I have seen a 2CV advertised,
1985
VGC
25,000miles
has been garaged since 1993 (owner abroad)
price: 750
I am thinking to offer about 500 or less
I have done a little research and found that pre 1986 are not supposed to run on unleaded, this is a slight cause for concern, there are reports of some cars running ok on unleaded.
The sunroof is also a concern (will it leak?)
Another thing is that I don't have a garage, so it will be on the street, I think a car like that should be kept in a garage.
I like the idea of having a nice car like this, I am able to do my own repairs.
If you have experience of 2CV's please give me your views on them.
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Back in the 80s/90s our family owned 3 of them. Good fun car - comfortable, roomy, cheap to run and get fixed. Lots of character and virtually classless. You can buy replacement hood kits that fit well and don't leak. There are problems with some never having been rustproofed but you can check that out easily enough. The owners clubs will help you with useful advice. My advice would be don't buy it if you have to use it for your regular journeys and you use fast A roads or the motorways - the car was designed for French back lanes and short cuts across fields in a bygone era. I'd also have some concerns about safety in an accident with anything other than a Sinclair C5. Please let us know how you get on.
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Don't drive behind a Boeing 747 though whatever you do!
Adam
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Shouldn't this be in the "joke" thread?
NooooooooOoooOo!
Unless you're planning to buy it and scrap it as an altruistic gesture to us all. Hateful, horrendous hippy heaps (Halliteration, there).
NoONONNONONONOOOOOOoooo!
Please spend £500 on something more worthwhile. Like a big box of slugs, or some paint (you can watch it drying in lieu of accelerating in the 2CV).
There is very little in the world that I truly hate. 2CVs are in the short list of things that I truly detest.
Hope my unbiased view helps.
V
PS Don't buy it.
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You're being rather obscure Vin. Just what is it you're trying to say?
Adam
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We are all entitled to our views but Vin's is too OTT to be taken seriously.
If you are SURE it is rust-free underneath it may serve you well. Otherwise look for one which has had a galvanised chassis fitted. Depending on what modern cars you are used to, you may find it slow, cramped, primitive, noisy and not as economical as you'ld hoped. 2CVs are a unique motoring experience that, like motor-biking, all drivers should go through. Unfortunately, the latter incarnations of the 2CV, the Dyane and Ami 6 and 8 are much better cars but few have survived because they lack the oddity factor so unique to the CV. It is also a very dangerous car to have an accident in by modern standards.
If you get one that has to stand outside through the winter, you may have starting problems unless you keep the plugs and plug leads well maintained and the points correctly adjusted. Get yourself a Haynes manual and don't skimp on the maintenance.
If you do decide to go ahead, I have just found a 2CV locking petrol cap in my bits box which is yours for the price of the postage.
Good luck.
Hawkeye
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Stranger in a strange land
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Some years ago a workmate had a 2CV and it could make surprisingly good point-to-point times for all its lack of power. He gave me a lift on a couple of occasions. I can honestly say I found it the most comfortable car I've ever travelled in, floating over road irregularities and broken surfaces with disdain.
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"2CV locking petrol cap"
An important accessory, when the contents of the fuel tank are the most valuable item!
That was a joke, BTW. I'm not with Vin on this at all - it sounds as though you know what you're letting yourself in for, and on sunny days with the roof rolled back, you will feel hugely superior to all those burning even more fuel to run their air-conditioning.
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Friend of mine had them for donkeys years. He reckoned the engines were ''unburstable '' and he drove with full revs most of the time. Maintenance was not a piece of cake , apparently the fan had to come off to change the points etc. he reckoned the handling was superb, nothing holds a corner like a 2cv., buy it, keep it in good order and i bet you can make a profit.
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"garaged since 1993"
It does depend on the garage. My only concern (apart from the usual rust) would be the state of rubber hoses and wiring, especially if there were any mice about! You'd be amazed what they will eat...
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I agree, having recently bought a car 'garaged since 1985', that line fills me with dread the most. I quite like the mechanical simplicity of the 2CV but please go over this one with a fine tooth comb.
Expect some 'remedial' work if it has been off the road that long. Personally, I would interrogate the current owner to find out what he has done to put it back on the road. I would expect nothing less than a total brake fluid bleed and refil. Oil change and gearbox oil change (if poss) also a full coolant drain, flush and fill. If the hoses are not new, inspect them very closely. Also, HT and sparkplugs changes, I know that engine has a habit of bedding in sparks almost permanently.
Also, only buy with a full 12 months MOT.
Other than that, have fun.
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Look at 2cv links on the web. There are good clubs and at least two specialst dealers (one in Yorkshire i think and one in Somerset)
Have fun!
--
Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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I used to own one of these for a while, 1998 'Dolly' version.
First of all I would do some research, the 2CVGB Owners club is a mine of useful information.
They are a totally different driving experience from all other cars, the push/pull dashboard gearchange being most obvious, but once used to the method it is very quick and easy especially from second to third that is a simple in and out movement of the lever. Beware as 1st gear is a 'crash' gear without synchromesh and will crunch if you select it before coming to a halt.
