the first car I owned

Started by SandyB, September 09, 2007, 11:28:39 AM

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SandyB

September 09, 2007, 11:28:39 AM
The  first  car  I  owned ... a  Citroen  ID 19 bought from  Luke  Lisser   in  1975 for a  princely sum  of  R 450 !   That  car  started  my  romance  with  citroens  untill  they were no  longer  available  in  SA  .. I  owned  the ID 19   SC 86  ... a  white   club SC 1354  ...a  cream  Club station  wagon SC 77 ( still  got  the  number  plate ) and finally  a Blue club  station  wagon  in CT   .. My first  holiday in  the  car  ... Marius  Neethling  ( nuts )   went  down  to  CT  with  me ..  The  treacherous  Port  nolloth road  it  sneered  at ..  Then  the  Rutted  and potholed  Steinkopf  road  it  laughed  at ...   all  you heard  was  thudding  below  you  as  you  sailed  along   leaving  a trail  of  dust  and  flying  stones  in  your  wake .. it  had  this  armchair  comfort  way  of   slowly  pitching  and  rolling  as it  dealt  with  that  bad  road  ,, by  the  time  we  reached  the  steinkopf  settlement  where the  tar  road  started  Marius  had to get out  and  puke  .. he got  seasick  from  the pitch  and  roll motion  !!
yes  Yvette !!  the  car  that  looked  like  an  Iron  you  mentioned  well  here it is !!
excuse  the  state  of  the  picture  ..  it  is the only remaing  one  .. I  lost a  lot  of  pictures  in  a  house  fire .. thanx  goodness  I  am  now  scanning  and  saving  ....
To see  sometimes  requires that you  first believe .

Charmain Meier (Heusdens)

#1
September 09, 2007, 01:44:55 PM
Sandy

I can still remember your car!!

Charmain
The higest love of all finds it's fulfilment not in what it keeps, but in what it gives.  We may give without loving, but we cannot love without giving

Yvette Kroukamp (Biccard)

#2
September 09, 2007, 07:12:26 PM
 :) Sandy

Yes, thats the one.  You need to keep it safe.  That photo is a classic! So was the car!

Yvette

Leon Sumter

#3
September 21, 2008, 06:30:24 PM
..then Sandy you should enjoy this picture of my current car, a 1972 DS23 that I use each day.

barb (Fry)

#4
September 21, 2008, 08:11:29 PM
Nice.  It's a french car and I've been taught to say nothing nice about that.....
the house looks a lot like somewhere I know in Kraaifontein........sorry
When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace. Jimi Hendrix

SandyB

#5
September 22, 2008, 04:11:40 AM
Leon .. Im  sooo green with envy .. 
To see  sometimes  requires that you  first believe .

Leon Sumter

#6
September 22, 2008, 04:38:43 PM
no actually the house is in Edgemead a lovely suburb situated between Monte Vista and Bothasig and Panorama.

Barb why were you taught to say nothing nice about French cars, I'm curious.

Just a few facts about the Citroen DS/ID range made from 1955 to 1975.
This car was voted as the best product of the 20th Century, the third best car in the world in the 20th century and the best car in Europe in the 20th century.
Citroens can become an addiction. Look at those lines, undreamt of softest suspension in the world. A car that was 40 years ahead of its time and even today still stands out completely from any modern car.
There is a large very active Citroen Club in Cape Town (please note Sandy) that meet at least once a month. This Saturday we're off to the Whale Festival in Hermanus.

