Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Rick]

Hi,

I'm not sure that I'd ever be brave enough to buy an ID or DS, although a Safari estate does appeal.

Has anyone here owned one?




http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/citroen.htm

RJ
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[PAUL BEAUMONT]

A Maserati engined SM appears at local shows occasionally. The view under the bonnet is a sight to behold!

[mikeC]

I'm with you there, Rick; I'll continue to admire from afar
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in the garage: 1938 Talbot Ten Airline
Recently departed: 1953 Lancia Appia, 1931 Austin Seven, 1967 Singer Chamois, 1914 Saxon, 1930 Morris Cowley, 1936 BSA Scout, 1958 Lancia Appia coupe, 1922 Star 11.9 ... the list goes on!

[peppiB]

In the mid 70's my MD had one, which I had to drive just the once. The plates on the floor instead of true 'push' type pedals, and the illusion from the single spoke steering wheel took some getting used to. I declined to drive it a second time

[peter scott]

I can remember back in the mid 50s thinking the DS was absolutely fabulous and why could British car designers not produce anything as exciting.

I have never owned one but did taste a little of its qualities in the BX that I enjoyed for several years.

The ability to raise and lower the suspension was rarely used but useful when taking a wheel off. I also liked the progressive failure when it had sprung a leak. If I remember correctly the suspension deflated first followed by the lack of power steering and only after that did you lose the foot brake.

Peter
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http://www.nostalgiatech.co.uk
1939 SS Jaguar 2 1/2 litre saloon

[Da Tow'd]

One of the best driving car I have too bad the timing chain broke and then it went through a flood
I have a very rusty estate in my "junk yard"
I'm still looking for another one
cheers
Hank

[Churchill Johnson]

i had a 19 many many year's aaaago had it given to me i put an m.o.t, on it never went on road after that then i found it had a cracked cyl head so it went for scrap.

[Ashley]

I've always wanted one since I first rode in one in 1955, but although I've ridden in them and driven them, even with the semi automatic box, I've never owned one.

However I have owned two 2 CVs, a new GS1220 Club, a BX19GTI and two XMs, all brilliant, but I've never owned a DS.

[emmerson]

This could be a long post, so be warned!
I went on honeymoon in my 1955 Light Fifteen in 1964. It was one of the last Slough - built cars, and was incredible! That car was the start of my love-affair with all things Citroen. Sadly, it had to be sold in 1965, due to the arrival of my first-born. I was Citroen-less, but had all sorts of mundane motors none of which met my now French-based standards, until 1968, when a new job and extra money made it possible to buy a 1955 DS 19, one of the first made.
What an absolute joy that car was to own and to drive, but a nightmare to keep on the road. The bodywork appeared to be made of tissue paper and all the miriad hydraulic pipes out of spaghetti, but I (and Herself) loved it. We travelled many miles all over the country in it, but it wasn't unusual to return from a trip with part of the hydraulics blocked off due to a burst pipe!
After a couple of years it became just too much, so I scrapped it, and bought a 1962 model, in the brightest red I'd ever seen! That one was almost trouble-free, but it did cause me a fright one summer night. Driving home quite late, at warp speed on the M4, I was stopped by the police in their then new Triumph 2.5pi. After a slight discussion about speed limits the policeman said, "Anyway, don't worry about that. I've just bought a DS. This is my address, come and see it some time" Sadly dead now, but that guy was a friend for many years.
Anyway, back to the story. Like Rick, I'd always fancied a Safari estate, and after a couple of years, one came up for sale at the local Citroen agency, so I p/x'ed the saloon and bought it. It was a 1962 French-built import, but with RHD, and turned out to be yet another rusty money pit!
At that time, probably mid seventies, HTV used Safaris as camera cars, running round the inside of the track with a camera on the roof (built-in roofrack, to stop the roof flexing) and another on a platform built out over the bonnet.
One of these came up for sale, complete with all the racks and fittings, so once again, I scrapped my car, and bought it.
Beautiful, it was, in deep maroon and grey, and polished to perfection, with very low mileage, but dodgy clutch. (Bear in mind that the "DS" designation meant that there was no clutch pedal: the clutch worked by pressure on the gear lever) Repaired and on the road, I went to the bank to draw the staff wages. The manager at that time was a friend of my boss, and as I parked outside the side entrance to the bank, he was just leaving for lunch. He stopped on the top step, looked at the length of this huge car, and said " Emmerson, that is the most beautiful car I have ever seen. Is it yours, or our's?"A lovely man, sorted me a great deal on my first mortgage too.
I got stuck halfway up a mountain near Bala with the caravan with that car, but that's another story.
Anyway, as already mentioned, I needed a mortgage, so that car had to go, too. I sold it to an icecream company, who rang me up after a few months to ask if I'd come and look at it, as it wouldn't go. I duly went along to find the car down on its oxters, loaded with icecream, and a freezer unit, with a huge fridge trailer full of goods on the hook. Apparently it had had a fluid leak last week, so they had topped it up with engine oil! As the system was designed only to usr its own fluid, when they put all this weight on it, to use their words " stuff spewed out from everywhere"! End of a delightful car.
I then went into private hire, with a couple of Cortinas and the like, but couldn't really settle to mundanity, so bought myself another Safari, this time another almost last of the line, a 1973 pale blue one. Gorgeous, but couldn't really justify keeping it, and needing a more car-like car for the cabs, I bought a 1976 Citroen CX 2.0L. Nice car, but never a patch on the DSs, so after that went, I again drove lots of more common stuff, until I got bitten by the Range Rover bug twenty years ago, and I've never looked back.
Now, I'd just like to be able a DS23!

