Mungo Refurbishment Page-1:
Introduction:
This is the first page in the Mungo Blog.
The last entry on this page is 05 October 2021 it is followed by 'Mungo Page2:' in the 'Drop Down List Box'.
Mungo is my latest project car but first a bit of history which is contained in detail under the menu heading ‘Blog Pegasus Build’.
Just under a year ago I had the urge to build another 3-wheeler but after buying an abandoned Pembleton Supersports kit I decided to turn it into a four wheeler Brooklands. I approached Pembleton to see if they would make me a four wheel Brooklands chassis but they refused so I decided to build my own. After spending around £250 on the chassis manufacture I discovered that the only way I would be able to register it would be under a ‘Q’ Registration which I did not want. Enquiries revealed that the only way to get something similar to what I originally wanted was to build a Pembleton style body on the original Citroen 2CV chassis; unfortunately the DVLA rules prohibit any chassis modifications so the end result would be compromised to some extent.
Despite the problems I still fancied a Citroen 2CV based sports car and on Wednesday 04 August I spotted an advert for a ‘Lomax 224’ 4-wheeler based on a Citroen Dyane. According to the advert the car had been taken off the road in 1997 and stored in a dry garage. I bought it the following day sight unseen and on Saturday 07 August we set off on the 669 mile round trip journey to collect it.
This car has been christened ‘Mungo’ (I name all my cars) and this part of my website will be devoted to his refurbishment to get him through an MOT Test following which I will use him for a while to see if he meets my expectations, if he does then he will most likely be subject to a full restoration this coming winter.
10 August 2021
Collecting Mungo:
I have a 750kg unbraked trailer that was made especially to carry a three wheeler car and or motorbikes, it has a carrying capacity of just over 500kg so it was hitched on the back of ‘RoadRunner 2’ our latest campervan and we set off to Edinburgh.
From Peterborough it is possible to get to Edinburgh almost entirely by use of the A1. Our campervan is used not only for holidays and visiting places but for driving and exploring roads and we drove the entire length of the A1 from its start in London (by Saint Paul’s Cathedral) to Edinburgh some three years ago so we decided to vary the route.
After driving up the A1 as far as Scotch Corner we turned left on the A66 crossing the Pennines towards Penrith. We have enjoyed several nights in lay-by’s on the A66 (great views late evenings and early mornings) and 22 miles after leaving Scotch Corner we parked up for the night. The next morning we continued to Penrith and picked up the M6, which quickly changes into the M74. We stopped at Gretna Green Services for an hour while we brewed up and had breakfast. After following the M74 for some time we joined the A702 which runs into the outskirts of Edinburgh.
We had told Morag (the seller) we would be there at midday and after 335 miles we arrived two minutes early. Morag’s Uncle Harry and Aunt Liz we’re already there to offer help, encouragement and the occasional brew during the loading process.
The car was standing on four flat tyres looking very miserable and forlorn but surprisingly the tyres retained air when we pumped them up. With air in the tyres we tried to push the car out of the garage but all four brakes were locked on. The front inboard drums were persuaded to release their grip fairly easily, the right rear put up a struggle but eventually succumbed to a few smacks with a large hammer, the left hand rear refused to co-operate.
Spotting a roll of thick polythene in the roof beams someone suggested putting a strip of polythene under the tyre to help it slide and using the polythene Mungo was winched onto the trailer.
Two hours and five minutes after pulling up outside Morag’s we were ready to leave. We decided to travel home via the A1 and after leaving Edinburgh we drove to Weatherby Services where we stopped for the night. We very rarely spend the night at a service area but we just fancied the idea of a bought meal after such a long day.
The next morning we drove the last 122 miles home, surprisingly the total journey home at 334 miles was only 1 mile less than going across the Pennines on the way up.
11 August 2021
MUNGO A BRIEF HISTORY:
Morag’s brother Gordon was the original family owner of the car but he was a keen cyclist and only used the car for long journeys. In 1987 he was given a company car and Morag inherited the Dyane.
Some two years after Morag inherited the car the body started to give up the ghost and succumb to the dreaded tin worm. Initially repairs were made to the floor by Tom (a friend of Morag's Dad James) using metal from a discarded fridge. As the tin worm gained a better foothold James took over the car and with the help of his friend Tom turned it into a Lomax 224 which it remains today.
The body change was registered with DVLA on 01 June 1990 so it is eligible for free road tax and doesn’t need an MOT as there have been no significant changes in the last 30 years. As mentioned previously the car was parked in the garage in 1997 following illness and there it has stayed until I rescued it.
11 August 2021
Mungo the stripdown:
Unfortunately the first day of working on the car revealed a fairly major problem as the engine, although free, only turns around 1/8 of a turn. I took the rocker covers off and it looks like all the valves are clearing so I don’t know what’s wrong with it until I strip it down.
My original plan was to do enough work on Mungo to get him through MOT and then use him for a while (to see if I like driving him) before doing a full restoration. In view of the engine problem I changed my mind and decided to start on a full restoration immediately.
The rest of the first day was spent on getting everything ready to remove the body by removing the front mudguards, windscreen, seats, seat belts, exhaust pipe and all the bits that connect the body to the engine and chassis including wiring and control cables etc. About another two or three hours work should see the body removed. I’ve cleaned the seats, hood and tonneau cover and these are now stored in the back bedroom.
