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

[Faker]

Get it sorted and on the boat dude.

[Leachibob104]

Unfortunately there the parts everyone wants, I would just be happy with a set of the 6j Amils,

 

 

Do you have the rally build manual on PDF? I have the catalogues but would love a copy of the build manual.

 

 

Unfortunately there the parts everyone wants, I would just be happy with a set of the 6j Amils,

[Largactil]

Unfortunately there the parts everyone wants, I would just be happy with a set of the 6j Amils,

 

 

Do you have the rally build manual on PDF? I have the catalogues but would love a copy of the build manual.

 

 

Unfortunately there the parts everyone wants, I would just be happy with a set of the 6j Amils,

 

This lad here seems to be re-manufacturing the Group A / B ARB's / dampers / stiffening plates / top mounts etc etc

 

http://104.samba.vraiforum.com/t83-refabrication-pieces-104-samba-competition.htm 

 

http://prepacompetsamba-104.forumprod.com/les-refabrication-f21.html

 

(Not cheap, though!)

 

 

 

I found a copy of the build manual in French online - I'll see if I can find it again, but failing that I can email what I have to you. (I have a partial copy in English, but only on paper).

[Largactil]

Had an unexpected week in the office, and was put up in a posh hotel in the middle of nowhere. This meant I should obviously go fetch the LNA and use it to get around Aberdeenshire, and hit up the office car park.

 

 

Alas, its occasional starting issues became constant starting issues - Diagnosed that the +ve lead from the battery to solenoid was FUBAR'd, so obtained an old van battery with 800 cold cranking amps of goodness & jump leads to carry around in the boot.

 

Starting involved dragging everything out the boot, then fannying around trying to get the +ve lead on the exposed threads on the starter / earthing the -ve on the water pump.

 

Joy.

 

Finally changed the battery leads today, and the +ve was totally knackered - Pretty much disintegrated.

 

Off to test it out by driving it from Stirling to Dublin tomorrow.

 

Leaving for the Belfast ferry at 07:30 - Wish me luck 

[Largactil]

#Ferry achieved

[worldofceri]

Holding it's own in the Car Park of Aspiration there. Lovely.

[Largactil]

Destination achieved on Wednesday afternoon, and (thank feck) it actually fits up the narrow drive at the side of my gaff. (The neighbours had their place externally wrapped in insulation at some point, and it's taken a good 6-8" off the width of the drive).

 

It's been a busy week for the LNA - Stirling to Aberdeenshire & back (over the Cairn O' Mount pass), then down through rush-hour Glasgow traffic to Cairnryan on Wednesday to catch the ferry to Belfast. Last leg was Belfast to Dublin, and it's now safely stashed in its new home. The little 1124cc suitcase engine didn't miss a beat over the 500+ miles, either.

 

Having owned the car for almost 3 years, this is the first time I've actually had it located where I live - It's been sat in my parents drive in Scotland for the bulk of the time, slowly mouldering away, while I felt guilty at not being able to do more with it, because I lived in Ireland.

 

You might ask why I bought it, only to leave it mouldering for so long - I guess when I saw Wuvv advertising it back in 2014, I found myself constantly coming back to his post, pondering how I could justify buying it.

 

I didn't need it; I didn't have anywhere to store it in Ireland, and it made no sense on so many levels.

 

So I obviously booked a flight to London, caught a train to NE Norfolk, bought the LNA, and drove it 450 miles north. (Because -"Autoshite").

 

I knew I'd never see another running / MOT'd one for sale, and that I'd work something out at some point...

 

That point came 18 months ago, when we bought our gaff in Ireland - a house with a garage. It's taken 18 months to renovate the place, and gut out the garage of all the old crap associated with the renovation. The LNA now finally has a forever home.

 

Plans? Sort the scabby valances / bumpers / crusty section of the bulkhead. Refresh the suspension - Fit the complete new interior I acquired from leachibob. 

 

I'm awaiting wheel bolts for the Amils I bought last month, then they'll go on. 

 

 

 

I've acquired a Samba Group B subframe / timing cover, and I'm contemplating building up a 1360cc engine over the next year or so, to fit next winter.

 

Nothing I'm doing isn't reversible, and making it a bit more fun to drive won't be the worst thing.

 

Fingers crossed, more regular updates to follow

[holbeck]

I still kick myself for not buying this!

[alcyonecorporation]

#Ferry achieved

 

 

CALENDAR SHOT. 

 

CALENDAR SHOT.

 

CALENDAR SHOT. 

[Six-cylinder]

It is good to see it doing so well after inactively and now long journeys, mine is broken again.

[Largactil]

It is good to see it doing so well after inactively and now long journeys, mine is broken again.

 

Gah - What's up with it?

 

(I've just remembered - That bloke never got back to me regarding the window channel for yours... I'll give him a nudge).

