11x04 - Citroën 2CV

[bunniefuu]

This time on Wheeler Dealers, a
charming motor that's a piece of history.

It doesn't get much better than this.

But it's fading fast.

I knew the engine was
leaking, but now I think it's crying.

I don't think it's got long left.

Ed has a challenge
that's bigger than the car.

So you want me to sort out
the suspension, the engine,

the interior, the roof,
the electrics, the paint.

I mean there's a lot of things
wrong with this very small car.

And I make sure the period
details are present and correct.

In my head, see, I've got it as grey.

I hunt down broken classic
cars that need a break.

It needs to be rescued
because it's just about to die.

And Ed is the petrol-headed whiz
who performs the mechanical magic.

When the cars are ready, we
sell them on, hopefully for a profit.

The 2CV is a slice of
France, right up there with

a beret, the baguette
and the love of fine food.

This little car is a national icon.

The Duchivau was
originally intended for rural

communities which had
previously used horses and carts.

Its winning design has survived basically
unchained for more than four decades.

Like the Mini, the Fiat


it's considered part
of motoring revolution.

The 2CV was affordable, could
transport four people in comfort, was

simple to maintain and could
even carry the odd animal if it had to.

In all its various guises,
more than 8 million have

been built and the workshop
is crying out for just one.

With the 2CV, you've got to look for an
older one from the late 50s or early 60s.

They're fetching strong
money at the moment

and that means a profit
is much more likely.

Now, I'm not going to find one
just stuffed underneath a mattress.

They're very rare, so
I've come to a place where

I reckon my chances
will be a little bit higher.

They call it France.

I'm camped up in the south west
as the mild climate should mean

less rust on old 2CVs and supply
would be good in rural areas.

A nice 50s car could fetch 8 to 10
grand outside of France, so I want to

buy one for around 4 grand and look
to double my money when I sell it on.

Okay, there's one here in this
local paper, 2CV 1966 on 68,000

kilometres but the price, 5,500
Euros, it's a bit too rich for me.

There's nothing cheap
and cheerful in the

paper, so I cast a net to
include some websites.

Right, okay, I found one online
and it's a car that really interests

me because it's nice and original
and that's the key with these.

It's a 1958 model. It says it's
got a control technique. In Britain,

that means it's got an MOT
certificate or a roadworthy certificate.

and on an old car, that's got to be a
really good thing, so let's give it a call.

The seller is a dealer and doesn't
speak English but his enthusiasm

for the car is clear and I
learnt that the 2CV is original.

Well, there you go. That
seems really good, doesn't it?

I got as much out of him as
I possibly can about the car.

My instinct tells me it's pretty
much all together. Sounds

quite exciting. It's in Bayaritz,
it's not too far from me.

I think I should go
and stand in front of it.

Now, the thing about this car
that I'm going to see, it's a 2CV

from the 50s and that means
it's incredibly rare and very old.

The big problem with those
is rust, so I'm going to have to

get down on my hands and knees
and really dig around underneath

because if it's rotten, the
numbers just won't stack up.

Bonjour. Jean-Pierre.
Michel. Nice to meet you.

What a wonderful looking
business. Lovely cars.

Now, I've come to see this, the
Deux-Jabons. Now, this car is 1958.

Second to three. Yes.
Oh, wow. Very nice. Oh,

it's got the corrugated
bonnet. I like that.

It shows how old it is, the
smaller grill at the front. This car's

full of character. Look at that,
the way it moves on its suspension.

I like to find cars that are
original like this, except

for this one that's been
hand-painted by somebody.

It's original other than
the paint job. Okay,

should we have a look
at the motor? Yes, engine.

And there it is. Look
at that. Tiny little engine

underneath. Okay, so
this is a two-cylinder.

Two-cylinder, two-cylinder,
four-centimetre cube. So that's 425cc.

There's lots of leaks, lots of oil leaks
all over the little thing, unfortunately.

Well, let's have a look inside. I've got
the suicide doors. Look at that. Wonderful.

This is non-original. Yeah, nasty seat
covers. They are original, on the rear seat.

So everything is within
the car, it's just all a bit,

well, threadbare and
tatty, to be honest with you.

Okay, let's have a look round the back.
Very nice. Nice and original.

Very good oil. No signs
of rust there whatsoever.

Looks very nice,
and this is nice and...

Maybe it needs a bit of oil on that hinge.
Can I have a look underneath? Yes?

Yeah, that looks alright, doesn't
it? Nice and solid. I was a little bit

worried about the underneath of this
car, but that looks alright, doesn't it?

Very nice indeed.

So Jean-Pierre, I'm very
happy. I just need to take you for

a test drive. Yes? Perfect.
Let's get it out on the road.

It doesn't get much better
than this. The experience

of doing this is absolutely
magical. I love it.

You can hear that little two-cylinder


The dashboard, look at it. It's as
simple as a block of wood. I've got one

little dial up here that doesn't seem
to work. I think that's the speedo.

