Citroen BX 1.9D 'The Estate' - Barn Stored to Bahn Stormer?

Citroen BX 1.9D 'The Estate' - Barn Stored to Bahn Stormer?

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Discussion

S10GTA

12,788 posts

169 months

Thursday 14th March 2013
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It's been in the barn 6 years...do you think it will pass?

youngsod

269 posts

184 months

Thursday 14th March 2013
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S10GTA said:
It's been in the barn 6 years...do you think it will pass?
Of course not, and yet we all still harbour a tiny wee hope that it will. That the mice from Bagpuss have been looking after it all these years.

Kitchski

Original Poster:

6,517 posts

233 months

Thursday 14th March 2013
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The results are in.......




Fail laugh

However, not too bad a fail:

1) Rear view mirror missing (I have a spare)
2) N/S seat belt stalk missing (long story....I have spares)
3) O/S seat belt stalk missing (long story....I have spares)
4) Windscreen washer not working
5) Hazard lights not working (relay I think)
6) Indicators not working (see above)
7) Main beam switch not working (doesn't latch - I have a spare)
8) Horn not working (could be the same switch fault as above)
9) 2p-sized rust hole at top of inner wheel arch (not structural, but he had to fail it as it was within distance of the suspension mounting. I'm not actually going to weld it, I'll just drill it out until it's clean metal again, treat it and pop a grommet in there!)
10) O/S/F lower arm rear bush knackered (I have some new ones somewhere)
11) Rear fog lamp not working (not sure, hope it's not the switch as I don't have any grey ones!)
12) N/S/F suspension strut leaking LHM (it's only a return line, and I'm not sure it's just a case of re-mounting the boot that collects return fluid)
13) Handbrake has excess travel (think one of the cables has snapped. Guess what? I have a spare!)

That's it. Advisories were O/S front brake grabbing slightly (slightly?! It's bloody seized!) Both front brake hoses (starting) to perish and the radiator is leaking, which I knew about. No rust issues underneath at all - it's all tickety boo!

I'm happy enough with that! If it wasn't for the handbrake cable and wishbone bush, I'd be elated! The wishbone will be easier to access if the gearbox is out, so I'll do the clutch at the same time.

So yeah, she's alright! With a bit of luck back on the road for April biggrin

NiceCupOfTea

25,298 posts

253 months

Thursday 14th March 2013
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Subscribed!

Kitchski

Original Poster:

6,517 posts

233 months

Thursday 14th March 2013
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Thinking about it, half of those failures were issues when we used to drive it around! I drove without a seatbelt for about 3 months, the main beam didn't work and that LHM and radiator leak has been there for seemingly longer than I can remember.

Time to make it right smile

busta

4,504 posts

235 months

Thursday 14th March 2013
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Great thread! I went through a similar process with a Volvo 940 that has been in the family since new. 1 year abandoned in an old farm building, back on the road for 2 years then abandoned again. Now, after being sat outside in long grass for 18 months, rust has found its way into the inner sils so unfortunately that's where her story ends.

marky911

4,427 posts

221 months

Thursday 14th March 2013
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That's not bad then. At least it's all bolt on stuff and as you say there's no rot so that's a big thing out of the way.

Good luck with the spannering. smile

S10GTA

12,788 posts

169 months

Friday 15th March 2013
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I don't remember driving it without seatbelts?

Kitchski

Original Poster:

6,517 posts

233 months

Friday 15th March 2013
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S10GTA said:
I don't remember driving it without seatbelts?
Pretty sure the buckles didn't match the belts as we switched the interior over from the 16v into it. We did switch the buckles round eventually, so there's a slightly possibility I've got the buckles from it at mine gaff somewhere.
Otherwise I've got to pull the seatbelts/buckles out of the grey 16v I'm breaking and use those.

ziggy1024

38 posts

213 months

Friday 15th March 2013
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Result - there's nowt frightening there! smile

Usget

5,426 posts

213 months

Friday 15th March 2013
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That's unbelievable, there will be cars which had benefitted from the same level of - ahem - 'love and affection' which would have a fail sheet twice as long!

I can see why you're in love with the old thing. It's like an old farm dog, it might be a bit knackered and smelly but it's ready for walkies whenever you whistle. Similarly, I think it'd be affronted if you cleaned it too much - like trying to give a Collie a shampoo and blow-dry, it'd probably go and find the smelliest puddle and roll around in it immediately afterwards to get back some of its trusty scent.

