Cost considerations. A complete set of shoes and cylinders at the back will cost you only around x55. Ignition parts are cheap to buy and easy to fit.

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Geoffrey Walker
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miles. Kingpins should be greased every 1000 miles to try and maximise their life, but other than that, the handbook supplied with the 2CV can be followed for other service tasks.

1 Cost considerations affordable, or a money pit? Citroën recommended 6000 mile service intervals by the end of production, but most specialists would suggest that a 3000 mile oil change interval is a better bet, with the filter swapped every 6000 miles. Kingpins should be greased every 1000 miles to try and maximise their life, but other than that, the handbook supplied with the 2CV can be followed for other service tasks. Small service: x45 Large service: x100 New clutch (not fitted): x60; (fitted): x150 Rebuilt engine (not fitted): x700; (fitted): x950 Recon gearbox (not fitted): x320; (fitted): x480 Brake caliper: x135 Brake drum: x30 Brake disc: x17 Brake pads: x14 Brake shoe, front: x20; rear: x18 Wing, front: x80; wing, rear: x60 pattern: x100 genuine Exhaust system: x78 Recon steering rack: x150 Replacement chassis (not fitted): x350; (fitted): x900 Recon carb: x120 Complete body shell restoration: x2000; complete car x7000 plus Full respray: x1200 A complete set of shoes and cylinders at the back will cost you only around x55. Ignition parts are cheap to buy and easy to fit. Parts that are hard to find: Trim bits for older 2CVs can take time to locate if you need a totally factory-fresh restoration. Michelin tyres can be in short supply as they are batch produced, and currently new wiper motors are unavailable. Parts that are expensive: Most bits are very cheap, although the cost of repair panels needed to save some 2CVs can mount up. Bonnets are pretty pricey at over x300. 7

4 Relative values which model for you? This chapter will attempt to give an idea, expressed as a percentage, of the value of individual models in good condition.

ratings below. A concours car will be worth considerably more, and here the value gap between ages definitely narrows. A basket case would be around a tenth of the quoted amount or less.

2 4 Relative values which model for you? This chapter will attempt to give an idea, expressed as a percentage, of the value of individual models in good condition. For example, a 1980s car in a roadworthy and useable condition currently sells for roughly x2000 in the UK at the time of writing, a 1950 Ripple in the same condition would fetch x4000, hence their ratings below. A concours car will be worth considerably more, and here the value gap between ages definitely narrows. A basket case would be around a tenth of the quoted amount or less. Model A until 1953 With the exception of the twin-engined Sahara, which is so rare that it has been excluded from this listing, the most valuable cars are from the first years of production which had welded box sections in the doors and a seam welded bonnet, replaced after June 1953 by pressings and spot welding respectively. These cars are rare today and command high prices. 100% Other Ripples are sought-after too and their prices continue to rise. The most valuable main run 2CV is probably an early Ripple with a seamwelded bonnet and box section door strengtheners. Other Ripple Bonnet cars (AZ, AZL, and AZLP) These cars built from 1953 to December 1960 represent the mainstream Ripple Bonnet production and are more common. Prices for good cars have risen sharply over the last few years and continue to do so as these models represent the period when the 2CV dominated the domestic (French) small car market and laid the foundations of its status as a national treasure. 75% Slough-built cars Despite the 2CV s very Gallic image and style, Citroën decided that there was a market for right-hand drive cars both in the UK and the Commonwealth, so 10

production started in Slough in 1953. The cars had many differences as over 50% of their constituent parts had to be sourced locally to avoid it being labelled an import.

These commercial vehicles are too rare to include, so the value figure is based on the saloons, which will always be worth more than a French-built vehicle of the same specification and period.

