Citroen 2cv - advice re Pros and Cons.

[carlyrox]

I have searched within the G & D forum though cannot find any relevant material to assist so hence this new thread.

Please bear with me on this as I certainly am no mechanic and haven't the foggiest on what to look for though I have time on my hands and am willing to learn, (also the local garage is only 6kms away).

I retired in July 2019 and together with my wife am currently living just outside the small mountain village of Bedar, Almeria, Spain, we now have residencia and both feel settled with the area and lifestyle so hopefully will be staying permanently.

We have a Honda CRV which I am really happy with though I am toying with the idea of also having a small day to day run about, thus a LHD Citroen 2cv.

I would really appreciate any information/tips/pitfalls, good or bad and any images any that of you may have of this vehicle.

Thanks.

Keith.

[sweets]

If you are willing to put up with the 2CV general uselessness, have a look at getting a Mehari instead, which uses the same mechanicals, but in a sort of mini moke type of body. Loads of character.
I always thought if we went off to live in the sun, that's what I would drive to the market to stock up on trays of ripe peaches etc etc.
Dave

[Saint-Just]

Meharis are great but are getting VERY expensive.
2CVs are fantastic cars with a massive caveat: provided you don't ask them to be something they are not.

Mechanically they are very simple. The chassis rots so get a car with a galvanised one. Earlier cars are more valuable to collectors, later one are a bit more able to keep up with traffic. Remember that power and brakes are from a different era, and the turning circle is only marginally smaller than that of a super tanker.

All parts are easily available new or second hand (please note: I said "easily", not "freely", on purpose!)
This is possibly the best resource on this topic: https://www.mehariclub.com/en/

[David_D]

Never had one but a true design classic!

I found this forum which might be worth a trawl to add to whatever members here have to offer:

https://www.2cvgb.co.uk/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=1

[Plug]

Have you seen what Meharis go for? Outrageous!

Cheers,

Plug

[carlyrox]

Thanks Gents,

Just seen a 1977 beige coloured Mehari for sale on a Spanish website, €12,000.00.

Really nice.

[g40steve]

2CV bulletproof, they do 2CV endurance racing.
You can jack them up or lower them down easily.
I had a Bamboo model, used to take seats out fill with rubbish go to tip remove doors & sweep everything out.
Seats held in with pins so for the Touring Car, SBK etc ideal & light.

[sundial]

https://www.classicandsportscar.com/...de-citroen-2cv

dunk

[Tifa]

2CV bulletproof.

This.

If you have an IQ above 5 you'll be able to service it yourself with just a handful of tools.
Simplicty of design, doors, wings, seats, everything just clips on with just one or two bolts or catches.
They are not fast, nor do they stop particularly well, but they're very comfortable and really easy to live with.
Much better suited to dry climes than say here in the uk.
They are also an appreciating asset, and if you buy right, I can't see you lose money over the longer term.
Forgot to say...some criticise the handling...that's a load of bollocks, I've had a few, and you've got to be doing something REALLY stupid to get one to roll over. The cog is really low.
They'd fail ENCAP miserably...but then so do vehicles like landrover defenders.

Go for it.

[number2]

I have searched within the G & D forum though cannot find any relevant material to assist so hence this new thread.

Please bear with me on this as I certainly am no mechanic and haven't the foggiest on what to look for though I have time on my hands and am willing to learn, (also the local garage is only 6kms away).

I retired in July 2019 and together with my wife am currently living just outside the small mountain village of Bedar, Almeria, Spain, we now have residencia and both feel settled with the area and lifestyle so hopefully will be staying permanently.

We have a Honda CRV which I am really happy with though I am toying with the idea of also having a small day to day run about, thus a LHD Citroen 2cv.

I would really appreciate any information/tips/pitfalls, good or bad and any images any that of you may have of this vehicle.

Thanks.
Keith.

