Victoria - Pembleton SuperSport
Discussion
Had a bit more luck with the paint stripper this evening. Applied it with wire wool!
Still a lot of hard work with further rubbing down and a wire he's for the dremel to get in the really small areas..
Should be ready for polishing with maybe another evenings prep...
Ive been banned from further activities in the garage this week by the OH, and we're away this weekend, so looks like this week have to wait until next week some time!
Still a lot of hard work with further rubbing down and a wire he's for the dremel to get in the really small areas..
Should be ready for polishing with maybe another evenings prep...
Ive been banned from further activities in the garage this week by the OH, and we're away this weekend, so looks like this week have to wait until next week some time!
Her names came today. They will be going on the bonnet at the back down each side...
They're red, to match the wheels. Ive come round to the red wheels.
Ive also seen some great modifications by other owners to move the alternator so its in a central position too! Might be another one to add to the list!
They're red, to match the wheels. Ive come round to the red wheels.
Ive also seen some great modifications by other owners to move the alternator so its in a central position too! Might be another one to add to the list!
I confess, yesterday I had to bite my lip VERY hard, and actually had to leave the room. I showed pictures of victoria to my fiancés father. I like him a lot and he's a very chilled guy, but this really pressed my big red button.
At first he said we have to wear helmets, and then said I needed to fit a roll bar, and it would look really cool "just like a Caterham".
My reaction probably didn't help matters when I said if you crash in the pembleton and roll it at high speed, you're dead anyway, regardless of if you fit a questionable roll bar.
If I wanted a Caterham/westfield, I bloody well would have bought one!
Im half tempted to get a seven type car now and take him out in it. He thought the slow max was too fast, he might have a coronary in a westfield/similar!
At first he said we have to wear helmets, and then said I needed to fit a roll bar, and it would look really cool "just like a Caterham".
My reaction probably didn't help matters when I said if you crash in the pembleton and roll it at high speed, you're dead anyway, regardless of if you fit a questionable roll bar.
If I wanted a Caterham/westfield, I bloody well would have bought one!
Im half tempted to get a seven type car now and take him out in it. He thought the slow max was too fast, he might have a coronary in a westfield/similar!
I gave the bonnet a polish and then got fed up. Its so labour intensive and the results still aren't perfect. Its good enough though for the minute.
I have literally no idea how the previous owner got such good results on the rest of the bodywork. He must have been a fricking magician!
I have literally no idea how the previous owner got such good results on the rest of the bodywork. He must have been a fricking magician!
Although the bonnet is still a work in progress, the weather was too nice not to pop out in victoria today. Even the OH wanted to go out in her! She even drive her around in the yard for a bit...
When I stripped the paint off the bonnet and polished it up, I noticed a dink. Not too bad, but a little irritating....
When I stripped the paint off the bonnet and polished it up, I noticed a dink. Not too bad, but a little irritating....
On my drive out yesterday a few issues seemed to raise their ugly heads. First off was squeaky suspension. I knew about this from last time, but its rather really annoying. The previous owner hadn't driven it for around 10 months, so I think it just needs a good going over with some grease, and a few spanners.
Secondly, and slightly more worryingly, it has developed sticky/notchy steering. This first came to light when I came off a roundabout. It seemed to stick, and needed a bit of a firm jolt in the opposite direction to un-stick it. This happened again a few more times but seemed more prolific when turning left. I'm hoping, again, that this is just a case of needing a good greasing, but I felt a little bit like something was catching on the steering column, maybe where it passes through the bulkhead...
I cant really fully investigate until after my wedding at the end of May. Ive been banned from the garage by the OH....
Secondly, and slightly more worryingly, it has developed sticky/notchy steering. This first came to light when I came off a roundabout. It seemed to stick, and needed a bit of a firm jolt in the opposite direction to un-stick it. This happened again a few more times but seemed more prolific when turning left. I'm hoping, again, that this is just a case of needing a good greasing, but I felt a little bit like something was catching on the steering column, maybe where it passes through the bulkhead...
I cant really fully investigate until after my wedding at the end of May. Ive been banned from the garage by the OH....
OpulentBob said:
Apropos of nothing, I saw a fully chrome/mirror wrapped Z4 in Mumbai. In the sunshine it was impossible to even look at, God knows what it must have been like to drive.
That said, I think you should do it. It looks very steam-punk, if you don't mind me saying.
I'm pleased to say that the last two times I've been out, it's been pretty damn sunny, and not faced any issues with glare, so I don't think its gonna be an issue...That said, I think you should do it. It looks very steam-punk, if you don't mind me saying.
benny.c said:
Ambleton said:
...Ive been banned from the garage by the OH....
That tends to happen on a long term basis after the wedding anyway so I'd get stuck in now whilst you still can 
Ambleton said:
Secondly, and slightly more worryingly, it has developed sticky/notchy steering. This first came to light when I came off a roundabout. It seemed to stick, and needed a bit of a firm jolt in the opposite direction to un-stick it. This happened again a few more times but seemed more prolific when turning left. I'm hoping, again, that this is just a case of needing a good greasing, but I felt a little bit like something was catching on the steering column, maybe where it passes through the bulkhead...
