[Chris Reynolds]

I’ll echo that, the interior looks amazing, great job. Also, fascinating information on the fader and useful links in the thread too, I’d not heard of adspallas before

[Chris Reynolds]

Thanks Paul, I’ll definitely check the engine code (I’ve got a little notebook with a list of things to check based on all the buying guides I’ve read and advice I’ve been given, it’s an attempt to remind me to not be swept away by glossy paintwork) I envy your eye for detail on the engine sizes, as you say it may just be laziness on C and C but it all creates questions in your head. The dates are also an interesting point and I’ll try and remember to look carefully at any original paperwork to find out actual manufacture date. Could well be an import issue but worth checking

I looked at a DSuper5 a while ago that had the separate 5 and mentioned it to Darrin who said it was a feature of early cars.

According to nuancier (translation courtesy of the Firefox transaction add in). He has pictures of the badge with the 5 separate and then as one badge with the words
“Yes, look carefully at the logo: the 5 is detached.

This is a feature of the very first months of production of the DSuper 5, from August 72 to about September 72, I would say. Later, the logo will be all attached”

Thanks again for taking time to help me out

[Chris Reynolds]

Thank you all for the info and photos, it’s fascinating tracking the changes that happened. I’m away on my holidays so responses are a bit slower.

Thank you for doing an inspection visit Julian, it sounds like you were quite taken with the car. I appreciate your feedback as it all helps me.

So I’ve got three D’s in the air at the moment:
St. Albans – 4 speed DSuper that sounds a good everyday car
Banbury – SA DSS20/5. Some info here ( https://nuancierds.fr/DT%20af%20sud.htm ). Looks good and sounds cared for
Warminster – DSuper5 – lots of work done but bodywork needs attention

From memory my original D moved along OK, pretty sure it was a DSpecial originally so would have been either a DV2, DV3 or DY2. The engine was replaced by a DX4 after an incident and I definitely enjoyed the extra oomph.

I’m stopping off to look at the Banbury one on the way home from holiday so I can report my findings.

Thanks again everybody

[Chris Reynolds]

Thank you both, particularly for the link to the advert, fascinating. I knew but didn’t remember that SA cars did their own thing to an extent so the thoughts on engine etc are really useful. I’ve seen one SA car that wasn’t as rust-free as the advert made out so I’m certainly not taking it as a guarantee

I will contact the vendor and ask about the engine and perhaps take a look.

[Chris Reynolds]

Thanks both, I’m away for about 10 days and will try and get over to St. Albans after that and report back. I know all about that avalanche, my Barchetta needed new rear springs which somehow ended up with the whole back axle disassembled on my garage floor – managed to stop myself before it went any further and got the car back together.

Not quite right but a bit of a Frankenstein car has emerged on C+C, not too far away from me:

https://www.carandclassic.com/l/C2079483

To my untrained eye it looks like a sort of semi-Pallas upgrade that has had some money spent on it and is in my price range so I’ll muse on that while I’m away.

Ideally a LHD DSuper5 in Bleu D’Orient will turn up in better condition than the Warminster one but let’s not let perfect be the enemy of good, so I’ll keep looking.

Thanks for the photos, those barn finds are fascinating, to think they’ve just been sitting there all this time, good work on connecting with the owner. That last ID19 looks lovely and if I thought I had the skills needed to bring it back to life I’d be sore tempted.

I really appreciate the time you’ve all put into your responses, it makes me glad I rejoined the club.

[Chris Reynolds]

I admire your tenacity to keep going on such a project. Reading back through old posts on here has been humbling and inspiring in seeing the work, skill an perseverance of you and others.

I’m lucky in that I do have a large double garage that means I do have space but you’re right about the size when dismantled. One of the reasons that I now have room for a D is that I’m selling my Fiat Barchetta which is a tiny car in comparison but I also bought a lot of spares (particularly body panels) from a chap breaking his. I can’t believe how much space I’ve liberated now the spares have gone. Just need someone to buy the car now.

