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Show me your 2CV and other A Series Citroens please


Six-cylinder

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Last used just before my best mate Jani died at the end of October, today I pulled the Ami-Super out..

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The poor old polytunnel  (poles and remains of a family sized tent with sewn-in groundsheet, and another cover over it)  has seen a few years since I put it up to house my old s-type Jag.   What with summer UV,  winter weather and gales I really can't complain - it has served me well., but now it's time for the car to come out and be readied for sale.  

I did consider chopping the roof off and making her into a four seater convertible,  as I've seen one on t' net so done - and imo its pretty neat when the Ami 6 boot lid is used.  I also (re)considered dropping a 2cv body onto its chassis to make a sidewinder, which I like the idea of ..and was a consideration when I first bought her,  but as Mr. Six_cylinder put it - I've fallen out of love with the car.  

It doesn't help hiding things away out of sight,  nor does any car like to be parked up for too long,  so today was the day to do something about it.

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..Put the battery back on  ..checked the fluids ..visual check all was as it should be  ..and once the fuel pumped into the carb she started easily enough.  The in-line one-way-valve in the fuel pipe meant the petrol hadn't back siphoned, which after six months impressed me.  However the clutch was locked on again,  so, same as last year -  I jacked up one front wheel, started the car in gear, and pulled on the handbrake ..clutch was free again. Job done.   I'm sure it'll be fine again in regular use. 

I added a few more psi into the tyres, and gave her a wash down to get rid of the dust (although backed to fence panels the polytunnel is deliberately open at both ends to encourage a drying through-draft).  It works well but its surprising how much dust settles on the car.  

I'll use the car in the week just to make sure all is OK.

Bfg. 

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^ if you squint hard enough (..try sucking on a lime)  it might remind you of a Lamborghini stopped on the quayside alongside a 007 villain's magnificent super-yacht  ..sitting amid beautifully clear blue skies and in crystal waters..  why even the boat is wearing a bikini    :P

No,  why where's your imagination ?

 

Anywaysup lads, if anyone hereabouts is a member of the Citroen Car Club ..and wouldn't mind placing a For Sale advert for me in their magazine &/or website, then I would be most grateful.

Thanks.  

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Thanks,  yes I placed the ad on Car & Classics.  < here

The value is difficult because having done the car for myself as a long term keep,  I spent a whole lot of money.  But then it's not yet painted.   I reckoned (from others I have seen over the past 3 years) that is done professionally and with new seat covers - it would be marketable around £9000  (ie., fully restored).  Accordingly  I've knocked off a big chunk to allow for those costs.  Bottom line I'm asking £5.6k. which I hope is not so silly for the amount of money spent and the work and care I've put into her.  < Here  >.  

Undoubtedly the Ami-8 is someway behind the values of  2cv's.,   but as the Dyane and Ami-6 are now stepping up the price ladder - I'm certain the Ami-super will suddenly shoot up in value  (if and when one can find a decent example).  If i could I'd certainly keep the car for a few years more, but I'd need a good place for storage to do that, which I don't have.

Here is a link to the parking which gives an indication of current prices throughout Europe. < here >

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I would happily collect Citroens, but as with most people, space, time and money (not necessarily in that order) means that I cant get any more cars. Apparently 3 is "more than you need!"

I was thinking about my life with my 2cv, it has accompanied me on many an adventure, from slightly odd teenager, over 23 years, to slightly odd man. It doesn't get nearly enough use, but I try to do as much as I can. Rather than name my best times with it, I thought it might be more interesting to detail some of the worst journeys instead!

Firstly, and most recently, a few months back, I decided to take it for a ride. It was a bit windy as I went to the garage, but I shifted the cars and junk blocking it in, and got it going. The garage door blowing shut twice should have been my warning! I drove up through the village and all was fine, a bit cloudy, but the car was running well.  Up across the country lanes, past Manston, when suddenly, I could barely hold the car in its lane. Being a (currently closed) airport, it is very flat, and the wind felt like it was going to blow the car away. I turned in to more built up roads, passing Tesco (which lost part of its roof that day) down towards Margate, where the bonnet started flexing! I had to fix the passenger window open as it kept blowing open, and it was very hard to keep it on the road. Weirdly, there were few other cars out and about (can't think why!) but I was in real fear of serious damage to the car, me, or both of us. Back to the garage, and out in the Stepway, which probably weighs more than twice the amount, and could barely even tell it was windy!

Second, driving up the M2, bringing the car home some years back, it was running brilliantly, bombing along and we made great time. I thought it a bit odd that my parents, who were following in their car, were sitting so close behind, but his car was 25 years younger, so would have better brakes I thought. Eventually we got back and Dad said "I know you like to leave the lights off until it gets fully dark, but that was an hour ago, what were you thinking?" I was confused, my lights were on, still on as we spoke in fact! Not at the back though it turned out! I had done 70 miles, in the dark, on the M2 and M25 with no rear lights! They were so close behind, to stop anyone from hitting me! There were 17 missed calls from Mum, I hadn't heard a thing! The rear lights also once did it in the centre of Croydon, late at night, some years before.

