citroËn classic owners front c l u b o f a u s t ......secretary ~ sue bryant [03] 9885 3179 [h]...

48 A U S T R A L I A ’ S N A T I O N A L M A G A Z I N E F O R

CITROËN CLASSIC OWNERS CITROËN CLASSIC OWNERS C L U B O F A U S T R A L I AC L U B O F A U S T R A L I AAustralia’s National Citroën Car ClubAustralia’s National Citroën Car Club

1 C I T R O Ë N O W N E R S A N D E N T H U S I A S T S

WINTER 2011 WINTER 2011 VOL 35 VOL 35 NO 3NO 3

FRONTDRIVEA U S T R A L I A ’ SA U S T R A L I A ’ S N A T I O N A LN A T I O N A L M A G A Z I N EM A G A Z I N E F O RF O R C I T R O Ë NC I T R O Ë N O W N E R SO W N E R S A N DA N D E N T H U S I A S T SE N T H U S I A S T S

32 A U S T R A L I A ’ S N A T I O N A L M A G A Z I N E F O R C I T R O Ë N O W N E R S A N D E N T H U S I A S T S

Annual Membership is $55. For overseas membership add $17.50.

SUPPORTCOMMITTEE

PRESIDENT ~ Peter Sandow [03] 9329 6555 [B] [email protected] ~ Sue Bryant [03] 9885 3179 [H] [email protected] ~ Vacant [email protected] COORDINATOR ~ Max Lewis [03] 9372 0921 [H] 04 5899 3771 [M] [email protected] PARTS OFFICER ~ Vacant [email protected] EDITOR ~ Leigh Miles [03] 9888 7506 [H] [email protected] PERSON ~Peter Boyle [03] 9470 8080 ruff [email protected]

WEB WALLAH ~EB WALLAH ~ Mark McKibbinMark McKibbin w [email protected] SECRETARY ~ Sue Bryant [03] 9885 3179 [H] [email protected] LIAISON OFFICERS ~ Ted Cross [03] 9819 2208 [H]Russell Wade [03] 9570 3486 [H]CLUB PERMIT & SAFETY OFFICERS ~ Russell Wade [03] 9570 3486 [H]Peter Boyle [03] 9470 8080 [H]Philip Rogers [03] 5944 3091 [H]LIBRARIAN ~ Max Lewis [03] 9372 0921 [H] [email protected] SHOP ~ Peter James [email protected] REPRESENTATIVE ~ Ted Cross [03] 9819 2208 [H]PUBLIC OFFICER ~ Peter Boyle [03] 9470 8080 ruff [email protected]

For Spare Parts & ToolsContact Rob Little. Phone: [03] 5823 1397 or spareparts@ citroenclassic.org.au [If you phone, please do it at a reasonable hour.]

Club ShopFor Citroën models, memorabilia and other items contact Peter James at [email protected]

Other ClubsVIC: www.citcarclubvic.org.auNSW: www.citroencarclub.org.au/WA: www.citroenwa.com.auQLD: www.citroenclub.orgwww.doublechevrons.aunz.com

MEETINGS

POSTAL ADDRESS

LIFE MEMBERS

MEMBERSHIPCITROËN CLASSIC OWNERS CLUB of AUSTRALIA Inc.Th e address of the Club and this magazine is: PO Box 52, Balwyn, Victoria, 3103.Th e Club’s website is: www.citroenclassic.org.auCitroën Classic Owners Club of Australia Inc. is a member of the Association of Motoring Clubs. Th e views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of ccoca or its Committee. Neither ccoca, nor its Committee can accept any responsibility for any mechanical advice printed in, or adopted from this publication. Th e Club cannot accept any responsibility for, or involvement in, any business relationship that may occur between an advertiser and a member of the Club.

Club meetings are held on the fourth Wednesday of every month [except December] at 8pm. Th e venue is the Frog Hollow Reserve Rooms, Fordham Ave., Camberwell. Melway 60, B3

Th e committee awards life membership to Club members in recognition of their contribution to, and support of, the Club. Life members are: Peter Boyle 2003Jack Weaver 1991Nance Clark 1984

CH PlatesSend your annual CH renewal form to PO Box 52, Balwyn, 3103. Please do the right thing and enclose a stamped, addressed envelope. If you do not have a Club Permit Handbook include $5 and we will return one to you.

About to Arrange a Classic/Historic Permit for your Citroën?CH permit applications must be accompanied by a RWC. Th e onus is on owners to demonstrate that their cars are safe. Feel free to consult our Permit Offi cers for advice regarding getting your car on the road, and keeping it going.

CONTRIBUTORSContributors to this edition of ‘Front Drive’ include Sue Bryant, Ian Duff y, Andrea Fisher, Craig Little, Peter Sandow, Lois Smart and Ian Sperling.

DEADLINETh e deadline for the next edition of ‘Front Drive’ is Friday, August 5, 2011..

COVER IMAGETh e cover image was supplied by Lois Smart and depicts an array of Tractions used for the wedding of Deborah Smart to Daniel Jolly at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum, Warrnambool.

CITROËNING


PREZ SEZ

CONTENTS

Ed Sed Page

PrezSez Page

A-Tractions Page

How Many Left Page

Member Profile: Lois & John Smart and True Love Page

ED SED

Lois Smart’s Normale Page

Thai Travel Page

A Long Drive Page

Restoration? Page

Twin Pot Topics Page

Fleet Follies Page

Classified Ads Page

As you are reading this, Philip and I will be in St Petersburg enjoying the

18hours of daylight that is on off er at this time of the year. In part this is the reason this edition of ‘Front Drive’ is a little early

and the next edition will be

a little late.What makes a great ‘Front

Drive’ for me? Oh yes, interest-ing articles, something a little quirky, a personal perspective… well this edition meets all my requirements. And better still, almost all the articles are from members of the Club. It is pretty simple to download an article from the internet or take a press release from Citroën and reprint it. Yes, there are some great arti-cles around, and every car club magazine editor is more than happy to steal with pride. But I do love the magazine that features articles written by our members.

Th is edition is almost totally made up of articles written by

you! Congratulations and thank you.

We start with something quirky from me, but prompted by Ted Cross. Just how many ID/DS Citroëns are left on the roads of the UK? Find out on page 12.

How much love can an owner have for his car? Not quite as much as Lois Smart continues to have for her husband John, who died in 2003 and who loved his Traction almost as much as he loved his family and Lois.

Andrea Fisher and Ian Sperling share their Th ai travel delights, along with some auto-motive marvels.

Ian Duffy tells us why you should drive your Traction to next year’s CitIn and Craig Little debates the sticky question of ‘original’ versus ‘restored’.

Finally, from 2CVGB some helpful hints for A-Series owners.Enjoy, Leigh F Miles

It is a diffi culty – my inaugural Prez Sez I thought blended the right amount of enthusi-

asm with the desperate plea for support - but not a traction of response ~ well, I guess the next step is to press gang.

Spare parts access and supply is one of the key reasons for the Club’s existence ~ a fairly impor-tant one I would have thought. And a Treasurer, also a position to be filled, a fairly important one I would have thought. Th e two committee positions remain vacant. Please consider the op-portunity to join the operating engine of your Club and add to one’s own enjoyment of being in the Club.

I have not had my 11BL running for a number of years, so this OzTraction was the fi rst signifi cant expedition for quite some time. Green Frog Tours did a marvellous job ~ great fun in a great region of the state. I also managed to catch up with a long time school friend, Mark Stephens aka Lazy Harry in Beechworth. Mark was the only kid at school that I remember that could play a musical instrument at a level of skill capable of stand-ing in front of a crowd, holding your attention and finishing with cheers and applause. Mark was always a clever inspirational musician. He is now running a tea shop in Bright which is the old school house. In that I guess he

still entertains the kids at school except they are all now boomers. I also managed a side trip up to Mt Hotham for the Opening of the ski season and also returned in time back to Bright on Saturday night for the utterly enjoyable

Gala Dinner, where Tom and Helen Campbell’s Normale was recognised as stealing the show and understandably was awarded the most popular car.

Sunday, 17 July, I am look-ing forward to celebrating the Bastille Day at the Briezoz French Creperie, Shop 2, 49 Brunswick St, Fitzroy. Book with Max. Th e rest of the details are in this issue and I look forward to meeting with members and friends for this French national celebration.Peter SandowPresident.


