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Boiling brakes, a forklift truck, a deux chevaux and a horse

“Yeah, he doesn’t do very much,” boomed Bruno, the mountain sized mechanic, as he threw an accusing thumb over his shoulder in my direction.  It seemed a little bit harsh to me.

I had only arrived at the garage with our neighbour – also Bruno – and Charlie Charleston about an hour earlier. The yard was full of old cars and motor parts and was dusty and shadeless, so after sixty minutes of French-translated car banter and discussion about 2CVs, I had grabbed the chance to step backward into the gloom of the workshop to avoid the relentless glare and heat from the sun. Thankfully, I quickly realized that the thumbs’ accusatory trajectory was passing me by and as I turned to follow it, came face to face with a shameless, but still disinterested, horse.

Un cheveaux

A horse inside

Not so much of a work horse

Not so much of a work horse

 

He was barely a few metres away from me and so completely still and silent, the single cheval had melded into the darkness, watching impassively as big Bruno went about his business on our deux chevaux. Apparently he is a regular attendee, but clearly not much of a team player. It was a pretty unconventional garage in other ways.  As an ex- mechanic I was really looking forward to getting a look underneath Charlie, when they put him up on the ramps. In this part of France, for ramps read forklift truck! Safety stands are for sissies.

Charlie and the forklift

Charlie and the forklift

Up, up and away

Up, up and away

 

No sissies here!

No sissies here!

The next surprise was the bill. For an hour and a half of work, including giving Charlie a full once-over, changing a tyre and a couple of other things – 10 euros. Yes,  TEN euros!

The two Brunos

The two Brunos

Big Bruno also worked on him a second time a few days later, replacing the steering rack assembly, the control arm and king pin for the princely sum of 150 euros for parts and labour.  With Bruno from El Castell still on hand to translate, we also got the stories from his father of his trips across the Sahara desert in a Peugeot 504, which he did five times – taking European 504’s to sell at African markets.

Charlie looking a little slimmer and slightly surprised

Charlie looking a little slimmer and slightly surprised

Shopping for spares

Shopping for spares

A good look at the engine

A good look at the engine

We found similar generosity in Spain a few weeks ago, and luck. Which is something of an understatement when it comes to losing brakes on a long descent down a narrow, winding mountain road, where every corner is a hairpin bend with no safety rails. Pont del Comte sits at 1800 metres and we were coming down the hill, having proudly conquered the summit earlier in the day.

Geoff and Charlie up the mountain

Geoff and Charlie up the mountain before the descent

Now 2CVs are real workhorses (unlike the one in Bruno’s garage), but there are some quirks that you have to learn. Firstly, their old design doesn’t work with some modern inventions – like synthetics. So, no synthetic engine oil or brake fluid. No problem until you drive it hard on a hot day and the brake fluid starts to boil and the brakes start to fail. It started with needing just a couple of pumps on the pedal to get a response, then three pumps, four pumps till after a few kilometers I was tapping my foot faster than a fiddler at a hillbilly hoe-down. So, as we hit the town of St Lorenc de Morunys, pumping away at the less-than-ideally responsive brake pedal, we rolled passed a garage with a sunshine yellow 2CV sitting outside. Surely, a sign! I don’t speak French, but I was able to communicate with the mechanic with lots of pointing, hand gestures and my best mime of driving a car with no brakes. When you don’t know the language, just keep smiling and making an ass of yourself. I thought the brake fluid was contaminated and asked if he could flush the system. The mechanic was great, he stopped what he was doing to work on our car.

Breathing space from boiling brakes

Breathing space from boiling brakes

Two plates of tapas, and a couple of hours later we were on our way again, with cheery waves from the owners and offers to come visit any time! Two hours labour, new brake fluid and adjusting the rear brakes, total cost a ridiculously low thirty euros! Cheap bills and cheery service seem to be the norm when you drive a 2CV. The next day we dropped by the Citroen garage in Solsona to ask about getting repairs for a hole in the exhaust we have had for a while. Sure, bring it in tomorrow morning.  We had bought some new exhaust parts when we were in Alcaniz , so as well as welding the hole, they also fitted the new section. Again – a pretty cheap bill, friendly, fast service and we were on our way again. Charlie Charleston has been in good hands right from the start. I confess to a slight bias, but from the ever-generous Johan in Amsterdam , even though he looks a little crazy here:

Johan is a good guy really!

Johan is a good guy really!

to those we met just passing through….. mechanics are bloody great people.