3 production started in Slough in The cars had many differences as over 50% of their constituent parts had to be sourced locally to avoid it being labelled an import. Only 673 saloons were made along with 291 vans and 72 pickups. These commercial vehicles are too rare to include, so the value figure is based on the saloons, which will always be worth more than a French-built vehicle of the same specification and period. 85% 1960s models This period saw a continuing evolution of the 2CV, at the beginning of the decade it was essentially a Ripple with a new bonnet, but the arrival of front-hinged doors, better instruments and seats, a third window in each side and radial tyres, ensured that by the end of the 1960s it had at least tried to keep pace with a rapidly evolving market. These 2CVs although still charming, are less sought after as the cutting edge of the design had been blunted. Difficulties in fitting legal seat belts to meet UK construction and use regulations also dampened their appeal in this market. 50% This 1970s Special is a rare car now, worth more than more common models of the period, although there are a growing number of people searching out early drum-braked cars to restore, especially right-hand drive ones. 1960s cars are less valuable in the UK, but on the continent prices are better. They are still great cars to drive, even if it is slowly. This one might require a little work though. The Charleston was a great success for Citroën, and a short run was soon expanded to full production. A first series drum-braked version finished in maroon and black (which was subtly changed when the model went mainstream) is worth the most on the new generation Major changes and the first official UK imports in 1974 as an oil crisis suddenly made economy motoring seem like the sensible way forward. In the UK, the model was warmly embraced with sales rising rapidly to make it one of Citroën s best 11

8 Key points where to look for problems If the 2CV you are looking at is still on its original Citroën chassis, check it out very carefully for holes.

The back panel oozes rust all along its seam. It is not simple to repair as three panels meet at this point, and as usual, time means money.

4 8 Key points where to look for problems If the 2CV you are looking at is still on its original Citroën chassis, check it out very carefully for holes. Plates welded over the top of them will do nothing for its strength, although it may have a roadworthiness certificate. Either reject the car or haggle for a very substantial discount. The back panel oozes rust all along its seam. It is not simple to repair as three panels meet at this point, and as usual, time means money. Examine the rear quarters carefully and use your magnet to check for filler. Repairs here are time-consuming and therefore expensive. Rot can be found anywhere from the guttering by the back door all the way down to the bumper. Sills erupt through the sides, along the floor join and underneath. Look for filler on the outside and Floors rot at excessive amounts the front where of seam sealer on your feet go, all the internal joints. along the sill join, where they meet the rear seat box and above the box section strengtheners welded underneath. In fact, just about everywhere. The bulkhead, which is an inner and outer panel welded together, rusts quite happily on both sides. The interior panel has sound deadening pads stuck on which can disguise how bad things are, so give the whole area a good hefty push. You will hear rotten metal creak and groan under the pressure. Rust staining can give the game away, too. 22

5 15 Problems due to lack of use just like their owners, 2CVs need exercise! When left for any length of time, hydraulic parts suffer, even when they use LHM as their fluid like this caliper; drum brake systems are worse. Hydraulic problems 2CVs with drum brakes all round rely on normal brake fluid which is hydroscopic and attracts water, which promotes internal rusting. Expect seized cylinders and leaks if the car has been sitting long, and even a short period could produce enough contamination to give a spongy pedal. The disc system with LHM mineral fluid is less prone to this, but rear cylinders and caliper pistons can still stick with time and inactivity. Electrics dislike sitting around, too, voltage regulators and alternators in particular. Electrical problems Alternators, dynamos, starters and mechanical voltage regulators do not like disuse. Corrosion builds up on exposed brushes and their tracks, and the points in regulators fur up. It is fairly common for these items to cause problems shortly after the car is pressed back into service, particularly on the charging side where even solid state regulators seem to give up the ghost. No battery will stand long term inactivity well, and recharging will fail to revive them if the debris, usually held in suspension in the electrolyte, has settled and shorted out the plates. Wiring connections oxidise and frequently require separating and cleaning, as do bulb holders. Hoods seem to shrink and split even when stored out of direct sunlight. This one has pulled away from its side mounting. Hood The 2CV s fabric hood shrinks from exposure to ultra violet light, but the process seems to continue unabated even when the car is left in a garage. The hood becomes very brittle and cracks readily with age, so replacement is the only solution. Oil contamination Engine oil picks up several nasty contaminants when in use, including acids, and if the car has been used regularly for short trips, water from condensation can be a problem. When the vehicle is then left, these promote rusting and deterioration in 55

AUSTIN HEALEY SPRITE MKI (FROG EYE) REBUILD CARRIED OUT DURING THE 1990s

AUSTIN HEALEY SPRITE MKI (FROG EYE) REBUILD CARRIED OUT DURING THE 1990s The car was owned by a friend who had it stored for a few years, when I first looked at it, the bonnet off and stored separate,