Home » How I Rescued A Long-Neglected Citroen 2CV Covered With Bullet Holes

How I Rescued A Long-Neglected Citroen 2CV Covered With Bullet Holes

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There are events in life that seem to come out of nowhere and that cannot be planned for. The daunting “x-factor” events; the “known unknowns” as the hyper-relatable, humble, peace-loving man-of-the-people, Donald Rumsfeld once said (/s). Didn’t expect a 22+yr old Rumsfeld quote in the opening paragraph? Exactly my point. 

There’s a certain romantic randomness to many of these plot twists in life, and how you react to them with your own personal, unique approach can change, and either elevate or reduce the story of your life.

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Sex and death, heartbreak and strife; they give no warning” –Third Eye Blind “My Hit and Run.”

That track is off their sadly very much passed-over and forgotten third studio album. Chart-topping music had moved on to aggro rap metal by 2003, and many of the alternative rock bands from the late 90s were pushed aside so that Fred Durst could keep “Rollin’. Regardless, that Third Eye Blind song is expertly-written and crafted with an amazing message that aligns with the theme of this piece.

The song is about a near-death experience on a motorcycle, which is much more serious and heavy than the story that I’m about to tell about rescuing a French car, but as a theme that showcases the haphazard flow of life’s forward progression, it’s perfect. Give it a listen or two and the lyrics a quick run-through; I think you’ll be glad that you did.

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Welcome back to another SWG wrenching adventure, my Autopian friends.

Office Space

I’ve had the same job for over 20 years. It’s comfortable and I’m lucky to have it. From 2004-2020, I had a cozy cubicle with donuts and all of the corporate fanfare, until a global virus moved me to work from home. (Talk about an unexpected turn of events).

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I would make it a point to bring in donuts for my direct reports.

While I was there in the office, there were the usual office guys that you kinda have to make small talk with in the break room and the men’s room — similar to the “Richard” office character from SNL

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The day I cleaned out my desk and they closed the building. I was one of the first hired to work in that building and I was one of the last out the door before it closed permanently.

One of those guys had left the business years ago, and reached out to me cold in the summer of ’24 saying he was now doing Real Estate, and had something of interest for me. He was selling a property of an older gentleman, and informed me that there were a bunch of cool old cars parked on the property that I may be interested in, since he remembered that I was into rescuing old cars. 

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It’s not everyday that something that looks like this enters your purview.

He said one of them was this really weird old Citroen, so of course I asked for a picture. After he sent the photos of what was there, my interest immediately went through the roof. He said he wanted a Finder’s Fee, which I agreed to in principle, and I said that I would be up there in the next few days to check them out in person. Most of this was documented in last summer’s piece on me rescuing and pulling some of the better gems out of that hidden cove . Many of you asked for updates and for a story on the 2CV that I pulled out of that yard (in the comments of recent articles over the past year), and this is that story. 

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What a sad sight.

I never thought the random coworker taking a piss next to me in the men’s room or small-talking about the weather in the break room would have a lead on a hyper-rare car such as a Citroen 2CV 8 years later. Wicked random!

First Impressions

Upon arriving I was greeted by the first Citroen 2CV I’d ever seen in my 45 years on this planet. I’ve had over 150 cars at this point, so how rare this car was to find in a backyard in Garland NC was certainly not lost on me. The plates had expired in April of 2014, so it had been sitting there in its backyard holding-cell for just over a decade. That meant bad gas in the tank and a gummed-up carb.

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You can see that ballistics damage to the glass if you zoom in.

The top was ripped from age and sun exposure, and two of the windows had been shot-out. There was an additional bullet hole in the right quarter panel. Upon asking Willie (the owner of the car) about the ballistics damage, he was unaware and visibly upset upon hearing about it.

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This car needs rescuing. You can just feel it.

There was an abandoned bird’s nest in the right corner of the dash; this French beauty had been sitting for way too long and needed extraction and a new owner. It didn’t strike me emotionally, as the cars that I’ve ended up keeping for extended periods of time must do, but it telegraphed to me that it was wicked unique and special. When was the last time you were offered a 2CV in a backyard for $1K? Exactly. This one was different. 

