First up, apologies this is mainly a copy from an ebay ad, but hopefully all details are there and it falls in line with the rules!
Make: Citroen
Model: H van
Year: 1955
Mileage: -
Tax: N/A
MOT: N/A
Location: Minster, Kent ME12 postcode
Price: £4300
Contact details: PM please
Up for very regrettable sale here is out 1955 Citroen H van. Due to a recent passing in the family (mother in law), and the cost of the funeral, we are no longer in a position to give this old bus the love and attention she needs at present, so offering her up for sale seems like the best option.
As can be seen from the photos, the van is in need of restoration to restore it to her former glory. Please don’t turn up expecting to drive it away. This is a project vehicle.
Bodywork:
Seems the best place to start, as it’s what you will notice first. Yes, there is a fair bit of rust – some superficial, some not. The reason I chose this van is a lot of the ‘bad’ rust is actually on bits which would be easy to replace/fabricate. Hopefully not too much complex welding. There are also a couple of companies that do replacement panels/sections, which cover some of the areas that need replacing (such as the headlight panels). I can also put you in contact with British people in France who specialise in sourcing other parts you may need (e.g. doors/tailgates etc).
Apart from the welding there are also various knocks/scrapes in the bodywork that would need to be sorted.
The van is prime for a catering conversion if you wanted to, seeing as it has the panel covering the side windows, so easy to make a hatch. Another reason I chose this van is it has no rear side door, whereas most seem to. This means you can really optimize the inside space.
Engine:
The engine is the preferable petrol version, not the diesel. According to the person we brought it off it was running before we purchased it, though would obviously benefit from a service (I have no reason to doubt them). I have not had it running myself as front part of the engine (radiator etc) had been removed to gain access to a bent bumper mount that needs putting back into shape. From reading various H/HY websites it seems a child could work on these engines with basic tools, so I can’t see there being too much to get it up and running bar putting back together and giving it a service.
Chassis:
Again, another thing which attracted us to this van in particular was the fact the chassis is relatively sound (bar the bent bumper mount mentioned above). From having a quick look underneath all appears good. The floor panels in the cab are all solid, and the rear floor is good too (bar one soft area which is under a hole in the roof -think there may have been something mounted to the roof at some point which had left a hole and caused some rust.) The van rolls easily enough, but I would obviously recommend giving the brakes an overhaul, seeing as it’s nearly a sixty year old van.
Electrics:
The van still runs 6V electrics, which are untested. I planned to change this to 12V which is a relatively simple job, as there isn’t exactly much electrical to mess about with on these things.
History & Paperwork:
The van was manufactured on 2nd August 1955, and currently has the French registration 163 HU 47. We have the Carte Gris (French equivalent of a log book I guess) from the previous owner, dated from 1967 – so it had been with him a long time! Since bringing it to this country I have completed the NOVA form online, which states there is no VAT to pay on the van. All that needs to be done is register it once up and running. Obviously the van is tax and MOT exempt due to its age.
As mentioned above, we looked at a few vans before choosing this one. We knew we wanted one of the earlier split screen models as they are much more desirable and command a much higher price. It seems the prices of H/HY vans are going up and up at the moment (I know of at least four that have been up for just under £40,000 recently), so with some work and a bit of money, this would be an awesome investment.
The van is located in Minster (ME12 postcode), and I’d obviously highly recommend viewing if possible. I will do my best to answer any questions I can. Please be aware I am not a professional mechanic/vehicle restorer, just someone who enjoys working on old cars. The opinions on what is required are purely my own, and yours may differ, hence why I say you are free to view.
Make: Citroen
Model: H van
Year: 1955
Mileage: -
Tax: N/A
MOT: N/A
Location: Minster, Kent ME12 postcode
Price: £4300
Contact details: PM please
Up for very regrettable sale here is out 1955 Citroen H van. Due to a recent passing in the family (mother in law), and the cost of the funeral, we are no longer in a position to give this old bus the love and attention she needs at present, so offering her up for sale seems like the best option.
As can be seen from the photos, the van is in need of restoration to restore it to her former glory. Please don’t turn up expecting to drive it away. This is a project vehicle.
Bodywork:
Seems the best place to start, as it’s what you will notice first. Yes, there is a fair bit of rust – some superficial, some not. The reason I chose this van is a lot of the ‘bad’ rust is actually on bits which would be easy to replace/fabricate. Hopefully not too much complex welding. There are also a couple of companies that do replacement panels/sections, which cover some of the areas that need replacing (such as the headlight panels). I can also put you in contact with British people in France who specialise in sourcing other parts you may need (e.g. doors/tailgates etc).
Apart from the welding there are also various knocks/scrapes in the bodywork that would need to be sorted.
The van is prime for a catering conversion if you wanted to, seeing as it has the panel covering the side windows, so easy to make a hatch. Another reason I chose this van is it has no rear side door, whereas most seem to. This means you can really optimize the inside space.
Engine:
The engine is the preferable petrol version, not the diesel. According to the person we brought it off it was running before we purchased it, though would obviously benefit from a service (I have no reason to doubt them). I have not had it running myself as front part of the engine (radiator etc) had been removed to gain access to a bent bumper mount that needs putting back into shape. From reading various H/HY websites it seems a child could work on these engines with basic tools, so I can’t see there being too much to get it up and running bar putting back together and giving it a service.
Chassis:
Again, another thing which attracted us to this van in particular was the fact the chassis is relatively sound (bar the bent bumper mount mentioned above). From having a quick look underneath all appears good. The floor panels in the cab are all solid, and the rear floor is good too (bar one soft area which is under a hole in the roof -think there may have been something mounted to the roof at some point which had left a hole and caused some rust.) The van rolls easily enough, but I would obviously recommend giving the brakes an overhaul, seeing as it’s nearly a sixty year old van.
Electrics:
The van still runs 6V electrics, which are untested. I planned to change this to 12V which is a relatively simple job, as there isn’t exactly much electrical to mess about with on these things.
History & Paperwork:
The van was manufactured on 2nd August 1955, and currently has the French registration 163 HU 47. We have the Carte Gris (French equivalent of a log book I guess) from the previous owner, dated from 1967 – so it had been with him a long time! Since bringing it to this country I have completed the NOVA form online, which states there is no VAT to pay on the van. All that needs to be done is register it once up and running. Obviously the van is tax and MOT exempt due to its age.
As mentioned above, we looked at a few vans before choosing this one. We knew we wanted one of the earlier split screen models as they are much more desirable and command a much higher price. It seems the prices of H/HY vans are going up and up at the moment (I know of at least four that have been up for just under £40,000 recently), so with some work and a bit of money, this would be an awesome investment.
The van is located in Minster (ME12 postcode), and I’d obviously highly recommend viewing if possible. I will do my best to answer any questions I can. Please be aware I am not a professional mechanic/vehicle restorer, just someone who enjoys working on old cars. The opinions on what is required are purely my own, and yours may differ, hence why I say you are free to view.
