tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972175726381983792023-11-16T17:27:46.982+00:00My Pallas:This site charts the ownership of my dream car, a UK spec 1971 Citroen DS21 Pallas EFI BVH <br>and sets out to provide useful links and information to the Citroen DS owner and enthusiastAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02599873056748272840noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197217572638198379.post-31912690710148971282015-07-18T21:26:00.001+01:002015-07-29T13:42:48.988+01:00Leaking heater matrix...? No, just a weeping heater valve gasket... :)<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX0QUpVxMghUP1WqjWODKf8m4AhkHQYvMXrgBddDp2VfsjU7BTFEYd6l5VdsijfkQUN3iV8Clr4A7DTind0k0GbsG4AiEDnp3TcmWH18jH8lFdZD98dsK4Vu5srkYtLDS9U68c0PKX_KFt/s1600/2015-07-12+18.22.40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX0QUpVxMghUP1WqjWODKf8m4AhkHQYvMXrgBddDp2VfsjU7BTFEYd6l5VdsijfkQUN3iV8Clr4A7DTind0k0GbsG4AiEDnp3TcmWH18jH8lFdZD98dsK4Vu5srkYtLDS9U68c0PKX_KFt/s320/2015-07-12+18.22.40.jpg" width="320" /></a>I noticed some small splashes of water near the heater matrix, which alarmingly is close to the coil and the fuse box, luckily I caught it before it became a problem. On closer inspection, I could see coolant seeping between the heater matrix and the heater control valve which bolts onto it, thankfully then not a leaking heater matrix, time to remove it and see what's going...<br />
<br />
On some cars tackling a leaky heater matrix means many hours spent removing the dashboard, moving wiring looms out of the way and various other components before you get to the matrix. On a DS the job is around 10 minutes, when you know what you're doing of course and thanks to Colin Smith of http://citroendsrestoration.blogspot.co.uk/ I was able to tackle the job with confidence.<br />
<br />
Here's a couple of pointers that Colin helped me with that will help you too:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_7YvD-ADavW-uzD5ZtYYG0Zr5yxQhaQjhzIBJzGnCQlo9gUBfA19XG3KEnAASZ6gmO_obpPoy2nhQ_J9qsMDON3gWHIsNuMbCiEkiYOEw1CUl5f42ivdnHyMnKT_YOWvcapni68KW_bRM/s1600/2015-07-18+11.30.39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_7YvD-ADavW-uzD5ZtYYG0Zr5yxQhaQjhzIBJzGnCQlo9gUBfA19XG3KEnAASZ6gmO_obpPoy2nhQ_J9qsMDON3gWHIsNuMbCiEkiYOEw1CUl5f42ivdnHyMnKT_YOWvcapni68KW_bRM/s320/2015-07-18+11.30.39.jpg" width="180" /></a>1. You do not have to drain the coolant, the two pipes on either side of the matrix are both high up and providing you tackle the job on a cold engine there will be no pressure or coolant in the pipes<br />
2. Release the cable from the heater valve by undoing the clamp and the bolt on the valve.<br />
3. All you now need to do to release the matrix from the heater box is to un-clip a spring clip which goes across the matrix.<br />
4. You can then lift the matrix out, beware though, it will get stuck at the rear of the matrix since there is a copper coil that you need to ensure the top end of it is clear of the heater housing. I used a thin metal ruler which helped me push it back as I lifted.<br />
5. Now that the matrix is on the bench, you will see a V shaped clip that is holding the heater valve coil element, carefully remove this to release the element.<br />
6. Next, spray penetrating oil on the bolts holding the heater valve to the matrix, wait a few minutes and then tighten slightly to break any rust present. Then add more penetrating oil and unscrew slightly, add more penetrating oil, wait, and then unscrew again slowly until it comes off.<br />
7. You will notice that there is a rubber o-ring that seals the heater valve with the matrix, replace.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMcPcil7bhuw1BbvFpXKseKRvsR9JfXdZP1o7isKvZlGwoERcXJPAjV2BcOEWEFZeOBXkASCMDIXNxhMRXG0vAKZge0IyGSJuA0lbc2OaUvh9QggcQeKcZa5vXbQ_cpNIUtDfZdphjZDEB/s1600/2015-07-18+11.41.24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMcPcil7bhuw1BbvFpXKseKRvsR9JfXdZP1o7isKvZlGwoERcXJPAjV2BcOEWEFZeOBXkASCMDIXNxhMRXG0vAKZge0IyGSJuA0lbc2OaUvh9QggcQeKcZa5vXbQ_cpNIUtDfZdphjZDEB/s320/2015-07-18+11.41.24.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Underneath the valve, showing O-ring</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmT9VkQ2VZbBPo9EjyRRGMYGnj5t6eOwsYgS0U3aJ52naNHW06Snlnm-JOtOCorEe9Mm07m-0lUJNYYVLaSbToNxtlNuKIg9Ki2p8bfYn5ODo92RaNZNrHrTN7J08dQEZ2Y1HPwxuoQTIu/s1600/2015-07-18+11.40.45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmT9VkQ2VZbBPo9EjyRRGMYGnj5t6eOwsYgS0U3aJ52naNHW06Snlnm-JOtOCorEe9Mm07m-0lUJNYYVLaSbToNxtlNuKIg9Ki2p8bfYn5ODo92RaNZNrHrTN7J08dQEZ2Y1HPwxuoQTIu/s320/2015-07-18+11.40.45.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The culprit, brittle O-ring</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
With the matrix off it's a good idea now to flush it with water from the hose pipe until the water that runs through it is clean. Luckily mine was pretty clear which I gather is unusual, if yours isn't you may want to try a caustic solution or have it cleaned professionally. <br />
<br />
<br />
With a new rubber O-ring sourced it was time to put it all together but importantly to replace a 10mm wide felt strip that surrounds the top and bottom of the matrix which over the years is usually very perished. The purpose of the felt is to provide a seal and thus contain the heat from the matrix within the plastic heater box and not allow it to escape which has the disadvantage of warming up the engine bay and not providing the full heat in the cabin for heating. I found that closed cell foam worked a treat here and even more conveniently I was able to purchase it in exactly the correct dimensions I required: 10mm width at 3mm thickness and 3metres length (more then enough) for £3.30 inclusive of delivery, the added bonus is it came with very sticky adhesive on one side. In hindsight 5-6mm thickness would be better but I was able to just double it up without issue.<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02599873056748272840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197217572638198379.post-15285944136902950272015-03-20T18:49:00.000+00:002015-03-29T17:49:50.722+01:00Let there be light!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidtBrFYt6jTcingsidTCTXc2cvTybS8JjJpixH4Hb_wITpJahSSuhyphenhyphen4vEyeFWjKJ9K65Vn6XphAQBQ1UYG6FYwGFHsYEXh0Px-8-83qg2GAXlwJyKqFCz-fALDSl_BWD2w46y6ood0dv-o/s1600/bulb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidtBrFYt6jTcingsidTCTXc2cvTybS8JjJpixH4Hb_wITpJahSSuhyphenhyphen4vEyeFWjKJ9K65Vn6XphAQBQ1UYG6FYwGFHsYEXh0Px-8-83qg2GAXlwJyKqFCz-fALDSl_BWD2w46y6ood0dv-o/s1600/bulb.jpg" height="200" width="196" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">I was debating whether to change
the old filament bulbs in my dash gauges for modern LED equivalents. LED bulbs
produce less heat and are much brighter than their filament cousins. They also
can be fitted with no modification required to your vehicle - providing you
obtain the correct ones of course.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">
I decided to perform this upgrade when I found it increasingly difficult to
tell if my main beams were on or off. The reason for this is due to the blue
filter, which with age loses its translucency.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">In addition I found that the
speedometer and tachometer were also quite faint at night, so these two were to
be replaced also. These are not bayonet fittings but a flat blade type fitment.
