Okay, so this car's been a bit (?) of a pain in the old 'arris and today proved no different!

I decided it was time to turn the car around and finish the passenger side off. So, started it up and realised how badly it was running-bear in mind that it's been plagued with fuel laeks since it's been here. Anyway, checked all the usual suspects, points, new plugs, leads, coil and so on-no better. removed rocker covers and checked valve clearances.

I found the tappets were tighter than me! Adjusted valve clearances and retried it, better but still back-firng/missfiring

So, question to the really experienced folk out there, anybody else ever come accross such badly adjusted tappets that the valves have kissed the pistons?

With a replacement head fitted on the N/S, she started and ran like a dream, so that's a plus I guess!

Anyway, onto todays photos.......

Spanners,
wouldn't the perpetrator have had to wind the tappets right in for there to be any chance of that happening?
With such a setting, there'd have been very little chance of that cylinder having any compression, so a rather remote chance of the engine starting.

Far more probable that it was a straightforward case of over-revving, I'd reckon, especially if the post mortem shows that the exhaust valve stem is bent...

ken.

I was thinking about that last night Ken and concluded very much the same.

It was an absolute bitch to start and took some real cranking but, then again, with bent valves it's going to I suppose.

Still hate the bloody thing although it starts and runs like a dream now.

Looks good, non-starter bent valves head off - Keep up the good work, its all practice

Hi Spanners.

Fingers crossed your valves aren't actually bent. It might be that by having them too 'tight', with zero clearance, they might 'only' be burnt from not closing fully during the combustion cycle - that'll give you some impressive mis/back-firing too. Possibly a good grinding-in will sort it.

Today has seen me stuck in the garage for 8 or so hours but well worth it I'd say.

Anyway, the rot on this thing didn't stop at the floors and sills etc, it also extended to........

Seat runners, I managed to stab a screwdriver right the way through this one!



Front door bottoms



And rear door hinges



So I got the welder out for the rear doors-I'm not replacing them, it's not my car!





I don't want it rotting away in a hurry so I've filled all the various box sections up with Waxoyl



And lastly, it's starting to look like a car again at last




Hopefully have it finished tomorrow....................... Fingers crossed.

Really looking good, nice work, I'm getting such a bug for having a road going 2cv

A weekend on your racer and it could be road legal!

tempting, I can't get it off the drive without it grounding out, would be a bit of fun though

I know what you mean though Simon-I would like a standard road 2CV some times. The racer's great fun but can be a little "bumpy" at times.