Is RUST holding my project Citroën SM's front together?!

[@FuManchu5ltr]

“The front fell off” Excellent Clarke and Dawe reference.

[@Luke-PlanesTrainsDogsnCars]

Does a Clarke & Dawe reference travel internationally?

[@FuManchu5ltr]

@ Well it’s not very typical. I’d like to make that point.

[@JohnRolyAU]

Senator Collins, thanks for coming in. 0:01 It's a great pleasure, thank you. 0:03 This ship that was involved in the incident in Western Australia this week... 0:05 The one the front fell off? 0:07 Yeah. Yeah, that's not very typical, I'd like to make that point. 0:09 Well, how was it un-typical? 0:10 Well there are a lot of these ships going around the world all the time, and very seldom does anything like this happen. 0:14 I just don't want people thinking that tankers aren't safe. 0:16 Was this tanker safe? 0:17 Well, I was thinking more about the other ones. 0:19 The ones that are safe? Yeah, the ones the front doesn't fall off. 0:22 Well, if this wasn't safe why did it have 80,000 tons of oil on it?

[@FuManchu5ltr]

@@JohnRolyAU Can’t upvote enough.

[@The-Sea-Dragon-1977]

@@FuManchu5ltr As someone in the Merchant Navy this sketch is required watching, my favourite line is "What's the minimum number of crew on board?" "Well, one I suppose." and "it's been towed beyond the environment..."

[@CraftyHandsEN]

I am so excited, you inspire me to one day restore my Citroen Pony.

[@HowardLeVert]

Excellent work there. When I found a nice shiny bumper to replace the rusted one on my equally rusted Renault 16 back in the 80s, I thought I'd be entering a world of hurt getting the bumper off my car: snapped bolts or captive nuts tearing out of the bodywork - you choose. In the end, neither. All the bolts undid and I slid my shiny new bumper into place. I was really rather pleased.

[@mehrzahl2219]

@@HowardLeVert my father had one in 1978. Bumpers started rusting after 3 years! As was the rest. But still, a very remarkable car.

[@Mickhanic-garage]

Great to see work on the SM.. Its never easy working on an unfamiliar car on camera, takes so long and giving a running commentary at the same time... nature of what we do, talking to ourselves 🤣

[@gafrers]

So great to see progress on this crazy and admirable project

[@VisaGeezer]

You are a brave man Kitch. Good luck with this wonderful masterpiece of motoring history. I just hope everyone watching really appreciates just how tough these cars are to work on.

[@CaSuMog]

I wrote quiet a lot last video - again, feel free to get back to me if you need help, parts, whatever…I have been there more then once.

[@JoFreddieRevDr]

Love the homage to Clarke and Dawe!

[@niallsommerville9813]

That was epic in a good way. I find using a 3 or 4mm center drill (commonly used on lathes / mills) to drill out cross head screws works well. The pilot finds the center & bottom of the cross and slows down progress, which in turn reduces the larger diameter snagging on the lobes, in addition to the reduced risk of snapping the drill, the heat dissipates faster.

[@tomwinch9107]

Great to see you making progress, and amazing that so much has undone without snapping! It really looks like Citroën put a lot of design effort into the US spec front end, are the aluminium headlight 'holders' cast? That's a lot of tooling (and mirrored for each side) just for one market. Very glad that car manufacturers weren't run by accountants then - a cost benefit analysis would decide not to sell into the US market if all this design cost was necessary nowadays! Good luck getting time to keep working on your SM, it's great seeing it come apart, and great seeing how happy it makes you, fun tinker times!

[@OneDullMan]

We need a fundrais8ng challenge based on how many broken fixtings there will be. We could all enter a guess, with each guess costing a fiver. 50 % to winner and 50 % to the resto or Sophie's Legacy

[@v12mike30]

Those DOT headlight units are (technically) illegal in the UK as they have a vertical dip beam pattern with no "kick" on the near side. You could fit a set of 1970s Lucas sealed beams if you want to retain the look, but a set of modern halogens would work better.

[@rimmersbryggeri]

Aparently there are even HID sealed beams.

[@Canalsman]

Now this justifies quitting the work on Clement. This car is streets ahead, so far, in condition. It's hard to imagine there will have been the appalling bodgery you found on poor Clement. You should be really encouraged by the progress already made. A positive start to a positive project. Well done!

[@UPnDOWN]

You haven't seen underneath it yet...

[@Canalsman]

@UPnDOWN 🤞🤞🤞

[@mehrzahl2219]

You are a brave man. Really interesting to see the SM being resurrected. I liked the "whaaat? No waay!" reference.

[@GreyTheFloydianSergal]

"I've got a bigger tool than I need", uh, phrasing? I can't believe just how good things such as the oil cooler, the radiator & the condenser are, then there's the level of over-engineering involved which is fascinating to discover

[@CaSuMog]

12:50 - this part was hacksawed from the Euro part in the factory. You can see the marks on the edges. Keep it, it might help restoring an Euro nose one day.

