Citroen BX 1.9D 'The Estate' - Barn Stored to Bahn Stormer?
Discussion
S10GTA said:
Last night I got to drive the old girl on the road again for the first time in about 7 years. The interior still smells like the barn and the new seats are not a patch on the 16v seats that were in it. There is no radio, the gear linkages are f
ked and you cannot depress the clutch entirely for fear it might explode. Despite this I still really enjoyed it. Maybe its nostalgia, but its a smooth, comfy and relaxing. There is no need to hurry it, and even if you wanted to you couldn't. I didn't even take it over 60 despite driving down the M27 at 10pm.
I love it.
I knew you'd reply on this thread!ked and you cannot depress the clutch entirely for fear it might explode. Despite this I still really enjoyed it. Maybe its nostalgia, but its a smooth, comfy and relaxing. There is no need to hurry it, and even if you wanted to you couldn't. I didn't even take it over 60 despite driving down the M27 at 10pm. I love it.
You can run it for a bit in a couple of months' time if you want? I've got too many cars at the moment, but I don't want to get rid of it. We could swap it back and forth each time the tax runs out, which means you could sell the C4 and buy something fun
Kitchski said:
LouD86 said:
Kitchski said:
It was an absolute bh to do, and the really depressing thing is that even though it was last changed in 2002, it was actually in pretty good nick. Reckon it could have done another year, maybe two!
Rich, would this be the same engine in my 99 Xsara 1.9D? h to do, and the really depressing thing is that even though it was last changed in 2002, it was actually in pretty good nick. Reckon it could have done another year, maybe two!Im thinking of doing mine, but if its that much of a b
h 
Nice to know Si is enjoying it, its the only way! These things are bloody good at what they do. Im still tempted to change mine to a BX, purely on the comfort side of it!
Well it's reached a milestone....the tax expires Monday, which means The Estate has been on the road for 6 months.
So, that's 6.5 years in a damp barn, almost untouched with no-preventative maintenance whatsoever (other than shutting the windows), to hauling itself out again, to passing an MoT for £84.00 (total cost) and then providing six months of largely (99.5%) trouble-free service.
It's about to click over to 203,000 miles, which in BX terms is actually not all that amazing; I know of two for sale, one with 260k and another with 310k, so legend-status isn't quite there on the mileage front.
But in terms of toughness, it's right up there. Like last weekend, for example:
Each of those slabs weighs (I would guess) 40-50kg (there's ALOT of concrete on the bottom of them). It proved helpful during some 'improvements' I was subjecting my garden to! And when those slabs had gone, it was filled with (I'm guessing) around 200kg of top soil too. Suspension might have been a bit slow to lift 350odd kg of rockery, but it did lift it, and it didn't complain (aside from needing a few revs to raise the back end up!)
Part of me wishes I'd never cleaned it after it came out of the barn, but I'm a homeowner, and it's not in my interests to devalue my entire street by parking the estate in it complete with vine growing up the door and remnants of dead woodland creatures.
In the (admittedly) piffling mileage I have covered, it's averaged 45mpg overall. In fact, around town it seems to be better than on the motorway - the opposite of most cars. It's probably down to really short gearing (for a diesel) and a lack of power, meaning 80mph + on the motorway is a flat-out affair as soon as you start to climb hills.
Speaking of motorway runs, I did treat it to a roadtrip at the beginning of September - I took it to a Citroen meet in Stratford. The meet turned out to be rubbish, frankly, but on the social side it was quite good. I took the estate there instead of my 16v, partly because I was being cheap, but mainly because I thought the old girl deserved it. On the run there (Fareham to Stratford), 48mpg and approx 2.5 hours.
The run back? Left at 8pm on the dot. Walked back in through my front door at 9:55pm, which included sitting behind a police car all along my stretch of M3 and M27 motorways. Straford to Winchester (excepting Botley/Oxford on the A34).....flat out (literally) all the way. To think one of my most memorable runs was in one of the slowest cars I've ever owned! But, as always, it just adds to the character....though I did only manage 33mpg!
So how's the car getting on now? Much the same as before, really. Clutch is still on the rivets (probably), and one of the NOS suspension bushes I fitted for the MoT seems to have fallen apart, because there is a knock so bad coming from the OSF suspension it's affecting the steering!
You might recognise the white one:
It's going to have a break in October; I have three cars (excluding the wife's) currently taxed and on the road, and to be fair I don't need that many. So for October, I'm sitting the estate out and running my red 16v BX instead:
I'll be getting that ready for the NEC in November as it's on a BX stand (they didn't want the estate....shocking!) and I'm also having too much fun driving my little TVR S1 around on the rare occasions I actually get the thing out of the garage. So for October the estate has a break (and the suspension bush replaced....again) and come November it'll go back on the road when the TVR comes off it for a strip down (I might do a blog on that in a mo). The red 16v (which also runs out of tax end of Oct) will only go on the road for November, and I'll cash the tax in as soon as the NEC is passed.
