RE: SOTW: Citroen Saxo VTR
Discussion
I can second/third/20th the 'feet' thing - ironically it's not a bad car for taller people, there's knee and headroom I didn't expect to find, but with Size 11s I can hit all 3 pedals at once - and it's almost impossible to push the throttle without hitting the brake as well (e.g. driving one would be dangerous)
I'm also not keen on what would happen in a crash - they appear to fold-up rather easily (tho nothing like their predecessor which was truly made of cardboard!)
I'm also not keen on what would happen in a crash - they appear to fold-up rather easily (tho nothing like their predecessor which was truly made of cardboard!)
MGJohn said:
Noesph said:
Hurray! A non abused 106/saxo. Great little cars, I'll have my un abused, fsh, well cared for 106 (although 1124cc poverty spec - No powersteering, no abs, no sunroof, wind up windows, back windows don't open at all, 3 stud wheels etc) for 6 years next week. They don't get the credit they deserve, one of the last simple lightweight superminis.
posing......
Consider this.posing......
My son removed the Power Steering assembly from a scrap yard car and fitted it to my cousin's Saxo. According to her, it has transformed the car. He learned what needing doing on the breaker car so no mistakes fitting it to my cousin's one she's had from new.
He removed it from an automatic version so the only thing needed doing was to drill one of the large brackets to accommodate the clutch cable. This I was able to do for him as I had a suitable drill and bit.
He did the whole job in one leisurely weekend. That included removal of both steering assemblies from the breaker car and replacing the one on her car.
And you get used to the pedals within a few days, but I do get a sore right knee due to the angle if I'm going 150 miles plus.
Kitchski said:
This always confuses me...when's the last time anybody saw anyone young wearinp a cap back to front? I mean since 1992. Chavs didn't exist them and neither did the saxo, unless you count the AX.
All the time, they are mostly members of 'borocruisers' in Peterborough plus they always have massive exhausts, silly neon lights under the sills, ridiculous bodykits and mostly meet in supermarket carparks. Oh, they sometimes wear their caps the right way, put it this way you do not have to go too far to find them...Drums said:
I've owned 2 Saxos, a 1.1 and a lightly tweaked VTR, fantastic cars.
Had a VTR with a Rotrex supercharger kit on. Apart from a slightly lower suspension and different exhaust that was it. great 'Q' car which used to regularly terrorise some very expensive machinery at Goodwood and Silverstone.I actually fitted 'Westcoast' inserts in the doors (where VTR used to be) just to be different. Sold it to a young lad for £10K and then looked on in despair as he bunny hopped off down the road. Two weeks later he contacted me to tell me the driveshafts and gearbox had 'developed faults'....
http://www.create-it.co.uk/m18eut/the_supercharger...
Edited by ewolg on Sunday 23 December 15:06
Edited by ewolg on Sunday 23 December 15:08
405dogvan said:
I can second/third/20th the 'feet' thing - ironically it's not a bad car for taller people, there's knee and headroom I didn't expect to find, but with Size 11s I can hit all 3 pedals at once - and it's almost impossible to push the throttle without hitting the brake as well (e.g. driving one would be dangerous)
I'm also not keen on what would happen in a crash - they appear to fold-up rather easily (tho nothing like their predecessor which was truly made of cardboard!)
Fold-up rather easily.I'm also not keen on what would happen in a crash - they appear to fold-up rather easily (tho nothing like their predecessor which was truly made of cardboard!)
Yes indeed. When I went along with my cousin to pick up her new Saxo ten years ago, we took her Rover Metro she'd had for ten years from new. That previously replaced an Austin Metro. She would have another Rover 100 like a shot if new ones were still available then.
I parked the Rover Metro alongside the new Saxo and lifted the Saxo's bonnet to do a new car check as I always do when taking delivery of a new car. The new car was flimsy, very flimsy compared to even the humble Rover Metro which we are frequently reminded is an 'unsafe' little car what with all that lack of safety stars mullarkey. I was actually shocked by the car's flimsy build. That far more substantial Rover Metro is still alive and kicking by the way.
said:
.
Why did you lift the bonnet on a newly PDI-ed new car John?
.
Tell you why. Several previous experiences has taught me to do this every time when taking delivery of a new car. Be it one I have purchased myself or a new company car.Why did you lift the bonnet on a newly PDI-ed new car John?
