It's time for a DS Update

"KatzManDu" (KatzManDu)
05/01/2016 at 08:52 • Filed to: citroen ds, restoration, pch, rust

I started stripping out the interior; eventually I’ll need to sandblast it and weld some stuff in. I was also able to pull the access panel for the one part of the rear suspension that was bugging me.

Here is what happens when the front seats are pulled out. You can see the grey plastic bathroom flooring which was glued into place for most of the floor of the car. I’ve ripped it out. It successfully trapped moisture against the metal, which doesn’t help. The seatbelts were a complete afterthought.

Here you can see the mold growing in the padding.

Here’s a revisit of the hole in the floorboard :(

Some additional “Belgian Engineering” with a metal household carpet edge riveted in place to aid in keeping the car watertight.

Under the weatherstripping we need some welding love, too :(

This is the “worst of it” — two views of the same hole over the wheel well and cargo area. It was taped over with “metal tape” which was very gross.

And finally, you can see one of he sleeves/covers of the suspension is ripped. The suspension works, but sometimes goes “clunk” — this corner needs to be taken apart and cleaned up.

And this is the welding kit I get to master. It’s stick, not self-feeding.

Next steps are to strip out the doors, remove the bonnet/hood and front wings, then they’ll go somewhere to be stripped and painted (and will likely be repaired by someone who knows what they’re doing.)

Back at the ranch I’ll have to purchase or borrow a sandblaster and an angle grinder to clean up the metal, cut some straight lines, and get welding.

DISCUSSION (16)

Nibby > KatzManDu
05/01/2016 at 08:57

For something so small, those DS’s look huge inside.

Kinja'd!!!

KatzManDu > Nibby
05/01/2016 at 09:01

DS-TARDIS.

BvdV - The Dutch Engineer > KatzManDu
05/01/2016 at 09:06

Ouch that looks worse than I expected. Are you working on it outside, or can you also put it inside? Because I don’t know how the bare rust likes water.

jimz > KatzManDu
05/01/2016 at 09:12

even without all of the rust, that seatbelt “anchor” looks like it would break free just going over a speed bump.

KatzManDu > BvdV - The Dutch Engineer
05/01/2016 at 09:15

Outside, mate.

KatzManDu > jimz
05/01/2016 at 09:15

That stuff is actually pretty solid.

BvdV - The Dutch Engineer > KatzManDu
05/01/2016 at 09:18

Well, I hope the weather will be on your side then!

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > KatzManDu
05/01/2016 at 09:19

That’s a lot of work, but it looks salvageable. I’ve seen worse brought back to the road. And its totally worth it for a DS Break.

shop-teacher > KatzManDu
05/01/2016 at 09:38

Oh my, that’s a lot of metalwork ahead for you.

I had to laugh at the carpet threshold, that’s a new one!

That's gonna leave a mark! > KatzManDu
05/01/2016 at 12:15

Hole-ly shit! You have a job in front of you.

Nauraushaun > KatzManDu
05/02/2016 at 09:20

TAR-DS

I was thinking that could be your numberplate. But really...it says retards.

Nauraushaun > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t
05/02/2016 at 09:20

Really? These posts make me so sad, do you really think it’s salvageable?

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > Nauraushaun
05/02/2016 at 10:04

A friend of a friend had a ‘64.5 Mustang shell that only the upper firewall and rear seat area had no rust perforation (yes the roof and pillars required extensive repair). It took him almost six years of weekends in his garage with a stick welder, plus bits and pieces of other rusty ‘Stangs and some re-pro sheetmetal bits but it was re-registered and put back on the road a couple years ago with the original VIN in tact. I don’t imagine it’s as strong as a rust-free shell would have been, but it drives just fine and unless you know where to look it appears clean and straight. Including the welder and paint he’s only got about $6000 into it... and a lot of sweat equity.

torque > KatzManDu
05/02/2016 at 15:43

wow that’s definitely a lot of work ahead, assuming you have a regular job, easily a (brave) multi-year project

where to start?... I guess if I was tackling this I’d...

1. Start with the vertical rusted through parts 1st, once this was solid...

2. Next cross brace the structure on the inside (like is typical when preping to chop the top off) to keep the body rigid and replace the floors

3. Then brakes & Steering system

4. Suspension, mechanical & cooling

5. Exerior & interior Paint

6. Full Interior

7. Party time! (probably 6 years from now)

Nauraushaun > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t
05/02/2016 at 19:06

I see. That’s a good story. Hopefully our OP here knows how to weld!

KatzManDu > torque
05/03/2016 at 10:53

There is only a small part of the floor that needs to be patched. I don’t think I’ll need to do that much extra bracing.

The worst if it is in the C-pillars behind the rear doors/beginning of the cargo area. It will take two or three pieces of sheet metal welded into place; one that runs the length of the car and one or two vertically. For both C pillars on each side of the car.

There are then other odds-and-ends that will need welded and touched up, like the creases that are metal-thin where weatherstripping attaches. The supports in the rear where the rear wings bolt on need some added support. Also the cargo floor itself needs portions of the box re-welded and replaced.

My goal is to get the outside body pieces, which are in pretty good shape stripped down so I can take them to a paint shop which will strip them, repair them, and paint them.

I’ll strip what I can from the main chassis, including the floor, interior, and the areas where we need to weld, but I’m not confident with my welding skills after burning my finger and not making progress with the handle on my lawnmower. I may hire someone out who’ll have to come on-site to do that.

After that’s done I’ll have to paint the interior and base/outside. The inside will be a light grey (factory.) Outside will be white.

Once that is complete it is time to carpet the interior with some new gray carpet. Because the stock stuff is crappy I’ll go with a generic JC Whitney carpet and get some DynaMat (or DynaMat clone) to go underneath. I’ll also set up for some speakers, since the car is sans radio right now.

The seats will be recovered by someone who knows what they’re doing and they’ll be reinstalled. The metal housings will be stripped and painted the same gray as the inside of the car.

Then it is time to bolt it all back together. The suspension mostly works, I need to replace the spheres due to age, and I need to rebuild one of the shock setups on the rear of the car (the photo where you can see the tear in the shock boot above.) Once that’s done we need to test the brakes, as they only work when stomping and they come on suddenly, locking the wheels. I think they just need a proper flush/bleed.

Mechanically the 4 forward gears and one reverse gear work. The engine starts and fires fine provided there is fuel. Something isn’t quite right with fuel delivery, although the fuel pump works, fuel isn’t getting there from the gas tank (it does get to the carb just fine via gas can and hose.)

The radiator works and engine can run for a while without overheating (half hour or so) as I was playing with the car and suspension in the driveway to assess things (and move the car around.)

Then it’s off to CT to be road-legal.