• One Citroën 2cv with new doors and wings.
• One Citroën Ami Super Break.
• One Citroën Axel 11RE, low mileage.
• One Citroën GSA 1300 5 speed, low mileage.
• One Citroën Traction Avant boot lid.
• A lot of steel, both sheet and tubes.
• One dad who's good with welding equipment.
• One fellow 2cv nut with the right connections.
• Lots of patience...

Preparation

March 1995
I'm thinking of converting my fully rebuilt 2cv to hydraulic suspension. A 1982 GSA wreck is bought, very rusty but mechanically sound. The car is stripped of all it's mechanical parts. Some phoning to the Dutch state service for road traffic reveals that no significant changes to the chassis are allowed or new type approval is needed. However, over the phone they can't tell me whether my proposed modifications fall under this category. Not wanting to take the chance and stuck with the GSA parts, it is decided to fit the GSA engine in the 2cv.

So how can a 4 cylinder GSA engine be fitted to a 2cv? Some research is done on the subject. The resulting information can be found on the 2cv Tuning Page. I decide to use an Ami Super chassis.

June 23^rd 1995
After a few months an Ami Super Break is found, bought and trailered home.

The chassis is cleaned to bare metal and painted. The front Ami super axle is cleaned, rebuilt, painted and fitted to the chassis. At the rear 2cv axle is used because the Ami axle is not wide enough. The Ami Super 40 liter fuel tank is cleaned, a new sender unit fitted and bolted to the chassis. Everything on the chassis is new, including axle bolts and knife edge suspension pins. The Ami Super 4 speed gearbox is mated to the GSA G13/625 1300cc engine and put on the chassis as well.

Rolling chassis

The plan is to make a nose to fit over the bigger engine and then put the body of my 2cv on the chassis. Here the problems start. The Ami Super chassis "looks" like a 2cv chassis, but it's completely different. After some comparison, it is clear that the 2cv body won't fit on the Ami Super chassis. A scrap 2cv body is put on the chassis cutting away everything on the body that doesn't fit. There is so little left that it's decided to built a new 2cv body especially for the chassis. Now that this isn't going to be a fast and easy body swap anymore it's decided to make the car top specification. This means the 4 speed gearbox has to be replaced with a GSA 5 speed one. The GSA engine fitted came with a 5 speed gearbox so this is used. A lot of modifications are made to the engine mounts and steering rods. Due to the modifications on the steering rods the maximum angle on the wheels is greatly reduced which increases the turning circle of the car considerably.

Fitting the 5 speed box. Tight? Slightly...

November 1995
To built the new body a good 2cv donor is needed. The neighbors come to the rescue with a 2cv that was intended as a parts car and has been standing in their garden in a small shed for 7 years. There is some rust around the windscreen but apart from that both chassis and body are absolutely rust free. The car is driven home and the body is separated from the chassis. It soon becomes clear the body is a lot worse then first thought (as always).

Just found some of the rusty bits.

Because of rust and the modifications needed, most body sections will have to be replaced. First the old floors are cut out. These have rust and need to be modified anyway. The sills are replaced because of rust. New floors are made up to fit the Ami Super chassis. These are made from 1.2mm material and have a different construction. The lower part of the front bulkhead is replaced because of rust. The spare wheel well is removed and blanked off to make room for the larger Ami Super fuel tank.

Replacing floors and making room for the fuel tank.

Replacing floors and footwell.

Rear end modification, new sill and footwell.

The front windscreen surround is replaced by a new one because of rust. A frame supporting the front bulkhead is made, replacing the 2cv dashboard shelf. All original panels such as the rear inner wings are seam welded to the body. The small tubes spanning the roof are replaced by steel tubes triangulated onto the body. A frame is made, connecting the the inner wings to the floor under the rear bench. The new boot lid sits in a frame connecting the boot floor to the inner wings and the upper body.

Body fitting on chassis, and a bit more rust.

Together this gives a new body with much increased strength and rigidity. builting the new body takes little over a year, working every weekend and some week days as well. Only the sides in which the doors and rear windows go, are still original.

February 1997
The finished body and chassis are put together for the first time.

The body fits, fitting the boot lid and bonnet.

