Although Hoovies Garage has a reputation for bad buys, their French Citroen has so many problems that it might be Tyler’s worst.
Hoovies Garage lives up to the self-proclaimed dumbest automotive channel on all of YouTube. However, Tyler Hoover proves to be an expert enthusiast who makes intentional wrong choices in creating content online. The used cars purchase are some that consumers may have never heard of before and this is the case with their latest find: a 1969 Citroën ID19.
Citroen withdrew from the US market almost 50 years ago and Americans may not even know the brand unless they have played the Grand Tourism video game series. However, the blue ID19 Hoovie assured is proof that the brand imported its French cars for American consumers. Hoovie bought this ID19 for $19,000 from Bring A Trailer.
He explains how he passed two of the car’s previous auction bids, mainly because it was impossible to thoroughly inspect the vehicle. From classic car already processed through two trusted sellers, finally Hoovie bought the Citroën. However, after delving into the car’s numerous problems, Tyler begins to feel strong buyer’s remorse.
All the main problems of the Citroën ID19
The problems started immediately before the car was even removed from the delivery trailer. To get the Citroën off the trailer, Hoovie had to fix a battery problem. It took longer than expected to work out how to open the hood. After they finally charged the battery, the clutch burned out when taking the car off the trailer. Ultimately, Hoovie felt it was safer to tow the car to Car Wizard to reveal the remaining issues.
The fun begins under the hood where they notice an odd placement of the spare wheel in front of the radiator. Next to the engine compartment, there was also a five gallon drum of mineral oil. Tyler and the Car Wizard joke that it’s like Citroën installed a surplus to anticipate a leak.
When the car attendant finally put the Citroën on the lift, the mineral oil leaking from the bottom became as obvious as several other mysterious fluids. Some of this fluid seemed to build up inside the brake piston boots. He then removed one of these boots to remove the liquid. The rear shocks were also leaking, while the front shocks were stuck in an odd position.
Tyler notes another odd design choice with the exhaust system which has a muffler closer to the engine with a long pipe running the length of the vehicle.
A summary of the Citroën ID19 experience of the Hoovie
The car attendant discouraged Hoovie from testing the ID19 on the road and instead remained in the parking lot. This limited but discordant experience confirmed that only the rear brakes still worked and that the hydraulic lift suspension failed.
With the average price of a Citroen ID19 in good condition around $47,102, Hoovie is looking at a loss immediately before the video ends. Given the vital and expensive problems with your Citroen, repairs will be expensive for any owner. Still, ID19 is a pretty unique find.
