Cheap DS. Yes I'm that stupid.

[Fumbler]

It rose and didn't leak! This is going to be good.

[shoddybanger]

Ah, it is truly a most elegant and beautiful automobile. Hopefully she's still salvageable.

[2MB]

One of the few standout examples where the facelift was a marked improvement over the original IMO. That facelift was a long time ago in this case though, but I have faith

[Six-cylinder]

No you are not.

Congratulation on the DS.

Maybe next year we can attend Shitefest the other way round, ie me in an XM you in a DS!

There is a lot of fear over Citroen hydraulics but they are all straightforward nuts, bolts and pipes. I have had a main pump fail, fortunately ½ mile from home and limped it back using the last drop of pressure for the final brake application to get on the drive, then scraped the exhaust on the drive as the suspension had dropped, but all the time I knew what was happening. A replacement was readily available from a specialist and I fitted it myself.

RUST, RUST, RUST is the true enemy, the structure of a DS rusts like any other car of the period but a bad one is very expensive to repair.

[320touring]

Welcome to the green blooded family:)

An excellent start with it running and raising - they are a thing of beauty.

I hope this is as kind to you as my GSA has been to me.

I reckon a wipe with an oily rag and that's all she needs - looks pretty much perfect in my eyes.

[barrett]

According to those who know, 1968 is the best year for a facelift DS (1958 if you want an early one). I've still never driven one and the way prices are going it's unlikely I'll have a chancertain at ownership, so I'm looking forward to living vicariously through this thread 

[JimH]

Has there ever been a car more disappointing to open the bonnet of than a DS?

Don't get me wrong, I love these wonderful cars and there is so much about them that is splendid but short of opening the deck lid of a 2.7RS and finding someone has grafted in a 1400 Tritec engine I can't think of a bigger let down than the lumps of steel and cast iron that the DS hid in its engine bay. I understand that a lot of it is down to Citroen's ability to manage expectations and anything short of some atomic reactor that runs on positive dreams and angel's kisses is likely to be deemed a failure but they could have at least tried to make the engine bay look space aged.

Anyway, petty carping aside good luck with rebuilding that one.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

2 minutes ago, JimH said:

Has there ever been a car more disappointing to open the bonnet of than a DS?

Don't get me wrong, I love these wonderful cars and there is so much about them that is splendid but short of opening the deck lid of a 2.7RS and finding someone has grafted in a 1400 Tritec engine I can't think of a bigger let down than the lumps of steel and cast iron that the DS hid in its engine bay. I understand that a lot of it is down to Citroen's ability to manage expectations and anything short of some atomic reactor that runs on positive dreams and angel's kisses is likely to be deemed a failure.....

I think the plan was for the DS to ultimately have a flat-six but there just wasn't the money to fund it, so agricultural fours it had to be. Similar funding problems also affected the engine development of the CX.

Apparently you can put a CX 2.5litre block into a DS.....

[TataBobu]

33 minutes ago, JimH said:

Has there ever been a car more disappointing to open the bonnet of than a DS?

Arguably yes. Wartburg 311.

[egg]

This is appropriate...

[dozeydustman]

Much excite!

[Frogchod]

Much nervousness.  Owner has found out computer says no. He's off to the prefecture tomorrow.

I reckon he'll have to pay for new rego in his name ?

[smellypoo]

Oh, now that's nice! 

I like the colour too, really suits it!

[brownnova]

That’s epic!!!! Wow, I’m in awe sir! 

[Wack]

A DS would be on my lottery win list 

Good luck , I really hope it works out 

For when you're finished 

 

[wuvvum]

18 hours ago, JimH said:

Has there ever been a car more disappointing to open the bonnet of than a DS?

Don't get me wrong, I love these wonderful cars and there is so much about them that is splendid but short of opening the deck lid of a 2.7RS and finding someone has grafted in a 1400 Tritec engine I can't think of a bigger let down than the lumps of steel and cast iron that the DS hid in its engine bay.

A couple of years back I was at a classic car auction near Norwich, and one of the entries was a scruffy Daimler V8 250.  There was a similarly disappointed reaction when someone popped the bonnet to reveal that it'd been fitted with a 2-litre Pinto.

[Wack]

I first thought wow in the 70s when I watched The Day Of The Jackal

 

I wonder where this line up is now

[Tadhg Tiogar]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/General_charles_de_gaulle_visite_isles_sur_suippe_1963.jpg

[Frogchod]

Well this is a bit of a pisser , it turns out that the origional owner is now deceased .... what that means paperwork wise I've no experience of.

I'm still thinking present owner* will have to cough up the rego cost.

Maybe I can export* it ? Then re-inport* it ?

Do nova and dvla have to physicaly see the car ?

Seller is Dutch,  no idea of Dutch rego process.

Beer. More beer...

 

[egg]

I hope that doesn't mean the original owner left it to someone else in their will...

[barrett]

Where do you want to register it, here or in France? If it's the UK then you don't 'need' any paperwork for registration, although it makes things a bit easier. DVLA will want to inspect the car regardless but they will send someone to you. 

[Tadhg Tiogar]

1 hour ago, egg said:

I hope that doesn't mean the original owner left it to someone else in their will...

Could be worse than a Will. Could be an intestacy....

[Saabnut]

If it does need to go to the UK for registration, I can probably help by bringing a Disco and trailer down with me for Kolleckshunning.

Of course, I promise* to return it afterwards......

[Frogchod]

It's not viable to physically move it to the UK.  It'll be cheaper to pay the rego tax twice.

Sellers (French ) wife is on the case. It'll be slow for updates as France is pretty much closed at the mo. Tomorrow will be even more closed as its a bank holiday.

In other news, my Buick is now French registered. Only took five months ?

[strangeangel]

I'm on me hols and mostly having shit wifi, so apologies for being late to this but bloody well done, Sir! The DS in any of its forms is the most magnificent motor ever to grace the Queen's highway... or anyone else's for that matter.

 

Nice to see that it rose up OK - it obviously has a bit of fight left in it - and hopefully you can solve the ownership issues without too much aggro.

 

[Frogchod]

Long story short... I've offered to go halves on the rego cost into present owners* name.  

Paper work could be sorted soon

In other news I've got some reading to do.

I'm still waiting on the DS buyers guide. No doubt when it arrives it tell me not to buy it.

[Wack]

At least in the 21st century all the information you're going to need is a click of a mouse away , all the problems will have been solved using time and money 

Yeah ,don't buy it unless you've got plenty of both ?

[Sir Chocolate Teapot]

Great save.

Sounds like France is similar to Italy, August is a write off for doing any thing.

Trying to buy a car with reg documents not in order is almost impossible , costs loads and not for the faint hearted.

I have almost finished importing a UK reg bike into Italy, took 12 years to build up courage to deal with the burocracy and about 5 months to deal with the admin, and they still got the reg document wrong !

Looking forward to seeing this come back to life.

[ETCHY]

How's this going?

I bought a book on them the other day (original Citroen DS),  as i'll never own one, so obviously I need to know how to make one original (WTF do I buy books like that? ) However it's fascinating, full of pant wettingly cool pics  & I'd recommend it if you're rebuilding one.

I'd never realised what incredible cars these are !

[Frogchod]

I'm still waiting on paperwork. It's going to be at least a month before I can collect it ?