Two bulbs are required and these bulbs also illuminate the petrol gauge and the
water temperature gauge, if fitted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">It wasn't difficult at all to
order the correct bulbs I required first time. This was due to Gil Keane who
runs a company called<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.bettercarlighting.co.uk/" target="_blank">4Sight
automotive</a>. Gil has been involved with classic cars for many years and was
very helpful and knowledgeable following a call which resulted in an order. He
also offers a complete money back guarantee if you're not happy with the
result. My requirement was that I didn’t want the light to be too harsh and I
think the result is quite good. Gil also advised that a blue light for the
main beam would make it less harsh.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">The result, I can finally see my
gauges properly! One thing to note with LEDs, is that the dimmer knob becomes
redundant since LEDs run at a constant brightness, turning the dimmer knob
down will result in the LEDs not lighting up at all. Edit...I have since been informed that Gil can provide a rheostat that can be used in conjunction with LEDs.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHCt9qccCiWG4gfng1s9ArEVvB3j3SZ79Vqp-Yh66NIQmKrmPpjKZg-ZVjUVMAxjcbC6Sr8aYWxOaRogTm6cPk4sOfJefZceMiW-b823s9N2VVe6eoWgo9v4nZMu7u505pRpBV2gsvxc6k/s1600/gauge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHCt9qccCiWG4gfng1s9ArEVvB3j3SZ79Vqp-Yh66NIQmKrmPpjKZg-ZVjUVMAxjcbC6Sr8aYWxOaRogTm6cPk4sOfJefZceMiW-b823s9N2VVe6eoWgo9v4nZMu7u505pRpBV2gsvxc6k/s1600/gauge.jpg" height="136" width="400" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02599873056748272840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197217572638198379.post-69155495391059617202015-01-18T19:45:00.000+00:002015-03-26T12:32:51.114+00:00Water temperature gauge installation<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhotZeQqzHYJiIQ-tgEabmdIPWqNi9MyZu6O_nhWPWYDPNpyn0aMQO3lm6MmLlVOA9A6bwGFEcNTUyDEFEbMo04I51QOdnYZUT_iXE8c2e6KpgPBlVbDFP980hCfRaGABsC_oDiGHTYf4FX/s1600/2015-01-18+19.53.53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhotZeQqzHYJiIQ-tgEabmdIPWqNi9MyZu6O_nhWPWYDPNpyn0aMQO3lm6MmLlVOA9A6bwGFEcNTUyDEFEbMo04I51QOdnYZUT_iXE8c2e6KpgPBlVbDFP980hCfRaGABsC_oDiGHTYf4FX/s1600/2015-01-18+19.53.53.jpg" height="111" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Water temp gauge now installed</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Not all D's were created equal and as such not all had a water temperature gauge, my 1971 DS Pallas certainly didn't have one and like many which have the later style dashboard you'll find that if you don't have a temperature gauge there will still be a space for one in your instrument panel, opposite where your petrol gauge is located.<br />
<div>
<div>
<br />
Since I like to keep an eye on data relating to the engine's condition I definitely wanted to install the gauge and especially since fitting one wouldn't alter much of the originality of the vehicle.</div>
<div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div>
Once the gauge and temperature sender was sourced, thanks to Citroen Classics, I set forth to fit it and was pleasantly surprised how easy and rewarding it was. What's more the factory service manual takes you though each step, see FSM 814 Volume 2, "Fitting water temperature gauge".</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Here's how I did it (this does not replace the advice in the FSM but just provides some added commentary):</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Step 1 - Disconnect battery.</div>
<div>
Step 2 - Undo speedo cable join from engine bay, usually located by right side of engine </div>
<div>
Step 3 - Unscrew the 4 screws located on the instrument panel</div>
<div>
Step 4 - I had to remove the steering column trim since I couldn't manage to lever the instrument panel out, but this is easy as it's secured by two bolts underneath.</div>
<div>
Step 5 - Carefully pull the instrument panel out</div>
<div>
Step 6 - Unscrew the speedo cable from the speedometer and unplug the 3 plug connectors (they are colour coordinated and only go in one way so no chance of getting them mixed up).</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
You will now have the instrument panel in your hands. Good opportunity to renew any bulbs that may need renewing, the next steps are as follows:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicuODjrrqm965e0PseJFQHe1HmNxaVbBmpRlfto8VgGCpGlwXbAZymoVqJKDe3WXj_jwHalnhhw2LSuwhWcbAik58bAfp7fu0oRVH-xfsG-zbPpfnlzxFrAqdbl13fmPrKYrcwogSgBtf1/s1600/2015-01-17+19.36.28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicuODjrrqm965e0PseJFQHe1HmNxaVbBmpRlfto8VgGCpGlwXbAZymoVqJKDe3WXj_jwHalnhhw2LSuwhWcbAik58bAfp7fu0oRVH-xfsG-zbPpfnlzxFrAqdbl13fmPrKYrcwogSgBtf1/s1600/2015-01-17+19.36.28.jpg" height="112" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">without the temp. gauge installed</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
Step 1 - Pull off the two knobs on the front of the instrument panel, you will find that it's impossible to do so by hand. I did it by wrapping some material around it and then gripping gently the shaft of the plastic knob with a long nose plier. The next step is to use a wooden spoon (wooden spatula would work also) between the pliers and the instrument panel to lever against the plier and the panel. This technique worked well and it doesn't mark the trim in any way. </div>
<div>
Step 2 - Unscrew the 4 bolts which connect the front of the instrument panel to the rear of it</div>
<div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd35-wCwE6ankW0g3lg6uE8M68PMtMT3-veEAaOFvh8UnvXcJNhTy0S5HQwRLP1YjCzsCckpaWQVU8hD-9OULOz7gUvV95XJiKiAFz1mBiKd-7VMx30LhHwZfy_m0pJtjJisAwHVAKBefy/s1600/2015-01-17+22.42.01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd35-wCwE6ankW0g3lg6uE8M68PMtMT3-veEAaOFvh8UnvXcJNhTy0S5HQwRLP1YjCzsCckpaWQVU8hD-9OULOz7gUvV95XJiKiAFz1mBiKd-7VMx30LhHwZfy_m0pJtjJisAwHVAKBefy/s1600/2015-01-17+22.42.01.jpg" height="112" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">with the temp. gauge installed</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Step 3 - You now can remove the front of the panel and clean the plastic lenses easily on both sides, it also reveals the blanking plate which covers the space where your gauge will be fitted.</div>
<div>
Step 4 - remove this blanking plate, you'll find that if you push from the top it easily pops out.</div>
<div>
Step 5 - there is a strip of black tape on the rear of the panel, you will need to remove this which will reveal 3 bolt holes and two holes which serve as locating holes for the water temperature gauge</div>
<div>
Step 6 - the gauge can only go in one way, and once position screw the 3 philips bolts in place and your done.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
The next step is to fit the water temperature sender, which on my car is located on the "water pump mounting housing" (not the water pump). A blanking plug needs to be removed which allows you to insert the sender. I've not done this yet as one school of thought says that the complete water pump needs to be removed as if you try to remove the plug it can strip itself and ruin the threads, jury is till out on what i will do and after asking a few people I'll make a decision on how to proceed.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02599873056748272840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197217572638198379.post-77473993574821730652015-01-16T19:09:00.000+00:002015-01-23T09:43:18.723+00:00Jaegar clock renewalMy Jaegar clock wasn't working so I removed it from the dash, put 12 volts through it and tapped it a couple of times in the hope it would come alive, unfortunately it didn't. My next step was to take a look inside and see if anything obvious looked out of place or broken.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_r_Fur3Ha0TSXyII4XhX2VdfWwtEA9cP1gGrIgpUyxiYak5fQUmq4FNWAjCyGdDmvEAlEZiWPf7zIdIzYntR_gKKBnZfBYho0lccGbAPohk-tTXa6d3ZByTPkRSCh4sbnpwoFX0U6ie7v/s1600/2014-11-09+14.41.34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_r_Fur3Ha0TSXyII4XhX2VdfWwtEA9cP1gGrIgpUyxiYak5fQUmq4FNWAjCyGdDmvEAlEZiWPf7zIdIzYntR_gKKBnZfBYho0lccGbAPohk-tTXa6d3ZByTPkRSCh4sbnpwoFX0U6ie7v/s1600/2014-11-09+14.41.34.jpg" height="112" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original broken Citroen DS clock</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
To get to the clock mechanism you must firstly remove the time set knob from the clock, on this style of clock it pulls off on other style of D clocks I am told it may unscrew. It was hard to pull the knob off and I found that a cord wrapped around the base of the shaft made the job a lot easier and one tug of the cord and it was off.<br />
<br />
The next step is to carefully prise away the bezel, you need to exercise care as the trick is to do it uniformly and try not to deform the metal too much. I found that pushing the edge of the bezel against the edge of a table whilst I prised away with a knife worked for me.<br />
<br />
Once the bezel is off the glass can be removed. The next step is to then undo two bolts from the rear of the clock. From memory they are both 7mm, and once you unscrew them the mechanism slides out.<br />
<br />
Nothing looked untoward or out of place to my inexperienced naked eye and I proceeded to put 12 volts through the clock to see if anything was coming alive but was getting stuck. Unfortunately nothing, not even when I tried to coax the movement to work by giving it a helping nudge with a pen...<br />
<br />
