Why a different colour for the cargo area?

That's like putting hubcaps on a Mehari...

I picked up a new trailer on Saturday so off we went to Pau today to visit the body shop called Carrosserie Derrips (http://www.carrosseriederrips.com) who are the guys responsible for the Cochonou Tour de France deuches. He was recommend by most of the Frenchies around here.

I am glad he was quite impressed when we drove up (we parked the trailer in a car park near to the motorway and drove him into Pau).

So I am hoping his quotation for a complete body prep and respray will be favourable. Have to wait until next week before I know if my budget will match.

In the mean time I will carry on with the 4GTL project for the wife.... just got a Twingo rag top for it


Untitled by Tripyrenees, on Flickr


Untitled by Tripyrenees, on Flickr

Hmmm, suddenly he won't start. This was a low progression in that it was starting to be a pain to start. Turns over nice, with plenty of fuel but not firing up.

It was getting worse and now nothing at all - Would I be right in thinking it could be the condenser

If you have a spare, try another condenser , maybe a 12 volts ????

Absolutely chuffed to bits - AT LAST!!!

Firstly, it was the condenser for the starting problem but that was the least of the problems in the end. Basically this little car has not been charging its battery since I got it in December.

I have only been going short distances and re charging the battery thinking it was from lack of use, so not really noticed it. I didn't know what to look at on the ammeter on the dashboard..... it never really moved other than flickered when I put the indicator on or pushed on the brakes. But on my Epic drive yesterday it totally wiped out the battery and hence me being boosted along with 12 volt restarts. The guys said it was the Dynamo but I was not convinced.

So I took it apart today, cleaned the contacts and scraped between them. Changed one of the brushes. But I did notice the thin insulation on the Exciter cable was torn and bare so it "could" have been earthing against the dynamo housing so never exciting the coil at all. I re-insulated it and put it all back together.

I put back the original regulator as I had bought a new one but was not confident that it matched the Dynamo unit. I started him up and BAM, the battery went up to 7 Volts on rev up.

Took him out for a drive and it POWERED away, not pinking on the hills and not chuntering around the corners. It feels so smooth (well as smooth as you can get from a 56 year old van). So I went out again with full lights on (in the dark) and everything worked perfectly.

I think I have finally fixed my charging nightmare and have a fully functional AZU.

Signed up for a vintage car parade in Luchon in two weeks - they asked if we could attend and now we can

Super !!
Hope you will enjoy the little bugger even more now !

Excellent news...
One comment though; there's no possible link between battery voltage and pinking/detonation.

That's almost certainly the result of the ignition timing having too much advance, so it would be advisable to check it, retarding it from its current setting as necessary.

Those older engines seem more resistant to damage from detonation, perhaps because the cylinder walls are thicker than on the 602 engines, however the timing must be a long way out for it to be happening with a compression ratio as low as 7.5:1.

With the timing correct, hill climbing ability tends to improve as well, so there's another incentive.

ken

Hi Ken - I may have used the wrong terminology with regards to pinking etc.

But it does seem to drive a lot better now the dynamo is charging. Does the battery voltage have no effect on the coil etc. It was down below 3 volts when I was konking out.

Runs fantastic at the moment and even let my wife, Julie, have her 1st ever drive - she loved it

In my off season now so plenty of time on my hands. Going off to two events this weekend in the little AZU.

1st is a Retro Car display in the local ski town of Luchon, they give us free lunch to display the cars and the 2nd on Sunday is with the 2CV club Bearnais which we have been invited to join - big day with over 100 Km of driving and lunch at a chateau somewhere near Pau - http://www.les2cvdubearn.fr Should be good fun now he runs well.

Also, as we have time on our hands, I named our little amateur garage - if anyone watches Discovery Turbo, you might see the similarity

Great trip out yesterday with the 2CV Club. A couple of pictures at the vineyard.


Untitled by Tripyrenees, on Flickr


Untitled by Tripyrenees, on Flickr


Untitled by Tripyrenees, on Flickr


Untitled by Tripyrenees, on Flickr


Untitled by Tripyrenees, on Flickr


Untitled by Tripyrenees, on Flickr