I've got no airbags, I've got no
central locking, no electric windows,

no electric sunroof, no sat-nav,
no GPS. I love it. Brilliant.

So let's look what we've got. Well,
we've got the steering and it works, but...

It does throw the car around
a little bit, but it's not wobbling.

You know, the steering's nice
and accurate and it's got brakes.

Oh, you do have to stamp
on them, but they do work.

Now as for the engine, just listen
to it. Oh, working away up the front.

It's a tiny little two-cylinder and it's
only got under 20 brake horsepower.

I've got a funny feeling
that a few of those French

ponies have left the engine
and they've run for the hills.

And the ones that have left have
started smoking because there's

a load of smoke coming out
of the engine that stinks in here.

I knew the engine was
leaking, but now I think

it's crying. I don't
know if it's got long left.

The suspension on this
car is so soft. I mean, they're

legendary, actually, for having
sort of a magic carpet ride.

This 2CV has definitely
got that. Look at it. I mean, it

pitches and it buckles and
it rolls all over the place.

I know what the suspension
should feel like in one

of these cars, and it
shouldn't feel like this.

There's definitely something wrong with it.

So have I got the measure in
this car? This car is a cracking

little motor. It's got oodles
and oodles of character.

This is a really good starting point
for a rescue, so I reckon I want it.

Smokey.

Automatic.

It's automatic. No, it's falling apart.
Jean-Pierre, this car has many problems.

It needs total restoration,
this car, but I like it.

It's got a character and
a charm that you don't

find in cars today,
and I like it for that.

And I think you just want too much money.
You want €4,000,000, which is €4,500.

That's too much. I think it's worth
less, which is under €2,000,000.

No.

€3,500.

No, impossible. Impossible.

I'll make you one offer.

€4,000. That's it. What do you say?

OK.

Yes? Wonderful. Well done.
I just bought myself a 2CV.

I'm full of enthusiasm for
this elderly but original 2CV.

The numbers seem good,
but the Citroen is far from well.

It'll need a full restoration.
Otherwise, I can

kiss goodbye to the plans
of doubling my money.

I've bought myself a French icon.

The 2CV, the legend of
French engineering, and it's ours!

At around €3,500, I snapped up the deal,
and I'm on a mission to double my money.

But our car has come with
some issues to deal with first.

It needs total restoration, this car.
It's falling apart.

The ride is too soft, the
engine smokes, and the

paint job is a joke,
but I absolutely love it.

So, what's the plan with this car?

Well, this car is so
charming and so authentic

that we need to
lock that originality in.

We need to restore the engine.
We need to fix up the interior.

We need to give it a proper paint job.
We need to do this car justice.

And if we get it right, a car like this
that's so rare on the European market

will make quite a splash, and I know that
we could get twice what we paid for it.

That's if we get it right.

Now, because I like
driving, I'd like nothing

more than to spend hours
behind the wheel of this

and drive it all the way
back to the workshop.

But actually, I'd be a bit
daft to do that because this is

a vintage car, and it needs
protecting and looking after.

It's already spitting oil.
There's smoke coming out of the engine.

So, I'm going to make the
very short trip to a little port

where I can put this car on a
ferry and get it back in one piece.

Time to dust off your Berry, Ed.
I've robbed a French icon.

Now, that is brilliant.

I thought you'd like that.

I've given up on the modern world,
Edward, and I've gone back to basics.

Well, it is quite a fantastic little 2CV.

I mean, I've always loved kind
of the original versions of cars,

and I'm guessing this one's
from the early 50s, is it?

This one is from 1958.

It's a proper genuine 2CV,
or du chevau, and it's ours.

I can see why you went for this car.

It's got those fantastic suicide
doors, the high-level indicator.

It's got this lovely kind
of corrugated bonnet.

You haven't seen the best of it.

Now, feast your eyes on that bad boy.

That's France's finest
engineering right there.

That is tiny, isn't it?

You're staring at 425cc of powerhouse.

It's quite mad, isn't it?

I love the kind of inboard drum brakes.

It's got a bizarre kind of
gear shifter and a ton of oil.

It doesn't look very happy, actually.

It's not.
It's smoking like a chimney as well.

So I think you need to whip
it out and have a look at it.

I guess while I'm doing
that, I should also sort

out these horrible
rusty light pods as well.

It's good, though.

Okay, it's quite good.

What do you mean it's quite good?

It's got character. It's got character.

Character is what it's got in spades.

Wait until you see inside. Ready?

Don't tell me you want me
to just refurbish this quickly.

I'm guessing this is the original
fabric on the back here, is it?

That is the original fabric.
This isn't, clearly.

So it ain't going to be that hard, is it?

It's very, very simple.

I love that lovely steel steering wheel and
the kind of interesting centre dashboard.

I mean, it's all very good, isn't it?

Does everything work?

Well, there's not much that
can go wrong, is there, really?

It's got one light bulb and two switches.

Okay.

Well, the roof at least looks
reasonable, except for that.

There's a little Nick.
Maybe we can repair that.

What do you think of the paint job, though?