Mike Phelan has created a write up on ho<span style="font-family: inherit;">w to repa</span>ir the clock, and can be accessed by <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/sh/tv0b25gpmd5ux8e/AAAurF-T1c-XEVB2CtKKcEnta/Electrical/Jaeger%20clock%20repair.pdf?dl=0" target="_blank">clicking here</a>. I decided though to not try to repair it since I was lucky to find a new old stock Jaegar cloc<span style="font-family: inherit;">k for a Humber Sceptre/Hillma<wbr></wbr>n Hunter from 1972, which looked very similar to our Citroen clocks.</span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/OTYwWDEyODA=/z/5EMAAOSwiCRUhwLG/$_57.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/OTYwWDEyODA=/z/5EMAAOSwiCRUhwLG/$_57.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Humber Scepter clock</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I thought as the seller didn't want too much for it, I'd give it a try. The only noticeable difference I can see from the seller's photos was that the rear casing was slightly different due to the way the Humber Sceptre light illumination was set up. My hunch was that I could swap my Citroen outer casings including bezel with the new clock internals.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifsTutVyKBtzN98zfaJkxTDu12Sg8S9WXNj4rJ0eB5sDBBbPlGKWGrfp2SBskp8oovyYl7uYmrdlOweD1nj0QLNcq32ORIhI2ULekJ3x9bjWcUcG8_t0wGdooTFck-RygBTvrRbNqvJorV/s1600/2015-01-16+23.34.14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifsTutVyKBtzN98zfaJkxTDu12Sg8S9WXNj4rJ0eB5sDBBbPlGKWGrfp2SBskp8oovyYl7uYmrdlOweD1nj0QLNcq32ORIhI2ULekJ3x9bjWcUcG8_t0wGdooTFck-RygBTvrRbNqvJorV/s1600/2015-01-16+23.34.14.jpg" height="112" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Humber case/ Citroen case</td></tr>
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I am pleased to say that's exactly what I did and I know have a new old stock clock. The only difference now is that mine has white hands instead of yellow, I understand from Mike's write up that you can swap the hands but after applying some pressure and no movement I thought I'd quit while I was ahead and not damage anything!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZNe1wpmnMLBxKUAMPZ2iybcXCMwuqGdbaX4j4hRU0W21siIUwpDvBAFvAkb3W2AKubiex5Z5QglVx6Fe-DlOj_xetZpffbrDzpBK5I5V4iYk9IzDAW_csYIjlw9JBDNvqA5SiFE87Cdzt/s1600/2015-01-16+23.33.59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZNe1wpmnMLBxKUAMPZ2iybcXCMwuqGdbaX4j4hRU0W21siIUwpDvBAFvAkb3W2AKubiex5Z5QglVx6Fe-DlOj_xetZpffbrDzpBK5I5V4iYk9IzDAW_csYIjlw9JBDNvqA5SiFE87Cdzt/s1600/2015-01-16+23.33.59.jpg" height="112" width="200" /></a> </td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Humber clock face in the Citroen case</td></tr>
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Since Jaegar produced a number of this style of clock for different manufacturers it may be worth considering this modification if you can't find a replacement or repair yours.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02599873056748272840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197217572638198379.post-39388652490297642732015-01-12T14:24:00.000+00:002015-03-29T17:48:16.850+01:00Sable Metallise (AC318)In October last year I had a visit from Mr. Nigel Wild, he was in the area and had kindly said he'd come and see Celia to help with uncovering the mystery of the colour.<br />
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To recap, the paint code in the engine bay reads AC318 which is a sandy gold colour, <a href="http://www.nuancierds.fr/AC%20318%20Sable%20M%E9tallis%E9.htm" target="_blank">see here </a>, yet Celia is painted a non Citroen colour - it's a chocolate brown as found on MGs and Triumphs of the period which was called "Russet Brown". Prior to Nigel's proper inspection there was no hard evidence of any previous colour on the car and we therefore didn't know whether the car was painted that way from new or had a complete colour change. Initial thoughts prior to looking at the car was that that the paint tag in the engine bay may have been incorrect. Nigel was going to help me determine this and solve the mystery.<br />
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Nigel was able to quickly establish what had occurred, at some time in the car's life the body work was starting to get tired. The owner decided to fit brand new panels, so new doors, boot, bonnet were ordered and painted in his new brown colour choice. Nigel noticed that these panels still had transitory primer on them and the rear wings which had not been replaced were sand metallic under the brown paint. Nigel also lifted some trim from the indicator trumpets and again you can see that the roof was also sand metallic.<br />
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Mystery solved! Thanks Nigel!<br />
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I will be respraying the car back to it's original sable metallise when the time comes.<br />
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I am hoping she will look like this:<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02599873056748272840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197217572638198379.post-1091161639279203462015-01-11T13:43:00.000+00:002015-01-23T09:20:45.799+00:00Shake down...!Well it's been ages since I've posted... and the more I've left it the longer it's taken me to get back to it but here I am with some updates.<br />
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I got the car back from Darrin with a few home truths that I didn't really want to hear but had to.. the chassis wasn't as solid as I had hoped...! Besides the items I was aware of Darrin informed me that one of the sills needed work and he also recommended the other get's done too as they usually both go, so time to sell my Datsun 240Z to fund the restoration.<br />
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This brings home the importance of taking off the outer decorative sills as found on the Pallas models to really see how things are, disappointing yes, but I don't regret it as I would have still bought her regardless.<br />
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Now as far as enjoying the car in the Summer, Celia had other plans. I had one local run with the family but teething problems here and there; starter motor failed and a leaking injector, put an end to any further fun in the sun.<br />
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These inconveniences were rectified but another malady occurred this time a lean misfire which got progressively worse to the point of making the car un-driveable. Old cars which have not run in years often take time to settle down, this "shake down" period is often the time that the car reveals any inherent problems.<br />
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On the whole misfires are mainly down to two systems not operating correctly either, fuel or ignition or sometimes both. The factory service manual (FSM) is invaluable at helping to track down problems and the Repair Manual 814 Volume 1 is a must have, donwload it from Tony Jackson's drop box here: <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/sh/tv0b25gpmd5ux8e/e-HYMQrA3e" target="_blank">Dropbox</a><br />
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After a variety of testing, swapping coils, spark plugs, distributors etc.. the problem still persisted. Not wishing to be beaten, I even purchased a Bosch D Jetronic tester to get to the bottom of it as I suspected it was the early D Jetronic fuel injection system at fault. Whilst I didn't carry all the test out as laid out in the FSM it passed the ones I did try.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV0PEg1XeltExF-39RLvVRkTdI_MncUnD87656N-h7qq82apYzoB6C2IVDnSZuUBeT5mlUK_uDncwtgQwgnfhQWKFdEzudx-z1DJRoxUo-p0z0Vr68OFPuC4A20xZfZ1UqKTnsnN7DxRER/s1600/2015-01-18+12.58.05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV0PEg1XeltExF-39RLvVRkTdI_MncUnD87656N-h7qq82apYzoB6C2IVDnSZuUBeT5mlUK_uDncwtgQwgnfhQWKFdEzudx-z1DJRoxUo-p0z0Vr68OFPuC4A20xZfZ1UqKTnsnN7DxRER/s1600/2015-01-18+12.58.05.jpg" height="112" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After</td></tr>
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One of the points the FSM states prior to commencing the tests on the fuel injection system is to ensure that the main earthing points are in good shape, mine being original and a little frayed it was important to change. So I replaced the earthing strap which goes from the battery to the water pump which also includes the earth for the fuel injector loom and since the original strap is fairly thin I decided to replace it with a thicker cable for good measure.<br />
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Despite my best efforts the misfire persisted and Darrin was able to take a look and get to the bottom of it. The issue was a powdery residue was blocking the fuel injectors. Being the inexperienced mechanic that I am (read not a mechanic) I ruled dirty injectors out, since they were new, fuel filter was new, fuel tank was new and so too were the rubber fuel lines. The cause; a dirty fuel rail.<br />
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Now this has been fixed she is running well and some tweaking of the clutch release mechanism has made her a joy to drive, if you've not tried the BVH please try to, it is worth experiencing being a joy to use when it's set up right. <br />
