Marius’ Charleston in France… (no name yet..)

I have asked Marius to prepare a little discours about his only car……  He says he is  ‘on it’  but is also computerless since the earthquake destroyed the house where he was living………

1954 Citroen Traction 11 B (ZZ) in France

ahh,  the ZZ, a very famous Traction,  this was the ‘Prototype’ of the DB-4 Series.  After the ‘wheels’ had been turning for some time in the upstairs of the mind of a certain Didier Barret, he devised a way to install the robust 5 main bearing engine of the Citroen DS, with the equally robust 4 speed gear box, into the body of a Traction, and ZZ was the Guinea Pig.  This transforms the Traction from a relatively difficult car to drive in modern day city conditions, to one that is fun,  easy, and fast, to drive.  ZZ has travelled to North Africa, and also participated in the Globe Driver Kosak, Rally, from Paris to Moscow, and St Petersburg, and back via Scandinavia.  ZZ has been clocked at 140 kms, luckily not by the police, and also has assisted-brakes to slow the puppy down.  ZZ is based at the popular Traction hang-out near Chartres, France……   awaiting orders

1957 Citroen Traction 11 C in Australia, (Zero-fourty)

This Traction was purchased in Paris in 1975, and remained in Europe until 1983, when it was shipped to Oregon where it remained until 1998, when it was shipped to Australia for the Tracbar Dundee 1998, Queensland, New South Wales Rally.  In 2000 it did the Perth to Brisbane Tracbar Dundee Rally, however it was now powered by an ID engine with a 4 speed gearbox, thanks to Steph Laguna.  In 2006, it did the Sydney to Darwin Globe Driver rally, and in 2009, the famous North Queensland ‘Tractionista, No-Blaireau”  Rally. It is currently at the Laguna Estate, just north of Brisbane, Queensland,  awaiting orders…………….

1953 Citroen 11 Slough, (the Kiwi), in Australia

This Traction is a right hand drive, made in England, (Slough) model,  has a wooden dashboard and leather interior,  also was 12 volt from the factory.  It was discovered in New Zealand after the 1998 Rally, and in a carefully planned operation was purchased and shipped to Brisbane, Australia, by none other then the famous Mallory McComish, who remembers the ordeal well.  Before our 2006 Globe Driver, Sydney to Darwin Rally, it was transformed to a DB-4, which is a DS engine (5 main bearing) and a 4 speed gearbox.  In 2009, it participated in the North Queensland, No-Blaireau, Rally, driven by none other then the father of the DB-4, Didier Barret, with Christine as Navigator.  It remains at the Laguna Estate just north of Brisbane, in Queensland…. Awaiting orders.

1952 Chevrolet Bel Air in the Turks and Caicos

This 1952 Chevy Bel Air,  2 door, sedan, was purchased in Tlaquepaque, Mexico,  just outside of Guadalajara in 2004.  It was loaded in a 40′ container with ceramic pots all around, and inside and shipped to The Turks and Caicos.  It was repainted baby blue here, and a failed attempt was made to have all the chrome redone, such a failure that the bumpers eventually had to be painted…..    one day we will fix that…..    It is still a 3 speed,  (three on the tree), and is not particularly easy/fun to drive…….    if you know of a drive train for a camero.    let me know….

Citroen Traction 11 BL 1940, in the Turks and Caicos

My Father, Norman Giese, purchased this Traction,in 1982, (under serious lobbying from Mike), from a Russian dude, Boris, who lived in Narbonne, while we were living in Thuir, near Perpignan in southern France, near the Spanish boarder.  Boris had blown up the engine after taking it out on the autoroute at 130 km, after 15 years in a shed somewhere….good price for sure, and  of course he did not deserve it…..   This Traction shipped to Oregon along with Zero Fourty, in 1983, and remained there until 2008, when it took part in the Oregon Exodus to the Turks and Caicos, where it was repainted, another shade of Black,  and is living happily after…..   still has a tendency to pop out of 2nd gear.

Peugeot 404 Cab. 1965, in the Turks and Caicos

The Peugeot 404….   wow, what a car….   my first 17 cars were Peugeot 404’s  all just boring 4 door sedans… easy-peasy to work on,  cheap to run, and very reliable.  I made a few bucks, in Germany, buying ones that would not pass the german inspection, fixing up a minimum and reselling to G.I.s  and as they always had 4 wheels, would easily pass the american inspection.  Always wanted a cabriolet, and in 1984 found this one in Limoges, France, while traveling around France with my hot french girlfriend in a Citroen DS.    hey who said that????     I should have kept the DS?????    pleeeease..  This Cabriolet remained in France until around 1987. when it shipped to Oregon to join up with the other French Iron already there…..   Inside and in Limbo until 2008,  when it too, partake d in the Oregon Exodus to the Turks and Caicos Islands.  Arrival in the TCI., just a week or so before Hurricane Ike, it was a while before we were able to attend to it.  Then we got way ahead of ourselves and put a nice paint job on it  (china red), before we realized that the whole bottom of the car was seriously rusted, and was being held together by the thick undercoating that had been applied back in the 80’s.  So, many months later it has a brand new steel bottom, and has been repainted.  The new convertible top is being instal;led at the moment.

1959 Peugeot 203 in the Turks and Caicos

This Peugeot 203, was purchased  (5,000. francs), in Perpignan, France in 1982, it ran good, and in 1983, after loading the 2 Tractions in a 40′ container for shipment to Oregon, was driven to Paris with one dog, and one french friend.  From Paris it shipped to Oregon to join the French Iron Army there…..    Then in 1984 it drove from Oregon to Jalisco, Mexico, where it got a paint job, and an interior in Manzanillo.  After retuning to Oregon, it remained there until the Oregon Exodus in 2008.  Since arriving on Provo, it has been restored to its original color and has a new interior….   looks just like my boat….

1960 DS 19 (yellow) in the Turks and Caicos

1955 Citroen Traction 11 (white) in the Turks and Caicos

This Traction is shared with my friend Greg, and had been somewhat abandoned in Naples, Florida, when Greg went out West.  Along with my Alsatian friends, Gerard and Mathieu, we mounted a rescue mission and she was brought to the Turks and Caicos.  It was completely disassembled and put back together, and got new paint.  The white color really goes well and with the heat here makes a lot of sense.  The seats were all redone with the same stuff we use in our boats here.  It still has the original engine and 3-speed gearbox which is perfect when the farthest you can drive is 20 miles.