Weeks of gentle fannying around has resulted in Olive being back on the road for, err, Drive It Day! I am normally spending this time of year trying to persuade Olive that it is worth going down to Brighton for the Brighton end of the London to Brighton run. As everyone has decided that they have seen quite enough of Brighton, I made Drive It Day my muse.

So what have I been doing? Well as the more devoted readers will remember my carb manifold has been blowing since Gordon Brown was on the throne. Added to that, a whole new exhaust system was moronically fitted by an “exhaust fitter”. Like Dunkirk, I decided I should never have gone there. The outsourcing of my jobs was a bad move.

I have refitted the carb manifold.

I have properly secured (that’s two bolts for the mathematicians) the cross box to the gearbox.

I have re clamped all the swan neck-cross box – heat exchanger gubbins with finest copperslip for a gas tight fit. The only problem there was the threads on the only Burton clamp bolts mangled, so I had to buy new bolts.

What I have enjoyed (and what Spitfire and Herald owners gloat about) is the wings-off accessibility of the 2cv engine bay. This is the first time I have had everything out the way, it was real pleasure. I liked being able to see bits I’d never see closely before.

Some pics for you: manifold hole, manifold old and new, engine number close up!

I have not updated this in nearly two years, shocking! So here are the abridged highlights.

Passed MOT with the aid of gaffer tape and cable ties in May 2013.

Drove car on local jaunts with some servicing thrown in then put our house on the market. Looked at some cracking house with double garages, got very excited.

Moved to a house with no garage (they had turned it into some horrid ground floor bedroom) then extended house and converted garage back. So Olive lived for five months either in the driveway, borrowed lock-up or on friend’s sofas for that period. Had to move out of the lock up after the door was tampered with.

She passed anther MOT (May 2014) with no fuss, I rewarded her with some yellow headlight bulbs – see picture.

She now shares a dry garage with our gas boiler; there is a lovely warm petrol-mixed-with-rubber smell, which I love. My spare engine and all my tools are still covered in builder’s dust. Why have I not cleaned these? We had baby (boy, Blake) in November 2014 so my remaining free time left over from toddler duties is now wiped out by baby duties.

I drive Olive roughly once a fortnight for varying distances and enjoy every opportunity to do so. Service and MOT are due in a few months so will have to grab some garage time soon.

I was only wondering the other day what had happened to the car! Glad you've still got got it. Congratulations on becoming a Dad...

Thanks Neil. When the baby finds time off between drinking, crapping, teething and sleeping I shall take him out for his first 2cv experience.

We had a baby on 30th November. Been pretty desperate for her to have her first 2cv ride too, hopefully in the next week or so...

Classic car show Eastbourne yesterday with some fine French tin. They parked us on the steepest hill as our cars are known to have legendary handbrakes. Thanks CARS for letting me tag along.