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One thing I did notice that I will need to keep an eye on is a hesitation; when sitting at 70mph on the motorway in 4th gear the revs dropped from around 3,000rpm to 2000rpm and then recovered, this blip has happened more then a few occasions now and I am hoping it will go away but I suspect not... will update once I've discovered any more. If you've got any ideas what could be causing this please let me know.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02599873056748272840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197217572638198379.post-78302101968545538772014-06-15T09:18:00.000+01:002014-06-15T09:44:21.074+01:00Major update....., SHE'S ALIVE!! I received an email from Darrin Brownhill of <a href="http://www.citroenclassics.co.uk/">Citroen Classics</a> on Friday afternoon which was very well received. I had asked Darrin if it were possible to take a video of Celia starting once he was at that stage during the recommissioning and what I received made my day!<br />
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What's more she started first time, a great feat if you consider she hasn't moved in 21 years! Thank you Darrin for all your hard work. So far so good, with no stuck clutch or seized brakes and she sounded pretty smooth too!<br />
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Here's the clip >>: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xuXVgB7YII">Click Here</a><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02599873056748272840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197217572638198379.post-71818687166630325612014-05-24T21:29:00.000+01:002014-05-24T22:13:51.080+01:00Bonjour to Forum Citroen Classic!My Blog has made it to the French Citroen forum "Forum Citroen Classic". It was a nice surprise and a big Bonjour to any new French friends I make from this inclusion and a big thank you to my friend Alain for adding it.<br />
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Forum Citroen Classic is worth visiting; it's well laid out with a for sale section, wanted ads, a very interesting links area as well as the forum of course. It has given me good reason to go up to the attic and search for my old school French text books!<br />
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Why not take a look yourself: <a href="http://www.forumcitroenclassic.com/">Forum Citroen Classic</a> </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02599873056748272840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197217572638198379.post-2968982348903079312014-05-10T21:48:00.001+01:002014-05-24T22:14:55.296+01:0043 years old today!! <span style="font-family: inherit;">Well it's been</span> a while since I posted an update and today I thought it would be quite fitting to do so especially due to the significance of the day, 10th May. Well according to the Citroen Conservatoire, 43 years to the day, in 1971 Celia was manufactured at the Javel Factory in Paris. <br />
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All they required to provide this information and more was the following details:<br />
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<ul>
<li>a copy of the certificate of ownership and/or sale or transfer document (any official document that proves that you own the vehicle)</li>
<li>a photo of the vehicle or the registration plates</li>
<li>any number found on the vehicle (bodysheel, bodywork, engine, etc)</li>
<li>a cheque or standing oder payable to Automobiles Citroen 50Euro per car to be identified in order to cover administration costs</li>
<li>your postal addres to receive your order </li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv5sfGWO-unA0zdKSc7hNUURJ9Kwn5TzBZ9fu85MmwR8ACOHzybJ8_LDIS_9eRGiEp4RWj-gp8IzbtX5XYeArjOaanEmuddSHZtEqx-mmoFL_xLWzdmHGHCajxeRUb-Fklu-eSZQNUWYeX/s1600/2014-04-06+17.17.17-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv5sfGWO-unA0zdKSc7hNUURJ9Kwn5TzBZ9fu85MmwR8ACOHzybJ8_LDIS_9eRGiEp4RWj-gp8IzbtX5XYeArjOaanEmuddSHZtEqx-mmoFL_xLWzdmHGHCajxeRUb-Fklu-eSZQNUWYeX/s1600/2014-04-06+17.17.17-1.jpg" height="320" width="233" /></a>What they also prove to you is whether your car, if a Pallas model, is in fact an authentic Pallas vehicle or one that has been converted to Pallas spec some time in its life. I was pleased to discover mine was a Pallas! Not that I would in any way wish to sound like a snob or anything! It's just a case of it being reassuringly what it is supposed to be. <br />
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If you are interested in the history and authenticity of your own Citroen vehicle then I would recommend you contact the Conservatoire and they will be happy to perform the research, for a fee of course, follow link for further information: <a href="http://www.citroen.co.uk/about-us/history/citroen-conservatoire/#/about-us/history/citroen-conservatoire/">Citroen Conservatoire</a><br />
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Sadly there was no fond tapping of the steering wheel to wish Celia a happy birthday as she is currently at the Health Spa in Staines aka <a href="http://www.citroenclassics.co.uk/">Citroen Classics</a>, but Darrin Brownhill, assured me he was going to send her regards on my behalf....! Darrin, I will be checking!!!! :) <br />
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No presents for Celia apart from those I mentioned for her rejuventation but if you take a closer look at the photo of Celia above, you will notice directly above her a Citroen lamp. This was recently purchased from ebay and originally came from Citroen Banbury where I am told it was used in the 80s as part of a display rack. I like it a lot and it also serves the purpose of illuminating the rear of the garage quite well.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02599873056748272840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197217572638198379.post-84058845268447674162014-04-22T22:03:00.000+01:002014-05-24T22:14:09.956+01:00Off to Citroen Classics, Staines, UKWith all good intentions, I had wanted to work on Celia myself. This is the best way to get to know your car and provided you are; armed with a workshop manual, have a good set of tools, take it slowly, take loads of photos to aid reassembly and lean on expert advice when needed then there is no reason why it's not possible to do a good job at home. This is all on the caveat that you've already practised on something else in the past and know your limitations! There's always a great feeling of satisfaction doing it yourself and gives you the insight of what could be wrong when something eventually does fail. It will also mean that you develop the skill that most classic car owners who work on their cars aquire which is the ability to know where a bolt has come from by merely looking at the thing and judging it's relative position on the garage floor!<br />
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Saying all this, I eventually decided against getting her running myself for a couple of reasons, the main one being that my garage is too small, I can barely get in and out of the car never mind having the space to work on her. There was also the fact that the car hadn't been run for over 20 years and I thought I'd let someone who knows what their doing take a look first and get her running for me so she can be a reliable base for me to get to know her and slowly start doing smaller jobs as and when required.<br />
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Since my DS was fuel injected I decided to choose a company that had good experience in injected DS's and for this reason and the fact they came highly recommended on the<a href="http://www.citroencarclub.org.uk/drupal/node/20"> GBU list</a> as well as with D owners I enquired with, I chose<a href="http://www.citroenclassics.co.uk/"> Citroen Classics</a> based in Staines. I spoke to Darrin Brownhill who runs the company with his wife Kristina, in early January and due to their popularity and the queuing system they run it wasn't until now that they could see me.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rust particles from draining the fuel tank</td></tr>
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Before I had arranged to see Darrin I had ordered a new Stainless Steel exhaust from P.D.Gough as well as an injection fuel tank from L'Atelier 524 in France (see useful links). The tank arrived very quickly from Alain Gauchoux who is a pleasure to deal with and it didn't disappoint (his English is perfect which makes us non French speakers lives a lot easier!). The tank looks exactly as the original piece that it will replace. The reason I chose to replace the tank was due to rust particles I encountered when draining the fuel tank. This is very common when petrol has been left sitting in a fuel tank for many years. My old injection tank will be available for sale at some point for anyone wishing to go down the repair route, let me know if you may be interested.<br />
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The remit I gave Darrin was as follows:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Major service</li>
<li>Replace engine fuel lines </li>
<li>Fit supplied fuel tank and exhaust system</li>
<li>Fit front and rear inertia seatbelts (under parcel shelf)</li>
<li>Recondition cylinder head, replacing sodium exhaust valves with solid valves</li>
<li>Advise of anything else that needs doing</li>
<li>Get her through an MOT</li>
</ul>
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As for the seatbelts I had front ones fitted but they were not inertia ones and I decided to have the rear seat belts fitted under the parcel shelf as it makes for a much neater installation as it means the bulky inertia mechanism is out of sight. It made sense to also change the front to inertia belts, there's nothing more frustating then being pinned in the drivers seat and not being able to reach forward when you need to. It also means the front and rear webbing would match - Darrin has done a few of these installs and his supplier can produce the webbing in an array of colours and styles, it was therefore great having the option of choosing a contrasting webbing that will compliment my interior.<br />
