Last year, having completed my Marlin Sportster a few years previously, I started to get itchy fingers again. This time I have chosen to build a Pembleton which is a very vintage looking 3 wheeler using Citreon 2CV mechanics.
I chose the Pembleton because:
a. I like its looks
b. Being a 3 wheeler it is classed as a heavy trike and only has to pass the MSVA test which is both less onerous and cheaper than the IVA.
c. Should be (relatively) cheap to build and run.
So I have started with this:
Dscf1369 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
And should hopefully end up with something like this:
silverfish by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
The plan is to post updates regularly (or whenever I remember) so watch this space....
Robin
It's generally considered to be one of the best examples. Most Pembleton owners name their cars - this one is called Silverfish.
It's a standard to aim for. Not sure if my skills are quite up to it however - we shall see! There are more pictures of this and other completed cars on the Pembleton website
http://www.pembleton.co.uk/Home.html
Robin
There seems to be two schools of thought.
Apparently there is an exemption for the cooling fins of air cooled engines so with some carefull positioning/covering of all the ancilliaries so they are not contactable you can get away with this.
But recently most builders seem to have fabricated a simple mesh guard that covers the whole kit and caboudle. Bit of a sledgehammer approach. Rust seems to attack them fairly quickly after the test and they tend to fall off....
I wonder what they do for the new Morgan 3 wheeler?
Robin
Some pictures of the front
DSCF1550 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
And rear of the chassis
DSCF1549 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
My new workshop (shed) is only just long enough to take the built car and so it's difficult to get a picture of the whole thing in one go! I have made a dolly from some large bits of timber (left over from the shed build) and some industrial castors, so that I can easily move the chassis to make best use of the limited space.
And some pics of a few more of the bits from the manufacturer
DSCF1542 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
DSCF1555 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
DSCF1556 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
DSCF1557 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
Robin
And a jump forward 4 months and we have......
DSCF1647 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
DSCF1648 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
DSCF1656 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
Dscf1666 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
I did resisit the temptation to make engine noises.....
Gearslide (gearstick?) arrangement. I replaced the 'orrible standard rubber connection between the lever in the box and the gearslide with a rose joint.
DSCF1679 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
Front of gearslide will evenetually be supported by bulkhead but for now it's a block of wood! Interestingly the 2CV gearbox is a dogleg. First opposite reverse, 2nd opposite 3rd and 4th opposite nothing!
DSCF1672 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
Umbrella style handbrake. I had to make the link as the standard 2CV link is too short.
DSCF1680 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
Various pictures of the brake line instalation. There isn't a single flexi in the whole system thanks to Citreon's ingenuity.
DSCF1678 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
DSCF1682 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
DSCF1683 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
DSCF1684 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
DSCF1686 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
DSCF1685 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
More pictures here [url]www.flickr.com/photos/robinmartin[/url]
Unfortunately not. Citreon use a different method of terminating the brake pipes (now there's a surprise). They have a bulge about 1cm from the end of the pipe (instead of a flare on the end) and a little rubber tube that slips over the end of the pipe that actually makes the seal. You can buy a special Citreon brake flaring kit but is is £££££. Forunately a company called Bonapart (really!) make a brake pipe kit specially for the Pembleton with the correct length pipes. Well - almost correct, I had to be a bit inventive in one case.
Robin
Almost completed the strip and re-build of the Guzzi engine. After several experiments with paint I used VHT caliper paint for the main block castings and VHT barrel paint for the barrels and heads.
DSCF1697 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
DSCF1702 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
DSCF1705 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
DSCF1706 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
DSCF1711 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
Robin
In the other car haha........
Workshop Weekend
Last weekend I went to a workshop weekend hosted by Duncan Grimmond. Duncan is a professional sheet metal artisan (
http://www.zinccounters.co.uk/) and also a fellow Pembleton enthusiast. Once or twice a year he is kind enough to open up his workshop so that Pembleton builders can access his huge range of metal forming tools - folders, shrinkers, stretchers..... The main job I wanted to do was to form the flange on the floor which is curved and so potentially tricky. Duncan made it look easy....
