13 January 2012

Slammed Citroën Ami - Bas, Bas Citron!

We love it when someone takes a type of car that most people would turn their nose up, then modifies it in such a way that said people have no choice but to open their eyes and take notice. Jozef Auderley is just such a someone. He recovered the pieces of this AMI 6 that had been well scorched by the Perpignan sun and fashioned it into a conversation-stopper of a Citroën.
As he discovered it, the car needed well, a ton of work to get it back into a roadworthy condition; the body has been removed from the chassis and was so distorted that the doors didn't close properly. So Jozef obviously thought he'd have some fun with it...


After dragging the Ami kicking and screaming into his workshop, he decided not to vacillate with the best method of getting the car down to terre mère, so cut the whole floorpan out, back to front and sill to sill, and channelled the body nearly FIVE inches over the chassis. No doubt he would have gone lower, but such trivialities as closing the bonnet had to be taken into consideration. Custom made, uprated springs (no cutting or torching for this man) replace the originals to assist in the lowering process; no airbags, no hydraulics, this Ami is living the low life permanently. A completely flat floor was welded into the gaping chasm left by the old floor being shown the porte, ably supported by owner-made outriggers welded to the frame.


Then followed the myriad little tasks involved in ensuring that the fit and finish of the new floor was totally as he wanted it and that everything worked as it should; unsurprisingly there is a smidge less legroom than before, but surely the lack of a transmission tunnel and floor-mounted gearstick helps there.
Running gear is bone-standard, but anyone who's driven a car from the 2CV extended family knows that lack of power doesn't mean lack of enjoyment. No doubt the sound of jaws dropping from the sight of this Ami dragging it's derrière down the road makes for a great accompanying soundtrack.

In 'as found' condition - if my face had been removed and placed on my butt I'd probably feel the same way too


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