oldcar Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 (edited) Hi allIt seems that not everyone has the same passion for Speedsters that I have more is the pity. You don't have to have a huge fire breathing monster to have fun. Attached are some photographs of a little 1922 Citroen 5CV (850cc) that I rescued some years ago. First shows the trailer load of someone else's pile of unwanted rubbish the rest show in more or less detail the result of a few months of having fun putting together a most unlikely vehicle. My then 22 year old daughter drove it most of the time. I had one friend complain that she had overtaken him while driving his MG B doing over 60mph and laughing. What appears to be an antique Alarm clock mounted on the dashboard actually housed the tachometer. Only instrument fitted originally was an amp-meter.Enjoy! Life is too short to take everything too seriously.Please don't let me hog all the lime light let us see just what you are doing with your spare time Edited October 29, 2012 by oldcar (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulrhd29nz Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 That looks like way to much fun!! Thanks for sharing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldcar Posted October 30, 2012 Author Share Posted October 30, 2012 Hi Paulyou don't know the half of it. That is why God gave us motorcars...So we could have fun driving in them. Why not tell us about your speedsters.Bj. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulrhd29nz Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Well, none to date but have big plans.My dad and I have several early Essex 4's ( one with an early twin plug racing motor) and we plan to build a 1919 Pikes peak racer!! Oh what fun that will be!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mochet Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 I have a Citroen 5HP also (1924 Cabriolet), but not yet restored. I'm envious that you could get that trailer full of rusty junk running in a few months, also that it could go 60mph. Sure that isn't kph?Best,Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldcar Posted November 1, 2012 Author Share Posted November 1, 2012 (edited) Hi PhilIf you look at your Citroen's breathing it is all about economy rather than performance. The standard Carburettor has a choke that would be difficult to pass a ballpoint pen through. I used aluminium higher compression pistons, fully balanced the motor, lightened the flywheel AND larger inlet valves, a camshaft grind that actually allowed some of overlap plus higher lift, and most important opened up the inlet to accommodate a larger Solex barrel throttle carburettor. Those funny wire wheels used 1928 Singer Junior centres spoked onto agricultural motor cycle 21 inch rims with 3.50 dirt bike front tyres. The skif tailed body was extremely light with a 1/2 inch square steel tube frame, i.2mm aluminium panels and 3 mm plywood decking with glued on veneer "planks". On one occasion I reduced the young driver of a MG TD to tears because he could not out run the Citroen on a very twisting slightly downhill mountain road. Braking was interesting using the hand brake rather than the transmission foot brake. The foot brake if not used judicially, particularly on wet roads, would lock up the transmission causing one back wheel to spin in reverse while the other rotated unrestrained in a forward direction. Sadly it has now gone into a "collection" and has not been seen since the day I sold it.Regarding the time frame, I tend to be a compulsive restorer usually working 8.30 am until 6.00 pm six days per week. If you look at my Packard thread on "Our Cars & Restoration Projects this has been an extraordinary restoration in that I have been working on it for 2 1/2 years but then it is somewhat bigger car than the Citroen and being restored to totally different level. The Citroen probably cost $10-12,000 the Packard so far many many more thousands of dollars.Bj. Edited November 1, 2012 by oldcar (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BevRob Posted May 1, 2019 Share Posted May 1, 2019 Hi BJ, This is an old thread and I know you have moved on to many newer projects, but I read with interest your description of breaking in you Citroen 5CV , using a combination of foot and hand break and 2 hands on the wheel. I have a similar Citroen 5CV speedster from my Father in Law who left us last year at 92 and left us his half finished restoration of his first car bought in Tamworth NSW in 1947 and owned all his life. It is an unusual body , affectionately called 'the cockroach 'by the family for obvious reasons. Here is a link to my dropbox pictures of the car. He also use to describe how he would drive into the timber fence at Tamworth station to help stop the car ! https://www.dropbox.com/sh/9by51jzlwnymza7/AADB-WRXr1L3Nxljfo6gFhIZa?dl=0 Best Regards Bevan Robins , Sydney Australia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garthinoz Posted June 1, 2019 Share Posted June 1, 2019 Hi BevRob. What a most interesting vehicle. Lots of questions, the most obvious is what is known of history of body - who built it? I assume fuel tank is filled through engine bay?! Engine number suggests an early Australian delivery - 1922?! Would love to see a profile photo shot at 90 degrees side on. Shows some similarities to (a) one sold by Shannons in Melbourne some few years ago and moreso (b) one in California which I think appears in a forum item on this site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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