Citroen C15 and Visa Appreciation Society Jottings

[Faker]

On 29/12/2024 at 12:54, lesapandre said:

WOW 3 people on here have one. Mine 10 years. Too useful to sell.

I still have mine… but it’s nothing more than a mobile shed at the moment which shunts stuff around the yard and houses two engines and a load of parts… got a door skin and a sill for it… still requires two rear doors, then there’ll be a light restoration….

 

[Sunny Jim]

I make that six of us on here that own them then. @Frogchod@holbeck@Mrs6C@lesapandre@Faker@Sunny Jim - is there any mileage in making this a communal C15 thread or setting up a new one where we can share information?

[lesapandre]

Sounds like a plan.

[Westbay]

I (currently) don't have one but would enjoy reading / following such a thread. 👍

[lesapandre]

 Maybe widen it slightly?  How about:

"Citroen C15 and Visa Appreciation Society Jottings"

Or somesuch. 👍

Meanwhile dial back to 2008...

[holbeck]

2 hours ago, Sunny Jim said:

I make that six of us on here that own them then. @Frogchod@holbeck@Mrs6C@lesapandre@Faker@Sunny Jim - is there any mileage in making this a communal C15 thread or setting up a new one where we can share information?

In fact,  I recently sold mine.

It wasn't getting much use,  barely a couple of hundred miles last year. 

[lesapandre]

[loserone]

9 minutes ago, lesapandre said:

This took far too long to appear 

[Mrs6C]

59 minutes ago, lesapandre said:

"Citroen C15 and Visa Appreciation Society Jottings"

Sounds like a plan!

Several of us on here have a Visa or two as well and they are also a fast-disappearing model. Sharing info., advice and useful resources in one place on here would be a handy thing.

[Bmwdumptruck]

I worked one from 95 to 05.  Took it to 125k miles then replaced it with a Pug Partner. Great vans but rust like mad. I’d had the Renault Extra back in the late 80’s, very comparable but a bit better built imho.  
Never had many issues with the C15, CV boots was the only really reacurring problem, seemed to eat them.  Gave up fitting just boots, wasn’t much dearer to just get recon drive shafts. At about 7-8 years the rust started causing issues. Seem to recall welding floors under the seats and the bulkhead was getting well crusty when I decided it was time to upgrade. I did buy a second newer lower miles one, but that turned out to be troubled. Something was out of line under the front which knocked out the gearbox. I fitted a good sh box but that went the same way within a few hundred miles.  I ended up trading that in for the Pug for the same price I’d paid for it so it only cost me the box money. 

[lesapandre]

They do drive very well.

Yes they are all Spanish made - minimal rust proofing and the sills are made up of multiple panels so it can get all get a bit crusty.

Lots on the road in France 🇫🇷 

[Bmwdumptruck]

5 hours ago, lesapandre said:

They do drive very well.

Yes they are all Spanish made - minimal rust proofing and the sills are made up of multiple panels so it can get all get a bit crusty.

Lots on the road in France 🇫🇷 

Didn’t know these were made in Spain, just assumed it would have been in France, but might explain why there’s also plenty still in use in Spain.  What I think is odd is that we never got the original Peugeot 205 based van that was sold in europe alongside the C15 and Extra vans. 
Doors look familiar…..

[doug]

Wannabe C15 owner here as well. This one is sort of local to me and is slowly rotting away on a driveway. Been there years.

[doug]

Collecting this tomorrow.  Looked  out the welder ,compressor and spray gun.  It will be fine wont it?

[somewhatfoolish]

The Saint's obviously hit hard times. Is that a Reliant Rebel hiding behind it?

[Sunny Jim]

Magnifique, je suis légal encore un an!

Shame about the advisory which is hopefully the intermediate drive shaft bearing which it was booked in for along with the test.

Now all I've got to do is recover well enough to drive it again.

[doug]

C15 collection cancelled as its to be a wee bit windy tomorrow. Looks like it will be Monday now.

[Sunny Jim]

All the best for Monday then @doug.

