THE STORY OF THE GRP-BODIED CITROËN BIJOU

WORDS BY STEVE HOLE

Not a kitcar of course, the Citroën Bijou was an incredibly low-volume car for a mainstream manufacturer and had a fascinating story that we think you’ll enjoy.

Citroën is a marque with a quirky past and never afraid to push the boundaries. In addition to the kitcar industry having a fond relationship with the Citroën 2CV underpinnings with many kitcars based on it they also had a factory in the UK, in Slough (1926-1965) where the 2CV was produced.

Pic courtesy of Draco2000 via Wikipedia

Other Citroën models produced in Slough included:

Type A

Traction Avant

Light Twelve

Light Fifteen (SWB) or Big Fifteen More >

THIS COVER IS TOP!

Webcon has a limited quantity of top cover assemblies for the Weber Marelli 34CFM throttle body as fitted to several Ford engines and therefore applicable for kitcar use.

The assembly is supplied complete with: • Fuel injector type IWM025 ‘blue top’ • Injector harness • Air temperature sensor • Fuel pressure regulator assembly.

Fuel injectors have not been available for these applications for many years, so this assembly will provide a very cost-effective method of effectively overhauling a faulty throttle body.

The part number is 3170624402 and is available from stock priced at £301.39 inc VAT.

Available now via 01932 787 100 or visit More >

GO BLANK

These aluminium blanking plugs from Samco are ideal for blanking off flexible fluid hoses. These can be used to permanently blank a hose off or used in an emergency to cap off a water hose. These are also handy for use when removing the engine from your vehicle to help prevent coolant from spilling onto the floor.

SAMCO ALUMINIUM BLANKING PLUGS ENDS.

A STRAIGHTENER

Laser Tools has just released this exceptionally versatile tube straightener (part number 8443) which will straighten copper, stainless steel or aluminium pipe with diameters ranging from 4mm (3/16in) to 10mm (3/8in). It utilises seven U-shaped, grooved rollers, which can be adjusted gradually and held in place by using the thumb lock, to guide the pipe through the straighteners without causing damage to the profile of the pipe.

The end result is a professional finish – you’ll wonder how you ever managed before. Makes your hand-fabricated brake pipes look like factory replacements. Plus, it is important that any tube bending operation begins More >

LIGHT UP YOUR GARAGE

The Clarke SMD84T (left) features two work lights that each utilise 42 SMD LEDs to provide an extremely bright light. Each light has its own On/Off switch with an LED life expectancy of 20000 hours. The tripod has an adjustable height of up 1720mm and handy cable storage hooks.

This product is available for £101.99 inc VAT and can be viewed online here: https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke-2x21w-led-work-light–tripod-230v/ ENDS.

BE A MUG!

For more than 120 years, British company Castrol has been at the forefront of oil technology. Company founder Charles Wakefield launched his first vehicle engine oil in 1906, a pioneering blend of mineral and castor oils that offered unrivalled lubrication properties. Since then, and through many further innovations, Castrol oils have lubricated the beating heart of everything from speed records to Mars missions.

Interestingly, Castrol was the first company of its kind to promote its products through sponsorship, which swiftly led to advertising and merchandising. By 1946, when the iconic Castrol Classic branding was launched, Castrol offered a wide range of More >

THERE’LL BE A LOT OF FALLOUT!

New from Zirconite is their Fallout Remover & Wheel Cleaner.

Zirconite leaves you in no doubt as to where their product is produced. Right there on the label it clearly and proudly states ‘Made in Britain’. I like that.

A 500ml spray bottle, with an excellent trigger, sees the product turn purple when it meets crud on the wheel or bodywork’s surface.

A thickish, gloopy liquid these fallout removers will never smell very nice but this one does a great job.

It gave a good result, using a cloth to remove it from the wheel, but a spray with a hosepipe saw a great More >

THE STORY OF SHORROCK SUPERCHARGERS

SHORROCK SUPERCHARGERS – WORDS BY STEVE HOLE

Another of the great sixties ‘speed’ companies was Shorrock Superchargers and their products were in great demand to owners of various car makes with Ford engines being their prime area of success. Their appeal was helped by the fact that the donor engine needed no modifications.

That sounds a bit too good to be true and it slightly was as they did have weaknesses but there were plenty of happy Shorrock customers up and down the land.

The little blighter in question. A Shorrock supercharger

The ‘Specials’ movement of the early sixties took to them for sure More >

FORMING THE FUTURE AT GBS

Great British Sportscars, composites department has moved to a new purpose-built facility at the company’s HQ near Ollerton.

The company’s composites department enables them to meet growing demand in a larger modern workshop space and to help meet the growing demands of future projects.

All of the GRP bodywork for the Zero range is created in-house by the GBS team and is available in a choice of nine gelcoat colours along with optional carbon-fibre parts.

GBS has also recently invested in a new plastic vac-forming machine that will enable them to create new parts and expand their product range further.

The GRP bodywork products More >

PINTO GETS THE BEANS FROM WEBCON

Webcon has announced that its own production manifolds for 2 x Weber IDF on the Ford Pinto engine are now available.

100 per cent cast and machined in the UK, MM2351 can be fitted with twin 40, 44 or 48IDF and is essential for anyone wishing to recreate a Group 1 Escort, or for general Pinto tuning where space is too restricted to allow fitment of twin Weber DCOE.

MM2351 is available at £390.29 inc VAT. Available directly from Webcon via 01932 787 100 or visit www.webcon.co.uk ENDS.

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