RE: Spotted: Citroen ZX 16v
Discussion
Ah, I enjoyed my 2 years with a nice red K reg ZX 16V, and the 2 years prior to that with a nice red J reg 1.9i ZX Volcane, the shed brings back these fond memories.
Very underated cars, although the outside trim did once flip off whilst accelerating up a motorway slip road and the head gasket needed replacement after starting to weep coolant.
I was only 21, young and foolish, and I remember messing around with friends in 1.9i 205 GTI's (essentially the same engine as the Volcane petrol)who expected to leave me for dust... They never did and the handling often shocked them!
Very underated cars, although the outside trim did once flip off whilst accelerating up a motorway slip road and the head gasket needed replacement after starting to weep coolant.
I was only 21, young and foolish, and I remember messing around with friends in 1.9i 205 GTI's (essentially the same engine as the Volcane petrol)who expected to leave me for dust... They never did and the handling often shocked them!
6cylGolf said:
it wasnt just the dakar they were raced on
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnZG4Di58-g&fea...
Well - they weren't really used on the Dakar - the ZX Rallye Raid was a mid-engined prototype that didn't exactly share a lot with the road car with which it shared its name. It was simply awesome though. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnZG4Di58-g&fea...
I bought a red ex press car (K316... as opposed to K313 in the photo at the top). I was advised to get it by Max Torque above. I got it for £2300 at an auction in 1999 when they were fetching about £3000 in the trader. I thought it was great for about 2 months until I found out the definition of lift off oversteer...except I dont remember lifting off! It put me off the road backwards and upside down. This was after driving an AX GT, S1 106 Rallye and a 106 GTI for 5 years so I thought I knew what I was doing?!
At a college reunion I met an old flatmate would had also binned his 16v at roughly the same time.
Sadly I binned mine the day after Max offered me £3K for it. I bought a 306GTi after that and managed not to bin it.
1.05mins in...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63_Zc4BGaZU
At a college reunion I met an old flatmate would had also binned his 16v at roughly the same time.
Sadly I binned mine the day after Max offered me £3K for it. I bought a 306GTi after that and managed not to bin it.
1.05mins in...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63_Zc4BGaZU
Will clear some things up in here.
I've got a 1994 Volcane TD, owned it 18 months and have covered 37k in it.
Its a PSA 1.9 Xud9te, these were fitted to a range of vehicles. Had four different turbos and two different fuel pumps. In order to run vegetable oil you need a Bosch pump, im currently paying 90p a litre for sunflower oil. This engine is highly tuneable, my ZX is running 130bhp and 200lbft. Just by turning a few screws. My 306 DT is running 170bhp and 250lbft, modified fuel pump and a T25 turbo. Standard is 92bhp and 145lbft.
The Volcane had stiffer and shorter front shocks, along with passive tear steering. Having owned three 306's before this I can say it handles as good if not better than a GTI-6. Its also 80kgs lighter than a 306 DT.
Many parts are interchangeable, i'm using GTI-6 front brakes (283mm). Also using a HDi gearbox, 70mph is now at 2400 Rpm.
Seriously underated car, not many about and puts most modern crap to shame.
I've got a 1994 Volcane TD, owned it 18 months and have covered 37k in it.
Its a PSA 1.9 Xud9te, these were fitted to a range of vehicles. Had four different turbos and two different fuel pumps. In order to run vegetable oil you need a Bosch pump, im currently paying 90p a litre for sunflower oil. This engine is highly tuneable, my ZX is running 130bhp and 200lbft. Just by turning a few screws. My 306 DT is running 170bhp and 250lbft, modified fuel pump and a T25 turbo. Standard is 92bhp and 145lbft.
The Volcane had stiffer and shorter front shocks, along with passive tear steering. Having owned three 306's before this I can say it handles as good if not better than a GTI-6. Its also 80kgs lighter than a 306 DT.
Many parts are interchangeable, i'm using GTI-6 front brakes (283mm). Also using a HDi gearbox, 70mph is now at 2400 Rpm.
Seriously underated car, not many about and puts most modern crap to shame.
