What possessed Daniel to invest no less than 2 years of time and energy in a lifeless classic? Had a mysterious force entered him? His decision to Citroën CX 20 Break, a 40 year old French voiture from 1982 not to be scrapped. He would put his energy and an unjustifiable amount of money into his hobby. Is that understandable? Of course we understand that, we do not resign ourselves to the normal lifespan of the car, we resist and want… to save.
By: Dirk de Jong
For a long time Daniel was looking for a Citroën CX. The internet was the right way to go, searches were made in Austria, Italy, the Netherlands and of course in the country of birth France. The wish was the first type because of the pure design. In addition, there had to be enough space for his family and camping equipment, and the Citroën CX, of course, has insane space. The Citroën CX 20 Break that was eventually found had already been shut down. The most ruthless enemy had already struck: (Rust)
Jan-three-three-one-Simon Victor (J 331 SV).
The fight was about to begin and got more and more intense. The car was lifted, there was the necessary welding, and the engine overhaul. Daniel is a novice wrench. For expertise, there was a good friend with whom he carried out the "rescue" together. Daniel thought the gray original color was a bit boring and the new coat became 'silver blue', a factory color from 1982. You have to weigh the personal wishes against the original version. The result? A damn handsome Citroën CX in beautiful condition! A beauty on wheels.
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Daniel: “The real driving starts now. It is an old car by today's standards, a bit noisy. But at the same time still a luxurious, great suspension travel car for my family. The 2 liter 106 hp petrol engine is enough for nice rides and simple enough for your own maintenance. It was a special find for me in France, the owner was a basket weaver. He had to get rid of the car based on his reason – too much cost, too much rust – but his feeling showed that the goodbye was emotional after all. I regularly sent pictures of the restoration and will definitely stop by when we go to France. That is the invisible line that connects enthusiasts!”
Also read:
- Citroën CX Prestige Henri Chapron (1976), La Grande Dame
- Citroën CX, the garage…
- A Citroën CX, none Citroën BX
- Robert Opron. The Citroën years
Beautiful car! Have fun with it!
Beautiful! At home we used to have a CX Familiale, with double rear seats. Also in this color blue & with blue interior. I even remember the license plate: FP-02-FH
Every year on holiday with the American trailer tent behind it. Beautiful memories.
Unfortunately, it has been rusting away for years in the garden/garage.
Have fun with this beautiful CX!
Une très belle voiture Daniel! You can be proud of the end result. May we take many more fun trips with just the two of us (or three or four or…) or with our families.
Beautiful Break, purely without bumpers on the sides and bumpers and the fact that this is now a broad gauge CX only makes it more attractive. Cube rims finish it all off, luckily these are the 14″ copies and not the metric ones that only like(t)en expensive TRX rubber.
I still remember driving a CX1981 D from Brussels to Hasselt during a stormy night with wind gusts of up to 2200 km/h in 110. When the few cars that drove on the highway at night had the greatest difficulty To stay away, I steered the CX between thumb and index finger at 120 km/h without the car deviating even an inch. Those cars had phenomenal road holding and unparalleled comfort. Just a pity that the rust devil struck so quickly.
What a beautiful spaceship! Very special to drive. I have had a 2 liter CXPallas. Great car with the French battle put together.
Enjoy it and keep it tight!! Such a CX space station needs a lot of space and also a lot of space. You can easily take an unseen pole with you. And that would be a shame.
It couldn't be more beautiful, exclaimed this old YVR CX rider. It looks "slick" Daniel, you must
be very proud of. I just got back from Whistler with the CX. Driving the Sea to Sky highway
with a CX is almost indescribable. A winding HWY along the coast through the mountains to Whistler. My 1982 Diesel is only 70 horsepower, but with incredible pulling power at low rpm.
It is an ideal travel car, which also sticks to the asphalt.
I hope Daniel you will enjoy it, color is very nice on the Break.
Beautiful car. Great result. Can you be proud.
I still see them before me, the Citroen CX stations with a large LPG tank on top of the roof,
were regularly seen in Belgium in the 80s