2CV Special - Final* CAD Design

With the amount of work the arms do I would hesitate to modify them apart from to strengthen them.

I also want to stick to using as many 2cv parts as possible, if I start contemplating wider mountings, or modified/new arms I may as well put in suspension more appropriate to the application.

BMW engine rotates the same way as the 2CV, the BMW unit has been used in pembletons and other 2cv specials.

I could fit it mid engined if I modify the rear axle and bring the cylinder heads above the hinge point eliminating the clearance issue, however then the engine/gearbox may sit too forward of the drive line.

Yes, so I would flip the diff in the gearbox. Not too hard I believe. Citroen 2cv Sahara had a similar setup for their twin engined car

I´d go rear engined. It´s not like the motor weighs much. Good for traction.
I think it should handle well.

What actually are the drawbacks? Traction isn´t one of them.

I realise Porsche have spent 50 years or so engineering their way around any and all rear engined issues, but with such a low weight of engine, that´s barely even going to be behind the line of the tyres, will it really make much odds where it´s positioned? It probably weighs less than the driver.

Where are you doing the PHD? I think Darkspeed is onto something as there's half of feck all 2cv left so why not do something different at the back end....and at the front

the engine in the original place means that all the steering, brakes etc can remain as normal, so it's way less complication for you to re engineer it

I wonder if beetle or 944 trailing arms would be of any use and clear the bmw heads if you keep the engine in the back

Ok, I was just thinking along the lines that there have been rear engined cars that handle well (and poorly also) and 2CVs also can be made to handle well. Also as I tend to favour RWD as a concept - and also since the motor is so light - would it really make much odds if it was mid or rear mounted? I´m genuinely curious. Every day´s a  school day and all that.

To answer some of the above:

I am doing my PhD at Loughborough in autonomous vehicle ergonomics.

The engine is staying behind the occupant. That isn't negotiable. Putting the engine in the front will ruin the aesthetic, and that is something that I am keen to keep hold of.

This car isn't going to be on a track, hill climb or sprint. It will be driven on B roads. Handling is a factor to consider but in no way a driving principle in this project. The 2CV was never designed for track use but with some work can be made to handle quite well.

I have one aim for this, and that is to put a smile on my face when I drive it and nothing more. Some people find joy in driving cars on the limits of adhesion, others like to pose in show cars. I just want this to be fun, it is not a serious car.

To get this fun it needs to actually get finished. And to finish it I need to keep things simple. I am not going to design an IRS, the chassis for the most part has been designed and on the way to being built.

As for twin engined this has crossed my mind, but as a mild hybrid rather than another IC engine. Packaging a small electric motor, control electrics and a small battery or super capacitors would be straight forward, however getting it to live in harmony with an IC engine and controlling it properly would be an issue. If I do it I will do it towards the end.

As I am changing the engine and chassis I am beyond having enough points to avoid IVA, so it's getting IVAd.

Hope that clears things up.

I like your solution!

It reminds me of my engine build. Most people just shake their heads and tells me to get a Ford 289 V8 to make Griffith clone, but what’s the fun in that. Instead I am taking the difficult and seldom throdden path of building a 2.8 litre Daimler Hemi V8 with fuel injection. I could probably had twice the power at half the price with a Ford 289, but I do not want a bolt together engine. I want to know I solved the problem with Ford Y-block lifters, bespoke camshaft, bespoke cast and machined pistons, custom and puls tuned intake and exhaust, adapted Ford ATI crankshaft damper, bespoke 5-speed gearbox conversion and lots more. And all of this because it is challenging and fun and It will be me who has made it just like I want it👍

So I say stick to your plan and I am looking very much forward to following your progress