[@TurboTimsWorld]

I love the way for me the video starts with an advert for a brand new Range Rover, whilst my disco3 sits outside the house broken down and I went out and bought a 5 grand C1 just to get to work to pay for the repairs on the the Discovery!

[@BobSmith-ui4qu]

Yes, but it’s a Land Rover! Worth fixing because once you have been bitten you are lost.. Says the guy with 2 Disco 2 and a LR 3,(Disco 3).

[@TassieLorenzo]

You have the Clarke and Dawe meme in England! Small world, I'm impressed about that! Clarke and Dawe use to come on after (or maybe it was right before) the news on the ABC in Australia, it was quite an institution.

[@gimble447]

It’s never been on UK television and tbh I’ve never heard of them, I’d say that anyone who knows of them over here have most likely seen them/known of them in more recent times via the internet 👍

[@wjcferguson]

Yeah, it's become globally known on the internet over just the last few years.

[@gimble447]

@@wjcferguson Thought as much pal, I’m not very “down with the kids” in many ways on stuff like that 😆

[@mclouj]

On the tail end of the 7:30 report on ABC, I used to love it.

[@MartinE63]

FTLOG wash that bloody windscreen! 😀

[@handbrakebob]

This is great - lovely to see you making progress.

[@Shane_Marsh]

When this famous car is finished we will all have had the honour to watch the whole process from start to finish and there'll be so much of your subscribers interest invested in the car. Have you thought of a name yet ?

[@colintennant9375]

Loving your enthusiasm for this project, slow and steady wins the race, my friend!

[@nickcollins7568]

Nothing like a bit of work on the SM to brighten up a Sunday afternoon 😎

[@Tagora2664]

I'm going to enjoy this. 👍😁

[@bondbug73]

Well done Rich. So far, your SM looks very good. I do like the US spec look. Especially the fittings.

[@JorgeFernandez-uc9qb]

It's a good sign bolts are coming off. Nice Job! I am looking forward to seeing your progress on it.

[@torresalex]

I watch this and I keep wishing I could skip ahead in the series and see how the SM comes together. It's nailbiting stuff!

[@barrydavies998]

Nice one Richard... SM sundays booked as essential viewing...

[@insertusernamehere6025]

Great to see progress. I do love an SM, but I am less than comfortable with their complexity which turns me off ownership, so I’m following with interest. Keep up the good work!

[@jimcrichton8028]

Of course everything will take ages, every item that can be saved is precious. Much care needed. Anyway the journey is at least as much fun as getting to the end, ISN'T IT?? Love the handy tool tray Citroen provided between the head lights by the way...

[@dentricrio]

Very excited to see this happening.

[@grumpy2.0]

I've had honda, Citroen and continental tyre adverts during this video. God KZbin is on adverts for Xmas overload..

[@pizzalover3]

Working out to be a great series, thank you

[@The_Car_Stalker]

excellant progress

[@allanriches9381]

Mate, slow and steady, great progress. Now don’t loose the parts.

[@edgarbeat2851]

Glad your keeping the US front I like it. Part of its history. The wings have US side reflectors anyway. Embrace the Federal specs. I do love the General Electric sealed beams. Even with a Euro front I'd spot the US reflectors wings and say to myself its US anyway. I'd rather see a US or proper Euro.

[@simonprime5541]

Fantastic keep up the good work

[@landiepete]

I imagine Blondeau is eagerly awaiting your orders :)

[@matslundstrom7763]

That SM seems to be intrestìngly complicated. As I read in an article about the Citroen DS: Perfect solutions, to none excisting problems!

[@aaaabababa]

what the hell? i didn't know you had an SM! Why did you never mention it?

[@MrButtonpresser]

"This has escalated" The whole project is a massive escalation. LOL

[@johngrubb1590]

Now that surprised the hell out of me I thought you were going to have problems there.👍👍

[@dudeemeg]

You never drill out a bolt you can visegrip from behind. You just grip the threaded part of the broken bolt and unscrew it thru the nut ;)

[@jayslittleprojects1431]

2 and half hours for that amount of work is pretty good!

[@CaSuMog]

Oh and DO get new oil cooler hoses… they are available. Be very careful with the oil cooler. And keep the fittings, they cannot be found but can easily be re used.

[@kimmohietala5359]

I have to get out and work on my CX Prestige. The project has been “ongoing“ for 8 years. 😂

[@Wired_Mike]

whats in those Celebration tins, yum yum!?

[@chrisbury4635]

CITROTHELLO is a nice channel to watch with regards to SM & DS restoration if you haven't already mate 😊

[@conradharcourt8263]

Now, there will be folk sitting on their couches, in their Stetsons, big flag flying in the yard, saying that all them bolts you just undone was put in by Uncle Sam, when you gets to the ones with garlic instead of Loctite, that's when you gonna have problems! I'm sure they're wrong🙏🤞🙂

[@groeacht8525]

Since your keeping the front end, and those light housing are an alloy housing, have you considered stripping and polishing them? Recon that would look really good, time consuming but probably worth it?

[@rimmersbryggeri]

You should borrow Matt FD's induction heater for this project. Unless some entity is willing to send you your own one. This is exactly the kind of project that shows the utility of such a machine.

