Reply To: New member in Suffolk, no car yet, but am considering..

[Non MemberParticipant]

Hi Chris,

Thanks for your insightful reply.  It is informative and interesting so aside from anything else I would urge you to come out of the closet, if necessary clinging to your handbag 😉 and to join in the conversations. Aside from which – aren’t you missing out on the non-car stuff, like my Other-boat-shite and my exploration into tiny (solid fuel) stoves.

The Traction has been in the back of my mind for a number of years now, so the suggestion was merely a reminder.  A few years ago I attended the Piston & Props show and spoke with the chaps with TA’s. Probably the TOC as there were six or seven cars together.  I was led to believe one of the LWB cars had the DS engine in it.  I also met another gent there, who was not on the club stand (.. seemed to be a bit of a trader) who offered his metallic silver Traction to me.   I guess I never took it any further because although superficially pretty – I didn’t trust what might be lingering under the very glossy paint.  It must have been a French car because I recall the interior only as shades of light to mid grey (the sort of colours where you wish the sun would break through).

I much prefer the autumn-sunshine colours and tactile nature of a wooden dashboard & door cappings ..so instead took an interest in the Riley RM. I even joined their club.  I was very cramped in the passenger seat of one of the pre-war 1.5ltr models, but then I did have a thick leather motorcycle jacket in my lap, and it was miserable wet weather.  I never did get to try the 2.5ltr but was impressed with how very easily it started and then ticked over . . . .very quietly, smoothly and slowly – delightful, like a well honed steam engine.

Room in the RM’s back seat was equally as tight for me, and the boot space was deep still quite small.  In the end I decided that there was insufficient space for the RM to be useful with my lifestyle.  I’m left with the impression that all TA’s but the Legere wins hands down in those spaces.

“My car regularly takes me to work and back – 18 miles each way, country lanes and dual carriageway. With the wide body you get huge leg room in the back which can make up for the smallish boot.”

^ that sounds very usable.

I used to like the 2cv’s gear change, and also the column change of the Vauxhall Victor FB I once had.  So I hope I’d soon get used to that of the TA.  I’ve read that it’s a long travel and consequently slow, which gives time for the gears to mesh very smoothly.

Rust is a bugbear of any pre-1990’s car body made of steel.  Often compounded by designed-in closed pockets or double and triple plates with spot welded seams – so no easy way to protect inside those places / inbetween the layers.  And then on many older cars there’s issues of poor &/or perished seals which let damp into the car.  Right through to the late 1970’s poor paint, condensation, and steamed windows appear to have been a safety issue.

There’s a Traction for sale (on Car& Classics I believe) which needs floors and sills.  It was informative to see where the obvious holes are.

Might I presume ‘Flippers’ are bulkhead openings / vents ?

Sunroofs. I very much like ..and would want, but I understand that unless used frequently and maintained, and drains are big enough and clear – then they are a problem awaiting just around the corner.

I’ve no problem with grp rear wings. In fact I’ve fitted them on my Ami – not least because I wanted to modify / cut a bit of arch clearance in them – to make tyre changing easier.  I keep the originals in the loft of my garage.

“Anything mechanical is fixable.”  ..if you have the special tool !?  I don’t know if it’s the same on a TA but on the Ami I’ve found Citroen use some peculiar sized nuts n’ bolts (9mm for the lower seat belt mounting for example).  Then there’s others with ridiculous torque settings (both high and low) to contend with.  And despite mine being a LHD Ami – it is nigh-on impossible to see to correctly adjust the hand brake pads.  Imho it is simply dumb that special tools are needed for routine adjustment and checking the brakes !  As an retired Engineer it is one of the things which might put me off buying another Citroen, even a TA.  The verdict is not in on that yet.

Thanks for advice on the wide body and your sons fitting in.  Big-15 now sound about right – being big enough to accommodate me and with its traditional English interior.  But do your sons drive the car for any distance ?   I drive my Ami readily enough locally, but tbh I wouldn’t choose to drive from Suffolk to tour the Lake District or Scotland in it, for fear of aching for a month thereafter.!

“The further you go from standard the more careful you need to be with repairs”  good advice, and yes again I found that with the Ami-super.  From what I gather a four speed conversion to the TA is very expensive ..and to find a car with that conversion already done is likely to be equally so.   Valid points also about the custom exhaust and water pipes, and possibly fuel and wiring too.  Thanks.

6v or 12v doesn’t make much difference to me, except for a radio.  I’ve kept each of my Sunbeam motorcycles 6v and for the lighting I use halogen or LED bulbs.  And I convert 6v to 5v for Tom-Tom.

Hydraulic suspension is not on my wish list.  My old S-type Jag has independent rear suspension, but it was already sorted when I bought the car 🙂 ..admittedly that was leaps n’ bounds better than the cart leaf of MkII Jags. But in the future I think I’m happy to settle for the simplest.

Aside from the DS and BX diesel engine, both of which are pretty rare coming to the market, have other types been tried. ?

Yes, in the new year I’ll drop Jasmin a line and (if allowed) come to an Eastern Section meeting to say hello.

A BIG  Thank You for your reply.  And again I hope I’ve not coming across sounding too negative.  Often I write as if I’m thinking out loud, arguing and counter-arguing with myself and anyone who joins in.  It’s just my somewhat analytical approach to deeper learning.   On Autoshite I often edit what I’ve written, both to correct grammar and spelling (aside from typos I’m dyslexic) and to tone down what I’m trying to express.   Unfortunately this website doesn’t allow me to edit and re-edit to achieve that.  Never-the-less there are a number of you who are enthusiastic enough to share your welcome and thoughts with us newbies.

Thankyou one and all. Peter