Joined: February 26th, 2013, 6:35 pm Posts: 44 Location: East Sussex, England
1982 Bleu Lagune Special - Cat C
Hello everyone and here we have my 1st of 2 2cv's in the fleet. This particular one was manufactured on 23.3.82 and it was on it's 28 birthday (23.3.10) to the day that I purchased it! History is pretty scarce I've got a few bills with previous owner's names addresses etc. but I don't know whether it's forum rules to post the on so I won't for now. I don't know whether anybody on here recognises the car? Any info would be great.
As good as the pictures may (or may not) make the car look it did ( and does) need a lot of bodywork. As of 2013 it need a full windscreen panel, boot floor and rear light panel at the very least. I had finally managed to stencil in a date with my mechanic to replace these parts in may 2013 and naturally on 28.3.13 this happened...
So my dad was driving the car and was sat completely stationary and was hit head on by a Vauxhall Combo van which as you can tell by the skid marks was travelling at quite a lick. The Vauxhall got off with a cracked bumper, broken radiator and a stern lecture from my Dad ( a fire fighter at the time) how driving in a manner such as that causes people like him (my dad) to scrape people like him (Combo man) off the road. The van driver went on to apologize and admit liability plus there was a witness who confirmed matters. So the van got off lightly, the 2cv did not...
So that was it at the time of the crash. Despite the third party admitting liability due to a discrepancy in the policy our insurance decided they wanted nothing to do with it after they had assessed the vehicle which had effectively left my high and dry because now not only had my pride and joy been wrecked but because it had been assessed, it had also been recorded, cat-c, it did not matter that the claim had not gone through. I was both angry and upset and there was a lot of blame thrown about between me and my dad.
For those asking the policy stated that it was registered and owned by the policy holder (my dad) but the car is in fact both owned by and registered by me (due to cost I wasn't on the policy at all). I however took the policy and knew this and filled the details out correctly using a price comparison site clicked the cheapest deal didn't re-check as I assumed they'd be the same but asked my dad to check it (he didn't either) and sure enough the details had changed. I'm pretty sure the accident happened within the 'cooling off' period actually and the policy cost £99 which was fully refunded. :s.
So what was the outcome? Well the saving grace was that the third-party had admitted liability so it was a case of contacting their insurance and forwarding the damage report and then receiving the pay out. The important lesson being make sure the policy is absolutely water tight and cheap insurers and always best. But that's dead and buried now and I can now look to restoring this car. Here's the report..
And what it looks like now...
I'm currently on a welding course and after that I'm looking to buy a MIG and get stuck in although the house may be going on the market soon but watch this space
Last edited by blue_2cv on February 17th, 2015, 8:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Those top photos do make it look nice. I will say though that the date of manufacture is likely to be sometime in 1982. 1983 cars started at chassis number 88KA, and your car is 85KA. Bleu Lagune is one of my favourite 2CV colours.
_________________ 1988 built (1989 F-registered) Citroën 2CV-Six 2013 (63-Plate) VW Golf SE 1.4TSI BMT DSG7 1932 Morris Minor Open Two-Seater (The £100 car).
February 14th, 2015, 12:55 pm
blue_2cv
2CV Fan
Joined: February 26th, 2013, 6:35 pm Posts: 44 Location: East Sussex, England
Re: 1982 Bleu Lagune Special
Thanks Jonathan. It is a 1982 according to the log book it also has the later type clutch (I'm pretty sure that some cars around then sometimes had the diaphragm clutch as well). It was quite shiny when I bought it, but it was deceptive because the boot and windscreen panel were always in need of replacement!
February 14th, 2015, 2:37 pm
blue_2cv
2CV Fan
Joined: February 26th, 2013, 6:35 pm Posts: 44 Location: East Sussex, England
Re: 1982 Bleu Lagune Special - Cat C
I've finally decided to bite the bullet and begin to tackle my car. You could argue that I probably should sort my other 2cv's faults before trying to repair this one but with it festooning my neighbours drive, a new welder sat idly and summer round the corner (yeah right! ) I thought it best to start working on it. But first we had to get it back to the house and I was not going to push it...