.
The last new car was an MG ZS 120 + I bought for my better half to use. I lifted the bonnet and did a quick visual check. The Coolant Expansion Bottle had been filled right up to the cap leaving no air gap at all for coolant to expand. So much for the PDI checks.
We were about to drive over one hundred miles in the car and with no room for coolant to expand when it heats up... ideal conditions for the "They all do that" K-Series scenario. My previous newly delivered MG had issues soon after delivery and again I was able to spot the problem before it could ruin the engine.
Those are just two reasons and there were others with company cars too. That's why.
Finally, my wife is still using that MG ZS even today for a shopping trip. She loves the confidence inspiring nimble and positive feel the car always gives every trip. Oh yes, guess what. Now close to ten years on it has never had a Cylinder Head Gasket issue although it was a close run thing when the water pump expired which I luckily spotted before any harm done.
after reading this and needing a cheep run around for a few weeks I took the plunge,
2001 silver vtr, only cost £650 and has mot till july, little bit of tax and is standard and un-molested
driving experience is quite good, little noisy and bumpy but seems good fun to chuck about
owner
2001 silver vtr, only cost £650 and has mot till july, little bit of tax and is standard and un-molested
driving experience is quite good, little noisy and bumpy but seems good fun to chuck about
owner
Andyc4s said:
after reading this and needing a cheep run around for a few weeks I took the plunge,
2001 silver vtr, only cost £650 and has mot till july, little bit of tax and is standard and un-molested
driving experience is quite good, little noisy and bumpy but seems good fun to chuck about
owner
Looks pretty tidy for the price of an option on a new car 2001 silver vtr, only cost £650 and has mot till july, little bit of tax and is standard and un-molested
driving experience is quite good, little noisy and bumpy but seems good fun to chuck about
owner
Loved mine when I had it - first thing I bought when I got my first job in Jan 98. Brand new and they'd only been out for a few months. It replaced a much-hated 205 GTI (yes, I know I'll get vilified for that) and was exactly the car I'd hoped the 205 would be - but much more modern and never went wrong. The 8v wasn't as quick as the 16v of course, but went round corners so incredibly fast it didn't really matter. There was also the small matter of being around half the insurance grouping, as well as the 40mpg factor.
The long gearing made it a great motorway car too - 90mph cruising was easy - and I took 3 friends down to the south of France in it, usually sitting at 85-95 all the way. Richard Meaden ran a long term VTS on evo magazine and they thought it a real winner. It really was the proper replacement for the 205 GTI - the 8v was the 1.6 replacement and the 16v the 1.9 equivalent.
Of course if I drove one now I'd probably not be that impressed, such is the effect of experience and middle age (!) but at the time it was just brilliant. And as for the 'French factor' that Shed refers to - well, my Saxo was faultless (until I sold it to a mate at 3 years old..) and my sister's Saxo 1.0 did 100k without skipping a beat. So one of the better French cars then...
The long gearing made it a great motorway car too - 90mph cruising was easy - and I took 3 friends down to the south of France in it, usually sitting at 85-95 all the way. Richard Meaden ran a long term VTS on evo magazine and they thought it a real winner. It really was the proper replacement for the 205 GTI - the 8v was the 1.6 replacement and the 16v the 1.9 equivalent.
Of course if I drove one now I'd probably not be that impressed, such is the effect of experience and middle age (!) but at the time it was just brilliant. And as for the 'French factor' that Shed refers to - well, my Saxo was faultless (until I sold it to a mate at 3 years old..) and my sister's Saxo 1.0 did 100k without skipping a beat. So one of the better French cars then...
The VTR was never trying to be a 'good' car - it was a small, low-cost hatchback... but that made (makes!) it cheap to buy and run, cheap to repair, light, nimble and most importantly FUN! No-one ever knocked a 205 GTi / Rallye for not having A/C, 5 NCAP stars or a soft-touch dashboard, so why is it any more valid as a measure of how great a Saxo is to drive?
I think everyone who's commented on the pedals being such a problem needs to learn to not use their entire foot to operate the pedals... I'm 6'2" and have size 12 feet and I managed perfectly well with a bit of practice!
Having said that, I would have a problem with the 'image', but not enough to stop me having one as a toy.