The main enemy is rust - check the front floor near the pedals and on both sides, the floor also underneath the back seat.
The air ventilation flap underneath the front screen can also rot but this is replaceable like the doors and boot lid.
Chassis can be changed for fully galvanised if you wish to eliminate rust.
Unleaded fuel is a dodgy point, mine ended up having a burned out exhaust valve, possibly due to this. I thought the power was down, in fact I was the owner of a 1CV for a brief while!
Only being 652cc and 29bhp you need to rev the engine like a motorcycle, they can take it right to the limit and enjoy the punishment. Ignition points are behind the cooling fan, a fiddly job and often owners fit electronic replacement to eliminate this task. Front brakes are inboard, discs and calipers are not near the wheels but in the engine bay next to the gearbox. Requires patience to change the pads, and the handbrake acts on separate small pads the size of 10p coins.
I really love them, and would like one as a second hobby car. Too slow for regular use, and in winter they are awful as there is no heating system due to air cooling. No electric demister blower either - you rely on the main cooling fan to blow air up cardboard tubes to the interior. One problem is that if you are behind a bus or taxi the main fan draws in all the diesel fumes, warms them over the engine then sends it into the car!
Hence smog on the inside of the screen...
Really a summer car for the continent where they don't have British winters, but guaranteed a future classic.
The 125/15 tyres are amazing, great grip and good in snow.
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I agree, having recently bought a car 'garaged since 1985', that line fills me with dread the most. I quite like the mechanical simplicity of the 2CV but please go over this one with a fine tooth comb.
I would expect nothing less than a totalbrake fluid bleed and refil. Oil change and gearbox oil change (if poss) also a full coolant drain, flush and fill. If the hoses are not new, inspect them very closely.
Err, how do you do a collant change on an aircooled car???????
Basically if its an early car with drum front brakes they need a lot of dismantling to fix, so MOT and brake check would be high on the list. Yup on early ones the fan comes off with about half the front of the car to service the points which could be another pain. Chassis rot but can be replaced for around £ 700-800 dependant on which one you go for.
One of the car mags did a buying article recently, either speed read through a few in WH Smiths or I'll find which one it was.
Not my cup of tea but mates who've had them swear by them..
Jim
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I agree, having recently bought a car 'garaged since 1985', >> also a full coolant drain, flush and fill.
Er, this is a car with an air-cooled flat twin engine. The oil is the coolant, pumped through a cooler behind the fan.
3500S is on the right lines, though. 2CVs are very kind to their tyres so age is often more a problem than wear. Look for cracked sidewalls.
Whoever posted that the fan has to come off to do the points is right, but it's an easy job with a long 6-point socket.
Hawkeye
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Stranger in a strange land
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Thanks for the replies so far.
Honorable mentions go to Hawkeye: if I buy it I'll be sure to let you know thanks for the offer.
Acanthus: good information on the rust locations.
and Vin: all views are taken onboard.
Everyone else...thanks for your replies.
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As I'm sure you know, there's a racing series for these cars, so after the MoT is done I'd budget for a roll cage from a race car. They're a good car, and a skilled driver can make suprisingly swift progress, but if you get hit by something else....
Bore your friends when the James Bond film comes on that when they rolled the 2CV down the mountainside all they had to do was seal the dipstick and it started up again perfectly. For the "high speed" scenes, they used a 4 cylinder GS engine squeezed in.
Gareth
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Check out:
website.lineone.net/~lcvaisey/buy.htm
It's a 2CV buyer's guide.
Personally, I'd buy it if it's not too rusty. This is the really expensive bit to fix on older cars, and everything you'll read about 2CV chassis corrosion is true.
I'd also check the metal brake pipes carefully. Any which haven't been renewed will probably be pretty rotten, and you don't want one bursting!
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He put the price up after recieving lots of interest from the 2cvGB website members forum.
Price is now 1000 pounds, so I am no longer interested in it. Do you think I'm wrong to lose interest?
Ho Hum
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You're right to give up for 2 reasons, in my opinion.
(1) Don't spend a grand on a 2cv
(2) The guy should honour the price he was asking. This is a private sale, not an auction.
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Vin would have probably needed hospitalisation if you posted that you had spent £1K on a 2CV.
If you are really interested, keep looking. Have you driven one yet? On your test drive show you Know what you are doing by not lifting when you change up; let the heavy flywheel give you some acceleration and budget for a new clutch when it starts slipping.
Keep us posted and e-mail me to claim your locking petrol cap.
Hawkeye
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Stranger in a strange land
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The only reason to BUY a 2CV is if you really WANT a 2CV. Modern diesel family cars are more economical, perform much better and are more environmentally friendly.
I don't know much about 2CVs, I confess. I did once drive one a few miles - it was the left hand drive 435cc version - so slow it wasn't available in UK!
I once saw a minor no-injury bump where a 2CV and Vauxhall Victor FD had collided. The Vauxhall was virtually undamaged and the front of the 2CV, though not smashed in, was completely knocked askew.
Cheers, SS
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