A-TRACTIONS

Please note: if no bookings have been received for an

Event, by the booking deadline, the Event will be

automatically cancelled.

WHEN: Wednesday, 20 JulyTIME: 7:00pmWHERE: Check with the Secretary for this month’s venueCOST: Cheap eatsBRING: RefreshmentsBOOKING: PreferredCONTACT: Sue Bryant, [03] 9885 3179 secretary@ citroenclassic.org.au

C L U B M E E T I N G ~ C L U B M E E T I N G ~ G U E S T S P E A K E RG U E S T S P E A K E RWHEN: Wednesday, 27 JulyTIME: 8:00pmWHERE: Frog Hollow Reserve Rooms, Fordham Ave., Camberwell. Melway 60, B3COST: FreeBOOKING: Not requiredCONTACT: Max Lewis [03] 9372 0921 [H] 04 5899 3771 [M]

Did you know that unleaded petrol starts to deteriorate in as little as 60days? Well in my fl eet of diesel vehicles, daily driven, I guess this doesn’t count but all your Vintage, Classic, Post Classic etc vehicles that run on petrol [in-frequently as is I presume would be the case] then Charmaine from Trico will take a lend of your ears to explain that additives such as she is espousing will assist in keep-ing what fuel there may be left in the tank after a Raid or a Green Frog Tour or CitIn not go stale. I am personally attracted to this as the only petrol vehicle that I own hasn’t turned a revolution in anger for nearly 18 months!!

CHRISTMAS IN JULYCHRISTMAS IN JULYWHEN: Sunday, 31 JulyTIME: 9:30amFROM: Mt Alexander Rd., Moonee Ponds [opp Queen’s Park]TO: Secret!BRING: Yourself, your dearly beloveds, children, mother-in-law… steady on there MaxCOST: $29ppBOOKING: Essential, by July 10CONTACT: Max Lewis [03] 9372 0921 [H] 04 5899 3771 [M] [email protected]

• JULYBASTILLE BREAKFASTBASTILLE BREAKFASTWHEN: Sunday, 17 JulyTIME: 9:00amWHERE: Briezoz French Crêperie, 2/49 Brunswick Street, FitzroyCOST: $22.00ppBRING: Wallet and good cheerBOOKING: Essential by 5 JulyCONTACT: Max Lewis [03] 9372 0921 [H] 04 5899 3771 [M] [email protected]

In Brittany on the west coast of France, crêperies are as common

as pizza parlours in Australia. Th e savoury crêpes are made with buckwheat and the sweet crêpes are simple and delicious.Breizoz Crêperie brings these crêpes to you with an authentic menu and atmosphere.Th is year will see us at another location but with the same gener-ous and gracious hosts in Jean Marie and Katherine. The fare will be the same as we have enjoyed o v e r t h e years. Park-ing in the area is good. Th e C a f é can hold up to 40 people and we will be occupying the entire café. Due to luncheons starting at 12 noon we need to be away at about 11am. Th is is defi nitely a fi rst in best dressed morning so be quick with your reservation to me. There will be a set price menu, decided in advance and you will pay for yourself prior to leaving.

COMMITTEE MEETING COMMITTEE MEETING & C H E A P E A T S& C H E A P E A T S


A-TRACTIONS

While the destination is a secret, we can tell you that along with a bit of navigational work in the Blackwood region you will arrive at a great pub location. Th e pub has been in the hands of new owners for just on a year

and they have given the place a well-deserved ‘spruce-up’. [No pun intended.]They are happy to serve up a traditional Christmas lunch to a pack of Citroënists. Soup, tra-ditional Christmas roast, cake, chocolate, tea, coff ee and of course ~ bon bons! Max promises us some great driving, with no ‘rock and roll’ roads, provided the Shire has not decided to dig up every road they can fi nd.

NOTE: We must have 30 participants for this

event to proceed!

• AUGUSTE L F I N H E R I T A G E E L F I N H E R I T A G E CENTRE ~ JOINT EVENTCENTRE ~ JOINT EVENT

WHEN: Sunday, 7 AugustTIME: 3:00pmWHERE: Elfi n Heritage Centre, 29 Capella Crescent, Moorabbin, Melway 78 B7 COST: $5ppBOOKING: Preferred by 5 AugustCONTACT: Gordon Campbell, 04 0788 2696 [M] [email protected]

This is a joint event with Motafrenz Car Club ~ so be sure to confi rm your attendance with the President of Motafrenz, Gordon Campbell.Today we will visit a shrine to Australian racing car design and manufacture. After afternoon tea [included] and a chat, we will enjoy a presentation about Elfi n by one of their knowledgeable enthusiasts. Th en we will tour the exhibits and have a yarn with Elfi n racing drivers and engineers. Th e exhibit includes many race-winning-cars and plenty of Elfi n memorabilia. Why not view the cars on sale and make an off er ~ see the website for details. [http://www.elfi nheritage.com.au/index.html] After our visit we will adjourn to one of the bay-front hotels for a few bevies and an early dinner. Who is Elfi n? Th is is what they tell us; “Th e Elfi n name towers over Australian motor sport like few others, which is surpris-ing given the quiet nature of its founder, Garrie Cooper. Never one for words, Cooper spoke

through his deeds on the race track. Th e mighty successes of his racing cars, driven by himself and a legion of other talented drivers, spoke volumes for the man who built racing cars in a small Adelaide factory for more than 20 years. Th at his company grew to become the second larg-est manufacturer of racing cars in the world in the late 1960s was testament to his engineering ability. From the early 1960s to the late 1970s Elfi ns dominated local open wheeler and sports car racing and won numerous national titles.

COMMITTEE MEETING COMMITTEE MEETING & C H E A P E A T S& C H E A P E A T SWHEN: Wednesday, 17 AugustTIME: 7:00pmWHERE: Check with the Secretary for this month’s venueCOST: Cheap eatsBRING: RefreshmentsBOOKING: PreferredCONTACT: Sue Bryant, [03] 9885 3179 secretary@ citroenclassic.org.au

C L U B M E E T I N G ~ C L U B M E E T I N G ~ NOGGIN AND NATTERNOGGIN AND NATTERWHEN: Wednesday, 24 AugustTIME: 7:00pmWHERE: O’Sullivans Sibeen, 914 Mount Alexander Road, Essendon, Melways 28 G4 COST: From $16ppBOOKING: Preferred by 22 AugustCONTACT: Max Lewis [03] 9372 0921 [H]

04 5899 3771 [M] [email protected]

Meals start from as low as $16.00. Wednesday is usually Steak Night so if protein is your prefer-ence, then you will be well looked after. Th e wine list is very reason-able and of course who could refuse a Guiness?So, bring yourself and your wife/partner/friend/cellmate whom-ever and any goss/anecdotes/lies/hyperbole whatever that is about the place at this time. Irish jokes may or may not be looked upon with glee… I did notice a sheleighlee behind the door! [OK, so Max can’t spell but you get the drift.]

MAZE AND MEANDERMAZE AND MEANDERWHEN: Sunday, 28 AugustTIME: 10:00amFROM: Memorial Park, Cranbourne Rd.,

Frankston. M e l w a y 1 0 2 , F 3


A-TRACTIONS

TO: Ashcombe MazeCOST: Adults $16, seniors $14, children $9BOOKING: Not requiredCONTACT: Max Lewis [03] 9372 0921 [H] 04 5899 3771 [M]

[email protected]

Arthur at Th e Maze says there are enough fl owers and bush and woodlands to keep a botanist en-thralled for hours. Th eir website is www ashcombemaze.com.au Th ey have a fully licensed café where a warm coff ee or tea will keep your cockles warm.

