BROKE DOWN

joyful164

My poor trusted little 2CV broke down on Wednesday this week, through thick and thin she had chugged along but she let me down in the worst rain storm I have ever been in. The water came thro the front vent with the end result being only one cylinder out of 2 working. Pup,pup, such a lot of banging, I seriously thought my engine had gone. I was on my way to my son's at the time. I managed to limp into St Mary's road, Market Harborough and came to rest outside an Indian Restaurant. Rang dil, who dutifully came down with a flask of coffee (had to pop into the hairdressers for the lou). How kind. rang Green Flag. It was raining so hard it was penetrating the car and I felt like I was sitting in a sieve. After an hour and a half (it was rush hour) so I didn't make a fuss about the fact they would be there within the hour. Very young chap (or am I getting old) looked into the car at a bedraggled me. I had told them that I would need a low loader because this car was not going anywhere, or so I thought.
He already had someone elses break down on his lorry, he said he couldn't tow me on an A frame for some reason or other, so after he had adjusted so called loose plugs and a lose wire, he said that was the problem. Like heck. I tried and tried to get the car to go. A chap from the Indian restaurant came, said that they wanted to make a delivery. Sorry mate. I'm not moving very far from here at the moment. They all trooped out of the restaurant wanting me to move because they were making a delivery and giving me instructions over the top of the breakdown chap. I felt like I was going mad so I told them all to go and cook their pop a doms and leave me alone. Well, the car finally came to life again and so he said that if I could drive back as far as Desborough 6 miles back down the road, I should be alright. No I wasn't going to risk the A14 in a car only running on one cylinder in this dreadful weather. I felt I was being given a death wish. I was not a happy bunny.

So I said that I would try and get the car up to my son's house and if need be I would expect another breakdown truck to come out. Well, what do you pay the premiums for? I was anxious not to break down in the one way system in the rush hour too. I'd already been to the drs that morning where my BP was 188/94. I was not feeling good at all. Also, I had my disabled sticker on the car. Didn't seem to make any difference.
Well managed to get up to my son's. He made out the forms stating that he had escorted me 'home' and left. I rang my husband who had to come over . He said he would be able to nurse it back home probably, something I couldn't do, but my Jim is pretty good at driving sick cars. Well he managed to get it almost to the house and we were just over the road from our driveway when it gave up completely. So he pushes it no engine running I steer it to the driveway which has a pretty steep dip, lost control of it, thought I had got my foot on the brake, but was on the excellerator by mistake, gathered speed and I ended up steering it round and over a flower bed on into the row of trees and the front wall. The trees stopped me from knocking the wall down but I crumpled the front of my car pretty well. There was hubby jumping up and down arms in the air shouting out 'I love you'. You can guess the rest of the story.
Well, he can mend it but he has only just done all the work and respraying on the wings etc. and made a new front bumper.
I have only just come out of schock.
Next day, hubby rings Green Flag, not very happy with them for leaving me in a dangerous dituation.
Joy

coco67

oh joy what a day you had, i hope you are ok.


coco xx

nearlybionic

Hi
Oh what an ordeal, I really hope you and your lovely 2CV are ok.
My first car was its sibling, a citroen Dyane, and boy did I love that car. I cried when i sold it and they drove it away!
I hope your hubby gives green Flag what for!
NB

dreamdaisy

I had a belovéd Deux Chevaux. Her name was Aeon and she was lilac blue, with a blue roof. I adored her, and I miss her to this day. The gears were fantastic, dash mounted so no stupid lump running down the middle of the car, every move required planning before its execution, as one had no power reserves on which to draw, she had all the safety features of a tissue box, so one naturally drove with care, I loved the fact that the wipers were linked to engine speed - the harder it rained the slower you went, the slower they worked - fun! I loved the long front vent, the stench of the engine when you switched on the heater, fitting the muff when the temp fell below freezing, wondering if she would start on damp, cold mornings, oh I miss her. F781 HFC. I had to trade her in when she developed a huge hole in the floor - I could see the road whizzing by and I didn't have £650 (as it was then) for a new chassis! DD (who, on reflection, also needs a new chassis!)

barbara12

OMG Joy
You poor thing, Its one of those days that thankfully dont come around very often....you did well to keep sane...I would have flipped
Thank goodness you got home safe , bet all you keep thinking about is those bl....dy poppadoms.. :shock:
Barbara xx

frogmorton

Oh Joy

You poor poor girl!!

What an awful experience all round.

the good news is

1) you are home safe and alive

2) you have good family - son

and

3) Bless him your husband LOVES you

Toni xx

livinglegend

2CVs were first introduced in 1948 and were manufactured until 1990. So the basic design is about 63 years old. Design being about 1 year prior to production, before someone else adds it up for me.

You will always have problems with older cars as we have come to expect more modern and reliability standards today. People can also become over-attached to their cars and are reluctant to part with a much loved companion. However, maybe it is time for you to consider 'retiring' the 2CV and get a more comfortable, reliable transport. With the virtual collapse of the second hand market, then at the moment a reasonably priced, comfortable car can be found.