Well, I actually don't mind it.

I mean, it's not exactly
factory, this kind of brush look.

But, you know, we need
to keep it kind of retro.

But how does it drive?

Very interesting, this car
to drive, let me tell you.

Because when you go
round one bend, it's like that.

And then when you go round
a sharper bend, it's like that.

And then you come to
an S bend and it's like that.

Yeah, but it's supposed to be like that.

It's supposed to be able to
drive over a ploughed field.

So, of course, the suspension
is going to be kind of spongy.

I don't think it should
be quite as bad as that.

There's something, you know,
we need to do with the suspension.

So you want me to sort out the
suspension, the engine, the interior,

the roof, the electrics, the paint.

I mean, there's a lot of things
wrong with this very small car.

And I guess I've got a
teeny-weeny budget as well.

Well, you have got a budget.

But, yeah, let's keep the
budget spend really small.

I paid, ready, just €4,000.

That's about £3,300.

So I want to get this car looking
ship-shaped for as little money,

as little spend as possible.

And I know if we get it right, we
could probably sell this for double.

Sacre bleu.

Sacre bleu?

Don't you mean let's
get it in the workshop?

That's what you mean, isn't it?

Say yes.

The Citroen 2CV isn't
exactly conventionally pretty.

It's not quick and it's not sophisticated.

It doesn't even have any
brand snobbery going for it.

In fact, even its name, De Chavau,
kind of conjures up this image

of two tired old horses
plodding through a field.

Basically, the 2CV was
designed to work for its living

and yet, somehow, it's managed to
become this kind of cool motoring legend.

So how do I convert ours from
a workhorse into a show horse?

Well, the first thing I'm going to do is
to resolve the issues with the engine.

Mike tells me it's smoky,
slow and it's been leaking oil.

Now, this mad little two-cylinder
air-cooled engine is 425cc

and it's probably better
suited for motorbikes than cars.

If you compare it to a modern-day
vehicle, my daily driver is a 3.62 V8.

It has, like, eight times the
capacity, way more power,

but, of course, that means
that you need every single ounce

of the energy you're
going to get out of this little

powerhouse to actually
drag the car along the road.

A compression test will
determine the amount of

pressure that can be
mustered in each cylinder.

A loss in compression
means a loss in power.

So I remove the spark plugs, screw
in the Gauge and turn over the engine.

Now, of course, the classic top tip
when you're doing a compression test

is make sure that the throttle is wide
open so the engine can actually breathe.

The first cylinder gives me 110 psi.

Let's see if the second can match it.

Well, that isn't such great news.

We've got 70 psi of compression
on this side and 110 on this side.

Now, 110 psi is actually really
good for an engine of this age.

Now, it's the disparity
that's a real problem.

It could be losing compression because
it's perhaps got a hole in the piston,

maybe the valves are damaged,
maybe the rings have gone.

You know, there could
be so many different things.

The only real way I'm
going to find out is by taking

the whole thing apart and
actually having a look inside.

With most cars, the news
you're going to drop the engine out

is met with enormous disappointment
and the expectation of large bills.

Well, the 2CV was designed to
be serviced literally out in the field

and removing the engine is barely more
complicated than stripping down a lawnmower.

OK, Phil, do you want to do this hand?

With everything unbolted
and a helping hand from Phil,

the engine is wrestled from the chassis.

Now, it's quite interesting.

Our engine is very similar to
the design used by Volkswagen

on their Type 4 air-cooled engine.

You've got a big fan on the
front and that's blowing cooling air

over both the head and the barrels
to kind of keep them cool as well.

You've got a carburetor sitting on the top

with a little inlet
manifold on the top there

and, of course, you've
got an oil cooler as well

which you're going to have to clean
before I put it back on the vehicle.

So I strip the engine down
to the two barrels and pistons.

This means removing the
carburetor and the exhaust

and I group the various bolts so I
can get it back together again later.

And while this is possible on a
kitchen table, it's not a clean job.

Let's see what the barrels reveal.

So I'm just going to
look down the bore of our

piston from the side
with lower compression

and actually what I'm looking
for are just kind of scoring marks

and I can see some kind of
marks going along the length

of the cylinder but also I
can't see any honing marks.

There should be some sort of zigzag
marks which is how they prepare the surface

so make sure that the
rings actually seal nicely.

So just check the good side.

Actually, there are some
honing marks in there

and there are lots less of these kind
of scoring marks going up and down.

So that leads me to suspect
that part of our problem here,

the reason for low compression,
might be that for some reason

some grip perhaps has got
into this side of this cylinder

and actually has worn
away the rings and the bore

and that's why it's actually
low on compression.

What a shame.

I'm pretty certain this left cylinder
is beyond economical repair.

To make completely sure,
I'll measure the piston ring gap

and if the gap is too
big, gases will escape

and so full compression
will be impossible

and this engine won't be able to
produce all of its awesome 12 horsepower.

So I'm now just going to put
the piston ring into the bore

and you can see
there's a little bit of a gap.

