project (New) New minge-bag motoring - 1983 Citroen LNA 11E

[Largactil]

Did spot a R18 Turbo on a red reg last year - bit odd looking...

 

 

(Those plates aren't cheap!)

 

Had a bit of chat over going the '83-D' or 'ZV' route when the time comes. Only issue with a ZV, is that it's now into 6 digits - ZV 123456, so looks a bit rubbish.

 

Hopefully get it nice & reliable over the next few months, and bring it over in the Spring.

[Angrydicky]

83-D will look much better, definitely.

[hairnet]

that format and red not technically allowed

[hairnet]

zv you can run silver on black

[Angrydicky]

Maybe, but that would look awful on an 80's car.

[Largactil]

So, I can haz MOT

 

 

(Not the actual cert, but it does have one apparently)

 

It's been sat at my trusted mechanic's workshop for the past week, since I towed it down - I'm working away at present, so my dad did the honours and went and collected it today.

 

With him not having any interest in cars or mechanical knowledge, I've to pop down to the garage next week for the full story...Looks like he replaced the dizzy cap / rotor arm, as well as the plugs / leads & coil I'd gave him.

 

Need to sort the fuel side out now - Think I'll fit a 'leccy fuel pump to supplement the existing one. (The incorrect replacement I'd bought cost £3.60, so no real loss).

 

Carb sounds like it needs a good clean / rebuild - Apparently a Weber 32 IBP is a straight swap, and I missed out on a new old stock one on eBay the other week for £70 ish. (Solex rebuild kit is around £20 plus time...and when stripped there might be more knackered bits than the rebuild kit provides!)

[hairnet]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WEBER-32-36-CARB-COMPLETE-AND-WORKING-/251676803369

[Largactil]

Having just taxed this the other day, I came to realise I've now owned the LNA for almost 6 months (!)

 

In that time, I've flogged my modern, making the LNA my only motor; with me being based in Ireland most of the time, the Citroen lives at my folks place in Scotland, getting a decent spin a couple of times a month / whenever I'm over visiting.

 

The general plan is still to get it to a level I'm confident in its ability to start / stop / change gear reliably, then take it over and register it there.

 

With this in mind I commenced a carb hunt for the correct Solex PBISA 32, and French eBay turned up an unsold one in completed items, brand new and in its box. An off-eBay deal was struck, and I have a shiny carb awaiting fitment at some point soon.

 

 

 

(Also picked up a rebuild kit and a set of float setters for very little, so I'll have a crack at the old carb when it comes off).

 

The correct fuel pump was obtained from Mister Auto in France, but I haven't gotten around to fitting it yet. In the meantime, the car is parked nose down / arse up on the drive's incline, and is started twice a week when I'm not around. (And catches first turn, generally).

 

Changing the gear linkage rod has helped a great deal regarding stirring theËœbox up and down. Still a bit sloppy (fitting the new bush fit should correct this), but the throw is back to normal range, so you're not bashing your knuckles off the lower dashboard when going for 1^st & 3^rd.

 

As for cosmetics - Managed to get a new old stock bumper corner, so swapped that for the bodged one.

 

Before:

 

After:

 

Also acquired a new tailgate gas strut, and no longer have need of the stick of truth to prop the boot up.

 

Pulled the radio out, and soldered on the correct speaker plugs; also fitted a facia which makes things look a little tidier.

 

Before:

 

After:

All little jobs, but my time in the UK seems to be at a premium right now. Work will commence in earnest in Spring, with the new carb / fuel pump / hoses and some general cosmetic fettling.

 

Had it out for a decent 30-40 mile spin last week while over.

 

 

(Apologies for the hipstergram-ness)

 

I rather enjoy driving it - It feels at least a generation, maybe even two, behind my old peasant spec Peugeot 205. (Which I suppose it is, being based on an early 70's 104).

 

I know a few of the AS regulars experienced the car when Wuvv owned it. As above, the gearshift is much improved now, and it lollops along nicely in that softy-sprung old car way. (Apparently Citroen changed the spring & damper rates to be somewhat softer than the 104 donor).

