Screw it. Weigh it and buy a Fiesta.

I wish I'd kept two out of my 2cv's and just continued to invest in them. I had an E reg red special, cant remember the reg but it ended in CVK. I bought it on a galvo chassis for £1200 in the nineties. If I still had that car now then the investment over the years would have been fair. I had a grey Charleston that I'd spent about £3000 on over my ownership and should have kept that one too.
When and if I buy another 2cv, I will keep it for the long term and yes, spending a grand or so every year results in having a practical, roadworthy car that costs a fraction to run, insure and juice to that of a modern car, so still cheap by any motoring standards.
My mistake was being too trusting and buying 2 shit cars that to be fair I was so peed off that both were going to require serious and expensive work/repairs just to get through an MOT, that I couldn't in my own mind justify them.
It was about weighing up whether spending £3-4 grand on work was worth it to me. But, the downside is I can easily go out and buy another for £2,000 that STILL needs the same expenditure.
I made a split second decision with the last car whether it was the right or wrong decision. I think maybe wrong as I'd now have a completely trustworthy car that I knew was sound and would have given a few years of trouble free enjoyment. Now I have to start the same process from scratch.
I'd hoped that someone in our community might have had something reasonably decent to sell instead of having to rely on fleabay and it's obvious perils and pitfalls.
The next car is a keeper, therefore yes I agree, having a tick list is not a particularly heartfelt way to buy a car, but for me at the minute this is the right thing to do because I will need to love the next car to bits to lavish the time and money on it.

Hi jameswallace
check this ebayer - descripton states chassis galvo available.

may get a bargain - may not

http//www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Citroen-2CV-Gearbox-Complete-New-Starter-Motor-/330608538320?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item4cf9cdf2d0#ht_500wt_1156

I have no more details

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Citroen-2CV-G ... 500wt_1156


link didn't work

Having seen the car, i'd say you made the right decision.

Thanks Neil, I feel better. The paintwork and the overall drive of the car was excellent but you know where it's failures were if you have seen it. So you reckon better to start again?!

Definitely. I went to see Graham the day after it failed its MOT - it was in his yard. I pulled in and thought 'wow', but on closer inspection it was a symphony of body filler & shiny 2 pack paint...

Looked like 2 shells welded together (not particularly well, i might add) just below bonnet hinge area along the bulkhead. Ok, so it had some nice parts on it & looked lovely from a few metres away, but when you really started looking & poking around it was clear some hardcore bodging had taken place. 2k paint can help hide a mulititude of sins...

Spot on Neil. And somebody sold that as a restored car. And I fell for it.
Graham has Sussed who did the restore, they are no longer with us. No prizes for guessing.
Wasn't a happy bunny.

I was at my Citroen specialist a few months ago and next to my car was an immaculate-looking black and yellow Charleston. I mentioned it looked good, but was pointed to the top of the windscreen post where a huge hole was. Apparently the A post had been full of filler most of the way up, a crack had appeared where the rest of the body joined the A post. Quite remarkable what some people get away with - this car (on an 'E' plate) had been supplied 'fully restored' by another specialist.

My man said it drove fairly unpleasantly, the wheels weren't round, the engine was poor etc - but it ticked all the boxes of what many look for when buying a car. Thing is, it had cost over £8000 just over a year previously!!! Made me think how insignificant my spendings on my car are.

It's easy to forget that when buying a 2cv, a magnet and a screwdriver should be in your pocket. How as a community have we allowed this to happen?
We should be naming and shaming these 'specialists' - I'm aware being in customer based work for the last 20 years that you can't please all the people all the time, there could be a specialist review section akin to trip advisor that highlights the good and the bad about firms that are taking our money.
I bought from an individual so in this instance it would not directly apply, but I know who did the restore.