Whether we like it or not, time marches on for us too and with our disabilities life is extra hard on us. So, the time has probably come to wisely invest in a more modern vehicle which is in keeping with today's circumstances, (and rainy weather).

At least give it some thought.

Joseph 8)

joanlawson

Joy, I'm sorry to hear about your dreadful time with your car breaking down, but forgive me, I had to laugh at the thought of you driving at speed round the flower bed and into the trees :!: It was a bit like an episode of Fawlty Towers, with your husband in the part of Basil, waving his arms in the air and shouting at Sybil.

I think that Joseph's advice is sensible, as always

Joan

dachshund

Joy at least you are safe and you got your trusty car home.
you have a lovely husband and family. what a pity about the flower beds and tree's when you look at them you will always remember your mishap.
take care. joan xx

joyful164

dreamdaisy wrote:

I had a belovéd Deux Chevaux. Her name I had to trade her in when she developed a huge hole in the floor - I could see the road whizzing by and I didn't have £650 (as it was then) for a new chassis! DD (who, on reflection, also needs a new chassis!)

Good morning dreamdaisy.
Mine is lilac blue (Cilleste Blue) I have a striped roof and my husband has sprayed 4 silver wings and made a new chrome bumper for me, which I now bent rather badly. We have two more wings, luckly left ones. He is going to be rather busy again bless him.
He has also welded the floor panels. It will need a new chassis in a couple of years time. Thats the joy of these cars, if one piece gets bent you unbolt it and fix another. My car is called Joyrider.
The chassis cost about £300 and as I said, I am lucky to have my lovely hubby who is good at cars. Unfortunately neither of us are getting any younger and he will be due for a possible triple bypass any day soon.

Joy

joyful164

livinglegend wrote:

However, maybe it is time for you to consider 'retiring' the 2CV and get a more comfortable, reliable transport. With the virtual collapse of the second hand market, then at the moment a reasonably priced, comfortable car can be found.
Whether we like it or not, time marches on for us too and with our disabilities life is extra hard on us. So, the time has probably come to wisely invest in a more modern vehicle which is in keeping with today's circumstances, (and rainy weather).

At least give it some thought.

Joseph 8)

Please will you wash your mouth out!!!!! Why is it when you have 1/2 inch of snow, the new modern, comfortable types of reliable cars come to a stand still. Why do the roads suddenly come to a standstill because cars cannot deal with the slippery conditions.
I am lucky that my husband is a genious when it comes to the older car. Modern cars cost a fortune to maintain. You only have to have a bulb go and you need to go to the dealership because it is impossible to get to it. You might like to know that the break down guy had a 2009 BMW on the back of his low loader because that had broken down in the hurrendous conditions too.
If it wasn't for that 'more modern reliable car" I would have got home without a lot of fuss.
Joy

joyful164

joanlawson wrote:

Joy, I'm sorry to hear about your dreadful time with your car breaking down, but forgive me, I had to laugh at the thought of you driving at speed round the flower bed and into the trees :!: It was a bit like an episode of Fawlty Towers, with your husband in the part of Basil, waving his arms in the air and shouting at Sybil.

I think that Joseph's advice is sensible, as always

Joan

Yes, we can laugh about it now, but sorry Joseph's advice is not sensible in this case.

joyful164

dachshund wrote:

Joy at least you are safe and you got your trusty car home.
you have a lovely husband and family. what a pity about the flower beds and tree's when you look at them you will always remember your mishap.
take care. joan xx

If the trees hadn't been there, I would have demolished a wall and my car would have been a right off. Anyway, although I hate those trees, we keep them there because living on a very busy corner, it was to save us in case someone lost control outside on the road and came into our house. Ironic isn't it?
I am just so lucky in the knowledge that I have a loving husband who will just reinstate the car without a lot of expense and loss of insurance.
all the best Joan.

dreamdaisy

2CVs are a way of life, and they cope with everything the roads throw at them. I adored mine, but the mechanic who kept mine going retired and no garage would touch her, (too simple, mechanincally, they did not have the required skills) so this was another reason she had to go, plus the hole in the floor! I reckon the motoring world would be a far safer place if everyone drove cars like Aeon: Mr DD has safety features galore on his Focus and as a result drives like an absolute twerp (so wanted to put a much ruder word!) as he thinks the car will protect him from everything. Pillock. I love him to be bits but he is when behind the wheel. All cars should have an engraving on the dashboard:

YOU ARE CONTROLLING A LETHAL WEAPON.

It might make some think a little harder about what they do, and how they do it. DD

joyful164

I hate the way most drivers like to tailgate trying to make you go faster. I just go slower, then they get fed up and fly past.
I can get 70 - 75 easy in mine. It's a lovely looking car - how do you get a picture on here.?

Joy