 

It nips along in modern traffic, but the gear ratios are a tad odd - 1^st is very short / 2^nd is very long, so it's possible to get caught out needing a 1.5 gear. It's a 3 + E box, so you tend to leave it in 3^rd while town driving in 30mph limits. (The gearbox whines like a good-un, but TADTS, even when new).

 

Handling is amusing - The steering is very slow, and it rolls like a boat, so you need to get the weight shifted and load the suspension up when cornering at modest speeds. Once you've done this, it can corner surprisingly quickly despite its humble tyre size, and it copes with mid-corner bumps fairly easily.

 

Ride is very soft & comfortable. High profile tyres and soft suspension soak up the bulk of what our shite roads throw at you.

 

Brakes need a good shove to work, but the 11E doesn't have a brake servo, so that's to be expected. (The posher 11RE had one fitted).

 

Pending any major mechanical / bodywork disasters, I think the LNA will be keeping its place on the fleet for the foreseeable...

[barrett]

If you don't end up exporting this could I tentatively express an interest when the time comes to sell? I'd quite fancy a really small tinny thing like this for pottering duties.

[Largactil]

If you don't end up exporting this could I tentatively express an interest when the time comes to sell? I'd quite fancy a really small tinny thing like this for pottering duties.

 

No worries - ed5000 expressed an interest too, if I do get around to importing it and registering in Ireland.

 

 

(Although I'm quite happy to 'roll' around in it for now!)

 

Forgot to mention that I managed to get in contact with the LNA's original owner.

 

I stuck a few current pictures of the car in with a covering letter, and was somewhat chuffed that she decided to reply.

 

<TEH DOCTOR>

Turns out that she bought the car new from G.W. Salter Motors in Oxford (long gone) back on the 26^th of August 1983, and kept it till the 30^th of November 2010, when she traded it in to Inchcape Toyota in Kidlington for a Toyota Yaris.

 

Over the 27 years she owned it, it was mainly used locally, but she had driven it over to Brittany to see relatives (She's French), hence the GB sticker on the rump.

 

She'd traded it in, as the upholstery was deteriorating and she wanted a car with air con. Inchcape gave her a whole £20.61 for the LNA, and she assumed they'd scrapped it.

 

(Instead they stuck it to BCA Blackbush, where the enthusiast chap bought it a couple of weeks later).

 

The lady's in her 70’s now, but very kindly stuck a copy of the receipt from Inchcape for the £20.61 they gave her, plus a picture of the LNA sat in the drive of a house she used to own in Ipswich back in 1993. (She apologised, as she did have a pile of receipts / history relating to the car, but chucked them out when she traded it in, as she figured it'd be fragged).

 

 

(Suburbia in 1993...The BX only made it to April 2001- Was a 1.9 petrol, so perhaps one of the sportier models?)

 

</TEH DOCTOR>

[xtriple]

My sister in law was after an economical car to truck around in back in the day and through a contact I got her one of these, same colour and spec - could almost be the same car.

 

She adored it. It was a cracking little thing with loads of character and Gallic charm.

 

She still had it until recently as well. She traded it in for a Yaris or a Jazz or something similar, so it seems they have a devoted following.

[Largactil]

They did seem to be one of the giffer-mobile's of choice in the early to mid 80's - They were cheap, and no doubt discounted to buggery, as Citroen couldn't shift them.

 

The Autocar road test at the time summed it up:

 

 

Bit harsh, perhaps - But it must have felt pre-historic compared to a Nova or a Polo.

 

The latest How Many Left figures released last month reckon that there's now just 20 LNA's on their books - 15 SORN'd, and 5 taxed, so they do seem to be something of a dying breed....

[Largactil]

Taxed JJO the other day, which means it's only a couple of weeks till the first anniversary of me purchasing it from Wuvv.“ In the "buy & quickly flip for new chod" world of Autoshite, I don't think that's too bad going?