Title Run #1

I knew this car deserved better. I knew that I had to do something. I knew that even though I have no clue about French cars, or Citroens whatsoever, that I had to rescue this thing out of this backyard before the property sold and the new potentially non-Autopian property buyer just scrapped all of the “old crap cars” in the backyard or some similar bad outcome. The cars deserved The Autopian Touch — buyers who care and love these machines just as much as the previous owner did.

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The interior when I first encountered it.

Willie, the owner, told me he wanted $1,000 for the car as it was. My ex co-worker said he wanted a $500 Finders Fee. I agreed to both, even though I thought $500 for just telling me about a car was a bit steep. I asked Willie for the title, which he claimed that he had misplaced. No worries, I told him that I’d go to the DMV and get a lost title form, and then drive the hour plus back to his place in a week or so to have them sign it, and have it notarized (necessary to transfer title ownership in NC). 

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This wicked cool Serial placard was riveted to the frame rail. It’s legit.

One week later I returned with the Lost Title Form already signed on my behalf, had Willie sign it, and then told him I would process the paperwork and then be back in a week or so to get the car. 

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You can see the NC Registration expiration month (top left corner) and year (top right).

Little did I know that when I went to the DMV they said that the car was not in Willie’s name, and that the NC Lost Title form would not suffice as it was not his car to sell! This was not ideal.

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The 10yr holding location for Willie’s fleet after his health started failing. Mercedes Streeter’s Plymouth is on the right, the 2CV is in the upper left. Time simultaneously forgot and did not forget these cars in this yard.

I called Willie and asked him if the car could possibly be in anyone else’s name; he adamantly told me that it was his car, and only his car, and the DMV didn’t know what they were talking about — all in very angry old man style that you cannot refute. The man used to be an NYC cop and knew how to telegraph authority. Well alright then, yes sir!

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I found the passenger seat in a shed on the property and threw it in the car.

I went back to the DMV again with that information, and I was sternly told again that it wasn’t his car and that they were ready to serve the next in line. Desperate, I asked the woman behind the counter for any insight as to whose name the title might be in, to which she replied: “You should probably speak with his wife.” Eureka!

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Willie’s wife Stella. She’s a trip; we’re now Facebook friends.

One additional Lost Title Form, one additional Notarization, and two more hours of driving out there to Garland and back to Wilmington, and I officially applied for a lost title in Willie’s wife’s name! The 2CV officially had legitimate paperwork. In the end, driving 4 hours back and forth to Garland NC and multiple trips to the DMV to finally sort the title was the best move I made with this rescue. The owners didn’t know whose name the title was in and the car would probably have ended up as a parts car if the title was never sorted.

The Extraction

Autopian Staff Writer Mercedes Streeter had emphatically indicated that she wanted one of the late-40s Plymouths on the property, and my buddy and fellow Autopian “Turbo TicTac” along with reader 5.7WK2, also expressed interest in checking out what was for sale at Willie’s property, so the group of us headed up there with a trio of U-Haul trailers, pockets full of cash and a few dreams. As hyperlinked above, I detailed the events of that day in my previous piece in this piece from last year and so did Mercedes.

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Come on, little buddy, let’s get you out of here.

Pulling those three automotive gems out of that backyard prison went well. The only unforeseen issue was that my ex-co-worker read the piece and left me a very drunken and angry voicemail stating that I didn’t give him enough credit nor enough ink in my Autopian article for finding the property and that he also wanted exorbitant Finders Fees from Mercedes, “Turbo TicTac” and “5.7WK2.” Not cool!

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Diamler-era Dodge and a ’66 Citroen: strange bedfellows.

Note: I was tempted to respond something about greed, manners and tact and such, but held my tongue. No additional Finders Fees were paid. Social media connection: severed. Good riddance.

The Waiting

Once I got the Citroen back to my Evil Wrenching Lair, I was over the moon to have such a weird, unique car sitting there next to my lesser-weird fleet. As things go around here, there are articles to write, random cabs showing up on Thanksgiving and cars always coming and going, so the 2CV sat in stasis for a hot minute while I prioritized work on other cars for the next 10 months. I placed a tarp over the ripped, leaky top and vowed to get to it when the time was right.

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Big thanks to Anthony Reynor “Turbo TicTac” for the help; he’s a solid dude.

Note: the cars that were rescued in the interim will be featured here in future pieces, DT-a-willin’! [Ed Note: Approved. I love me some SWG! -DT]. 