To summarise; I am not too disappointed about this setback as bearing in mind the brakes were all seized on and the existing fuel system will require replacement to cater for today’s Ethanol fuel a full restoration before use is not only sensible but will result in a more reliable car. I will also convert the brakes to a dual system by fitting a tandem brake master cylinder.
12 August 2021
The Body Removal:
After around fifteen hours work** the body was finally removed and stored out of the way.
Notes.
** The main problem was rusted coach bolts that were difficult to hold tight whilst the nuts were undone. Some responded to a pair of Mole grips and some I had to modify to a screwdriver slot using a small cutting disc in an angle grinder.
When removing seized nuts and bolts I normally run a 3mm drill bit in between the nut and bolt which releases the tension between nut and bolt considerably, but on the Citroen 2CV/Lomax combination there is no access. Replacement fixings will be stainless steel Button Head Screws.
The fuel tank filler neck had been fibre-glassed into the rear floor so that was freed with a rotary file. The bracing bars for the seat belts were also freed (from the floor) with a rotary file to enable them to be removed. The main reason for doing this was to prevent damage and make fitting the body to a new chassis easier. I suspect that to do a proper job I will need to remake the chassis brackets as it is unlikely that all four securing holes will end up in line.
I was working on my own so used my engine lifting hoist to take the weight. Once the body was off I removed the engine and gearbox as an assembly before storing the lifting hoist away.
The Restoration Plan:
There are several restoration methods that can be followed from this stage and some restorers just like to rip everything apart. My normal method is to remove all the parts individually in big chunks with no excess dismantling. As I take parts off I inspect them before removal; e.g. wheel bearings and kingpins are checked before removing the axles. The last items to be removed are the axles/suspension units.
With everything stripped the first job is to restore the chassis; if it’s really bad and/or full of nooks and crannies it pays to get it shot/abrasive blasted. You really need to go to a company who specialise in classic cars as a lot of companies use too coarse a medium and you might get your chassis back riddled with holes, or a very rough (as opposed to smooth) finish. This is very important in respect of the 2CV/Dyane chassis which doesn’t have a lot of spare metal in its construction.
With a pristine chassis mounted on blocks I normally give it a couple of coats of red oxide primer followed by chassis black, although recently I have been using ‘Palatine Agricultural Black Gloss’. The alternative is to have the chassis galvanised.
In the case of 2CV based Mungo the chassis are not worth restoring as new good quality galvanised ones can be bought for as little as £470 including the dreaded VAT. An original style unmodified chassis is acceptable to the DVLA and provided you use the same VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) you do not even have to report the change. If using a different chassis I only take the parts off the old chassis immediately prior to refurbishing them; once refurbished they are fitted to the new chassis immediately.
Postscript:
I want this to be a high class restoration so invested in a ‘Ken Hanna’ chassis.
Once the chassis is ready I refurbish and replace the parts, normally starting with the rear axle so the chassis is once again mobile and you can move it like a wheel barrow. Next up is the front suspension then other parts follow in reverse order to removal.
Many parts I renew automatically including all oil/grease seals, fuel lines**, brake pipes, wheel brake cylinders, plugs, plug leads, contact breaker points, distributer cap, rotor arm, air filter and fan belt etc. Hub bearings are cleaned and greased, or replaced## if necessary.
Notes.
** It is important to remember that the latest Ethanol impregnated fuel is death to old fuel systems. It rots hoses, fuel pump diaphragms and lots of other bits. I always make sure that pipes and hoses are ethanol proof.
## It’s easy to get carried away replacing old parts with new and relatively inexpensive items, however many aftermarket items are not to the original quality and if the old part is in good condition I don’t automatically replace it.
Summary:
Please don’t underestimate the time and money that will be ploughed into a car restoration! It is cheaper in the long run to buy a fully restored car; however that creates five main problems;
1. You need to shell out a significant amount of money up front whereas your own restoration can be carried out as funds become available.
2. You do not have the pleasure of doing the restoration, or saying when asked; “Yes I restored it myself!”
3. Don’t assume that the hidden bits are as good as the bits on display, they seldom are!
4. Despite how good the restoration may appear there will always be bits you don’t like or modification/additions that you want to carry out.
5. The restored car may not be in your chosen colour unless you can do it yourself a respray can cost megabucks.
22 August 2021
Mungo Modifications:
If restoring a classic car to concours condition it needs to be as it left the factory, this generally prohibits any visible modifications. In the case of a kit based car there is no standard so you can carry out whatever modifications or changes that appeal to you; in fact this is one of the things I like about kit cars. Generally modifications should improve, safety, security (thief proofing), aesthetics and reliability etc.
The follow is the list of modifications I currently intend to carry out on Mungo:
Proposed Changes/Modifications:
External:
• Fit aluminium checker plate to engine compartment bulkhead to cover all the unwanted holes.
• Change headlights as original chrome ones are rusting and don’t contain sidelights.
• Fit front indicators on top of front mudguards.
• Change rear lights to a more vintage style.
• Fit Fog and reversing lights.
• Fit side repeater indicators.
• Fit shaped aluminium plates to cover the multiple holes that were drilled to fit the rear lights on the rear of the body (these are more orientated for light fitment on three wheelers).
• Fit reflectors where rear lights are currently mounted on projection at body sides.
• Fit new external mirrors on both offside and nearside.
• Fit new door hinges.
• Fit Burton steel sports wheels.
• Fit new tyres and heavy duty inner tubes.
• Fit period bumpers front and rear.