 

 

 

In the last thrilling* instalment in January, I was making all sorts of exaggerations ("my old man starts it twice a week, when I'm not around") and mistruths ("Work will commence in earnest in Spring, with the new carb / fuel pump / hoses and some general cosmetic fettling").

 

In reality, it spent the first 3 months of 2015 dumped at the top of my parents drive in Scotland, looking a bit sad for itself. Work / life / living in Dublin got in the way, and whenever I was at their place, it was merely for the night / just passing through. This offered little in the way of opportunity to get on with the necessary.

 

 

 

Around March, I had some renewed vigour (as well as a couple of days at their gaff), so dug the battery charger out and managed to get the LNA up & running for a quick spin. The interior was a mass of cobwebs, as a family of spiders had decided to use it for a winter shelter, but it seemed none the worse for the neglect.

 

I was yet again distracted by buying a new daily motor in April, but set a goal of getting the LNA over to Dublin for the Terenure show in July.

 

Yet more distractions meant that it was early June before I actually got around to charging & starting the car. All levels were good, but after idling for 10 minutes, it decided to start puking coolant from its bottom hose. And the indicators & wipers had packed in. Hmmm.

 

As luck would have it, it turned out the bottom hose was merely perished at the end (cut and re-secured) and the electrical gremlins came from a couple of blown fuses.

 

Cairnryan -> Belfast  ferry was duly booked for the 3^rd of July, and fingers were duly crossed.

 

The night before the ferry, I get back to my folks, fire the car up and head off for a quick spin to grab fuel and some bits & bobs at Tesco. The LNA decides to refuse to start in Tesco car park, much to the amusement of the grey trackie bottom brigade in the nearby Zafira.“ This doesn't bode well for the 250 mile journey the next day.

 

Thankfully, a few heavy taps to the starter with a shifter encouraged the solenoid to disengage, and we were off again.

 

Thereafter, I have to say the LNA behaved impeccably. It blezzed down to Cairnryan port through Glasgow morning rush hour traffic, never missing a beat, onto the ferry and from Belfast down to Dublin on the other side; 53.1 mpg was nice too.

 

Having only washed it once since collecting from Wuvv, I treated it to a 4 hour session involving claybar / T cut and polish, prior to Terenure. Barry boyed it up with some fake Serck plates / an AA badge / and an old Radio 1 roadshow #OMGSAVILLE sticker too.

 

 

 

Despite being a bit of a shed and more of a daily then a classic, the Irish arm of The Citroen Car Club were pretty kind to me, letting me park the LNA on their stand next to some lovely DS's and Traction Avants, plus a minty CX and SM.

 

 

 

 

It did generate a bit of interest (got chatting to the owner of the only LNA in Ireland), but I was off wandering around the other club displays for the most part.

 

A couple of days after the show, it was time to take it back to the UK, which it again managed without missing a beat.

 

After covering 60-70 miles in the 9 months of ownership from Sept 14 -> June 15, it managed around 600 in 5 days, despite my neglect. I wouldn't say it's a particularly restful place to cover 600 miles in, but having a stereo fitted does take the edge off on longer trips.

 

It even maintained "continental" cruising speeds (higher speed limit in the ROI than the UK) without protest. As long as there were no hills about.

 

 

Finally, a kind chap at Terenure offered me a set of Visa GT alloy wheels for it, so I'll be collecting them soon hopefully - Maybe I should also paint it red? ;o)

 

 

Till next Spring!

[LC Torana]

Google has let me down - what is 3+E gearing?

[r.welfare]

It's where the top gear is highly overdriven, so less than 1:1. Normally 4th gear is "direct drive" (1:1 ratio).

[LC Torana]

I see, 3 speeds plus Everdrive.

[vulgalour]

Everdrive, that well known South Efrican innovation.

[Largactil]

The VW Polo Formel E had a similar gearbox - 'E'conomy.

 

It's so long that you really need to be doing at least 40mph to shift into top.

 

In 30mph zones you keep it in 3rd... 

[hairnet]

dont paint it ya ballix

[Largactil]

dont paint it ya ballix

 

 

Not much chance of that!