Simes205

4,562 posts

230 months

Friday 15th March 2013
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Excellent thread. Mum and dad had on like that (19rd) that I learnt to drive in. Belt snapped on it shortly after they moved to France back in '92 rendered useless. DAd bought a 19dtr saloon. Which he couldn't part with. After 10 yeRs It got traded in on a government scheme against a Picasso, when dad asked what they were going to do with it they said it would be crushed. He asked if he could keep it and they said yes! He did the same with another Picasso 2 years later too!!!!
After 465,000kms and loosing oil at the rate of 2l a week, the clutch release bearing failed (original clutch) and sadly the old lady got taken away.

Fastdruid

8,731 posts

154 months

Friday 15th March 2013
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My parents had a history of Citroens, can't remember them all but remember a GS, GSA and three BX's.

Of the BX's we had a mk1 17 diesel (can't remember the model now), mk2 19DTR Estate and 19GTi, the 19GTi my dad ran to 262k before he sold it. I do seem to recall that he had to re-weld on the doors once or twice though. smile

Kitchski

Original Poster:

6,517 posts

233 months

Saturday 16th March 2013
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Usget said:
That's unbelievable, there will be cars which had benefitted from the same level of - ahem - 'love and affection' which would have a fail sheet twice as long!

I can see why you're in love with the old thing. It's like an old farm dog, it might be a bit knackered and smelly but it's ready for walkies whenever you whistle. Similarly, I think it'd be affronted if you cleaned it too much - like trying to give a Collie a shampoo and blow-dry, it'd probably go and find the smelliest puddle and roll around in it immediately afterwards to get back some of its trusty scent.
This is kinda how I'm looking at it. Yes I can stop it looking flea-ridden, but I don't think it's the sort of car to get all nancy over with clay bars (whatever they are!)

And a collie is quite a good comparison. One of them got quite fond of it:



The in-laws old dog, Shep. He's not around anymore, but he was quality! We were 5 mins late leaving looking for the little bugger that day though! He just seemed to love that car....it probably smelt of something!

Kitchski

Original Poster:

6,517 posts

233 months

Saturday 16th March 2013
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Today The Estate managed its third amazing feat (other than starting first time after a 3 year lay up, and us finding out it's got less rust underneath than the majority of Focus' on the road).....I decided that I would stick it on the rolling road at work:



Still hasn't had a cambelt, still has a knackered clutch, still has 7 year old diesel in, still on engine oil that was put in back in 2005 (IIRC) and still has a radiator that can't hold water.

First run blew the pipes/cobwebs out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NIBi2Bo1FU&fea...

Second run:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOJ94f7CWbI

I did one more and ended up with three runs (maths, innit). Result?



Doesn't look impressive at all....until you read that it's supposed to have 69bhp (or 71bhp, depending on what you read) from the factory! Now I'm a dyno operator, so yeah I know a flywheel figure on a rolling road dyno isn't a gospel figure. I understand how the device works and most aspects of the system.
But it's close enough to smile and pat the old girl on the bonnet once more biggrin
The graph also shows what I love about driving it. It's slow and there's little grunt. But all the torque is does produce, it gives you instantly, as soon as you ask for it (unlike a turbo diesel) and it holds that torque pretty much until it runs out of revs (unlike most turbo diesels).

Next stop....MOT. Time to get it back on the road!

Edited by Kitchski on Saturday 16th March 22:57

MJK 24

5,648 posts

238 months

Sunday 17th March 2013
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I had one years ago. Same colour though I think mine was G reg. It was approaching 300k but it wasn't slow (same 1.9na) compared to cars of its day. Unlike most modern diesels of a similar capacity, it would pull away from rest in 2nd. It would also pull 3rd gear from walking pace. And it would carry you at 95mph in yet to be bettered comfort for mile after mile after mile after mile.

Despite quite a bit of body roll, grip was excellent ( I was running 16v alloys). The brakes were phenomenal compared with Volkswagens and Fords from the same area. Much more rust resistant than anything British, Italian or Japanese too.

Faults? The seats 'bobbled', intrument cluster would creak in very cold weather. Possibility of snapping door handles clean off should the door be frozen!

