Citroen C15 and Visa Appreciation Society Jottings

38,203 · January 24

In 2013 I bought a red 1998 C15D van. It had run out of MOT but I was told getting a new one would just be a formality. I was looking forward to getting it and giving it a good polish. Guess what, it was a very rusty van and repairs would have cost twice its value. I was given my money back but I was still disappointed not to get the red van.

10,550 · January 24

Given their propensity to rust I guess Norwegian winters might have been too much for them.

It won't surprise anyone that this is what I mainly transport in mine.

Yup, dog in mog!

32,804 · January 24

Hopefully folk don't mind me joining in. I've had all sorts in the express

Logs

Stone

Bit heavy that

Also seats

And sleeping children

And once or twice a sleeping loserone

38,203 · January 24

I still was on the lookout for a C15 van and 18 months after the red C15 disappointment I bid on a white 2000 (W) C15D and won it on eBay.

The problem was I was very busy and did not have time to collect it from somewhere near Stoke On Trent. Then @Lankytim put up a wanted advert to say he needed to buy a car as a short term stop gap while his car was worked on so I messaged. I said I had nothing to sell him but if he collected our new C15D that was only about 10 miles away from him he could keep it and use it until his car was repaired. If I remember correctly he fixed the drivers window winder that did not work for us. In due course Tim met me at Kidsgrove Station and I got our white C15D that we have had for 10 years now.

17,686 · January 25

Smol vans are for winnars.

11,115 · January 25

12 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

I still was on the lookout for a C15 van and 18 months after the red C15 disappointment I bid on a white 2000 (W) C15D and won it on eBay.

The problem was I was very busy and did not have time to collect it from somewhere near Stoke On Trent. Then @Lankytim put up a wanted advert to say he needed to buy a car as a short term stop gap while his car was worked on so I messaged. I said I had nothing to sell him but if he collected our new C15D that was only about 10 miles away from him he could keep it and use it until his car was repaired. If I remember correctly he fixed the drivers window winder that did not work for us. In due course Tim met me at Kidsgrove Station and I got our white C15D that we have had for 10 years now.

I remember! Thanks for the loan, the throttle cable also had a load of slack meaning it only got around 50% throttle making it extremely slow… soon fixed making it just slow.

21,254 · January 25

They are fine if you wind them up. They are very sensitive to the right tyres and keeping the tyre pressures up.

Mine will cruise for hours on the Autoroute at 100kph+. I have other vehicles but this is my go-to for most trips. 10 years ownership.

Amazingly frugal on fuel. I think about 400 miles between full fills on a trip. Carry a jerrycan and you are looking at a 500 mile + range.

3000 mile oil changes with the best available keep things spinning nicely.

I have a full plastic load-bed liner and half bulkhead to aid usability.

All sorts of these type of accessories available in 🇫🇷 and mounds of 2nd hand and NOS parts.

Beginning to get cult status in France. Lots enthusiast owners as well as grungy farmers these days. A secondary rebuild industry is developing. Beginning to become officially 'Historic' under the FIVA/French 30 year rules - so moving onto black plates.

Mine now gets lots of attention and chat.

13,792 · January 26

The XUD is definitely smoother, but can have head gasket problems, which don't seem to affect DW8s to the same extent.

1,413 · January 28

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/286087034625?_skw=citroen+2cv&itmmeta=01JJNV6GCVXZ3QVEX5CKWS3B39&hash=item429c1db701:g:vdEAAOSwKKBm-~vT&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA8HoV3kP08IDx%2BKZ9MfhVJKmhdPyEGAlJ0BwlOmFj7%2BwASJe1V08codo0adS7orAg1NBicMP45gMhL9R41k7FoZlhNW%2F8JYcILJZJVJLsADvTJ9vJ%2FIxz9Bze1kk22PVH%2FSHPzEM%2FlrT5SQvTmC8eQ%2FD1IRx%2F%2B7qgEjbOpxhAyQ2cGn1wCREGvasd3msySgpJSVIX2WYkYsv7cz78o6JmrX%2FfF%2FSERy8D2glicimJRBVpv1Hp2VafPg9%2FDKQrQj2RLc6OSaoge9bdDy944rQVNqBCi6xEgoffD8XKAPB2yXcm%2FP%2BBMx700kLpejbPnZCfdA%3D%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR8yGmruVZQ

5,516 · January 28

56 minutes ago, jon.k said:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/286087034625?_skw=citroen+2cv&itmmeta=01JJNV6GCVXZ3QVEX5CKWS3B39&hash=item429c1db701:g:vdEAAOSwKKBm-~vT&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA8HoV3kP08IDx%2BKZ9MfhVJKmhdPyEGAlJ0BwlOmFj7%2BwASJe1V08codo0adS7orAg1NBicMP45gMhL9R41k7FoZlhNW%2F8JYcILJZJVJLsADvTJ9vJ%2FIxz9Bze1kk22PVH%2FSHPzEM%2FlrT5SQvTmC8eQ%2FD1IRx%2F%2B7qgEjbOpxhAyQ2cGn1wCREGvasd3msySgpJSVIX2WYkYsv7cz78o6JmrX%2FfF%2FSERy8D2glicimJRBVpv1Hp2VafPg9%2FDKQrQj2RLc6OSaoge9bdDy944rQVNqBCi6xEgoffD8XKAPB2yXcm%2FP%2BBMx700kLpejbPnZCfdA%3D%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR8yGmruVZQ

Right in as much as 'find another this good' but it would still irk me to pay the price they were new 25 years ago. Its also been for sale for quite a long time. The seller may be getting confused with the old 'now rare = valuable' thought process

January 28

Thats double what they were new. Mine was a 95, bought it as a finance repo with about the same mileage on it for around £4000 inc vat. Seem to recall they were around the £4000 plus vat mark new. My new Peugoet bought in 05 that replaced it was only £7500, although that was a cracking deal playing two dealers against each other.