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Before she was loaded onto the trailer I did a quick wheel swap since I am having the original steel wheels powder coated. <br />
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To say I am really looking forward to Darrin getting stuck in and getting the car on the road is an understatement.... and what with the DSM Rally coming up on 8-10th June at Little <span data-scayt_word="Horwood" data-scaytid="2">Horwood</span>,<span data-scayt_word="MK17" data-scaytid="3">MK17</span> <span data-scayt_word="0PF" data-scaytid="4">0PF it will be nice to be an exhibitor rather then a spectator for once!</span><br />
<span data-scayt_word="0PF" data-scaytid="4"></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKPnMT5Q0K1ZDvwWgNkAjl1Td4BQWV5czVnUGcsUQv6ZMqbynfTqybK_ZXoIxezXKBjhV7pQrG_lO-Ov3EWZDN6Q2UMav_DNsuVcpKYeJyHqluuFmVIvJrI7VZuuH3q3jVIf0koc2AWiEO/s1600/2014-04-22+09.07.36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKPnMT5Q0K1ZDvwWgNkAjl1Td4BQWV5czVnUGcsUQv6ZMqbynfTqybK_ZXoIxezXKBjhV7pQrG_lO-Ov3EWZDN6Q2UMav_DNsuVcpKYeJyHqluuFmVIvJrI7VZuuH3q3jVIf0koc2AWiEO/s1600/2014-04-22+09.07.36.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wheel swapping before the trip to Staines</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Off to Citroen Classics..</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02599873056748272840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197217572638198379.post-22264177998028378992014-02-08T22:46:00.000+00:002014-05-24T22:14:21.113+01:00To do list<h3>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHQgGQiFXDB5Avi259k28x1X4fueTIcyty2uzJLDMBHFRBxYoY21Nk9Fjk4HhHOjIsroegoRrP1AQkDEg44mtgzT1AEXmejz9U-KirVbDL3dBXKg1yblm1k0njemwJP22hpUNYvxVKR3rV/s1600/injection+hose.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></a></h3>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHQgGQiFXDB5Avi259k28x1X4fueTIcyty2uzJLDMBHFRBxYoY21Nk9Fjk4HhHOjIsroegoRrP1AQkDEg44mtgzT1AEXmejz9U-KirVbDL3dBXKg1yblm1k0njemwJP22hpUNYvxVKR3rV/s1600/injection+hose.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHQgGQiFXDB5Avi259k28x1X4fueTIcyty2uzJLDMBHFRBxYoY21Nk9Fjk4HhHOjIsroegoRrP1AQkDEg44mtgzT1AEXmejz9U-KirVbDL3dBXKg1yblm1k0njemwJP22hpUNYvxVKR3rV/s1600/injection+hose.JPG" height="204" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The biggest pre-requisite was to get her running and I wasn't prepared to just try and start her either, 20 year old fuel which has had that long to ferment in a tank can turn to varnish which is not a good treat to the injectors, a carburetor is more forgiving. There are also a number of other things that you need to consider, the fuel tank will most definitely have had time to corrode and contain rust particles and even if you did get her started then aged high pressure rubber fuel lines have already been known to burst and have claimed many a fuel injected D to engine fires, beware and replace it's not expensive and is just good practice. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For further reading </span><a href="http://www.aussiefrogs.com/forum/citro%EBn-forum/104306-why-you-should-check-your-ds-fuel-lines.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">go here</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The photo above show's what need's to be changed (make sure you also change all the injector hoses). Changing the rubber fuel lines is doubly important in this day and age of Euro decrees, which has seen the increase in the amount of Ethanol in petrol - which is also set to rise. Ethanol breaks down rubber and hence ethanol resistant fuel injected hose should be purchased as a matter of course. There is an interesting article on Ethanol in Petrol on the <a href="http://www.groups.tr-register.co.uk/wessex/ethanol-update.html" target="_blank">TR Register's website if you'd like to read more</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the same light of prevention is better then cure, I decided to have the cylinder head reconditioned since all injected DS series cars had sodium filled exhaust valves and when a car has been sitting for long periods of time it has been known, especially on Citroen SMs, that corrosion can occur within the hollow valve. This has the cause of alarm since the valves can snap causing major engine disaster. The solution is to replace them with solid exhaust valves. Why sodium filled valves to begin with you may ask? They were used to aid cooling but there doesn't appear to be anyone I've spoken to who feels that solid ones will be disadvantages to cooling in a DS, which begs the question as to why were they fitted to begin with... I am sure someone knows?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another to do will be to fit rear seat belts since I don't have any, I believe since they were not fitted as standard then it is not a prerequisite for me to have them fitted but this is where I draw the line on originality. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0TttdpVMCaDKwH1mvEBYs1Ax8ysAdPJSuWVr_Kwx3wabzNhsPJETpVpTLizmdF9xaKG9GFxmmpY25i7ROADOFhwqgzEb59Z6TnqujU5TSLYlAr48P9-ziu5yScGghh-8jikRreV4FGqj8/s1600/2014-03-09+15.49.11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0TttdpVMCaDKwH1mvEBYs1Ax8ysAdPJSuWVr_Kwx3wabzNhsPJETpVpTLizmdF9xaKG9GFxmmpY25i7ROADOFhwqgzEb59Z6TnqujU5TSLYlAr48P9-ziu5yScGghh-8jikRreV4FGqj8/s1600/2014-03-09+15.49.11.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's a last to do which is actually a done. I got a spare day to work on the car and I decided to get round to respraying the air cleaner which had started to corrode on the outside and was looking a sorry state. It was a case of taking it back to bare metal and spraying it with 3-4 coats of paint and a couple more of laquer. I was pleased with the result and like most things involving paint it's all in the prep. The only other words of wisdom I can bestow is don't over spray in an area as the runs are very hard to get out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The way I took it to bear metal was simply with sandpaper, it just takes time and quite a lot of it but at least you have control of how much needs sanding, I then rigged my own spray booth using bin liners, it worked a treat!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's all till next time...</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiqkhmL7lEliPoJOcnUBSAOymi_SeERMjJVp8PGqEgtDTNIabjgPEoFZDnECtE0xQ8iKgDSxAgxNV42YH3ckHjy9okTdxX4Q6QWC_8cFbXATSG-YYOTFPiiTZaWDh-YTpCLPssi7EgzWzl/s1600/2013-12-17+12.20.08-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiqkhmL7lEliPoJOcnUBSAOymi_SeERMjJVp8PGqEgtDTNIabjgPEoFZDnECtE0xQ8iKgDSxAgxNV42YH3ckHjy9okTdxX4Q6QWC_8cFbXATSG-YYOTFPiiTZaWDh-YTpCLPssi7EgzWzl/s1600/2013-12-17+12.20.08-1.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snug, but dry</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Each time I opened the garage door I spontaneously smiled, both inside and out, there she was all snug and dry in her new home, with snug being the operative word.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As you probably gathered and can see, my garage isn't very wide. I had already done my homework on the dimensions and I knew she would fit but quite how practical it would be to get myself in and out I didn't quite know. Luckily there is enough room providing the car is parked very close to the wall. This is where having both sides of the wall fitted with a meter wide strip of carpet comes in handy and is a modification everyone with a narrow garage should consider.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now she was home also meant that I could finally see what I had purchased with scrutiny. The colour was one I had not see before. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's a kind of a clay brown colour and one which I think suits the car really well. The strange thing is, is that it's not a colour that was available for 1971. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A great reference on Citroen DS colours is Doctor Danche's website dedicated to </span><a href="http://www.nuancierds.fr/entreeuk.htm" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">the colours of the DS</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. The only brown that Citroen widely used on the D range which is remotely similar is <a href="http://www.nuancierds.fr/AC%20409%20Brun%20palissandre.htm" target="_blank">Brun Pallissandre a 1962 colour</a> but even that doesn't appear completely right.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0C_6ae1w2LNvMHiC4bRcsv88tDP8vXv_EvaYHZDqfd8DYe48he8UCIKR4E55Zyv2Wd1q_AnA5SY7qCc_GW3WrKNy3kxPcSFFmGVL_AgrELi1kUXS4gnw-DFtbdXeYpTXBCb8iluHmCzW1/s1600/2013-12-05+22.40.01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0C_6ae1w2LNvMHiC4bRcsv88tDP8vXv_EvaYHZDqfd8DYe48he8UCIKR4E55Zyv2Wd1q_AnA5SY7qCc_GW3WrKNy3kxPcSFFmGVL_AgrELi1kUXS4gnw-DFtbdXeYpTXBCb8iluHmCzW1/s1600/2013-12-05+22.40.01.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photos can be misleading, colour is not like this in real life</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When photographed, the colour sometimes looks maroon and I've known it to be mistaken for the colour Bordeaux a 1967-1971 colour. I later found photos of my car on facebook which were taken at the auction and the camera definitely lied. What is also interesting about these photos and photos I received since is that it shows a Citroen CX Prestige in the pictures. This Citroen CX was owned by the same gentlemen that owned my car and apparently he also ran a Citroen AX - a true Citroen man through and through!