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Safely parked away from flying bullets and sitting on concrete instead of moisture-laden grass/dirt: an upgraded situation.
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“The Waiting is the hardest part.” -Tom Petty

Let’s Wrench! New Top.

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You can see the affects of sun and time on the original top. Also, you can see my sweet-ass 350Z in the background – it’s for sale if anyone wants it!

After enough time passed and after more-pressing jobs on my plate were cleared, it was 2CV Time. The first order of business was to make it water-tight. That meant the ripped-up top had to be replaced.

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One more big shout-out to https://www.2cvsource.com/, since without them, this rescue would have been an order of magnitude more difficult.
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Disassembly of the old top and interior (for cleaning). How ’bout that Jag XK convertible to the left, right? Looks mean under that cover.
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I’m 100% sure I’ll never own another car with this type of setup/engineering/design. So unique!
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I let the new top sit in the sun for a day to stretch.

Luckily, there is a super strong 2CV community here in the States and you can get new tops from the #1 2CV parts source! I went here and ordered a OEM-style top.

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New top: installed. Rusty Genesis in the background.

Let’s Wrench! New Glass.

The next order of business on my quest to make our little steampunk snail water-tight was to have the bullet-ridden glass replaced. Luckily the Citroen 2CV has, in its own unique simplest-possible style, flat glass! This means that any glass shop can just cut a piece of glass to fit the desired space, similar to custom residential/commercial building glass. The only issue is that it is 4mm thick, which the local glass shops told me is a pain, since that’s so thin.

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The bullet wound on the RR quarter glass.

 

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“As thin as possible!” -Citroen

Checking eBay just to see what glass for a 2CV goes for made me realize that I didn’t need custom local glass at all! The quarter glass and the driver’s door upper glass were both $40! Shipping from France wasn’t too bad either and it made way more sense to just go that route.

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Finished product for RR quarter glass.
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I was able to pull and replace the LF upper glass myself. 2 screws; so easy.
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Finished product: LF upper glass replacement.
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LR glass removal.
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LR glass replacement finished product.

A couple weeks later the replacement glass arrived and a local glass company popped it in. Score one for The Good Guys: we were officially water-tight! 

Note: I was tempted to try the glass replacement myself, but having zero experience with installing rubber-gasket flat glass (with a rope!) and with the glass coming all the way from France, I didn’t want to chance it and left it up to the pros for a few hundo. I didn’t want to crack it and have to wait weeks for additional glass to be shipped.

Let’s Wrench! Engine bay.

After immersing myself in every easily-findable 2CV video on YouTube, 2CV Forums and such, I hit the engine bay to clean up a decade-plus worth of neglect. Citroen, in all its inexpensive engineering glory, decided to make the air intakes for the heater boxes (and for the ducts to the firewall) out of paper!  Luckily 2cvsource.com has rubber replacements. These were the first items under the hood to go. 

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This is my first ownership experience with paper heating duct work. Pretty weak sauce.
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…also my first experience with under-the-hood, inboard front brakes!
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2CV inboard brakes! Image: Citroen
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Big thanks to https://www.2cvsource.com/ for the upgraded inner-fender rubber air intakes!

Next up was to install the newly-purchased and previously-missing rubber backing that attaches to the rear of the fan module, to direct cool air towards each horizontally-opposed cylinder.

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The only thing that belt drives is the alternator. No water pump here.
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The oil cooler is on the top of the circular fan shroud opening; air is diverted horizontally to the sides to cool the cylinders.

After that I installed the alternator, which was strangely in a box and not on the engine, along with the fan, which was also in that box..

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Installing this alternator took about 7 minutes. Wrenching on this car is wicked easy.
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The fan has a pulley on the backside that drives the alternator.

I purchased a fan cover (it was missing), along with an air filter-to-carb snorkel (also missing) and the OEM-style clamps for all.

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New snorkel fitment test. This is before the OEM clamps were fitted.
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It almost looks insectoid in this shot. Fan installed.
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Fan cover installed.

I noted that the wires going through the fenders for the turn signals did not have the appropriate grommets, so that was also done.

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5 little rubber grommets like this one were installed throughout the car. These are unsung little heroes that fight electrical shorts.

