Though I have not owned a Citroen D or GSA for some time, They have not strayed far from my heart. They are but a few of the European cars I have owned over the years. I've had two Saabs and am on my third Volvo. Two Mercedes 240D's have graced my driveway over the years. All of them were restored or at least serviced by me.
I started this page when I had the Citroen ID and added information on GS's when that incredible car came my way. They are very rare in the United States because they were never officially imported here.
Eventually I added a section on my most recent car, a 1987 Renault Alliance convertible. I have made some import restoration discoveries. I will do my best to keep you informed on progress. Despite the fact that she was built less than 100 miles from where I live, in Wisconsin, parts and service are scarce, so we AMC Renault owners must be inventive!

rear view, Alliance convertible
My '87 Alliance convertible.

Renault information

After selling my Citroens, I spent several years with a 2002 Saab 9-5 wagon as my daily driver. For my project car, I chose a white 1987 Mercedes 240D. It was in very good cosmetic condition and was from a road salt-free state, but it had numerous mechanics issues, which I solved, one by one. Some time ago, I had a 1974, and was still intrigued by diesel. Though I enjoyed the car, my love of French cars never abated.

Many years ago, I had many AMC's. The last one was a black Renault GTA two door sedan. It was one of the only cars I ever had that I sped up for the corners. When I worked for twelve years as an auto tech, many of my customers had Renaults, and I became quite familiar with their quirks and an admirer of their frequently ignored strengths. I became the go-to guy in the area for them.

As with most of the small-volume European imports, their greatest issue was lack of technical support. French cars were also victims of ingrained prejudice. Owning one normally made that vanish. The only French carmaker to overcome this to any degree in the United States was Peugeot.

Renault failed, along with AMC. There is so little web presence for Renault or AMC that finding something to post is difficult. Eventually I will put up some articles of my own. I have some great ideas and will be adding them soon. American Motors has long been treated like a "red headed stepchild," so it is no surprise that almost every car made by them in any numbers can be found on a "worst car" list. Couple that with the still-engrained prejudice against French cars and we have the perfect opportunity for auto writers to have a field day, with no fear of repercussions. We AMC owners laugh it off, because we know better. The articles are invariably copied from each other. There is no way any of these ill-advised "car experts" have ever even sat in one. Most commonly picked on are the Gremlin, the Pacer and the Alliance. They sometimes even dredge up the Metropolitan. Here is one of the more extensively written ones, called, "Worst Car Wednesday." If you can make it to the end of the article you can suffer through their "25 worst cars" list. Without any further ado...

Renault parts manuals and wiring diagrams Renault Technical Information
Citroen Information

1968 Citroen Light blue
 GSA Break
I bought this car 1997. It was a Texas car, brought to Wisconsin and stored for 23 years. Restored, enjoyed then sold in 2008.
 My  1983 Citroen GSA break, as imported from France in 2009. Sold in 2015.

Citroen general information: clubs and manuals

Citroen technical information, parts sources, repair in North America

Disclaimer: Be advised that we will not be held reponsible in any way for the consequences of using any fluids not specified by the manufacturer. In other words: use any of these suggestions at your own risk!

Other information


Copyright 2023 by Mark L. Bardenwerper, Sr. All rights reserved.
citrogsa@charter.net
Last Modified July 3, 2023