It wouldn’t take much to put me off doing bodywork and you’ve definitely helped that journey! I did the boot lid of my old D and managed to make it look barely adequate from 100 metres away.

A DSuper 5 or maybe a manual DS21 is probably my ideal choice and I definitely agree that I don’t want to mollycoddle it. Yes it’ll be put to bed in a nice dry garage but I want to use it and enjoy it.

[Chris Reynolds]

Sound advice.
Your car sounds like mine would have been if I hadn’t given up on it. Mine was my only car for a few years and gave sterling service (I did put a new steering rack in) but failed an MOT on a wobbly swivel joint. I couldn’t afford to fix it and by that time we had a modern car and a baby. It was garaged but, at that time, the garage was pretty damp and so it just sat and rusted and rusted and seized. By the time I could find time to look it it was in a sad way and so I let it go, part of me wishes I’d kept it until now when I’m retired and have the time but can’t turn the clock back. I’ve since done what I should have done years ago and put a dehumidifier in the garage.

You’re right about scruffy in the flesh, I’ve seen that in two of the cars I’ve looked at. I think £10K might be right for the St. Albans car, watching the video of it on C and C you can see rust in normal bodywork places as well as cracked corners of the instrument panel. All fixable with time and money if I want to take it on. I’ve a mate who lives in St. Albans so I could take a look and have a beer with him.

[Chris Reynolds]

Thanks for your message. I think goes to the heart of my prevarication over what to buy and why. Do I just want a DS that I can enjoy driving with the acceptance that I’ll need to get the tools out now and then as problems arise but can mostly be just used. Or do I want something that will clearly need work and so give me a hobby to use and learn skills. I’ve looked at doing a basic welding and bodywork course and think that might be worthwhile depending on what car I get. Unlike you I haven’t spent enough time dicking around with cars to have built up a lot of skills but I do enjoy challenging myself.

For instance there’s this one close to me that I may go and look at:

https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1875424

It sounds like the bones have been fixed but with lots of bodywork to be done. Looking at the prices of replacement panels and some stab on amount of workshop time and I can easily imagine £20K+ to get the bodywork sorted. And that gets you close to just buying one of Olivier’s that, at least going by the photos, have had that work done.

Interesting on the St. Albans car as I’d not looked closely into it but it might well be worth looking at

https://www.carandclassic.com/make-an-offer/1971-citroen-ds-d-super-nvmzkg

The obvious answer is that I need two DSes, one to drive and one to restore.

[Chris Reynolds]

That’s great, thank you Paul. I have also rapidly downloaded them for safe keeping. It’s a fantastic source of information and hats off to all those, especially, Tony who’ve worked to make these documents available.

Back when I had my old D I bought a copy of the workshop manual from Citroen Andre and, while useful, it had to be said that the photographs weren’t the greatest quality copies, the work that’s be done to improve those scans is fantastic.

Thanks for the link to your site too, I’ve often looked at it and been impressed by your dedication in recording your work. I start off with good intentions but …

[Chris Reynolds]

Olivier’s cars do look nice in the photos, I need an excuse to head that way to take a look at some point – they’re on the upper edges (and beyond) of my price range but you never know.

It looks promising for the D rally on the Sunday for me so I’m looking forward to that

[Chris Reynolds]

Thread resurrection ahoy!

Hello again, I’ve just re-joined the club after letting membership lapse. A few personal issues last year meant my car hunt disappeared off my to-do list.

But I’m back and again looking for a D much as before. I’ve looked at four so far without yet pulling the trigger. I did look at the one that went for auction recently for about £40K, it did look lovely but I’d almost be scared to park it anywhere!

I’m currently watching Car and Classic, RetroSpecParts, French Classics, Pallas Auto and DS workshop for ones that appear.

I found the discussion on doors interesting as one I’ve looked at has terrible doors and I wondered whether it was cheaper/better to just buy repro doors or have them fixed. Either way I’d probably be paying somebody to do it as, although I have moderate competence at mechanics and electrics, bodywork is not something I feel comfortable with attempting.

Anyway, good to be back and I may be able to get to the D Rally this year for a nose

[Author]

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