The car did not come with a battery, so a new OEM sized replacement was sourced. There were only two items left to deal with: the stale/bad fuel in the tank and the randomly, completely massacred wiring from the firewall forward. Why was the entire wiring harness chopped up mercilessly and for no apparent reason? Your guess is as good as mine and Willie (the owner) seemed shocked when I told him of the condition of the harness.

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I broke out my Power Probe (such an amazing, next-level tool for electrical diagnostics) and did my best to reconnect the alternator, starter, turn lights, low beams, high beams, parking lights, etc. Honestly, the car needed a new harness (which are still available!), but, in the theme and spirit of this story, a random left-turn came about at this point in the rescue: The Autopian co-founder himself, Jason Torchinsky, reached out and said he wanted the 2CV.

I ended up getting most of the non-headlight wiring routed and was rewarded with this:

Jason is Back, Baby!

So after having a front row seat to watch me post picture after picture after video of each of these repairs I was doing to this beautiful little Frenchie in our team Slack channel, Jason had just had too much. 

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Jason’s been a quasi-boss and friend of mine for years now, and that’s in addition to me having read his excellent body of work work for five plus years before the Autopian. He reached out to me via Slack and let me know that he’s been wanting a 2CV his entire life, that he was drawn to and aligned with the Jewish heritage of the brand, and that the 2CV just spoke to him.

He let me know that attaining one was a difficult feat, as the ones that are available are usually in pretty good shape, and command a pretty penny. My example, in its middling condition, would actually fit his budget.

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Celebratory sushi after we saved Jason’s Sienna from the side of I-40 East in Hog Country.

As I said earlier, this car was super unique and cool to me, but it did not speak to my heart nearly as greatly as it spoke to Jason’s. We agreed on a fair price, and Jason said that he wanted to come down to see the North Carolina beach/coast, and check the car out in person in the next week or so in The Marshall.

Now that I had agreed to sell the car to a fellow Autopian, colleague and a good buddy of mine, in the next few weeks, I needed to get it into much better shape, quickly!

Note: Jason has previously told me, in no uncertain terms, that he is definitely not a Third Eye Blind fan. He has told me that he’s an Old 97’s fan though, which shows that the two of us have a Venn overlap in our musical tastes.

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Let’s Wrench! Fuel tank.

Well that decade plus old gas in the tank was the next thing that needed to be addressed. Luckily for me, the fuel tank in the Citroën 2CV is made of plastic, at least it is in my example. It’s only four bolts, a ground strap and one fuel feed line away from being dropped and removed from the car! Jobs that are easier and cheaper than expected are the best jobs.

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The suspension is really unique on these cars: it runs longitudinally down the outside frame rails!
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A good day for wrenchin’. 

Dropping the tank literally only took me about six minutes after I got the car up on jack stands- bravo Citroën! The tank didn’t look too bad at all on the inside, so a quick rinse of about ½ cup of the 10yr old gas that was present was all that was needed before bolting it back up and filling it with two gallons of fresh gas. The fuel tank only holds 4.4 gallons!

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This was the easiest tank drop Ive ever done.

Sadly, when I attempted to fire the engine up (after the tank was reinstalled), I found the fuel pump had left the chat sometime in the prior decade. This made sense as the diaphragm in the mechanical pump was probably rotted due to the old fuel. A new pump would be around $50 and would require another two weeks of ordering, shipping and setting aside time for the install on a clear weekend.

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Look how small that tank is!

Dammit.  

The Return Of Jason Torchinky: Part 2, Jason’s Revenge

Oddly enough, Jason has been to my house once before, to drop off a Gen 2 Hyundai Tiberon wheel that he was borrowing from me for his Toyota Sienna. And no, I don’t own a Hyundai Tiberon, but I have a sweet set of wheels for one! It’s all about the bolt pattern, yo. I know that sentence sounds really weird, but after rewinding back to this Cold Start, it’ll make more sense

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How about this character, right?! There’s only one! Shout-out to the $220 Stratus never quitting.

Jason arrived in all his Autopian glory in his Grimmace-purple F-150 that he has named “The Marshall.” It was filthy, having trouble starting and wearing “Farm Use” plates; the windows were down and much sweat was involved as his truck has a vinyl bench seat, limited AC and it was in the upper 90s that day. I still can’t believe he got that hoss all the way down 1-40 from Chapel Hill to Wilmington for 2+ hours at 75mph!

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Check out the keychain and some of the assorted 2CV materials that came with the car. This stuff is right up Jason’s alley.

