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!
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?
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
Cheers! Glad to hear it's encouraged someone to get their old car out!
Not a huge amount to report on the BX front, however the plans have changed slightly. I was going to leave it off the road until I resolve all the issues underneath, and for the most part I'm still doing that.
However, I miss driving it and there are a couple of things I can do with it in July, so it's going back on the road for one month in July. The MoT is up on 27th July, and that's when it will actually come off the road this time!
July should be a good month with it
Not a huge amount to report on the BX front, however the plans have changed slightly. I was going to leave it off the road until I resolve all the issues underneath, and for the most part I'm still doing that.
However, I miss driving it and there are a couple of things I can do with it in July, so it's going back on the road for one month in July. The MoT is up on 27th July, and that's when it will actually come off the road this time!
July should be a good month with it
Well, a slight change to the order of proceeding. I mean, how often does that happen with this car, right?!
Initially, the plan was to remove it from hibernation, and run it for one more month until the 27th, when the MoT expires. There was a Citroen show to try and make it to (which was the weekend just gone), but as we got closer I realised that there was also a TVR meet on the Sunday, and ideally I would go to that. Equally ideal, would be to go to the Citroen meet on the Sunday, as the Saturday can be sleepy.
Then an opportunity arose to use the BX for something interesting in August, which is after the MoT expires. So, it seems I'll need to attend to the issues that would prevent the MoT certificate from being issued afterall, if only to drive it to something interesting in August. It also means I can make one or two of the other Citroen meets in it, and it's actually a BX-themed year, being the 35th anniversary of the model, and the 30th anniversary of the 16v variant. Would be a shame for 'BAH' not to be there.
Currently I'm running it around as a daily! Taking the kids to school in it, using it to pick up takeaways etc. It's no big deal; It's great at general work. It just happens to be quite fun too!
August should be good though. I can't say too much at the moment, but it involves a trip to Donnington circuit with S10GTA and I. We'll try and find interesting things to take pictures of or visit along the way. Or take pictures at any landmarks anyone reading this suggests!
Initially, the plan was to remove it from hibernation, and run it for one more month until the 27th, when the MoT expires. There was a Citroen show to try and make it to (which was the weekend just gone), but as we got closer I realised that there was also a TVR meet on the Sunday, and ideally I would go to that. Equally ideal, would be to go to the Citroen meet on the Sunday, as the Saturday can be sleepy.
Then an opportunity arose to use the BX for something interesting in August, which is after the MoT expires. So, it seems I'll need to attend to the issues that would prevent the MoT certificate from being issued afterall, if only to drive it to something interesting in August. It also means I can make one or two of the other Citroen meets in it, and it's actually a BX-themed year, being the 35th anniversary of the model, and the 30th anniversary of the 16v variant. Would be a shame for 'BAH' not to be there.
Currently I'm running it around as a daily! Taking the kids to school in it, using it to pick up takeaways etc. It's no big deal; It's great at general work. It just happens to be quite fun too!
August should be good though. I can't say too much at the moment, but it involves a trip to Donnington circuit with S10GTA and I. We'll try and find interesting things to take pictures of or visit along the way. Or take pictures at any landmarks anyone reading this suggests!
Spinakerr said:
'Take My Breath Away' on the video for the 80s beginning, Berlin were the one-hit wonder.
Off topic but I do enjoy compiling car-specific playlists for their era/year of manufacture. Apologies for the oblique reference.
Ohh I see! I had no idea who did that song! You learn something new every day...Off topic but I do enjoy compiling car-specific playlists for their era/year of manufacture. Apologies for the oblique reference.
Swervin_Mervin said:
I love seeing updates on this thread.
I grew up with BXs - my dad's first was in '84 when he traded in his Renault 30 for a red BX 16TS. 5yr old me balled my eyes out because I utterly loved that R30.
In '86 he traded that in for a silver BX 19GT Digit - the rare one with the Pioneer pull out HU and digital dash. He had that car for about 8-9yrs I think and covered considerably north of 100k in it. Probably one of my favourite cars he had.
My mum had a red BX 17DTR Estate in '89 which in '95/'96 became my first car. Only had 90bhp IIRC but felt like a rocketship, when it wasn't blowing core plugs or coolant hoses!
Be a BX 16RS or 16TRS model there, but sounds the same as the other one I have (and the same model I too grew up with). If it had the little black windows in the C-pillar, and electric rear windows, it was a TRS. If it was electric front windows only, it was an RS.I grew up with BXs - my dad's first was in '84 when he traded in his Renault 30 for a red BX 16TS. 5yr old me balled my eyes out because I utterly loved that R30.
In '86 he traded that in for a silver BX 19GT Digit - the rare one with the Pioneer pull out HU and digital dash. He had that car for about 8-9yrs I think and covered considerably north of 100k in it. Probably one of my favourite cars he had.
My mum had a red BX 17DTR Estate in '89 which in '95/'96 became my first car. Only had 90bhp IIRC but felt like a rocketship, when it wasn't blowing core plugs or coolant hoses!
A Digit though?! Now you're talking! Drove one once, and could help but think that Lamborghini might have seen one when they did the dash in the Reventon....
DTR would have been a DTR Turbo estate, rare car now (but then so are all BXs I guess!) The DTR was actually the diesel version of the TRS trim, and in Europe was badged the TRD. It wasn't in the UK, for obvious reasons....
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff