Resurrecting a derelict french spaceship, Neglected Citroen SM
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- čas přidán 3. 08. 2022
- After following up on a lead from a friend, I find a neglected French supercar languishing on the side of the road! watch as I bring it home and bring it back to life!
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WOW this was an amazing episode. You did it again Alexander. You truly lucked out and found another treasure. I enjoyed this episode so much and thank you once again for another amazing content.
Agreed, now Alex. How about taking us to the car show when it's ready?
Great episode. And YOU are the only person in the known universe who would buy a car like that and who would then, in an incredible act of serendipity, know the guy who needed your keys in exchange for his. Zoltar is still looking after you. 🙂
For sure
He IS highly lucky. :)
What a stroke of luck that the only other SM guy in that entire area was Scott at CWM. He's a super helpful guy and it was great that your hunch paid off. Love the SM. I was thinking of Scott as soon as I saw it.
Me too !!
Me too 🤣
Me three
@@noddynoodle7060 me 4
Me five. I should have finished the whole video before commenting. Got excited!
To find one that runs and drives is unheard of. What a find. Out of this world engineering. Speechless.
I am not a "car person" but I LOVED this episode. It was fascinating watching you bring that finish back to life, and then to discover the actual keys with your friend. Another WOWIE moment. I'm liking the time spent on this kind of video even as I'm still bummed that I'll never see you in your shop. At least we have memories and old videos to rewatch. So happy for all of you.
For sure
DITTO
I agree!
That is a genuine treasure.
You'll need new accumulator spheres all around (even though they appear good, the damping goes and there will be a shortage of brakes) for certain, to get the suspension/braking fixed up to full quality (they are linked, so brake force is automatically adjusted according to wheel loading, which was WAY ahead of its time) and the suspension is hydraulic, not pneumatic. As the suspension and braking are linked, it is necessary to fix both to make it properly roadworthy - it will handle and brake far better for a set of spheres, and corners dead flat, instead of leaning out as we are used to - even the steering input adjusts the suspension pressure (the power steering is on the same system). In the event of an hydraulic failure, you will get two full brake applications before it all goes, as one accumulator is reserved purely for that. There are tiny seals on each joint in the pipework, and it is good to keep a few of those around (I even had spare spheres for mine, but they were daily drivers that I relied on, so could not afford to wait for spares). I think yours takes one sphere on each corner, one centrally, and an emergency/reserve one to store emergency pressure for brakes. They just unscrew but make sure the suspension is down and the engine switched off before removing them - you will need a chain or strap wrench. I don't know about the SM, but on the models I've worked on (DS, CS, CX, XM and C5 [not all mine]), the rear spheres are a pain to access.
I have had a number of Citroens, so know the system moderately well - you will need some of the green hydraulic fluid (LM2, from memory, and it is probably overdue for a change - the shop annual should cover that, and you should follow it religiously, as each part of the system needs to be exercised in the right order to push out the old fluid and draw in the new), probably quite a lot - I'd get 10 litres for a full service on that, with a little left over for emergencies (carry it in the car, as it is hard to get). It runs at insane pressure, and more normal brake line flaring tools are NOT capable of doing the job, as the "flare" is actually a bulge in the pipe a short way along it, which a seal is forced against by the pressure in the system. There is a specialist Citroen tool for those lines, which is not expensive but is hard to find. The windscreen may be a problem - they are even in the UK.
You can change a wheel even without a jack - just put the suspension to full height (only intended for maintenance), chock the suspension under end with the punctured wheel, then put the suspension back down, which will lift the punctured and chocked wheel! For a front, put it in park and chock the rear wheels, as the parking brake is on the front wheels. or a rear, the parking brake will suffice - use it, as the system seizes up if it is not exercised. This is the suspension system that was licensed by Rolls Royce, Bentley and Mercedes Benz for their top-of-the-line models. It is still the best there is, albeit slightly upgraded over the years (more electronic control with g sensors and laser-gyros to maximise handling from the XM on, and from the C5, it even stores pressure to return the ride height as you unlock it). The more basic (and maintainable, with no electronics) system on that does have a rather wooden feel to the brakes, as the "pedal" barely moves at all. The parking brake (the other pedal) operates separate small pucks on the same front disk rotor as the normal brake, but mechanically and relatively weakly.
Nice job on the paintwork, and I look forward to seeing the interior come back to life! That is a rare car even in France, where it would draw similar or greater attention to an E-type Jaguar in one of its rarer versions!
Wow!! And I thought I was super detailed in my posts!!!!! Bravo Sir!!!