Overall, great car. Especially as mine cost the same as yours (thought was a cambelt failure so I needed to swap a head on it)!

Kitchski

Original Poster:

6,517 posts

233 months

Wednesday 20th March 2013
quotequote all
MJK 24 said:
I had one years ago. Same colour though I think mine was G reg. It was approaching 300k but it wasn't slow (same 1.9na) compared to cars of its day. Unlike most modern diesels of a similar capacity, it would pull away from rest in 2nd. It would also pull 3rd gear from walking pace. And it would carry you at 95mph in yet to be bettered comfort for mile after mile after mile after mile.

Despite quite a bit of body roll, grip was excellent ( I was running 16v alloys). The brakes were phenomenal compared with Volkswagens and Fords from the same area. Much more rust resistant than anything British, Italian or Japanese too.

Faults? The seats 'bobbled', intrument cluster would creak in very cold weather. Possibility of snapping door handles clean off should the door be frozen!

My instrument cluster creaks, but it turns out it wasn't bolted in! I'm also debating fitting some 16v alloys....probably will as there seems to be two slow punctures on the steelies it left the barn on.

Repair work going......well, slowly! Managed to get the indicators/hazards working (same fault), and if the rear view mirror is still attached tomorrow morning, I've fixed that too.

Really need to get on with some of the bigger stuff....just trying to fit it inbetween jobs at work, but it's not easy. Next Thursday is the MOT free retest deadline date so it needs sorting by then!

Overall, great car. Especially as mine cost the same as yours (thought was a cambelt failure so I needed to swap a head on it)!

Scrof

197 posts

156 months

Wednesday 20th March 2013
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Great thread. Great car. Looking forward to a ride out in it once it's back on the road proper like! biggrin

vrooom

3,763 posts

269 months

Thursday 21st March 2013
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Sort that 2p sized hole. and weld up.. it might serve you other 100k miles...

Sir Fergie

795 posts

137 months

Friday 22nd March 2013
quotequote all
Kitchski said:
Today The Estate managed its third amazing feat (other than starting first time after a 3 year lay up, and us finding out it's got less rust underneath than the majority of Focus' on the road).....I decided that I would stick it on the rolling road at work:



Still hasn't had a cambelt, still has a knackered clutch, still has 7 year old diesel in, still on engine oil that was put in back in 2005 (IIRC) and still has a radiator that can't hold water.

First run blew the pipes/cobwebs out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NIBi2Bo1FU&fea...

Second run:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOJ94f7CWbI

I did one more and ended up with three runs (maths, innit). Result?



Doesn't look impressive at all....until you read that it's supposed to have 69bhp (or 71bhp, depending on what you read) from the factory! Now I'm a dyno operator, so yeah I know a flywheel figure on a rolling road dyno isn't a gospel figure. I understand how the device works and most aspects of the system.
But it's close enough to smile and pat the old girl on the bonnet once more biggrin
The graph also shows what I love about driving it. It's slow and there's little grunt. But all the torque is does produce, it gives you instantly, as soon as you ask for it (unlike a turbo diesel) and it holds that torque pretty much until it runs out of revs (unlike most turbo diesels).

Next stop....MOT. Time to get it back on the road!

Edited by Kitchski on Saturday 16th March 22:57
Always amazes me too just how instant the torque on a normal NA diesel is - i thought i was the only one to notice the hole in the power delivery on (some) turbodiesels.

Our family snotter is a 2.0 diesel normally aspirated - and its surprising to find that its a bit quicker then youd expect starting off from 1st gear. But going up the gears the lack of power soon becomes apparent - particularly during 3rd gear (changing down from 4th) overtakes.

But still a pleasent drive when your not in a hurry.

I wonder though how much is down to gearing - turbodiesels been more powerful can get away with higher gearing (in theory) so maybe some of them are running higher gear ratios then NA diesels - which imo would create an illustion of a gap in the power delivery.

And with all this "eco diesel" sillyness - a lot of modern turbodiesels run high gear ratios - Insignias spring to mind as a car ive heard complaints about in relation to ridiculously high gear ratios - on the Eco flex versions.

BX is cool and its great to see a diesel version been kept on the go - considering that Peugeot and Citroen had a huge influence (imo) in making diesels very acceptable in cars back in the day - with their XUD been a lot more refined then most 1980s diesels

Sir Fergie