• SEPTEMBERCOMMITTEE MEETING COMMITTEE MEETING & C H E A P E A T S& C H E A P E A T SWHEN: Wednesday, 21 SeptemberTIME: 7:00pmWHERE: Check with the Secretary for this month’s venue

COST: Cheap eatsBRING: RefreshmentsBOOKING: PreferredCONTACT: Sue Bryant, [03] 9885 3179 secretary@ citroenclassic.org.au

G E T T A N K E D G E T T A N K E D A T P U K K E R SA T P U K K E R SWHEN: Sunday, 25 SeptemberTIME: 9:30amFROM: Mt Alexander Rd., Moonee Ponds [opp Queen’s Park]TO: Royal Australian Armoured Corps Tank Museum, Hopkins barracks, Puckapunyal COST: Museum is free Lunch from $16ppBRING: Photo IDBOOKING: Essential by 12 SeptemberCONTACT: Max Lewis [03] 9372 0921 [H] 04 5899 3771 [M] [email protected]

Photo Identifi cation for the Mu-seum is required as it is an op-erational base and security is required. You should also bring coff ee and tea doings as we will stop at a nice place for a morning break on the way there.Th is is an opportunity to see fi rst hand dozens of big boys’ toys in the form of fearsomely powerful steel clad fi ghting vehicles… aka TANKS [the French call them CHARS or used to… I don’t know if André tried his arm at making a Char but Renault cer-

tainly did]. It is an operational Army Base staff ed by at least one member of Army personnel [the rest are on overseas deployment] and volunteers. Prior to that we will take lunch [from around 12 noon – 1 pm] at Rachel’s Place, 74 Emily Street, Seymour, an 1850s building, where for a mea-sly $16.00 as a start we could have a choice of two roasts. How good is that? See you at the start.

C L U B M E E T I N G ~ C L U B M E E T I N G ~ G U E S T S P E A K E RG U E S T S P E A K E RWHEN: Wednesday, 28 SeptemberTIME: 8:00pmWHERE: Frog Hollow Reserve Rooms, Fordham Ave., Camberwell. Melway 60, B3COST: FreeBOOKING: Not required

CONTACT: Max Lewis [03] 9372 0921 [H] 04 5899 3771 [M] [email protected]

Following on from the talk on fuel additives in July, we thought you would like to know more about the fuel itself. Well, Shaun Lewis [no relation as far as I know…] from Total has expressed an interest in elucidating this sub-ject from his French company’s point of view. Fuel is everyone’s concern these days whether you

are running a petrol fuelled car with carburettors or injection or like me and other modern Cit-roën owners running a diesel. In itself the history of diesel and of Citroën and their diesel vehicles is not only fascinating but ground breaking. I for one would like to know where Total fi ts into the arena where the big players ap-pear to fi ddle with supply and pricing.

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HOW MANY LEFT?

Recently Ted Cross for-warded to me a link to what, for me at least,

seems a great source of useless trivia. Do you want to know how many Tractions, and of what sort, are still on the road in the UK?

Th is is the place to look. Th e site is http://howmanyleft.co.uk, and I have had a great time with it!About This Website

How Many Left is a database and search engine of statistics about car, motorcycle and com-mercial vehicle models registered with the Driver Vehicle and Licensing Agency in the United

Kingdom. Which Cars are in the Database?

Th e database covers all vehi-cles currently known to the dvla. However, not all vehicles that are counted in the database have

a specifi c model name listed.

I n d i v i d u a l vehicle model

names come from a master list of Vehicle Makes and Models compiled by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders and the dvla.

Th e complete list is available on the website.

If a model is not on the list, it will have been counted against a catch-all category. If the manu-

32/06


HOW MANY LEFT?

facturer of the vehicle is listed, it will be in the counted against a special ‘Missing’ model desig-nation. In the 2011 data there are 4,866 vehicles listed under Citroën, without a model name. Th at number has doubled since

1994. Hmm, it makes me wonder about the accuracy of the base data, but that is another matter.

If the manufacturer is not listed, it will have been counted against a special ‘Other [nation-ality]’ manufacturer designation [eg. ‘Other British’].

If a specific model is not listed, it is likely to be because of one of the following reasons: Th e model pre-dates the com-

puterisation of vehicle records at the dvla in the 1970s.

Th e model is very new and its registration has yet to be

included in the statistics. It is a very low-production

model and has not been given its own specifi c code [this ap-plies to many super-car makes and models].

Th e model was not sold as new in the UK market [eg. many Japanese grey im-ports].

What Does ‘Date of First Registration’ Mean?

Date of fi rst registration is the date that a vehicle fi rst became known to the dvla. Th is may not be the same as the original year of manufacture.

Imported vehicles, or older vehicles with lost identities that are restored and re-registered may be listed with dates of fi rst registration that are much more recent than the year they were manufactured. Where Does the Data Come From?

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 20012CV 27,831 23,552 20,954 17,849 14,147 11,918 9,823 8,180

Visa 19,837 15,544 12,954 10,019 7,094 4,810 2,989 1,719

XM 17,164 18,202 18,475 18,324 17,923 17,034 15,310 13,150

CX 7,673 6,406 5,616 4,731 3,751 2,968 2,217 1,618

Dyane 2,827 2,031 1,657 1,316 1,005 819 692 597

GSA 2,649 1,620 1,035 668 451 300 203 139

GS 279 173 128 97 78 67 56 44

DS 228 226 239 263 285 299 288 286

Ami 104 83 84 91 80 82 72 65

ID 36 32 43 46 48 47 51 53

SM 29 36 26 39 40 44 52 49

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 20116,877 5,836 5,194 4,662 4,174 3,866 3,630 3,381 3,216 3,125

951 544 302 181 116 87 72 58 42 42

10,807 8,508 6,490 4,789 3,430 2,507 1,834 1,423 1,044 982

1,171 877 659 523 397 345 295 250 229 206

502 434 380 358 294 283 276 266 236 238

104 90 78 64 49 42 37 37 36 36

42 34 36 36 33 35 34 39 37 36

289 267 291 297 291 305 307 284 290 288

68 74 82 69 76 77 65 72 69 71

54 50 49 54 46 47 41 40 39 40

53 60 51 53 58 58 52 54 50 48

The data is based on the ‘Vehicle licensing statistics’ data published by the Department for Transport, which in turn is extracted from the dvla’s vehicle database.

Th e following tables of statis-tics are used: VEH0120 Licensed vehicles

by make and model, Great Britain, quarterly from 1994

VEH0121 Vehicles with a Statutory Off Road Notifi -cation by make and model, Great Britain, quarterly from 1997

VEH0124 Licensed cars by make and model, by year of fi rst registration, Great Brit-ain, annually from 2010

VEH0125 Cars with a Statu-tory Off Road Notifi cation by make and model, by year of first registration, Great Britain, annually from 2010

VEH0160 Vehicles regis-tered for the first times by

make and model, Great Brit-ain, annually from 2001

About the DataAll the data on this site is

derived from vehicle licensing statistics published by the De-partment for Transport in the UK. About the author

Olly Smith is a developer and car geek who works on this site in his spare time.

Of course the fi rst thing I went looking for was Traction numbers. Not

one! Th is was not what I had expected, until I remembered that in the UK older cars are not subject to Road Tax [Registra-tion] and so the dvla could not have registration records.

Next on my list of interest was A-Series cars. There was rather more data to work with here. In 1994 there were almost 28,000 2CVs on the road in the UK. By 2011 this has fallen to


HOW MANY LEFT?

just 3,125. Th is alone could ac-count for the huge increase in prices that 2CVs are fetching these days. Gone are the days of the hundred nicker 2CV ~ these days the asking price can be on the higher side of £3,000.

For the fi rst decade [1994 to 2003] the numbers fell by 15% or more every year. But in 2004 the decline was 10% and now it is just 2%. A refl ection of the increasing interest in the model?

The most popular 2CV? I would have thought that would be the Dolly: that wonderful range of stylishly painted cars. With 1,007 Dolly’s left on the road… I was mistaken. Th e most popular model is the 2CV Spe-cial ~ the poverty pack model of the A-Series world.

I could not restrain my-

self and went in pursuit of Dyane numbers ~ well, I own one so I had to look at my fl eet. Th ere are just 238 Dyanes left. Most of them Dyane 6. So, why are prices of the Dyane still lagging well behind those of the 2CV?

Oh, I know the Dyane never had the cachet of the 2CV. But, Dyane

numbers are on the increase [well, there were only 236 in 2010] so maybe the renaissance of the true Ugly Duckling of the A world is around the corner. Delusional? Me?

Anyway we all know that the real Ugly Duckling is the Ami 6. While there are 49 Ami 8 [including one Van] there are only 17 Ami 6 and even less [fi ve] Ami Super left.