That means the estate is my sole transport for the cold winter months. I might give it a lick of underseal beforehand! But for now, it's passed the 6 month check with flying colours. It's still running as well as it ever has, and shows no signs of giving up. I just wish I could add more miles onto it....maybe I should lend it out to PHers around the UK who could take it to interesting places and do interesting things in it, taking pics along the way. Like a chain letter, only a car
So, that's 6.5 years in a damp barn, almost untouched with no-preventative maintenance whatsoever (other than shutting the windows), to hauling itself out again, to passing an MoT for £84.00 (total cost) and then providing six months of largely (99.5%) trouble-free service.
It's about to click over to 203,000 miles, which in BX terms is actually not all that amazing; I know of two for sale, one with 260k and another with 310k, so legend-status isn't quite there on the mileage front.
But in terms of toughness, it's right up there. Like last weekend, for example:
Each of those slabs weighs (I would guess) 40-50kg (there's ALOT of concrete on the bottom of them). It proved helpful during some 'improvements' I was subjecting my garden to! And when those slabs had gone, it was filled with (I'm guessing) around 200kg of top soil too. Suspension might have been a bit slow to lift 350odd kg of rockery, but it did lift it, and it didn't complain (aside from needing a few revs to raise the back end up!)
Part of me wishes I'd never cleaned it after it came out of the barn, but I'm a homeowner, and it's not in my interests to devalue my entire street by parking the estate in it complete with vine growing up the door and remnants of dead woodland creatures.
In the (admittedly) piffling mileage I have covered, it's averaged 45mpg overall. In fact, around town it seems to be better than on the motorway - the opposite of most cars. It's probably down to really short gearing (for a diesel) and a lack of power, meaning 80mph + on the motorway is a flat-out affair as soon as you start to climb hills.
Speaking of motorway runs, I did treat it to a roadtrip at the beginning of September - I took it to a Citroen meet in Stratford. The meet turned out to be rubbish, frankly, but on the social side it was quite good. I took the estate there instead of my 16v, partly because I was being cheap, but mainly because I thought the old girl deserved it. On the run there (Fareham to Stratford), 48mpg and approx 2.5 hours.
The run back? Left at 8pm on the dot. Walked back in through my front door at 9:55pm, which included sitting behind a police car all along my stretch of M3 and M27 motorways. Straford to Winchester (excepting Botley/Oxford on the A34).....flat out (literally) all the way. To think one of my most memorable runs was in one of the slowest cars I've ever owned! But, as always, it just adds to the character....though I did only manage 33mpg!
So how's the car getting on now? Much the same as before, really. Clutch is still on the rivets (probably), and one of the NOS suspension bushes I fitted for the MoT seems to have fallen apart, because there is a knock so bad coming from the OSF suspension it's affecting the steering!
You might recognise the white one:
It's going to have a break in October; I have three cars (excluding the wife's) currently taxed and on the road, and to be fair I don't need that many. So for October, I'm sitting the estate out and running my red 16v BX instead:
I'll be getting that ready for the NEC in November as it's on a BX stand (they didn't want the estate....shocking!) and I'm also having too much fun driving my little TVR S1 around on the rare occasions I actually get the thing out of the garage. So for October the estate has a break (and the suspension bush replaced....again) and come November it'll go back on the road when the TVR comes off it for a strip down (I might do a blog on that in a mo). The red 16v (which also runs out of tax end of Oct) will only go on the road for November, and I'll cash the tax in as soon as the NEC is passed.
That means the estate is my sole transport for the cold winter months. I might give it a lick of underseal beforehand! But for now, it's passed the 6 month check with flying colours. It's still running as well as it ever has, and shows no signs of giving up. I just wish I could add more miles onto it....maybe I should lend it out to PHers around the UK who could take it to interesting places and do interesting things in it, taking pics along the way. Like a chain letter, only a car
Edited by Kitchski on Monday 18th June 14:13
Great story, the BX series are Great cars and Very underrated. They used to be such a common sight. Tow car of the year as well.
In circa 1999, ex horror of a wife and I bought a J reg Turbo Diesel hatch, in dark Metalic blue with grey trim. I think it had done aprox 115,000 miles by then but it ran perfectly. We had to shell out for both rear trailing arm bushes, some speres and also the main fuel pipe which had corroded and was leaking.
We did several long journeys in that car inc driving down to Brittany via Calais ( 13 odd houres,) with my 2 young sons in the back.
The heater never worked and we used to freeze, so I paid my local Citroen main agents to fit a new one at huge expensive but they ripped me off. The front shocks were knackered and so it rolled about a bit.
