The Simca Has Arrived!!!! ......... EL: Full story with pics

[garethj]

Dont worry -its 'pre conformity' Just fill in all you can -all that EC numbers stuff doesnt apply.

 

Advise going in, rather than posting

What he said. I had no problem with my '64 Tatra or '61 VW.

 

Step 1 - Get it MoT'd on the chassis number or French plates

Step 2 - Register it. Take MoT, insurance and ownership documents

Step 3 - Take MoT documents and your new registration document back to the garage and they'll update the MoT records and your certificate.

Step 4 - Bask in the glory of a brownish gold Simca

[Mr H Sceptre]

Excellent - many thanks for the advice chaps. As always.

 

[Electric Leyland]

Photos in Chronological order, haphazardly flitting between Simca and spotting…..

 

Pre-train breakfast of coffee and croquet monsieurs in Tours…

 

 

Then WOW this!

 

 

Interesting model car shop

 

Mr HS and Fabio Capello shake hands manly. Done deal.

[Electric Leyland]

Maiden voyage

 

 

And parked up in Saumur for a quiet evening of contemplation. And chatting to some locals. Which turns into a monster sesh, 6am job. Sore heads next day.

 

Day 2: Saumur to Chateau Renault.

 

[Electric Leyland]

Off we go

 

 

Kept having to pull up to take photos

 

 

ZOINKS!! Wasn’t this the same as the one in Stondon??? Barratt will know…

 

[Electric Leyland]

Holy shit Nick what’s this place? Best turn around sharpish…

 

 

Oh this is going to be good….

 

[Electric Leyland]

 

Badged as a Citroen Cottage !?!

 

 

This place has got everything

 

[Electric Leyland]

Upon leaving, spotted something in the far corner of the yard, looked like a very old R4, went to investigate

 

 

Flipping ech Nick we’ ve only done about 10 kilometres, we’re never going to make it back to Blighty by Sunday.

[Electric Leyland]

About 5 minutes later. What was that? We best turn around again, that looked like it was definitely something.

 

 

It looks private, someone’s house, there’s a dog chained up. But let’s park up and see what occurs. We are in a Simca Break after all, and are armed with Autoshite calling cards….

 

Holy shhhiiiiiiiitt……

 

[dollywobbler]

Fabulous!

[Electric Leyland]

Did we crash and die back on the road 3 mins ago? Because I have literally died and gone to heaven, to my favourite ever recurring dream

 

[Electric Leyland]

 

Hello mate, do you speak English? Thought not.

 

(signs) we – like – your – cars –Angeterre - photos –yes? – merci – tres belle voitures

 

[Electric Leyland]

 

Then a good 30-40 minute exhilarating conversation in English/French/mainly sign language and scraping numbers onto the gravel with feet. We loved him and his mate, they loved us, neither really knew 50% what the hell the other was saying, but it didn’t matter, we were sharing the same enthusiasm over the same subject matter.

 

Bon voyage mon amis!

 

 

Parked up, wandered around for a bit. And another night of partying with the locals til silly o’clock.

 

Successful Day 2.

[Electric Leyland]

Day 3: Chateau Renault to Paris.

 

After breakfast, coffees and more exquisite croquet madames avec fries, its time for a few gratuitous shots of the car…

 

[Electric Leyland]

 

And a big night out in Paris with Mr HS’s French mates, top laugh. Another 6am job though!

 

This trip is being fuelled on pure adrenaline.

[Electric Leyland]

Day 4: Paris to London

 

Damn, we’ve not done any shots of French chicks with the car!! Too late, if we’d taken the car on a night out with us then fine. But oh well, will have to make up for that when we get home, and a plan gets hatched.

 

 

DS, same colour! Missed it virtually…..

 

 

Blighty at last

 

 

Chateau Electric Leyland, the morning after.

 

 

EASY!

[BMC Dan]

110% living the dream there EL!!

[Alexg]

Great, just great!!! I've really enjoyed flicking through those pictures, some outstanding finds, you must have had a brilliant time

 

Interesting to see the UK registered Jag

 

The enquiry is complete

 

The vehicle details for UJN 992S are:

 

Date of Liability 01 11 1991

Date of First Registration 13 09 1977

Year of Manufacture 1977

Cylinder Capacity (cc) 4235CC

CO2 Emissions Not Available

Fuel Type Petrol

Export Marker Not Applicable

Vehicle Status Unlicensed

Vehicle Colour RED

[seth]

A quality thread to read while slightly tipsy. Nice one! Looks like an ace trip

[mk1_4dr]

GR9 work guv'nr.

 

The trip looks ace, makes me want to actually leave t'old blighty and see abit of the world.

Did you happen upon a particulaly shite-laden part of France, or is it all like that....?

[fotorabia]

merde tres bien..un voyage specatulare!...acquisitione fabulous!

[kevin 900]

Wow. Just wow.

Great story & a fantastic outcome. Brilliant!

[Mr Lobster]

ORSUMZ

 

Great read, that looks like it was a lot of fun!

[nigel bickle]

Why cant we be more like the French? Open roads, old cars, hospitable peeeps & good weather. Living the dream!

 

Glad you had a good time ,the car didnt cause issues.

 

Frankly -looks an absolute belter.

 

Well done

[mnde]

Fantastic, what an excellent adventure!! Thanks HS and EL for the story and pics. Verrry jealous of the car and the trip. My parents had a couple of Simca 1100s around when I was born. Must try and root out the pics!

 

Bloody well done.

 

Mark.

[scooters]

There is nothing more fun than a cross Europe road trip. Especially when picking up somthing evocative like that Mr H...

 

what fun...the sense of achievement when you get to your destination that a plucky wee tin can 30-40 years old has got you where you need to go is palpable..

 

I remember a couple of years ago driving my wonderful 940 Sport estate - an amazing car that cost me £800 from London to Barcelona - the sence of acheivement when I came off the Millau Viaduct and 30 miles later saw the med in the distance was ace!

 

I wish my missus was more into motors - I am hoping that the camper van will get her into the idea but I'm not hopeful

 

with 2 kids under 4 my life is basically kid focused - when they are older then perhaps I can trawl Europe for tin....

 

well done mate....all you need now is a du vin, du pain and du boursin, a picnic blanket, a nice view and some dirty french whore to play with your willy whilst you munch the grub and stare at your Simca!

 

DOWN BOY DOWN

 

sorry.......missing my medication......

[michiel]

Fantastique!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

What a fantastic story and pics. I simply cannot think of any better way to spend a few days than flying to France then driving slowly home in a cool old old clunker, stopping off along the way to get hammered in a random town with a load of strangers now and then. Basically that sounds like my dream weekend (assuming Ms_Bol was not available that weekend for whatever reason). My experience of the French is that they can take on the english in a drinking comp any day of the week, and they will usually win, by employing a 'tortoise' drinking strategy while the english go for the domestically-proven 'Hare' method.

 

The Simca looks extraordinary, the seller guy was amazed when i spoke to him on the phone that 'un Anglais' would be interested enough in a Simca 1100 to come to France to buy one, but he was chuffed that it was finding an appreciative home. Its a one-owner job apparently and certainly looks like one. Make sure you pump its ass full of anti-rust wax!

[Mash]

 

Speechless. What a fabulous car and trip. Awesome

[HillmanImp]

What great photos. Looks like fantistic fun. My mate has been prattling on for years about driving over to Le Mans in an old barge and this is making me think it might be a good idea.