Jason really seemed to be over the moon when he saw the “Charleston” model 2CV and did not seem worried whatsoever that I did not have it running at that moment nor was he concerned about the absolute mess that was the wiring harness. Jason is a bit of an electronics wizard, so the 14-or-so wires on that harness didn’t seem like too big of a deal or challenge to him. At least that’s the impression that I got. 

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I don’t think it gets more “Torch” than this media tranche.
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Jason conveyed to me that he particularly likes the “moped-style” speedo.

I currently am in the middle of an engine swap on my Nitro; I have four Jags that I picked up in the last few years, an R/T Stealth, a manual Crossfire, an SL500, a rusty Genesis, a convertible LeBaron, a 350Z, a Trans Am plus my usual ride or die cars (Stratus, Durango, Titan) that are all waiting in line to be fixed, so waiting additional couple weekends for the fuel pump to arrive while having the 2CV occupy a coveted parking space for longer wasn’t really ideal for me.

I told Jason that I’d chop $500 off the already-agreed-to price if he did the wicked easy 2-bolt-and-1-hose fuel pump job himself (I figured that was a generous discount amount, to show how much I appreciate him foremost as a friend, as a buyer and my appreciation for him having me here as a Contributor); Jason immediately agreed. This meant my work on the car was just about over.

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Jason also told me that he likes the very simple, mechanical nature of the dash/instrument layout.

Jason didn’t stay very long, but Venmo’d me a down payment for the car and loaded the massive parts cache that I obtained from Willie into his truck (with it running, since if it shut off, it possibly would not start back up again). We loaded six tires and wheels, an extra carb, oil cooler, fan, rear glass, three bumpers and one wicker basket for eggs courtesy of my mom. Thanks Ma!

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Extra oil cooler and extra carb.
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These cars were designed to carry a basket of eggs across a rutted field. It wouldn’t be complete without the basket. My mom for the win!

Jason rode off into the sunset (literally, he was heading northwest), and I told him that I would deliver the car to him in the next week or two.

Trip to Chapel Hill

If you were reading the site a couple weeks back, you may recall that I just penned a piece on selling my Supercharged Buick Park Ave to an FAA Inspector in Wake Forest (with a killer chop-top Fiero project). Well, Wake Forest isn’t too far away from Jason’s neck of the woods in Chapel Hill, so I figured I’d make it a towin’, haulin’ marathon weekend and move both cars up to the Piedmont from the coast with a 48hr U-Haul Car Transport rental and one badass $400 Durango!

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This 250K mile truck is probably the best $400 I’ve spent my entire life (8 years ago!)
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Leaving The Evil Wrenching Lair in Wilmington. The weather held out that day, which was good since my tires on the ‘ol Rango aren’t that great.

After dropping off the Buick in Wake Forest, I headed back to Wilmington with an empty trailer, asked my guitarist and good buddy to help me push the super light 2CV up the trailer ramps (shout-out to Madison Bunting for the helping hand!) and pointed the nose of the ‘ol Rango back northwest again, towards Chapel Hill!

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Rest Area on I-40 West. I believe this was nearly Newton Grove.

Note: The Durango averaged about 15mpg at 70mph with the AC on while towing 3,533lb of Supercharged Buick, but did way better when towing the featherlight 1356lb 2CV (sadly I forgot to get the average mileage, but it definitely and obviously better).

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Arriving at Jason’s 8-Bit Palace Of Doom.

Upon pulling up to Jason’s place, we unloaded the car, took a few photos and a video for the website, grabbed a quick bite to eat and then I said goodbye to my friend (and new Citroen owner) and I was off, heading back to The Cape Fear, my home.

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Outtro; au revoir.

If you asked me a few years back if I’d ever own a French car I probably would’ve responded that it was unlikely. There just aren’t that many of them around, and the ones that are available are desired by a very specific enthusiast group, expensive or just not <$1500 cars, which is usually my purchase-price wheelhouse.

Although, fate intervened and I can now say that not only was I a Citroen 2CV owner but also that I’m now very familiar with most of the nuts and bolts on those cars. 

I’m so happy that I got to live this experience with one of the most unique machines that has ever come into my life. I learned so much, had a ton of fun figuring out all of the 2CV nuances and above all, I was able to help fulfill a lifelong dream of 2CV ownership for my friend Jason, who played a role in fulfilling my lifelong dream of writing for an auto publication.

