Down to my last used Jonny. Only the Anglia 105E left.

[forddeliveryboy]

 

Re: Crash performance. Predictably these will be Certain Death in a side impact, but several people have told me that a 2CV-chassis car can do surprisingly well in head on collisions due to the chassis

 

As ever, public perceptions are often shy of reality - we tend to assume a 2cv or Dyane would be about as safe as being in a polystyrene fish and chip tray in a crash, but I've seen three crashed 2cvs, two multiple rolls (one hit in the side rear while travelling at 65mph, the other after sliding on black ice at around 50mph) and a side impact with a Transit van. In each case, I was surprised how well the structure took the impact, although the car was pushed out of the way by the Transit and as it was contacted, tilted up on its soft long springs away from it, reducing the height at which the structure absorbed the forces. In all three situations, the drivers were uninjured and walked away. Obviously had they been rotten the chances of being squished would have been huge, as with any rusty steel box.

 

Here's a pic from the web, the car was hit side-on by a Subaru and was thrown into the side of a house. Driver survived ok.

 

[jonny69]

I was going to post a string of pictures of smashed 2CVs for the grims, but instead have a picture of this mad 2VC bike.

 

[barrett]

Still on track for a collection then?

 

Open invite to come down next time we have an Ami/Panhard get together

[jonny69]

No, Dez let me down again. Frustrated, especially because the Anglia is causing me ball ache at the moment and I could do with the second car as back up

[DSdriver]

What a great job Dez is doing, better he takes his time than you hassling him so he starts cutting corners. What end of the country is he in cos I have some new bits that need welding onto the DS and the chap who did some work on the Safari last made rather a horlicks of getting it right?

[jonny69]

He's near Colchester in Essex.

 

I don't think he likes Citroens much at the moment though

[Bfg]

Jonny..  Thanks for you excellent topic..   having read through your experience you would'a thought I'd have more sense than to buy similar myself..

 

I was looking for a 2cv ..but they're too expensive, so I bought this Berline instead with the ohc four-pot boxer motor in it.  Alas, rocking-horse shite doesn't seem so rare since looking for a workshop manual for this model.  

 

 

There's jobs to do before I drive it back to England  ..yeah OK so who said buying a 40year old, non-running for 16 years cheapo Citroen on the otherside of Europe was going to be straighyt forward..  But without such adventure.. where would this website be ! ?

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/g15asxnohosw2k6/IMG_2732.jpg?dl=0

[dollywobbler]

Sadly the pic hasn't work but nice one! Ami Supers are ace. Though they do have timing belts, which is less ace.

[hairnet]

Here's one pledge you can believe this year. I will own an Ami 6 this year. It may hold up my plans to get the 2CV back on the road, but it will happen.

wait? whurt??

[dollywobbler]

wait? whurt??

 

Ha! I ended up with a Dyane instead. The Ami dream definitely remains though. Maybe I'll scrape the cash together this year... (and have a massive fleet clearout!)

[Timewaster]

Back to the crash worthiness of a 2cv, Shirley the lightness means less inertia and therefore less energy to dissipate on the impact?

 

Incidently I think I failed physics GCSE

[Bfg]

hey Dollywobbler (or is that now Dyane wobbler ?)

 

..can't seem to get this picture posting technology to work so : https://www.dropbox.com/s/g15asxnohosw2k6/IMG_2732.jpg?dl=0 ...perhaps the moderator won't allow filthy Citroen porn on this website ?   ( NB. when first opening dropbox, the pop-up window can be ignored and closed by clicking on its top right hand corner X )

 

...mind you the car does looks good in that piccie you should see it from other angles ! 

 

Single overhead cams x2 ..belt driven, once done then they're good for 24,000 miles (40,000 km) without needing to adjust tappets very often at all.   Be aware though that the belts are rubber, with a typical shelf life of 5-years.. so, anyone who buys new old stock is just asking for trouble.     

 

As mine haven't been changed in at least 17 years (and may actually be original 42 years old !?) ..it's top of my to-do list.

[Bfg]

Back to the crash worthiness of a 2cv, Shirley the lightness means less inertia and therefore less energy to dissipate on the impact?

 

Incidently I think I failed physics GCSE

 

..less inertia means the car is simply brushed aside.  Heavy cars and other obstructions, which don't move upon impact, have to absorb the impact.  hence Volvos needing crumple zones.  Whiplash is likely to be more of an issue in lightweight vehicles. 

[jonny69]

Oh hello January 2015, what happened to you? Hi Bfg, welcome aboard!

 

Still haven't actually got this car back. It was going to be this Saturday but my mate with the tow truck has come down with plague. Looks like it might be in two weeks time instead. Ugh. Another delay, but I think it will actually happen this time.

