2CV Chassis Replacement

[DoubleChevron]

with this much rust most people would have writen a car off

Hey Orestes,

if you ask around overseas you will probably find this one is actually "quite a good one"

I'm envious of this project Gerry, it looks like your going to have lots of fun. I struggle to find the time to even think about working on my car ... Let alone be allowed outside to tinker :disappr:

The parts car my father bought years ago when he was in the UK he couldn't even jack up due to the rust (the jack even disappeared without lifting the car when put under the pillars

seeya,
Shane L.

 

[gibgib]

I'm not too worried. There's nothing rust wise from the front seats to the back of the car. What I see now is what there is. Not more surprises.
The chassis problem will be fixed in one quick (expensive) go. It should not give any grief then for 30 years they tell me.

If I paid $10k or whatever they go for & found this I wouldn't be so happy!
Even when it's fixed up totally & back on the road I still wouldn't have over capitalised with what I paid for it, & I've got absolutely no intentions of selling anyway

I've been using the following websites as a guide & they have been very helpful. I will make this thread into a web page so it may help someone else as well, when all said & done.

http://www.morphet.org.uk/car/chassis/

http://www.schaalbouw.nl/citroen/2cv.htm

A heap here:
http://www.2cvsrus.com/res_ar_e.htm

 

[gibgib]

Finished removing everything from the firewall & managed to remove the front flap after very tediously & gently undoing all those 5mm head nuts. The 3 in the middle decided to spin which made things difficult.

I will need to consult the manual on how to remove the steering column
No nuts visible. I'd leave it but I can see rust stains so I want it cleaned & treated before refit.

The boot lid has been rubbed back using my electric orbital sander. I know there are 2 dents to repair on it but since sanding I can sort of see only one.
I've tried a spotty.
What's the trick here?

Agenda tomorrow is unclear at this point in time.

 

[GreenBlood]

Finished removing everything from the firewall & managed to remove the front flap after very tediously & gently undoing all those 5mm head nuts. The 3 in the middle decided to spin which made things difficult.

I will need to consult the manual on how to remove the steering column
No nuts visible. I'd leave it but I can see rust stains so I want it cleaned & treated before refit.

The boot lid has been rubbed back using my electric orbital sander. I know there are 2 dents to repair on it but since sanding I can sort of see only one.
I've tried a spotty.
What's the trick here?

Adgenda tomorrow is unclear at this point in time.

...bah, call that sanding, rubbish you ain't even started
You really have to feather out those layers of paint or remove all the paint. As soon as you hit that with primer all dents/imperfections are going to stand out like frogs balls When and only when you are convinced you are close to perfection hit the primer with a guide coat (very broad spay pattern of top coat - any colour, as it too will be sanded away) As you now gently sand, any highs or lows will become very obvious - the lows you will fill with putty sand and repeat the above process.

I'm working in the morning (at the office) but, if you are home I'd love to drop over for a look??

Cheers
Chris

 

[gibgib]

...bah, call that sanding, rubbish you ain't even started
You really have to feather out those layers of paint or remove all the paint. As soon as you hit that with primer all dents/imperfections are going to stand out like frogs balls When and only when you are convinced you are close to perfection hit the primer with a guide coat (very broad spay pattern of top coat - any colour, as it too will be sanded away) As you now gently sand, any highs or lows will become very obvious - the lows you will fill with putty sand and repeat the above process.

I'm working in the morning (at the office) but, if you are home I'd love to drop over for a look??

Cheers
Chris

Yes I need some tuition & guidance please. I'm relying on you here Chris.
We are heading to the beach in the morning & having a BBQ for lunch (you are welcome to join in ), after that - sanding.

 

[GreenBlood]

Yes I need some tuition & guidance please. I'm relying on you here Chris.
We are heading to the beach in the morning & having a BBQ for lunch (you are welcome to join in ), after that - sanding.

...is that BYO sand??

I'll see how the day goes, don't really want to gatecrash your bbq - hope you've got the Lamb chops I'll give you a buzz before I leave work :wink2:

Cheers
Chris

 

[DoubleChevron]

Yes I need some tuition & guidance please. I'm relying on you here Chris.
We are heading to the beach in the morning & having a BBQ for lunch (you are welcome to join in ), after that - sanding.

Hi Gerry,

there's only one way to find dents ... Ran your hand over the bonnet, and you'll feel them for sure (this is also the only way to check to see if your repairs are good enough). If it feels flat/level ... it is. If if feels "almost good enough, I can get it any better" and looks good .... It most certainly *not* close enough.

Chris sounds like he's been there and done that. Where the dents are you'll need to sand back to metal (use something faster ... eg: angle grinder with wires brush/sanding pad).

seeya,
Shane L.

 

[JoBo]

Hi,
cylinderhead repairers use a dip to clean alloy heads. Maybe brushing/sploshing this stuff on would do the job?
The Wurth anti corrosion treatment is for bare metal. Once this stuff has fully reacted then it is etchpriming time. Anyhow, this is what my mate does with the vintage cars he restores.
Cheers

 

[gibgib]

I bought an angle grinder wire brush attachment today, haven't used it yet.
I know it will come in handy when really getting the firewall back to metal. It's a beast :headbang:

Cleaning the gearbox again a bit later. I know Super Cheap Auto have an aluminium cleaner that reacts & removes oxidisation from aluminium & stainless steel. It may work on alloy

 

[gibgib]

...bah, call that sanding, rubbish you ain't even started
You really have to feather out those layers of paint or remove all the paint. As soon as you hit that with primer all dents/imperfections are going to stand out like frogs balls When and only when you are convinced you are close to perfection hit the primer with a guide coat (very broad spay pattern of top coat - any colour, as it too will be sanded away) As you now gently sand, any highs or lows will become very obvious - the lows you will fill with putty sand and repeat the above process.

