Dollywobbler's Consolidated Tat Thread

[dollywobbler]

I think, rather than try digging up my various threads, it might make sense to start a new one.

I'm back from Antipodean travels, though yet to wake up the fleet from its slumbers.

That's the (clockwise from far left) Daewoo Matiz (out of shot), Reliant Fox, Invacar, Toyota Tercel (acquired two days before departure and quite rotten), 2CV and CityRover.

While I was away, the MOTs lapsed on the Matiz, CityRover and 2CV. The Fox isn't entirely suitable for driving, the Tercel even less so and the Invacar has ended up full of magazines. So, resurrecting any of them was a bit of faff. There was only one solution. Buy a new car!

The GSA was the result. I bought it when I was still on the other side of the world. It met up with a friend's BX this morning in Aberystwyth. It's a 1986 Special, so very late. It would have been beige when new, but was restored last year, changing colour along the way. I suspect the restoration cost a LOT more than the £3500 I paid for the car. That's a lot for me, but it really is a clean example and it is anniversary year for the G range. It drives well, being 1299cc with the five-speed gearbox. The interior lets it down a bit, being a mish-mash of stuff nabbed from a Pallas, including the brown seats and speedo binnacle (which means a digital clock and rev counter). I plan to tidy that up a bit and hopefully not lose any money. There's a GS Anniversary event in Paris in May, virus-permitting, that I plan to attend.

I guess driving Stuart's BX around New Zealand left me needing some more hydropneumatic action, but I've never really got over missing out on 320Touring's beige beastie when that came up for grabs for far, far less than this one. Having been restored, I'm hopeful this one will be fairly Wales-proof, though as I have covered storage, I can at least hide it away to dry out from time to time.

Next week, I plan to start waking the fleet. Priorities are the CityRover and 2CV. The others all need work. Fox is meant to be at the NEC at the end of the month, but I guess that show's future is rather in doubt at the moment.

To Do List:

CityRover

MOT. I think it's pretty much ready to go, though the brakes are a little seized. Hopefully they'll free once I actually start it up. Could do with a service.

2CV

MOT, grease, get it booked in with a friend to check the carburettor jetting. I suspect it's not ideal.

Matiz

I reckon it's down on compression on one cylinder, so investigations needed. Also has an entirely dead battery. It killed a brand new one, so that needs investigating.

Fox

Blowing exhaust manifold joint, suspension needs a refresh, interior needs a serious overhaul, fuel tank leaks when more than quarter full. I'm not sure exactly how full as the gauge isn't working, so that's another one.

Invacar

Would like to do a compression check, need to see why it keeps losing brake fluid, I think both doors are starting to suffer structural issues.

Toyota Tercel

I need to assess whether restoration is realistic. A friend in Aus has salvaged a pair of rear quarters, so if restoration seems feasible, I need to find a way to ship those over.

At least Coronavirus leaves me with plenty of time to hide out in Wales and crack on with this lot...

[Six-cylinder]

I love your new car, the GSA.

[HMC]

Late registration MADNESS. 
 

Great purchase, what a thing to come home to!

[Shep Shepherd]

The GSA looks smashing in black with Pallas wheelcovers. If it was mine, I'd be tempted to stripe it up like a GS Basalte special edition. A sort of Basalte 2/Basalte '86, if you will:

 

[RobT]

Welcome home!  Was the GSA bought from a bloke in North London?  I think I may have seen it, albeit undercover, when on parts collection duties for 320touring.

[LightBulbFun]

Welcome back!  

happy to see you have not forgotten about Autoshite!  

very much look forward to more fleet updates, especially with TWC of course!

very nice buy on the GSA cant say I expected that! (mostly because I assumed they would all be out of most shitters budgets by now sadly)

38 minutes ago, dollywobbler said:

Invacar

Would like to do a compression check, need to see why it keeps losing brake fluid, I think both doors are starting to suffer structural issues.