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Discovering a new way of life

Unless you count Catholic school, Rolling Stones concerts at Wembley Stadium and working for Greenpeace – I’ve never really engaged is serious cult activity…. until now… … .. ..

 

The 20th bi-annual International Friends of 2CV meeting was held for five days at a motorcycle Grand Prix race track in Alcaniz, Spain.And if these two opening sentences don’t contain enough contradictions already – stand by.

Geoff and I have had Charlie Charleston for a couple of months now.

Geoff and Charlie Charleston in reflective mood

Geoff and Charlie Charleston in reflective mood

 

We think the car is cool, fun and quirky; always raises a smile from others, sometimes brings mechanical worries and frowns, is certainly no power-house of a machine – but when all is said and done, it is only a machine. Or so we thought….

This is not a car, this is a way of life

Not just a car

Not just a car

 I have 2Cvs on my mind all the time

I have 2Cvs on my mind all the time

 

The declaration is certainly clearly true for many of the people who have travelled thousands of miles to be here. Some have been making the meeting pilgrimage since the 1970s. It is a 600cc machine that dictates holiday destinations and by the look of it, what many people’s savings are spent on.

Pretty in Pink?

Pretty in Pink?

 

The Burton conversion

The Burton conversion

 

Chequered history

Chequered history

Stuck on you

Stuck on you

More than four thousand cars descended on the baked hillside at Motorworld, Alcaniz. A tented city began to slowly emerge, to the relentless sound of metal on metal as pegs and poles were finally cracked into the iron-hard ground. Eventually the chalky white hillside was peppered with stiffly flying national flags, multi-coloured tents and cars, and echoed to hoots and toots as 2CV club members greeted old friends from the previous meet and paraded their treasured cars up and down the campsite. The peacock display was clearly much too important than to be slowed down by the brutal 45degree heat.

Purple People Pleaser

Purple People Pleaser

No Nukes Classic

No Nukes Classic

 

The Purists and the Pimps

They came in every shape and even size imaginable. Classic cars, lovingly restored with exquisite attention to detail vied for attention alongside those with every kind of change, addition and alteration you could think of. Men and women in their 70s traded notes and admiring glances with all the young dudes, united in common appreciation.

Yellow Peril

Yellow Peril

Another brick in the wall

Another brick in the wall

 

Double trouble

Double trouble

 

Got it pegged

Got it pegged

Licensed to....???

Licensed to….???

 

It is still a 2CV apparently

It is still a 2CV apparently

 

Bronzed Adonis

Bronzed Adonis

Escape from Alcaniz

We newbie owners lasted one sweat-soaked, breath-gasping day and night before we rolled up Chubby the tent , stuffed everything back into Charlie and drove in the opposite direction, retreating back to the tree-lined camp site 40 kms away – including bar and pool!!!

Are you going my way?

Are you going my way?

Look behind you

Look behind you

 

We resorted to day-tripping, shopping for supplies and casting incredulous eyes over the rally cars.

Rallying call

Rallying call

Skull and cross eyes!

Skull and cross eyes!

 

They take it very seriously

They take it very seriously

 

We traded travelling intel with a lovely young Spanish man who has spent the last four years trundling around the world in a 2CV  forty countries and two full engine repairs later and the same front tyres that he left on (Michelin is the way to go apparently!), he still grins when he tells the tales. All I can say is that 2CV owners are hard core. Geoff is still wondering if are they hard core or soft in the head – or a bit of both?

Can’t fail to smile

It is undeniable that there is something joyful about being surrounded by so many little ducks; seeing them scuttling around town, taking roundabouts at seemingly unfeasible angles and watching all those spectators who are unfamiliar with the car, its suspension and other characteristics simply stand back and watch with astonishment. We have been met with friendly smiles, encouraging words, sound advice and always good humour. As cults go – you could do a lot worse.

Getting our ducks in a row

Getting our ducks in a row

 

2CV Burton conversionCharlie Charleston and friends2CV painted like brick wallDouble ended 2CVMan with 2CV tattoo on his headPurple 2CVGeoff reflective in side door of Charlie CharlestonNo Nukes Classic 2CVNot just a car t-shirts2CV rally carPink 2CVSkull and cross eyes logoGiant clothes peg holding down the roof007 2CV2CV rally cars Two 2CVsYellow 2CV with matching trailer2cv with large yellow canopyStickers on boot of 2CVrow of 2CVs2Cv in rear view mirror2Cvs driving toward us