Yes, it's technology borrowed from the aerospace industry, the suspension, power steering, and brakes are all hydraulically actuated and electrically controlled, or electro-hyd. controlled. Just an all around cool set-up, that must be maintained correctly as you stated above. I would love to have this car!!!
@@cliffordkinnear9705 Yes, you soon learn to do it right, usually after the jet of LM2 from a tiny leak cuts a neat hole in whatever metal it is pointing at (if you are lucky) or the wiring loom (if you are not). DAMHIKT.
It's actally more advanced than in aviation. as the spheres are pressurised with nitrogen, the pump pressurises the fluid with the spheres giving cushioning bacause gas is compressible, and the same circuit powering the brakes so that when you hit a bump on braking, the compression of the suspension increases (briefly) the pressure to the brake caliper, with the reverse happening after the bump or when hitting a hole. Applied proportional braking per wheel. Level sensors keep the pressure at whatever is required to avoid nose dive under braking or body roll under cornering, again keeping the braking power directly proportional to the wheel loading. Pitch and roll are not somethaing that an aircraft needs to worry about on the ground, nor is the bump response on the sort of runways used by complex jets.
Steering angle sensors came in on the CX, to preempt body roll, and on the XM these were enhanced with electronics to both make it more proportional and give performance, standard, and comfort levels of proportionality. The C5 added a self-learning capability, which adapts to your driving style, and although it retains the ability to shift it through settings manually, that just sets a new start point for autolearning. And they were doing it beffore any aircraft had it fitted. Aircraft still just have ABS and different levels of autobrake, applied when the weight-on-wheel sensors show a landing has occurred. Relatively simple, as is preferred by the aviation industry.
It will be cleaned up and sold soon anyway so the real restoration will be done by someone else.
The suspension spheres on this car are the original splittable type, they can be opened up and new diaphragms fitted and there is a fitting on the outer half that allows them to be recharged with nitrogen per factory. The sphere on the pressure accumulator is a modern replacement, you notice that it is smooth. These units are sealed and cannot be rebuilt/recharged. The last I heard new replacements were no longer available, though I could be wrong. It's too bad that one was replaced and not rebuilt. And there was a single small jack stand supplied with the car for tyre changing--there are notches in the bottom pinch weld where it fits.
This was an EPIC EPISODE Alexander! I loved your ‘Indiana Jones’ work on finding the keys that led to a lucrative parts source. I will admit that I had to pick my jaw off the ground when the engine turned over!! WTG!!
I too had to pick up my jaw! Absolutely fantastic.
One thing to remember when parking next to tall curb: when your car lowers, you might not be able to get in or out that door.
Scott posted some videos of him repairing his sm. It might be good to give them a watch. Also he has a "Citroen guy". Maybe he would be willing to put you in touch, if you need a part or something.
I saw this Citroën in a movie way back in the 70s and fell in love with it then. Now I remember why. It's good to know an 80 year old woman can still get a thrill from a beautiful car.
Wonderful episode. Alexander Archbold is the only one who could interest in me in watching vintage car restoration. This one is a gem. If George Jetson needed a car, this would be it. So shiny! Cool features like the hydraulics. Love it.
Good for Scott....he is the resident Citroen expert and genius car restoration. "Cold War Motors"
Whoo-hoo look at you, 007!!!
Now this is the type of car restoration I like to see Alex do….so much fun to see the before and after….
I love these cars and they are expensive to restore and the most expensive part is the pnuematic system and spheres.
Designed by Robert Opron I believe but I could be wrong.
I love your "new" Citroen! That paint job is beautiful and wow, what a fluke to find a guy that you could trade keys with! Amazing that it started up and boy does it sound wicked! The upholstery is very elaborate, isn't it? It will take a skilled upholsterer to tackle that job. I'll bet you can't wait to turn heads while you tool around in this beauty!
Ahh!! I'm not a car person, but that version of the Citroen is one of the few that make me swoon.
This car is the coolest. It's looks really sharp on the road. Great find!
We had a 74 VW camper bus and it was a fun vehicle to go camping in it actually made it to the top of Mount Washington in New Hampshire, boy but was it scary coming down making a lot of stops to cool the brakes 😅
You didn't use the transmission as an engine brake ?
Ah yes. The joy of working on French cars. I have not done such advanced works on cars like Alex has done, but I remember my old Peugeot 205 (LaCoste, thankyouverymuch. Yep. It even came with a crocodile logo). Had to change the water pump on that. The engine looked cool, but we had to do some weird stunts to get to the pump...
French engineering, say no more. 😂
I think that is one of your coolest cars ever!! Compared to some of the problem some of the other cars had this is nothing! She’s a keeper!