DS numbers are on a par with the Dyane ~ 288 DS and an additional 40 ID. DS/ID numbers were at their lowest in

With just 17 With just 17 Ami 6 lef t Ami 6 lef t in the UK, in the UK, it might not it might not be long be-be long be-fore t he re fore t he re are more in are more in A u s t r a l i a A u s t r a l i a than in ‘the than in ‘the Old Dart’!Old Dart’!

1995 [32 and 226]. Th e popular models to get back on the road are DS 21 [+77]. Most are listed as simply DS 21, but of that number 10 are fuel injected and fi ve are Hydraulique.

None are specifi cally listed as Estates. Of the 206 CX however some 20% are listed as either Safari or Familiale. Within the CX list some models appear to be divided into Series I and Series II. Series II cars are recognisable by their plastic bumper bars and were never offi cially imported to Australia. So we know there are

two CX Prestige Turbo II, but no Series I. Yet it lists 28 CX GTi Turbo and no Turbo II. That seems an anomaly.

Looking at the CX’s smaller sibling, in 1994 there were ten-times more GSA than GS. Today the numbers are the same. Once again the most common version of the GSA is the Special [16], although the survival rate of the Pallas is higher with 15 remain-ing [only two are C-Matic]. Th at represents 1.5% of the 1994 fl eet, compared with 1.2% for the Spe-cial. Th e GS picture shows fi ve


HOW MANY LEFT?

31/05

plain GS, three Comfort [Sue Bryant will be pleased to see two are 1,015cc models… see her Fleet Follies for an explanation. Ed.], 18 mid-range Club and seven Pallas. There is one van and two sporty GS X models to

complete the numbers. Just 11 BX TRS Automatic

and two 19 GT remain. At a fast guess, there are probably more of these Series I BX models in Australia than there are left in the UK.

Just for Nathan Wade and myself I had to look at the Visa.

42 remain in the UK. One Visa Club; compares badly with two in Australia, one GTi and one Super X [the same as here in each case], two Cabriolet and not a GT in sight. Th e last GT seems to have disappeared in 2006.

In common with the 2CV, the poverty pack models seem to

be the most numerous. Special is almost the most popular model [eight] beaten into second place by the equally ‘povo’ 17D with nine.On a brighter note the SM has been increasing. Numbers have almost doubled from 29 in 1994 to 48 today.


TRUE LOVE

How do you condense a man’s love affair with a car into a couple of

columns? You can’t. So here is a story about my

man and his car.In 1982 we returned from

three years’ work in Bougainville, settled in Maitland and John opened his earthmover tyre re-pair business at Singleton in the Hunter Valley. Th ey were hectic times, with John working up to 12hours a day establishing the business, while I did the books and took care of our three girls; Fiona, Deborah and Virginia.

Th e week we arrived home

we purchased an ID Safari from Continental Motors in Sydney, but John wanted a Traction Avant. Each Saturday he would scan the papers, finally com-ing up trumps, when a Mr DA Ferguson of Newcastle was

off -loading all his vehicles, includ-ing a Citroën.

It was may-hem at the Ferguson’s; people inspecting cars everywhere but my ears fl apped when the lady of the house kept running out to her husband ~ ‘another call about the Citroën, please call back’, as John inspected the poorly painted, dull grey thing ~ what was it? Bench seats, British dash, French bumper, obviously the worse for wear. And it did not

H a y d e n H a y d e n C h a p m a n C h a p m a n helped John helped John Smart g ive Smart g ive ‘Suzi’ a ma-‘Suzi’ a ma-jor overhaul jor overhaul in 1985.in 1985.


TRUE LOVE

actually go!‘Too much work’ said John,

with a shake of his head, ‘We can do better than that!’

We gathered the chicks and set off for home. A plaintiff cry came from the back seat: ‘Dad, I

want to get married in that car!’ ‘Why don’t you put a couple

of hundred down and get him

to hold it while you think it over,’ I remember saying. With a massive swing of the wheel, we returned, paid the princely sum of $200 deposit and a life-long love aff air began.

On the drive home one of the girls asked: ‘What will you call her Dad?’ Without hesita-

tion, John replied ‘Suzi’ and so ‘Suzi’ became part of our lives.

The following Tuesday,

armed with battery, fuel, tools, tow-rope, etc we returned. Even-tually John had her running, paid the asking price and we headed home in blinding rain. I still see Johnny through the rear vision mirror, as ‘Suzi’ limped along, top speed in fi rst gear, before being stored in the run-down shed at the back of our house.

‘Suzi’ patiently waited.John heard there was a man

at Cessnock who knew Citroëns. A phone call or two and Paul

Smythe was generously sharing his knowledge. We joined the NSW Club, met wonderful peo-ple, attended technical days and rallies, always seeking informa-tion, always accepting advice, and somewhere amongst the six day working weeks, a little tinkering took place in the back shed until fi nally, late one night I heard that distinctive guttural purr ~ ‘Suzi’ was ticking over.

Th en we had a set-back; not with’ Suzi’ but with John. A gland

When Deborah Smart married When Deborah Smart married Daniel Jolly at the Flagstaff Hill Daniel Jolly at the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum, Warrnam-Maritime Museum, Warrnam-bool, ‘Suzi’ was there! bool, ‘Suzi’ was there!


LOIS SMART’S NORMALE


TRUE LOVE

on the left hand side of his neck was blocked ~ a simple, day surgery procedure turned into a four and a half hour nightmare with the diagnosis of parotid gland cancer; unusual in one so young. We had a business to run,

three little girls, and no relatives nearby. Only a very strong man could undergo three major op-erations in seven weeks and come out smiling. John came home on Christmas Eve, underwent ten weeks of radiotherapy and was back to work within two months.

By June we had sold our busi-ness and our home and moved to Melbourne to ‘open a smaller

tyre repair shop’. I smile wryly as I recall John’s statement.

Before long John’s old cus-tomers were transporting their huge tyres down to us for repair and John was back working six days a week.

Now we were part of the Vic-torian Citroën scene, many hap-

py to share their knowledge with us. Hayden Chapman and John became great friends and I still recall the laughter as they would return from an outing with a trailer full of what seemed to me total rubbish. I was assured the trailer contents was more precious than diamonds. Th ese loads were added to Hayden’s collection of about 23 Citroëns

stored at his parent’s property. [Most not undercover I might add].

My bower bird gradually gathered original bits and piec-es for ‘Suzi’, with advice from Bruno at Citro Motors, Jack Weaver and Bill Graham, and Rob Little. Dylan Webb and Peter Boyle dropped over, along with many other enthusiasts. Mel Carey did ‘Suzi’s’ front end and much later Ted Cross put us in touch of Steve Mathias up near Castlemaine who supplied the correct front seat frames, entrusting us to return the favour when he got round to restoring his Traction and thanks to Fred and Barry Anells in the UK, this was possible.

Time fl ies when you are hav-

ing fun and before we knew it ‘Suzi’ was venturing out on ral-lies; admittedly she was not the most attractive Traction in the world, but mechanically in good running order.

Out of left fi eld John sud-denly decided to sell our tyre business. [Much later I discov-ered he had felt so unwell that he thought his cancer had returned and this was the reason behind his decision.].

Once again we were on the move; this time to Warrnambool, where we renewed our friendship with Roy, Esther and Andrew Begelhole; an oasis in the desert for Citroën enthusiasts. John had been off ered a position with Beaurepaire Tyres, only to fi nd after selling our Croydon home,

V i r g i n i a V i r g i n i a S m a r t i n S m a r t i n f r o n t o f f r o n t o f ‘Suzi’ at the ‘Suzi’ at the R ip p on le a R ip p on le a C o n c o u r s C o n c o u r s [c1992][c1992]

T h e ‘ L a s t T h e ‘ L a s t H u r r a h ’ ~ H u r r a h ’ ~ ‘Suzi’ at Wol-‘Suzi’ at Wol-laston Bridge, laston Bridge, Wa r r n a m -Wa r r n a m -b o o l . J a c k b o o l . J a c k Weaver at the Weaver at the wheel , with wheel , with John Smart as John Smart as the co-pilot. the co-pilot. [June 2003][June 2003]


TRUE LOVE

the job off er had fallen through. A couple of months on, he went to get a repeat of his asthma spray to discover it was a lit-tle more serious than that and within three weeks he was back in Melbourne, but this time in

St Vincent’s hospital undergoing quadruple heart by-pass surgery. I recall staring out of our kitchen window in horror the week before his scheduled surgery as he assisted the bricklayer build

our garage. ‘Suzi’ had to have a decent shed was his response to my concerns.