• Fit luggage rack/suitcase carrier.
• Improve spare wheel mounting.
• Fit ‘Rocking’ rear mudguards.
• Fit black and white sculptured number plates.
• Make and fit an aluminium valance to cover rear chassis legs/outriggers.
• Repaint in ‘Eau-De-Nil’ (often referred to as ‘Cockpit Green’) or alternatively a dark grey solid colour.
Internal:
• Fit two aluminium dashboard inserts; one for dials and one for switches.
• Fit nylon guides for hand brake rod and gear lever where they pass through the bulkhead.
• Fit new door locks and handles.
• Make and fit improved seat mountings.
• Fit period style steering wheel.
• Fit an interior mirror.
• Build a secure rear luggage compartment for tools and spares.
• Renew seat belts using a pair with more aesthetic/suitable stalk mountings.
• Change internal paint colour on floor and inner scuttle etc. to match the chosen body colour.
• Trim/upholster the cockpit area.
Electrical:
• Renew battery; fit a heavy duty maintenance free type.
• Fit a battery master switch.
• Fit a control panel for electrical components (to be mounted on rubber bobbins on bulkhead above passenger’s knees).
• Fit a 12-way fuse box (6 x ignition controlled and 6 x permanently live).
• Carry out a complete rewire.
• Fit round push button 4-Way flashers.
• Fit back up electric fuel pump.
• Fit fuel pump switch.
• Fit CB points cut out switch.
• Fit press button starter.
• Fit 12v DIN socket; used to quickly connect a battery charger or as a power source for an emergency lamp.
• Fit USB port for Sat-Nav.
• Fit a period style dipswitch.
• Fit radio, for listening to when parked with a nice view or crawling in traffic jams and to get a road report.
Mechanical:
• Overhaul/recondition engine.
• Fit a new stainless steel exhaust system.
• Fit a ‘Rick Pembro’ reconditioned high ratio gearbox.
• Fit a Filter King fuel filter.
• Fit a Pyrex fire extinguisher.
• Affix jack and wheel brace stowage under bonnet.
• Fit a small emergency fuel tank.
• Change the metal fuel tank for an aluminium or stainless steel one.
• Fit all new Ethanol resistant fuel lines
• Fit stainless steel brake pipes.
• Convert from front drum brakes to the later disc brakes.
• Change the rear wheel cylinders for green LHM operation.
• Change to LHM brake fluid.
25 August 2021
Body:
As it will be a few weeks before my new chassis is ready for collection I decided to make a start on the body. I am a great list maker as I believe it helps identify the pitfalls before you start and the purchases that you need to make. The following jobs are on my list and will take several weeks.
Proposed Body Refurbishment:
1. Remove all the electrical components and wiring then make a dashboard template(s). The template(s) will be used to make the aluminium dashboard panels). The right hand side in front of the driver will take the Speedo and Tacho plus the main warning lights which are;
• Amber - Oil Pressure.
• Red - Generator (not standard on a 2CV).
• Green - LH Indicator.
• Green - RH Indicator.
• Blue - Main Beam Warning.
• Red - Brake Fluid.
• Green Lights On.
• Red - Fog Light.
• White - Reversing Light.
The left hand side in front of the passenger will take;
• Fuel Gauge.
• Ammeter.
• Press button four way flasher switch.
• Press button starter.
• Electronic fuel pump switch.
• Panel light switch.
• Fog light Switch.
• Reversing light switch.
• 12 volt DIN socket.
• USB socket.
2. Remove the pedal box assembly and trial fit a later pedal box assembly with a Tandem Brake Master Cylinder designed for LMH brake fluid. Remove it after trial fitting.
3. Trial fit a battery master switch and then remove it.
4. Remove all other items in the scuttle area; e.g. handbrake and gear lever etc.
5. Make a Nylon guide for the gear change rod, trial fit it to the scuttle then remove it.
6. Make a nylon guide for the handbrake rod, trial fit it to the scuttle then remove it.
7. Make a panel to hold the electrics and mount it on rubber bobbins on the vertical inner bulkhead above the passenger’s knees.
8. Make a checker plate panel to cover the vertical part of the engine compartment bulkhead; this is needed to get rid of the numerous unwanted holes.
9. Make new holes in the checker plate bulkhead as required.
10. Remove an area of fibreglass behind the checker plate so that grommets can be affixed to pass wires to and from the engine compartment. This avoids the need to find grommets made of Unobtainium for passing through thick bulkheads.
11. Remove the tubular frame that spans the car and supports the handbrake and gear lever.
12. Turn the body upside down on and old air bed and cushions and tidy up the underside where I have removed areas of the floor to release the fuel tank filler neck, leaving the underside in a black finish.
13. Stand the body on its nose and degrease the inner scuttle and forward cockpit area before spraying it with etch primer followed by body colour.
14. Put the body back the correct way up, clean and paint the tubular frame that spans the car and supports the handbrake and gear lever and refit it.
15. Rub down the exterior before painting it in etch primer.
16. Hand paint the body in my chosen colour using ‘Craftmaster’ brushing enamel.
17. Refit all the inner and outer bulkhead items taking precautions to seal against water ingress where possible.
Summary:
It all sounds simple enough but will take quite a long time, I estimate four to six weeks. Where appropriate I will describe some jobs in more detail in later posts.
27 August 2021
Fitting the tandem brake master cylinder:
A tandem master cylinder is required to convert the brakes to dual operation and LHM brake fluid**.
