Alors, all good things must come to an end.
I've just finished writing the advert as the car is going up for sale. I'll miss her. A lot. I hope she goes to someone who'll treat her in the appropriate fashion.
This blog will (hopefully) follow the restoration of my 1973 Citroen DS21 Super 5.
Thursday 22 November 2012
Friday 2 November 2012
Sorry for neglecting the little blog, been a bit busy driving old cars too fast.
We're about to leave for this year's November Sun Run, this time it is Champagne to the High Jura. Really looking forward to seeing those parts of France and Germany that are a bit off the normal tourist trail. It covers some of the classic 50's and 60's rally routes which should be good.
The DS has performed magnificently again this year but not without her problems. The latest was another ignition barrel catastrophe. The replacement barrel that I bought back in Spring failed just last week. This was a real problem, not least because it gave us 7 days to sort it before needing to leave for France.
Michael the Magician did some sterling work, cracking on into the night to come up with a rather elegant fix - we tore out the entire ignition barrel and steering lock and installed an electrical cut off, ignition switch and starter button. It works like a dream and the new bespoke loom seems to carry much more power meaning start ups are much cleaner and easier.
That's about it for now, still a few jobs to go but come Sunday morning we'll be heading to Hull for the ferry to Belgium and then we get cracking. Updates to follow.
We're about to leave for this year's November Sun Run, this time it is Champagne to the High Jura. Really looking forward to seeing those parts of France and Germany that are a bit off the normal tourist trail. It covers some of the classic 50's and 60's rally routes which should be good.
The DS has performed magnificently again this year but not without her problems. The latest was another ignition barrel catastrophe. The replacement barrel that I bought back in Spring failed just last week. This was a real problem, not least because it gave us 7 days to sort it before needing to leave for France.
Michael the Magician did some sterling work, cracking on into the night to come up with a rather elegant fix - we tore out the entire ignition barrel and steering lock and installed an electrical cut off, ignition switch and starter button. It works like a dream and the new bespoke loom seems to carry much more power meaning start ups are much cleaner and easier.
That's about it for now, still a few jobs to go but come Sunday morning we'll be heading to Hull for the ferry to Belgium and then we get cracking. Updates to follow.
Thursday 9 August 2012
Well it has been a while since the last update, been rather busy with lots going on.
News:
So far the old French girl is booked on to The November Sun Run where we hope to retain our best of class title. We're also doing the Hero Events Throckmorton Challenge.
However, the best news is that I'll be competing in LeJog in association with Mission Motorsport (www.missionmotorsport.org) - they are a charity that specialises in getting wounded soldiers into motorsport. We're still hashing out the details but hopefully they'll be putting forward a navigator and co-driver/mechanic for the rally. Very exciting.
Also this weekend (starting today actually) is the ICCCR Citroen meeting in Harrogate. My car is going on Graham's stand as he restored it so hopefully it will get him some business. This week I've been cleaning off the mud and crap that has been left on since the last rally in May - naughty boy...
Looks ok now though, complete with a revised period decal set.
I also had a nice day down at Longstone Tyres this week for a complete set of OEM Michelin XAS. Very, very expensive for 15'' tyres but they feel great and are well worth the dosh.
News:
So far the old French girl is booked on to The November Sun Run where we hope to retain our best of class title. We're also doing the Hero Events Throckmorton Challenge.
However, the best news is that I'll be competing in LeJog in association with Mission Motorsport (www.missionmotorsport.org) - they are a charity that specialises in getting wounded soldiers into motorsport. We're still hashing out the details but hopefully they'll be putting forward a navigator and co-driver/mechanic for the rally. Very exciting.
Also this weekend (starting today actually) is the ICCCR Citroen meeting in Harrogate. My car is going on Graham's stand as he restored it so hopefully it will get him some business. This week I've been cleaning off the mud and crap that has been left on since the last rally in May - naughty boy...
Looks ok now though, complete with a revised period decal set.
I also had a nice day down at Longstone Tyres this week for a complete set of OEM Michelin XAS. Very, very expensive for 15'' tyres but they feel great and are well worth the dosh.
Wednesday 9 May 2012
Saturday 5 May 2012
Home
200 miles to Turnberry
1250 competitive miles Mon - Fri
200 miles home
Absolutely knackered but thrilled to have had a great week and to win our class. The dear old Citroen managed to see off an E-Type, Porsche 911, SM, P5B and a few others. Hoorah.
1250 competitive miles Mon - Fri
200 miles home
Absolutely knackered but thrilled to have had a great week and to win our class. The dear old Citroen managed to see off an E-Type, Porsche 911, SM, P5B and a few others. Hoorah.
Thursday 3 May 2012
End of day 4
Now wolfing down some tuck at Loch Fyne (the loch, not the fish restaurant)
Wednesday 2 May 2012
Dumossie Hotel, Inverness
Tuesday 1 May 2012
Monday 30 April 2012
Sunday 29 April 2012
Checking in
Signing on - check
Club sandwich and a few pints at the Turnberry - check
Ready to go - check
Saturday 28 April 2012
Taste of things to come
Leaving tomorrow at early o' clock for the Malts, very excited indeed.
Friday 27 April 2012
2012 HERO Scottish Malts Rally
We're leaving a first light on Sunday morning for the journey up to Scotland for the HERO Scottish Malts. I'll try and keep the blog updated daily as we crack on...
Saturday 21 April 2012
Artistic nude
It is good to see the old girl naked again.