I remember one rally we at-tended when Roy and Andrew shared the driving following John’s heart surgery. Nothing

much could keep him from a gath-ering of Citroën fanatics and their

vehicles.On returning home from

Goolwa, he immediately at-tacked ‘Suzi’, saying she was the most poorly presented Traction at the rally. [I often wonder if

Ian Steele would agree with this statement.] I do recall one year I gave John a beautiful new fuel tank as a birthday present because her’s was beyond repair. [ John’s birthday gift I mean, not ‘Suzi’ – you know ladies do not like to disclose their age].

In 1998, we took our first European holiday, attending the 11th ICCCR at Chevetogne in Belgium. Th anks to Robert and Kay Belcourt we had transport to the site. What an incredible experience that was ~ everything imaginable and all at the one location, and cars painted in a

variety of colours, not simply black, black and black. We had never really settled on a colour for ‘Suzi’, and there in the display museum we saw a magnifi cently presented Traction. ‘Th at’s the colour I want’, John said, and although it took some time to source the details, as Glasnost was no longer in production, we discovered ‘Bleu Petrel’ appeared on a Dulux colour chart and I understand may have been used on some ID’s in the 1960s.

Further ill-health dogged John and it was quite some time before ‘Suzi’ was in a fi t state to

Fiona, Virginia and Deborah standing around, Fiona, Virginia and Deborah standing around, while John Smart changes a tyre at Casterton. while John Smart changes a tyre at Casterton. Th is was after the Goolwa CitIn.Th is was after the Goolwa CitIn.

O p p o s i t e : O p p o s i t e : Ray and An-Ray and An-drew Begle-drew Begle-hole putting hole putting some fi nish-some fi nish-ing touches ing touches to the engine to the engine bay [2003].bay [2003].


TRUE LOVE

be loaded onto a trailer to make the journey up to Shepparton where she was installed in our son-in-law Craig Robinson’s new shed and painstakingly taken back to metal for her panel-beating and paint beautifi cation.

During these years, we continued to attend Citroën rallies. John was often gently teased about not

having the Traction on the road, but laughed it off , and we always enjoyed ourselves by admiring other works of art and catching up with friends.

After her lengthy face-lift, ‘Suzi’ was taken to Solar City

in Shepparton thanks to the recommendation of Rob Little and

here the owner Rob performed his magic while my only contri-bution to her make-over was in choosing the grey and blue up-holstery fabrics to complement her vivid blue complexion.

John managed to fi nd a young chap at Ballarat, who promised faithfully to ‘put her back to-gether’ and so her next adventure was into a shed owned by this chap’s father. Time went by and John was making anxious calls to check on progress when, sud-denly one Saturday, our poor darling arrived home on a trailer. Completed you may ask? Sadly ~ NO! Th is young buck had a falling out with his father thus ‘Suzi’ and buck had been evicted. Can you imagine evicting a Trac-tion? Unfortunately her return was made worse as many of what Johnny would call ‘trinkets’ or ‘jewellery’ were not returned with her, thus more time-consuming searches to fi nd authentic pieces to complete her restoration. Eventually we were in a position to have all the chrome replated at Geelong while John, who was now working 12 hour shifts at

John at the wheel of ‘Suzi’, John at the wheel of ‘Suzi’, heading home from the heading home from the Goolwa CitIn. Before the Goolwa CitIn. Before the ‘paint job’.‘paint job’.

Nestlé’s Boiler Room, and with the aid of Roy and Andrew Begelhole, and Peter Johnson who did the rewiring, gradually restored’ Suzi’ to her former glory.

Time, now, was of the essence because in early 2002, John was diagnosed with an asbestos-related condition dating back to working at Wittenoom for a few months when he was a young lad of 22. Ever positive, he decided we de-served one more trip to see his English relatives and friends in UK and Germany.

I recall sometime early 2003 that three highwaymen in the disguise of Peter Boyle, Les Vidler and Bill Graham, kidnapped him from hospital for the day, fi lled him full of chicken, chips and coke and terrorised half the population of Warrnambool before returning him to his ward. Th is of course, is only rumour as no respectable Citroën enthusiast would act that way, would they?

I work in an automotive depart-ment at TAFE and one day three dear friends, all experienced me-chanical teachers, came and went over ‘Suzi’, naturally in a very digni-fi ed and methodical way. Th anks to the late Shane Riordon, accom-panied by Ron Shiells and Robert Prout, and with Roy checking on progress, she suddenly sprang into life, not in a half-hearted way, but with that full, perfect Traction throb that we all know and love. Deborah phoned her father in his hospital ward and spoke to him on her mobile and then went to the

garage and held the phone to the engine. ‘Can you hear that Dad?’ Deborah asked. ‘Yes, it’s ‘Suzi’’ was his reply.

Jack Weaver and Bill Graham paid us a visit when John came home from hospital for the last time and with Jack at the wheel we drove just a short distance down to Wollaston Bridge, so John had a last hurrah in his favourite girl, shortly before his death in July 2003.

In 2004, after encouragement from Roy, who continues to run his eye over her, I accepted the challenge to learn to drive ‘Suzi’, still John’s favourite girl, and from time to time you might see us at various rallies always with John’s cap on the back seat. Terry Mansbridge prepared her for the 75th Anniversary Rally to Broken Hill, organised by Brian and Esther Wade, and ‘Suzi’ excelled herself. Recently I had the pleasure of driving our daughter Deborah to her wed-ding to Daniel Jolly at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum, War-rnambool.

Naturally, she behaved like the elegant French beauty she is and stole the show and I know John would have been very proud.

To everybody who has con-tributed in any way towards her restoration, either mechanically or supportively, I thank you.Lois M Smart, Warrnambool


THAI TRAVEL

The one constant in Th ai traffi c is one always gives way to elephants. Con-

sidering their size and slow pace it wouldn’t be too diffi cult.

Ian and I recently spent three weeks in Thailand; travelling

from the northern city of Chiang Mai south to Bangkok. Here are a few observations about some of the vehicles we saw there.

Thailand was never a Eu-ropean colony, so the general Asian/US mix of vehicles was not unexpected. But the number of Citroëns was a surprise! Most of those we saw were in Chiang Mai: BX, XM, ZX and AX, and a CX and GS at the wreckers.

We were also surprised at the number of ‘enthusiast’ cars out on the road. For instance, in Chiang Mai we saw an immaculate white and green Nissan Figaro [ just found out this is a 1991 car: big letdown], and a beautiful Austin

A30, each appar-ently just a nor-mal daily-driver.

Conversely, in the upstairs lobby of the Bang-kok Anatomy Museum there was an interesting old open-sid-ed, fl at-windscreen vehicle with seating for at least 8 passengers in a convivial U-shape. It seemed to be the work of a custom body builder, however the information board was in Thai. Unfortu-nately it was stored behind glass: good for preservation, bad for photography.

To p : U n -To p : U n -fortunately fortunately t h e o p e n t h e o p e n sided vehi-sided vehi-cle with the cle with the U - s h a p e d U - s h a p e d seating is en-seating is en-cased in glass cased in glass ~ m a k i n g ~ m a k i n g photography photography e s p e c i a l l y e s p e c i a l l y diffi cult. diffi cult. Centre: The Centre: The s h ow r o o m s h ow r o o m o f c l a s s i c o f c l a s s i c cars Andrea cars Andrea a n d I a n a n d I a n ‘ s t u m b l e d ‘ s t u m b l e d across’. across’. B o t t o m : B o t t o m : What is the What is the c o l l e c t i v e c o l l e c t i v e n o u n f o r n o u n f o r a g roup of a g roup of Tuk-tuk? Tuk-tuk?

The GS at The GS at the wreck-the wreck-e r ’s y a r d , e r ’s y a r d , parked next parked next to the Spir-to the Spir-i t H o u s e . i t H o u s e . Every house Every house and business and business in Thailand in Thailand seems to have seems to have one. A Spirit one. A Spirit House… not House… not a wrecked a a wrecked a GS.GS.