[@michaelwright2986]

Love the growing tension as bolt after bolt comes out without a struggle. Will this all go better than expected? Or is the SM luring you in and creating a false sense of security?

[@joeedwards627]

It’s a silly thing but a pet hate of mine hearing people identifying fixings incorrectly, very geekish I know but can cause lots of confusion and hassle at times, ie referring to m8 bolts as 13mm and m6 bolts as 10 mm etc ( yes I know head sizes can differ as well! ) so to hear someone refer to a 17 mm nut as 10 mm is refreshing! Rant over, good vids. As you were..

[@chrisdowns1987]

Ikea sandwich/food bags are where I go for storing fixings & small bits, 4 different sizes & fairly sturdy. Not sponsored or affiliated 😁 Can we decide its name is to be either 'Le Binky or Tétine? Edited as I have sausage fingers & can't type on a damned phone!

[@richardhunt809]

I was led to believe that this was a difficult project.

[@andybarber225]

Re small rusted panels and nolts/nuts. Have you thought of putting them in a bowl/vat of dilute molasses for a few weeks? Much gentler than the shot blaster and really cheap.

[@alanrobinson7866]

The air horns on your SM are made by a French manufacturer, whereas, ironically, the air horns I fitted to my Raleigh Chopper in the 70s were made by Maserati.

[@deviatefishy]

I wish I could Like a video more than once.

[@elgorka5103]

The middle section of tze SM might be matched from bread container, mind you they quite often come in stainless😁😉

[@daveollie6238]

Supprised those horns wernt Maserati ones. They made great air horns. Got a pair here.

[@lesklower7281]

Great progress and that large nut and bolt with the aluminium and steel if you have to remove that bolt you will have to cut it l know from experience aluminium and steel they virtually are welded together because there is chemical reaction now l had to remove my number plate bracket from the aluminium tray on my ute and it was the most difficult job on my ute it had me swearing throwing tools ect because of this chemical process although they were only 10mm nuts and bolts l hated that job all to do with replacing the number plate light because the company that fitted the tray also fitted the number plate bracket and the light which wasa bodgy wiring a real mess and they used lock blocks and l did it for the rego check to be perfectly l never knew how it passed its previous rego check because this a failure that is before l bought the ute and l have done a lot I f work on the ute and that is was the most difficult job l have ever done on my ute

[@Luke-PlanesTrainsDogsnCars]

The 'M' in SM stands for Masochist of course...as for the other 3 initials, I'm sure we will get there.

[@wanderingorganist]

👍 👏

[@mattphillips4419]

Please, if you're going to run the wipers again, like you did in the last video, clean the windscreen first! I cringe when I see the wipers scraping across the grot! Mind you, I'm sure Ian would like the perfect map of the wiper pattern!

[@UPnDOWN]

I was going to, but I left it because it's upset so many people.

[@mattphillips4419]

​@@UPnDOWNFair play! 😂😂

[@trewlove]

Citroën SM naked action

[@worldofrandometry6912]

Good progress, but why are you taking the engine out? Is it going to be rebuilt?

[@Wired_Mike]

Merch link not working for me, anyone else?

[@holdencauldield4824]

Ive always wounded on the old Citroens are they in imperial or metric do you need to buy older tools to work on them

[@UPnDOWN]

Metric, thankfully (though I expect the gearbox will be the old fashioned type as it's US designed/built)

[@TheStobb50]

Nor the wonder citron went bankrupt, did the design team do drugs 😂🤣😂🤣🤣😂

[@smhorse]

They were "free thinkers"...

[@mfbfreak]

Absynthe.

[@hadtopicausername]

Good thing it's not a ferry.

[@Luwinkle]

If I had the money to spare I'd send you a laser de-ruster. It'd get a *lot* of use with this car.

[@martinandjackthecat.554]

Have a look at coldwarmotors , he restored an SM about 6 years ago.

[@dominichammill2489]

Hdi swap?

[@oxulucozcan4923]

10:18 "... easy for me to say..." well it clearly is not

[@BobSmith-ui4qu]

Surprised that you don’t use portable/ electric power tools. 3/8 drive battery ratchet.

[@UPnDOWN]

Wouldn't be a good idea with rusted/seized fixings. They need to be extracted carefully if you want to save the threads. I've got air ratchets for other stuff, but I am pretty old school.

[@radole4596]

I have one question...why? 😊 I paid a lot more for my SM in way better condition and still spent 300 hours (and a lot of money ) to get it back on the road. OK, it was worth it because it is one of only about 200 injection models that wer sold in Germany. Don't get me wrong, I am really excited that you try to get one of this fabulous cars back on the road, but would all this work not be better spend restoring a european model which is worth way more after completion and not as hideous as this american front? I wish you all the luck in the world to get this car on the road again. Greetings from Germany. Ralph

[@peterhelm6003]

Take a basic simple Citroen DS and spend 20 years adding bits to it plus throw in a Maserati engine and you have a Citroen SM. Then convert it to comply with US regulations to create a total mechanical nightmare. Enjoy. You have started a KZbin series to take up the rest of your life 😊😊.