I've wanted one for forever (don't ask why). I plan on getting myself a new car after college, and I'll probably end up with a 2CV. I have very little technical experience, but want to learn more. An old French beast like this is probably going to require a lot of upkeep/maintenance which doesn't really put me off, so I'm thinking this will be a good car to develop my mechanical skills on.
What do you guys think? Is this a good first classic to own?
Just don't take anyone with you when there are steep road. Depending on the inclination, you'll end up pushing the car or crawling up the hill while your passengers go on foot (this happened with a 435cc 2CV 4).
The silver one in Hand Cannon's post would be great and has all the early details I like. For the OP, beware that many 2CVs in the US are fraudulently registered as something they are not. THere are many Charlestons, (made in 90 or 91) that show up with 60s and 70s as their year. DOT problem and maybe a long term headache for a buyer. Just because it isn't a Skyline doesn't mean that you don't have to worry about it.
And if they won't go up a hill loaded, turn around and back up!
Even when they're going 50mph and holding up traffic, everyone's happy to see them and instantly calms down and smiles when they see what the hold up is
Early in the thread someone question why this car isn't desirable. To me it looks like a craptastic kit car and doesn't make up for it with performance. Sure, maybe this car has an important place in history, but that's in the past. That doesn't make me want one in the present, not unless I open a museum.
The 2CV is a cool car. But I wouldn't cut my teeth on it. If your mechanical skills are very minimal, I would stick to something easier and with more available parts, like an old Mustang or simlar.
I did a little bit of searching, and it turns out that you can get basically anything you need for these cars. Parts seem to be a non-issue. Also, I'm not sure why you think a Mustang would be easier to work on?
I've seen a lot of 2CVs this summer in Chicago (but never that Charleston on the 1st page).
I even saw one merging off of I-90 onto Washington street downtown. The owner must have modified its engine.
2CVs were considered "artsy" by Europeans and Europhiles back in the 70's and 80's, but I wouldn't own one in 2012. You're relegated to driving on Sunday evenings (mornings are now too hectic) with the Model A crowd.
I did want one as a kid, mainly because Snoopy drove one:
How are we on page 3 and nobody has posted up this yet? (Not too different from that nuns thing on the first page though...just a drive in the country!)
i think these are really neat cars, and from what ive been led to beleive are fairly straightforward mechanically as theyre early enough in the citroen years to not have many of the hydraulic doo-dads that the later cars did... even with the hydraulic parts id love to have one of these just for its weirdness factor
DSes are getting expensive everywhere. That blue example looks perfect to me. Plenty of decent project DSes are on fleabay and don't seem to go for much. They are very complicated, kinda like an old Rolls....
It's funny to me that the 2CV (or "deuch" as we call it here) seems so outlandish to many TClers. This car was the "staple" on french roads during the 60s/70s, it was used in TONS of movies, appeared all the time on TV and basically was just everywhere. I remember that it was also used for cross continental adventures because of its symplicity, strange looks and availability of parts all over the world (well, .... maybe except Northern America :laugh. I remember seing them still quite often on the roads in the early 90s, remember that they were produced without interruption from 1949 until 1990! I distincly remember the typical sound of the classic Citroen flat twin:
Citroen Visa cold start with a view of its lovely dash: :laugh:
With a production of over 4 000 000 (counting the popular delivery van version), led to the creation of several rebodied or special editions. See below example of a 2CV Dagonet from the 50s, keeping the same 2 cylinder engine goes from a top speed of 60 kph (!) to a staggering 110 kph. With also mandatory stiffened suspensions.
And here's a 2CV van (widened body) with a Ferrari 355 engine:
Needless to say also, there were tons of different versions and bodies available during the production run (including the dual engined 2CV 4x4), the early one were the most rudimentary (with their 300 ccm engin) until the Charleston which came out in the early 80s (with its 602 ccm engine).
2CV Charleston from the 80s:
At the end of its career, the 2CV appealed much more to what we call today "hipsters" and usually ecologists. Today they still have a GIGANTIC fan base all across Europe and parts are readily available. This car is just not another car, it is really a symbol over here.
At the end of its career, the 2CV appealed much more to what we call today "hipsters" and usually ecologists. Today they still have a GIGANTIC fan base all across Europe and parts are readily available. This car is just not another car, it is really a symbol over here.
That's much like the original Beetle is here now. They were everywhere in the '60s, '70s and '80s, but in the 2 years I've had my latest one, I think I have only seen a couple of others on the road while driving mine. They're not yet "rare", but they're getting to be "unusual".
There is an attractive but way optimistically priced 2CV on US eBay, item 180994182151.
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