Daphne: 1974 D Spécial purchased October 2016

MelanieYlang

MelanieYlang

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After many years of admiring the classic Citroën DS, the opportunity to acquire one in good running order landed squarely in my lap, and after only brief hesitation I accepted the challenge.*

Longing to be a classic car collector, I had been looking for a 'serious classic' to add to my stable of one recent classic (a Chrysler Scorpion, marketed in the US as Dodge Challenger and Plymouth Sapporo, and elsewhere as variations on Mitsubishi Sapporo / Galant Lambda), but had something else in mind - although I wasn't certain exactly what. To be honest, it hadn't occurred to me that I could afford to buy a DS...but, life is full of surprises!

After some repairs to the suspension by the previous owner's mechanic, I collected my slightly shabby '74 D Spécial from the Adelaide Hills and drove her to a new home, 400 kilometres away. This was, frankly, a roadtrip fuelled by nerves, as I had only test driven the vehicle for a short time around the suburbs at dusk with a speed limit of 60kph while wearing rose-tinted glasses; driving a goddess on a highway for hours was a different proposition, and it took much longer than usual, allowing frequent stops for adjustments, fuel, head-scratching, food and photos.*

These photos were taken at the hamlet of Yumali, which scarcely appears to support a human population. I had brought my green Matchbox Car DS - found at a swap meet earlier in the year (perhaps an omen of the surprise to come?) - along for the drive, having intended to take just such a 'Mini-Me' shot.

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https://goddessonahwy.wordpress.com/
 
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FEEDING TROUBLES: Since commencing custodianship of my goddess, I have attempted to refill the fuel tank on three occasions; each time, petrol wept gently onto the service station driveway, mocking my attempts and causing me to gnash my teeth while the tank remained only half-full (or is that*half-empty?). I had expected refuelling to be slightly difficult, due to the position of the tank and fuel filler, but this seemed ridiculous! Fortunately, she’s a thrifty contraption, and doesn’t ‘drink like a fish’.*

The man about the house and a mate did some investigating, and discovered nothing more complicated than a split in the fuel filler hose, which promised to be a simple job to fix (it was). And having easily removable body panels certainly made things easier.
 
GETTING FRESH AT THE REAR: The man about the house has been very busy working on Daphne, having wire-brushed old surface rust from much of the rear quarter, prepping with zinc paint to help prevent the rust spreading further, and freshening the whole lot up with matte black paint.*
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THE DOWNS OF UPHOLSTERY: Daphne’s upholstery has fallen into disrepair; the driver’s seat is the saddest, of course, and neither the passenger side nor the rear are very presentable. One of the things I was adamant I wanted in my next classic was a ‘nice interior’ – you know, somewhere very pleasant to be when behind the wheel – and this car’s interior is not currently giving me the experience I had requested!*

Though I had seen whole replacement upholstery sets available for goddesses online from faraway lands in foreign currencies, I decided to see what could be done locally. A trip to the local motor trimmer got me thinking about going for something a little different from the standard Citroen options.*

I am currently considering contrasting black leatherette with black and white houndstooth or herringbone inserts. I figure that the black leatherette would be in keeping with the original low-budget spec and match in reasonably well with the existing black vinyl door trim, and the fabric insert would give the car a bit of a stylish twist that’s still period correct (though not Citroëncentric). Also, the fabric will be more comfortable to sit on than black vinyl that’s notoriously hot in summer and cold in winter.

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RE-COVERING THE STEERING WHEEL: I may not be handy at fixing machinery, but at least I felt confident about stitching on a leather steering wheel cover*to improve the mess that was lurking under no-less-than three autoshop steering wheel covers. It started out really easy as I covered the good part of the wheel, but as I approached the nasty bits I lost my way a little, and the job ended up taking twice as long as I first thought. Anyway, the end result isn’t perfect, but neither is it too bad.*

The cover was made to measure by Mr Steering Ltd, and shipped fairly quickly from the UK; a helpful link to a tutorial on YouTube was included, along with the waxed thread and a tapestry needle.
Tip:*raise the car up on axle stands so the steering wheel moves freely and you can get easier access as you stitch. I was glad to find a reason to be grateful that Daphne was already on stands!


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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: before (note nasty section from 2’o’clock to 4’o’clock); cover in position ready for stitching; beginning; progress; approaching difficulties; detail of nasty section; the point when I thought I was home and hosed, but wasn’t; end result.
 
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forumnoreason said:
if you're keen and cashed up the 'targa' vinyl seat covers are available online Melanie. A quick google came up Bryce, aka here-
http://www.aussiefrogs.com/forum/parts-sale-wanted/113163-citroen-ds-noir-targa-interior-sydney.html

may still have them, PM perhaps and most of the European suppliers stock them. Darrin at Citroenclassics shop site?

Bit of fitting but hey!
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Cashed-up I am not, so will shop locally and be getting the upholstery done in stages. And the minor inconvenience experienced with fitting the steering wheel cover confirmed for me that I have no interest in struggling to fit seat coverings myself!!! I may as well pay someone else to make and fit them properly, and use the opportunity to get something custom made...it might not be as resaleable as repro, but it'll be more interesting to me [emoji6]
 
Hi Melanie,

Your blog is wonderful and it was something I wanted to document for both my 2CV and hopefully one day, a DS. Congratulations and best of luck.

Kind regards,

Syd
 
gsowner84 said:
Hi Melanie,

Your blog is wonderful and it was something I wanted to document for both my 2CV and hopefully one day, a DS. Congratulations and best of luck.

Kind regards,

Syd
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Hi Syd, thanks so much for your kind words! One reason I wanted to start this blog was because I often search personal blogs when I'm researching, so wanted to be able to share any useful information I found out along the way with others [emoji4]
 
with your blog Melanie, just had a squiz and you're pondering if it is a 'real DS', what has the build plate got on it, FD or something else?
Its the plate on the engine side in front on drivers side, that code will identify the car specifically.
 
Lovely story. Do enjoy Daphne! You'll find all the help you need here. She'd have given you a lovely ride on that oldish road through from the hills to Bordertown and beyond.
 
forumnoreason said:
with your blog Melanie, just had a squiz and you're pondering if it is a 'real DS', what has the build plate got on it, FD or something else?
Its the plate on the engine side in front on drivers side, that code will identify the car specifically.
Click to expand...
It has FD, and my understanding is that Daphne is a 'real D Spécial'! Which isn't as special as other models, being the later name for the ID, but is a great beginner's goddess [emoji6]
 
JohnW said:
Lovely story. Do enjoy Daphne! You'll find all the help you need here. She'd have given you a lovely ride on that oldish road through from the hills to Bordertown and beyond.
Click to expand...
Thanks John! She did indeed give me a great ride on the highway, and has been fine on the more rickety local roads round home, too. I have been amazed by the generosity of members here, who have been so helpful with all my questions in the past month of ownership.
 
well it is a DS because that is also on that plate. : ) Some people have issues with this detail and so be it.
 
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