Note.
** LHM brake fluid doesn’t absorb water so components generally last longer.
I had a second hand master cylinder in a better pedal box, but no mounting brackets; luckily the original mounting brackets from Mungo’s single action master cylinder fitted my replacement pedal box/master cylinder assembly.
Offering the replacement parts up revealed that the bulkhead had to be cut away to clear the larger brake reservoir, this was not a problem and as a bonus I was able to tidy up the rather ugly original aperture although doing so did make it larger. To further strengthen the upper mounting I cut out a piece of aluminium checker plate to fit on the bulkhead immediately behind the reservoir. I also made a checker plate support for the vertical part of the bulkhead below the master cylinder which hides the oversize original hole and also helps strengthen and support the clutch cable bulkhead bracket.
Note.
These two checker plate panels have reduced the remaining gap to around 5mm; when the car is finished this gap will be sealed with Silicone sealant to prevent water ingress from the bulkhead to the cabin/cockpit area.
Once everything was trial fitted I removed the master cylinder and pedal box and put them on one side to be refurbished later (at the moment I am concentrating on the body and anything that attaches to it). To save body weight and make it easier to handle they will not be finally fitted until the body is back on the chassis.
The photos show the original aperture and single master cylinder, the new aperture and checker plate reinforcement.
31 August 2021
Hand brake and gear lever:
Where the handbrake and gear lever pass through the bulkhead was not to my liking so I made some nylon reinforcing blocks that fit on the inside of the bulkhead, these were made from a piece off of a 10mm thick white nylon chopping board and offer much better support and hopefully a more positive gear change etc. These were trial fitted with M6 stainless fastenings and then removed.
The first photo shows the original fixings and the second shows the new fixings. These will not be seen when the 'new' aluminium bulkhead is in position. The gearlever block looks twisted but isn't', it's the camera angle!
01 September 2021
Cladding the bulkhead in aluminium checker plate:
The fibreglass bulkhead has numerous holes which looked ugly, I didn't want nor need them as they were in the wrong place for me, mainly because I am dumping the original 2CV wiring and electrical components and making a new loom. Left over from another project was half a sheet of 2mm thick lightly patterned checker plate. I decided to use some to cover the majority of the vertical bulkhead and get rid of the unwanted holes. Unfortunately the fibreglass bulkhead is curved at either end. 2mm thick checker plate is very difficult to bend so I didn't bother and omitted the checker plate on the curvature at each end. I may try bending some small pieces of checker plate to cover those ends at a later date. (Best to bugger up a couple of small pieces than a long length!).
The easiest way to cut 2mm thick sheet aluminium without specialist equipment is with a jigsaw but too fine a blade will quickly clog, I use a woodworking blade with around 12 teeth to the inch and it works very well.
Once the sheet was cut out I fettled it then drilled it round the periphery at 100mm spacings then screwed it to the bulkhead. With everything nice and secure and working inside the car I marked though the holes in the fibreglass (the ones I wanted to use) and onto the rear face of the checker plate panel, including the apertures for the gear lever and hand brake lever. It was then removed drilled etc. and put on one side pending painting of the body.
It is often very difficult to find cable grommets that fit neatly into thick fibreglass so where the cables pass through the fibreglass bulkhead I cut out a slot, now the grommets fit in the checker plate only. The slot should be visible in the first photo.
06 September 2021
Dashboard(s):
As far as I was concerned the original fibreglass dashboard was incorrectly laid out. I like important warning lights to be in my line of vision so the area previously occupied by the fuel and ammeter gauges was earmarked for warning lights; which meant an alternative position was required for those gauges.
My new dashboard layout also meant that numerous holes would be in the wrong place and as I intended to change all the old Citroen switches for new toggle switches and warning lights I made two new dash panels using 2mm thick aluminium sheet.
Once I had cut the dash panels out I thought that it might look better if the dashboard was in one rather than two pieces. I procrastinated over this for several days but in the end decided to stick with two panels.
I like engine turned dash panels; unfortunately the ready patterned ones have 50mm circles which I personally think is too large for a small dash. The options were therefore;
- Engine turn the dash myself with a smaller pattern.
- Paint the dashboard.
- Leave it in bare aluminium.
- Polish it; or
- Cover it in leather cloth.
I decided to engine turn the dashboard panels myself (to be described later). The photos should be self explanatory. You will note that I have cut away big chunks of the original fibreglass dashboard panel and will now be able to offer up the dashboard(s) fully wired.
07 September 2021
Electrical Distribution Board:
Apart from those I have built myself I cannot recall seeing many kit cars with a really good wiring system. The problem is because the majority of builders use the original wiring loom.
When I build, or restore, a kit car I throw the old loom away and start again. The heart of my kit car wiring is a ‘Distribution Board or Panel’ which takes the majority of the electrical components such as fuses, terminals and relays etc.
The distribution board must of course be a non conductor and the ideal material is plastic or wood based. The first photo shows some of Mungo's original wiring.
The second photo shows the distribution board I built for my Aero Merlin Cyclecar which is made from an off-cut of dense plastic material I had left over after making some woodworking jigs.
Mungo’s distribution board will be made from a 12mm thick plastic chopping board. The board will be shaped to go on the inner bulkhead above the passengers knees; it will be held in position by four rubber bobbins which will help reduce vibration. If necessary very good access can be obtained by lowering the left hand dashboard panel.