It was good fun being towed being my brother's car. The 2cv doesn't have any shocks at the moment so even at walking pace it was clown car bouncy!
On the drive I started to take it apart.
With the dash and heater vents off it revealed the extent of the corrosion to the cross member.
I then stood back and let my brother and dad take the windscreen panel out and watch them *ahem* split it in half. Still it was more sophisticated then my would be attempt of smashing it with a hammer! Joking aside that screen is pretty buggered. But yes we probably should have just cut the rubber. Moving on...
With it out the full extent of the corrosion was obvious. I mean the windscreen hid a multitude of sins.
Quite literally held together by tape!
Then come grinding paint off both sides of the windscreen panel running up the A pillar. I decided for ease to remove the wiring that ran up the passenger side before the rather monotonous task of drilling spot welds and grinding.
The cross member was so corroded that the panel was even attached to it.
I initially thought that there was a cross member at the top of the windscreen but it appeared to be the windscreen panel folded over itself.
Once I'd removed the last of the windscreen panel, I then started to clean up and started to wire brush the surprising clean upper front internal scuttle before painting the bits that won't be welded in red oxide.
Note the remains of the spot welds which I'll leave for the time being until the new panels arrive for reference for the plug welds then I'll grind them back along with taking the cross member out etc. But this what I've done so far. More to follow.
June 6th, 2015, 6:01 pm
AZL57
Firing on two.
Joined: October 22nd, 2014, 10:59 pm Posts: 2196 Location: South-Limburg
Re: 1982 Bleu Lagune Special - Cat C
Nice job, ps. the tape was done by the factory had it in mine too they also close the holes in side windscreen panel with tape. The holes are for the spotweolder to get into when assembling the car.
June 6th, 2015, 10:39 pm
blue_2cv
2CV Fan
Joined: February 26th, 2013, 6:35 pm Posts: 44 Location: East Sussex, England
Re: 1982 Bleu Lagune Special - Cat C
Thank you. I thought so, quite cool to see it there, holding the remains of the car together! I'll have to reinstate it when I'm done.
AZL57 wrote:
Nice job, ps. the tape was done by the factory had it in mine too they also close the holes in side windscreen panel with tape. The holes are for the spotweolder to get into when assembling the car.
June 6th, 2015, 11:08 pm
blue_2cv
2CV Fan
Joined: February 26th, 2013, 6:35 pm Posts: 44 Location: East Sussex, England
Re: 1982 Bleu Lagune Special - Cat C
I got on with welding in the internal cross member that sits behind the windscreen panel. I did burn through a tiny bit and again with the massive angle grinder (I really need a Dremel or similar) Trying to plug them up was interesting. But for the first welding I've done that wasn't to scrap I think it went well, I was expecting far worse.
I removed the old cross member.
The old. The new.
Then I trial fitted the new cross member making sure I got a 90mm gap between the bottom of the cross member and the scuttle panel
I also had to make sure that dash and windscreen demisters had to fit as before committing to welding the panel in.
Then I took it off gave the contact patch on the car a coat of weld through primer drilled a few holes for the plug welds and set to it.
After that I trial fitted the windscreen panel.
It'll look miles better when that's in but I had to take it out as I've got other repairs to make first. Stay tuned.
June 17th, 2015, 12:48 am
Max Wyer
Firing on two.
Joined: March 21st, 2015, 11:39 am Posts: 117 Location: Derbyshire England
Re: 1982 Bleu Lagune Special - Cat C
Good job!!
_________________ Regards. Max.
June 17th, 2015, 8:26 pm
Vasil Ami
Firing on two.
Joined: December 6th, 2013, 9:55 pm Posts: 115
Re: 1982 Bleu Lagune Special - Cat C
Good job,keep it on
June 18th, 2015, 9:10 pm
AZL57
Firing on two.
Joined: October 22nd, 2014, 10:59 pm Posts: 2196 Location: South-Limburg
Re: 1982 Bleu Lagune Special - Cat C
nice work, what is the little clip in the middle of the windscreen bay next to the vice grip?
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