So the usual tolerance
here, if it's the right size,

would be between 0.2 and 0.32.

Very, very floppy.

So if we now try, I don't know,
say maybe double, so 0.7.

Look at that, you've
got just a little bit of drag.

So the gap here is almost double
the absolute outside tolerance

that's allowed for a good fit
for the rings inside our bore.

So we now have conclusive proof as to why
we're down on compression on one cylinder.

Now a way of fixing
that is to actually re-bore

the barrel and go for a
slightly oversized piston

but actually that can be
quite an expensive process.

and as it happens, you
can buy a pair of barrels

and pistons with new
rings as well for just £130.

So it would be crazy
not to go for that option.

and that way we can
kind of push back a couple

of those horses into
our de Chevelle engine.

While Ed hunts down parts for the engine,

I'm on the trail of another bit of kit
that will improve presentation of the 2CV.

Ed's had a proper look
at the roof on the 2CV.

and confirmed our
suspicions it's all ripped.

And the frame is nasty and
he's told me to sort it out.

Now I could just sit at
home on the computer

and find a pattern part
but that would be easy.

Where's the fun in that?

No, what I want to do is do right
by the car and get an original part.

So I'm hooking up
with a big cheese on the

vintage 2CV scene to
see if he can help me out.

I am indeed.

Sam, lovely to meet you.

Mike, good to meet you. How are you doing?

I'm alright, yeah, not bad at all.

Good, good.

So what can we do about my roof?

Well, I mean, I can sell
you a second-hand 50s

roof if you want but it's
not going to last long.

The best way would be to go reproduction.

or new 50s frames with brand new material.

Yeah, that's what we should do.

Yeah, brilliant.

And the man to build
that roof for you is Matt.

It's just over here.

Sam will provide the original frame
and Matt is going to make up the roof.

Thanks, Sam.

Right, Matt, what have we got here then?

Well, what we've got,

we've got a selection of
original 50s parts there that we

can use on the roof so that it
looks as original as possible.

But the first thing to do, if you don't
mind, is to choose the canvas colour.

Oh, I like this, yeah.

I get to choose the colour.

Well, I brought three down for you
to pick through, see what you reckon.

Okay, this is a nice spot,

like being in the
subtle rotators, isn't it?

It's funny, in my head, see,
I've got it as grey, in my head,

but now I've seen this blue.

It's so nice, that blue, isn't it?

I think it should be that colour.

I think we should go for that.

Alright.

That's very good, yeah.

Matt has made literally
hundreds of roofs for

two CVs and has the
technique down to a fine art.

First he lays down some
old roofs to use as a mat,

rolls the new fabric out,

and using his own wooden
templates, marks out the outline.

Once the roof is cut, he
glues the edges of the frame.

These are 50s parts, but they've
been painted up to look like new.

Now Matt installs the rear window frame

and then tensions the
assembly with some elastic ties.

Look at that, it's starting to
look like a proper roof now, Matt.

Well done.

It's coming together, isn't it?

So what's next?

Well, next.

Do you want to grab the bits out of
this 1950s roof that we're going to reuse,

then we need to take the glass out of
that, if you don't mind giving me a hand.

Yeah, no worries.

I'm using a refurbished frame, but all
the rubbers and trims are brand new.

Lovely.

Look at that.

Brilliant.

To install the window,

Matt folds the rubber seal onto the
frame and then we're ready for the glass.

And this 50s glass is rather
more brittle than modern glass

and if you catch it wrong
on the edge, you can break it.

That's why I'm allowing you to do this
bit rather than me, because I am clumsy.

Matt and Sam are charging
me 220 pounds for the new roof

and I think for the craftsmanship
involved, it's a good price.

And I also have peace of mind that the 2CV
will be staying dry for a good few years.

Okay, that's it, Mike.

It looks amazing.

All done for you.

Yeah, it looks fantastic.

What a great job.

It goes straight on.

Okay.

The colour's right.

It's got the right glass in it.

It's made out of old bits and new bits.

What an absolutely perfect job, Matt.

And there we go.

Can't thank you enough.

You're welcome.

Top job.

Before I go, Sam sells me
some replacement light pods,

plus a couple of rear lenses.

We've already put some
serious hours into the 2CV

and all we have to show
for it is an engine in bits,

a new hood to bolt on.

It's not enough if we're
going to double our money.

The suspension is awful.

You can hear something
fizzing back and forth.

It feels kind of weird, actually.

And the 2CV is crying
out for a new paint job.

Oh, dear.

The Citroen 2CV has French as mustard,
but in our case, very far from being tasty.

I got a funny feeling that a
few of those French ponies

have left the engine and
they've run for the hills.

So far, Ed's found the engine is seriously
worn and has needed a total overhaul.

And how can we double
our money on this car.

if the suspension does this?

Now, the 2CV was
designed for a very specific

brief and perhaps the
most famous aspect of that

was the fact that it had to be
able to drive across a ploughed field

without breaking any eggs that were
in a basket on the inside of the vehicle.

