At the August 2015 24 Hours of Lemons race in Thompson, CT, Three Pedal Mafia debuted their Citroen SM racecar. Along with it they had an awesome SM theme going which featured a mistress and gimp, among other things. That alone earned the team the much coveted Organizer’s Choice award. Since I am not very familiar with French cars, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, in the little time when I wasn’t racing or doing team-related activities, I stopped by Three Pedal Mafia’s garage to check out the car. Yes, it was a race a car, but shockingly it spent a lot of its time in the garage.
I had no idea there was an Italian engine in this French car.
What could possibly go wrong?
Hydraulics and alternator and a shaft that spins stuffs.
The car was all original when they bought it. It ran when parked by the previous owner. 3PM prayed and used magic to get it to run.
They even made it out onto the track for a few laps, once ignition issues were sorted out.
Dat air-lifted ass!
Dildo shifter, of course.
Close up of the dildo shifter for your viewing pleasure.
Too bad Lemons cars are longer eligible for Hooniversal Car of the Year, this would have definitely been a contender.
Three Pedal Mafia Citroën SM – A Closer Look
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18 responses to “Three Pedal Mafia Citroën SM – A Closer Look”
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These guys clearly lean toward the masochist end of the spectrum.
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That. Is. Amazing.
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What’s the purpose of the third sphere under the hood, the one in the center? Hanzel? Anyone?
Also, I spy a Delco alternator (10SI Delcotron?) in the third and fifth pictures. I guess the original was DOA?-
The center sphere is an accumulator that’s somewhat analogous to a master cylinder, although I think there’s a bit more to it as the sides can operate in either an independent or an interconnected fashion. Maybe. I’m not all that familiar with them. My own French car brooks no such frippery.
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Oh I thought he meant the ball gag.
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No, those should never be placed under a hood.
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Due to the risk of asphyxiation, I guess.
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Probably too late for anyone to care, but the central sphere is an accumulator for the brakes and steering which also run off the same hydraulic system. Lose fluid in a Citroen and you better hope you find a safe place off track to stop. First the car becomes a sudden lowrider, then the steering becomes loosey-goosey as if your steering rack in a conventional vcar was sliding back and forth. Finally, the barake pedal ceases to have any effect on the cars remaining momentum, as there is no direct linkage between the pedal and the pistons at the wheel. As this is a citromatic, should you desire to keep driving, you won’t be very likely to have any shifting left either…
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Is the $500 limit still a thing in LeMons?
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Yes, although in looking around at the other teams I’m beginning to suspect that the limit doesn’t apply to tow vehicles.
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So, apart from being the answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything, is there any additional meaning to their use of the number 42? Given the theme it seems natural to ask.
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69 was taken?
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Right, I think it’s what was available.
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Welp, they’re certainly a striking bunch. Wonder what type of lube oil they use?
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None, I suppose.
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I’m guessing that the “¿¿hydroileopnuematic¿¿” isn’t using it’s original pump. But that power pack should do the job.
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Power pack? You mean the silver belt driven thing ? It is called an alternator. All cars have one of these. They provide electricity.
The green belt driven item next to the alt is the High Pressure pump for the hydraulic fluid used for brakes, steering, suspension and height control. It is unique to Citroen. RR and Bentley use cam driven pumps to power their similar systems ( licensed from Citroen).
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I owned Citroen CX Prestige Turbo Injected it lasted for 620 000 kilometers, i never had any issue with hydraulics in it. I do Citroens and Peugeots for living and i can tell You, if You maintain it as You should it’s very reliable and trustworthy and there is no other car in the world which can compare to Citroens. Can You say 29m braking distance from 100km/h in 1800kg production car? No? Yea You can buy 911 Turbo but where is the fun ….
And here You go, Citroens won a lot of rally’s in the past :
And i am not taking side of Citroen my car of choice is 1966 Riviera ….
keep them running those green frogs
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