[Peter Bremner]

Hello, I’ve been in Wales visiting my son and grandchildren. We went down the Big Pit, very interesting tour below ground of a coal mine.

I had bought a lump of plastic used to protect knock-in fence posts, the sort with a spike.
That lump fitted perfectly. I then used a club hammer to knock seven shades of it out of the liners.
I did have to bash them really hard. No heat used, the block is too big.
I just kept bashing away until they came out.
I had the block bolted to an engine stand. I propped both ends on the block with 4×2 wood so the block couldn’t move. A Workmate is no good, it is too bouncy.
The paper gasket area took a lot of work, scraping with my best wood chisel until completely clean. I used Hylomar Blue on reassembly.
Once installed, I did hold the liners down with bolts and washers.

[Peter Bremner]

The 5th gear has an usual selection process.
3rd, 4th then somehow back to 3rd for 5th.

Adie and Jamie were working on a more intuitive system, not sure what happened to that idea.

[Peter Bremner]

Bonnet and upper tailgate in place. Now comes the interminable fannying around to set the shuts. Great.

[Peter Bremner]

This shows the bracket attached to the water pump housing.
I used a flat bar from a starter motor bolt to adjust the belt tension.

[Peter Bremner]

Some gearboxes have a mounting area for a compressor. I hung mine from the water pump housing.

[Peter Bremner]

The condenser or condensers are the pain.
I fitted a cheap and cheerful one in front of the radiator on my DSuper5. It works ok.
On the Safari I have laid it the strapontin area with a hole in the boot floor.

I would like fit either a smaller pulley on the compressor (not possible) or a larger one on the hydraulic pump, again not possible.

On a BVH I think it’s the John Titus solution. Compressor replaces alternator, the alternator sits above it.

[Peter Bremner]

Me? Go2 Bluetooth speaker velcroed to the AC evaporator.

[Peter Bremner]

The U-Pol dust is working magic on the grass. I only ever dry sand. I do get complaints from the wife about her car getting dusty!
My garage is a major trip hazard. One trick I’ve perfected is leaning over the engine, moving my foot back, standing on the air line, which acts like a skateboard, face planting me onto the rocker cover.
I have multiples of most tools. If I’m lucky I can find one of the six Stanley knives. I buy six 8mm 1/4 drive sockets at a time.

[Peter Bremner]

At least you can see your floor.

[Peter Bremner]

I’ll try not to. I did fill in the two holes left by the aftermarket bonnet handle.

Like this

[Peter Bremner]

Thanks for the offer. I’ve started so I’ll finish.
U-Pol Dolphin Glaze today as only very thin skims of filler needed. Dolphin Glaze is the bee’s knees. No pinholes and easy to sand.
A few more thin layers still to go on, then I can fit, ready to line up wings and doors etc.

[Peter Bremner]

Somewhere in the mix there are two types of 5 speed boxes.
One is close ratio, the other has a taller 5th gear as in the DSuper5.

I bought a 5 speed box from France via Leboncoin. Yes, it was the close ratio box.
I sent it Harry Maartens for a rebuild to DSuper5 spec.

[Peter Bremner]

Handy if you’re in France. I also carry ‘Je repair moi DS’, a less bulky version of the DS workshop manuals.
I didn’t need it when I had a puncture in Loire, just a new ‘chambre d’air’.

[Peter Bremner]

When I had a Marcos, the steering column went through the fan belt. The trick was to fit two. One on the pulleys, one tied up out of the way.
Maybe cable-tie a spare to the new one. Similar to a spare clutch cable in the non Pallas roof channel.

[Peter Bremner]

I have a brace. DSuper5, from Olivier. I have rebuilt the engine etc.
The other is a Safari, was an ambulance but now a Safari.
One thing to bare in mind is the space needed. A lot. A car at molecular level takes up three times the space of a complete car.
I bought mine 10 years ago. Did nothing for 18 months and then a year off when I was ill. Otherwise a few hours a day, every day.

Bodywork is the most tedious, long winded, pain in the backside.
Can you spray a car? If you can’t, sit down before you get the quote.

I would buy the best DSuper5 you can find.
Carb, manual 5 speed, left hand drive (the way God made them). Fairly easy to work on, for a DS.
Then drive it. No need to mollycoddle it.

[Author]

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