Anton88 said:
Will clear some things up in here.
I've got a 1994 Volcane TD, owned it 18 months and have covered 37k in it.
Its a PSA 1.9 Xud9te, these were fitted to a range of vehicles. Had four different turbos and two different fuel pumps. In order to run vegetable oil you need a Bosch pump, im currently paying 90p a litre for sunflower oil. This engine is highly tuneable, my ZX is running 130bhp and 200lbft. Just by turning a few screws. My 306 DT is running 170bhp and 250lbft, modified fuel pump and a T25 turbo. Standard is 92bhp and 145lbft.
The Volcane had stiffer and shorter front shocks, along with passive tear steering. Having owned three 306's before this I can say it handles as good if not better than a GTI-6. Its also 80kgs lighter than a 306 DT.
Many parts are interchangeable, i'm using GTI-6 front brakes (283mm). Also using a HDi gearbox, 70mph is now at 2400 Rpm.
Seriously underated car, not many about and puts most modern crap to shame.
I tuned the bosch pump in mine, was very surprised how quick you can make these.I've got a 1994 Volcane TD, owned it 18 months and have covered 37k in it.
Its a PSA 1.9 Xud9te, these were fitted to a range of vehicles. Had four different turbos and two different fuel pumps. In order to run vegetable oil you need a Bosch pump, im currently paying 90p a litre for sunflower oil. This engine is highly tuneable, my ZX is running 130bhp and 200lbft. Just by turning a few screws. My 306 DT is running 170bhp and 250lbft, modified fuel pump and a T25 turbo. Standard is 92bhp and 145lbft.
The Volcane had stiffer and shorter front shocks, along with passive tear steering. Having owned three 306's before this I can say it handles as good if not better than a GTI-6. Its also 80kgs lighter than a 306 DT.
Many parts are interchangeable, i'm using GTI-6 front brakes (283mm). Also using a HDi gearbox, 70mph is now at 2400 Rpm.
Seriously underated car, not many about and puts most modern crap to shame.
Ahh memories of my £400 eBay snipe bid:
Gone off to be turned in a rally car last I heard!
I do like the ZX 16v, but it's not a perfect car. Handling the best bit - it's the best handling FWD car I've ever driven. The way you can adjust the line mid-bend, the quickness and feel of the steering, the way it corners so flat (the ride in a 16v is solid - nothing like the roly-poly Volcane!) I also like the character....it's like a good Peugeot, but weirder looking. It was also amazingly economical; 35mpg achievable without trying too hard.
Downsides? Slow, compared with the earlier BX 16v anyway. Stupid VIS system always plays up due to plastic balljoints snapping on the end of the actuators (eventually cable-tied mine open all the time!) Ride was pretty firm for a Citroen, though I had a Primera GT afterwards and learned what a firm ride actually was! It used to give me back ache too, and I don't like the feel of ZXs.....the build quality really is flimsy, and I don't mean stereotypical French flimsy, I mean actually flimsy!
Good car, and rare too. But for that money I'd look elsewhere, and that's speaking as a French car nut. Get it for £1500, and drop the GTi-6 setup in it. Give it the engine the chassis deserves!
Gone off to be turned in a rally car last I heard!
I do like the ZX 16v, but it's not a perfect car. Handling the best bit - it's the best handling FWD car I've ever driven. The way you can adjust the line mid-bend, the quickness and feel of the steering, the way it corners so flat (the ride in a 16v is solid - nothing like the roly-poly Volcane!) I also like the character....it's like a good Peugeot, but weirder looking. It was also amazingly economical; 35mpg achievable without trying too hard.
Downsides? Slow, compared with the earlier BX 16v anyway. Stupid VIS system always plays up due to plastic balljoints snapping on the end of the actuators (eventually cable-tied mine open all the time!) Ride was pretty firm for a Citroen, though I had a Primera GT afterwards and learned what a firm ride actually was! It used to give me back ache too, and I don't like the feel of ZXs.....the build quality really is flimsy, and I don't mean stereotypical French flimsy, I mean actually flimsy!
