Citroen Classics - Gallery

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LHD DS23 IE

Under bonnet

Under the bonnet of a LHD 1958 DS19

1958 DS19

Early DS19, note the exhaust running forward as it did until the end of the 1962 model year.

Early DS19

Chapron

A twin engined HY? No, just an engine swap!

Twin engine?

H Vans

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CX Loadrunner

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Before: Rusted jacking point and A post on a ID21 Safari

Tinworm ahoy!

The rusted metal is cut away ready for new metal to be welded in.

Cut away

New jacking point and surrounding metal welded in. A new A post bottom also fabricated and welded on.

New metal

Metal work etch primed, sealed, painted in AC136 Gris Rose, as Safaris were, and rust proofed inside and out.

Finished

The beginning of the rear end rebuild that eventually reached to the bulkhead!

1967 ID: 1

The inner wing, parcel shelf, rear quarter panel join. Very often rusty here and one of the main sources of water getting into the boot. Rust usually concealed by exterior trim, interior trim, parcel shelf cover and boot lining.

1967 ID: 2

Some of the damaged and rusted structure is cut away for better access to other parts. The parts cut away will be replaced with new anyway.

1967 ID: 3

The rear suspension and hydraulic pipe work is now removed and the interior further stripped out due to the rust repairs now having to extend further forward than originally anticipated.

1967 ID: 4

The parts of the structure which are going to be retained are being cleaned of all paint, sealant, wax, underseal and rust, and there sure is a lot of that!

1967 ID: 5

The new parts are temporarily clamped in place to enable the surrounding metal to be repaired accurately.

1967 ID: 6

The edge of the parcel shelf has been remade with the correct shape and curve, and welded in.

1967 ID: 7

Now the rear quarter panel and rear screen channel have also been repaired to match the new inner wing.

1967 ID: 8

The repaired and original parts of the structure on this side of the car have now been cleaned to bright, shiny steel and painted by brush with a thick zinc primer. Areas which are visible when finished, such as the rear and side edges of the parcel shelf are sprayed with an etch primer instead. Note the unpainted strips where the new inner wing (wheel arch) will be welded on.

1967 ID: 9

The other side has had the same treatment and the new parts temporarily clamped in to ensure it will all fit together properly when the time comes to weld them in.

1967 ID: 10

The new inner wings are welded in along with the new boot floor panel and lower rear panel. In this case we knew the car was going to have a tow bar fitted, so we made the lower rear panel in a heavier gauge steel than standard for extra strength (not that this is a weak point, just beacause we could mainly!)

1967 ID: 11

The new inner wings come in black powder coating which we key up thoroughly so the anti chip compound that goes over it will stick properly. Note the rear bumper mounting which comes already welded to the inner wing. You can also see the M5 studs which are used to attached the fuel filler pipe and breather, plus the shield that covers the hydraulics. These are often not attached to the inner wing very well and tend to cause a lot of swearing when they come off during final reassembly, because you do not want to do any drilling or welding once the protection and paint goes on.

1967 ID: 12

Plenty of that thick zinc rich primer everywhere to help protect the steel. It still creeps into and through all seams and crevices though, it even creeps uphill in seams!

1967 ID: 13

Plenty of zinc paint around the back too and etch primer sprayed on the bits which need to have a better cosmetic finish.

1967 ID: 14

All seams are sealed with a good quality PU sealant and are smoothed and tidied. We often see DIY and "professional" attempts at seam sealing which are straight from the tube with no attempt to make it look tidy and usually not acually sealing properly either! It is not difficult to run a finger or brush over it and it looks and works a lot better.

1967 ID: 15

And I mean every seam is sealed. Some parts have sealant brushed over them because there is a little excess, but also because another layer of protection in vulnerable areas will not do any harm at all. The PU sealant is very very tough when cured.

1967 ID: 16

Another tough coating going on. This anti chip compound helps stop drumming and road noise as well as further protecting the steel from the elements. We apply it to all surfaces except the ones which are seen and will have a better cosmetic finish. Those surfaces will get a coating of 2 pack surfacer before being prepared for paint.

1967 ID: 17

Anti chip compound applied and new pipes fitted to the sill. This is because it is better to put them in now than after the car is wax injected! Note the face of the C post in grey primer as it will be prepared to a higher standard prior to painting.

1967 ID: 18

The entire structure from the bulkhead back is spray painted with several coats of 2 pack black paint. We do this all over not only to make it look nice, but it is yet another tough coating to protect the steel, with the added bonus that dirt will not readily stick to it. This enables the wheel arches etc. to be easily hosed out clean.

1967 ID: 19

The petrol tank cavity and boot get several coats of 2K black too.

1967 ID: 20

We have even cleaned underneath the floor to bare metal, thoroughly de-rusted it, zinc painted it, sealed the seams, applied anti chip compound (several coats) and then finished it in 2K black the same as the upper structure. As long as these layers of protection do not get damaged in any way, the steel is completely isolated from the elements and will never rust. The underside of this car has now been protected better than a modern car and can be used all year around without the fear of it rotting away.

1967 ID: 21

The insides of the structure cavities do not miss out either. Much of it had been zinc painted when accessible, but all our repairs get yet another layer to protect the steel: cavity wax. All cavities are thoroughly wax injected with good quality wax to protect them against condensation and generally damp atmospheres. See the picture under wax injection on the bodyshop page to see the inside of a chassis after it has had this treatment.

1967 ID: 22

The hydraulic and mechanical components which have been refurbished whilst the structural repairs were being done, are being refitted. The bit on the end of the sphere is a valve for repressurizing the sphere on the car.

1967 ID: 23

Other side refitted. Note the yellow cavity wax in strategic places and the different rubber lip seal we used on this car for the rain gutters and boot seal. The original rain gutter rubber holder design was and still is a rust trap. We use a single lip rain gutter with this seal pushed over the lip, and the same on the boot seal. The car is not and is never intended to be in concours condition, so although this seal arrangement looks slightly different, it is much better for the car and actually works better than the original too.

1967 ID: 24

ID19 rear end assembly continues

1967 ID: 25

Right elephants ear with plenty of cavity wax for rust prevention in strategic places

1967 ID: 26

One of the wall paintings in Angoul�me

Wall painting