[emmerson]

That last sentence should read " I'd like to be able to AFFORD a DS!

[greenbeam]

Just reviving this topic.

My 22yo son is after an "unusual, utilitarian classic".

He's found a 1971 DS Estate and we plan to go and have a look on the weekend. I know nothing about these cars.

Is anyone able to provide some (a list I suspect) things to look for when considering buying? How can one test/check the hydraulics? Any signs of impending trouble.

The photos show a couple of rust bubbles on the roof near the front rain gutter. How terminal is/could that be?

How does one test the transmission? What am I looking for?

The car looks great, it would be a most unusual classic here in Australia. But I don't want him to get in over his head (and wallet!).

Cheers,
Paul.
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1963 Sunbeam Alpine Series 3
1935 Armstrong Siddeley 17HP Sports Saloon
1935 Armstrong Siddeley 17HP Coachbuilt Saloon

[JohnDale]

Greetings to OZ. The hydraulic pipes which run font to rear under the floor are one point for rust - only one of many I'm afraid,cheers,JD.
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1958 Ford Zephyr Mk2 Convertible
1976 Ford Granada Ghia.

[Ashley]

Fabulous cars and unconventional, which means its handy to have access to a club and technical support. Its probably not a starters choice unless he enjoys a challenge.

What is the Citroen spares situation in Oz because that might a deal breaker.

[PAUL BEAUMONT]

"Utilitarian" is not a word that I would use in association with a DS - 2CV yes, but most definitely not a DS

[emmerson]

Greenbeam, if you've read my post from last December, you'll see that I was an absolute Citroen fanatic!
I don't have one now because they are quite simply out of my price range, although if I could sell my first-born, i might just manage it!
But, the main problem in any car of that age will be rust, and boy can they rust! They do it just for fun as you watch.
And not only bodywork, because all those miles of high pressure hydraulic pipes are made from mild steel, and most of them are in places where mud and dirt can get trapped, and gradually eat the pipes away until you notice the suspension gets wallowy, then the steering gets heavy, the gearchange doesn't work, then finally you hit a wall cos the brakes fail!
But, for all that, and much as I love my Range Rover LSE, I would like another one.
If you do buy it, enjoy it!