The Diary of my Pembleton SS kit car build

To build a kit car, has long been one of my ambitions, However, even after a false start many years ago, i now can finally  bring everything together. Time, space, finance, and.. Enthusiasm !

I have chosen to build a 1920's vintage style 3 wheeler, "The Pembleton Supersport". Based on Citroen 2CV mechanicals, (is that a word)?  But with a new space frame chassis & All Aluminium bodywork.

Kit Manufactured by Phil Gregory of the Pembleton Motor Company, near Kidderminster.

http://www.pembleton.co.uk

You can specify a 3 or 4 wheeler (i really like the 4 wheel version too, but the 3 wheeler has character, fits in my garage, & easier to put through the VOSA MSVA test - more about that later).
My Kit from Phil, will be ready for me to collect mid December, so now it's time for some graft..

I Have Purchased a 1990 Citroen 2CV non-runner with 64k on the clock. Hopefully it will supply me with decent parts for the build. I hope to complete the car within  18 months Max (grits teeth).

Here's Dolly..

Saturday  November 2nd: Started the strip down of  Dolly..

Took off all the doors - front 2 were bolted on, while the rear doors just lift up (after removing the hinge cover rubber strip). Removed the bolt-on wings, bonnet & boot lid (of which the hinges had fizzled away with rust anyway)! Also removed the complete wiring loom & the Dashboard and instruments (i.e. the speedometer!!). Battery mount also removed (in good nick).

As I'm stripping Dolly, I'm a little worried about the condition of the components - so Rusty!
The Bodywork is paper thin, & all wheels are corroded, not prohibitively so, i hope.
Here, getting to grips with wiring behind the dash..

I'm photographing as much as i can during the stripdown, because i know i'll forget in the months to come! ( Photos taken using the  Excellent  Minolta Dimage XT 3.2mp camera).

Tuesday 5th Nov:  Spent 2 hours till dark, after work, to  disconnect Handbrake, Gear lever & heater controls. Tried & failed to remove Headlamp bar - I'll grind off the pair of offending bolts next time.
..When it stops raining!

Saturday 9th No:  Managed to grind off the two stubborn bolts holding on the light bar. (I am trying very hard to dismantle the car with minimal brutality, in an effort to salvage as many good nuts & bolts as possible, also anything i don't need, I'll try & sell back the parts on eBay).

As you can see, the front bumper is mangled scrap!

The exhaust pipe bolted to the  manifold came off very easily.
By the way, i am following Phil Gregory's instructions for order of dismantling, give or take.
(I'll post this for interest, on my adjoining web pages shortly.

Below is the Handbrake bracket which 'was' pressure welded to the dash underside. I tried to hammer it off with a cold chisel, as directed, but due to 'Le deuxChevaux' tin foil construction, half the dashboard shelf just tore off!

I ended up peeling off the shelf 'metal' with some pliers, then grinding  to finish off - Good Oh!

Sunday 10th Nov:  Just thought I'd show you a shot of my deluxe garage..

In due course ill empty it out and kit it up for the build. I think it's vital to have a clean & tidy workspace, especially if you have limited room, as i do.

Drained & removed the brake master cylinder, which is one piece connected to the pedal box. Easy then to push whole assembly into the inside of the car.

Undo bolt on steering column, but it wouldn't budge, so a few drops of my high quality penetrating oil, and, a few minutes later, - job done.

Heat exchangers removed..

..and 6 bolts to undo to dis connect drive shafts.

View inside the car, only speedo drive & wiper motor to remove.

Sat/Sun 16/17th Nov. 2013:  Good dry sunny weekend forecast - Just the job!

Beat down the undertray (with my hammer) to gain access to the 4 engine to gearbox nuts & bolts.

I'm separating them to make an easy lift, as i'm not using a hoist, just 2 man power!

4x Nuts easy to take off.

Engine & box supported from underneath by jack & wood, at enough height to clear the chassis when the engine slides off forward & away.

Easy to lift out engine & then the box (after undoing the 2 small mount bolts)

Looking bare - Good progress & top fun!

Engine & box in garage, ready for me to clean & overhaul soon.

Conservatory serves as a temporary store room for the saleable body parts.

Some of the seat belt bolts were very tight, even mangling the corroded tin foil bodywork!
All bolts, washers etc. saved, but i'll procure some better quality seat belts.

Looking forward now to next weekend, when i can hopefully remove the body (for the scrap man).
Then i can upturn the chassis to remove the suspension components. TTFN.

Saturday 23rd Nov. 2103:  With all the bolts removed that join the Body shell to the chassis, the shell was stuck tight!

A little persuasion with the cold chisel to break the 'stiction' & 'Voila'!

Away we go !!

I eased  the shell off (on my own)  - no problem!

Anyone want this ??

Oh dear Lord.. what do the neighbours think ?!

Taking off the Dampers..

..A couple of stubborn nuts.. out with the plus gas.

Ok, very Happy with the last 3 Weekends progress, with only the suspension units & arms to take off the chassis ready for modification on exchange, from Phil Gregory. See you all in the next post, TTFN

email me..

weekend 1st Dec. 2013:    I think i can be charitable & sum up by saying.. "Difficult" !

On Saturday i managed to take off both front & rear cross members/suspension arms, complete with wheels & hubs. (I did it this way to speed up time taken to get to the bare chassis - so i can get shut of it from the drive).

Come Sunday, things started to get a little more challenging..

Undoing the Tie Rods at the knife edges in preparation for removing the central suspension unit is proving troublesome. 4 lock nuts & tube have to be removed on each central unit, but they are huge, around 46mm. i had to grind an old imperial 1 1/8 spanner to (roughly) the right size. I have managed to undo the rear nuts on both units, but not the front ones yet..

Rusted solid !

 The rear nuts & tube undone

The (almost ) completely stripped chassis

Mid week:      It's a learning process..  It turns out the once the nuts were finally undone (i borrowed some spanners & sockets - Thanks Andy & Tim)., the problem was the threaded tubes, rusted solid to the chassis tubes. A combination of penetrating oil, hammer, pipe wrench & angle grinder finally freed the suspension units from the chassis.

So there we are then, car stripped!  All that remains of this first stage now, is to separate the front suspension arms from the king pins & steering arms for Phil to modify them on an exchange basis.

Then i can go to Bayton, to pick up the kit. Happy Days!