Here's the link for the new Celeste thread by the way - I was sure I all ready had one but can't find it anywhere.

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=3243&p=69118#p69118

The bumper was one I fitted when we first got the car, so no surprises there, but the headlamp bar was fortunate. I think the engine has deposited so much oil around the engine bay it's protected most parts fairly well.

Sorry Russ, that was the first time I got to look under the cover as well - it's a '74 MG. I like the colour, but it seems to have rather more lights than can comfortably fit on the front of the car. It's another neighbour of mines restoration project, though there's only a few holes need sorting out, and the engine putting back together.

But Sean, tractor paint would be far too simple and easy and sensible, not like me at all!
I might use it though - I quite fancy the epoxy primer for longevity of the van, which would also mean I would need to find a cheapo air fed mask and sort out all of the totally unnecessary complexities that spraying 2 pack incurs, tractor paint on top of that... A reasonable compromise between making life difficult and actually ever finishing this van...?

Ooh, and I briefly tried the copper pipe today, it works a treat - I still haven't worked out how to get it on the inside of the door pillar though, or more to the point out again afterwards!

I gave him ago on a bumper, almost blew me up an cut off my fingers, bit of practice though it'll be reet

Love all your work on the van, its excellent!

Next instalment, (I know, I'm terrible at regular updates ). The 2cv is now residing in a barn near our house, so I can work on it all through the winter and not have to worry about rain etc. which is great. The rent is just mowing the farmers lawn once a week - not too bad



First job was the O/S door pillar, I'm getting quite used to uncovering large rusty holes now



Lacking any curved bits of door pillar, or any cool metal bending equipment, I opted for the DIY approach of cutting it up and welding it together again...







Shreddies carton used to copy the curvature from the other side - works quite well.



Tacked...



Welded





Ground down



Stuck in!

Then I had the assistance of both our neighbours dog and a friend of mine in sticking in the A panel





No in between pictures I'm afraid - this panel was a pig to fit, unlike the other side, probably due to the wing mounting stud being slightly misplaced on this side. But we got it in eventually



Next up, this corner;



I've all ready cut out a few chunks of rust, but it doesn't seem to want to let me upload any pictures of it at the moment, they'll be up soon!

I'll let you know how it goes!

Sorry sorry, hopefully getting a bit done this weekend. Instead of work on the van, have a summary of our trip to Manchester and beyond!



Joe, my co-pilot, somewhere along the M5



Overtaking people?? I'm not used to that...



Dismantling my shiny new Honda, somewhere in the middle of Lancashire.



With room to spare! You can fit anything in a 2cv.



It leaks. A lot.



With a bike and the boot, half my workshop and a passanger! Satnav verified 71 mph max, there. I have officially 'sped'...

Home again, safe and well, 496 miles later, and £10 up after a bet with Rosie regarding the reliability of a 2cv

Right - back to the van as soon as I do something...

^ A CB125 t if I'm not mistaken, very nice. I'm a fan of the little Hondas myself, and those share a lot of parts with the CB100 n, and CG125, which makes getting spares easier should you need them.

Yup, 1978.

Thanks, good to know - I'll definitely be needing parts for it!

Do you happen to know if the larger ones (250 etc.) had the same size wheels?

I'd love a set of spoked wheels if I can find them cheaply, but it's very difficult to find any 125 ones with front disc brakes...

The CB250 n(superdream) has the same style alloy wheels, known as 'comstars', 18" front and rear. I expect yours is an 18" front & 17" rear. The CB250 RS has spoked wheels, 18" again, I don't think either would be a straight swap onto your bike.

Your best bet for a swap to spoked wheels is the CB100n, there was a CB125n as well but they seem pretty rare, maybe they weren't officially sold here. The CB100 wheels are 18"front and 17"rear, and appear to use exactly the same brakes as yours, the CG rear wheel may also work, although the front is drum braked.

This is my CB100 that I modified while I was in college, http://i686.photobucket.com/albums/vv22 ... C10782.jpg

Brilliant, thank you! I'll get a set as soon as they can be delivered when my parents are out

New ignition barrel and battery arrived today. Still waiting for a clutch cable and lever, but I think I'll try starting it up this weekend if I have time.

Oh and I really will do something on the van as well, I know this is a 2cv forum

How much did you do to your bike? Lower handlebars? Shorter exhaust?

I love the front half, but the bit behind the seat looks a bit funny

I bought my bike pretty much standard, it was a lovely shade of '70s metallic brown very much like this one, right down to the manky seat cover. I rode it like a complete tool, had a near miss with a car the first time I went out, and had had the first of many offs within a week. Thanks to a very heavy throttle hand, a student budget, and little mechanical sympathy, I killed it on a regular basis and so bought a second one for spares which came with the single seat(a standard seat cut in half and re-covered) that you see on it now. I spent ages making the seat cowl/tail from fibreglass, it was meant to look like some sort of classic racer but this was in the days before we all had the internet in our homes(that makes me feel old), so sources of inspiration weren't readily to hand and it was all a bit mis-guided. I realise now that it doesn't really work style wise, I'd have been much better off picking a bike I liked and copying it.

I put the rearset footpegs on it by reversing the gearlever, moving the passenger pegs forward and making a new brake pedal.
The clip on handle bars I made in college, but I never got around to fitting them as they wouldn't work with the standard clock and headlamp bracket.
The exhaust is the standard one with the back half cut off after the internals all rusted away. I never used it on the road like that though.
It cut out one day, got pushed home, parked in the shed, and that was that for about 12 years. Last winter I dusted it off, got it running, and got around to modifying the headlamp bracket and fitting the bars. I'm thinking about redoing the rear end, but haven't decided how yet. I'm trying to find a style that works with that tank shape, but it's not easy.

Apologies for the OT essay in your van thread.

I don't mind OT essays!

Little update, I fitted the new clutch lever, battery and so on. Got a 'meep' from the horn, and some lights, so I gave it a bit of petrol and tried starting it. On the second kick, it coughed, third it started, ran for a couple of seconds, then spat out the LHS plug.

The front brake is proving problematic, when I opened it to fit the cable, this is what I found;



Nothing!

However, hopefully that is sorted as a nice chap from the honda forum has got a scrap cb100n in his shed I can have the brake innards off, if they are still use-able.

I got the engine out on staurday, and had a look. It's such a difference to mobylette engineering, I just sat and admired it for a few moments.



Anyway, I got the head off and found a dent in one piston, scratches on the other. Hopefully still serviceable, if I smooth them off a bit. I've ordered a cheap helicoil kit off ebay, so I'll repair the threads then. With a bit of luck, that'll be all it needs!

Anyway, sorry sorry sorry, I'm useless, I'll do lots on my van soon!