Thought we'd seen more of Les's metallic cousins than usual, including several convoys, on this French trip. It seems there's a reason:
2cvspain2013.com/website/index.php/en/
The 20th World Meeting of 2CV Friends is taking place in Spain next week.
Two Finnish families in Deux Chevaux on the campsite last night though they'd 'cheated' by getting the Motorail from Hamburg to Narbonne.
Quite fancy one as a 'fun' car but suspect that, like the Issigonis Mini, prices are crackers even for examples needing massive amounts of work.
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A house near me has about half a dozen of those things in it's grounds, all in various states of decay.
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Quite fancy one as a 'fun' car but suspect that, like the Issigonis Mini, prices are crackers even for examples needing massive amounts of work.
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2215584/How-Citroen-2CV-wrecks-restored-Britain--sold-France-nice-little-earner.html
I worked with a 2CV nut who imported a Sahara - twin engines version from Australia
Another nutter
tinyurl.com/px99jzo
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I test drove one once as a prospective purchase for a friend. I told them not to touch it, it had absolutely no 'go', rolled like a pig and was noisy.
The bought a Viva!
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a 'fun' car...
On several occasions I have been advised to 'buy a 2CV and have a bit of fun'.
Well, I've never been sure what my idea of 'fun' might be - or what 'fun' is at all.
But I'm absolutely certain that lurching around the landscape in a motorised wheelbarrow isn't it.
You see convoys of the confounded things hooting at each other on summer Sundays here, when some of us are trying to get a bit of peace. I used to think 2CV people were just another example of the quaint way that France is 40 years behind the rest of the world, now I just think they are a pain in the butt.
There's an English guy near me who owns a very early 2CV that is completely covered in surface rust which he treats with oil to keep it looking 'original', he told me. How weird is that?
If you want to know about 'My Idea of Fun', read the book by Will Self. Very enjoyable.
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>> There's an English guy near me who owns a very early 2CV that is completely
>> covered in surface rust which he treats with oil to keep it looking 'original', he
>> told me. How weird is that?
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Seen a few of the Yank car programs where they love the patina of an older car so much that they'll clean it thoroughly and then laquer it, rather than repainting, to preserve the originality.
Then they change the engine, lower the suspension, fit alloy wheels, retrim and repaint the interior....
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Fun?
Of course they are fun! In a way that no modern car could ever be. You have to concentrate when driving them. i.e. be aware of what's going on around you and look ahead, in order to preserve momentum and not be left for dead.
In fact, driving them is not like driving a car. It's a sort of a half-way house between a car and a lawn-mower. The mechanical simplicity (actually quite a complicated design but one not burdened with EGRs, ECUs, DPFs, and many other modern three-letter-abbreviations) adds to the attraction.
Fortunately I bought mine for a song as an MOT failure 15 years ago, since when it has never failed its test, and has appreciated handsomely in the process.
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I'd rather go lawn-mower racing.
Or eat my own entrails.
My point was - what is 'fun'? In 63 years I've never found a satisfactory answer to that question.
For what it's worth, I have a very modern car and, to my disappointment, I find I have to concentrate on driving it much more than anything else much older that I have owned in recent years, simply because it isn't a 'driver's car'.
Also for what it's worth, my friend has a 2CV he bought new, maintained in full running order, with a staggeringly low kilometrage on it. It's one of those which, for reasons known only to people who understand 'fun', drives its windscreen wipers via the speedometer cable - or is it the other way around? He can't understand why I am not biting his hand off to drive it.
Last edited by: Mike Hannon on Mon 29 Jul 13 at 15:00
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We had one as the office/pool car thirty years ago.
I always had a grin when I was driving it. It was so daft.
Leaned over alarmingly on bends, but never came off.
Had to keep changing gear to keep in the "power" band.
I understand that the suspension was designed so that a farmer could drive over a field without breaking any eggs in a tray on the passenger seat.
You could take out all the seats for a pic-nic.
Made me laugh that the key didn't lock the doors, but unlocked the handle, so it spun round.
You have to take off the front wings to fettle the brakes.
8o)
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Early 375cc and 425cc 2CVs were very sluggish. They needed their excellent brakes because they had to be driven absolutely flat out all the time with momentum - undiminished speed - a permanent priority, leading inevitably to occasional fraught moments.
Later 602cc variants were a bit better. When I had a Dyane with that engine it was far too slow for me and I caned it mercilessly, but these days I could probably cope with one fairly calmly. It's an age thing.
I've come across a good few horrible cars in my time, but never one that wasn't 'fun' in some way.
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I had one for several years as a "go to work" car.Thoroughly enjoyable-foot flat on the floor thro' roundabouts etc. 602cc. and even got it onto rh. lane of M25 unless I had to slow down.I'd rather drive a low powered car with my foot flat on the floor than a high-powered one always being held up.Much more enjoyable.
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Quite fun old things but they rust badly. Many enthusiasts go for a replacement galvanised chassis. Quite easy to do as everything just bolts on.
Feeble engine but quite acceptable for local journeys. Quite satisfying to thrash it as well.
Structural strength of a soggy cardboard box though, best not to crash one.
Great fun and very lovable for those that understand.
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'foot flat on the floor thro' roundabouts'
So that's why the French do it...
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Tin Snails on the March - Robin O'Reliant