SandyB

#7
September 22, 2008, 06:34:35 PM
Leon , would love to be able to relive the romance of that car .. never forget it  .. my sucession of  clubs .. one sedan and two sation wagons also have good memories , altough nowhere near the old ID 19 .. in a  class of its own ..   unfortunately i have grown beyond tinkering , ( too damm busy ) and at their age they would require tinkering ...  and garaging .. I remember when my company gave me a car , I hung onto my blue club station wagon for about a year ... only drove it  on weekends .. but again , no garaging .. i could see her looking  sad .. so  sold her to  someone who could do  full  justice and care ...  then  again if i was suddenly Lotto rich .. yes I would indulge myself ... I have returned  to  french cars again .. currenlty driving a  brand new  Renault CLIO 3  beautiful blue colour and she  drives and  handles like a dream.. and is  ultra  reliable ..  faultless from  delivery ..
yes at one  stage  french cars developed a bad name ..  but then all makes at some  stage  had  bad  names .. even BMW , in the 70's they were  regarded as quirky ...  so  yes every time i see one  on the  road ,, my  heart  sighs , but I keep myself  fixed on the reality .. enjoy the moment of  nostalgia with  no  regrets  .... 
To see  sometimes  requires that you  first believe .

Leon Sumter

#8
September 24, 2008, 07:57:47 AM
Agreed DS's in particular were regarded by the general motoring public as quirky, despite the fact that they were actually quite reliable if serviced and maintained regularly, and therein lies the rub.
I am fortunate that my car is sorted out quite nicely, I do small jobs on the car from time to time and I have a good mechanic who does major repair work when required. The DS is also garaged over night. Eventually one day I suppose I will have to let go of her. In the meantime I enjoy each moment I drive her.

SandyB

#9
September 27, 2008, 02:39:15 PM
Another one  of my  strykyster  at  rest .. this  pic  taken at Bapsfontein in Gauteng .. took Ian and Pauline there for the day ...
To see  sometimes  requires that you  first believe .

Leon Sumter

#10
September 27, 2008, 03:37:19 PM
yes these cars have the nickname 'strykyster' amongst the Afrikaans speaking community. Sandy were there any other DS/ID's in OMD in our days. I never saw one in all my time there and in fact I am surprised that anyone on OMD would have owned a DS because of the fear of the hydraulics packing up miles from nowhere.

SandyB

#11
September 27, 2008, 03:53:45 PM
Leon  Quite a few .. luke  lissers one i bought  .. and he bought a new one ..  If i remember about  6 or so  were owned in O'mund .. even   mr Dyason bought an older one  from somebody else in O'mund   and had years of pleasure from it ...  we  used to  use  old Johhny Britz  from  Britz motors  in Obs  for servicing .. he knew all the quirks and  preventative  tricks ...
To see  sometimes  requires that you  first believe .

Leon Sumter

#12
September 27, 2008, 04:13:20 PM
absolutely amazing Sandy, as I say I never saw a single Cit in OMD in the entire 12 years I was there. I used to go to the garages where my Impala was garaged quite often to service/clean/startup/check tyres/fiddle etc and never saw a single Cit. I was always on the lookout for Cits seeing as my late Dad had so many of them. He even had a 'light 15' before his ID/DS's. Goodness me so there right under my nose were all these Cits, wierd. The attached pic is of me and my two sisters in late 50's eating ice cream in front of my dad's 1948 Cit Light 15 ('Traction Avant' in France)

SandyB

#13
September 27, 2008, 04:15:29 PM
PS Leon  my hydraulics never packed up ...   in fact as you said well maintained the systems were bulletproof ..  if ever a  gas  sphere went while in OM   I would phone johnny and he would send up a pair   of recons ( always a pair  front or back ) .. I would replace  and  next time in CT  if it was  regassable i would get my deposit back .. in fact on my clubs i did a fair amount of work on hydraulics myself  (  eg dicky height corrector ) ..  the secret was  be fearless ..  hydraulics are hydraulics and i was not even schooled in it ...
To see  sometimes  requires that you  first believe .

Leon Sumter

#14
September 27, 2008, 04:19:48 PM
you mention Johny Britz. He also did all servicing and repairs for all my dad's Cits. In fact he also serviced my Chev Impala when the previous owner owned the car. Mr Britz put me on to the owner of the Chev when I mentioned I wanted to buy a car for long distance (OMD to CT) travel. That's how I came to own the Chev.
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