The Eagle Has Landed

pottsy

pottsy

Citroen Loony & BMC Nutter.
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Fellow Frogger
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Sep 23, 2002
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Melbourne, Northern Suburbs
Well the long anticipated day has arrived! A DS is once again parked in my driveway. After a drought of 20 years, I again have a sample of automotive excess to play with, admire, and be stared at in.

She's a (very) standard D Special. Noted absences from my previous DS23 Pallas are a temperature gauge and a clock! OK, I can live without a clock, but the temp gauge is a worry. I think I'll use the rectangular space where a clock would go in the more expensive model to fit a combination temp & oil pressure gauge. Ventilation is, of course, less than ideal and there are lots of other little things that I can play with as time goes on.

This car, as well as being my pride and joy, will see service in the Re-run of the Ampol trial to be held in 2006. I plan to make it a sort of replica of the 1970 winning DS21 driven by Jean-Claude Ogier and navigated by his wife.

I understand that the car appears in the video of the Ampol trials, but I was wondering whether anyone has a photo or two of the 1970 car? I can't seem to find any useful hits on Google.

Anyway. I just thought I'd share the euphoria with people who understand the arcane allure of a Citroen!
 
A nice looking beast, but a bit out of my league financially. I've paid a lot less for my car, plus mine is a 1974, so it's got a few extra goodies. Not that the ID19 was a bad car, but I personally favour the later quad headlamp nose. Each to their own.

Any what's so funny? The Ampol re-run will be a hoot and a holler, whether we're competitive or not. I look forward to someone buying the blue beast and entering alongside. There simply aren't enough D's in rallying these days!
 
pottsy said:
A nice looking beast, but a bit out of my league financially. I've paid a lot less for my car, plus mine is a 1974, so it's got a few extra goodies. Not that the ID19 was a bad car, but I personally favour the later quad headlamp nose. Each to their own.

Any what's so funny? The Ampol re-run will be a hoot and a holler, whether we're competitive or not. I look forward to someone buying the blue beast and entering alongside. There simply aren't enough D's in rallying these days!
Click to expand...
I just think it is amusing that someone has a car for sale that was prepped for a Castrol rerun and now you have a car that you are going to do similar for for an Ampol rerun.

Now if we could convince Jim Reddiex to get out the London to Munich car... (which by the way will be at NRMA Motorfest in Sydney on Aus Day!)

I would like to enter a D into one of those charity runs, but not a "bash" - something that requires less demands on the car and gives it some chance of returning to normality at the end.
 
Congratulations...

Hey Pottsy,
it must feel good to have a DS after a 20 year gap without one.
What kind was your old one? :confused:
And what part of Melbourne are you from? I'm in Chelsea, and in a few months I'll have my CX registered and I'll be tearing around the streets in it.
It would be good to perhaps create a Melbourne chapter Citroen Aussie Frogs group....or something.

You were talking about instruments etc. I fitted one in my car which I find very handy. It's a digital electronic thermometer, from Dick Smith...about $30.00....it has a wired temp sensor for outside, and a sensor for inside temp...and both are displayed simultaneously...so you know what the difference is , if any, between the inside and outside of your car. :cool:
Cheers...George. :cheers:
 
Yes George, it does feel good. My original DS was a 1976 DS23 Pallas 5 speed with the D-Jetronic injection and all. Investigation by the new owner, who is the son of the original owner, determined that it was in fact the highest chassis number of the last delivery to come to Australia. This means it was the Very Newest Australian delivery DS ever! (And I sold it! :cry: ) It was a 1976 model as that's when it was assembled and first registered. The new owner completely restored it to better than new condition. Last time I saw it was gracing the De Jong Motors showroom in Canberra. Ah well, life goes on.

I had a string of two CX's after that, but while they were worthy cars, and satisfying to own, they just weren't up to the same standard as the D. I moved on through a few Peugeots until now!

I live in the North Eastern suburb renowned for its mud brick dwellings, artistic types and hills. Oh boy, what hills. The D Special is Specially Breathless on those Hills!

The temp gauge I'm talking about is for the motor. I already know the difference between the inside and outside temps. LOTS! Ventilation is definitely on the list for improvement.

As far as preparing the car for the Ampol Re-Run, it's not going to be set up as a rally car. The event is a Touring Road Event, the same as the Redex Re-run last year, in which I competed in a 404 Pug. There will be individual motorsport events, such as motorkhana, autocross, hill climb, and sprints. As well there will be economy runs, navigation sections, and a whole lot of fun in between covering huge tracts of Australia at a classy, but leisurely, gallop. The major preparation will be making sure that all that can go wrong, won't! The mechanicals should be fine, they're only 20,000 Km old since a rebuild. I've got until 2006 to whip the rest into the sort of shape that I want.