 

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A post shared by The Autopian (@theautopian)

The universe put Jason in my life, which ending up placing me behind the keyboard of this article that you’re currently reading. It also randomly led me to stand in the sweltering sun in a massive backyard field in Garland, NC last summer, next to a steampunk tin snail of a car.

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I know that I sold the car probably to the worlds’ best-possible buyer; one who will love it with all of his (still beating!) heart. I know also that Willie made me promise to “do it right” when he shook my hand with heaviness in his eyes as I exited his house with the Lost Title Form for the last time. 

I didn’t finish the car completely, but I placed it in good hands, which I’m sure passes muster for “doing it right” for the old man. Plus Jason has a bit of a platform and pulpit here with this website, so his ownership of the car comes with all the benefits of the legions of global, loyal, dedicated, engaged, fiercely knowledgeable and wrenchy Autopians that he commands at his fingertips like the true Autopian Emperor that he is. 

I think the car is going to be more than fine. I think it’s going to be great.

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The man has excellent fashion sense and choice of t-shirt.

At the top of this piece I quoted “My Hit and Run,” which states that various events in life “...give no warning.” They are referencing situations that come to be via the haphazard touch of fate, perhaps grounded in some religious belief or maybe just due to the chaos of the universe. This Citroen coming into my life gave no warning, but I jumped at the opportunity and did my best to make the most of it. Time shoots forward.

I know that my Citroen 2CV is a car that I’ll never forget and a time in my life that I’ll always cherish. I look forward to telling my young car-obsessed nephew about it in the future and showing him the wrenching photos and videos of it from this spring and summer. Maybe he’ll even be interested enough to read this article later in life. 

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I left Jason’s house the day I dropped it off with a huge smile on my face. I didn’t even completely fix the car, nor did I have a strong emotional attachment to it, but I didn’t need to. It felt like a happy ending. The right ending to my stewardship and ownership of the car and the right ending to this story for me.

Jason Torchinsky
Managing Editor (and Wizard of Dark Computing Arts) Peter Vieira made this to commemorate the moment.

May each of us find the same happiness, contentment, fulfillment and purpose on each path that the universe opens up in each of our lives.

This past week, I went to the fantastic local creperie in Wilmington, to celebrate my first (and probably only) French car. They had the below drawing on the door:

A Crop
The 2CV is an internationally recognized symbol of its home country. Vive la France!

A warm feeling of happiness and connection to that strange little car washed over me and I couldn’t help but smile.

88mph, into the future.

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More SWG below.

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Freddy Bartholomew
Freddy Bartholomew
2 days ago

What a great story! Almost had me tearing up at the end. I’m not familiar with the 2CV. Two observations/questions:
1) Is that paint original? I really like the graphics of the two-tone paint job.
2) If original paint, how did it survive so well?

Austin Vail
Austin Vail
2 days ago

1) They did paint them like that from the factory, yes. That two-tone pattern was called the “Charleston.” I’m not sure if beige was an original option for Charleston 2Cvs (most seem to be maroon, yellow, or grey, over black), but they’ve been painted in just about every imaginable color over the years.

2) Even if it’s not original paint, they can survive to the present with paint this good because they only ceased production in 1990. The 2CV was so popular that they kept building it as long as they could possibly get away with it before safety and emissions regulations finally said enough is enough. If cared for, paint can last a while, but this thing spent at least a decade exposed to the elements so yeah, the paint held up pretty remarkably well regardless of how old it actually is.

Freddy Bartholomew
Freddy Bartholomew
1 day ago
Reply to  Austin Vail

Thank you for the detailed response.

Cars? I've owned a few
Cars? I've owned a few
2 days ago

The leaving the office picture is so Office Space, that I want to know what the office space was.

Otherwise, I’m glad you like wrenching, because it looks like you were doing a bunch. In other articles as well.

I’m sure when it’s intact, a 2CV is a charming vehicle. I loved my P 504 and a friend had a DS 19 that was also very cool to ride around in.

Keep up the good work and good writing.

SonOfLP500
SonOfLP500
2 days ago

Thoughtful of the person who abandoned it to leave the pine air freshener, otherwise it might well have been stinking in there.

