Citroen DS aluminium boot lid

All these years I have owned the DS I assumed the boot lid was fibreglass. Fibreglass reproductions are available in Europe for those who want a cheap way of replacing rusted or damaged body panels.

However, the DS19 had an aluminium boot lid until May 1957. The previous owner mentioned it was Aluminium, but since these boot lids are so rare I didn’t believe it. However, on the removal of the trim, it looks pretty clear it is in fact Aluminium.

For the repainting I am removing all the badges, seals etc to ensure a good job. It is clear […]

Removing the C pillar trims from the DS

A few months ago I managed to damage the front of the DS while parking it. Insurance will cover the repair to the front of the car, but instead of having the insurance repair match the faded paint, I would prefer to have the front of the car painted well and then pay extra to have the rear panels painted to match.

So to keep the costs down on the parts I will need to pay out of my own pocket I started to remove trim and panels to allow for later painting. The first place to start was the […]

Ad of the week: Pontiac Tempest

This weeks ad features the Pontiac Tempest. I notice it is wearing the Winter Water Wonderland plate from Michigan – the same as I had on my Jag when I was living in Michigan.

GM closed down the Pontiac brand during the global financial crisis but by that point its best was well behind it. During the 2000’s it was offering insipid models with too much side cladding – A far cry from when it was GM’s performance division led by John DeLorean and setting the tone for the muscle car era. This ad is a good representation of the […]

The Flynn Collection Auction

Friday and Saturday the Flynn collection was Auctioned off. There were over 130 running cars for sale on the friday night and then the Saturday morning consisted of the parts and some non-runners. Nearly all of them were Rovers.

There was a fair amount of interest right around Australia and the Auctioneers did a good job of generating excitement. Therefore the earlier and better lots sold for good prices and in my view probably above market. The later lots that were in poor condition or basically parts cars sold for next to nothing. Most of the cars were registered previously […]

Rover P5 cheap car challenge

The Rover P5 Coupe beat the odds and successfully completed the 320KM trip between Canberra and my workshop. Unlike the Top Gear team, I did not have a support car and mechanics to help along the way. I simply had the rover toolkit (plus a few screwdrivers which were missing), a couple of liters of oil and coolant, and a some radiator hoses I bought at SCA that look like they could have been cut down to fit the rover if needed.

The worst mishap I faced was the boot lid coming open along the way – my worries I […]

First drive of the Rover P5 MKII Coupe

This morning I got to drive my new Rover P5 for the first time. Initially it wasn’t promising as the car would not start. But it turns out that it was just out of fuel.

The auction people put in a few litres and it started right up. It seemed to settle down into a smooth idle and it wasn’t smoking when given a few revs. The mechanic who had worked for the old Dr said that the car was previously registered and the engine and gearbox seemed in good health, although the car was not driven a whole […]

The $230 Rover P5 MKII Coupe

The Flynn collection was auctioned off today and I ended up with a car. It is a 1965 Rover P5 MKII Coupe. That sounds great as Rover P5 Coupes are lovely cars. As it is a 1965 model, it is a a MKIIC, which many regard as the most desirable of the 6’s.

This car is equipped with the 3 liter six. Most collectors prefer the 8, but the six has its fans due to its refinement. It is much smoother, and some would regard more in character with the car. The sixes were also built when Rover was an […]

Jaguar E-Type Upgrades

The E-Type was going in for its annual service and rego check, with the view to move from full rego to the new logbook based club rego system.

In addition, the braking problems that have plagued this car had re-surfaced on the drive back from Oberon. Yet again, the brakes were not releasing properly. I also noticed a fairly bad fluid leak after the British Car show from the front left caliper.

The front calipers had been re-sleeved before, but the seal was not quite the right size and so it was causing the brakes to hang up and not […]

Driving the mighty 450SEL 6.9

Today I was able to drive a 450SEL 6.9 for the first time. I have driven many M117 engined cars (450’s and 560’s primarily) and the big difference is the massive amount of torque on tap with the M100. Regardless of the speed or gear the car launches immediately with even minor throttle input. The car I drove was the imported high compression model (8.8:1 instead of 8:1 in the Aussie version). This was a particular contrast to my 450SLC which as the low compression version of the M117 450.

The suspension is supple even with the low profile tyres […]

Ad of the week: Peugeot 404

This weeks ad showcases the Peugeot 404, one of the most rugged and dependable cars ever built. There are still 404’s plying their trade as taxis all around the world and the 404 did as much to open up remote areas of the world than the Land Rover or Land Cruiser.

The Peugeot 404 is often compared to the Mercedes W114/W115. It’s replacement the 504, is often compared to the W123. The Peugeot 404 and 504 and the Mercedes W114/W115 and W123 were all popular in Africa.

A car almost impossible to criticize.

These are the words Road & […]