Because I have cut away the bottom part of Mungo’s original fibreglass dashboard I will be able to wire up the distribution board and the two dashboards on the kitchen table and install them almost fully wired.
At the moment I am waiting for electrical components to complete both the board and the two dash panels so I will show the completed items at a later date.
08 September 2021
Final Paint Scheme:
I think the paint scheme on a car is very important and whilst a certain colour can look good on a car that same colour can look atrocious on a car of a different make or shape.
In the late seventies a friend of mine ordered a new Ford Cortina, we were all gob smacked when he told us the colour was Eau-De-Nil, a green colour used in some aeroplane cockpits and hence also known as ‘Cockpit Green’. It was also used inside the cabs of some army vehicles and none of us particularly liked it. When John received the car we were blown away as the colour really suited the car.
I decided I wanted Mungo to be finished in Eau-De-Nil but Margaret wasn’t keen. We then saw a Willow Green NG TF on the NG Owners Club Stand at Stoneleigh Kit Car Show and both liked it so we mutually decided Willow Green it would be. Unfortunately I couldn’t find a RAL Number that matched the Willow Green we had seen so it wasn’t ordered straight away.
A couple of days later we were out walking ‘Gromit’ (our Border collie) when we spotted an Audi R8 in a very nice shade of grey so yesterday we visited our local Audi Garage where it was identified as Audi ‘Narda Grey’, Code LY7C. Back home an email was quickly sent to Craftmaster Paints and the ever helpful ‘Charley’ soon replied that they could match it in Craftmaster Brushing Enamel so a litre of paint and a litre of thinners were quickly ordered.
09 September 2021
Mungo Gauges, Warning Lights and Switches:
Gauges:
Mungo has round gauges (I am not sure if they are from the original Dyane donor as I was told they are from a Citroen Visa) which are much more in keeping with the general appearance of the car than the standard angular shaped 2CV combination gauge.
In my opinion the speedometer and tachometer are the important gauges so these were retained in the driver’s line of vision; i.e. in the right hand dashboard. The fuel gauge and ammeter require less frequent observation so these were positioned to the left hand side of the left hand dashboard. The IVA Test** requires a brake fluid level warning light and a test switch, again these are not used/observed on a regular basis so I positioned a push test switch in between the two gauges with a red warning light above the switch.
Note.
Mungo is already registered as a 2CV Sports Roadster (before the introduction of IVA) so does not require an IVA Test on completion but some of the IVA requirements are sensible so it’s worth complying when you can.
A warning light to indicate ‘lights on’ is also an IVA requirement but I didn’t want it in my line of vision so positioned it to the left of the gauges in the left hand dashboard.
Important warning lights:
There is space in between the tacho and speedo for the important warning lights, but not much. I decided to put green left and right indicator warning lights side by side near the top of the dashboard, central and directly underneath is an amber oil warning light and beneath that is a red alternator charge warning light**; last but not least under that is a blue main beam warning light.
Note.
** A charge warning light cannot be run from a standard 2CV alternator. Subject to available room I intend to fit a new Lucas alternator.
Mungo Electrical Switches:
After reading on the Internet about the reliability of Citroen 2CV steering column switches I decided to incorporate them into my wiring loom. Apart from the fact that they are reliable the decision was also due to the lack of available dashboard space.
Apart from the test switch for the brake fluid level warning light the following switches are also required.
1. Ignition.
2. Starter
The above are operated by the standard steering lock/ignition switch.
3. Lights off.
4. Side lights on.
5. Main beam on.
6. Dip switch to change between main beam and headlights.
7. Horn push.
The above are all worked by the standard 2CV right hand side column stalk.
8. Indicate left.
9. Indicate right.
The above are worked by the left hand column stalk.
10. 4-Way flasher.
11. Instrument illumination.
12. Headlamp flash.
13. Wipers on.
14. Washers on.
15. Electric fuel pump switch.**
The above switches are mounted in the left hand dashboard panel apart from the headlamp flash which is a push button to the side of the speedometer in the right hand dashboard.
Note.
** I am fitting an electric fuel pump as a back-up and to charge the fuel lines prior to operating the starter.
16. Contact breaker isolation switch.
17. Electrically controlled fuel tap.**
18. Battery master switch.
The above are hidden switches hence are not located in the dashboard.
Note.
** The fuel tap is twofold, first as a security/anti-theft device, second it enables me to cut off the fuel supply and run the engine until the float chamber is empty, this will be done when the car is not used regularly.
The dashboards are now drilled for all the instruments, warning lights and switches. The next job is to apply a finish to the dashboard and then I will post some photos.
11 September 2021
Engine Turning:
You can buy engine turned aluminium sheet suitable for dashboard panels but the only ones I have seen for sale are with 2” diameter circles which is in my opinion too large a pattern for a small dashboard.
Note.
** At Beaulieu Autojumble in 2021 I was admiring a classic Singer Sports car that was in the Sale Park when a fellow enthusiast commented that it didn’t look quite right. I replied that it had been done freehand and all the circles were slightly out of line.
In my case I wanted 1” diameter circles so you need something that is 1” diameter and flat on one end. The other end needs to fit in the drill chuck, a suitable sized cylinder head valve is ideal. Now you need a round felt pad (readily available in packs at the Pound Shop) which is simply stuck on the end of the valve head. To make the circles you apply some very fine abrasive medium (such as valve grinding paste) onto the surface of the dashboard and spray gently with WD40. With the valve rotating lightly bring it into contact with the dashboard. If you have a lathe you can turn up a wooden dowel off the right diameter and reduce one end to go in the drill chuck which works well. You can also buy abrasive carborundum etc, sticks but they are quite expensive in the larger diameters.
