Citroen DS23

billtran

billtran

Active member
Fellow Frogger
Joined
Apr 25, 2001
Messages
367
Location
Sydney, NSW, Australia
I'd just like to know how much a good to excellent condition DS23 would cost to purchase?

I would also like to know what problems I should look out for and if anyone can share with me their experiences with owning such a car.

Thanks.
 
They can be bought from $5,000 to around $35,000. Being what they are you don't use the "Red Book" to work out a value; more of a case of being worth what you will pay & the other fellow will sell for. I just posted a photo on the Australian Citroen Bulletin board of a convertible I saw years ago which is reputedly owned by Rene Revkin for which he paid $120,000 but a very good, very rare car. As I say, worth what you are prepared to pay.
Good & bad points. Good: Ride is unbelievably comfortable, floor is flat, not all that hard to work on once you get to know the vehicle, would not get a lesser tiring vehicle on a long trip (except possibly the BX 16V - that ought to upset a few) solid, safe, never seem to wear out.
Bad: Prone to rust in places, not overly economical (fuel wise) if second hand parts not available are expensive prices for parts. Won't go on more than that, then Shane Leviston can give you an earfull, but that is my personal view.
Would I buy a good one if it became available at a reasonable price? - Yes, I think I would.

Hope that helps serve as a guide for you.

Alan S
 
Hi Alan,

OK,here's my 0.02 cents worth. I'd have a BX 16 valve any day. I reckon one of them would be fantastic, but! I would never swap a clean DS23 ie for one, never.... Really BX's can't be compared to DS's, they are completely different cars.

Alans right, a good DS injected could bring upwards of $30,000. A very sad one could bring as little as $3000, but trust me unless you can spend an enormous amount of time restoring the $3000 one yourself, it'd probably end up costing more than the $30,000 car by the time you paid someone to bring it upto scratch.

The DS cars are exceptionly long lived cars, immensley overbuilt, especialy if compared to a BX or GS. Have you ever pulled the front suspension from one??

If you don't know much about 'D's get someone to look at it for you, even if you have to pay them a bit of money to do it. If your in Victoria get Bob King to look at it for you (if possible) he's a member of the Citroen car club here and is a one eyed 'D' enthusiest (in fact he recently bought a BX, but it's for sale as I don't think they like it much.... That's just a dig at Alan
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)

If your buying the car off Bob King, I wouldn't even bother checking it, it'll perfect, or if it isn't he'd tell you what it needs.

good luck,

Shane Leviston
 
I must add that my father used to own a BX19 GT. A very lovely car but pity about the dealer servicing. We've had other nice cars since then (Saab 9000 Turbo and BMW 535i) but nothing comes close to it in terms of its ride/handling compromise. A lovely car ruined by dodgy servicing.

That's why I'm really keen to know about owning a DS23. It's the closest thing to automotive design perfection but I'm concerned about its maintainence. Are there any decent servicing places in Sydney or is it better to DIY with a Haynes manual?
 
Bill,
How right u r about the dodgy servicing. Some of these characters wonder why they go out of business & they have nobody but themselves to blame. It seems that it's a case of live for today & forget about tommorrow; hit 'em to leg at every chance you get. These creeps are the reason a lot of people won't touch European cars. Don't get me going or I'll never stop.
If you're in Sydney, I would firstly suggest join the Citroen Car Club.
First big advantage: If you are looking at a car, chances are they know the history. If not, you mention it at a meeting or social do & then you'll need to hire a bus to take everyone who wants to come & help you look at it; option 2 is that you all turn up in convoy for the inspection
smile.gif
(Frightens the hell out of the sellers)
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If you want to find a good service guy, they should be able to advise (because someone advertises in a club mag. doesn't necessarily mean that they are good) from personal experience.
The Club has access to parts suppliers and has for loan specialised service tools. They have technical days where you can learn more about the cars & how to detect & repair problems. It is very reassuring when you have a problem to be able to go to a phone & ring a person on the same wavelength as you rather than a clown who starts the converation with "Oh Geez - - a bloody Sitrun ya know this is goin'ta costcha a forchune dontcha?" An example of this was when I owned a D years ago & needed to do a job which seemed a bit complicated. Spent a couple of hours tearing the hair out & then rang a fellow club member. "All you do is -- and you use a hex headed socket - now it must be hex headed or you'll round the head off - then you - " the job was done within 5 minutes. Don't be like someone who recently bought a Citroen & were given the same advice but who went on their merry way bouncing from one con artist to the next & who I believe have now spent around 6 Grand on dodgy work, still can't drive the car & believe it or nor, to my knowledge, still have not joined a club
rolleyes.gif

You can find more info on the Citroen Car Club of NSW at http://members.ozemail.com.au/~gfreed/ccc.htm

and for the record, I'm in Queensland & not on commission to the NSW Club
biggrin.gif

Hope this puts you on the right track.