Last weekend I confess that I nearly soiled my underwear. My friend was up visiting from surrey and we had planned a few trips out in the pembleton. Coming off a major, busy roundabout on a dual carriageway I went to turn off. As I turned the wheel I was met with a loud violent clicking sound, and the front wheels not turning.... f
k.On closer inspection today, it has come to light that either the rack, or the the pinion gear is f
ked, that is to say, worn out. Spent. I have never, and i mean NEVER, heard of a steering rack wearing out/failing like this. This also represents a fair old chunk of work.
On a 2cv the fwd suspension arms are held on the ends of a main cross beam, which in turn doubles up as 2 of the gearbox mounts. This cross beam is hollow and houses the steering rack, pinion and assembly.
So to overhaul the steering rack/pinion I need to remove (in no particular order)...
Steering column
Shock absorbers
Driveshafts
Suspenion arms
Gear linkage
Engine
Gearbox and brakes
Before I can even think about removing the cross beam which houses the steering assembly....
Joy. This one will have to wait until after the wedding at the end of May I think....
Here's a video of the most frightening experience without crash ive had in a vehicle.
https://youtu.be/cHkaVRFK9u4
https://youtu.be/cHkaVRFK9u4
Cheers Lew!
Ive come to the conclusion that Im going to do a bit of an overhaul while I have the opportunity.
I did contact the seller and he had no idea about the problem. He did say that if he knew about it he wouldn't have sold it in that condition and offered me some money which would buy most, if not all, of the parts I need. To be fair, I don't think he did know about it as the first 2 or 3 drives out it showed no signs of issues. I have declined the offer as these things should be expected. Its not as if I bout a brand new daily car off a dealer forecourt!
While its off the road I'm going to look at fabricating a new inlet manifold to move the carb back under the bonnet, fabricating a new oil breather arrangement to do the same, and also to move the indicators off the headlamp stalks, and onto the wings.
I'm also very tempted to fabricate up a new bracket and move the alternator down low and into a central position, moving the number plate up to where the existing crank handle is.
Ive come to the conclusion that Im going to do a bit of an overhaul while I have the opportunity.
I did contact the seller and he had no idea about the problem. He did say that if he knew about it he wouldn't have sold it in that condition and offered me some money which would buy most, if not all, of the parts I need. To be fair, I don't think he did know about it as the first 2 or 3 drives out it showed no signs of issues. I have declined the offer as these things should be expected. Its not as if I bout a brand new daily car off a dealer forecourt!
While its off the road I'm going to look at fabricating a new inlet manifold to move the carb back under the bonnet, fabricating a new oil breather arrangement to do the same, and also to move the indicators off the headlamp stalks, and onto the wings.
I'm also very tempted to fabricate up a new bracket and move the alternator down low and into a central position, moving the number plate up to where the existing crank handle is.
LewG said:
It's so lucky that something really bad didn't happen! Hopefully that little mishap hasn't put your passengers off riding in it any more 
Indeed! I'm glad it was my mate, and not my missus that was in the car at the time. My mate just laughed it off and told me to carry on saying.. "its getting worse, but what could possibly go wrong?!"... I love his enthusiasm...If it was the OH, she wouldn't go out in it ever again, which is understandable. I'm mainly glad that I wasn't on the outside of a wagon or similar on the roundabout otherwise it may have been much worse!
TooMany2cvs said:
Once you've got it out, don't even think of DIYing it. Talk to Rick Pembro - http://www.gearbox-guru.co.uk/
To the contrary I've been told that an overhaul of the steering tube assy is the easy bit, and removing it the worst part of the job! TooMany2cvs said:
Ambleton said:
To the contrary I've been told that an overhaul of the steering tube assy is the easy bit, and removing it the worst part of the job!
It's easy enough to dismantle and reassemble, if you've got the right tools and can get the bits, but setting it all up right with the right preload on the pinion...I dunno about a Pembleton - but on a normal 2cv, it's a doddle to remove the rack. You don't even need to remove the engine and box. Just undo the gearbox mount, take one suspension arm off and slide it through sideways.
ArtVandelay said:
That is brilliant. I remember your Lomax thread well.
I've started getting the kit car itch again, despite having a nightmare of a time with the one I used to have...
Where did you find that? I love the look of the Morgan 3 wheeler but I couldn't justify over 30k on a toy!
Cheers! Its not without its heartaches though! The lomax was just so well sorted for what it was... I've started getting the kit car itch again, despite having a nightmare of a time with the one I used to have...
Where did you find that? I love the look of the Morgan 3 wheeler but I couldn't justify over 30k on a toy!
Owning the lomax opened my eyes up to loads of weird and unusual cars and these don't come up on the market very often. Id had my eyes on owning one for years though. Just came at the right time, although right now its being a PITA.
This one was up Newcastle way. If you know what you're after, you just have to keep your eyes out.
What was wrong with your MNR Vortex? It looked like a really nice example!
If you really want a three wheeler, then there are a few options.