I can't add much to your request for 'pitfalls' however as someone with many years of motor trade experience I'll chuck in my 10p worth re personal experience.
I've used so many cars from Fiat 126 - Ferrari 348, inc Porsche, BMW and Jaguar, the 2CV has 'feelgood factor' by the bucket load, in summer chuck back the roof open the windows and breathe, in winter they'll often go where others can't, and melting snow from your wellies will just drip away, soz getting all nostalgic now, yes the engine isn't huge - but it does what's required,
Brilliant car that is so much more than ''the sum of it's parts''.

Oh and it's worth baring in mind that there's two schools of thought regarding the 2CV, those who think they're brilliant and those who've never had one.

[stuie-t]

I can’t imagine a 2cv would be nice to drive on twisty mountain roads. No power going up and no brakes going down.
My folks live the other side of Almeria (near Adra) and have a Honda Jazz as a daily runabout and a LR defender 110 for trips into the mountains and when the rambla runs, washing away the road to their house.


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[number2]

Had a GSA for about a month before moving on to a BX, ferocious brakes.

[Saint-Just]

I agree with the safety issues but a small mountain village in Andalusia probably sees less traffic than our roads, and the drier air would probably help with the rust.
It cannot be anything else than a ‘fun’ car nowadays, but if the OP keeps that in mind it will be a great choice.

And remember it is a very capable car: Jacques Seguela (a famous French publicist, founder of RSCG and former Vice President of Havas) famously went around the world in one. The book (and the film) is called ‘La terre en rond”. First published in 1960 I believe

[number2]

Other opinions are available.

[number2]

This brings back happy memories
https://youtu.be/i1PDkpCyfM4
Had one like this for a month or so, rhubarb and custard

[Kitz]

A Citroen 2cv rivals as an original Land Rover as one the very worst cars I’ve ever had time to spend in , and I’ve driven a Morris Marina van to Munich and put 30k miles in an Allegro ... each to their own .


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[solwisesteve]

A Citroen 2cv rivals as an original Land Rover as one the very worst cars I’ve ever had time to spend in , and I’ve driven a Morris Marina van to Munich and put 30k miles in an Allegro ... each to their own .


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I was a LR owner for about 15 years. In that time a SIII, MoD Lightweight and two D90. It's ten years since I sold out and moved on to more 'sensible' vehicles. There's not a day goes past I regret the decision to go 'sensible' :-( Over the last few years I've investigated several times the feasibility of going back to a Defender or SIII but I can't 'foil' it with the sky high prices - I admit I'm very peeved when I look at the prices currently being asked and then think back to what I sold my SIII and D90 for :-(
You either 'get' a LandRover or you don't (I mean a 'proper' LandRover). If you do then there is simply no substitute.

[number2]

Some understand and some don't - which isn't intended as a criticism, Marina and Allegro - the 'bad boys' of British motoring.

[Foxy100]

Have you thought about buying an MR2 and modifying the life out of it? Popular with the ladies, by all accounts.

I almost moved somewhere really remote just so I could buy a Panda 4x4. One of those and a 2CV in a garage would be pretty damn good. There's nothing faster up or down a mountain (summer or winter) than a Panda 4x4.

[thieuster]

Have you thought about buying an MR2 and modifying the life out of it? Popular with the ladies, by all accounts.

A Spanish thing indeed! You'll blend in with the locals, I'm sure. I've seen one with large decals on the side as well. You should check this out.

Kidding aside: I have no idea how steep the hills are in your part of Spain. If they are impressively steep as the hills in South Devon near the coast, I would go look for something more powerful than a 2cv6. Like I said: R4 but the 4x4 Panda is an good alternative. Seat had its Marbella (although I don't know if it came in 4x4) and there's Embella: a Spanish builder who built some nice cars even using the 4x4.

Another alternative not mentioned yet: the Santana Samurai! Tough as old boots.

Menno

[Andyg]

Have you thought about buying an MR2 and modifying the life out of it? Popular with the ladies, by all accounts.

I almost moved somewhere really remote just so I could buy a Panda 4x4. One of those and a 2CV in a garage would be pretty damn good. There's nothing faster up or down a mountain (summer or winter) than a Panda 4x4.

My wife had a Mk1 Panda/Steyr and it was a super little car. Twin sun roof model. What killed it however was the rust. God it was bad and this coming from a Lancia owner.