 

So, structural work is apparently done but I haven't had any further pictures from Dez. He got really pissed off with it and it sat around for ages. I didn't push for it because by the tail end of last year I had other stuff on my plate to deal with. But because it has sat around for nearly a year, things have stopped working. The battery is completely dead and the starter motor has seized up. It's easier now if I just get the car back and I can do the last bit myself.

[Bfg]

What a pisser for you.  Pretty car and so near ...and yet still just out of reach..  

 

As my life continues to follow a similar trend - I can empathise with how 'things happen'.. 

 

I now need to spend some serious money on mine, like recomissioning everything after sixteen years of non-running / storage, as well as to replace all the perished (Michelin) tyres + battery.  I'm plan to go back to Slovenia (where the car is) at the end of next month, so that gives me six weeks to buy bits more cheaply on ebay. Of course that's a risk when you don't have the part in front of you to compare with, are compiling your own parts list, and most sellers don't know the difference between the Ami or GS parts and the Super.  For example rear brake cylinders are 19mm on the Super but 17mm on the Ami.  Likewise drive-shafts, wheel-bearings, and a hundred other details are beefed up on the Super.  Some parts (like the rear brakes) are the same as used on A-series vans ..but which part and which van ??   All in all it should be interesting.!

 

Presently I'm on the look out for new cam belts. As mentioned previously, I've established that these have a typical shelf life of 5-years (from manufacture) and then are changed every 24,000 miles (40,000 km) ..let's say another five years). So those on this car (which may be 42 years old) are past their best.., and most importantly buying NOS replacements would be a potentially devastating schoolboy error !   

 

I've spoken with 2cvKaza who's to do the floor-panel replacement and 'A-series mechanical' recomissioning (but not the GS Engine/gearbox work), and he's suggested the body is best lifted off the rolling chassis. The time taken to do this (approximately 2 days labour) would in-part be offset against time saved in easier / quicker / clear access to mechanical parts and to do the checking, welding and painting underneath.  He's not doing exterior paintwork so even after spending bags of money - I'll still have an appropriately Autoshite car.  I can only hope the GBP / Euro exchange rate swings in my favour by early summer, when I'll have to pay the bill. 

 

I've also asked a friend to cajole his future son-in-law into going around every nut & bolt, screw & fastening on the car with penetrating oil - in preparation of everything having to come apart.

 

In the meantime ; do keep us informed with how you get on with Dez and your Ami.. and then your final stages to getting her on the raod for springtime. We look forward to a full technicolor back-to-back road test from you  

 

Best regards, Pete

[jonny69]

Pete, is that Janez you've got yours with in Slovenia? It's his repair panels that have gone on mine.

[Bfg]

Yes I've booked the car in with Janez for the end of March.  The footwells have a repair plate welded over them which I want reverted back to original (as I don't know what's lurking beneath) and then (pending price) he'll do most of the recomissioning of the A-series mechanical parts. I'll do the engine / cam-belts myself.  He'll be lifting the body off for best access and so while access is good he's to clean up and paint underneath as well.  Sometime thereafter (as & when I might afford to) I'll repaint the car's topsides.  

[Asimo]

BFG: please start a thread for your Ami Super!
Of all the cars I have owned, the Ami Super is the one that, realistically, I wish that I had kept / would have again. The only thing about it I didn't like was the floor mounted gearlever, the umbrella handle type is much to be preferred.

From your Dropbox link

 

From my past

[Bfg]

Sure, if you're interested I'll start a new thread after the end of March when I go back to do some mechanical work, and also move the car to 2cvKaza.  I'll then have more to report plus piccies.  Thereafter I've asked Janez to keep me informed with pictures as he works.

 

I also like the dashboard gearchange, it's so quick and light in operation.  A long time ago I had a Vauxhall FB with a column change which I also liked ..although not nearly as swift as Citroen's A-series direct linkage.  I'll see how I get on with the Super's floor change (I am told it's a quick change but quite a long reach) and if I'm not keen then I'll look into swapping over to the dash change from the Ami-8.

[Bfg]

oooh.. sexy en orangé-rouge sans pare-chocs   (..that being the car ..not yourself ! )

 

Perhaps you would like to share recollections, experiences of ownership, maintenance, &/or issues with some of us who are new to the Ami ?  Don't know.. perhaps Jonny69 would prefer us not to continue with supers on his thread ?

 

 

p.s. bought new-old-stock front-brake calipers (£78 inc. carriage) off ebay-France..  not wanting to skimp on safety items and also to save the time in rebuilding the originals.  Damn things arrived today missing the bloody pistons.. ! 

