Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 988 Threads: 6
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Location: Scottish Borders
When I was a student in the mid 60s a fellow student had a 2CV. It got a puncture and the jack he had, even when fully extended, had little effect. We decided that with enough people we should just tip it up until the wheel came off the ground. With as many people as we could get along one side, all lifting, we got it over to a crazy angle but the wheels wouldn't lift off. We gave up. I never found out what happened in the end.
Great cars, the flat twin revs very freely. The speedo is marked with peak revs in each gear, equivalent to 8,000rpm I believe. It always sailed past the mark with no complaint.
The Dyane 6 we had, going down the long hill into Glasgow, on the A74 I think, was indicating way past 80mph off the end of the speedo.
I was always tempted to shout "ready about", "Lee oh" when taking roundabouts at speed.
The epitome of driving a slow car quickly. Great fun.
Jim
Joined: Mar 2015 Posts: 5,465 Threads: 231
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Location: Scotchland
That looks a lot of fun Nick, nice one.
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 2,418 Threads: 33
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Location: Deepest Frogland 30960
Car type: 1933 RP Standard Saloon
Re the ad. If it's a 425cc 2cv engine it will have less grunt than a good A7 even though it might be a tad more aerodynamic. The later 600 engines are way better. I overtook several lorries once on the A9 motorway in my Acadiane...
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 923 Threads: 18
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Location: North Yorkshire
I was a Renault 4 fan, brilliant little cars.
As regards 2CV's, I can recount an incident that still makes me chuckle. When I was a young surveyor I was working for Strutt and Parker in Northallerton, in the drawing office with Geoff, a stout rugby playing son of a village butcher. One day we were introduced to a third member of our team, a very posh young lady of about 30 years who was called Pauline. Pauline was also Lady Castlemaine and it was clear that Geoff and myself would have to watch our language!
On a lunchtime we went into Northallerton and had a lunch in the pub, as you did in those days. Today it was Paulines turn to be the driver so Geoff got into the passenger seat of her Citroen Ami and I got in the back. Manouevring in the office car park on full lock, there was a loud scraping noise as the left hand front wheel caught on the wing. Pauline stopped the car and looked directly at Geoff. In her cut glass voice she said 'It's no good Geoffrey, you fat toad, you are going to have to sit in the back'. WIthout a word, Geoff got out and into the back behind Pauline, at which the whole car lurched and the front wheel now had considerable clearance from the wing.
Happy days.
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 1,987 Threads: 90
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Location: Ripon
Tony said
With such a great car it is surprising any of you bother with an Austin Seven
I agree wiv' 'im!
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 1,658 Threads: 23
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Location: The village of Evenley
Car type: 1934 Austin Seven RP Deluxe
Rosie and I moved house in her 2cv and everything went in, the sofa, the wardrobes, the cooker, the lot!
About six months after that I was stopped by a traffic policeman as I came out of a long bend at a terrific angle and apparently exceeding the speed limit, thankfully he let me off.
The mention earlier of an annual event where Citroen offered a cash prize could well have been the Guild of Motoring Writers Test Day, As a motoring journo for many years, we always used to attend and one year myself and fellow journalist Tom Murphy tried our hardest to roll a 2cv around Donington and even flat out into Redgate, turning in hard with no braking, it just held the line and Tom and I were falling about laughing, as we sailed out of the corner at an unbelievable roll angle...nearly as much fun as a Seven!
Joined: Mar 2015 Posts: 5,465 Threads: 231
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Location: Scotchland
My friend and I bought two brand new chassis from Frome and set about changing them for the rotten ones in our saloons.
The body is bolted on with about 12 fixings, the front and back axles another 8 and the engine 4 from memory. The hardest parts to remove were the side tubes containing the springs, very fine threaded nuts took a lot of work to loosen. That said, both cars were ready for use on the Monday morning having been driven into the work barn late on Friday night.
The new chassis was considerably heavier than the old one and the top speed was affected some way!
I have never owned a Renault 4 but they too appear to be wonderful machines, as Malcolm says.