 

I think it looks okay in red (not that LNA was ever offered in that colour), but I'll stick with the way it came from the factory.

 

[Noel Tidybeard]

Google has let me down - what is 3+E gearing?

1. 1st
2. 2 1/4
3. 3 1/2
4. 5

[Largactil]

MOT win again, the other week - Although this highlighted the fact that I only managed 71 miles over the year, vs. 716 miles the year before...(!)

 

 

Having bought a new gaff in Ireland in March, my time / money has been taken up sorting the place out / building a big feck off extension on the back of it. This has led to the LNA sitting mouldering on my parent's driveway in Scotland.

 

 

 

An hour later, and the worst of it was off

 

 

The building work is finally coming to an end, and the garage should be freed up soon - Hopefully get the LNA over in the next 2-3 months, and get it stashed under cover.

 

What to do with it going forward?

 

 

...but it would seem a shame to turn one of the few remaining UK LNA's into a Group A / B Peugeot 104 clone....  

 

Time will tell, I guess! 

[Leachibob104]

Hey bud, enjoyed looking through your thread. A little late to the party, 😂

 

I've got 2 104s both Z's/coupes

 

I wouldn't go the group B route, i have been tempted but decided a fast Road spec is a good compromise.

 

One of mine is sitting on uprated suspension, height and damping adjustable. Maybe a idea for yours?

This is how it's sitting atm, can go lower if desired. 😂

 

Hub conversion to 4 stud, more wheel options!

Or even band your existing steel for extra width, that's what I'm looking at next.

 

Got a 1360cc to rebuild and fit, 80BHP twin solex setup. Then planning on fitting some throttle bodies for reliability and some more usable power.

 

Tom

[paulplom]

Would early ax 3 stud wheels fit?

[Faker]

Would early ax 3 stud wheels fit?

Hope. 3x98 pcd on ax saxo 106 3 studs. 3x115 on the lna 104 samba

[Faker]

Hey bud, enjoyed looking through your thread. A little late to the party,

I've got 2 104s both Z's/coupes

I wouldn't go the group B route, i have been tempted but decided a fast Road spec is a good compromise.

One of mine is sitting on uprated suspension, height and damping adjustable. Maybe a idea for yours?

This is how it's sitting atm, can go lower if desired.

Hub conversion to 4 stud, more wheel options!

Or even band your existing steel for extra width, that's what I'm looking at next.

Got a 1360cc to rebuild and fit, 80BHP twin solex setup. Then planning on fitting some throttle bodies for reliability and some more usable power.

Tom

Looks fab! How's the white one these days?

[Faker]

Rally spec all the way!! Do it!!

 

Here's mine! (Samba but close enough)!

[Leachibob104]

Looks fab! How's the white one these days?

 

The other one's orange bud if that's what you meant.

 

Still not much progress as i'm saving up to have somebody weld the old girl up. Unfortunately its didn't hold up well  standing around for 18 years. 

 

Once its all welded up I can work on the mechanical bit myself and make some real progress.

 

 

Here's some pictures from today. Started to clean up the surface rust from the underside and some more dismantling.

 

The extent of the rust, discover some more today too

 

Gave the ZS badge and untouched paint a little wipe down. Its going to stand out for sure once its finished.

 

Original dealer plates in surprising good nick too.

 

Had to take the photo op, haha,

 

I might have taken on too much expression.

 

 

 

[Leachibob104]

Seems my pictures didn't upload on my last post. Should be all fixed now. Doh!

[Largactil]

Liking the 104's lots 

 

I think the rally spec thoughts came from too much time on my hands - A Samba would probably be a better base.

 

In a bored moment I ended up scanning through the PTS catalogue and the Samba Group N / A / B build manual:

 

 

 

...and started day dreaming about fitting a Group A suspension set-up, 6" wide Amils, and a tweaked 1360cc.

 

(There's actually bloke on the French 104 forum who has remanufactured many of the Group A/ Group B suspension bits).

 

Then I realised my priority should be to actually get the thing over to Ireland (and registered here), so I can use it a bit as it stands