Alan S
Get on to a DS mailing list on the 'net where you can ask questions pre & post purchase and start to build a mental bank of knowledge if you ever need it.
 
Hi,

here's the addresses for the 'DS' lists at yahoogroups:

DSeries-L@yahoogroups.com
citroen-dsid@yahoogroups.com

You'll probably get 15-20 mail a day if you subscribe to them both. There is several members on the list that could tell you anything about DS's (eg: Carter).

If your going to buy a very good one to start with it shouldn't need any more maintenance than any other old car. Contrary to what most people say, they are NOT hard to work on. More time consuming, definatly, but no more difficult than most other cars... Have you looked under the bonnets of new cars lately??

Just remember to get someone that know 'D's well to look at it. A 'D' with nice shiny paint can be rusted to hell underneath. The most important part of a 'D' is the integrity of the structure underneath (which is mostly hidden). Pretty much any thing else can be fixed relitivly easily.

If you want to see what tired old cars that need restoration look like you can have a look at my homepage:

http://member.austasia.net/~jlevisto

With luck Alan should have a web page up soon as well (c'mon Alan, get to it!!)

seeya,

Shane Leviston
 
billtran
have alook at drive.com / used vehicles / Citroen. I have seen a bunch of D's advertised that had they not been in NSW or Victoria I certainly would have had a look at, also talk to the guys at Continental cars in Sydney they have had some real gems, you'll no doubt pay more but they tend to be pretty honest. I drive a very reliable D it gets regular servicing and is costing me no more than more modern vehicles I have owned. Alan is right they are not difficult to work on by todays standards. Consumable parts are readily available, good second hand are becoming harder to come by. If you are not that familiar with cits then there is no better advise than to join a club.
 
Billtran, I have a D special for sale if your interested. It is fitted with a DS23 motor and 5 speed gearbox and goes really well, its not exactly a DS23 but pretty close. The motor and box were fitted 20 years ago so its all sorted properly, its only done 106,000km from new, I drove it today and boy is it a good car, comes with 12 months vic reg and a RWC and at $5,000 I recon its a bargin. Shane mentioned Bob King, well he has looked at this car and he can't believe its still for sale.
cheers,
David.
 
Dear David, thanks for your offer. But as a poor penniless student, I'll have to wait a while before I decide to buy a DS23. That's why I'm asking ahead about what it is like to purchase and own.

Yes, I'll take the advice you guys have given me and join the Citroen car club. Unfortunately my father's experience with a BX19 had turned me off French cars for a while. But the goddess is just too alluring!
 
Hi Billtran,

I have a DS 23 Auto. It is a glorious car, but unless you are prepared for the long haul I would not recommend a 23. They are much harder to work on than a D Special, especially the fuel injected ones.

The car to look for is a DS 21 - carburettor is simpler, and they seem to have been built of better metal - not so prone to the rust bug as the 23s, which had other corners cut as well. Almost all the late cars have to have the roof done, which is expensive and not a DIY job - unless you have lots of shed space like Shane! A D Special is a lot cheaper and a better way to start than most DS models, which command a premium which is not really justified.

That said, if you want a car with auto and A/C you have to go for a 23. It is the best and the worst at the same time - nightmarish mechanical access, glorious ride, all that rust and all that style!

By all means join the NSW Club - also speak to Denton Christie at European Autocare 02 4731 6522 - he has forgotten more about Ds than most of us know!


Paul Smith
 
Here you go billtran,
A D down your way listed today on the Australian Citroen Bulletin board.
Suggest you check out the old man for a loan or check to see how the Austudy is running
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Alan S


have a 1974 Citroen D-Special for sale, the car is in pretty good condition, the roof has been redone (European auto care), it has a new clutch and engine mounts, good tyres, clean interior, no cracks on the dashboard, no rust, the engine doesn't chew through oil, it's a pretty clean car, suitable for restoration. It is currently unregistered.
contact ph number is 02 47 572970
price - $3000 ono
 
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