Neddy Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 Ah, there you are... 👀 Having had both eye lenses replaced due to cataracts I can finally see what I'm doing and can no longer use poor eyesight as an excuse for poor workmanship! The forced hiatus has been frustrating but I've spent the time planning new projects. Now, I had resolved to finally get down to some serious OOB modelling - I was, honest! - but I came across a photo of a Citroen 2CV that someone had modded appallingly badly and it set me thinking... A not-so-quick trawl of the Interwebs produced (a) a ridiculously cheap pre-owned Airfix 2CV kit, and (b) an incomplete hot-rod kit and what had been a vague idea chrystallised into my next lunatic fun project - a 2CV-bodied V8-powered street-rod. (Any francophiles and/or lovers of the Tin Snail may leave now and preserve their delicate sensibilities...) These are the donor kits... Now, the overall concept is to build the street-rod's chassis and running gear pretty much OOB and modify the 2CV's bodyshell to fit straight onto it. Simples... Offering the bodyshell up to the 'rod's floorpan showed straight away that it was feasible but there's a 5mm discrepancy in the wheelbase that needs attending to... Several options offered themselves but none would keep the correct proportions so there was nothing for it but a cut-and-shut. Looking carefully at the shell the best method is a staggered section-removal, ensuring the sections to be removed were at points where they were parallel-sided to make rejoining and reshaping easier. I've marked up ready for cutting... Handily the flattest, most horizontal roof section is directly above the B-pillars which I had planned to remove anyway to improve its looks, but the best place to remove the side sections is on the rear doors. This will also create a stronger shell when rejoined due to the staggered cuts. I've marked up the front wings for removal but won't do that until the other body mods are complete to preserve rigidity. All are welcome to follow along but it might be a bumpy ride... 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malpaso Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 I’m sure this will come out well, but I can’t help feeling lengthening the T chassis would be easier? Look forward to the result! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neddy Posted February 16 Author Share Posted February 16 I did consider that option but it meant lengthening not only the chassis and floorpan assemblies but the exhaust system, propshaft and several other tricky bits, the end result being out of proportion as street rods tend to be fairly short wheelbase anyway. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefr22 Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 Oh look out, he's off again...!! I've got enough and to last the duration so crack on Neddy, this will be fun! Keith PS Really good to hear the eye ops went well.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klubman01 Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 Good to have you back. This promises to be another of your entertaining builds. Trevor 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatW Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 AAH! Very interesting! (That comment was from a Chinese detective in an early movie). 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noel Smith Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 'Fascinating'. (Spock from Star Trek). 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in Lincs Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 Damnit Jim, I'm a Doctor not a plastic surgeon 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vesa Jussila Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 This is nice idea. Just go forward with full speed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in Lincs Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 And make sure the plastic doesn't warp. I'm sorry, but this is too easy. I'll stop now though or it's going to turn into one of Martians threads 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noel Smith Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 Warp Factor 1 Mr Sulu? Seriously though this looks like being a really fun project in the making. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psdavidson Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 Looks like fun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaz Gordon Posted February 18 Share Posted February 18 A brief google search reveals there are a rather disturbing number of V8 powered 2CVs in existence in the real world. I'm trying not to think about it too much... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neddy Posted February 18 Author Share Posted February 18 1 hour ago, Chaz Gordon said: A brief google search reveals there are a rather disturbing number of V8 powered 2CVs in existence in the real world. I'm trying not to think about it too much... What is this "think" of which you speak? Best not. 😊 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaz Gordon Posted February 18 Share Posted February 18 1 hour ago, Neddy said: What is this "think" of which you speak? Best not. 😊 You're not wrong, very unhealthy habit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neddy Posted February 18 Author Share Posted February 18 Well, there's no going back now... ...all the initial cuts made with a razor saw. A quick clean-up of the rough edges and they offered up pretty well so I temporarily joined them with masking tape to check the wheelbase and general look of the thing... ...and am pleased to say the wheelbase is now spot-on and the general look is as I'd hoped. Off-camera I've also cut the interior side panels by the same amount and offset the cuts so that when assembled they will provide positive location points and additional stiffness to the joins. The roof join I'll reinforce with a strip of thin Plasticard underneath it so the end result should be pretty rigid. I foresee a lot of filling and sanding in my immediate future! 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dnl42 Posted February 18 Share Posted February 18 Well, this is interesting! And just a little twisted. Once I got over the initial shock, I wondered if you were going to also chop the roof, but that would be very hard with that shape. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neddy Posted February 18 Author Share Posted February 18 I did consider it...for about three seconds! Apart from the myriad technical challenges the windscreen is narrow enough already and I don't think it would improve matters, in fact quite the reverse. 😁 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toftdale Posted February 18 Share Posted February 18 You know you're a good builder when someone can look at you work and know who did it and this can only have come from the mind of one person 😅🤣. Great idea - Andy 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neddy Posted February 18 Author Share Posted February 18 1 hour ago, Toftdale said: You know you're a good builder when someone can look at you work and know who did it and this can only have come from the mind of one person 😅🤣. Sadly you're right - in so many ways... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neddy Posted February 19 Author Share Posted February 19 Bonjour mes infants! Further progress today involved copious quantities of filler and a couple of Mrs N's emery boards. As a result the joins are a lot less obvious. The cut-down door liner panels were cemented in and a fillet of Plasticard strengthened the roof joint, all giving a strong, stable and properly aligned 'shell. I could then remove the front wings which at one stage were all that was holding it together! I also very roughly marked out some guidelines for opening up the rear wheel-arches. I first chain-drilled them then shaped them with the mini-drill and a Dremel drum sander attachment. That and some minor re-shaping at the front corners meant I could trial it for the first time on the hot-rod's floor-pan... It's all very rough and not-so-ready at the moment but at least you can now get an idea of what I'm up to! 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dnl42 Posted February 19 Share Posted February 19 Excellent reconstructive surgery! This will be a hoot. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toftdale Posted February 19 Share Posted February 19 It was like they were meant to be together. Have you thought about removing the rear wheel arches altogether and grafting is some flat sheet? It might make the join between the two elements appear more cohesive. Great work - Andy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neddy Posted February 19 Author Share Posted February 19 TBH I'm mulling over options as it develops - nothing's ruled out! I'm also looking at the firewall which I think needs to be more vertical - further surgery required. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Six97s Posted February 19 Share Posted February 19 Mad. 🙃 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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