I'm working in the morning (at the office) but, if you are home I'd love to drop over for a look??

Cheers
Chris

Well then Greeny,
As you can see here in the following pics, feathers are not applicable, & in actual fact, this duck will be plucked & be featherless for it's new duco.
Bare metal is the aim.

A combination of paint stripper (3X coats) & orbital sander 120 paper to finish the boot off here. Guard has one coat so far of paint stripper. There is less dust & sander noise this way.
I can see the dents. I can see old bog in the front guard, which also used to be blue!

 

[jarrods]

Hi Gerry,
Very interesting thread and I will be watching with interest. I think you have cured me of ever wanting a 2CV though. For a 1986 model car that is a scary amount of rust.
How do you stop the surface rusting while it waits for painting? Anything I've ever stripped to bare metal has started rusting almost straight away. (and the steel you have looks like it had the rust alloyed into it when it was made)

Jarrod

 

[gibgib]

Hi Gerry,
Very interesting thread and I will be watching with interest. I think you have cured me of ever wanting a 2CV though. For a 1986 model car that is a scary amount of rust.
How do you stop the surface rusting while it waits for painting? Anything I've ever stripped to bare metal has started rusting almost straight away. (and the steel you have looks like it had the rust alloyed into it when it was made)

Jarrod

Yes I am expecting some rust on it in the morning. I will sand it off keep working on the dents. Hopefully tomorrow arvo it will be smoothe & I can seal it with the etch primer I purchased on Wednesday.

 

[Alan S]

When it gets to bare metal, firstly use "Deoxidine" to treat the metal to prevent immediate rust coating, then hit with the self etch.
Be sure to have rubber gloves on hand and read the instructions on how to use it.
:nownow:

Alan S

 

[gibgib]

Hi Alan,
I couldn't find Deoxidine at Super Cheap. Is that where you got it?

 

[Alan S]

No, you'll need a store that sells exclusively paints particularly automotive and preferrably Dulux ICI stuff.
Many of these "Dulux Paint Centres" handle everything from domeastic to automotive, and they'd be a chance or sometimes a "Paint 'n Paper" store handle it too.
(I got a bottle here but a bit far to drop it over)



Alan S

 

[DoubleChevron]

Yeah this distance thing is a problem. I bought a bottle of deoxidine about 12years ago... Still easily 3/4full. That's after painting, 2cv, GS, CX x 2, ID19, etc........ Same thing goes for prepwash, polishes etc...

Mate I hope you bought a high quality wire brush the grinder ... TAKE IT BACK if it's a cheap chinesse one. Once bitten twice shy... The cheap ones throw there wires while being use. Some I pulled from my legs were a good 5mm deep

The good ones never lose any of the wire braids, they just wear down to nothing

seeya,
Shane L.

 

[gibgib]

The wire brush attachment doesn't fit my grinder so it's going back anyway, plus the sale on them is over now.

I have pretty well stripped paint off the left hand guard, with the right partly done now. I won't get a chance to work on the 2cv for 2 weeks so I'll need to sand the rust off should it occur in the iterim.

Reading the can of Septone etch primer I bought, it recommends putty spray over it shortly after cure otherwise it's adhesive properties may be lost.
The way it's looking, if I sprayed it today it may be 4 or 5 weeks before I could spray putty over it. Anyway, I haven't even body filled anything yet.

It's going to be a bit of a juggle sanding back panels, puttying, & keeping the rust at bay while I wait to one shot putty them in one go.
Thinking about it, I may have to break them up into groups of 3 or more to ensure a good job.

 

[GreenBlood]

Wow Gerry, your not letting the grass grow from under your feet, great progress well done. :wink2:

I've been flat out at home all weekend (setting Mrs GB up with a laptop for work - Probably something you could have done in half the time but she needed it ready for tomorrow).

Don't be too concerned with the surface rust that may form, a light sand and a hit of Deoxidine (which you will get from the Dulux paint shop on Logan road - I can pick up for you if you like) and your ready for etch, after filling dents of course.

I'll see if I can organise a compressor ready for the undercoats :wink2:

Cheers
Chris

 

[BogMaster]

Rust treatments

Gerry this stuff is supposed to be brilliant:

http://www.ppc.au.com/

 

[UFO]

Now that I have eventually caught up on Gerry's story about how to rebuild a 2CV that was originally constructed in Swiss Cheese...

It reminded me of a recent car club party discussion (riveting stuff this) about how molasses is a great rust remover. Being the sometimes sceptic I am, I went googling. Found many references, but these are the best ones so far:

http://www.moreg.org.au/dissolving_rust.htm

http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/rust/rust_molasses.htm

So it works. The first link actually explains why and it makes sense. So, everyone down to the local feed store!

I don't know whether it will help the 2CV but it is good for future reference.

BTW Gerry, looks like you are having a GREAT time and doing a great job. Don't get GB over, he'll want to drink to much red wine!