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well back to this mysterious colour, the first natural reaction is to assume she has been resprayed at some point however there does not appear any obvious clue to this. A possible colour change perhaps, all panels off and taken back to metal but this would have been very expensive and unusual to do so if so. This is something I will be investigating further with a few specialists who know where to look in order to conclusively solve this riddle.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old dried up banana!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As mentioned previously, when I purchased Celia I performed a cardinal sin, which was to not remove the rear saw bar cover and check for corrosion. When home I had some trouble getting the cover off following the removal of the bolts, I thought this was a bad sign of nasties lurking behind but the only nasty I encountered was a dried up old banana skin and lots of dust and fiber material from the boot lining. It felt quite good that providing this area was in tact the prognosis for the rest of the car would look fairly good too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The main areas of corrosion that are visible are the left and the right boot rain gutters and some minor surface corrosion on the bodywork, so far so good.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Years of dust (21 to be precise)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was pleased to see that the engine turned, and the engine bay looked complete and unmessed with, with no strange looking aftermarket wiring in there, which can always cause confusion and be a nightmare to put right.</span><br />
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What was interesting was a few marks near the starter motor which had obviously failed at some point and the owner was trying to coax her into starting, I wondered... Was that why she was retired to the garage in the first place?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiquX7_bxo5VVoCXpvGYZI1-u9mViqUhIj78D0PhctJBhjFQo2o4awQAFBvf78YEX6h_hCBAUZr0SrorXWloUs_mMwE5JNnT8usJhWwZ3NmjQLRB1jVGMOIN2zon-IwcF-PNS6_qU5dGQsa/s1600/2013-11-14+13.44.11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiquX7_bxo5VVoCXpvGYZI1-u9mViqUhIj78D0PhctJBhjFQo2o4awQAFBvf78YEX6h_hCBAUZr0SrorXWloUs_mMwE5JNnT8usJhWwZ3NmjQLRB1jVGMOIN2zon-IwcF-PNS6_qU5dGQsa/s1600/2013-11-14+13.44.11.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOKOYM16eMDgTKlODtMI13QX1GYC3jGqOsVs_ho5iZRkJU-Q3rSVq3sFE4Ri0ae4CdKjSm7tSBhvhRQgKJCtRF4aUPZKPT7JaUntAmVj09G1r6QzZKbXn0G9qfWsgCq-9V7RnKRU60zZ7r/s1600/2013-11-14+13.43.57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOKOYM16eMDgTKlODtMI13QX1GYC3jGqOsVs_ho5iZRkJU-Q3rSVq3sFE4Ri0ae4CdKjSm7tSBhvhRQgKJCtRF4aUPZKPT7JaUntAmVj09G1r6QzZKbXn0G9qfWsgCq-9V7RnKRU60zZ7r/s1600/2013-11-14+13.43.57.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a>As far as the interior goes, the Velour Or seats at first sight look to have done very well in lasting so long and I had hoped to preserve them. I've now decided that this was a pipe dream since sitting in the car a couple of times has brought home the delicate nature of the fabric which is going brittle with age and tearing easily. This is primarily down to Sun exposure and age, it was fun vacuuming the seats and having to pat 21 years of dust which was quite a feat. I would like to source a cloth interior which is very close to the original but I've not managed to do so yet, so any ideas please let me know.<br />
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<u><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Marchal Amplilux headlamps</span></u><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbd0TQqoQ_9d8XaXjQvWP8HNgdB2uBEZOrLD0j3X7wEGoxvbcAXi1O6bqMobGkBndcZMGF8kn2OnVftqdNeZyJLDTKhoDnbNu96VHTSuijmQ-hy9chMYTJv2ogqKsihDmVR_TUmp88PIio/s1600/2013-12-17+12.39.31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbd0TQqoQ_9d8XaXjQvWP8HNgdB2uBEZOrLD0j3X7wEGoxvbcAXi1O6bqMobGkBndcZMGF8kn2OnVftqdNeZyJLDTKhoDnbNu96VHTSuijmQ-hy9chMYTJv2ogqKsihDmVR_TUmp88PIio/s1600/2013-12-17+12.39.31.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marchal Ampliliux, reflector turned brown</td></tr>
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On closer examination of my headlights I noted that words were stamped on the front of them which read, "Marchal Amplilux". <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After some time researching I discovered that not all D series had them and those that did were privileged since they were an expensive optional extra and gave the best light output at the time. Daniel Stern of </span><a href="http://www.danielsternlighting.com/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Daniel Stern lighting</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> in the US is a wealth of information when it comes to bulbs and headlamps and after dropping him an email I was by far the wiser, I quote his correspondence below:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The Amplilux wasn't just one specific lamp. It was Marchal's name for their twin-bulb/single-lens headlamp range. These existed because the world's first halogen headlight bulb, the H1, arrive</span>d in 1962 (with H2 and H3 following in the next few years) but it wasn't until 1972 that the worlds first t<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: right;">wo-filament halogen </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: right;">headlight bulb (H4) came to be. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">In the meantime, the only way to have halogen dip and main beam from one headlamp was </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">two single-filament bulbs each with its own reflector in the common housing behind a </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">common lens. All the major makers had lamps like this. Cibie called theirs "Biode".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Various Amplilux models used different bulb combinations in accord with the packaging </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">constraints of the particular lamp in question. In almost every case an H1 was used for the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">dip beam. Main beam was usually H1, sometimes H3, occasionally H2."</span></div>
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Mine happen to be H1/H1 and the dual reflector and dual bubs engineered into each light assembly made these lights very expensive to manufacture but the Marchal lights were the very best solution until dual filament halogen bubs were available in the mid 70s. The high manufacturing cost and the dual filament halogen bubs (H4) eventually killed the production of these lights. </div>
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As you can see my lower reflector has turned brown and at first I wasn't sure why but on speaking to a couple of people it was confirmed that the reflectors have turned rusty over the years. Sadly this is an all too common occurence for this type of lamp. I will look into getting a good second hand set or new old stock if I am lucky. There is also the option of rechroming which will be my last resort. Brighter lighting options are available but I'd rather keep Celia as true as possible as when she left the Javel Factory in Paris 1971.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZPvozu51LI3gNFMGkc-_Tz2GkGKUe3c49GDe6qosjwrZ1cj8B94T7BE6y58F8rdfZX-Zn8fL0QGf0T3soSOerA4MChEOUlq_ugY0Eq_7CyqeBZ6zosrlP5y7dcGvlVbaxZ17Stb28mEq-/s1600/onway.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZPvozu51LI3gNFMGkc-_Tz2GkGKUe3c49GDe6qosjwrZ1cj8B94T7BE6y58F8rdfZX-Zn8fL0QGf0T3soSOerA4MChEOUlq_ugY0Eq_7CyqeBZ6zosrlP5y7dcGvlVbaxZ17Stb28mEq-/s1600/onway.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well Celia was finally on her way home and in my mind once home she would really feel like mine and reality would sink in. It would provide the proof that this wasn't just a dream, proof that I had not just found any Citroen DS but I had managed to find my DS, one which ticked all my boxes even the ones I thought I'd need to compromise on. Even the colour was to my liking but more to come on this... </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before she got home my main concern was how to get her here safely. My D had not started in over 20 years and a non starting D isn't easy to move - without the engine driving the hydraulic pump the suspension will not rise and the car will just sit cm's away from the floor. A D that is sitting on the floor is in no condition to be moved anywhere due to the risk of seriously scrapping/denting the underneath.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A plan therefore needed to be put in place, what made things harder was the fact that even though my garage had a nice flat solid surface the driveway was graveled, which would make it impossible to push the car in and out of the garage. I had considered hiring a trailer and bringing her home myself, I had seen how carefully placed planks of wood could be positioned to get the car onto the trailer, providing the trailer was left unhooked so it could tilt back as you loaded it. The trailer would need a winch of course. I quickly went off this route simply due to the risks involved, especially as I wouldn't have a helper that day - not to mention the fact that the car wouldn't be fully insured if anything untoward occurred on the journey or even when loading. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hiring a professional with a slide and tilt recovery truck seemed to be a good and safer option but pricey, I also knew a recovery man named Chris that had a flat bed style recovery vehicle but this style of truck would have made it impossible to load.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was further confirmed when I spoke to Chris - he wouldn't be able to get her on his truck unless she could lift. One option I considered was the trick of disconnecting the coil and turning the engine to allow the starter motor to turn the hydraulic pump which will eventually lift the vehicle off the ground. This method works providing </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">you have a fresh battery, LHM in the tank and no hydraulic leaks. It looked like the route I'd be taking for the Monday morning but the weekend had to pass by first, and a better idea was about to come to light.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHynnZNXaF4ydRHuTB30gb4eILvm2RXDxBu_UeGKgtZxk5xunE-zMqP3Yh5k6Q71owc3B5OBoG423fMq6IEV_UKv-1EMTTGDW9IlH1k2XHfbozSVT3cJMepojCQF0W5T3Yar5rUet5PUcB/s1600/GMVS1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHynnZNXaF4ydRHuTB30gb4eILvm2RXDxBu_UeGKgtZxk5xunE-zMqP3Yh5k6Q71owc3B5OBoG423fMq6IEV_UKv-1EMTTGDW9IlH1k2XHfbozSVT3cJMepojCQF0W5T3Yar5rUet5PUcB/s1600/GMVS1.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That weekend was the Citroen Car Club's (CCC) Technical event which was held at <a href="http://www.grahammortonvehicles.co.uk/" target="_blank">Graham Morton Vehicle Services in Holmbridge</a>. The CCC technical weekends are organised around the country and are held at various Citroen specialists across the UK. To me they've become </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the highlight of my calendar, spending the day or weekend with like minded people who want to learn about their cars in the safety of expert eyes is a great opportunity and the fact that drinks and nibbles are supplied is a bonus. Graham Morton specialises in older Citroen's and a nice crowd of us gathered around Nigel Wild and Graham who provided great insight and were available to answer all of our many questions. We also had the chance to get a D up on the ramps and have a good look underneath. During the course of events Graham showed a group of us a cylindrical plastic object 25mm in diameter and approximately 100cm in length, none of us could guess what it was for. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When it's role was revealed, it turned out to be the solution I had been looking for and Graham kindly gave me a length he had left over which when home I subsequently cut into 4 equal pieces. These hard plastic rods are inserted into the suspension ram/cylinders and keep the car raised permanently by exerting a downward force on the ram piston. The first step is to depressurise the system, jack each corner up at a time and remove the sphere, insert the plastic rod into the cylinder/ram, screw the sphere back on and bring that side back down. Great I thought, the car is finally mobile and can be wheeled about with ease, exactly what I needed. I later found out that this is an old tip and traditionaly broom handles have been used, if you are to use wood its important to use wood that doesn't splinter easily, so don't jump to the broom handle too quickly...!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now that the car was at a respectable height she was winched onto the flat bed with ease. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One thing to note when securing a DS on a recovery truck, it's a good idea to take the rear wings off as it makes it easier to secure the wheel straps around the rear wheels and on to the flat bed. For further information I thoroughly recommend reading the CCC forum sticky on </span><a href="http://www.citroencarclub.org.uk/drupal/phpbbforum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5027" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Towing a DS</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The journey home was straight forward with no dramas, I didn't expect any either as I had used Chris before, 07588 561469, he owns his own truck and drives it himself. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Using a reputable one man show has its merits, overheads are lower which leads to great rates and since the buck ends with one man there is pride in giving a good service.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I slept well that night knowing that Celia was home, and I looked forward to properly examining her over the coming days and weeks.</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02599873056748272840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197217572638198379.post-87012896898138314232014-01-16T21:34:00.000+00:002014-05-26T23:47:22.253+01:00Enter stage left...... The Goddess<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Following the DS Rally in
June 2013, I had to find a Goddess of my own.... Sat on the sofa, Ipad in my
hand and eBay app open, I looked at what was on offer with a daily impulsive
compulsion. I could never spot the right one for me. This didn't surprise me
one bit, my experience in life often showed me that the best things aren't easy
to locate and sometimes you need to take a step back and stop looking.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">My DS was no exception to
this rule, there is a reason the French called Flaminio Bertoni's sculpture a
Goddess, its anthropomorphic qualities chose me rather then I chose her. I
believe in the cosmic joker, a name a great friend conjured up for strange things
that occur when you least want them to but in this case a cosmic angel was at
play.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">1993 was the year I first
went to University in Wales, Cardiff to be precise. It was the first time I was
away from home and as a spunky 18 year old with the world at my feet it was a
time when I had opened my eyes to the world.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I later learnt that 1993 was
also the year that the 1971 DS21 Pallas, Injection, BVH, which I was later
going to purchase, was being laid to rest. Cocooned from the outside world in a
modest sized garage in Reading, protected from unwanted exposure, not from just the elements but also from any hungry
rodents that so often befalls vehicles in this state of slumber.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Twenty years went by until
the sarcophagus was finally opened and the vehicle was carefully removed from
hiding, ready for an auction to take place 8 minutes and 2.6 miles away from
her former home for Lot 137.</span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgehcLM9_eHHjk00Y2Nmu873F2dKYWZktATFMxSFBonzEsCLmJoCIasDHs8G3W-Q9l9VcTQ8t-t-7yQb6be5a1bixvJvtUTOkkYnEIvkdR-4uRBvistu7IeJI7CcJXLGy-rx8TlslYImvrZ/s1600/137.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgehcLM9_eHHjk00Y2Nmu873F2dKYWZktATFMxSFBonzEsCLmJoCIasDHs8G3W-Q9l9VcTQ8t-t-7yQb6be5a1bixvJvtUTOkkYnEIvkdR-4uRBvistu7IeJI7CcJXLGy-rx8TlslYImvrZ/s320/137.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the premises of John Mould, Reading </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I had known about the the auction thanks to a post I read on the Citroen Car Club website in early September which had a link to the auction listing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Having viewed the photos and read the description I grew excited, this car felt right, what I've been looking for. The following words in the description really did it for me since I wanted above all an unmolested vehicle.</span><o:p style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><br />
<em style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"HPI check reveals no former registered keepers. This vehicle was photographed as found, garaged and has not run for some considerable time".</span></b></em><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />I was also intrigued that the sleeping beauty had been hidden away for all these years, could we possibly be now ready for each other? It was one of those man and machine moments, I knew it felt right and I had to bid despite not having the time to view. Something which I would never recommend but you must go with your gut feeling which for most people, especially in my case, doesn't usually let me down. If you've ever read the book <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Blink-The-Power-Thinking-Without/dp/0141014598/ref=sr_1_1/278-8231351-3205345?ie=UTF8&qid=1389737716&sr=8-1&keywords=blink+power+thinking" target="_blank">"Blink - the power of thinking without thinking"</a>, you'll know what I'm referring to. If something feels right it usually is for a number of subtle reasons that you consciously may not be aware of but subconsciously you are.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thinking back on this, I think the subtlety was down to the fact that despite the dirt and the grime I could see that she had been loved and cared for once by someone who was passionate about her. The sticker on the rear window also made we want the car more. In my eyes it said a lot about the owner and how he possibly treated the car, it was someone who was proud and loyal, traits I admire.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ73-0qaBmIwmzKf_TiPn0-r6iYiVN2yDmSGPBOYaZis4neb3VN8BOQvG6HCAL_mY7XqPokN6WFUf1YXqK7g4l8gf6jMkYwyTGhsfDKU8oRL5s91w0su4AGvC7my4taTF7HHpZ2vuBdcmJ/s1600/BA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ73-0qaBmIwmzKf_TiPn0-r6iYiVN2yDmSGPBOYaZis4neb3VN8BOQvG6HCAL_mY7XqPokN6WFUf1YXqK7g4l8gf6jMkYwyTGhsfDKU8oRL5s91w0su4AGvC7my4taTF7HHpZ2vuBdcmJ/s320/BA.