My 12hp 2 cyl 1906 De Dion Bouton is slowly emerging from a 10 plus year restoration. Everything from making new gears for the transaxle to constructing a totally new body. Just a few tidy up jobs and a hood needed.
Lovely job and well done. I took 7 months for a ground up restoration of mine, 8 hp 3 speed, but I was keen as mustard as this was always a car of my dreams. as with you new gears and inner change shaft, new shoes for the expanding clutches, etc etc, it is a real effort come reassembly to get the side cover on the box. I am an engineer and had my own factory, so work virtually stopped for the 7 months lol. Mine was an original one family owned car, dismantled in the 50s and stored in boxes in the attic, the lady who sold me the car insisted that it was purchased in early 1905 which would make it a 1904 car, as they were exported as deck cargo and under sail the trip took some time.
Thanks for your reply Paul, as replies are rare and way too far between. The exhilaration of driving them is fantastic, I tell my buddies that mine goes like the wind, I didn't tell them wind speed etc. Early after restoration I fitted a brass air pump to the firewall, a gift from another member after seeing me reversing up hills, it is a boom and the car seemed to perform better with it, I have been unable to find a gauge that suits the car so I am careful just how many pumps I give it. Do you know Geoff Simpson down Sydney way? He is a wiz with ding dongs. Last I heard of him he was doing a De Dion powered. Innes. I have a friend (artist) Chris Blake who lives in Queensland, ever met him? He had a son Paul.@@paulblake1536
Sorry I have been a bit busy here. No I dont know of Chris Blake. My Dad was also a keen artist strangely enough. I have heard of Geoff Simpson but never met him. I have found not too many have dabbled in 2 cyl De Dions from the early years.@@sentimentalbloke7586
Recently had issues due to a misplaced needle valve for my dedion, Made another from memory only to find the original after I set the new one and drove the car for a bit, the setting was miles different so put the original back lol.@@paulblake1536