[dean36014]

Glad to hear the c15 has another clear pass other than the bearing.   Both wheel bearings were done in my ownership, and both driveshafts too I think. Probably crap parts again as I doubt they've done more than 20k tops. Chuffed it doesn't need any welding,  might be wise to re wax it underneath this year.

[Sunny Jim]

Thanks @dean36014. I'm planning on doing some preventative maintenance as soon as the weather gets warmer.

I'd been meaning to ask, do you know the paint code for the paint you used please? There's a couple of touch ups I want to do.

[dean36014]

It's called rouge red. Its a standard citroen van colour. 

[Sunny Jim]

Thanks for that, thought it might be but didn't want to find out I'd got it wrong the hard way!

[Boycie]

I worked in a Citroen dealership circa 1994/95 when these were still current , looked ancient compared to what the opposition had but with that derv gem , the fact 2 lads in the garage bought them conf they are a good tool , Partco loved them to , red the best colour 

[Sunny Jim]

Went to pick the C15 this morning and the tester said the o/s/f wheel bearing is on the way out so that will have done too before too long. Maybe the intermittent bearing failing caused wear?

[Stinkwheel]

4 hours ago, Boycie said:

I worked in a Citroen dealership circa 1994/95 when these were still current , looked ancient compared to what the opposition had but with that derv gem , the fact 2 lads in the garage bought them conf they are a good tool , Partco loved them to , red the best colour 

Ah but which Derv Gem? The XUD was always less refined but much preferred in these. The later DW8 ones are less good because of a few niggles with the DW8 itself. (or so said all the customers who re-bough C15's late in their run thinking they were still the same XUD. Quite a few moans over the change at the time)

[lesapandre]

10 hours ago, Boycie said:

I worked in a Citroen dealership circa 1994/95 when these were still current , looked ancient compared to what the opposition had but with that derv gem , the fact 2 lads in the garage bought them conf they are a good tool , Partco loved them to , red the best colour 

This sums them up:

"they are a good tool" - that's what mine reminds me most of - a useful lawn mower or power-tool. 

No frills - every part made to do a job and put together in a logical manner but superb at what's needed.

And they really are superb. I'd recommend anyone to get one

Agree about the engines the earlier the best.

An acquired taste to drive but after 10mins behind the wheel you acclimatise. 

[Boycie]

It's a tool so the xud is best , there was a cheap C15 camper on the bay recently , can't imagine there many cheaper camper options

 

[Mrs6C]

1 hour ago, lesapandre said:

This sums them up:

"they are a good tool" - that's what mine reminds me most of - a useful lawn mower or power-tool. 

No frills - every part made to do a job and put together in a logical manner but superb at what's needed.

And they really are superb. I'd recommend anyone to get one

Yes indeed.

Here's a selection of items that have been carried in 'Van de Pomme'...

An Allen scythe...

 

An apple mill, cider press and all the other equipment needed for an Apple Day...

 

A new bonnet for the S1 Daimler...

 

A narrow gauge wagon turntable...

 

With a dining table and an archery target...

 

A selection of narrow gauge sleepers from a Lincolnshire 'potato railway'...

 

With a few vintage potato crates...

 

A Myford 7 lathe and stand...

 

A Mk12 Invacar... well, most of it...

 

A moped...

 

With the doors almost closed...

 

Another moped...

 

What have other folk carried in theirs?

[Six-cylinder]

In 1987 I was selling Citroens from the dealer in Aylesbury. I had a brand-new Citroen BX 16RS as a company car. The dealership had a C15D demonstrator unallocated so as I was restoring my Triumph Vitesse I helped myself to the C15 to carry parts and tools as the Vitesse was being worked on in somebody else’s workshop a few miles away.

Our managing director showed the C15 demonstrator to a customer and found it full of my stuff. I got a bollocking for not keeping a company vehicle free from clutter via the Sales Manager. Then my manager said privately I am happy you use the van and not your BX just try not to leave too much stuff in it.

Yes this was the very van in 1987 when I had it at home.

[Dyslexic Viking]

I think these were sold here but they can't have survived well as I've never seen one apart from one in a bad Norwegian TV series/film recorded in the 90s?

Which is a shame because I would liked to have one.