I enjoy tinkering with old cars and drive them on a regular basis. Part of the fun is changing cars and selling one to buy another. In this section you get to know the cars I have owned and some of my experiences with them. If you have a suggestion what my next classic car should be take a few minutes to browse throught the list and make a suggestion here.

#1 - Citroën 2 CV (1970)

My first car! I bought this masterpiece of minimal engeneering as soon as I got my driving licence. When the engine was getting weak and the body crumbling with rust I bought another 2 CV with an accident and transferred the engine (a more "potent" 6O2cc unit) and body to my chassis in a weekend! It's a shame they stopped building these minimalist French classic.

#2 - Mercedes Benz 190 SL (1958)

My first sports car. It had rust, it was a bit run down but it had great art deco styling derived from the legendary gullwings. I drove it untill the differential suddenly let go. After it was repaired I had to let it go because I couldn't afford the restoration costs.

#3 - Mercedes Benz 190 D(1964)

Another Daimler Benz product. This car was giver to me with a broken engine (the car already had more than 200000 kms on the colour changing speedometer). I put in a used 200 diesel unit (restricting the performance to a yawning 115 km/h) and put another 100000 kms on the car. As I was involved with a music band at the time most of these kms were with six people on board and gitars and amps in the trunk. Once I was hit by a small Datsun from behind. It was a terriffic bang and getting out of the car and inspecting the dammage the only thing I could find was a small paint chip. The Datsun had to be towed away. After that we nicknamed it the tank.

#4 - VW Porsche 914 (1970)

My first Porsche (well almost...). This one had the 1,7 liter engine so it was not very fast. What this car lacked it straightline speed was well compensated by the beautifully balanced handling. It was surprisingly practical with the targa top and twin trunks. Major ennemy : rust.

#5 - Peugeot 404 (1969)

A French classic. Nice airy interior, good handling and very comfortable ride. It looker really nice in silver with a manual sunroof. I didn't drive it much since I had just discovered the Citroën DS. The car was retored by a frend and is still in use today.

#6 - Citroën DS 21 pallas ie (1970)

A real luxury liner and the beginning of e real passion for these cars. My first DS was a 1969 model with the fuel injected 21 engine. This car had it all : beautifull leather seats, tinted glass, airconditioning, semi automatic gearbox and looked superb in black. I restored this car completely.

#7 - Citroën DS 21 pallas (1969)

Donor car for above. This car was to far gone rustwise, but I bought it for the interesting parts : air conditioning, Continental Edison radio and it's beautifull interior.

#8 - Citroën DS 19 (1956)

Can you imagine this car in 1956? This car was one of the first in Belgium and a demo car for the Antwerp Citroën agent. It has a very unusual serial number and lots of "prototype" details. I bought the car from an old lady (really!) when I spotted it sitting on wooden blocks. The car had 100000 kms and was completely original including the interior and paintwork. It had absolutely no rust and I drove only very little. The semi automatic gearchange (with low pressure hydraulic pump coupled to waterpump had a mind of its own! This car is now in the US in a private collection.

#9 - Citroën SM ie (1973)

My first SM and the beginning of a serious involvement with these cars. I consider them even better than the DS. Driving an SM is a unique experience you cannot compare with driving any other can. The unique very direct and self centering steering may need some time to get used to but once you are familiar with it you wonder why other cars are so strange to drive. This is a European 2,7 liter model with the fuel injected engine. It had a small accident at the front and was completely restored.

#10 - VW Van (1974)

A van I picked up to transport old car parts. It also served a a "camper" when a frend with a thight budget wanted to go on holliday in Marocco. When it broke down in the desert, he couldn't afford the repairs so he sold it on the spot. This van had a rare option: a seperate gas motor powered heater for cold winter days.

Click and go for part 2 of my virtual garage: cars 11 to 20