 

p.p.s.  my mistake. The seller ( Mabelauto - France) politely corrected me. The pistons are fitted and of a very hollowed-out cup shape. Their thrust face (a narrow rim) is painted green.  With whitish insides to these pistons - they look like the plastic caps commonly used to protect precision bores.  I immediately thanked him and apologies for his trouble..  I'm eating stale humble pie for supper..      NB.. He offered a refund if I were not happy.  A genuine e-bayer

 

Oh yeah, 'cause the Ami is down in Slovenia for the next few months.., I'm going to look at a 2cv tomorrow.  ...pondering thoughts of having one for the UK and the other for southern Europe. !? 

You know it makes sense

[Bfg]

in case you didn't see the Artcurial auction sales results on the 5th Feb - I've copied just a few, for these little ol' Citroens, below..  Having recently bought the Ami-super I was interested that another had come onto the market (like busses nothing while you're looking then two in succession ! ).  http://www.artcurial.com/en/asp/fullCatalogue.asp?salelot=2877+++++326+&refno=10547993#sthash.EhYe9liv.dpuf

With "a few bubbles of corrosion ..at the top of the rear left wing" it's sold price was just a little short of 12,000 euro, whereas the autioneer's estimnate was € 5,000 - 10,000.  Other A-series Citroens were equally a surprise to my old peepers..

 

SOLD : 

lot  / year / vehicle ................... / sold for price (each presumably being plus auctioneer's commission)
301 1987 Citroën 2 CV AZKA: € 15,496
302 1964 Citroën Ami 6 Berline: € 14,900    ... you've a good investment there Jonny
307 1980 Citroën Méhari 4x4 : € 50,064
323 1984 Citroën Visa 1000 Pistes : € 38,144
324 1959 Citroën 2 CV AZ : € 17,880
325 1971 Citroën M35 prototype n°417 : € 21,218
326 1973 Citroën Ami Super : € 11,920
327 1969 Citroën Ami 8 Berline et un Solex : € 7,152
335 1990 Citroën 2 CV 6 Charleston : € 38,144
336 1964 Citroën 2 CV AK 350 fourgonnette :€ 12,516
348 1961 Citroën 2 CV Sahara : € 172,840

http://www.artcurial.com/en/asp/results.asp

 

I think I've lost touch with the value of my savings.. 

Peter
-----------------------

[dollywobbler]

The prices are just insane. The Sahara works out at £145,000!

[anonymous user]

I wonder if they are two decimal places out, he says hopefully.

[barrett]

Just auction fever innit. None of them were even very nice (although the Ami had a cool roof rack). It's just gonna encourage even more chancers to ask silly money for ropey old sheds and make it more difficult to find bargains. Maybe now somebody will snap up yhe absolutely horrid green Break that's just been 'restored' and is on offer for £7500 :/

[dollywobbler]

Just auction fever innit. None of them were even very nice (although the Ami had a cool roof rack). It's just gonna encourage even more chancers to ask silly money for ropey old sheds and make it more difficult to find bargains. Maybe now somebody will snap up yhe absolutely horrid green Break that's just been 'restored' and is on offer for £7500 :/

 

I sat in that car at the NEC last November. Wouldn't describe it as horrid. Would describe the price as ambitious though for sure. It's not good enough for top dollar and the asking price is some way beyond even that.

[barrett]

It's one of the worst restorations I've seen in a long time. Every panel needs taking back to bare metal and redoing, all the guttering has been folded over and there are runs in the paint as wide as my finger... I know the chap means we'll, but he's not even bothered to get it UK registered. It's the same chap who 'restored' Jon's one a few years ago, which should tell you a lot. It's a £1500 car on a very good day (preparing to eat my hat when it sells for the asking price etc)

[dollywobbler]

Yeah, fair comment! Sadly, I guess someone will pay at least a good chunk of that, and will still be ripped off. You've just reminded me that the tailgate hasn't been painted so doesn't actually match the car. He apparently paid a fortune for the restoration. I don't think he's very good with cars.

[jonny69]

I thought the green one looked familiar. Yeah, I followed that "restoration" on the Ami group and it's been properly botched. None of the old grot was cut out. It was just plated over, plastered in filler and drowned in green paint. Even after painting you could see the awful structural repairs. I kept my mouth shut at the time because I was new to the scene - so I'm glad it didn't go unnoticed!

 

I don't think he paid for that work, it looked like he was doing it himself.

[Bfg]

..noticed in the same auction results ; a mini countryman (woody) restored some 13 years ago, and with the wrong engine.. sold for a mere 60,792 euro. 

 

Estimation 30 000 - 50 000 €
Sold for 60,792 €

[jonny69]

Seems to be shortly after 7am and I'm on* the M25 headed towards a haulage hire place...

 

*in fact I'm in the services waiting for my buddy to have a poo, but the rest is correct.