If the Redex is any guide, it will be the fun event of a lifetime. I can't wait to do it all again!
 
pottsy said:
Yes George, it does feel good. My original DS was a 1976 DS23 Pallas 5 speed with the D-Jetronic injection and all. Investigation by the new owner, who is the son of the original owner, determined that it was in fact the highest chassis number of the last delivery to come to Australia. This means it was the Very Newest Australian delivery DS ever! (And I sold it! :cry: ) It was a 1976 model as that's when it was assembled and first registered. The new owner completely restored it to better than new condition. Last time I saw it was gracing the De Jong Motors showroom in Canberra. Ah well, life goes on.

I had a string of two CX's after that, but while they were worthy cars, and satisfying to own, they just weren't up to the same standard as the D. I moved on through a few Peugeots until now!

I live in the North Eastern suburb renowned for its mud brick dwellings, artistic types and hills. Oh boy, what hills. The D Special is Specially Breathless on those Hills!

The temp gauge I'm talking about is for the motor. I already know the difference between the inside and outside temps. LOTS! Ventilation is definitely on the list for improvement.

As far as preparing the car for the Ampol Re-Run, it's not going to be set up as a rally car. The event is a Touring Road Event, the same as the Redex Re-run last year, in which I competed in a 404 Pug. There will be individual motorsport events, such as motorkhana, autocross, hill climb, and sprints. As well there will be economy runs, navigation sections, and a whole lot of fun in between covering huge tracts of Australia at a classy, but leisurely, gallop. The major preparation will be making sure that all that can go wrong, won't! The mechanicals should be fine, they're only 20,000 Km old since a rebuild. I've got until 2006 to whip the rest into the sort of shape that I want.

If the Redex is any guide, it will be the fun event of a lifetime. I can't wait to do it all again!
Click to expand...


Anyone who's interested can contact me on 0429 939 619, I am the organiser.
Our friends seem to think it is hilarious that anyone could enter this event without spending $20000 on car preparation.
I actually think that it is side splitting funny that they don't even know what rally their car was entered in!
Hey guys, it was the Mobil 1 Trial, nothing to do with Castrol!!
Graham
 
pottsy said:
Yes George, it does feel good. My original DS was a 1976 DS23 Pallas 5 speed with the D-Jetronic injection and all. Investigation by the new owner, who is the son of the original owner, determined that it was in fact the highest chassis number of the last delivery to come to Australia. This means it was the Very Newest Australian delivery DS ever! (And I sold it! :cry: ) It was a 1976 model as that's when it was assembled and first registered. The new owner completely restored it to better than new condition. Last time I saw it was gracing the De Jong Motors showroom in Canberra. Ah well, life goes on.
Click to expand...
Was it a green DS with slightly green tinted windows? If so, I think I drooled (politely of course) over that car in about 1990. It took me a few more years to actually own a D Special.

I am getting more interested in this Ampol re run thingy. Could be fun...:rolleyes:
 
Yes it was green. I always thought it had a silver roof until I saw it on the showroom floor with a green one. Martin assured me that it would have been green originally but the paint had worn off! I actually walked past it without recognising it! His father kept the car from the last delivery they got in 1976. When he eventually sold it to a bloke from Deniliquin he lost touch with it. I bought the beast with 300,000 Kms under the belt and loved her dearly. I couldn't afford the combination of a DS and a new family at the time, so something had to go. (I got more for the car than I would have selling the kids for medical experiment!) When I advertised it, Martin was in town and came and looked at it with a bemused expression. When I told him what history I knew, his face lit up. "This was Dad's car!" "Well you'd better buy it then." Always glad to see one of my babies go to a good home.

Don't take this the wrong way, because the more the merrier in the re-run, but I was hoping to have the only Citroen in the event!

I can sell you a magnificent 1964 404 with 46,000 miles on the clock. It just needs a minor restoration to recover from resting since 1979, and it would be ideal for the run.
 
GRAHAM WALLIS said:
Anyone who's interested can contact me on 0429 939 619, I am the organiser.
Our friends seem to think it is hilarious that anyone could enter this event without spending $20000 on car preparation.
I actually think that it is side splitting funny that they don't even know what rally their car was entered in!
Hey guys, it was the Mobil 1 Trial, nothing to do with Castrol!!
Graham
Click to expand...


