Description
French built 1957 11B big boot. Imported by a Citroen Traction specialist initially. I bought the car privately and am the second owner having owned the car for 5 years. The previous owner had it for over 20 years. It has had no restoration work apart from a respray at some time before being imported. The floor pan, engine compartment and boot boot are free of rust but the front wing tips have rusted and been patched with fibre glass. New steel replacements come with the sale. It passed a recent MOT type scrutiny without a problem. Seat fabric to the front and the carpeting show signs of wear.
New parts fitted:
5 tires, distributor, brake master cylinder, batteries, heater, boot sealing rubbers and fuel filler bodywork seals. 3 point seat belts have been fitted to the front seats. Orange indicator lenses have replace the original red and white. Brake fluid container.
Work done:
All brakes have been serviced with new seals and dust rubbers and new slave cylinder to the rear. Rebuilt and re-jetted carburettor in decrease fuel consumption. The six volt system is augmented with and additional battery to provide extra capacity for starting. These are placed in the boot as the original battery space under the bonnet has been fitted with a 12 volt fan and heater matrix connected to the cooling system of the car as the photos will show. A thermostat is fitted in the top hose to aid warm up for the heater. A 6 - 12 volt transformer is fitted to power the heater fan which has three positions and is controlled by a knob on the dash board. Also on the dash board is the emergency hazard switch connected to a 6 volt flasher unit and fused relay.
The radiator has been re-cored and the engine block has been flushed with a citric acid solution to clear rust and debris. The coolant now runs freely and can be tested via a tap I fitted to the block drain plug. An oil pressure sensor is tapped into a plug on the block and has a warning light on the dash. All door card have been taken off and the inside of the doors and winder mechanism sprayed with a commercial anti rust product. There is a very small amount of rust bubbling at the bottom of the doors. The rear window wooden frame has been replaced as water ingress rotted the original. This has been successfully sealed internally and externally. When purchased the car had two different headlights. They are both now of the correct type with new red witness tell tales. Stainless steel silencerThe car is a standard saloon that is reliable and in used good condition when considering its age. It has considerable charm and could be the sound basis for a full restoration for an enthusiast. It has the 11D engine of 1911 cc and a new clutch fitted relatively recently but has seen only low mileage use. The engine pulls well and shows no sign of slipping or hesitation. Every thing works as it should and is a pleasure to drive. It has completed two trips to France, one of 500 miles and the other of 1600 miles without a major problem apart from topping up with fuel and oil. Fuel consumption was reasonable for the year with 27 + mpg on a long run.
