My bodged Citroen BX 16v
Discussion
TooMany2cvs said:
It is a standard - just not the ciggy-lighter standard. It's a DIN standard - there's one in the dash of our Westfalia VW T25, too.
One of these, and job jobbed...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0042EYTEI
I can't say I've ever had a car with one of those in the dash!One of these, and job jobbed...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0042EYTEI
Bloody typical, innit? I park the BX up in the garage and prepare for a few years without it, and then Goodwood email me today to say it's been accepted into the Hot Hatch Breakfast Club. I forgot I'd even applied for it!
Bugger. Erm.....not sure whether to go dig it out again just for that, or not!
Bugger. Erm.....not sure whether to go dig it out again just for that, or not!
Kitchski said:
While it was all going on, I was pretty disappointed, but on the whole took it in my stride. It was only when I got home I started to feel really pissed off about it, to the point I emailed the producer and told him what I thought. He never emailed back. We'll all have to wait until October to see what actually came about.
Any updates now that October has passed?Simes205 said:
Saw this today at Goodwood; really nice car.
Lovely contrast especially surrounded by all that blue oval stuff.
Cheers! Decided to bomb it down there in the end. Mixed views on the selection of cars they let into the event, and was gutted to be stuffed in the corner of the paddock, but then I guess I got there early! But yeah, was surrounded by the RS boys and their chrome rocker covers and blue silicone hoses a bit Lovely contrast especially surrounded by all that blue oval stuff.
GSalt said:
Any updates now that October has passed?
Hasn't been on telly yet, but the show is Stars and their cars, and is on the Travel Channel. It'll only flash up at the beginning as they only wanted cars to take the piss out of before they move on to the expensive cars later in the show.They've used a few other cars so far, and some were really sweet, tidy little things. I don't watch the show, it's s
t! I only watch the beginning and then delete it off the planner if mine's not on it!
Nothing to report on the BX 16v front. It's still stowed up in a garage on the outskirts Southampton.
However, if this thread has ignited a yearning for an identical(ish) car for you, that will not be fulfilled until you take the plunge and own one for yourself, guess what just popped up on eBay?:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/152434405191?_trksid=p20...
That windscreen surround will need work, but what other options are you seeing?
However, if this thread has ignited a yearning for an identical(ish) car for you, that will not be fulfilled until you take the plunge and own one for yourself, guess what just popped up on eBay?:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/152434405191?_trksid=p20...
That windscreen surround will need work, but what other options are you seeing?
Another early 8v GTI pops up at Anglia. Only the current MoT on the system so ex-Jersey/IoM/Eire car?
http://www.angliacarauctions.co.uk/en/classic-auct...
http://www.angliacarauctions.co.uk/en/classic-auct...
Kitch, could you see your way to doing a video of your car? A general walk around it, some normal and spirited driving and some chit chat about what it's like to drive?
I'm asking because I did have a 1991 8v GTi a couple of years ago (there's a thread somewhere in Readers' Cars) but it was, to my disappointment, a dog. A real chien. It was only with me for about three months and then badly failed its yearly inspection, forcing me to flog it onwards and lose a few hundred Yoyos in the process. During our affair, I always wondered what a good one must be like - alas I was never to be party to that experience. I still want to know what makes people love them, because I sure didn't love mine. :-(
I'm asking because I did have a 1991 8v GTi a couple of years ago (there's a thread somewhere in Readers' Cars) but it was, to my disappointment, a dog. A real chien. It was only with me for about three months and then badly failed its yearly inspection, forcing me to flog it onwards and lose a few hundred Yoyos in the process. During our affair, I always wondered what a good one must be like - alas I was never to be party to that experience. I still want to know what makes people love them, because I sure didn't love mine. :-(
LeoZwalf said:
Kitch, could you see your way to doing a video of your car? A general walk around it, some normal and spirited driving and some chit chat about what it's like to drive?