To carry out the engine turning yourself you need a pillar or bench mounted drill with a deep throat. For accurate work you need to make a jig** similar to the photo below. The jig needs to be approx 50% wider and deeper than the dashboard.
The secret is the spacing of the pattern (circles) and for this you need the jig which is mainly a wooden board. After applying vertical lines that are half the diameter of the circles (i.e. ½” for my 1” circles) with a felt tipped pen or biro etc. a fixed batten is screwed to the jig on the back edge. Now you need some wooden strips that are again half the diameter of the circles, these are the removable battens, so again ½” for my 1” circles.
It is unlikely that your dashboard will have a straight top edge so you need to screw or glue the dashboard on a piece of plywood etc.
To commence engine turning start by placing a number of battens against the top fixed batten that add up to the depth of the dashboard plus half an inch; i.e. if the dashboard is 6” deep you need 13 x 1/2” battens. Now line up the dashboard so the left side edge is under the centre of the felt pad felt pad etc. by 1/2 an inch. Now make a felt tip pen mark on the board in line with one of the vertical marks near the bottom left hand corner of the dashboard.
Note.
It is easier to engine turn an oversize blank and then cut out your dashboard, this ensures you can keep the end of the felt pad away from the edge of the panel and prevent ripping it. I had already cut out my panels so when working close to the edge I will hold a piece of scrap material near the edge to help support the felt pad.
At the moment I am waiting for my switches to be delivered from Vehicle Wiring Products, once received I will enlarge the holes in the dashboard to suit and then carry out the engine turning.
To be continued.
14 September 2021
Dashboard(s) Components:
The switches and warning lights etc. arrived this afternoon so I was able to finalise the mounting hole sizes. The easiest way to do this is with a step drill but mine only goes up in 5mm increments so odd sized holes (i.e. 17mm for the warning lights) were finished with a taper drill, drilling from both sides so it acts as it’s own countersink.
The photos show the two dashboards the left hand dashboard layout from left to right is; green warning light for lights on, fuel gauge, red warning light for brake fluid level with press to test switch below it, ammeter**, 4-flasher switch, panel light switch, wiper motor switch and windscreen washer switch.
Notes.
The 2CV comes as standard with an ammeter and not a warning light. I am looking to fit a more powerful Lucas alternator which has a charge warning circuit so I am fitting a warning light in preparation.
As I will have a charge warning light an ammeter is surplus to requirements so I am going to replace the rather tatty ammeter with a nice new battery voltmeter.
The right hand dashboard layout from left to right is; tachometer, indicator warning lights, oil pressure warning light, charge warning light, main beam warning light, speedometer and headlamp flash.
The last two photos show the electrical terminal board which fits above the passengers feet/knees on the engine compartment inner bulkhead. Unfortunately I am still awaiting a distrbution box so cannot lay out the components and fix them in place yet.
15 September 2021
Engine Turning: Preamble:
I had previously made a template and cut out my dashboards but It is easier to engine turn an oversize blank and then cut out your dashboard, this ensures you can keep the end of the felt pad away from the edge of the panel and prevent ripping it you also have a straight edge to work to. I had already cut out my panels and when I pressed the pad down it literally ripped off the valve head when it caught the edge of the dashboard. So it was back to the drawing board and I turned up a 1 inch diameter beech wood dowel and reduced one end to go in the drill chuck.
With the switches received and trial fitted to the dashboard I could carry out the engine turning, it’s simple enough but a bit repetitive. Start with a practice piece and follow the procedure below:
1. With a flat piece of board on the drill table place a piece of scrap aluminium sheet under the beech dowel and smear the aluminium with a little fine valve grinding paste.
2. Start the drill, lower the dowel (you don’t use a felt pad) onto the workpiece and press fairly hard.
3. Clean off the workpiece and check the effect.
4. Keep practicing until you get the effect you want.
Note.
I used coarse paste and very firm pressure to achieve the pattern effect I wanted. . Once happy with the pattern proceed as follows:
1. Clamp the jig to the drill table.
2. Insert the battens as necessary.
3. It is unlikely that your dashboard will have a straight top edge so you need to screw or glue the dashboard on a piece of plywood etc.
4. Place the mounting board/dashboard combination in the jig.
5. Lower the beech dowel onto the top left corner of the jig and move the board dashboard until only a quarter of the dowel is covering the corner of the dashboard. Adjust the fore and after movement by inserting or removing wooden strips.
6. Once correctly located make a mark on the combination board with a felt tip pen that lines up with any line on the jig, do this in two or three places.
7. Apply a smear of valve grinding paste to the dashboard.
8. Start the drill.
9. Lower the wooden dowel so it makes contact with the dashboard and then press firmly down.
10. Raise the dowel.
11. Move the dashboard one mark over to the left.
12. Repeat steps 9 to 11 until you have made the pattern all the way across the dashboard.
13. Remove one of the wooden strips.
14. Start the next row by lining up the mark on the combination board on an appropriate line on the jig.
15. Start the drill and repeat steps 9 to 11.
16. Continue until all of the dashboard is patterned.
Notes.
Try and apply even pressure for every circle as you cannot go back over the pattern otherwise you will spoil it.
Move the screws that secure the dashboard into different holes as work progresses.