This car looks so cool and I bet it is a blast to drive!! What another awesome car find! Thanks for sharing and I can’t wait to see it in another video.
For someone who's not a car person, you sure make your car episodes interesting. 😁
Wow! Congratulations. What a beauty. Best of luck with this incredible machine.
I'm not normally that interested in car restoration, but this was a very fun video. Lots of intrigue and how about the crazy way to find the keys! It was amazing at how well it cleaned up, very satisfying. And a fun promo by Alex at the end LOL.
That was Great! Fun to see how you step by step solve the issues. Very Cool Car.
Another cool car. Boy, that is shining like a new paint job now. Glad you found the keys. The engine works. What a find.
Absolutely loved this episode! What a fluke to find the keys with someone you know! And a local parts source!
It started. Great job locating the right keys 🔑
A literal miracle.
Oh I LOVE this car! Bet it could be fun to drive! Great episode!
your luck with the keys is phenomenal
Sitting is a junked cars ignition!
Get in touch with Scott at Cold War Motors. He has one and might be able to help in finding newer parts. He has also restored the DS model. Great find and have fun.
The last ten minutes of the video...were kinda important...
@@GuyWithTheDogs I'm watching this in stages as life gets in the way. Have a nice day and greetings from sunny Italy.
I saw a totally restored version at a cars and coffee this last Saturday! Very unique car! Seems you found a solid example. I really enjoy the diversity of topics your channel covers. Especially the car content!
You're the man, Alex. I like your Lil space car and I am very impressed how you hunted those keys down. 🔑👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
And you thought I was teasing when I said the garage wasn't going to be big enough . . . ;) Wow, that paint came back nice.
And it’s full already!
You are just like the little boy who is always bringing home stray puppies. I love that you can do that and Melissas face when you do it.
Possibly the best wife in the world. I think that we should nominate her for sainthood.
I love Georges’ accent. Good for him to turn you on to that car .The car fits right into your car aesthetics .
I like it also because it’s a little different .You have got an awesome group of cars . You should be very proud of all your finds .
Curiosity Inc and Cold War Motors are by far my favourite channels. Small world huh?
Keep on posting Alex and Scott.
WOW!!! Another amazing find that looks totally unique . I've never seen one before except in the movies . This was a great episode because it builds up the excitement for the big reveal once you are done tinkering . You work so hard on your projects and your pursuit of finding the parts you need is very interesting and I'm so glad that you include all of that in your videos . You make us feel like we're part of your adventure . Thank you , Alex...............................................................................and the very best part is your joy and smile when you accomplish what you set out to do . There's only one problem ; it's the fact that you already need a bigger garage , lol .. Take care , be well and prosper .
There’s one in Zoolander.
It turned out better than I thought it would
Loved this episode! It was fun to see you have fun with this car. It suits you for sure. So glad you are enjoying this summer with your family and being out in your garage fixing up your cars. 😊
When I was a kid my dad exposed me to one of these when they were new. It's still one of my favorite cars of all time. An Italian powered French car, what could possibly go wrong!? The DS21 is also one of my favorite cars.
better than a French powered Italian car
@@duplessis2006 I like your thinking.
Great find!!!
Alex, the thin spot on the door panel can be redone by just using SEM Landau Black aerosol. In the video it looks tan on the edge. It is the same sheen as the vinyl/leather. Great for spraying vinyl, plastic, metal, etc.
Bonjour from France, what an amazing find, congrats!
Love that everyone learns so much information from your descriptions ! It amazes me what you end up binging home and Melissa' s expression pretty much covers it all. ! Your admiration for the unusual is fascinating . Bet you are never bored . What a special family you are so fortunate to have , they are just super cool. . They are always finding out so much with your creative inspirational explorations . Thank you for another smile time ! It is sweet that you get so happy about the massive amounts of work your projects include. I bet your vehicles smile knowing they are in your capable hands. . I think I got almost as emotional that you got the right keys and it started as I think you felt , man you are meant to find these cars .
Dear Mr. Archbold.
👍👌👏 Simply fantastic! Congrats multiple times for this purchase! The design really still looks futuristic, almost like a kind of space ship. I have never seen a SM in red, usually they are gold metallic, silver metallic or black. This red paint looks amazingly well on this car. Fortunately you have been able to restore the paint. Your car looks pretty solid and rust free. Unfortunately a lot of SM have been scrapped because of heavy rust issues and also because Maserati owners want the engine for their cars. By the way: Nearly unbeliiiiievable and great, that the engine started right up. From what I could hear, I guess, that it doesn't run on all 6 cylinders yet. Also pretty unbelievable and great is the fact, that the hydraulic still works. Consider yourself to be very lucky all in all.
