Citroen 2CV rear main seal replacement and clutch replacement

[Ben Boyle]

SOme friends of mine helped me rip into my Citroen 2CV and we'll probably finish it tomorrow.

I thought some of you might like to see pics.
http://community.webshots.com/album/552206657hcFqlv

 

[Gary Allan]

I always loved French "conceptual art" in the form of automobiles. I just wish their engineering and manufacturing were on par with it. You have to love French and Italian autos. They've got to be doing something for you ...otherwise you wouldn't put up with them. Sorta like most women.

Thanks for sharing the images.

 

[XS650]

quote:

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Originally posted by Gary Allan:
I always loved French "conceptual art" in the form of automobiles. I just wish their engineering and manufacturing were on par with it. You have to love French and Italian autos. They've got to be doing something for you ...otherwise you wouldn't put up with them. Sorta like most women.

Thanks for sharing the images.

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Vive Le Difference!

Have you noticed that almost all the older French cars had 4 doors, no matter how small they were? The French would put 4 doors on a phone booth if they could.

Considering it's design goals and when it was designed, the 2CV was an example of good engineering. They are even reliable. Can't say that about many of the 50s 60s and 70s French cars though.

 

[Ben Boyle]

Yeah, the 2CV is pretty reliable. I've put 36,000 miles on it in the past 2 years.

But, I also ran into the problem of it having the frame collapse this spring. IT now has a new galvanized frame!

 

[Gary Allan]

I loved my 1979 (or was it 1980) Pukeout 504 wagon (non-turbo diesel). Best handling and riding front end on the planet. The thing could never stay out of the shop. I hated to get rid of it ..but it had reached almost half the purchase price in out of warranty maintenance and repairs in 2 years of ownership. I did about 80k a year in it at that time.

I've admired Citroens since I saw one in an auto show in Boston (I think) when I was 14 years old. They were really advanced. Eye level brake lights ..single spoke steering wheel (was this abandoned

) ..hydraulic adjustable suspension ..all kinds of goodies while next door was an AMC Rebel that had all the grace of a cement mixer and creature comforts of a buckboard.

 

[Shannow]

Most long lived car in my familie's fleet was a Renault 16TL.

Odometer stopped working at 340,000km, and Dad drove it for another 5 or 6 years before selling it.

 

[Ben Boyle]

Never fear, most Citroens to this day have single spoke steering wheels. Here's a TV advertisement for a new one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6X7PAdSfHO8


I've admired Citroens since I saw one in an auto show in Boston (I think) when I was 14 years old. They were really advanced. Eye level brake lights ..single spoke steering wheel (was this abandoned

) ..hydraulic adjustable suspension ..all kinds of goodies while next door was an AMC Rebel that had all the grace of a cement mixer and creature comforts of a buckboard. [/QB][/QUOTE]

 

[carock]

French cars are really under rated in America. Too bad because French cars are more suited to American driving than German or Italian cars. THe French cars a comfortable over long distances, frugal with fuel, and sized for American frames. Reliability is not great, but is probably on par with some American cars. The reliability would be better if we were used to working on them here. BMW reliability would be awful except that some of us American mechanics have figured out how to keep them going. With experience even Fiats can be pretty reliable and durable. The only cars I have known that were simply impossible to trust on the road were British cars and a few of the early front wheel drive American cars.