Now, obviously, for that to work, you'd
expect a very soft and supple suspension,

but this car takes that
to a whole new level.

Not only is the car
sitting too high at the back,

but it virtually goes
sideways around a corner.

There's no way our basket
of eggs would survive a trip.

Now, the suspension on this car was
actually pretty advanced for the 50s.

Everybody else was using leaf
Springs and solid axles and stuff,

but the French were doing it their own way.

It's got independent
suspension all round on this car.

You've got this strange
cylinder, the bateau.

Now, this is actually part
of the damping mechanism,

but then the Springs
are actually over here,

which is quite bizarre.

So you've got this tie rod
there, which is tied into this arm,

and then that actually
pulls on the Springs,

and so both Springs, for front and rear,
are actually in this little cylinder here,

and, of course, they go off
to the front and to the back.

The thing is, I've got
to work out why our

suspension is so much
softer than it should be,

and for that, I think
I'm going to take

everything off and have
a look at it on the bench.

I undo the thankfully few bolts
that hold the suspension together.

It's typically unconventional.

That's kind of interesting.

So we seem to have two
parts to our damping system.

We have the inertia damper
that sits here, the bateau,

and then we have this friction
damper, and you can see we've

got a metal plate with a
friction material attached to that

and another one pretty much
exactly the same on the other side

with a little plate in the middle
which is attached to the suspension.

So what happens is, as
this arm goes up and down,

these pins drive these plates around,

but because of these friction
plates and because of this spring,

effectively, you end up
with some resistance to

that motion, just like
a clutch on an engine.

So depending on how strong that spring is,

it depends on how much damping
you're actually going to get here.

It's quite clever.

The final element to
remove are the spring boxes.

Now this is a bateau
and it's an inertia damper.

Now, somewhere inside
here is a big lead weight

and there's a hole
inside there and there's an

oil inside and also a
little spring at the bottom.

So if I start sort of shaking it in here,

something visiting backwards and forwards,

this actually helps,
well, this weight kind of

helps counter some of the
movement of the wheels.

As the wheel moves up and
down, the weight is supposed to stay

where it is a little bit and that inertia
helps kind of steady out the suspension.

There's a slightly mad
idea, but it's a sealed unit.

So really the only
thing that can go wrong

with this is the oil can
break down over time.

So the best thing I can do
is give it a bit of a clean up.

Most importantly, I'll just take out
the oil and replace it with new stuff.

There's supposed to
be 70 millilitres in there.

The oil should just
pour out, but not for me.

Even with the internal pin
removed, it's not flowing.

This endoscope, usually
for peering into engines,

should let me know how
much oil is trapped inside.

If it's dry, the batter might be leaking
and then I'd have to replace the whole lot.

So I can see the top of the weight.

I can actually see a reflection
of the little LEDs on our probe.

And if I just move it around,
you can see that reflection move

from side to side, which means
there actually is liquid down there.

So I think what I'm going to have
to do is actually vacuum it out.

I'm not sure a typical French farmer
would have access to a vacuum pump,

but now I know for sure all the oil
is being removed from the batter.

And now it's just a job of
topping it back up to the

correct volume with LHM,
or liquid hydraulic mineral.

And because I like things
to look good as well as work,

a clean up and a cosmetic refurbish will
improve presentation back on the 2CV.

So what else could be causing
our wayward suspension?

So we've sorted our inertia damper.

Now we need to try and sort
out how we fix our friction damper.

Now the problem is, over
time, these little friction

plates are going to
have worn down slightly.

Also, the spring is slightly corroded,
so it may well have lost some of its force.

And all of that means that really
this is actually a little bit useless.

But luckily, we've managed
to get hold of a replacement.

And you can see here it's
got a much, much bigger spring

along with, of course,
new friction material.

And the advantage
of this device is that

you've got a little
thread in there and a nut.

And you can wind that in and out to
actually adjust the amount of force.

exerting itself onto those friction plates.

So basically, you can adjust the amount
of damping you have on the vehicle.

The spring boxes sealed
are not really serviceable,

so I've decided to replace them with
refurbish units from a car of the same year.

Cost £180, and that
includes the new rod ends.

French farmers used to refurb these
with cooking fat and a Turkey baster,

but my solution is a bit more top end.

I think the new friction
plates will make the

most difference to
the softness of the ride,

but with completely refurbished
spring boxes and dampers,

there is really nothing else to go wrong.

Later 2CVs opted for the
much more conventional

struts, so this setup is
a little piece of history.

Now obviously I can't set up the ride
height of our 2CV until much later on

when I've actually put
everything back together again.

But all the work we've just
done should get rid of all

that excessive wobble that
Mike was complaining about.

So, bit by bit, we are getting there.

I've decided to swap the
hand-painted DIY finish

on our 2CV for an original
shade in period satin.

I know it will add value to the 2CV,

and I can't wait for
Mike to see the results.

Ed, how are you doing? You alright?

I'm good, sir. How are you?