Thursday 19 April 2012
TLG (Tender Loving Graham)
Nothing too major needed attention but lots of little niggles were making quite a racket under the bonnet.
Air filter had worked loose and needed tightening, Graham manufactured a bespoke gasket for the heat exchanger in true Heath Robinson style, refitting of a headlamp that a knocked off its housing while on a gravel rally stage (harder than it looks to put right), a pint of acid into the battery (yikes!), new fire retardant bonnet lining, tightening the hydraulic pump belts and a few other bits.
She's running sweet as a nut now and ready to take on the stiff competition at the Ilkley Jubilee historic on Sunday.
Allez les rouges.
Monday 16 April 2012
Rallye des Jonquilles
The car performed magnificently, especially as a lot of it was spent between a Ferrari and an Aston and we didn't want to hold them up on single track lanes...
My wife made a brilliant navigator, in fact we were a total of 300m out over a total rally distance of around 170km. Well done wifey!
Tuesday 10 April 2012
It's a fair cop, guv
Naughty, naughty boy.
Good pic though, going to frame it for the garage wall...
Good pic though, going to frame it for the garage wall...
Monday 2 April 2012
Dix neuf
Well the car is primed and ready (more or less) for a packed April schedule of rallying. France next week avec famille, The Ilkley Jubilee in a few weeks and then the big one - The Scottish Malts at the end of April into May. I really can't wait.
The car has been in for a little holiday with Graham for a week. I'd anticipated this being just a bit of grease here and a wipe down there - sadly not to be!
New drive shafts, full fluid service (oil, LHM, coolant), replaced a number of crap balljoints and misc others, bespoke wiring for the new Brantz Tripmaster, new (brighter!) front light bulbs. The list goes on and on.
Yet again Graham did an incredible job getting things turned around so quickly. Any of you other DS owners really need to get in touch with him (or me) and see what he can do. My car will be on Grahams stand at the ICCCR at Harrogate in the summer.
Anyway, that's about it. I've got some real work to do (to pay for all this fun) and then we'll be off to the start line in France in just over a week.
The car has been in for a little holiday with Graham for a week. I'd anticipated this being just a bit of grease here and a wipe down there - sadly not to be!
New drive shafts, full fluid service (oil, LHM, coolant), replaced a number of crap balljoints and misc others, bespoke wiring for the new Brantz Tripmaster, new (brighter!) front light bulbs. The list goes on and on.
Yet again Graham did an incredible job getting things turned around so quickly. Any of you other DS owners really need to get in touch with him (or me) and see what he can do. My car will be on Grahams stand at the ICCCR at Harrogate in the summer.
Anyway, that's about it. I've got some real work to do (to pay for all this fun) and then we'll be off to the start line in France in just over a week.
Monday 19 March 2012
John le artist
Who would have thought that my navigator Aussie John had such an artistic soul? I thought he was just a big sweary galah - how wrong I was...
News news news
Well lots to report since the last update.
The new ignition kit was fitted and thankfully all worked well. Good start. The DS then flew through its MOT without any problems which was also a joy.
However, still some work to do before setting off for the Rallye des Jonquilles on April 15th. A gaiter on the OSR sphere has perished and needs replacing - fortunately not a big job. The steering knock has got a bit worse though so the car is booked into Graham Morton for a good going over - I suspect it will be the drive shaft but will have to wait and see. Either way it needs sorting.
Two other pieces of news:
1) We've entered into the MSA Clubman section of the Ilkley Jubilee on April 22nd - just a few days after we return from the rally in France. Will be a challenge to turn the car around in time for this one day event but I'm sure we'll manage somehow...
2) I won a prize. Not a little one. A KRD !CVING ONE! Octane magazine's competition for a full entry to HERO Event's 2012 Scottish Malts rally. The prize is worth well over £5,000 and we can't wait to get stuck into 5 days of gruelling rallying plus a few snifters of scotch.
For a Monday morning this one is working out pretty bloody well.
The new ignition kit was fitted and thankfully all worked well. Good start. The DS then flew through its MOT without any problems which was also a joy.
However, still some work to do before setting off for the Rallye des Jonquilles on April 15th. A gaiter on the OSR sphere has perished and needs replacing - fortunately not a big job. The steering knock has got a bit worse though so the car is booked into Graham Morton for a good going over - I suspect it will be the drive shaft but will have to wait and see. Either way it needs sorting.
Two other pieces of news:
1) We've entered into the MSA Clubman section of the Ilkley Jubilee on April 22nd - just a few days after we return from the rally in France. Will be a challenge to turn the car around in time for this one day event but I'm sure we'll manage somehow...
2) I won a prize. Not a little one. A KRD !CVING ONE! Octane magazine's competition for a full entry to HERO Event's 2012 Scottish Malts rally. The prize is worth well over £5,000 and we can't wait to get stuck into 5 days of gruelling rallying plus a few snifters of scotch.
For a Monday morning this one is working out pretty bloody well.
Monday 16 January 2012
The next rally
I've entered the Citroen in the Rallye de Jonquilles in Northern France in April.
It should be, well, interesting...
My wife is navigating which leaves me with a bit of a quandry with the children. The answer is - they're coming! We'll be competing with a 3 year old and a 4 month old in the back - very French...
It should be, well, interesting...
My wife is navigating which leaves me with a bit of a quandry with the children. The answer is - they're coming! We'll be competing with a 3 year old and a 4 month old in the back - very French...
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