You raise me up Waking up
James encounters a unique challenge in his CX rescue
Almost three years ago, I rescued a Citroën DS from a garage where it had gathered dust for 35 years. The operation turned out to be surprisingly straightforward thanks in part to the location of the car – which was just around the corner from my house. Secondly, it was a basic ‘ID’ model so, from a mechanical point of view, the revival work was relatively simple. The engine was running within hours and this in turn meant the suspension was able to function and lift the car clear of the garage debris on which it rested.
I was to have no such luck with the latest discovery, as my newly-purchased Citroën was located in Aberdeen – 500 miles away from home – where it had been slumped since September 1996. Furthermore, it is the most complex version of Citroën’s replacement for the DS – the CX. On first viewing, it appeared somebody at the factory had flung clumps of wiring into the engine bay and sprinkled it with clusters of black boxes and relays. Getting this old Citroën started was going to be far more challenging.
Owner Bob Rosie parked the car up in the garage of his home 23 years ago and wasn’t very hopeful. ‘She ran well back then, but I don’t think you’ll be driving her away’. Practical Classics’ restoration guru and friend Clive Jefferson, who joined us with his trailer, responded with a grin. ‘We’ll see about that, won’t we?’ His infectious optimism led to us all digging into the task of removing the junk surrounding the car.
Unfortunately, the CX’S belly rested on several large planks of wood, so getting the engine started was the ideal solution. If we could make it run for long enough, the suspension would pressurise and raise the body up, enabling us to drag out the remaining planks and pull the car clear of the garage. Once we established the engine turned and Clive squirted a dose of oil into each bore, I poured fresh fuel into the tank and attached a battery. Ignition on and there was no sign of life from the fuel pump. Some further poking around with the relays and fettling of wires and the pump made a faint buzzing sound. The injector relay clicked and Clive discovered a welcome 12v at the injectors. I turned the key once more and the car burst into life, accompanied by a big grin from Bob. The engine stopped a few seconds later. We tried again but were met with the same three seconds of running time. However, for each of those three second bouts of running, the enginedriven pump pressurised the hydropneumatics
system enough to pump up the suspension a few more inches each time. After around six turns of the key, the car was at its highest setting – allowing us to chock the suspension at the bump stops.
The remaining planks of wood were removed with a rope tied to the back of Clive’s van, the CX slowly emerged. Once out, I got the chance to inspect the bodywork properly. As Bob promised, it was in fine order but for a rotten boot lid, crusty nearside wing and a heavily corroded driver’s door. The places where a CX normally rots – around the base of the window frames, fuel filler flap and footwells – were mercifully very tidy. A dent in the bonnet will be a nuisance to fix but the interior – specific to this particular model – was thankfully near perfect.
Hometime
As Clive pumped up the flat tyres, inspection of the paperwork revealed all four were replaced just six months before the car came off the road – along with the expensive exhaust system. While the tyre tread was excellent, the sidewall cracks meant they’ll be destined for the skip – particularly frustrating as the wheels are metric and tyres are £400 each! Adding insult to injury, the exhaust had two sizable holes in each box. The main objective wil be to get the engine running. The heavy old block of 2.5-litre GTI unit has its roots in the DS and is extremely robust but the electrics will be a different matter.
A further turn of the key pressurised the hydraulic system enough for the fully powered
steering to operate so we could get it on the trailer. I noted Bob’s mood change and he seemed lost in thought. ‘I love it but have neither the expertise nor funds to get it back on the road’. Leaving Clive to secure the trailer in readiness for the nine-hour run ahead, Bob and I signed the V5C and I assured him that one day – hopefully soon – I would return to visit in the restored CX.
Without wishing to tempt fate too much, I’m hoping that I can free up the funds to not only refurbish the innards of this iconic big Citroën, but also to have it completely repainted and looking shiny again. When that day comes, I’ll be setting course to Aberdeen for a memorable scenic road trip and a cuppa with a my brand new pal. See you soon, Bob! ■ james.walshe@practicalclassics.co.uk
‘Bob has preserved the CX carefully for almost 25 years’