Soldato
(alt. title - "How on earth Citroën didn't end up owning the entire industry I'll never know...")
For a little while now my dad and I have been on the lookout for another car project after our last one was cut somewhat short. We knew it had to be something quirky and classic. Initially we started looking at Citroën 2CV breadvans, but mum put her foot down over that. Then it was regular bodied 2CVs, and I'd seen a lovely early '60s example for sale in Dorset. But the more I looked at stuff, the more I found out that for not very much more money you could get into a DS-type.
I found an example for sale a couple of villages away and arranged a viewing and test drive. Driving it around ruined me for other cars. The way it loped along, utterly un-bothered by the horrendous state of the roads around here. I've driven some comfy stuff, but this was on another level. We didn't go for it in the end as there was a bit too much bodywork for my dad and I to sort at home, but then another car popped up on the market. Not a DS, strictly. The ID was the lower model, less powerful engines and simpler hydraulics - they retain the DS suspension, but the brakes are simpler and have a regular pedal instead of the mushroom shaped 'on-off' switch, power steering isn't fitted as standard and the hydraulic-operated semi automatic gearbox wasn't an option. This particular example was a non-PAS car, but had the later style front end with driving lamps that turn with the steering. I drove down the other week to crawl all over it and go out in it on a test drive. Some jobs to do, to be sure. But incredibly solid where it needed to be, and very complete. A price was agreed, and yesterday we fetched it home.
Having put about a hundred miles on it, I've learned a few things. One, the unassisted steering is rather heavy when there's only 26psi in the front tyres
I remedied that last night. Two, there are stretches of the M1 (particularly around Newport Pag. services) where the road surface in an average modern car feels a bit...'lunar'. This thing barely even sees it - there's just this slight raising on it's suspension and a muffled thump sound and it serenely charges on. Three, Citroën really cheaped out on the engines in these cars. The unit in this one is the 1985cc engine, redesigned from the original 1911cc one with a shorter stroke and a five-bearing crank but it's not what you'd call refined. It is a hemi though, and with c.90hp it'll bowl along at motorway speeds without feeling like it's particularly struggling.
The brakes are exceptionally good - using the same high-pressure hydraulics as the suspension, you can really haul the car up in a hurry. The seats are superb, like living room furniture. Roadholding is excellent, though it leans a lot when cornering due to the way the suspension is set up (Citroën never really sorted that until the Xantia/XM generation of cars). The body cuts such a clean hole in the air at speed that you don't get a great deal of wind noise, and happily you can even roll the windows part down at motorway speeds without any roar. I say 'happily' because the ventilation is utterly bobbins
I need to see for sure if that's an issue with the design or with this particular example, but I've heard other complaints about it being marginal before.
Stuff that we have to do
1) Wiper motor wiring is a disaster, needs re-doing
2) Side trim missing off of the nearside front door and offside rear one a bit damaged, needs a new pair or one new+one fixing
3) Headliner inside is gone, needs replacing
4) Paint flaking off the bottom edge of the rear doors, needs sanding back and repainting
5) Car is a bit scratched and grubby, needs a good clean and polish
6) Dashboard is untidy, needs tidying and paint
7) Drivers seat cushion has some stitching coming away and a missing patch on the squab, needs an upholsterer to make it good
8) Seatbelts are crappy fixed length ones and there's none in the back, needs retractables throughout
9) Engine ignition is still by points and condenser, needs electronic ignition
10) Car hasn't been driven for four years, needs driving
Pictures to follow as soon as I get home again, but a quick pic from yesterday - car too long to get into frame from where I had to stand!
Also note my fat frame reflected in that paintwork
And one from when I went down to view it the other week:
For a little while now my dad and I have been on the lookout for another car project after our last one was cut somewhat short. We knew it had to be something quirky and classic. Initially we started looking at Citroën 2CV breadvans, but mum put her foot down over that. Then it was regular bodied 2CVs, and I'd seen a lovely early '60s example for sale in Dorset. But the more I looked at stuff, the more I found out that for not very much more money you could get into a DS-type.
I found an example for sale a couple of villages away and arranged a viewing and test drive. Driving it around ruined me for other cars. The way it loped along, utterly un-bothered by the horrendous state of the roads around here. I've driven some comfy stuff, but this was on another level. We didn't go for it in the end as there was a bit too much bodywork for my dad and I to sort at home, but then another car popped up on the market. Not a DS, strictly. The ID was the lower model, less powerful engines and simpler hydraulics - they retain the DS suspension, but the brakes are simpler and have a regular pedal instead of the mushroom shaped 'on-off' switch, power steering isn't fitted as standard and the hydraulic-operated semi automatic gearbox wasn't an option. This particular example was a non-PAS car, but had the later style front end with driving lamps that turn with the steering. I drove down the other week to crawl all over it and go out in it on a test drive. Some jobs to do, to be sure. But incredibly solid where it needed to be, and very complete. A price was agreed, and yesterday we fetched it home.
Having put about a hundred miles on it, I've learned a few things. One, the unassisted steering is rather heavy when there's only 26psi in the front tyres
I remedied that last night. Two, there are stretches of the M1 (particularly around Newport Pag. services) where the road surface in an average modern car feels a bit...'lunar'. This thing barely even sees it - there's just this slight raising on it's suspension and a muffled thump sound and it serenely charges on. Three, Citroën really cheaped out on the engines in these cars. The unit in this one is the 1985cc engine, redesigned from the original 1911cc one with a shorter stroke and a five-bearing crank but it's not what you'd call refined. It is a hemi though, and with c.90hp it'll bowl along at motorway speeds without feeling like it's particularly struggling.The brakes are exceptionally good - using the same high-pressure hydraulics as the suspension, you can really haul the car up in a hurry. The seats are superb, like living room furniture. Roadholding is excellent, though it leans a lot when cornering due to the way the suspension is set up (Citroën never really sorted that until the Xantia/XM generation of cars). The body cuts such a clean hole in the air at speed that you don't get a great deal of wind noise, and happily you can even roll the windows part down at motorway speeds without any roar. I say 'happily' because the ventilation is utterly bobbins
I need to see for sure if that's an issue with the design or with this particular example, but I've heard other complaints about it being marginal before.Stuff that we have to do
1) Wiper motor wiring is a disaster, needs re-doing
2) Side trim missing off of the nearside front door and offside rear one a bit damaged, needs a new pair or one new+one fixing
3) Headliner inside is gone, needs replacing
4) Paint flaking off the bottom edge of the rear doors, needs sanding back and repainting
5) Car is a bit scratched and grubby, needs a good clean and polish
6) Dashboard is untidy, needs tidying and paint
7) Drivers seat cushion has some stitching coming away and a missing patch on the squab, needs an upholsterer to make it good
8) Seatbelts are crappy fixed length ones and there's none in the back, needs retractables throughout
9) Engine ignition is still by points and condenser, needs electronic ignition
10) Car hasn't been driven for four years, needs driving
Pictures to follow as soon as I get home again, but a quick pic from yesterday - car too long to get into frame from where I had to stand!
Also note my fat frame reflected in that paintwork
And one from when I went down to view it the other week:
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