I had intended to fit TZD / 16 Valve seats as the base seats were far too soft and squishy.
Economy was very good and it was quick as well, I had a great late night dice with a Fiat Barchetta convertible one night. And many other far quicker cars.
Fast forward to early 2002 and I took it off of the rd as it needed work for an mot and I had stored it in a friends barn. I went away for 3 days on a Battle field tour. Later that week I went to the barn to collect some tools but some thing didn't seem right...... Then I realized my BX had gone.....
Turned out that Ex horror wife had got one of the t..... Who worked for me to go to the barn and drive my car to a breakers.....
I was steaming and absolutely gutted I wax very fond of that car. It gave me some great drives.
J943 PRE rip......
If any one has a TZD pm me as I'm after another preferably an estate.
In circa 1999, ex horror of a wife and I bought a J reg Turbo Diesel hatch, in dark Metalic blue with grey trim. I think it had done aprox 115,000 miles by then but it ran perfectly. We had to shell out for both rear trailing arm bushes, some speres and also the main fuel pipe which had corroded and was leaking.
We did several long journeys in that car inc driving down to Brittany via Calais ( 13 odd houres,) with my 2 young sons in the back.
The heater never worked and we used to freeze, so I paid my local Citroen main agents to fit a new one at huge expensive but they ripped me off. The front shocks were knackered and so it rolled about a bit.
I had intended to fit TZD / 16 Valve seats as the base seats were far too soft and squishy.
Economy was very good and it was quick as well, I had a great late night dice with a Fiat Barchetta convertible one night. And many other far quicker cars.
Fast forward to early 2002 and I took it off of the rd as it needed work for an mot and I had stored it in a friends barn. I went away for 3 days on a Battle field tour. Later that week I went to the barn to collect some tools but some thing didn't seem right...... Then I realized my BX had gone.....
Turned out that Ex horror wife had got one of the t..... Who worked for me to go to the barn and drive my car to a breakers.....
I was steaming and absolutely gutted I wax very fond of that car. It gave me some great drives.
J943 PRE rip......
If any one has a TZD pm me as I'm after another preferably an estate.
neutral 3 said:
Great story, the BX series are Great cars and Very underrated. They used to be such a common sight. Tow car of the year as well.
In circa 1999, ex horror of a wife and I bought a J reg Turbo Diesel hatch, in dark Metalic blue with grey trim. I think it had done aprox 115,000 miles by then but it ran perfectly. We had to shell out for both rear trailing arm bushes, some speres and also the main fuel pipe which had corroded and was leaking.
We did several long journeys in that car inc driving down to Brittany via Calais ( 13 odd houres,) with my 2 young sons in the back.
The heater never worked and we used to freeze, so I paid my local Citroen main agents to fit a new one at huge expensive but they ripped me off. The front shocks were knackered and so it rolled about a bit.
I had intended to fit TZD / 16 Valve seats as the base seats were far too soft and squishy.
Economy was very good and it was quick as well, I had a great late night dice with a Fiat Barchetta convertible one night. And many other far quicker cars.
Fast forward to early 2002 and I took it off of the rd as it needed work for an mot and I had stored it in a friends barn. I went away for 3 days on a Battle field tour. Later that week I went to the barn to collect some tools but some thing didn't seem right...... Then I realized my BX had gone.....
Turned out that Ex horror wife had got one of the t..... Who worked for me to go to the barn and drive my car to a breakers.....
I was steaming and absolutely gutted I wax very fond of that car. It gave me some great drives.
J943 PRE rip......
If any one has a TZD pm me as I'm after another preferably an estate.
Good story! Quite a few TZDs still pop up from time to time.In circa 1999, ex horror of a wife and I bought a J reg Turbo Diesel hatch, in dark Metalic blue with grey trim. I think it had done aprox 115,000 miles by then but it ran perfectly. We had to shell out for both rear trailing arm bushes, some speres and also the main fuel pipe which had corroded and was leaking.
We did several long journeys in that car inc driving down to Brittany via Calais ( 13 odd houres,) with my 2 young sons in the back.
The heater never worked and we used to freeze, so I paid my local Citroen main agents to fit a new one at huge expensive but they ripped me off. The front shocks were knackered and so it rolled about a bit.
I had intended to fit TZD / 16 Valve seats as the base seats were far too soft and squishy.
Economy was very good and it was quick as well, I had a great late night dice with a Fiat Barchetta convertible one night. And many other far quicker cars.
Fast forward to early 2002 and I took it off of the rd as it needed work for an mot and I had stored it in a friends barn. I went away for 3 days on a Battle field tour. Later that week I went to the barn to collect some tools but some thing didn't seem right...... Then I realized my BX had gone.....
Turned out that Ex horror wife had got one of the t..... Who worked for me to go to the barn and drive my car to a breakers.....
