about it though, plastic, asbestos, whatever - if they were all as harmful as we are now told I wouldn't be sat here writing this for sure.

Something I can't quite grasp is when I asked the scrapyard to sell me the complete car it was "No! - Can't do that by law"

So I bought just the bodyshell and body panels.
I then asked how much for the engine and transmission and I'm having those too, and I've already taken two wheels and suspension components with the body parts, so all that will be left is the chassis.

So next week I'll go back and buy the remaining chassis, I feel like that Johnny Cash song "He took it one piece at a time" Laughing