[hairnet]

are ya going to lough rynn in september

 

if not bring it to chumley

[Largactil]

are ya going to lough rynn in september

 

if not bring it to chumley

 

Afraid not  - I'm on holiday elsewhere / working, so September is a write off.

[Largactil]

Quick update...

 

It's funny how jobs on old cars tend to snowball - Although given that the poor LNA has sat outside, static on a driveway for the best part of 3 years, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised.

 

I set out to remove the interior yesterday - It's utterly knackered due to sun damage, and was one of the reasons the old lady owner got shot of the car after 29 years of ownership.

 

Wuvv covered it up with a fetching* sheepskin rug, but I ditched this for the threadbare seats, as it kept bunching up.

 

Leachibob (Tom) got in touch a while back, as he was breaking a crusty LNA, which just so happened to have the same colour of interior as my car. Deal was done, and I now have a full interior in VGC, which cleaned up well with a wet & dry vacuum. 

 

The old interior came out easily - It's a simple little car.

 

Things of interest buried in the seats / under the carpet:

 

 

(The Belgian / French Francs back up its use abroad that the original owner mentioned - 20p from 1982 /1p from 1973 - Not sure about the dimes?!) 

 

On the removing the plastic cover over the OSR turret, I found a great bodge: 

 

 

I guess it rattled a bit when newish, so the owner took it to a Citroen dealer who padded out the gap with empty parts bags & a rag.

 

The NSR turret has seem some sparkly stick action, but seems fine for now:

 

 

I knew the window seals were leaking, as a few times I spotted puddles of water in the front footwells while it was sat on the drive. With the carpets out, there was plenty of surface rust, which I hit with the wire wheel / Loctite 7503 convertor:

 

 

 

Could have been a lot worse, but 2 areas of concern:

 

 

(Drivers footwell - Double skinned area... Unfortunately above the jacking point).

 

 

(OSR under passenger seat - Single skinned, but unfortunately above the fuel tank).

 

It's off to a welder tomorrow for a quote to sort - I'd rather bite the bullet and pay extra to have someone else do it straight away, as opposed to trying to DIY it and taking forever / making a hash of it. (My dodgy old Clarke Turbo needs wire / tips / gas, and someone who's competent behind the torch).

 

Finally (and this won't be to the tastes of some on here), I stuck the Amil's on it - I need to repaint the OEM steels (that's my excuse  )

 

 

 

 

Next up (assuming the welder doesn't find galloping rot somewhere) is a VRT inspection next Wednesday, which is part of the process in Ireland to register a car here - A75 JJO will become 83-D-120*****.

 

Then it's a case of straightening & painting the bumpers & valances, window frames & wiper arms, plus fitting the new interior & door seals - Servicing & mechanical tweaks to take place over the winter months.

[Eddie Honda]

 

Next up (assuming the welder doesn't find galloping rot somewhere) is a VRT inspection next Wednesday, which is part of the process  wallet lightening in Ireland to register a car here - A75 JJO will become 83-D-120*****.

 

FTFY

 

Two asterisks too many. e.g. 83D120028

 

Why not take a ZV? Currently ZV11142 or so in Dublin now.

 

[Largactil]

Ha - "It's not an import duty - that'd be illegal under the treaty of Rome - It's a registration tax".

 

Much as I'd prefer to keep it on UK plates, it's too much hassle - And they like their Garda / Revenue checkpoints where I live.

 

The thing that puts me off a ZV, is that if you go that route, you can't switch to an 83 later (but you can do vice-versa with an 83 -> ZV).

 

The red rear plates look great, but only with an original pre-87 Irish reg (i.e AZG 472 or something for a 1983 motor) - Not a fan of ZV red plates. 

[hairnet]

zv black and silver ftw

 

white plates just look shite

[Largactil]

zv black and silver ftw

 

white plates just look shite

 

I kinda like this style - Pre-EU flag:

 

[wuvvum]

Are you going to put A75JJO up for sale, or can you not do that if you've exported the car?

[Largactil]

Are you going to put A75JJO up for sale, or can you not do that if you've exported the car?

 

Alas, had I planned things out a little better, I could have stuck it on retention for £80 - It didn't seem to be worth much though? (A few hundred max, and you could be waiting years to see it...)

 

As far as I know, the plate goes into limbo - If the LNA ever gets exported back to the UK, there's a fair chance it'll get it back...Perhaps.  

[Largactil]

Just collected JJO after its weekend with the welder - Mega speedy turnaround, and rather happy with his efforts. (Price was very reasonable too, at around a ton).

 

He did find some more grot in the driver's footwell at the seam:

 

 

 

And the outer skin next to the jacking point was holed too.

 

 

Welded and dressed:

 

 

Sealed & painted:

 

 

 

The inner skin was cut back, new metal tacked in, and sealed / given a lick of paint.

 

 

 

 

 

Only one pic of the rear repair - But it was tricky, on account of being directly over a petrol tank, with heavily perished filler / breather hoses. 