Graham,

Thanks for your insightfull correction and keen wit, it was indeed a Mobil sponsored event as per the stickers on the car. My remarks on the Citroen board were less to do with humour and more a little pointer towards what is involved in takeing an event seriously, $20,000 prep wouldent even get you started today unfortunatly.

Chris.
 
Chris Dunham said:
Graham,

Thanks for your insightfull correction and keen wit, it was indeed a Mobil sponsored event as per the stickers on the car. My remarks on the Citroen board were less to do with humour and more a little pointer towards what is involved in takeing an event seriously, $20,000 prep wouldent even get you started today unfortunatly.

Chris.
Click to expand...

Not to mention the cost of actually putting the event on. This is why the Ampol Rerun is to be run to the Touring Road Event format.
The critical organisation is then restricted to licensed speed venues and the open road stuff is low key and doesn't need much manpower or organisation.
Even so we have very large expenses with regard to CAMS permit fees, medical services and expenses for CAMS officials.

As for the cars no special preparation required except for the need for a reliable car and basic safety equipment.

To sum up, plenty of competition and heaps of enjoyment. Pottsy's description is spot on.
Graham
 
Ray Bell said:
There are no CAMS fees if you don't run under CAMS...

And they have no authority to stop you. See Bob Jane or Mick Ronke.
Click to expand...

Yes, but in this case we are relying on a host of CAMS car clubs to supply the competition venues.
I am just a little worried that some clubs may defect before the event, I guess dual use of the facility for CAMS and other events is the key, as for Hidden Valley where the V8 supercars round is the only CAMS event for the year. The local scrutineer we got for the Redex was most impressed as he got another signature on his licence for the year!
A mate of mine (barrister) is working on this problem with CAMS and Mick Ronke at the moment.
Graham
 
GRAHAM WALLIS said:
Yes, but in this case we are relying on a host of CAMS car clubs to supply the competition venues.
I am just a little worried that some clubs may defect before the event, I guess dual use of the facility for CAMS and other events is the key, as for Hidden Valley where the V8 supercars round is the only CAMS event for the year. The local scrutineer we got for the Redex was most impressed as he got another signature on his licence for the year!
A mate of mine (barrister) is working on this problem with CAMS and Mick Ronke at the moment.
Graham
Click to expand...

I'm sure you're right!
Graham
 
Write it up

My desire/wish is that someone "writes up" the events as a story (particularly from the Citroen - or French car - perspective) after the event. How the car went, - or didn't - I can't be the only one hanging out to hear how it all went; the highs & lows, pitfalls, pleasures (edited), the fun and laughter etc etc
Look forward to it someone!
Cheers
Paul
 
If Peugeot Cars Australia get involved to the extent that they were in the Redex Re-run last year, you'll be able to follow it all almost live as they updated their website at the end of each day.

It's more than likely that I will be writing up our adventures, assuming we have some, but people with more time and better resources than I will probably provide coverage as well. As a long time Peugeotphile, a past owner of about 5 different Renault models, and now the proud driver of my 4th Citroen, I think I can see life from a French car perspective fairly well. And just to temper it all, I drive a Mini for pure fun! No-one who drives a Mini can take life all that seriously!

Best check closer to the time. We've all got a long way to go yet!
 
Re Write it up

Great! Look forward to it in due course - and I'll keep my eyes open for "writings" of past events meantime. I'm intrigued that you have a Mini, I too have had a series of Citroens & REnaults - and Mini's. I'm intrigued because there seem to be a significant number of Citroen owners who have Mini's. In the same vein (well, close), I was also intrigued by a posting on another site by someone in the UK who did what was almost a thesis by asking the question; "How many Citroen owners are (a) left handed, and (b) play a musical instrument?" The number of "yes" responses to both (including my own) was staggering! What does it mean? Where are the psychologists?
Cheers = Paul
 
There seem to be a number of synergistic relationships between French cars in general, Minis, and aberrant behaviour. A disproportionate number of Members in the Victorian Mini Club also have Peugeots. One could speculate on the similarities in handling, and general Fun Factor. My eldest son describes his 205 GTi as "A Mini on Steroids!"

Personally I reckon that hand in hand with the concept of not taking life seriously (Mini Drivers) goes the desire to enjoy life to the full, hence wanting the best in transport, and logically progressing via Renaults and Peugeots to Citroens. (Or is that just me?)

As far as the question "Where are the psychologists?" is concerned, the simple answer is "Stored quietly away in the Rubber Room until someone comes up with the next weird poll!" (And I'm right handed and only a Wannabe musician!)

Pottsy
 
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