Turbotictac
Turbotictac
2 days ago
Reply to  SonOfLP500

Someone thoughtfully added multiple breathing holes as well

Brock Landers
Brock Landers
2 days ago

I’m going to read the article in a bit because a SWG post is always worth my time, but I have to say: $500 finder’s fee is kinda B.S. and bush league, especially for a former co-worker!!!

Brandon Forbes
Brandon Forbes
2 days ago
Reply to  Brock Landers

Agreed. Then it got so much worse when they thought they were entitled to more! People are the worst!

Davey
Davey
2 days ago
Reply to  Brandon Forbes

*Real estate people are the worst. I don’t know what it is but all the real estate people I know only think of money, this was no surprise.

Brandon Forbes
Brandon Forbes
2 days ago
Reply to  Davey

I know a few that I think highly of, but yeah it’s not a profession that has a good image. Right up there with used car dealers.

Tagarito
Tagarito
3 days ago

Jason driving the “farm use” truck into the sunset after that 2CV deal, I can picture it too vividly. Perfect, priceless, should be drawn into an Autopian canon graphic in the style of Outrun

Frobozz
Frobozz
3 days ago
Reply to  Tagarito

I would pay extra for a tee shirt with that that graphic.

Harvey "Shift To" Park
Harvey "Shift To" Park
2 days ago
Reply to  Frobozz

I want a T-shirt that reads FARM USE.

Rollin Hand
Rollin Hand
3 days ago

What I love about this is a cool car got the love it deserves thanks to SWG, and then got the OWNER it deserves thanks to SWG.

Wins all around, both karmically and automotively.

EricTheViking
EricTheViking
3 days ago

This whole experience was bittersweet memory for me.

My mum bought a 1986 2CV Charleston with black and maroon paint in 1992. She drove it for more than a decade until it was in the middle of chain collision. My father started to take 2CV apart to replace the frame and fixed up some of mechanical issues. Then, they drove it occasionally and allowed me to borrow theirs once in a while. I had so much fun driving it and hoped it would be bequeated to me one day.

After my father passed away, my mother was so anxious about the finances (typical widow reaction). She wanted to sell 2CV quickly, but my brother and I were so against that idea. The guy at the repair garage was taking advantage of my mother’s anxiety and looked for ways to buy it on the cheap then flip it for more money. Unbeknownest to us, she sold it for €6,000. I saw the classified listing in Citroën newsletter a month later, and the car was listed for €9,500, which was sold quickly.

The same guy pulled the same stunt for our 1977 Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL, citing it as worthless and requiring lot of repairs and replacements to get it road-going. He listed it for €6,400 so my mum got nothing…

We were very angry at our mother about it. We were also angry about our father not preparing the will and testament that would have avoided the problems after his death.

So, please do yourself and your family a huge favour: get the will and testament done!

Harvey "Shift To" Park
Harvey "Shift To" Park
3 days ago

What a great story!

Someone as suave and with-it as you should be sure to refer to the 2CV as a “deuche,” pronounced “dush” (rhymes with hush, not tush). That’s short for “deux chevaux” which “2CV” is short for (technically 2 Chevaux Vapeur, which the V is for).

You’re a mensch, Mr G.

Sam I am
Sam I am
3 days ago

Nice! Great story and Torch does indeed seem like a 2CV kinda guy.

David Fernandez
David Fernandez
3 days ago

SWG! Insert 5th element Gary oldman gif: my favorite.

Love these articles!

Jb996
Jb996
3 days ago

SWG articles always go to the top of the reading list.

Chartreuse Bison
Chartreuse Bison
4 days ago

Jason is a bit of an electronics wizard

Yeah, that’s one word for it. Wizard

Jb996
Jb996
3 days ago

He might be, but I also saw his AC repair in the NV. So…

UnseenCat
UnseenCat
4 days ago

Wait, Jason was given an egg basket along with the rest of the2CV parts?

He’s now morally obligated to fill it up with eggs and drive it across a freshly-plowed field in the 2CV once it’s running!

Gaston
Gaston
2 days ago
Reply to  UnseenCat

And it needs a farm use license plate without a doubt.

Maryann Witte
Maryann Witte
4 days ago

Oh, mon Dieux! Another amazing article! Bravo, Steve! Do I love it? Oui, oui!

CarEsq
CarEsq
4 days ago

Cool article. Torch’s fleet is getting to be quite eclectic.