Great shed - and good choice... a nice clean original car still counts, even if examples have been available at this price for a while.
I think everyone who's commented on the pedals being such a problem needs to learn to not use their entire foot to operate the pedals... I'm 6'2" and have size 12 feet and I managed perfectly well with a bit of practice!
Having said that, I would have a problem with the 'image', but not enough to stop me having one as a toy.
Great shed - and good choice... a nice clean original car still counts, even if examples have been available at this price for a while.
I'm not sure how these compare to their successor (C2) but i ran a C2 GT for two years and it was the most "back to basics" fun i have ever had.
Did 40+mpg, NOTHING broke or went wrong. fast and at 6ft 5in comfortable!
I wouldn't hesitate to have another small sporty Citroen. I bought mine as a stop gap runabout and hate parting with it!
Did 40+mpg, NOTHING broke or went wrong. fast and at 6ft 5in comfortable!
I wouldn't hesitate to have another small sporty Citroen. I bought mine as a stop gap runabout and hate parting with it!
richb77 said:
I'm not sure how these compare to their successor (C2) but i ran a C2 GT for two years and it was the most "back to basics" fun i have ever had.
Did 40+mpg, NOTHING broke or went wrong. fast and at 6ft 5in comfortable!
I wouldn't hesitate to have another small sporty Citroen. I bought mine as a stop gap runabout and hate parting with it!
Had a Saxo VTS for 4 years from new - PAS fluid reservoir pipe not cinched up on delivery, ( few turns with a screwdriver sorted that ), broken side skirt plastic clip and a defective lambda sensor ( took about 3 garage visits and some prodding to get them to diagnose it correctly before being fixed under warranty ) were the only things that went wrong in 50k miles. One full set of Pirelli P700-z and about a further set and a half of the O.E. Michelin SX GTs were the other real expense. Took it down to the South of France and Italy in baking June temps, ran over a snake, had a spirited run down the Col de Turini in company with a 156 V6, many trips through Wales, Cornwall...... Was an excellent little car and have only good memories but that's the upside of buying from newDid 40+mpg, NOTHING broke or went wrong. fast and at 6ft 5in comfortable!
I wouldn't hesitate to have another small sporty Citroen. I bought mine as a stop gap runabout and hate parting with it!
Did try the C2 as a replacement as the dealer remembered me buying the VTS but it just didn't seem to hit the same spot for me, although I'm sure it is a great fun car
Would you Adam and Eve it!
My cousin phoned me up couple of days ago. She was upset, the clutch on her 51-Reg Saxo she bought from new had expired .... again! She is a bit heavy on the clutch but, I suspect these components are a bit fragile.
Last time this happened the broken up Clutch Plate took out the Crankshaft Sensor so the engine would not run. That did not happen this time. Previously she had the main dealership repair the car and did not get much change out of £500! I contacted the competent one-man business I use occasionally and was quoted £250 for the job.
This time the engine would start immediately but, no drive.
With my younger son in the stricken Citroen, I towed there late yesterday afternoon and at 09.30 this morning got a call advising job done. Quick work indeed.
Here's why. The technician kept the old components. The little clutch plate was devoid of any trace of friction material ~ all that remained of that had seperated and was on the workshop floor! Look at the state of this clutch plate! The flywheel was very blue from the excess of heat apparently but, still serviceable. It drove home OK.
My cousin phoned me up couple of days ago. She was upset, the clutch on her 51-Reg Saxo she bought from new had expired .... again! She is a bit heavy on the clutch but, I suspect these components are a bit fragile.
Last time this happened the broken up Clutch Plate took out the Crankshaft Sensor so the engine would not run. That did not happen this time. Previously she had the main dealership repair the car and did not get much change out of £500! I contacted the competent one-man business I use occasionally and was quoted £250 for the job.
This time the engine would start immediately but, no drive.
With my younger son in the stricken Citroen, I towed there late yesterday afternoon and at 09.30 this morning got a call advising job done. Quick work indeed.
Here's why. The technician kept the old components. The little clutch plate was devoid of any trace of friction material ~ all that remained of that had seperated and was on the workshop floor! Look at the state of this clutch plate! The flywheel was very blue from the excess of heat apparently but, still serviceable. It drove home OK.
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