I bet that it is Scott N. (Coldwarmotors) who had the right keys in his spare part Citroen. Otherwise I would have suggested to meet respectively go to this Citroen "specialist" because he repairs/restored and owns some Citroen and knows people who do similar. Knowing the community always helps when owning a rare vehicle.
Maybe in the future you will even buy a Citroen DS 23 (nicknamed "The Goddess")? That's one of my favourite vehicles.
Thanks a lot for making teaching explaining recording editing uploading and sharing.
Best regards luck and health to all of you.
to a person new to the SM the steering may feel broken if you let go of the wheel it will forcefully almost violently self centre at any speed, it is also super sensitive with less than 2 full rotations lock to lock so take your time to learn the steering once you adjust to it it is sublime , many can not get used to it , it is that different be very careful when aligning the front end , one wrong adjustment and it gets undrivable really quick mark all the splines so you always can return to a base setting its easy for a normal alignment shop to get lost in the settings alignment shops may say oh we have done this exotic and that exotic, but they have never come across a system like the SM so tread extremely carefully lean heavily on the forums or experts like SMworld or andrew brodie in the uk ,excelsior motors in kentucky
Fantastic find it’s out of this world. Lol you never disappoint Alexander.
Had to smile when you said you contacted Scott at CWM as I was going to suggest him to you after you did a video with Jim at Strong's Garage. Lol
car is in great shape... Scott at Coldwarmotors would love this car!
edit... I wrote that before finishing video. You read my mind.
The joy that you feel from finding and resurrecting these gems is contagious. Such a fun video...👍👍
I love your vehicle videos!
I love these cars. Jay Leno has had one for 35 years and it's gorgeous,!
What a great find, this a genuine collectors car. Quirky it is, but so different too.
Very cool car !
Wow, what a treasure! I hope this car is a keeper. I love it. And you look good driving it. It suits you and your unique personality, Alexander.
Thank you for sharing your enthusiasm. I really enjoyed your experience of tracking down your new jewel, your amazing key finding adventure and your restoration of her original beauty.
And lastly, I loved your cinematic portrait of you zooming her across the screening like an elegant crimson flash❗
This episode is one of my favorites! I hope she becomes one of your favorites and finds her forever home with you.
What a beauty!
My uncle used to have one of these cars it was white, I was fascinated how the car rose up!! My dad has had a few Citroën Picasso's and the suspension is really wobbly, almost makes you seasick!! So that's not changed over the years. Thoroughly enjoyed your video I love seeing cars brought back from a wreck. Thanks xx
As a Norwegian who have owned a Citroën with air suspension i found a really neat thing about it. If you are stuck in a snowditch just lower it all the way down to pack the snow, then lift it to the top, and voila, you can drive out of there like nothing.
How cool is this?!!! I'm glad everything just kinda fell into place and still worked. You will next be exploring those old bikes?? Maybe Melissa would enjoy the sidecar? LOL
Wowza! What a cool car & fun episode. Look's like something "The Jetson's" would have drove. The way it cleaned up, swapping for the right keys, started & drove that easy was amazing as well. Cool that it had the hefty manual too. Can't wait for more episodes on it!
Alex, I am watching you since the beginning of your channel and this is the moment I was waiting for!! I have the pleasure to be working and driving hydropneumatic citroëns for 11 years now ( since I got my license) and its really something very special. Maserati combined with Citroëns soul is the icing of the cake you can get. I hope you can create loads of memories with it, these cars are truly alive
Scott knows alot about those Cars ok n your friends with Scott n Jim n the guys
I love it!!!
Love these cars! Enjoy watching the video today. Car is in pretty good shape. Looking forward to more videos on the S M.
I had to leave my living room smart TV to go to my computer to leave a comment---that's how motivated I was to tell you this was one satisfying episode---better than all the other car restorations. I like that it isn't that old and that fun up and down funky motion. You had the drama going in comparing the dull paint to the restoring wax job. Then there was the drama of finding the keys and then not knowing if the engine would turn over. You had it all goin on for this one.
I’m so glad you liked it!
Cool find for sure, love it when you restore things.
I actually cheered out loud when the engine started! Great video!
I believe it’s a manual transmission. The pedal on the left is the clutch pedal. The suspension, steering, and braking are all hydraulically operated. Anyone want to see this car in action, should look at the first 15 minutes of the original Longest Yard, starring Burt Reynolds’s. That’s definitely the car of my dreams!!
What a fun episode! loved seeing you clean and shine it up and bring it back to life! Cant wait to see the inside get a re-newal too! The seats are so cool! Reminds me of the design aesthetics some of the space shows we saw in the 50’s or 60’s.