ADDvanced
ADDvanced
4 days ago

Hell yeah! SWG strikes again! Life is pretty wild; sometimes it seems like the projects find you, instead of the other way around. In 2021, I picked up a Jaguar XJ6 Series 1 with triple SUs and a manual swap, with california plates. It was 5 minutes from my house, and it was $3000. It didn’t run, but how can I say no to such a thing?? I finally got it on the road last year, after learning quite a few new things. Working on vintage european cars is rewarding for my brain, because they solve problems in a completely different way than what we are all used to dealing with.

The people who designed and engineered all of these bizarre solutions have all long since passed, but when you work on stuff like this and then gain the understanding of how it is supposed to work and then bring it back to life, it’s extremely rewarding.

Great job! I cannot believe the interior wasn’t more like the petri dish Buick with that ripped top! Looking forward to updates from Jason on this thing, it’s one of the most Torch vehicles ever. I expect a taillight article at some point.

CTSVmkeLS6
CTSVmkeLS6
4 days ago

Great story, great writing. Love it.

Andy Farrell
Andy Farrell
4 days ago

Great article, as always! These kind of stories are what this site great.

Turbotictac
Turbotictac
4 days ago

It was a great time, and the trailer and engine hoist I went home with have already put in plenty of work. I have already removed and installed engines 6 times myself with the hoist, and it is currently on loan to a friend who is using it to replace an engine in his Subaru.The trailer moved quite a bit of stuff when I moved into my new house as well!

CSRoad
CSRoad
4 days ago

It turned out happily all around and the story is well presented.
But in hindsight it should have been shot as a documentary in 16mm, w/o a crazy guy with a chainsaw threatening a fuel pump.

The Mark
The Mark
4 days ago

What a great story of friendship; cars really do bring people together.

Side note, I was not expecting Jason to call it a two-cee-vee (in english) in the video. I was expecting “deux chevaux.” Which really just means two horses if I remember correctly.

Or Some
Or Some
4 days ago
Reply to  The Mark

I’m from the UK and we always called these two cee vee. I’m old enough to have seen them being sold new, so they were fairly common in the 90s.

The French name does indeed mean two horses; it relates to a system of taxation that was in place back then, not the horsepower rating, which is a little higher. Early models made all of 9hp.

Harvey "Shift To" Park
Harvey "Shift To" Park
3 days ago
Reply to  Or Some

The V stands for Vapeur (steam).

Those in the know call those “deuche.”

The Mark
The Mark
3 days ago

That holds a different meaning, at least for me, lol. And it really is a fascinating car, I would not call it that.

Edit: I see in a newer comment it rhymes with “hush” so I rescind my comment. It’s still a fascinating car.

Last edited 3 days ago by The Mark
Harvey "Shift To" Park
Harvey "Shift To" Park
3 days ago
Reply to  The Mark

Haha yeah it doesn’t rhyme with whoosh.

The Mark
The Mark
3 days ago
Reply to  Or Some

Makes sense, we speak English, so two cee vee it is. Just like we call it a Fiat five hundred. I was just a little surprised is all.

Jeremy Aber
Jeremy Aber
4 days ago

What’s up with that Chattanooga license plate? I thought everyone involved in this story was in NC?

Jeremy Aber
Jeremy Aber
4 days ago

I wondered if it wasn’t something like that, that makes total sense!

Rick C
Rick C
4 days ago

North Carolina. The south. Bullet holes. Color me surprised.

Turbotictac
Turbotictac
4 days ago
Reply to  Rick C

Not the first car I have found covered in bullet holes by any means

Harvey "Shift To" Park
Harvey "Shift To" Park
3 days ago
Reply to  Rick C

Bullet holes are in every state. 🙁

Parsko
Parsko
4 days ago

This is more a story of friendship and love than of rescuing a car. The rescue was just the binder for the friendship which lead to a delicious Ambrosia Salad of love.

Carlos Ferreira
Carlos Ferreira
3 days ago
Reply to  Parsko

This seems an appropriate time to remind everyone of the 70’s / 80’s band Ambrosia, who sang often about love and the feels.

Day One Dave
Day One Dave
4 days ago

Old 97’s for the win! I try to see them every year when they come by (they are a working band!).
Their song, Where the Road Goes is a pretty good one for this as well!

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