 

 

That's pretty much all the grot cut out for now, so fingers crossed that garaging will slow the onset of future corrosion 

[320touring]

Looks HAWT on those wheels!!

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Proper little bobby dazzler. I'm glad the old girl is finally under cover, and being used rather than slowly disintegrating! Welding and fab work seems silly cheap as well - make sure you keep the fella sweet. I wonder if it would be worth getting the previous patch on the rear turret properly repaired in the meantime? It looks as though it's tacked straight over grot, so it's likely turning ginger under there in the meantime...

[Dirk Diggler]

Looks lovely; agree on the 83 D plate; long form ZVs look wrong to me

 

I'd go with black and silver plates too

[Largactil]

Proper little bobby dazzler. I'm glad the old girl is finally under cover, and being used rather than slowly disintegrating! Welding and fab work seems silly cheap as well - make sure you keep the fella sweet. I wonder if it would be worth getting the previous patch on the rear turret properly repaired in the meantime? It looks as though it's tacked straight over grot, so it's likely turning ginger under there in the meantime...

 

You're probably correct - I missed a trick of getting him to do it at the same time, but he did have a good prod of the patch with a screwdriver / tap with a hammer, before shrugging his shoulders and declaring 'meh'.

 

Will keep an eye on it, and revisit as necessary.

 

You're right about price too - I have an old Clarke MIG in the garage, but by the time I got it back up and running, bought the steel & materials, it'd likely cost around the same as I paid, and I'd have made a right hash of it.

 

Knowing someone nearby who can weld / fabricate quickly & well for a decent price, makes running crusty old chod much more viable.

[Largactil]

Poke about time, now that it's back in the garage.

 

Fuel economy doesn't seem to be as good as it should be...and when I brimmed it prior to catching the ferry, it pissed a litre of pez onto the garage forecourt, like an incontinent puppy.

 

Hmmmm...Fuel swishing out when cornering too?

 

Aha...

 

 

(At least the tank isn't holed  )

 

The TCA bushes on the front anti roll bar are a bit perished also. Need to load the suspension to change them, so I'll need to buy some spring compressors    (assuming I can find spare bushes - I think Six-cylinder was having a few issues doing so?)

 

 

 

VRT appointment tomorrow in Dundalk, but I think I'll hold off on NCT (MOT)'ing it here till I've sorted the above.

 

(They're bound to find more stuff anyway, so I should fix what I already know about).

[Six-cylinder]

Poke about time, now that it's back in the garage.

 

Fuel economy doesn't seem to be as good as it should be...and when I brimmed it prior to catching the ferry, it pissed a litre of pez onto the garage forecourt, like an incontinent puppy.

 

Hmmmm...Fuel swishing out when cornering too?

 

Aha...

 

 

(At least the tank isn't holed  )

 

The TCA bushes on the front anti roll bar are a bit perished also. Need to load the suspension to change them, so I'll need to buy some spring compressors    (assuming I can find spare bushes - I think Six-cylinder was having a few issues doing so?)

 

 

 

VRT appointment tomorrow in Dundalk, but I think I'll hold off on NCT (MOT)'ing it here till I've sorted the above.

 

(They're bound to find more stuff anyway, so I should fix what I already know about).

 

It is the inner bushes where the antiroll bar goes though the lower arm that I seem to have the problem finding. I have the large rubber discs.

[Largactil]

I always assumed that the inner bush was this:

 

https://www.yakarouler.com/silentbloc-de-suspension-corteco-80000086

 

Goes together like so:

 

[Largactil]

Frustrating day -

 

Arrived for the VRT in good time, to be told that they couldn't proceed as I only had the driver's seat fitted to the car (wasn't going to fit the new interior till I apply a lick of paint / fit some sound deadening to the floor). 

 

Not up for debate -Doesn't matter what the V5 says. Or showing them a picture of the car with the interior fitted / registration visible. It's not a 4 seater unless it's seen with 4 seats fitted by the eyes of the VRT agent.

 

Drive 40 mins home - refit interior. Drive 40 minutes back. Have a blowout around the halfway point.

 

(Having a tyre go pop at 75+ mph on the motorway to Dundalk was certainly exciting*)

 

 

Tyre is/was a decent Uniroyal Rainmaster and under 2.5 years old - Lucky not to swap ends 

 

Rest of the journey was driven rather more circumspectly on the 34 year old spare, which is a different width / 70's compound & tread pattern.

 

 

Arrive back at the VRT centre, where they spend all of 30 seconds looking at the interior, then go off to enter my car's details... To find that there's an error in their system, and the only entry for an LNA has it having 1 seat / 1 window.

 

They've raised an anomaly - Now need to wait for a letter from the HQ in Shannon, then drive back to the VRT centre to present the V5 and €200 in person, when I'll finally be assigned an Irish registration number.

 

The joys!

[hairnet]

all govt dept are kewnts

 

why do they make something simple a pain in the arse

 

LOL at the one seat thing - that utterly takes the piss - common sense on holiday that day