Pembleton and Lomax (obviously), but also JZR, BRA and Triking. Then there are more modern looking ones like Blackjack, Grinnall scorpion etc.
They are unusual, but I just love em!
ArtVandelay said:
You got it not too far from where I live then!
It was a Toniq-R that I had (or a MAC with Toniq-R body) and it constantly had reliability problems and perhaps wasn't as well built as I thought it has. I think I rushed in to the purchase without enough of an inspection of the vehicle. Fun when it worked mind.
Just found the 3-wheeled section on carandclassic. There's quite a few for sale. This should keep me busy during nightshift...
Ah yes! I remember now!It was a Toniq-R that I had (or a MAC with Toniq-R body) and it constantly had reliability problems and perhaps wasn't as well built as I thought it has. I think I rushed in to the purchase without enough of an inspection of the vehicle. Fun when it worked mind.
Just found the 3-wheeled section on carandclassic. There's quite a few for sale. This should keep me busy during nightshift...
I think my Lomax might still be advertised on there! I should probably take the advert down....
Sometimes its better to buy older kit cars that have a good few miles under their belt! At least that way you know that all the niggles will have been sorted, even if the bodywork isn't so perfect! Car and classic is probably the best place to look to be honest... Although owners forums can come up with the goods! JZR Pilates association, and the triking owners forum... There's always plenty on the Citroen Specials Club forum too....
Well I'm quite chuffed today. Not because I've got the steering rack sorted out, but because I managed to get a decent haul of items for free!
One of the guys on one of the many forums I frequent is moving house and was clearing out his shed and offered these for free for collection! What a thoroughly decent chap! We had a good chat and talked about all things 2cv and three wheelers, and had a good look over his Lomax.
I walked away with the following:
- A front beam/steering rack. (no play in this, although ill strip, inspect and rebuild anyway)
- a small original alternator, not the later larger ones.
- Complete engine with oil cooler, fuel pump, flywheel and clutch etc (free turning)
- Inlet manifold
- Carb
- Suspension arms (not for me)
Although grubby from sitting in a garage on a farm for ~30years, it'll clean up fine, and with a little work, will come up good.
What a thoroughly decent chap!!
One of the guys on one of the many forums I frequent is moving house and was clearing out his shed and offered these for free for collection! What a thoroughly decent chap! We had a good chat and talked about all things 2cv and three wheelers, and had a good look over his Lomax.
I walked away with the following:
- A front beam/steering rack. (no play in this, although ill strip, inspect and rebuild anyway)
- a small original alternator, not the later larger ones.
- Complete engine with oil cooler, fuel pump, flywheel and clutch etc (free turning)
- Inlet manifold
- Carb
- Suspension arms (not for me)
Although grubby from sitting in a garage on a farm for ~30years, it'll clean up fine, and with a little work, will come up good.
What a thoroughly decent chap!!
So this evening I jacked up victoria and had a rummage underneath to inspect... I found the cause of the problem.
It is indeed the pressure screw/bush that isn't engaged fully, and the original builder clearly had no idea of the importance of this, I'm genuinely shocked as the rest of the car is spot on, but this is an absolute shocker, almost criminal!
Without teaching a granny to suck eggs, a steering rack basically the drawing below, no matter what the vehicle.
I gave the other steering rack I acquired a brush down and wipe. Very pleased considering how much it cost!
Its very taught with no play in any of the bearings/bushes, but ill give it a good once over anyway... You can clearly see the splined fitting that attaches to the steering wheel. Note that the castle nut that retains the spring and guide bush has a split pin through it and has just one thread showing...
Now when we compare this to what's on the pembleton currently....
There are several things here to note....
1) There are 5 threads showing
2) There is no split pin preventing any unwinding
3 (and most worryingly)) you can see that the castellations have been ground off to clear the chassis, which indicates that the rack was either partly, or fully overhauled, and not put back together correctly, and instead of correcting the issue, reached for the grinder to make it fit.
How me, or the previous owner, or the builder wasn't killed is a freaking miracle!
It is indeed the pressure screw/bush that isn't engaged fully, and the original builder clearly had no idea of the importance of this, I'm genuinely shocked as the rest of the car is spot on, but this is an absolute shocker, almost criminal!
Without teaching a granny to suck eggs, a steering rack basically the drawing below, no matter what the vehicle.
I gave the other steering rack I acquired a brush down and wipe. Very pleased considering how much it cost!
Its very taught with no play in any of the bearings/bushes, but ill give it a good once over anyway... You can clearly see the splined fitting that attaches to the steering wheel. Note that the castle nut that retains the spring and guide bush has a split pin through it and has just one thread showing...Now when we compare this to what's on the pembleton currently....
There are several things here to note....
1) There are 5 threads showing
2) There is no split pin preventing any unwinding
3 (and most worryingly)) you can see that the castellations have been ground off to clear the chassis, which indicates that the rack was either partly, or fully overhauled, and not put back together correctly, and instead of correcting the issue, reached for the grinder to make it fit.
How me, or the previous owner, or the builder wasn't killed is a freaking miracle!
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