Rating The Citroens

Hi Tony, yes, high-backed frontseats and 4-speed box.

My GSX was red and was well-worn when I bought it for £70. But I repaired the rusty front door bottoms and carried out a number of other improvements. Used it to drive from Newbury to Durham University for a seminar (at the same time as that appalling coach motorway crash) where I was complimented on its condition.

It was eventually damaged in the foggy A4 accident that I've described previously. Got £350 for it from the other person's insurance, bought it back for £50, repaired it and passed it on to my number 3 son.

My first choice would still be a GSA. You've got me going now, I'm going to have to start searching!

Derek

PS. I've just remembered another weakness. They used to wear their front wheel bearings out regularly. I've still got the set of three special sockets that I milled out to remove them.

This post has been edited by DerekW on January 10, 2009 06:39 pm

The Gs has the prettier looks though:

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C65119

how did I miss that one!?

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C72371
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C71990

and the house in this picture looks VERY familiar doesn't it:
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C63633

Andrew

That's strange Derek, I've never had a problem with wheel bearings on any G!

Sure, rust in the bodyshell and rear subframe, sun peeling back seats, noisy driver's cam, oil return
pipe leaks, leaky cam covers and flat spots on the carbs, especially the Solex ones but the Webbers
were rubbish too as well as the previously mentioned front pipes and Y piece.

You know what, the drive made it all worthwhile in an imperfect world where these "sins" were
happily accepted and learned to be accommodated for in the regular maintenance. And then there
are the looks. A chrome bumpered early G with honeycomb grille is every bit as stunning a
masterpiece of design as an Sm or Cx which of course we have Mr Opron and his team to thank
for designing!

Purity of design and application of design engineering - now there's a formidable concept!

Andrew

This post has been edited by Andmcit on January 10, 2009 07:43 pm

Wouldn't touch a left hooker - perhaps my mind my change when I move further away from the Dartford toll bridge. Great for kerb crawling though

Ah... the GS. With all its idiosyncracies... such as being unable to replace the starter motor with the engine in situ, except when you knocked a couple cooling fins off the clutch house.

And its wonderful, wonderful boxer four, with its mild vibrations and its huge midrange response. And then that sound. Faintly reminiscent of the Beetle engine, but much smoother (in power delivery as well as in engine soundtrack).

And the weird biscuit tin holding all the controls. Including the horn button, which was carefully hidden so that you would HAVE to read the manual when you would be waiting at a railway crossing, and the van in front of you slooooowly crept backwards.

And, of course, the unheard-of-in-its-class suspension, handling and brakes.

It was a truly flawed, but truly great car. The Top Gear boys always say that "you cannot be a petrolhead if you haven't at some point in your life owned an Alfa."
I think the GS out-Alfa'd the Alfas of its era in many respects. It had more faults, more flair, and more character. It was a singularly unique car.

This post has been edited by peterh on January 10, 2009 08:36 pm

Hi Sam

No the BX WASN't Galvanised! It DID have very good undersealing!! But not galvanised, hence the rust comeing through well in strange areas...

Paul

Well I owned an Alfa Sud, an Alfa GTV and several GSs back in the 70s. The GS is the only car that I'd REALLY like to have again. Yes flawed in many ways but years ahead of anything else at the time.

I'm having quite severe GS withdrawal symptoms - and I do still have the Gs's I ran daily
in the early 90's...

Accepted, there can't be that many cars where it's an essential prerequisite that the inlet/
exhaust/carb needs removal to remove the starter motor!

mind, it's a doddle lifting the whole branch off the engine but there's a bit of faff getting
the tinware off the engine. It all needs to be fitted properly/carefully as the heat collection
into the car's ventilation is drawn from the tin skin around the engine - sadly hidden but
every bit as attractive to look at as a motorcycle engine.

IIRC, the very learned LJK Setright wrote a very glowing account in 'Car' about the GS engine
and referred to the boxer4 as one of the best engines ever - mind, that was in the late 70's.
Mind, it could've been the 2CV engine - in fact I recall the pair were siamesed into that accolade.

Andrew

There was a motorcycle brand (undoubtedly a shed operation) that actually used the 1220CC Boxer from the GS in a motorcycle. I forgot which brand it was...

I think Citroën also used this engine in the Ami Super.

That's right - must admit, I thought the bike was a 1300 and guess what:

http://www.citroenet.org.uk/miscellaneous/bfg/bfg.htm

Also, that's why my wish list includes a nice Ami Super though 1222 would be better than
the original 1015!! Do you remember the carry-on to change an alternator or even simply
the alternator belt!!

Andrew

Lets see....


2cv == Yep !
CX == Yep x 2 .... early turbo diesel wagon and late GTi Turbo please
DS == Yep x 2 .... early DS19 (50's) and late DS23ie 5spd pallas.
GS == Yep ....
BX == Nah you can keep 'em
Xantia == No thanks... Ok, maybe for the wife.
XM == I'll be right... You can keep it... Ok maybe for the wife
C6 == Maybe, will someone ever let me near one
C5 == Nah ... Where's the proper brakes suspension and steering,.. Ok, maybe for the wife someday.
ZX == What ?? That's no Citroen, must be another b@stardised Poogoe
Xsara == See ZX
SM == GIMME, GIMME, GIMME
Traction == You please, make it a big 6 hydraulique (or a legere small body)
AX == See ZX
Saxo == See ZX

seeya,
Shane L.

What's wrong with the BX, Shane?

I reckon that the BX td was one of the first 'hot hatches'

Um,

have you guys ever heard of a R5 turbo, 205, (lets not say VW), they were the original hot hatches

Nah, I just don't like BX's, there just a smaller lighter, incredible fragile cosmetically Xantia. They can be a hoot to drive, but out here you'll watch them disintegrate before your eyes. The plastic just turns to dust. I am biased though, unless it's a 2cv I like BIG cars ! Infact I'm not overly fond of any of the Poogoe b@stardised cars (even though they are vastly superior in build quality with a much more modern design).

Stupid things like sh!t steering, cr@p front end geometry ... How can we f#ck up the exceptional citroen HP brakes...... I GOT IT !!! Let put a bloody big soft spring under the brake pedal, creating the worst damn brakes a Citroen has ever been sold with... Gimme 4wheel Traction drums over the god awful, uncontrollable "spring" Xantia brakes. At least you can regulate the 4wheel drums with some semblance of control !

seeya,
Shane L.

Hi Sam

No the BX WASN't Galvanised! It DID have very good undersealing!! But not galvanised, hence the rust comeing through well in strange areas...

Paul

My mistake. Regardless, the ZX wasn't the first, since the XM was several years ahead of it.