The original bonnet is not stretched. In order to fit the bonnet over the engine, the bonnet hinge is moved forward 15 cm and put on a frame on the bulkhead. Front wings are made to fit over the engine. The front half of two new wings is cut off and replaced with home made sections.

Making the wings.

The 2cv headlight carrier is dumped. The headlights are fixed directly to the wings. The whole nose is fixed to the body with only 8 bolts. This improves serviceability and quick engine changes. The under bonnet area is aerodynamically optimized for optimal engine cooling.

Front and rear.

February 7^th 1998
The body and panels are temporarily fitted to a spare 2cv chassis and brought to the painter. It has almost been 3 years since the project was started. The chassis is temporarily used to start builting a Lomax.

At the paint shop, bare metal respray.

March 3^rd 1998
The car returns from the painter. The built up can now start, but first there's a Lomax body sitting on the chassis...

June 1998
The Lomax is put on it's own chassis and the 2cv shell is reunited with it's chassis.

Body on chassis.

December 1998
Due to a university project, I haven't been able to work on the car for a while. The 1300cc engine has been used to save an Axel. The new engine will be an Axel G11/631 1130cc engine with only 60.000km. The 1130 engine can rev more easily then the 1300 which should suit the car better. New engine supports are made to make engine swapping easier. Engine and gearbox are united and fitted. Every bolt, nut and washer used is either zinc plated (gold colour) or replaced by stainless steel.

Fitting the engine.

January 1999
The built up of the car has now truly started and is progressing fast. The right front door is modified so it can be locked from the inside. An new exhaust system is made from 50mm tubing is made up, incorporating a home made expansion silencer. The fuel tank is fitted.

Exhaust system.

February 1999
One year after painting, all body panels are finally back on the car. All brakes have been fitted and connected. The project is put on hold again, I'm experimenting with 652cc Visa engined A-types and work on various other cars.

Nearly there?

July 2000
The car is finally put on the road. Wiring is made up, dashboard is fitted, and a lot of small things are done (taking up most of the time). The day before we take off to the DENTWORM Y2K meeting I finally solve the ignition problem (an electronic ignition coil on points ignition won't work). The first test drive is at 01.00AM on the morning we're leaving for Normandy. The second test drive is a 1500km round trip to Normandy. There are no problems apart from a blocked jet and the car is great fun to drive.

Nearly there!

August 2000
Some modifications are made, they are needed desperately. The exhaust is modified so it doesn't touch the floor, and the left front wheel isn't limited by it when going round corners. Some proper sound deadening is fitted to the bulkhead. The cold air intake gets a tray underneath to stop water leaking onto the bulkhead and into the cabin. Dyane overriders are fitted to the front bumper to stop golf owners with severe parking difficulties driving into the bonnet. Front wheels are aligned, tracking is set up and turning limiters adjusted. The only 1500km old steering rod covers are replaced, they have fallen to pieces.

November 2000
Making the car ready for the technical test involves replacing the driveshafts and the outer steering joint covers. The driveshafts has split gaiters, not unlikely after 25 years. The steering joint covers are in shreds after only 2000km running. The steering geometry is realigned and a broken rear light fixed.

Ready for the technical test

The technical test
Now it's about time that the car is made road legal. So on November 28th the car is off to my local APK (annual technical test) garage. In Holland, the test is done by approved garages. After some minor modifications, mainly to the handbrake lever, the car gets its approval. However, the system is checked by the state service (RDW) making random checks. And naturally my car is chosen for a random check. The state guy gives it everything he's got for 2 full hours, including phoning the head office for homologation details. After 2 hours all he can find is 2 missing bolts from the seats, visible wires because of the incomplete dashboard and the licenseplate lights that have died during the test-drive. The conversion itself (Ami super with 2cv body) falls nicely within regulations. However, the state guy won't allow me to do any repairs on the spot (which would have taken about 5 minutes). So I lose the approval and have to go home and to the repairs. The following week on December 8th the car is back at the garage, retested and approved

So far for the construction of this car. For the continuation of this story, go to Part II

Great cooking isn't it?
For more info on hot 2cv cooking, check out the 2cv Tuning Page.

Specification after technical approval:

Citroën 2cv index
Cats Citroën Net Museum
Cats Citroën Net Index