I was wondering if TPA (who's engine TWC now has) has actually been round the clock, it would certainly explain the engine woes you have had with TWC if that engine has actually done 110K rather then 10K!

what sort of door issues are you having? the Model 70 doors run on bobbin rollers which can seize up if not greased up, and then you can wear a grove in the bobbins, I imagine it also makes the door somewhat harder to slide open and puts more stress on it as you push it open

so I would investigate those at least as some preventive maintenance!  

[Broadsword]

Welcome back and what a way to kick things off! Looking forward to seeing more action on the GSA, it's wonderful!

[ProgRocker]

I had a random prediction that the mystery car might be a Vauxhall Senator B. Never had guessed it would have been a GSA. It looks absolutely brill and I'm a bit jealous. 

Looking forward to more on this and the Tercel.

[dollywobbler]

38 minutes ago, RobT said:

Welcome home!  Was the GSA bought from a bloke in North London?  I think I may have seen it, albeit undercover, when on parts collection duties for 320touring.

That would be the previous, previous owner, who I'm in touch with.

[brownnova]

Looking forward to seeing the fleet awoken... especially Elly of course!! That GSA is a beauty though!! I’ve hankered after one ever since having a go in 320touring’s one at Cannock round the car park! We’ll  just make do with a beige hydropneumatic C5 instead for now! 

[trigger]

I'm really looking forwards to seeing your GSA adventures, I can't believe you've spent so much on a car to be honest, it must be the most you've paid for a non new car? 

 

[wuvvum]

1 hour ago, dollywobbler said:

I've never really got over missing out on 320Touring's beige beastie when that came up for grabs for far, far less than this one.

You're not the only one...

[St.Jude]

I can honestly say I have never, ever, in my life ever seen a Citroen GSA until yours popped up on my Facebook thingymabob earlier. And I quite like it. 

[wuvvum]

I actually had a dream last night that I'd sold the CX and bought a GSA.  Mine was an estate though, in a sort of metallic blue-grey colour.

[Floatylight]

Loving the GSA, was taken with them when I saw the one@chaseracer took to some southern European outpost years ago.

Looking forward to updates on the rest of the fleet .

Sent from my SM-A505FN using Tapatalk

[barefoot]

nice to see you back, shorty.

[trigger]

I've just remembered that I saw a red GSA today in Tescos! 

[trigger]

In fact it was this one! 

[Kiltox]

14 minutes ago, trigger said:

In fact it was this one! 

Fuck me, they’ve even cleared the tarmac out of your local Tesco?! This panic buying is getting out of hand 

[hairnet]

no thats farmer tarmac - he does live in suffolk

[Zelandeth]

You got a GSA!  Lucky sod!

So this doesn't have the usual GSA dash then?  C'mon...you can't tease us with photos of a classic Citroen and not show us the interior.

GSA is one of the cars which is very much on my list.  Must be one of the most comfortable small cars ever made too surely.

[gadgetgricey]

15 minutes ago, Zelandeth said:

 C'mon...you can't tease us with photos of a classic Citroen and not show us the interior.

Interior (and rest of car) shown in DW's latest video. All looked lovely apart from dipped /side lights set up which confused me

 

[Zelandeth]

Ah, I'm about three months behind on YouTube!

[andyberg]

Saw the video, love the car. I remember my step dad buying one when I was about 14. I remember thinking how weird it was. Now, I would love to have one now, just too rare and too expensive right now. One day hopefully. 

[MrSchwifty]

Welcome back, and what a fine way to kick off further UK shenanigans! The GSA looks gorgeous, very jealous indeed. 

Let's hope the rest of the fleet can be awoken without too much trouble. Looking forward to seeing what happens with the Tercel! 

[Twiggy]

Good to see you back.

[Remspoor]

I actually wrote this a very short while ago.

When this forum quotes/links back to another posting is removes the formatting. I wrote  "returning to the UK  land of confusion".

[Stinkwheel]

15 hours ago, Floatylight said:

Loving the GSA, was taken with them when I saw the one@chaseracer took to some southern European outpost years ago.

Looking forward to updates on the rest of the fleet .

Sent from my SM-A505FN using Tapatalk
 

You mean this one....

 

[dozeydustman]

The GSA is an awesome buy.

[Eyersey1234]

Welcome back @dollywobbler