The new rack is great - a superb quality job. I never knew how good a DS steering could feel and no mess from leaks all over the gearbox too.
My old rack had been serviced by a well known company but leaked again after a short time. It is a pleasure to deal with you.

Hi Darrin

Dear Citroen Classics.

The car looks and feels TERRIFIC.  I am so pleased that with your superb & excellent work we have got it to this very satisfying stage.  

Darrin,

Just got the part for the starter motor switch and fitted the starter. Works like never before. Many, many thanks.

Have a good weekend.

Thought I would just share my experience as a first time purchaser of DS parts from Darrin Brownhill, the ex-kiwi who now runs Citroen Classics in the UK.

I am restoring an ID21 Safari, and with many mechanical/suspension parts required (many of them different from DS sedans) for my restoration, it was incredibly helpful to have a genuine bloke like Darrin providing comprehensive advice. Darrin's website is brilliant, but he actually has HEAPS more parts than what is listed on the website. He was even able to source for me some genuine Citroen new old stock DS bits that are simply unobtainable elsewhere, and are of much better quality than some repro bits.

I have owned many old cars over the years and have never come across a parts supplier who is more helpful than Darrin. He would respond instantly to my emails. Importantly, he was able to provide EVERY part I needed, at a competitive price. Other parts suppliers I contacted were only able to supply bits and bobs, some of them unable to commit to a date when other bits would arrive.

To top things off, after giving Darrin my credit card details, the 30kg carton of parts arrived on my door step just 5 days later, everything superbly packed. I was a bit anxious about whether things like the brake disks would crack fragile parts like headlights and door mirrors, but I needn't have worried - this carton would have survived a drop from a 10 storey building, such was the quality of the padding/packing around fragile parts.

Freight was also inexpensive and worked out at a touch over 10% on top of the purchase price of the parts, barely more than you'd pay to have things shipped within Australia!

Anyway enough raving from me, just wanted to share my experience.  

I concur! I have now purchased several packages from Darrin. His website is excellent and suits someone like me who likes instant gratification.. such as "Add to cart" and "Checkout", and pics of what I'm actually buying! and although as you say he doesn't have all parts up on his website he is very prompt with his emails.
Darrin has even gone to the trouble of explaining what each part is and where it is located or how they vary for each model, just so people like me still with much to learn are sure they are buying the right item.

Yes...well.. don't get me started! Thanks Darrin for your excellent service.

....the local guys ended up only being able to supply an ignition key, the door and fuel cap keys weren't quite right (so no cost to me). Darrin at Citroen Classics in UK was able to supply both at grand sum of POUNDS 2.50 per blank & 1.60 postage. Arrived today, great service & great price. Recommend.
 

At last solution has been found and problem solved...
After visiting numerous DS specialists, my BVH problem was finally rectified;
Moral - find a D garage who can test the hydraulic system - 'could be's' are not cheap.
I took the car to Citroen Classics in Staines in December and it has never driven better. I was apprehensive after being ripped off at other garages - prior to that it has been around London and Sussex (3 times) where it has the pressure regulator, accumulator, spheres, brake accumulator and pump changed and even the heat shield over the manifold removed and polished as part of the alleged repairs.
It has had more LHM flushes and filter changes than most D's in a lifetime and the last straw was a new steering rack and still a cycle time of 4 seconds afterwards.

The main issue I faced was that before I took the car to Citroen Classics no real diagnostic work was done - so I had to pay since technically all the parts and labour were legitimately replaced - just on a very misguided - 'this must be it hunch' that never solved the problem.

Hi Darrin
Just a quicky to acknowledge receipt of the seals etc on my return from my jollys, many thanks for your prompt assistance. My Special went like stink up and down the M6 from Gaydon, I had to hold it back to 70 as she kept working up to 80+  - I reckon that’s fast enough for any car - and that must also be due to the 123 ignition you supplied me, it`s superb!!

 

Thanks Darrin, i just collected the car from exhaust shop, the muffler is a great improvement! I can't believe how quickly that was sent and that it's now on the car! 

Great result.

 

I am delighted with the DS.  Thank you very much for your excellent work on it.  It is running beautifully, with bags more willingness – quite a lot more power in all situations, and therefore [I sense] running much more economically; and the interior is good enough to eat!

 

We are new to DS ownership and so asked around using the net to locate fellow owners to ask. Darrin`s business came up consistently as being helpful and prompt and being a fellow Kiwi who understood where we were coming from just made things so much easier. We experienced brilliant service -turnaround was fantastic, communication was fast and we were informed when parts dispatched. We have absolutely no hesitation in thoroughly recommending this business to other DS owners.

 

Thanks Darrin, Your parts service is second to none and I appreciate the extra effort you made recently to help with a hard to find (read impossible ) part.

 

I've had my D Super 5 garaged in South West France for the past three years. Now it's back in the UK and has been serviced by Darrin at Citroen Classics. I was going to sell the car, as I feel it has been a wasted opportunity over the past three years. I have to say how disappointed I am with French mechanics, none of whom was able to diagnose basic faults in the way that Darrin has. My poor DS became so unreliable that I had lost all interest in driving it. Now it's a different story! It is terrific finding a DS expert relatively close to home who is passionate about the cars and is very competitive with his prices. If I do decide to keep my beloved DS, I'll certainly be entrusting it to Citroen Classics for further repairs and restoration work.

 

Thank you for your prompt and efficient service. My car now starts on the button and the new side trims have transformed its appearance.

 

I cannot speak too highly of his service, indeed without Darrin's assistance I would've been in deep kaka a number of times. Darrin is also aware of the quality issues with some repro parts and will let you know if you order something and he can't recommend the quality. Used parts are also available.
Darrin also has stock of the 1970 year model onwards manual gear shift rubbers for right hand drive cars. All the others are for left hand drive and don't fit properly. This is the rubber which is always split on the instrument binnacle or clam shell.
Dare I say that Citroen Classics prices are competitive with anyone in Europe, sometimes even way cheaper !
I recently purchased brake pads for early Ds and saved a bundle compared to anywhere else !