My dashboard was too deep for the throat of my pillar drill so when I got to the halfway point I rotated the jig 180 degrees, lined the dowel up with a previous mark, clamped the jig to the drill table and carried on but this time feeding the dashboard along the jig in the opposite direction.
Rinse off the surplus abrasive then wash clean and dry the dashboard followed by a gentle application of polish.
Postscript:
If you don’t have a pillar or bench drill you can still put an effective pattern on your dashboard. One method is to ‘scrape’ it using an engineer’s scraper. You affectively scrape small marks in a left to right and up and down direction alternately. Visualise a chess board reduced to 2” x 2”. Scrape all the black squares left to right and all the white squares up and down. You start by scraping all over as one big black square and then add the white squares This sounds very complicated, and it is, but many of us old engineers learnt to do this in our basic engineering training.
Another, and quicker, method is to place the dashboard on a hard surface and gently tap it all over with a small ball pein hammer leaving a dimpled finish similar that you see on some pewter tankards. My dad was a keen fisherman and when I was still a schoolboy I made him a wooden ‘Float Box’ with a hinged aluminium lid with the ball pein finish. It looked very effective; as far as I’m aware my brother still has it.
If you decide to try the above have a practise on a piece of scrap first!
The photo is only a mock up and when the body is painted and dashboard finally fitted I will fit some esdge trim along the bottom edge.
17 September 2021
Painting small parts:
Once the strip downs finished you end up with lots of small metal brackets etc. In Mungo’s case the vast majority of these had been painted in Blue Hammerite; personally I am not a lover of Hammerite and I didn’t want blue parts anyway.
To do a proper job you need to either do a lot of rubbing down to prepare the surface, or take the easy way out and take the parts back to bare metal; ever the one for the easy life I chose the latter.
My normal modus operandi is to ignore chemical strippers and remove the old finish and any rust with a knotted wire brush in an angle grinder, a selection of rotary wire brushes in an electric drill helps to get in tight corners.
Once all the parts are de-rusted I get out the angle grinder again but this time with a grinding wheel fitted and round off any sharp corners, finishing off with a file. This is followed by degreasing** prior to painting.
Note.
** After degreasing wear gloves when handling bare metal parts as natural oils off your skin can prevent proper paint adhesion.
Years ago I used to brush paint most items applying a coat of red oxide primer first then a couple of coats of chassis black. Nowadays I only brush paint larger parts using Palatine Carboxide (Red Oxide) and finish off with Palatine Agricultural Black Gloss.
For small intricate parts I now spray them with an aerosol using RX-90 Red Oxide Anti-Rust Primer and then topcoat with ZG-90 Anti-Rust Paint with Primer Black RAL 9005. In a professional paint shop small parts are generally painted whilst hanging on hooks but this is very wasteful of paint and causes excessive overspray. I tend to spray paint in a secluded area of the back garden in the corner formed by my bottom garage and a thick conifer hedge, the overspray is removed next time I cut the grass.
When painting I hold parts in my hand (wearing a glove) and only spray one end then hang it on a hook to dry; a couple of hours later I spray the other end. By holding the part in my hand I can more accurately place the paint which means less waste and less overspray than trying to paint something that is moving about on a hook. I have a couple of long marlin spikes (pointy tools) and when painting very small parts I twist the spike into a hole, which allows me to accurately locate the item while I apply the paint.
The photos show some work in progress.
Tip: - I always have a descent quantity of small red, green and blue coloured cable ties in my box of bits. When dismantling anything that is similar on both sides I use navigation light colours and put a red cable tie on left hand parts and a green cable tie on right hand parts. It saves writing on labels that could come off. If parts on the same side are similar front and rear then I apply an additional blue coloured cable tie to the rear parts. “Well it works for me!”
Tip: - To make maximum use of cable ties only engage the tail of the tag a fraction, when you come to prepare and paint the item just cut the end off the cable tie enabling the rest of it to be reused after painting.
We are off in the campervan tomorrow visiting the North Yorkshire Dales so work on my projects will now be on hold for two or three weeks. On return I shall start rubbing down the body ready for paint.
19 September 2021
Painting the Body - Part 1 Rubbing Down:
If you want to have your car professionally painted it will probably cost around 30% of the total cost of building or restoring your car, expect to pay upwards of £2.5k.
Years ago I was the General Manager at a local bus company and all our buses were hand (brush) painted with Mason’s Coach Enamel. Mason’s are no longer in business and the premier supplier of coach work brushing enamel is now Craftmaster Paints.
Note.
When cars were first made they were all brush painted.
Brush painting is a good option for a special or kit car builder who lacks the facilities to spray paint. I know from personal experience that brush painting can achieve very good results, but like everything else it needs time and effort.
Initially I considered Eau-De-Nil (also known as Cockpit Green), then Willow Green and finally settled for Audi Narda Grey, which was matched for me by Craftmaster Paints in their brushing enamel.
For anyone painting their own car I would recommend two books, both by ‘Miles Wilkins’, namely, ‘How to Restore Fibreglass Bodywork’ and ‘How to Restore Paintwork’. I re-read both of these books from beginning to end before I started preparing the main body tub for paint, as a result I changed my modus operandi which was originally based on the recommendations by Craftmaster Paint, basically their recommendation is 400 grit wet and dry used dry prior to applying primer. Miles recommends 320 grit used wet with plenty of washing up liquid. I went for Miles technique but used 400 grit as I already had some.