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The sticker reads, <b style="font-style: italic;">"British Airways is winning for Britain. Let's keep it that way."</b> a direct reference to the deregulation of the airways which was occurring in the early 1970's which was undermining BA's foothold on major routes. This nationalistic message is one which we don't see much in the way of these days, mainly due to the fact that so much of what we felt great about no longer fits in today's global economy. Another great British (and French) icon that is now no more is Concorde, the car has a Concorde sticker adorning the front windscreen. This was a man who appreciates engineering was the first thing that came to my mind, a pilot perhaps?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />The dealer's sticker is just below the BA one and reads, <b><i>"Supplied by Ormsby Cars, Oxford Road, Reading"</i></b>. At a time when businesses traded pre the internet, many of these car dealerships have become virtually unknown, forgotten by all with the only references of their existence left on a few surviving rear windscreens. This reminds me of a splendid poem by George Seferis called, <a href="http://www.xiotis.com/asine.htm" target="_blank">"The King of Asine"</a>. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When participating in any type of auction, it's good practice to agree on a maximum limit you are willing to reach and go no further. This decision should be made prior to the excitement of the auction commencing and once you've reached the limit you should bow out gracefully and not bid any further! Well, that is the theory anyway and I'll be the first to admit that I am not always one to practice what I preach and I went over my number, not by a considerable amount but over nonetheless - the excitement of the chase is addictive, beware. If truth be known I would have gone even higher had I the comfort of knowing exactly what I was bidding on but since I didn't get the opportunity to view the vehicle I finally saw reason and stopped bidding. As luck would have it, the next bid won...</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I've got to say, I was truly gutted. Prior to the hammer falling, I had a chance, once it fell - that was it... the glitter and excitement had gone in an instant. The feeling that I had missed out was quite compelling but you always find ways to justify why it wasn't meant to be.. Even though in my heart it should have been.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Looking back at the event, I am glad I didn't win it and I am pleased I stopped bidding when I did. The story wasn't meant to end there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Weeks passed by with the occasional thoughts of the car and how I so nearly owned the DS of my dreams. Then a strange thing happened.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I had a real motivation in immersing myself within the Club and learning as much as possible about the cars whilst also being in the best position to keep my ear to the ground should any suitable vehicle came up for sale - rubbing shoulders with real members is the best way to do this as you get an honest review of what's a hit and what you should clearly miss. This led me to attend my very first meeting with the Citroen Car Club East Midlands Group, we met in a pub and had a very pleasant lunch.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">During the course of conversation a rather significant ear wigging moment occurred, which was set to change the course of events. The conversation revolved around someone owning a large collection of Citroen CX vehicles. I was impressed and when I queried who this was, I was told, "My father, he sells cars", or words to that affect.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I've always been a researcher, curiosity has always been one of my pastimes, probably spawned by a sense of boredom when I was a child. Being the youngest in the litter, with the eldest offspring off doing their own thing often meant I had hours alone to entertain myself and examine things in minute detail. I can't help it on my commute either. Take the London Underground for instance, this is a great venue for people watching - whilst most people are engrossed in their books, their phones or their paper I am fascinated by looking around, watching everyone else, noticing my environment - subtly changes in the way the train is moving, the noise it makes, the atmosphere in the carriage, the announcements, "Will an initial cleaner please proceed to platform 2 for a code 4". This means a spillage in case you are wondering - codes are used to not alarm passengers.... <a href="http://londonist.com/2012/02/code-2-on-platform-4-the-meaning-of-tube-cleaner-codes.php" target="_blank">see here for the codes</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I got home from the meal and I was interested to learn who this gentlemen was, did he have a website, what CX's did he have for sale? I didn't know the web address but felt I had sufficient information to do a Google search and if he had a site, it would appear. 5 words were typed and then ENTER - Rugg Citroen CX for sale. As if by magic I came across this site: <a href="http://www.citroencxforsale.com/" target="_blank">Citroen CX For Sale</a>. I use to own a CX and once you've owned one you will always have a soft spot for them, so I peroused with pleasure and then I came to a page called "Other Citroens". a for sale page for Classic Citroen Cars.... then, I nearly fell of my chair...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I couldn't believe my very eyes, the car that I had wanted that I had loved and manage to lose was there before me - I was given a second chance. What's more everything I had suspected about the car was now qualified in black and white:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">- One owner from new</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">- Totally Original</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">- Never had any paintwork</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">- Also as far as we can see, never had any welding</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">- A wonderful opportunity to have one of few 1 owner DSs in the country</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I had to have it..... I was on a mission...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi07Ny4eQBSWrrn_a5A6arhugYHA9VSCeugJh7Ej27WFDxqRoKRc47lP0g6mZiA_GFHcuCLUVvcEX_yhioO5ycL6wxZBeLaG7xFh-kredgunIDXkcXyO1vbap7o8sjsPUmEMMhjS_G3Chlx/s1600/CCX4Sale.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi07Ny4eQBSWrrn_a5A6arhugYHA9VSCeugJh7Ej27WFDxqRoKRc47lP0g6mZiA_GFHcuCLUVvcEX_yhioO5ycL6wxZBeLaG7xFh-kredgunIDXkcXyO1vbap7o8sjsPUmEMMhjS_G3Chlx/s1600/CCX4Sale.JPG" height="141" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I rang the number on the site, nothing, days went by and still voice mail. I didn't want to leave a message but kept trying for the next couple of days. I then started to think something was wrong with the number.... only to find out that Patrick Rugg, the gentlemen I needed to speak with was on holiday and had deliberately not taken his phone with him... the relief.....!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">A week went by and I had the opportunity to meet with Patrick at another East Midlands meeting I attended. I expressed my interest and finally went to view the car.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">They say always keep your cards close to your chest when buying a car. The fact that when I saw the vehicle I had a smile from ear to ear, had tunnel vision and all that could come out of my mouth after staring at the car was, "I am not going to beat about the bush I really like her and want her!". We shook hands there and then and a deposit was paid. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Now here's the funny bit, after buying all the magazines on what to look for when buying a DS, the essential buyer's guide as well as all the many resources online - I didn't remove the rear panel in the boot and nor did I take the wings off - which you are advised to do in order to check for corrosion which can deem a car uneconomical to repair. Now don't ever skip this... I made a conscious decision not to look even though I was given the option. I didn't bother looking because I felt comfortable with who I was buying the car from and secondly everything else just felt right. I'm glad to say that the wings and panel have come off since and all good in those areas.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Now a little bit about Patrick, he is one of those really nice guys that everyone should buy a car from. He does what every car enthusiast wishes they could do day in and day out. The bit that Patrick does so well is he hasn't let his day job dilute his passion for cars and people. Patrick could see the glint in my eye and I genuinely feel that he was happy the car had gone to a good home. I am also grateful to him for being so accommodating, it was like buying a car from an old friend - that's how easy and pleasant the experience was.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I am genuinely glad I didn't win the auction but things worked out the way they did, I am a firm believer that things happen for a reason and you can only really understand why after the event. A journey needed to occur, a story of love reunited.. My Goddess, who we named Celia was now on the way home.</span></div>
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