DSCF1713 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
DSCF1717 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
While we were there I managed to get a few shots of Duncan's second Pembleton which is currently under construction.
DSCF1718 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
DSCF1720 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
A standard to aim for! A few more pictures on my Flikr pages.
Robin
And its in....
Engine fitted at last. Everything went according to plan (well more or less). So I know have an Italian engine mated to a French gearbox using a British adapter. Cool.
A few pictures...
Completed engine from the front. The original ignition was fired from a pickup on the Guzzi flywheel. But of course I am now using the 2CV flywheel. Proiblem solved by using an old school analog electronic igntion from Lucas. The pickup goes on the end of the camshaft.
DSCF1727 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
And from the other end.
DSCF1729 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
It fits!
DSCF1731 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
DSCF1732 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
Lower mounting nut just fits between three cooling fins (middle one removed)
DSCF1736 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
Next step - to get it started - but still a way to go yet....
Robin
I have been working towards getting the engine running. Lots of little jobs to do first.
New bracket for clutch cable. The original one that was welded to the chassis meant the clutch cable was poorly aligned and right at the end of the adjustment.
DSCF1741 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
Carbs trial fitted with air filter from Ebay. Not the best of solutions but it will do to start. Neck for air filter clears chassis by at least 1mm!
DSCF1738 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
Old school electronic ignition (Lucas Rita) with coils underneath. The Guzzi employs a lost spark system which means two coils.
DSCF1739 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
Robin
Are you volunteering? ;-).
Long way to go before that stage. Tally ho!
Robin
Small update on the carb mounting. When I tried to fit the nearside carb it still fouled the chassis - doh.
So I bit the bullet and modified the inlet stubs adding a new bit made from 1 3/8" ally tube which just happens to be a good match. (No it's not my welding....)
DSCF1743 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
Now everything fits!
DSCF1747 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
The only downsoide is that I used about 50mm of the ally tube - but I had to buy 2500mm! Perhaps I'll go into production...
Robin
Engine instal now pretty much complete and tested! Some pictures
DSCF1749 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
DSCF1751 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
DSCF1752 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
DSCF1753 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
More on my Flikr site.
Robin
I spent the last few weeks making a metal folder. It had to be done without welding (as I can't) and cheaply. Here is the result
DSCF1787 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
And in action
DSCF1793 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
I only need to make half a dozen folds or so but didn't fancy the suggested blocks of timber approach. Tried to find a straight piece of timber recently?
The first part to be folded was the rear floor. Seems to fit OK....
DSCF1794 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
I had to also do my first but of "skilled?" metalwork to make a small dip so the bulkhead could fit snugly without fouling the seat-belt mount.
DSCF1795 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
Cheers, Robin
I have almost completed all the inner panels now. It's taken longer than I hoped but it's important to get these right as the floor in particular defines the shape of the body at the lower extremity.
It might all look quite simple but what is not obvious from the pictures is that many of the flanges have subtle curves in them. Getting them all to line up is the tricky bit!
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/robinmartin/9610934031/" title="DSCF1878 by Robin J Martin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2836/9610934031_c2ba06fc80_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="DSCF1878"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/robinmartin/9610935117/" title="DSCF1877 by Robin J Martin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2884/9610935117_80999129fd_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="DSCF1877"></a>
Robin
I have almost completed all the inner panels now. It's taken longer than I hoped but it's important to get these right as the floor in particular defines the shape of the body at the lower extremity.
It might all look quite simple but what is not obvious from the pictures is that many of the flanges have subtle curves in them. Getting them all to line up is the tricky bit!
DSCF1877 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
DSCF1878 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
Robin
Ali is 1.2mm thick - as recommended by the instructions that come with the chassis. It seems a bit flimsy to start with but once you start adding a few bends and joins it soon stiffens up. One builder used 1.5mm but he struggled to form some of the panels using that thickness.
Robin
Floor now complete. Also fuel tank plumbing. Now onto the main body at last....
DSCF1901 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
DSCF1900 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
DSCF1902 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
DSCF1907 by
Robin J Martin, on Flickr
Robin