Good car, and rare too. But for that money I'd look elsewhere, and that's speaking as a French car nut. Get it for £1500, and drop the GTi-6 setup in it. Give it the engine the chassis deserves!
thanks kitchski. i think what you and some fellow ex 16v owners are forgetting is that this car has very real concours potential. so it ceases just to be a rare old car like you bought and sold. i know how much even the very rare 16v is worth in average conditon i sold two last year one with full leather for 500 quid and i gave the silver one away. im not dillusional.
i think you will agree there is a world of difference between a 500 quid 205gti and one up for 5k.
you wont find any similar hot hatch of this era in this condition for thrle price i have in mind for it and even if you do it wont be unique. there will be another
this is a car that the previous owner bought from new as a retirement present to himself. so he bought it at 65 in 93 and sold it 82 years old. there is not a mark inside and only the first owner his son and myself have driven it (besides from a few citroen workers i guess). every aspect of its history is documented. its been garaged from new. its unique. and the price is not fixed.
i think you will agree there is a world of difference between a 500 quid 205gti and one up for 5k.
you wont find any similar hot hatch of this era in this condition for thrle price i have in mind for it and even if you do it wont be unique. there will be another
this is a car that the previous owner bought from new as a retirement present to himself. so he bought it at 65 in 93 and sold it 82 years old. there is not a mark inside and only the first owner his son and myself have driven it (besides from a few citroen workers i guess). every aspect of its history is documented. its been garaged from new. its unique. and the price is not fixed.
Edited by 6cylGolf on Monday 4th February 21:16
Kitchski said:
Your car? Not a dig at all, I just wouldn't pay that kind of money for a ZX. The concours part doesn't fuss me - I'm not in to cleaning cars, I like driving them. But others may be different and see the car as an investment. Al seems smitten with it!
Good luck with sale
yes. no worries.Good luck with sale
this was my first one 15 years ago or so
My wife's first car was a ZX 1.8 Furio which was only available as a 3 door. Cost buttons to run and pretty entertaining in general. Only ones without PAS were to be avoided, pretty much everything else could be fun to drive at some level.
As for value, if I really wanted one I'd pay that sort of money for a mint low miler. If I ever sell my 50k mile BX16V I'd be looking for that sort of money - as the adage goes, 'find another' and assuming somebody is looking for one then it's worth that to those few people.
Returning to topic, I believe the 16V was considered to have a pretty bone shattering ride compared to the rest of the ZX range which went against it at the time? Can't recall the last time I saw one on the road, but must've been at least 5 years ago.
As for value, if I really wanted one I'd pay that sort of money for a mint low miler. If I ever sell my 50k mile BX16V I'd be looking for that sort of money - as the adage goes, 'find another' and assuming somebody is looking for one then it's worth that to those few people.
Returning to topic, I believe the 16V was considered to have a pretty bone shattering ride compared to the rest of the ZX range which went against it at the time? Can't recall the last time I saw one on the road, but must've been at least 5 years ago.
Baryonyx said:
I do find these cars outrageously cool. The one for sale in the advert seems good value for a car that probably has plenty of life left in it, as long as you can get parts for it.
its mostly 306 under the skin. the engine was available in the 405 mi16 the 306 s16 and some xantias. the gearbox is interchangable with any of the xu engined cars that span from the early 80s to the late 90's. the only things you will find difficult to source will be the bodykit wheels and rear hatch glass and spoiler. but as long as you dont have an accident you wont be needing any of that.im hoping the new owner wont want to use it much at all.
Kitchski said:
I hope it does go for £2k +
And then I hope every BX 16v from here on in goes for £2k +
I'm going to be selling a BX 16v soon
If that's the one in your profile, it's stunning. I'd pay good money for that. Of course, I'd use it as a daily drivers too...And then I hope every BX 16v from here on in goes for £2k +
I'm going to be selling a BX 16v soon
I've been planning on selling my A8 for a small hot hatch, partly because I want to experience that generation of cars before they are all gone, and partly because I will be moving departments at work soon, to a place with a much smaller car park where the A8 won't fit. I've decided on an S1 106 Rallye. But these glorious Citroens are certainly food for thought.
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