THAI TRAVEL

Th en the next day we came across two showrooms filled with classic cars [from maybe 1910 ~ 1960ish]. Th ere is more interest in cars than we had expected.

Th e classic transport vehicles

in Th ailand are the Tuk-tuk, a three-wheeled motorbike with bodywork allowing seating for two to three; and the Sorngtao, an open-backed van with parallel benches seating up to ten plus hangers-on on the back step. These may be hard-sided, or open with roll-down curtains. You would probably be sharing with several local people going in the same direction.

Motorbikes and scooters are extremely popular: cheap, easier to park than a car, and they carry at least three people, which often

include babes-in-arms, young women riding side-saddle, and very large packages. Sometimes riders wear helmets, but never leathers. Hawaiian shirts and high-heel shoes are more usu-al, though generally not worn

together.In the situations where even in Th ailand a motorbike is

regarded as too small, the Ute is a popular alternative. Th e tray will transport a pig, or a cow, or up to 15 people. Th is could be: mum, dad, granny and all the kids, off to market; half-a-dozen balaclava-clad redshirts, banners raised high; or some unfortunate long-distance travellers huddled disconsolately under blankets and tarps against the wind-chill.

A more funner [sic] use is found in the water-fi ghts that mark the Th ai New Year festi-val. Load a big block of ice into a barrel of water, bring along a bunch of friends armed with buckets and pump-action water pistols, and off you go to drench the populace! I must say, even in the tropics dispensing blasts of ice-water is preferable to being on the receiving end!

Traffic in Thai streets and lanes is a mingling of pedestri-ans, motorbikes, cars and heavier vehicles, often in the same space. In general it moves slowly, giv-ing way to larger faster moving vehicles, and moving around pedestrians with little fuss or bother. Co-operation and re-

One of the One of the many impro-many impro-vised motor-vised motor-c yc l e s i d e c yc l e s i d e cars Andrea cars Andrea and Ian saw and Ian saw while travel-while travel-ling.ling.

Top: Cen-Top: Cen-tre: An im-tre: An im-p r o v i s e d p r o v i s e d farm vehicle, farm vehicle, c a l l e d a n c a l l e d a n Etan. Etan. B o t t o m : B o t t o m : D r e n c h e d D r e n c h e d pa ssengers pa ssengers ~ just part ~ just part of the melee of the melee of the Thai of the Thai Ne w Ye a r Ne w Ye a r festival.festival.

spect dominate rather than the often-aggressive adherence to road rules we enjoy on Austral-ian roads.

Future articles about Th ai-land, on request:

Traffic control, hazardous

footpaths and crossing the road; Markets [frogs, fi sh and dismem-bered pigs]; Temples; Elephants; Food [including turtle burgers].Andrea Fisher


A LONG DRIVE

Teddies Terrifi c Tour, Stan-thorpe and Steelie’s Dar-ing Escapade: A Long

Drive.For all those who worry about

whether or not their ageing auto-motive classic will make it to and,

more importantly, back home from the next car club canter to Kilmore, Geelong or some such cosy gam-bol, I am the bearer of the ‘Good News of the World Tomorrow’.

Fly away care [following a careful check of radiator, points and oil levels and temps], fl y away doubt, and all those nameless wor-ries to which we are heir in these over wrought days of imminent disaster and looming catastrophe. The perfect storm hardly ever

happens, and if it does it is usually the pre-cursor to an exciting new experience in hereto unexpected realms of gold and mystery. Ah, yes! Mystery, that elixir of the soul, the fountain of youth and, in that, the essence of that which I am

about to reveal to you.

And this is the truth about

you, the adventure of life, and the machine! Each and all of you, together combining, to produce a glorious adventure. Th ink of it: the open road, the car running clean, water temp low, the engine sing-ing its own soaring song; coff ee at Tenterfi eld only a half hour away and the wonderful knowledge that it is actually you behind the wheel of your own beautiful and extra-ordinary motor car, on the public highway, swinging down the road

Dr Gries and Dr Gries and Ia n . T he y I a n . T he y a p p e a r t o a p p e a r t o be holding be holding the jack that the jack that features in features in the previous the previous picture. So, picture. So, it must be it must be important.important.

Ian appears Ian appears to drive an to drive an i n t e r e s t -i n t e r e s t -ing Citroën. ing Citroën. Why is hold-Why is hold-i n g w h a t i n g w h a t looks like a looks like a jack?jack?

en route to meet your friends for a pit-stop on this fabulous seven thousand kilometre grand tour!

The countryside through which we passed was breathtak-ing and the little country towns in which we dallied seemed un-changed since the 1890s, but with the important addition of a good coff ee shop and a dress shop. It was good to tread the bare fl oor boards and breathe the airy lightness of the old general mercer stores in Gayndah, and to buy an Akubra hat in Th eodore, talking the while to the lovely ladies in charge. But oh! Glen Innes. Thanks to our great good fortune and the un-flagging energy of the Country Women’s Association, the sublime delight of that aristocrat of the casserole kingdom, the sausage casserole was ours to savour. And none more alive to their joy than Robin and Susanne Smith, for whom it was a personal favourite from their childhood.

Th e truth is that after minor teething troubles in the fi rst three days [an over heat here and an ignition fault there] requiring the momentary attention of Dr. Gries, these velociteurs just got better and better, settling into their rhythm day after day and deliver-ing the performance motoring for which they were designed.

If you decided not to go on this adventure out of concerns about your car’s ability to stand up to the test, you have sorely under estimated the quality of the marque. Th e real truth is that our cars are not driven far enough often enough. Th ey are ready and capable. Th e real truth is that every car and crew that went for a drive on this stunning trip returned in a condition far superior to that in which it and they left, excepting probably Bernard and Harold who were superbly prepared.Ian Duff y


RESTORATION?

A tattered, worn Louis XIV chair is priceless; strip it down, varnish

and upholster it and you will be branded a heretic. Th at has been the mantra of antique collectors for centuries, and so it should

be for cars too! The days of the over-restored classic car are over. It’s not a coincidence that many Concours d’Elegances have introduced a special class

for unrestored automobiles, the preservation class. And now there’s another event that caters exclusively for these kind of automobiles. ‘Th e Elegance at Hershey’ is a show of rare auto-mobiles that have been lovingly

cared for over t h e d e c a d e s . Some are 100% original, while

others have been sympathetical-ly maintained and passed down from generation to generation of family members. On June 11 there will be a re-run of the his-

toric Hershey Hill Climb with more than 40 vintage race cars built prior to 1958. On Sunday, June 12, Elegance features 60 of the world’s most beautiful an-tique automobiles on the lawns and gardens behind Th e Hotel Hershey. Two brothers will be displaying a supercharged 1931 Bentley which their father raced at Bridgehampton!

Th e preceding article on the web site of PreWar Car [http://www.prewarcar.com/maga-zine/previous-features/worn-but-not-forgotten-015575.

html] caused quite a fl urry of commentary. CCOCA-member Craig Little was one of the respondents. His aim was to propose a ‘fair and honest’ sys-tem for grading the condition of older cars. Over to Craig…

To agree or not to agree that is the question?I hesitate to enter the

fray on this, as it is close to a discussion or argument about religion… or politics , both of which I avoid like the plague.

But allow me to offer the following listing of categories

Craig is in the process of working on his B2 Citroën. He has received help and Craig is in the process of working on his B2 Citroën. He has received help and support from Peter Boyle and hopes to have the car on the road by October. [Will support from Peter Boyle and hopes to have the car on the road by October. [Will we see it at the Concours, Craig? Ed.] He has kindly supplied some pictures which we see it at the Concours, Craig? Ed.] He has kindly supplied some pictures which have been used to enhance this article. Th anks.have been used to enhance this article. Th anks.


RESTORATION?

[given a multitude of grey areas] that could perhaps allow for a more accurate and honest de-scription of a period vehicle. Of course this would involve agree-ment on the part of all owners of whatever thoroughbred, or

lesser steed, which will never happen of course. Derelict

Uncared for and left to nature and the elements. [Wreck]

Conserved Retained in condition as found with minimum in-tervention to avoid deterio-ration.

Re-commissioned Put back into sound work-ing order with minim in-terference of all original material as it stands and runs.

Restored Complete / compre-hensive restoration

with the aim of achieving a vehicle as close as possible to new original in specifi ca-tions and condition.

