MOTOR-BLOG from Coventry

Talk about flogging a dead horse… Citroën has released details of a special edition of what they call their ‘funky’ convertible supermini, the C3 Pluriel. What everyone else calls it in this, the age of electric hardtopped CC cars, is pointless. The Pluriel has not been an altogether success - removing the roof was a faff, and where do you put the bits you take off?

Well you leave them at home don’t you - and hope that it doesn’t rain when you’re out. Not ideal. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one out and about with the roof removed - too much like hard work for today’s drivers. I’ve always applauded Citroën for trying something different, but in this case, it just doesn’t work - especially considering the fact that the roof often leaks too.

Well anyhow, for what it’s worth, here is the new special edition - the Charleston, due to be unveiled at next month’s Paris Motor Show and on sale in the UK by early 2009. Here’s what the press release has to say about it:

The C3 Pluriel Charleston fashions a contemporary reinterpretation of a design theme that once decorated Citroën’s famous 2CV - a stylistic nod to one of the most iconic cars in history, which this year celebrates its 60th birthday.

With a blend of nostalgic and contemporary styling the C3 Pluriel Charleston should strike a chord with both 2CV fans and buyers looking for a vehicle with individual design flair. With its bold two-tone colour scheme of black and Bordeaux red, the sophisticated Charleston special edition will be positioned at the high-end of the Pluriel range with premium touches throughout such as gloss-black fittings, leather upholstery and chrome trim.

Also fitted as standard are stylish 15” aluminium wheels which feature red embellisher centres that add elegance and definition.

Hmm, good luck with that. To be honest though, they probably should have pitched the Pluriel as a fun, silly, 2CV replacement in the first place, rather than trying to pitch it as a premium aspirational lifestyle car. If they had, they might have sold a few more and not have to release gimmicky special editions, which is always the manufacturers’ last gasp to try and shift a few more units of a failing or soon to be replaced model…

Oh yes, here she is. After almost a year of procrastination I’m very close to at last taking delivery of my latest project car. I’ve even almost paid for it too, almost… But I do have in my greasy mitts the V5 (note not V5C!) I’ve made a little video to introduce you to the car too. Please forgive the production values, it’s a bit odd filming and talking to yourself.

As you’ve probably all heard by now, our wonderful Festival of Motoring has been cancelled due to bad weather. This is especially bad as I was entered in it again this year and it also puts pay to the saying - ‘it never rains on the Shakespeare run’, because up until this year, it hasn’t.

I’m sure some smart alec will pipe up now with a ‘I think you’ll find it did rain last year, we had 0.00001mm of precipitation that day…’ (there’s always one) but genuinely, I’ve never known it to rain in all my years of attending this event. It’s usually suncream and Pimms all the way.

So this leaves me with a spare weekend. This is fine, but I can’t help feeling a little disappointed, what with another fairly lousy summer behind us. So I’m sitting here, typing this drinking tea and watching One of our Dinosaurs is missing. I have chocolate and crisps in the flat, and may just crack open that bottle of cider in the fridge. Twenty to five on a Saturday afternoon seems like a reasonable time to get started on the sherbert.

I’m due to attempt a rescue on my 1958 Austin A55 Cambridge tommorrow, but this will be a premliminary attempt - I’m going to free up the brakes so it will roll come towing time. To that end, i’m going to have to buy a trolley jack tommorrow morning, plus copious amounts of Duck oil…

I’m also going to take my spare from the Vitesse to see if it will fit. My plan is thus: to put the wheels and tyres from the Vitesse onto the Austin so it will roll easily (the Austin’s tyres are withered and flat, and I don’t want to go buying new ones if I don’t have to!). Basically, I’m feeling pretty excited about it, and am looking forward to having a Coventry based winter project to play with.

Things have been moving forward with the 2000 estate (known as the mighty estate). A new rad recore from the ever-helpful and classic friendly J and J radiators Coventry means that it doesn’t leak anymore, and a new Pacet fan and thermostat kit from SVC (Staffordshire Vehicle Components - www.s-v-c.co.uk) means that overheating shouldn’t ever be a problem. I’ve also got some NPG waterless coolant from Rustbuster (www.rust.co.uk) so the new rad shouldn’t get rusted up again.

So things have been going well - except - with my unexpected extra time this weekend, I’ve been looking at the dreaded eBay. There is a rather nice Avon Acclaim with tax and MoT for just £495 buy it now, or best offers. This is very tempting… Also there is a TR7 with long MoT and tax for buy it now £795. Bloody hell. Ok, so it’s a FHC (which I prefer) but it’s still no money when you think about it.

Plus it has had a five speed box conversion, and an uprated rear axle and appears to be as rust free as a good TR7 should be. If that isn’t a TR8 conversion in the making, then I don’t know what is. As I happen to own a 3.5 Range Rover with LPG, alarm bells are ringing…

I’m not saying I’m technically savvy enough to attempt such a conversion myself, but in reality it shouldn’t be that hard, and it has certainly been done many times before and I’d give anything a bash. This is all crazy talk though - I must get the Saab fixed first and recover the Cambridge. I’ll be welding up the 2000 next week too…

The fun continues…