5,002 · February 24

Slowly getting there with the van. It appears to be in no bad condition rust wise. It needed welded on the drivers side floor and inner sill. Hope to put it on the road by the end of the week.

and a before work pic

10,550 · February 24

Looks so much better. All the best with getting it back on the road.

10,550 · March 4

How did you get on @doug?

I went to check mine this evening as I was supposed to be using it again from tomorrow.

It's been parked up for 6 weeks since I bought the hearse and at first I thought a brake was sticking on but as soon as I put some lock on it was clear something else was amiss. New Parkside grinder to the rescue - I like the way the spanner is stored in the handle - perhaps that'll make it harder to lose.

Cut the spring back from where it was rubbing on the tyre so I could move the van from where it was blocking the lane.

Unfortunately it now rubs on the sidewall of the tyre if I apply too much lock. I'll have to drive it down the lane as there's no way a recovery truck would get up here so I'll cut more away but that's a problem for tomorrow when it's light and hopefully warmer. I don't have any spring compressors and would not be confident using them unsupervised so I'll probably farm the job out to my trusted local garage.

5,002 · March 4

Got mine on the road and all seems well. Slowly painting it as well. Well up to my usual standards but it looks OK from 10 (maybe 20) feet away.

Next big event is the mot next week.🤞

10,550 · March 4

Good stuff, all the best for the MOT.

10,550 · March 5

Careful cutting with the grinder and precision hammering got the cut spring back into the cup.

I showed the above picture to my mechanic when I booked it in and as the garage is only 1.5 miles away he said if I'm careful I should be able to drive it there.

It is sitting at a rather jaunty angle but seeing as I'd have to drive it down the lane anyway to be recovered I guess I might as well go for it - what do folks reckon?

4,650 · March 5

Hard to see at that angle but is there an opportunity for a strategically placed cable tie or two? Just to stop things shifting too far if there’s now not a huge amount of compression stopping the spring from coming loose and dancing around the strut like some sort of epileptic pole dancer.

10,550 · March 5

Cracking idea that @mk2_craig, anything which reduces the likelihood of it coming adrift and possibly taking out the tyre or something worse with it has got to be a good thing.

16,182 · March 5

Take it slow slow, should be fine (legal disclaimer to follow...)

10,550 · March 6

7 hours ago, High Jetter said:

Take it slow slow, should be fine (legal disclaimer to follow...)

And avoid uneven road surfaces, ah...

15,274 · March 6

It should be fine. I've seen people deliberately cut that much off springs as a form of ghetto lowering then drive around for years.

The main issue will be the imbalance, it will probably pull dramatically to one side, so slowly and carefully is definitely the way.

Or just cut all the other springs to match and enjoy the slammed lyf yo!*

* Don't.

5,002 · March 6

Well the honeymoon is over. Driving along and it spluttered a wee bit then a mile or so later completely cut out. Coasted to a stop. It started back up no problem but seemed to misfire a bit now and again.

It got me home though. Now it seems hard to start and if it does catch it only runs for a few seconds.

Yesterday I changed the diesel filter and when trying to prime the pump the prime plunger did not go hard as I had read it should. In fact diesel was coming out around the plunger. It did start eventually though. I am thinking that air might be getting in around the plunger as diesel is coming out from there when you press it.

Any other suggestions as to what to check much appreciated!!

P.S. DW8 engine.

32,804 · March 6

Seems very likely. Worth a bit of vaseline to try to prove before you order one?

5,002 · March 6

I tried a finger off a rubber glove over it but will try some vasaline tomorrow.

Stop it!!!

10,550 · March 6

@dougThe lift pump is part of the filter housing. I guess you've already checked the leak off pipes? If you're sure the leak is from the lift pump they're £40 from Parts In Motion. Link

I've used PIM a few times for various bits and the right parts have always arrived first time. Part no QFF0011BH if you want to look elsewhere. I had exactly the same symptoms on mine and the Quinton part sorted it.

4,413 · March 6

The dw8 fuel filter housing is junk at best. I bought a brand new and that absolutely pissed fuel out. Also be aware the injector nearest the flywheel has a sensor built in. Don't pressure wash that area as it will knacker up and make the engine knock. It's happened to me and a few others i know. Also check the flapper with the air ducting heading into it can also play up, just unplug the vacuum pipes and don't bother reconnecting them any time soon

10,550 · March 23

Well it made it to the garage on the cut spring. It was the first time I'd driven it since the MOT in January and on the short journey I decided that the O/S wheel bearing which was an advisory couldn't wait. I organised for the part to be delivered direct to the garage and because it wasn't booked in for the bearing said it wasn't urgent and they could fit it in whenever.

They didn't get round to doing for two weeks but fortunately I had the hearse to fall back on. They're polar opposites to drive but both equally enjoyable in their own way. Putting £20 of diesel in the C15 and knowing it'll do me for the week versus £50 of petrol in the hearse does have its advantages though.

March 23

Two C15 seats driver & passenger pews free to collect also exhaust silencer and connector piping free to collector.

MK area

Garage clearance items

10,550 · March 23

Have sent you a PM @SpotterJames.

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