It’s so cute!
How fortunate to find the keys AND the car runs. Things are working in your favor. Fantastic!
That car is too much fire 🔥 ... such a gorgeous looking car 🚗 😍
I love the zooming by the camera test drive. Glad you're enjoying life! Great vehicle!
Nice you got a good one my friend.
Nothing short of amazing!
You really have the luck of the Irish! There’s no way that car should start with that old gas, particularly with a delicate carb.. .. It's a beautiful car, I hope you keep it for a while.. .. . By the way, watch out for the brakes, they're fierce.
Now is the time to get to Know, Scott from Coldwar Motors,, Strongs Garage knows him quite well, he has a couple of parts cars, and Loves these things
I know Scott :)
Very cool looking car! So glad you were persistent in looking for the keys. Saved you a lot of money. You're going to run out of room in that garage, hehe.
really nice find. Citreon's grew on me over the years
A true classic you have there my friend. Only 5,500 manufactured and most of those were sold in Europe where they are as rare as hen's teeth and you just happened to chance upon one sitting on a nearby street in your country! I call that extreme good fortune. A car design way ahead of it's time with the lowest drag co efficient of any of it's contemporaries, they even incorporated the first rain sensing wipers (though not the same design as modern systems) The same suspension system was bought by Rolls Royce and used under license in their cars as the ride was so smooth. I would LOVE a fully restored SM though I do not have the funds sadly. I really enjoyed your video and hope to see the next ones showing progress to a full restoration, thank you for sharing
Many years ago we had a babysitter whose husband was a Citron mechanic. We were driving in his Citron (the seats were overstuffed and it was like sitting in sofa at home) on the Bay Bridge going from SF to Oakland when we had flat tire. This occurred on a blind spot on the freeway. Very scary. The driver hit the hydraulic switch and the back of the car went up. He ran out and took out the spare and changed the tire. Then lowered the car. It was so fast - could hardly believe - maybe 5 min and we back driving again. Love this car.
It's spelled Citroën. The hydropneumatic suspension they developed was one of a kind. If a tire went out the car could drive on three wheels, a feature that saved France's President Charles de Gaulle from an assassination attempt that shot up his car. Then the car could raise itself up and lift the flat tire so it could be changed without a jack. The suspension could be raised for poor roads or lowered for highways. The suspension was so soft Rolls-Royce licensed it because they couldn't come up with anything better. Rolls-Royce didn't take the auto-centering steering with one turn lock-to-lock or the pressure-sensitive brakes that Citroën had on their cars.
What a neat space-age looking car! Awesome find. I would love to see it with new interior
Nice one Alex. I can already see you and Melissa tootling along some sunshine filled avenue with a picnic in the boot. A beautiful car that's found a new custodian. Hope you have many adventures with it. 👍
Nice car love the way it shined up
That is the most amazing story about the keys! What are the odds? Great car Alexander!
Love it! Can't believe you found the keys by chance through a friend. Amazing!
Its an interesting car!
Citroen made some amazing cars back in the day. Very ahead of the times. These have a ridiculously small lock to lock ratio on the steering wheel like 1 1/4 turns. I saw my first DS in person the other day and got a good look and some pics. WHat a piece of art they are!
Love Georges accent!
would have loved to see scott in the vlog with frankers, i sub to his channel also, i'm sure that he will be a weath of parts and info for the SM, he did a ground up resto on a DM , and hes one of the best old school bodyman out there.....anywho, GREAT find you'll do right with this in possitive, keep on doing what you do best
Such a cool car!! So much fun to watch you work your magic.
How fun! Great transformation! Sweet ride!
One of my favorite cars I hadn't seen a SM before, though a DS with it's funky rear turnsignals is cool. The fact that it's a Coupe is a major plus. Dude you came out smelling of roses with this one. 😍
Alexander YOU are the Car Whisperer.......they seem to know they are in good hands and come alive for you with just a little love and care. Nice job.
Nice sleuthing with those keys. Gosh you just never know what's out there until you put yourself out there. That was a fun video.
That Citroen is so cool did George Jetson use to drive that???,LOLL!
Great Detective Work with the keys, I love that goofy car too.
Al from the you tube series “Cold War Motors” in Canada loves French cars. He’s a great restorer.
Scott ?
Those are GORGEOUS!!!! Loved them for years.
A very underestimated car I think. I've always likes this car. It screams 70's. This car is well known in Holland by Johan Cruijff. He user to drive one. A Citroen with a Maserati engine. What is not to like?
I remember when I was in high school someone had one of these in my home town. Funky cool car! Then again, I had a Kharman Ghia at the same time! LOL