I have spent the last couple of days rubbing the car down and you can see the results in the photos below.
To avoid changing the shape and introducing irregularities in the surface you need to use a sanding block, but fibreglass is not perfectly flat or regular so after you think you have finished wash the body down and when it dries sand over any shiny bits of paintwork. I applied lots of elbow grease over approximately 8 hours but I still had a few small shiny areas.
01 October 2021
Preparing the body for painting internally:
The main problem is that Mungo has been painted blue internally and externally and he’s going to be Audi Narda Grey which means that he needs to be prepared both inside and outside.
You cannot use the normal rubbing down method on the inside of the car as the surface finish is stippled fibreglass which is not at all smooth and if you flatted it with wet and dry you would damage the glass fibres and reduce its strength. Your pre-paint preparation is therefore restricted to a good cleaning.
I suppose that the use of a chemical like acetone would be appropriate but I decided to go a non chemical route.
The first job was to go over the inside, mainly the sides and boot area, with a good old fashioned scrubbing brush applying a strong solution of ‘Fairy Liquid’ and white vinegar. Once I had scrubbed it vigorously I went over it (GENTLY) with a pressure washer
To access the footwell area I stood the body on its nose, adjusting it so any cleaning liquid drained out of the steering column aperture. I then repeated the scrubbing and pressure washing in the scuttle and dashboard area; followed by doing the same to the underside.
The body was then left to dry out.
03 October 2021
Chassis Strip - Removing the Axles:
The body is now ready for paint but due to the time of the year that is now a job for the rare sunny days so even though I have not yet received the chassis I decided to make a start on the old chassis and strip off all the components.
Apart from removing the body, fuel tank, engine and gearbox at the beginning of the restoration the chassis has remained pretty much untouched, but nevertheless all that remains on it is front and rear axles, suspension canisters with fixings, front drive shafts, hand brake lever, fuel pipes and brake pipes.
I am not removing the brake and fuel pipes at this time as they will be renewed and not re-used. By leaving them in situe I will be able to refer to the old chassis and use it as a pattern for fitting (and routing correctly) the new brake and fuel lines to the new chassis.
It has always been my intention to build my own body one day and when I have finished with the chassis I will store it away. When I’ve finished my current two projects (Mungo and Muffin my NG TA) I’ll dig it out and use it as a jig to make an aluminium body.
I always have a plan in mind on the days I work on my cars and this is normally made when drinking my early morning cuppa. The plan involves writing a sequential list of the jobs that make up the days tasks, at the end of the work session I modify the list to include what actually happened and those final notes eventually form my diary, or my website blog, and on occasion a book. In this event things didn’t go to plan as I spotted a number of unexpected damaged or worn items.
Removing the rear axle:
The first job was to block up the rear of the chassis and remove the rear wheels and hub grease caps; at this point I noticed that both stub axles had been damaged by repeated strikes with a large hammer. Nevertheless I un-peened the hub nuts and slackened them (this is a very difficult job to do if the axle is off the car).
After cutting through the brake pipe where it meets the axle union I removed the shock absorbers and knife edges. The next problem then revealed itself as three of the four securing bolts were rusted solid where they pass through tubes in the chassis; careful attention and the application of Copaslip grease etc. during the initial build would have prevented this. As I was renewing the chassis I rotated the swinging arms 180 degrees and cut through the bolts (and the chassis tubes) with an angle grinder (please see photos below) and lifted the axle away in one piece. I will remove the remaining 1” of each bolt from the axle tube bracket with a Stilson wrench when I start to restore the axle.
Note.
The workmanship on this car is dreadful, as mentioned the ends of the stub axle shafts have been beaten to death with a hammer and the hub nuts (preferably a ‘one-use-only item’) look like they have been used several times. Luckily I have two spare swinging arms so I will use those when it comes to the rebuild.
Removing the front axle:
The front axle was first checked for king-pin and bearing wear then the hub nuts were removed and the drive shafts withdrawn. The front shock absorbers** and knife edges were then removed. I decided not to bother trying to undo the axle securing bolts so removed the swinging arms to gain access for the angle grinder (you cannot rotate the front swinging arms as they have both bump and rebound stops).
Note.
** At this time I discovered that the right hand front shock absorber was split (see photo). According to legend this car was MOT’d shortly before being parked up, personally I’ve never met a blind MOT inspector but in the late seventies I knew an MOT tester who occasionally used to take his certificate pad to the pub on a Friday night and do MOT Tests for selected friends while standing at the bar.
First I disconnected the steering by cutting through the rusted adjusters which will be replaced with a new track rod end system. After removing the anti-roll bar and axle tube end plates I removed the split pins, undid the swinging arm locknuts and pulled off the swinging arms.
With the swinging arms off I removed the bump stops which gave clear access for the angle grinder to cut through the bolts and chassis tube. The front axle beam was then lifted away complete with steering rods.
04 October 2021
Restoring the underside of the body:
While the body was upside down I could give it a good inspection and was surprised, and disappointed to find the wooden floor was delaminating in a few places, especially in the area of the boot floor.
To rectify it I first lifted all the areas of de-lamination with a scraper planning to glue the loose pieces back in place once everything had dried out, unfortunately the loose pieces splintered into numerous pieces.
After lifting all the loose pieces I went over the entire underside with an abrasive pad/disc in an angle grinder removing all the paint and taking the surface right back to sound wood. My intention is to sheave it in fibreglass.
05 October 2021