I was steaming and absolutely gutted I wax very fond of that car. It gave me some great drives.
J943 PRE rip......
If any one has a TZD pm me as I'm after another preferably an estate.
Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but.....
My ownership of The Estate came to an abrupt and (mostly) unexpected end over the weekend.
I had driven my 16v version of the BX 160-odd miles to the NEC on Thursday, as it was on the BX stand. I returned home Thursday evening and on Friday I headed back up in the estate. My journey was going well, with flat-out motoring most of the way up the A34 (don't panic, flat out doesn't mean high speed!)
Reached the M42(N), hit a load of traffic caused by a Jag mkII that had expired in the fast lane en route to the NEC and the red lamp of cooling system death suddenly came on. It went off again with a few revs, but returned later on and stayed on for 15 mins. Normally one minute of this usually means baked engine, but the estate carried on from junction 4 to junction 6, and through the traffic in the NEC car park. I parked it up, steam pouring from the bonnet and walked away in a huff. Initially I thought the water pump had failed, but later found no coolant left in the rad. Suspect head gasket failure, or a sudden loss of coolant externally.
I filled it with K-seal and limped it to Tamworth at the end of the day as I was staying overnight locally. I borrowed another BX to head home the following night and came back Sunday with the family in tow. I made the decision that, along with a host of other work needing to be done there was no real realistic need for the car in the future (one BX is enough). It was never going to have a never-ending future with me.
So.....I didn't scrap it, but gave it away to another BX enthusiast. He already owns a couple of rare versions, and will (hopefully) attempt to restore the car. Something I could never have had the time to do, what with work and other cars, and of course the small matter of a family.
I'm feeling a bit sad, like I've had to have a pet put down or something! But I know it's the right thing to do, and this way it's still going for now.
You never know, it might be on the stand at the NEC next year!
My ownership of The Estate came to an abrupt and (mostly) unexpected end over the weekend.
I had driven my 16v version of the BX 160-odd miles to the NEC on Thursday, as it was on the BX stand. I returned home Thursday evening and on Friday I headed back up in the estate. My journey was going well, with flat-out motoring most of the way up the A34 (don't panic, flat out doesn't mean high speed!)
Reached the M42(N), hit a load of traffic caused by a Jag mkII that had expired in the fast lane en route to the NEC and the red lamp of cooling system death suddenly came on. It went off again with a few revs, but returned later on and stayed on for 15 mins. Normally one minute of this usually means baked engine, but the estate carried on from junction 4 to junction 6, and through the traffic in the NEC car park. I parked it up, steam pouring from the bonnet and walked away in a huff. Initially I thought the water pump had failed, but later found no coolant left in the rad. Suspect head gasket failure, or a sudden loss of coolant externally.
I filled it with K-seal and limped it to Tamworth at the end of the day as I was staying overnight locally. I borrowed another BX to head home the following night and came back Sunday with the family in tow. I made the decision that, along with a host of other work needing to be done there was no real realistic need for the car in the future (one BX is enough). It was never going to have a never-ending future with me.
So.....I didn't scrap it, but gave it away to another BX enthusiast. He already owns a couple of rare versions, and will (hopefully) attempt to restore the car. Something I could never have had the time to do, what with work and other cars, and of course the small matter of a family.
I'm feeling a bit sad, like I've had to have a pet put down or something! But I know it's the right thing to do, and this way it's still going for now.
You never know, it might be on the stand at the NEC next year!
Kitchski said:
Oh no, it's not a case of money. Even someone as skinflint as me can't grumble at £15 or so. No, it's more the time aspect of it. Anyone who knows me knows how busy work is right now (not that I'd ever complain about it) so it's just a case of finding the time. I'm not actually using it daily - infact today was the first time this week that I drove it to work, as I have use of quite a lot of other cars.
Did manage to get a matching set of wheels for it though, with tyres that don't rub or go flat. Bonus!
My body repairs haven't proven as long-lasting as I'd hoped:
When I suddenly find extra hours in the day (I'm working on moving to Venus....a day is as long as its year there) I'll have a go at sorting areas of rust like this:
'89/F toy and '89/F workhorse!
It's still going well. Oil change will hopefully happen soon, along with radiator change and cambelt.
Crikey, the bumper/bonnet panel gaps are worse than my TVR!! Did manage to get a matching set of wheels for it though, with tyres that don't rub or go flat. Bonus!
My body repairs haven't proven as long-lasting as I'd hoped:
When I suddenly find extra hours in the day (I'm working on moving to Venus....a day is as long as its year there) I'll have a go at sorting areas of rust like this:
'89/F toy and '89/F workhorse!
It's still going well. Oil change will hopefully happen soon, along with radiator change and cambelt.
Lovely S1 BTW
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