Well, I was kind of excited
about being down here today,

but you've concealed our little


That's because it's time for you to get
super excited, because we have resprayed it,

but I want you to put yourself in
the footsteps of a potential buyer.

So, when I reveal this new paint colour
for you, I want your genuine reaction.

Please don't tell me, Ed, that you've
painted this car yellow or orange.

I would never do that to you, would I?

Yes, you would.

But it's OK. Here we go.

I'll just make sure it doesn't snag.

Are you ready?

Oh, yes, no, I love that.

That is really good.

You've nailed that.

Slightly bluer than I remember.

It is slightly more blue,

and obviously I've gone for this satin
effect to make it feel a bit more retro.

I've also done some panels on the interior,

and I've spruced up a kind of
cool tin on the engine as well.

It's all looking good, I think.

I like it, you've worked really hard.

So what about the rest of it?

I've already done the
suspensions, that's all sorted,

and I have got to do the barrels and pistons
on the engine, but we're getting there.

You're getting there, you say.

You've still got to put the wings on the
car, you've still got to build the engine,

put the grille on the
front, put the bonnet on.

Then you've got to do the interior.

Interior trim panels obviously
fit the roof that I've got you,

and the glass.

It's a big list.

If you say that list really quickly,
it won't sound quite so bad.

I'm at that exciting stage in our project

where I get to put all of
these parts back together

again, and with any
luck, at the end of it,

we should have something
that looks rather like a car.

Now we have old parts, refurbished
parts, all of these engine bits,

we've got all the body panels,

we have lots of stuff to get back
into position, so I'd best crack on.

I've got the new piston barrels for my 2CV,

as the old ones were very worn,

causing a lack of power and a bit of smoke.

The kit includes new pistons with rings,

so I need a new one.

I need to remove the old ones.

I extract the retaining clips
and use a somewhat old

tech but effective way of
removing the gudgeon pins.

And voila!

Right, so we're now
ready to put our pistons,

our new pistons, into the new barrels.

But if you could imagine,
when we first come to turn

this engine over and it's
all back together again,

all this metal would be
graunching against other metal.

It would be really nice if it
was lubricated beforehand.

So, a nice little top
tip, is you get yourself

some oil thickener,
or additive for oil,

and also just some engine oil.

You put the two together,
about a 50-50 mix,

get yourself a little brush, and
you can coat all the surfaces

that are going to be rubbing together
when you first turn that engine over.

And then that way,

it'll obviously give it enough
time to get the oil pressure up

and get around the engine before
any graunching starts to happen.

The original oil that Citroen
recommend is no longer

available, so I've found the
modern equivalent online.

Coat all the surfaces evenly, including the
piston rings, and then start reassembly.

Another nice little tip
is to lap in the head.

Basically, we use grinding
paste on the metal surfaces and

a bit of elbow grease to
make sure they seal perfectly.

Citroen don't insist we do
this, but it makes sense to me,

especially on a simple engine like ours,

as it can reduce leaks.

An important part of the rebuild
is to set the valve clearance

to accommodate the expansion of the
metal parts once the engine is warmed up.

What I want to do is basically
just work out the rocker

gap here between the
rocker itself and the valve.

I need to set it between


And the idea is it's going to kind of clamp

the feeler Gauge in
between the two surfaces.

Make sure the engine is cold when you
do this, as it can affect the measurements.

Many of the engine parts,

like the exhaust manifold, have stayed.

They may be old, but they're
still functioning as they should.

It looks like the engine is
almost ready to go back in the car.

Now, if you imagine you're sat in traffic,
normally, when the traffic gets too slow,

you'd actually have to put the clutch down
and disengage the engine from the gearbox.

Otherwise, you'd stall the engine.

But this device allows you to
actually leave your foot off the clutch,

because it is actually a
centrifugal clutch in itself.

If I just operate this with a screwdriver,
you can see these little fingers

all the way around the outside there get
flung out when this disc goes fast enough

or the engine goes above idle,
because this friction material here

will grab on to the little inside of the
drum, which is attached to the gearbox.

So the idea is you
basically just put your foot on

the throttle, the engine
spins up, this engages,

and then, of course, off you
go, driving down the road.

It's a really lovely feature.

It's a great bonus to have on our car.

The engine needs
a bit of persuading to

reinstall, but once bolted
up, we're good to go.

If you want a specialist
to do the whole job,

you could be looking at
a few hundred pounds.

A small cost when you consider the engine

rebuild on a modern car
would run into thousands.

The last stage is a fluids top-up,

and then I add the missing body parts,

which attach with simple nuts and bolts.

Well, as promised, we now have a


but I've still got plenty
to be getting on with.

Got to finish off the interior,

do the roof, headlights.

So, onwards and inwards.

We've hopefully sorted
the engine and the ride,

and our iconic 50s


new paint job, but
the interior isn't there.

This tired-looking upholstery,

you can see this just can't be repaired.

If we're going to double
our money on this car,

the pressure on our Ed
is about to take a hike.

Our 2CV is more than 50 years old.

It was slow and tatty, but brilliant.

The experience of doing
this is absolutely magical.