Third, my Brother and I went to Bournemouth. Lovely time there, but absolutely torrential rain all the way there and all the way home, stopping as soon as we arrived at both ends. For some reason, the drivers wiper was moving further than usual, and caught between the A pillar and the aerial mast that the previous owner fitted. Every singly time.  I had to drive over 100 miles with my hand out the window, pushing it back out. Every single time. (Yes, thinking back, why the hell didn't I pull it off and refit it?)

Fourth and probably second worst trip ever - We (me, my parents and my Nan ) had been away for the weekend.  Dad was staying another night, for work, so Mum and I were taking Nan back to her house in the 2cv, before returning home.  Nan was in her late 80's at this time, and would never pass a public toilet As we rounded the M25, I said my usual "anyone for  the services?", a couple of miles before we reached them. "No, let's get home" they said. As we passed the services, Nan said "can we stop!"  "Well not now" I said!  I pulled off at the next junction, earlier than I would normally and went looking for a toilet. It was about 10pm on a Sunday night, so not looking promising. At the time I was a van driver, and knew that Esso garages normally had a public toilet.   A few miles later, I found one and asked the chap inside if he minded Nan using it, as I didn't actually need any fuel. He let her in, but in typical Nan style, she didn't lock the door, so I had to stand outside to save anyone else from the nightmare within. Certainly the volume suggested it was not fun. It felt like she was in there for several hours, but probably actually about 10 minutes. As we left she whispered in the extremely loud way that only Nan could "IT JUST WOULDNT FLUSH, THERE WAS SO MUCH!"  I have never returned to that petrol station. I had no idea where we were, and of course no sat nav then. Mum said "I know this road, there is a church and a house nearby (thereby describing practically every village in the world!) and left me to it as we drove through thick fog somewhere near Kenley. After about 20 minutes we passed a church and a house. "You see!" she said. Eventually I found a road that I knew, we got Nan home and headed home. None of this was the car's fault, but is a journey that neither I, my mum (Nan has since died) or probably the poor chap at Esso, will ever forget. Sorry mate.

Lastly (sorry this has become a bit of an epic) and probably the worst trip ever. The car had been away for MOT for a month, with my (now ex) mechanic. I had to get the car 70 miles from the Kent coast to home, Mum was with me (Dad seems to get away with these trips) as was my (now late) dog Tom. My brother and his wife  (and their cats) were following in their car, as they had been visiting and would be dropping Nan home to Carshalton on route (yes, it's her again!)  .  About 3 miles into the trip, there was an awful smell (not Nan or Tom related) followed by the car filling with smoke. Obviously this wasn't good, so we got off the main road and stopped ASAP. It turned out that the mechanic had spilled oil all over the engine and this was now burning off. Not a massive problem, but I had lost my nerve, so we stuck to what I call the "old A2", through all the Medway towns. Unfortunately, while I have done this route a number of times, it was virtually always in the opposite direction, and there are quite a few one way systems and parts that I could not follow. And traffic lights seemingly every 100 yards. For 70 miles.  As we approached Rochester (at least an hour into the journey) my brother shouted from the car behind "Nan needs a shit!" I doubt that that was what she actually said, but once more we were searching for a public toilet at about 10pm on a Sunday night. I remembered one near the centre and we had a RADAR key, so we stopped there. Padlocked. Bugger.  So they headed to a nearby pub. I didn't want to turn the 2cv off, as it would be a sod to start after that journey, if they returned after only a few minutes. Which they didn't. We decided to exercise Tom while we waited, but could not go far from the car obviously. "Where's Tom's lead?"  "Oh he got in the car without it on!" I was told   . So I had to use my belt, and hold him with one hand, and my trousers up with the other, as nobody helped, but several laughed. After seemingly several hours Nan returned, and we continued. That journey saw seemingly about a million red traffic lights and we got in after about 3 hours instead of the maybe 90 minutes it should have taken. Again, mostly, not the car's fault, but to this day, one of the worst journeys ever.

Having said all that, the car has seen me through a lot. There are times when it seems determined to kill me, resists any attempts that I make to improve it and so on, but I could never sell it. 

 

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  • 2 months later...
2 minutes ago, dollywobbler said:

Yes. I think they kept them until the end on the Special. Pretty sure you could buy a Club far later than the UK too.

Did France get Dolly's? I sold new 2CV in 1987 and Dolly had become a standard model between the Special and Charleston but the colours were sent out to us randomly in batches. 

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Just now, Six-cylinder said:

Did France get Dolly's? I sold new 2CV in 1987 and Dolly had become a standard model between the Special and Charleston but the colours were sent out to us randomly in batches. 

Yes. Dollys were sold in most markets. Some dealers mixed the panels to create Dolly Mixtures...

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1 hour ago, Six-cylinder said:

 9km, one of the last registered but unused. I like my 2CV but 66,420 Euros is mad!

darn !   ..for that sort of money I'd at least want it run in  :lol:

 

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They have a 2cv at Beaulieu that has only done a similar mileage, and I always have a good look, to see how my car looked when he was new, but I wouldn't want to own it. It is near unique (as clearly there is at least one other) but as soon as you use it, it becomes a low mileage 2cv and then a 2cv. But if you don't use it then it might as well be in a museum.  My own 2cv is not immaculate, the various wear and grazes tell the story of a life, of the adventures that we (and the previous owners) have had, of him (and it is a he) being one of the family. This car may have more monetary value, but it doesn't seem to have any emotional value.  

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