Re-manufactured Total disassembly and re-newal/replacement/reman-

ufacturing of all possible com-ponents includ-ing refinishing

of the existing to remove all factory original fi nishes and impart a “blemish free” glossy fi nish to primarily, an exhibition piece. [Th e Im-maculate conception]

Re-creation An assembly of components from various manufacturers and periods put together with the aim of achieving a facsimile of a type or period the likes of which never existed in exactly that form. Replica

A vehicle created or altered to appear and perform with the charac-teristics of the more de-sirable/valuable original.

I could go on but I think I have probably

created enough trou-ble as it is.

Craig Little

Or, what to try before slam-ming the bonnet down on disgust, thus trapping

the lower end of your scarf and so causing premature strangulation.

Sue & Les, Hants. wrote saying they joined the Club ‘to fi nd out more about the car’ and seemed a little peeved that too much was given over to humour. Well, I like humour, but I would agree the odd hint/tip does come in useful ~ especially for those not too familiar with the unique qualities of the 2CV. Here is a little tip that might not have oc-curred to more than a few of us. It did not occur to me and I have had dirty fi ngernails for 40 years. Winter Starting

P r o b l e m : A K 400/3CV/602cc Van, year 1971, would not start too easily at fi rst then not at all after a while. Pre-vious owner said petrol pump no good, worked under full power, but leaked petrol overnight, mak-ing starting diffi cult the next day. So, fi rst job ~ change the petrol pump. [Later found out nothing wrong with pump but there was a split in the pump to carburettor tube, so replaced.] Also checked all fuel supply from tank to carbu-rettor including a thorough clean out of the latter. No change. Next, did the obvious and changed plugs for nice, new, shiny ones. No change, but it did run more smoothly after a jump lead start! Next, bought new points ~ trés

cher from Citroën, but I did get a nice little white box with red chevrons on! At this point, Ron happened to mention he had a strobe light. So, changed points and set the timing [thanks, Ron]. A slight improvement, but not

good enough. Then Neil said change the coil. So we changed the coil [thanks, Neil]. .Again, a slight improvement but still not tickety boo. Charged up the battery overnight and it started, after a fuss, the next morning but improvement hardly likely to impress. By now several weeks had passed, patience running out and strong risk of front of van being kicked in frustration. Mentioned to Jo [wife] that I had tried everything and was seriously considering abandoning the van in favour of a goat cart! ‘Have you tried the HT leads?’, she enquired. I wondered why, HT leads are strong enough to tether a donkey, how could they possibly go wrong? But, having a dead DS to hand, I pulled off the two longest leads and stuck them into the depths. Th e change was dramatic. Two turns of the starter motor and whoosh! Followed by a tickover like a Swiss watch, [thanks, Jo].

Since then, the van has stood outside in all weathers, facing the Siberian draught that comes across the East Field, through

TWIN POT TOPICS


TWIN POT TOPICS

storm and tempest and the fi rst heavy frost of autumn. I can now virtually guarantee that on the fourth turn of the starter cog, the motor will burst into life. Full choke for fi ve seconds, half choke for minute and then

normal. And it runs smoother, is quieter and uses less petrol. Th e old leads were thrown away [we do not have a donkey], and the ‘new’ ones tied up in various places and that is that. Th e ‘new’ leads, incidentally, are the fl oppy carbon fi bre type and defi nitely need tying up every 10cms so they do not rest on hot bits. To sum up, if yours will not start, make sure you’ve got: a] A battery with some charge in

it. b] Good connections from same

to starter motor and every-where else.

c] Petrol in the tank. d] No splits or bad connections

in the supply from tank to pump.

e] A working petrol pump. f ] A clean carburettor. g] Points less than fi ve years old. h] Timing set correctly. i] A coil. j] Floppy carbon fi bre HT leads

and lots of cable ties. Drive Shafts

Here is a tip for anyone fi tting new gaiters to 2CV drive shafts, for the fi rst time!

Recently, I found a split in the outer gaiter ~ hub end ~ of my 2CV Special. I decided to renew both this and the middle gaiter [over the splined sliding joint] on both sides. After all, if one is split, probably the other will soon

follow! Eve r y th i ng

went beautifully, especially as I

had decided to dismantle the shaft from the gearbox end, thereby avoiding the dreaded [very tight] hub nut. Once the nuts are off the gearbox fl ange, full lock on the steering and the 2 halves of the driveshaft can be turned to the side and pulled smoothly apart. Unclip the gaiters and pull them off - fi ne.

On went the new hub-end gaiter ~ with fresh grease etc ~ and then oh no! Th e middle gaiter has a very small hole which has to be pulled over the splines in the lower half of the shaft to get it into position before the 2 halves are re-mated. I tried, without suc-cess and with bleeding knuckles, to force the now greasy rubber over the splines. No chance!

I thought about it ~ hard ~ and hit on a simple method of solving the problem. Cutting a piece of pliable polythene from an old plastic bottle, it was easy to form a cone from the small sheet of plastic. Th e narrow part of the cone went into the small opening in the gaiter, with the wider end over the splined end of the driveshaft. Everything was

greased, I pulled fi rmly, and the cone opened up the rubber neck of the gaiter until it was on the shaft. All I had to do then was hold it in position and pull out the strip of polythene. Bingo! It pulled the gaiter straight down on to the thin end of the shaft. Perfect!

I used the same technique to get the other end of that middle gaiter into position on the upper half of the re-mated driveshaft.

This simple method also avoids tearing the rubber gaiter on the fairly sharp splines of the lower half of the driveshaft.

Hope this helps someone, sometime, somewhere. Oil Cooler Cleaning

One of the most vital parts of your A-Series Citroën is the Oil Cooler, vital yet all too often neglected. Dirty, clogged-up oil coolers can cause untold dam-age to your engine ~ even a sei-zure! It should be cleaned every 10,000kms, although this should be tempered with common sense. If you’re in the habit of spilling oil when you top-up, and the car has been in dusty conditions, it may be wise to check sooner.

A complete novice can tackle this job, so, for the benefit of complete novices, the Oil Cooler is located behind the fan, and looks like a little radiator. You can check its cleanliness by shining a torch through the front, [grille off for Dyane & Ami], at an angle to your right as you are looking; run the engine so that the fan

blades do not obscure your view. It should look like a little honey-comb, with all its holes clear.

To clean, remove the ston-eguard [2CV], and, ideally, the fan. If you do not have what you need to take the fan off, you should still be able to man-age. Using Gunk, or a similar degreasant, either in a paraffi n gun if you have compressed air, or otherwise in aerosol form, squirt liberally over the front of the Cooler, leave to work for a while, and then work it in with a soft brush. Be very careful not to damage or bend the fi ns, and certainly do not try and poke the muck out with anything sharp. Some people in the past have recommended more volatile fl uids for cleaning. Th at is up to you, but it is your fault if you set the car on fi re! Th en blow through with an airline, if available, or a WD40 aerosol. Repeat if necessary, till it is beautifully clean.

PS If you have your 2CV ser-viced at a ‘normal’ garage ~ even a Citroën dealer, do not assume that they will have done this job, or even that they know it needs doing! Ask, or check it yourself DIY Flashers: All Is Re-vealed.

Th is is nothing to do with old beige raincoats, so do not read any further if that is what you are into! It is for the benefi t of anyone like myself who A] Drives everywhere with Guns n’ Roses, Pink Floyd or Abba [whatever turns you on] at full volume on the car stereo.


TWIN POT TOPICS

Sue Bryant ~ Secretary

The secretarial ‘fleet’ has very little to report. My C4 ‘Miss Bossy’ continues

to run very well and having now done some 60,000km she hasn’t caused me any problems and the diesel engine is becoming more economical with time.

Miss Bossy did however have a recent trip to the beautician; there was nothing seriously wrong, just a few minor blemishes. Th e hail storm in Melbourne in March last year left her with a small dent in the roof from one hail stone of the many that left my garage roof in tatters. Th e remote control garage door decided to close on a dark night when I was backing into the garage leaving another small mark and Miss Bossy with the feeling that the garage was a dangerous place for a C4 to sleep! Th e fi nal straw was a nasty yellow pillar that attacked her in a public car park while I was busy talking and not looking properly [sorry Miss Bossy]. Anyway she went to the beautician and returned a week later looking shiny and pleased with herself.