I love it.

Our plan is to double our
money on this French icon.

Ed has been putting in the hours to make
the engine work and the ride less wallowy.

We've even had it
painted in a period shade,

but the details count
on a car like this.

If Ed can't get the interior right,

the sale price will suffer.

The 2CV is perhaps the most
simple car design you could

ever ask for, but that
doesn't mean I can get away

without having an interior,
or for that matter, a roof.

So that is my next challenge.

I've got a refurbished
frame and a brand new

fabric hood to replace
the old cracked canvas.

This is the roof that Mike prepared for us.

Obviously, it's now
got this kind of upgrade

of the fabric material
rather than the old vinyls.

It's going to last longer, and it's
going to look much more natty.

We've also had the metal part
here painted to match the car.

It should look fantastic
when it's in place.

The roof on the 2CV
includes the rear window

and also the hinge for the boot.

The reason the 2CV roof is
fabric isn't just for fun in the sun.

It's so that when it's fully open,
large items can fit in the cabin.

And how hard is it to fix in place?

Two bolts.

Mike also sorted me out with
some replacement rear light lenses,

which are new old stock.

But what about the lights at the front?

Now, our light pod assembly was taken apart
so we could put on this nice new paint.

So all I have to do now is
reassemble that little puzzle.

Mike also sorted me out
with some original light pods,

which, rather than chrome,
we've painted in the body colour.

That's how the car
would have left the factory.

No box connectors here, just
a couple of wires and screws.

That's all you need.

It's quite funny.

To get these lights to
dip, a rod simply pulls

them down to avoid
dazzling other drivers.

Every detail on this car is
pared down to the bare minimum.

Now, this tired-looking upholstery

actually came with the car
pretty much out of the factory.

I'd imagine, looking at the state of it,

it's older than me and in
actually much worse condition.

You can see this just can't be repaired.

So the only option is
to get some new stuff.

Now, I managed to get some from France,

although ironically it seems to be
made in Germany, so very international.

But if you actually look
at the part of the fabric

that hasn't been faded by
the sunlight over the years,

you can see it's a really,
really good colour match.

It's going to look very smart
once it's back into our 2CV.

Au revoir, old, bonjour, nous.

The seat cushion is located by these
rubber rings, which also act as Springs.

These then hook to the frame,
which I've had painted in grey.

It's probably more simple
than your comfy chair at home.

The idea is the covers can
easily be removed and washed.

The price for the entire
set of seat covers is £200,

and considering they're made
from the correct vintage fabric,

I think that's great value.

And no bolting through the floor to attach,

just one retaining hook.

Oh, look at that.

Straightaway the
interior looks loads better.

You'll notice also that the steering wheel
has been painted grey to match the wheels,

so the remains of that far
unbeaten look are no more.

The Citroen came into the workshop
with its charm intact, but little else.

I've tried to keep the
magic going, but around it

have built a vintage 2CV
that you could use every day.

And one I hope will grab the
Grand Prix Mike wants to achieve.

Ed, how are you doing? You all right?

I'm good. In fact, tres bon.

Tres bon? Get you in your French.

Now, when I first saw this car in
France, it did look lovely, but battered.

Then I saw it halfway through.

It looked lovely, but
half of it was missing.

And now it just looks lovely.

Well, it is amazing the
difference, the details.

You've obviously got
that lovely satin paint.

We've polished up all the shiny bits.

We've got the new interior, the
new roof, even the grey wheels.

It just means everything's just there.

We're so right to go with
this satin paint, weren't we?

It's so period and so of the day.

Now, when I got this car,

I did think this has got to be
one of the easiest jobs to give you

because it's got to be one of
the simplest cars in the world.

Well, it's definitely a simple car,

but I had to do quite a
lot of extensive work on it.

So although it is simple,
I'm kind of exhausted.

Tired, are you?

Well, don't worry, because all your
hard work is going to pay us a crust.

Or in this instance, a baguette.

The 2CV may have its roots in simplicity,

but this superbly engineered car
has one complete respect from us.

And in return, we've seen
it back to factory condition.

It's a wonder this
half-century-old car can brush

up so well, but we're
very glad that it has.

I wanted an older 2CV,

as there's greater chance of a profit.

And I found this rough-and-ready 50s du
chevau in the natural home for it, France.



OK.

Yes? Yes.

Wonderful.

Ed discovered the smoky
engine required a complete rebuild.

Because it's perhaps
got a hole in the piston,

maybe the valves are damaged,
maybe the rings have gone.

The magic carpet ride had gone,
so Ed refurbished the entire system.

All the work we've just
done should get rid of all

that excessive wobble that
Mike was complaining about.

I had a new roof made from original parts.

It's so nice, that blue, isn't it?
I think it should be that colour.

And with a lick of
paint and a new interior,

the remains of that
far-and-beaten look are no more.

We have a great car,

and one that's unrecognisable from before.

But how much does
our little Citroen cost us?

Paintwork came in at 1900.

Engine, roof and trim parts weren't cheap.

