On 1/8/2016 10:46 PM, EVDL Administrator via EV wrote:
Just some more or less random thoughts:
Unless someone has looked after the brakes recently, you'll most likely have
to rebuild them. Moisture gets in and corrodes the master and wheel
cylinders. I can't say what this car uses, but later C-cars used a 1967
Rambler Ambassador dual master cylinder.
Brakes definitely a problem. My first Citicar almost went into a large
window when I was parking it and suddenly there were no brakes.
Fortunately there was a large speed bump at the bottom of the slight
slope and it stopped me. A lot of the work I had done on my cars was
brake related.
Two big improvements were the rear glass hatch, which made it a much more
practical grocery getter even if it did leak water, and the sliding glass
door windows. The early cars' side curtains made the car a miserable
experience in winter. OTOH, the later sliding windows didn't let in much
breeze in the summer.
Rear glass hatch was definitely an improvement. It was amazing how much
stuff I could haul in the back with that opening. I seldom put the side
curtains in since they offered little protection from the elements and
were hard to see through. In Las Vegas we have little rain, no cold
compared to northern areas, and not having windows in the summer allowed
a breeze. With no engine heat and the ABS body I was reasonably
comfortable in temperatures up to 110 degrees, sometimes carried a
misting system if it was hotter. Once when we did have a heavy downpour
and I was driving without the windows it was advantageous as I had to
stick my head out to see where I was going when the windshield wiper
came apart. Really ruined my makeup.
As I write this, bidding on this one stands at $420 with reserve not met.
These cars do seem to have a minor collectors' following. I expect that
someone will bid that price up further, but it won't be me. I had my C-car
fling and I'm done.
We have a CCar group on yahoo. Peter Crisitello, who occasionally posts
here, has a database of the known cars and owners. He may pipe in here
with more info.
Mine was a 1980 Comuta-Car, which was considerably improved over this model.
It was without a doubt the noisiest, most uncomfortable vehicle I've ever
been in. The solid axle and leaf spring all round suspension was like a 1950
truck's, and it rode and handled worse than any truck.
I have never driven a truck so can't compare. My C-Cars were a 1976 36
Volt early model Citicar to 1981 dealer demo Comutacar. I liked them
all. They were the easiest to park of any cars I have owned and would
fit where other cars would not.
The ride over potholes would jar your teeth loose, and you never knew where
you'd end up if you hit a bump while taking a turn or braking. At least
mine had shock absorbers. The early Citicars didn't.
Only with gentle braking could I count on the car stopping in a reasonably
straight line. Hard braking usually ended with the car at a 45 degree angle
to the road, or worse.
I never ended up at a 45 degree angle but did swerve quite a bit if I
had to do a sudden stop.
Obviously safety wasn't its long suit. It had seatbelts, but they weren't
of much use with the windshield a couple inches from my forehead.
You are probably much taller than I am as I do not think I was that
close to the windshield. My cars had shoulder harnesses.
I was always a little uneasy driving it, not so much for its size and lack
of crashworthiness as for the terrible handling and the abysmal brakes.
I worried more about things like battery post meltdowns, fuses, really
dim lights on some. I thought the size and cuteness made them somewhat
safe as people staring at the cars would not likely run into them.
Its hill climbing (in)ability drove me NUTS. Mine had the 5.17:1 "speed
axle," which was supposed to only go into cars sold in flat areas. I burned
out a few sets of motor brushes going up grades, until I fitted a 350 amp
transistor controller. After that, I couldn't climb hills at all without a
running start.
Hill climbing was an issue. A gradual long hill was ok but a steep one
was bad news.
For all that, I had a blast with it, commuting in it and jumpstarting co-
workers' ICEVs with it in the winter. My other half Margaret would take her
life in her hands in the passenger seat, and with her 75lb dog stuffed into
the space behind the seats, fogging up the back window with his panting,
we'd jounce our way round town.
And I did too, with mine. I often took my neighbor to or from the
airport with his luggage and once drove two visiting EV guys from my
house to the Strip. A bit crowded and I am sure illegal as there was no
shoulder harness in the center. CCars were perfect for going to work,
shopping, taking pets for veterinary care, hauling things to Earth Day
events.
Fun times. But I'll stick with the memories, thanks.
BTW, it did draw a lot of attention, both welcome and unwelcome. I got
compliments, and a few catcalls ("Get a real car, you f***in' hippie!"). I
had to allow extra time for errands in case someone stopped me in the
parking lot to ask about it. I was once pulled over by a cop who just
wanted to know what it was! Girls were inexplicably drawn to it.
Unfortunately, most of them were about high-school age. :-(
I never had derogatory responses to mine, but lots of smiles, waves,
honks and thumbs up. When I had them at events many young boys, maybe 12
years or less, assured me that they had a driver's license they forgot
to bring with them but it would be okay for them to do a test drive.
These cars were my favorite of all that I have driven.
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