Funnily enough, one of my mates who's very handy with a camera wants to do something along similar lines, but sadly I have the charisma of a beige rocking chair, so I'm not sure anyone would make it through the video and still be awake at the end!There are a few vids knocking around of it on the tube, however. Nothing as in-depth as you're suggesting, but still give more of a feel than pictures do.
This is the best one (made by mate who wants to do Petrolicious walky-talky style vids), but it'll only play on a PC. Mobile devices don't work, because of the tracks used in the background:
https://youtu.be/rqpdoMK6l_Y
(edit to add: Just remembered we filmed that on the way back from the TV debacle last year!)
Then I uploaded a vid of it ragging it away from a standstil:
https://youtu.be/sa_3AmtXm_0
And this vid is from a fairly low-rent TV Programme called 'Used Car Roadshow'. This was filmed at Santa-Pod way back in 2006, back when the car was sporting a leather interior (I ditched that some years back as the seats weren't the bucket type, just normal BX TD/GTi style seats - think Escort Ghia leather in an XR3i and you're someway there). It was a bit of an amateur set up, but the Jason matey was a friendly guy, and came to ask me details on the spec and chat about them for a minute or so. Penny whatshername genuinely didn't like them, as attested by my wife (then girlfriend) who was stood behind her while she ripped into it in the food tent).
Apologies for quality of it though! I do have a HD quality recording somewhere, but I didn't upload that one.
https://youtu.be/hLXEf4rcfZQ
LeoZwalf said:
I'm asking because I did have a 1991 8v GTi a couple of years ago (there's a thread somewhere in Readers' Cars) but it was, to my disappointment, a dog. A real chien. It was only with me for about three months and then badly failed its yearly inspection, forcing me to flog it onwards and lose a few hundred Yoyos in the process. During our affair, I always wondered what a good one must be like - alas I was never to be party to that experience. I still want to know what makes people love them, because I sure didn't love mine. :-(
Think I remember you having it. Getting a good one is crucial, though they're pretty hardy old hectors, so normally most can be considered a decent base. However, if you get a nail, it will ALWAYS be a nail!Most important thing is the bodyshell, without question, but if you end up with one that's at a point in its life where quite a few of the major components are wearing out, they can be costly. Also, cars that have been repaired in the past by people who didn't know what they were doing, or didn't care, can be a nightmare. I often find work on my car that I slag off as a poor effort, only to realise it was me who did it, back in 2005! That's the problem with having a car so long - you remember the good, and discover the bad! I'll be re-welding all the work I did at the beginning of this blog one day, as if I looked at it now I'd be distraught at the 'quality' of it! But then I'd never sell it, so it's no big deal.
The 8v GTi is OK. They have enough character and zip to be interesting, but for me they don't really stand out much above a regular BX. They're a little bit quicker, but they look pretty much the same. They're decent cars overall, but I'd probably have thrown the towel in if I owned one and discovered it was a lemon a few months in too, so don't feel too bad. A 16v, or one of the rarer early types I may have made more effort with.
Edited by Kitchski on Thursday 20th April 09:08
Lovely car mate. Just read this whole thread from start to finish (after reading S10GTAs threads yesterday) brilliant! My mates mum had a 16v GTi when we were in our teens and always remember it being (or feeling) very quick. I had always fancied a DS/CX and when my daughter was born and I was told my Audi Quattro wasn't a suitable family car, I bit the bullet and bought a 3 year old BX 1.9 TZD... And hated every minute of it! 
Swapped it three weeks later for a MKI Golf GTi.
Funny thing is even after all that I still find myself hankering after something quirky and French all these years later.
If nothing else you've made me want to go and drag my Corrado out of hibernation and have some fun with that
Swapped it three weeks later for a MKI Golf GTi. Funny thing is even after all that I still find myself hankering after something quirky and French all these years later.
If nothing else you've made me want to go and drag my Corrado out of hibernation and have some fun with that
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