But we only spent £300 on the suspension.

We've spent over £6,000.

It's time to find out how all that
money feels behind the wheel,

and our test drive goes to the
very heart of the 2CV's design ethos.

Well, I can see where this is going.

Yeah, this 2CV was designed
to carry a farmer and his wife

across a ploughed field with a
basket of eggs without breaking any.

Now you've fixed the suspension,
so hopefully it should be all right.

Last time I drove this car, I nearly
died of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Hopefully that's fixed. Hopefully.

So here we are, 2CV,
ploughed field, basket of eggs.

Nice. We live in the legend.

Let's give it a go.

Squeeze in here somehow.

We'll be all right.

There you go.

OK.

So how am I going to put the eggs in?

Why don't you put them on the back seat?

It doesn't matter if it all goes wrong,

because those seat covers
can come off and be washed.

Well, OK, fine, but I'm not actually
so worried about just the seat covers.

I'm more worried about the whole car,

because when you just put it
together, and if you were to bend it,

replacing it could actually end
up being quite egg-spensive.

Oh, please.

Ed, let me do the funnies.

Let me do them.

Ready?

Oh, that is bouncy.

How's the eggs holding up?

Well, actually, they're doing pretty well,

and I'm quite chuffed that we're
doing this particular experiment,

because obviously there were
a number of different briefs,

and one of them is that they're
going to carry a live pig in the back.

Or two in the front, especially
after our breakfast this morning.

So what do you think of it, then, so far?

Well, so far, I'm absolutely amazed
how well it's riding over this terrain.

You've definitely firmed up the suspension,
and it seems to be doing very well.

No, it's doing very well indeed.

Another little test is the driver
had to be able to wear a top hat.

A top hat?

Well, you can get this roof back, and
you can have a bit of open-top motoring.

If I was wearing a top hat, I would
fit in the car quite comfortably.

Just about would, yes.

And you're an over-hyped human being,

and you seem to be doing quite well.

Absolutely, yeah, it's rather nice.

So it's doing all right?

It definitely seems to
be holding up, doesn't it?

It does, yeah.

Those French engineers, they
thought of everything, didn't they?

And with our dozen eggs intact,

it's time to sample yet more Frenchness.

That's lovely here, isn't it?

I know, it's wonderful.

We couldn't have chosen a
better day to do this, could we?

Yeah, it's quite fantastic.

Ah, could you see what you
could do with these, please?

With pleasure.

Thank you.

You know, I did have a
plan to do all this in France.

Yeah.

That's where I got the car.

Had that French feeling,
but I found this place.

It's a chateau that's 50
miles from the workshop

in Birmingham in the UK.

It's good, isn't it?

Yeah.

And I think it saved us a load of
hassle and me a load of money.

Well, I wouldn't want you
to put yourself out, obviously.

Oh, Ed, you couldn't put me out.

You're worth it, but this was just cheaper.

Well, I do have a plan.

OK, plan away.

OK, my plan was to
sell this car for big money

because they're very
popular at the moment,

and I always had this
figure of around eight,

eight and a half thousand pounds in my head
because that's what the market dictates.

But after driving it this morning and
delivering us, hopefully, a cooked breakfast,

so I reckon it's worth a bit more, maybe
ten, ten and a half thousand pounds.

Wow.

Well, you wouldn't want to end up
with egg on your face, would you?

I'm just about to.

There's a phrase you often see in
adverts that says, first the sea will buy,

and I reckon that phrase
has never been truer.

than with this car, because
if you're in the market

for a tidy vintage 2CV,
how could you refuse?

Now, I advertised the car, had a
couple of calls within the first few hours.

The first on the phone was
this guy behind me, Andrew.

He looks hot to trot, but will he buy?

So, Andrew, you like it, don't you?

It's not bad.

Not bad? I think it's really good.

Do you know a little bit about cars?

I know a little bit about cars.

I drive them for a living and write stories
and sell them to anybody who'll take them.

You're a motoring journalist.

I'm a motoring journalist.

You do know your stuff.

Well, then you would know that
this is a tough car for me to find.

I found it down in France.

It's rare because it's so original,
and that's all reflected in the price.

I'll be honest with you, I think the market

for these cars at the moment is really
strong, and that's why I'm at £10,500.

What do you think?

I decided that I wasn't
going to go above £10,000,

which is what I think the car is worth,

but if you'll meet me at
that, we can do a deal.

£10,000?

Yeah.

Today?

If that makes the difference.

Well, I might regret this
because I've fallen in love

with this little car, but I know I'm
going to make a man very happy.

Hold out your hand.

You just bought yourself a 2CV.

Very grateful.

Well done.

Thank you.

That deal works for us and for Andrew.

At a profit of almost £4,000,

we really have achieved our
goal of doubling our money.

When I set out to buy this car,

I had a plan to double the money.

I didn't know it would work, but then I
didn't know the car would turn out this good.

If you want to see more iconic cars
being turned around by me and Ed,

then join us again soon
on Wheel of Dealers.

Tala.