Topic: My PLASTIC car!

[francois]

Look what I found on vacations and could not pass up!
it was so cheap in more than 1 way and it is French!
A Citroen MEHARI.
This car is built on a 2cv chassis ( if you can call it that!), powered by a 602 cc 2 cylinder air cooled engine with a whopping 29 hp.
The weight ( without me in it !) is less than 1100 pounds.
The body was a revolution over 40 years ago, it was made with Thermoform technology and ABS plastic.
The car were made from 68-84, the weak point or at least the majot one was the body was not UV resistant and would fade since the color was integral to the plastic and crack as well.
They have become so popular and thought after that a couple companies there remake every single parts, they actually make brand new ones, you just need to furnish a VIN tag, or basically bring a junker .
It took me about 3 hours to gut it, will remove the pan and clean, degrease and treat the chassis with POR15. then will install some new plastic panels and Voila. A GREEN car before GREEN was in. The new body panels are made of recycled plastic, there is no coolant, power steering fluid and these cars get about 50 mph

[jm]

That is priceless. You have to bring it out for the dream cruise.

[Castle]

I love it! 

[ken]

Wow, it looks like a big golf cart!

[francois]

Yeh, but a street legal golf cart.

[francois]

Project moving alomg, the chassis needed some 'cutting and welding" that was fun
you got to love the plasma cutter and Mig welder!
So now I am in the proicess of finishing the cleaned chassis with 2 coats of POR15 before doing the same to the tubular frame and the rebuilt will start.

[Castle]

thats lookin good. 

[Ingostamus Maximus]

I was just talking about you and your projects with my friend Tony down in Houston . He had that 4000q we did a CV joint or wheel bearing on in your garage a few years ago. He might be doing some work on a right-hand drive '73 Audi Coupe for the original owner in Spring, Texas!!!  Small world. I look forward to seeing the new project.

[francois]

Yes I saw the posting, the owner wants the car more Highway friendly, it does 70 no problems, but these C1 engines rev at over 4K rpm doing so.
The owner wants to have either another gearbox or different final drive. Not an easy job when the budjet is less than 2K and his car has the inboard brakes!!

[francois]

Plastic car update:
well moving along with the blast of a project, I have done so m uch welding I have gone thru 2 tanks of gas mixture.
there she stands now:
The metal frame that supprot all the plastic panels is back on, all painted with POR15, the wheels have been repainted with some leftover white paint I had from doing the 4k over the winter.
The engine is back in, Kurt and I just each grabbed a side and plopped it back in the car!
2 cylinder air cooled boxer engine.
I am finishing redoing the windshield, removed the class, cut and replaced some metal that had been "Jerry rigged" to install mirrors.
This has been the most fun car project I have done to date, it is so inexpensive and fun to do all of it yourself, and I have become addicted to the Plasma cutter and welder.
The body panels should be here in a few weeks.

[SpeedyDTP247]

looks like a cool project. good luck