dollywobbler Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 A year ago, my 2CV was in many pieces. In January, she returned triumphantly to the road. On the way to the NEC Resto Show, she hit 1000 miles since rebuild. This didn't feel enough. Thankfully, a friend was getting married in France over the Easter weekend. Game on! I prepped* the car for the trip with a lot of care. By which I mean I checked the fluid levels, greased the kingpins and lobbed a few random parts and a warning triangle into the boot. Day of departure. This was a tough leg to be fair, seeing us clock up around 250 miles on our way to Sussex. Mrs DW's sister offered a useful staging post. We found a diner on the way, for properly unhealthy food and half-arsed service. Next day, we headed for Dover, allowing plenty of time. I'm glad we did as three miles from the port, all hell broke loose. A shunt up ahead required the services of the Fire brigade. We were sat for a terrifying amount of time. We got there though, just in time! Then we discovered that other friends were on the same boat. Nice. A fuel stop was required almost immediately, though the only one on the French side. We would cover just under 200 miles en France. The wedding was in the town of Saint-Amand-les-Eaux, which is just south of Lille - Belgian border, quite nice and dishevelled. Very French. Dead chuffed to find a Renault 4 to park next to! Next day, we headed to the wedding. The theme was 1960s/1970s. Fittingly, Elly the 2CV wears a 1960s grille. She was one of several classic Citroens. A wedding hoon convoy around the town was fun. Next day, there was a classic car show in the town. Very informal. Folk just turned up, stayed around for a bit, and buggered off again. Contrasts. Very French. Then we started the drive home, stopping off in Dunkerque for sightseeing... Crusty! Then it was back on the boat on Monday, behind a Dutch Golf. And a Volvo. We had another night in Sussex, as I'd done some work in Kent while we were there. My nephew helped me check the car over before the last stretch home. Five days and 900 miles later, we were home! Not a lot to report wrong with the 2CV. The speedometer bulb packed up in France, which made driving at night interesting, and the handbrake went from poor to entirely useless. Must adjust it. It does also seem to be building fumes up on the windscreen, which suggests either a head leak (doesn't seem to smell) or oil misting somewhere on the engine. It isn't using very much (one small top up on the trip). It is seriously loud though - earplugs were necessary for most of the trip, especially motorway sections. I'm also badly out of shape. My arms and shoulders ache a fair bit today. The S-MX, with its over-assisted steering, has spoilt me! So, in short, we drove a long way in the 2CV. The 2CV was fine, but I coped less well. Nice little trip though! pompei, Bobthebeard, Sigmund Fraud and 37 others 40 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BorniteIdentity Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 Tremendous. Fantastic photos (and I LOVE Mrs DW's frock!!) Great write up - sounds like a good laugh. Twiggy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlo Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 I hope the French locals were pleased to see a convoy of British-registered 2CV variants drive through their village! egg 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twiggy Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 Tremendous. Fantastic photos (and I LOVE Mrs DW's frock!!) I`m sure it will be available in your size........................ richardmorris, holbeck, Junkman and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Six-cylinder Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 Rusty C15 van best for me! holbeck 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chodweaver Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 Hey, I know that diner! I had my first Oreo Cookie shake in there. Well jel of your pleasant and entirely successful little road trip. It's the same for me in respect of there being a depressing amount of motorway miles that have to be done in England just to get to a channel port - I don't feel like I'm properly on the trip till the channel has been crossed. My road trip for this year will be to Hautes Languedoc in July. I wish the XM was going to be up for it but it'll be out of MOT by the time we return and its chances for a pass are non existent at the moment. Sent from my BV6000 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BorniteIdentity Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 I`m sure it will be available in your size........................ Challenge accepted. Twiggy and eddyramrod 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted April 19, 2017 Author Share Posted April 19, 2017 Challenge accepted. Marks & Spencer, a range of sizes available. I look forward to seeing the pics. Oh, no, hold on. Not sure about that... richardmorris, eddyramrod and Twiggy 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted April 19, 2017 Author Share Posted April 19, 2017 Hidden just the other side of that diner there are at least 2, perhaps 3, Hyundai Pony pickups.I collected a tool box from the garage there for ruffgeezer and the fella was admiring the Mitsubishi Colt I rocked up in. He did join up here for a short lived posting career. Drat. Wish I'd thought to explore! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hooli Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 Hey, I know that diner! I had my first Oreo Cookie shake in there. Well jel of your pleasant and entirely successful little road trip. It's the same for me in respect of there being a depressing amount of motorway miles that have to be done in England just to get to a channel port - I don't feel like I'm properly on the trip till the channel has been crossed. My road trip for this year will be to Hautes Languedoc in July. I wish the XM was going to be up for it but it'll be out of MOT by the time we return and its chances for a pass are non existent at the moment. Sent from my BV6000 using Tapatalk From Congleton you'd be better off heading for Hull & getting the overnight boat wouldn't you? I think I once worked it out as the same cost as driving to Dover at 40ish mpg when leaving from Donny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chodweaver Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 Tried that too. Trouble is, we've got used to the convenience of the tunnel, and by comparison a cabin on a floating sports bar followed by a fairly lengthy drive through Holland and Belgium isn't much more attractive than hitting the M25 past Heathrow at 5pm on a Friday. We are both terrible snobs though Skizzer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted April 19, 2017 Author Share Posted April 19, 2017 All European countries look much the same from the motorways. It was a bit annoying that we didn't have more time for a bit of off-piste exploration on this trip. We saved all our motorway avoidance for the drive home from Sussex yesterday... Must also admit that I far preferred the chunnel crossing we did in the Rover last year, to the 2-hour ferry crossing to Dunkerque this time. For a start, you can jump straight off the motorway into the terminal and secondly, it's a lot quicker and you can stay with the car. Which I like... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richardmorris Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 I far prefer the tunnel. It's closer and quicker and I get sea sick on a millpond surface. I'm off to France in a few weeks and looking at prices the tunnel is £10 dearer than p 'n o for similar timed crossings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Breadvan72 Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 That looks like the coolest wedding in EVAH. richardmorris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted April 20, 2017 Author Share Posted April 20, 2017 That looks like the coolest wedding in EVAH. 2CVers do tend to mix things up a bit when it comes to weddings. At one point during the very serious Catholic ceremony (which only the vicar and a handful of French people seemed to be taking seriously), the groom was wearing a red nose. Tough gig. Especially the side made up of mostly-atheist Brits... RobT 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r.welfare Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 LOL'd at the diner, they've changed the name recently but the food/service comments show it hasn't changed... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chodweaver Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 While I've not frequented that one for a while, my vote for the Diner Poor Service Award has to go to the one on the A5 in Brownhills, for its ability to piss off patrons while having more staff than customers. Anyway, enough thread hijacking. As you were. Sent from my BV6000 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 It is seriously loud though - earplugs were necessary for most of the trip, especially motorway sections. + x2 Although a more Autoshite version obviously as that's £360 worth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Cade Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 I hate the tunnel. 1000 mile round trip to Dover for us but still cheaper- miss the Rosyth ferry. We're booked up for June again, and although I've done the Dover crossing many times, I've never seen it in daylight. Cracking wee trip DW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
somewhatfoolish Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 Epic french C6 shiteist; that's dedicated autoshite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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