The limitation of a single car fl eet is that when the C4 is unavailable I am stranded. I work 50km from home and public transport would involve a bus, a train, another bus and a 1.5km walk and I think many prayers and would take at least 2hours each way! I was therefore in need

of a vehicle and Leigh Miles came to my rescue loaning me his GSA while Miss Bossy was indisposed.

Driving the GSA is nostalgic for me as the fi rst Citroën in my life was a G Special. Th e GSA is however far more refi ned than the

B] Drives with a Walkman at full volume [Guns n’ Roses, Floyd etc] because either the car stereo does not work or has been nicked. Or C] Cannot hear the indicator clicker anyway because its either broken or the car did not have

one in the first place. We have two Dyanes and a 2CV Special and one car in each of the above categories! Th e following idea is only a half hour job and provides a dashlight to warn you that the indicators are still fl ashing, and have been since you turned right half a mile back! Th at is why they are called ‘IDIOT LIGHTS’. Th is is how l do it.

1] Find a scrap Dyane/2CV/or other Citroën in a scrapyard and remove the warning light[s] eg oil pressure/brake fl uid/haz-ard light etc. from the dash. Just turn the lens anti-clockwise while holding the back of the bulb, the whole unit will then unscrew. On a Dyane the dash has to be removed, on a 2CV Special it can be done without having to do this, but I do not know about Clubs, GSs etc.. Th en pull off the spade connectors at the back of the bulb.

2] On my own car I fi nd the fl asher unit, that is the alloy ‘tin can’ thing, on later models [‘88 2CV ‘81 Dyane] it is under the shelf at the front, just forward of the steering column. On earlier models it is under the bonnet on

the bulkhead. On the Dyane there should be a blank spade terminal on the ‘fl asher can’, I run a wire from this terminal, it should be the middle one of the three, to the lamp and position the lamp into my own dashboard. I use

one of the holes on the left hand side of the dash, they are blocked

off by three blanking plugs [‘81 Dyane] or two plugs [‘75 Dyane] then simply run another wire to an earth point. On later [1988] 2CVs there are no blank ter-minals so I connect the wire to the terminal with the two white wires leading to it. I do this by stripping back about 1.5cm of the insulation on the wire, then I push it into the spade clip and clip it back onto the ‘fl asher can’. Th e warning lamp can then be positioned into one of the blank-ing plugs, just to the right of the speedo on Specials. I do not know where the blanks are on the Club or Charleston, but no doubt there will be some. Th en run the wire to a suitable earth, I use the mount-ing point for the fl asher unit itself as the earth. On the Special, the light can be positioned into the dash without removing the panel, but I fi nd it easier to do if I just loosen the four Phillips screws.

earlier car featuring luxury items such as carpets, a hatch back, a big 1,299cc engine [well big after the 1,015cc model] and a three speed C-Matic semi automatic gearbox in place of a four speed manual. Th e dials on the GSA were also totally diff erent with it featuring the switches on pods at the driv-ers finger tips rather the more conventional switches on the G Special. Other improvement is that Leigh’s car has heater control levers that are still attached and so the driver can make it warm. The levers on our G Special broke and to raise and lower the temperature involved the use of a wooden ruler and a degree of skill and patience. Needless to say with this background I handled Leigh’s heater switches gently!

Having driven the GSA to the Yarra Valley each day for a week I did appreciate how much more like a driver I felt than I do with the C4. Th e C4 is very responsive and both accelerates and brakes effortlessly. The GSA is both heavier and has a smaller engine and it takes longer to accelerate so I had to learn to plan and

FLEET FOLLIES


FOR SALE

ID EN G I N E & GE A R B O X

I am after an ID engine and gearbox for a Traction transplant. If anybody knows where I might obtain these I would be glad to hear from them. Contact Peter Stringer 04 0725 0556 or [02] 9313 7014 [/]

TRACTION PARTS ~ CORRECTION

I am looking for another right hand fl itch panel for a 1939 11 BL. In the photo the middle panels are a pair, the two on the right are left hand panels and the one on the far left is from a Big 15. I am also looking for a fuel tank for a big boot Big 15, in good condition if possible. Contact Rob Little, [03] 5823 1397 or [email protected] [/]

WANTEDworkshop manuals to sell as I am reducing fl eet to just the 2CV and the Traction. Contact Andy on 5931 0218 or email [email protected] [/]

T R A C T I O N C O L L E C T I O N

1949 Light 15 small boot. Vehicle largely dismantled to monocoque on wheels ~ rust in horns and fl oor. Complete vehicle. Many minor parts sand blasted and painted. Chassis 132267. $2,900 ONO.

1951 Light 15 small boot. Vehicle dismantled to monocoque on wheels. Monocoque and panel rust removed and painted in primer. Motor and CVs reconditioned. New clutch, brake shoes, exhaust and wooden dash in maple. Radiator cleaned and pressure tested. Carby rebuilt. Front and rear bumpers rechromed. Chassis 138840. $8,750.

Wyn Boon Maleny QLD, [07] 5494 2667 [H] or [email protected] [/]

1 9 5 4 L I G H T 1 5A highly original Light 15. ~ so original it still has the Commonwealth Motors decal on the dashboard. Original number plate, period paint and leather, full of the irreplaceable patina of the years. Motor carefully upgraded by Mel Carey at Citro Motors: lightened fly-wheel, shaved head… a car that will keep up with modern traffic. A real Traction that can be driven every day! Metallic blue, with cream leather trim, this long-term Club car is being parted with only because age has taken its toll on my knee and driving this car is no longer the pleasure it once was. Stunning brakes [there’s a rarity], lovely gearbox and a truly brilliant drive. Amazingly low recorded mileage [bel ieved accurate]. GLJ 619. $17,750. Contact Leigh Miles, editor@citroenclassic.

FLEET FOLLIES

FOR SALE

1951 CITROËN LIGHT 15.I am just the second owner. Have had the car since May 1993. All receipts since 1963. Fitted with new high speed CWP in 2008. 218,000miles. Fully registered. Does not miss a beat. Arctic white with original brown seats. Excellent condition, used every day, fi tted with temperature gauge. Retractable seat belts. $18,000. Contact Ian Kimpton Bendigo [03] 5447 9218 or 04 2847 7427. [/]

1977 A M I 8 H O F F M A N

2 door 2CV cabriolet. I bought it in the UK in 1997. Professionally built by a main dealer. Restored from chassis up by Steph Laguna with photo documentation when the fl oor began to rust. Red and black with red leather and black soft top. Fantastic condition, no rust or mechanical faults. Currently on non- transferable NSW Club plates 33290H. $40,000. Feel free to email me on [email protected] or 04 1444 7239. [/]

C I T R O Ë N C O L L E C T I O N

1956 Slough built DS19 sedan, hydraulic shift delivered new to NZ chassis 9/560280 complete and mainly original, running and rises but will need restoration. 1972 DS21 Pallas 5 speed EFI Champagne with caramel interior complete & requiring restoration. Chassis 01 FB 3274 $5000 1966 ID19 Heidleberg car and very last known to exist. In good order. Chassis 193018733 $7000 1950s 2CV engine complete with all ancillaries, also many early 2CV parts including new engine bits fuel tank and bits and pieces $1000 the lot Many DS and Traction panels/parts/

anticipate more than normal, however once up to speed she cruises very nicely and the ride of the hydraulically suspended car is unlike a conventionally sprung car. I had forgotten how much fun corners with

speed are in a GS! Th e car rolls into corners meaning you don’t have to brake as much as in an-other car and then it grips on and

rolls the body, but the wheels stay fi rmly on the ground.

I enjoyed the GSA and was very grateful to Leigh but I must confess that I did miss some of my modern comforts. Central locking is so much easier that having to

use keys and seat heaters should be mandatory if you live in places like

Melbourne with cold winters.Sue Bryant

48 A U S T R A L I A ’ S N A T I O N A L M A G A Z I N E F O R

CITROËN CLASSIC OWNERS CITROËN CLASSIC OWNERS C L U B O F A U S T R A L I AC L U B O F A U S T R A L I AAustralia’s National Citroën Car ClubAustralia’s National Citroën Car Club

citroËn classic owners front c l u b o f a u s t ......secretary ~ sue bryant [03] 9885 3179 [h]...

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