1985 Citroen BX 19GT overhaul
Discussion
cossy400 said:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/183609325049
This appeared on the bookface this morning, and made me think of this thread.
Hope it all went well?
Today is the day. He's still undecided on how to do it.This appeared on the bookface this morning, and made me think of this thread.
Hope it all went well?
Kitchski said:
OK, just got in and have a microwave carbonara to devour! Full update likely tomorrow, but one happy father, and one BX returned to its home for the first time in 6 years or so!
LOVE this! Wow, what attention to detail, what a labour of love. My cap is well and truly doffed and I wish I had even 10% of your skill. Thanks for everyone for the kind words. It's nice to finally get to this point!
I'll try and pick up in the correct chronological order, so we actually need to go back to the 21st December! I'd noticed that the spark plugs had become really fouled up, despite the car seemingly running well and emissions that were within spec. The only possible cause in my mind was the choke. I was loath to play with the carb again, but I knew that when the choke was in operation, the engine ran a more little on the lumpy side than I would like. I was confident I'd be able to play with it successfully, so you can imagine my disappointment when I adjusted a couple of screws and threw the whole thing out!
So it was back out with the gas analyser!
I managed to get the emissions right down this time (0.3 Co anyone?!) I also got it to run smoothly on the choke, but I haven't got the rate at which it shuts off quite right, as it goes from 2000rpm down to 1000rpm in the space of 20secs or so. Still, it runs, and though it's a bit lumpier than it was, I'm hoping it won't foul the plugs up at least!
Later that night, the real fun ensued. I was feeling a bit deflated, as though the car was driving very nicely, I knew it had more niggles than I really wanted to give it back with. One of the niggles was the inoperative indicator tell-tale lamp. It wasn't an issue to me too much, though given that the indicators don't self cancel, there was a chance my Dad would have issues, so I went fault hunting. That escalated into....
Yeah. Not good for the stress levels a few days before the Xmas holidays! However, I found the problem at least, which turned out to be a wire I hadn't plugged in, because it was trapped inside the heater ducting. The wire was a signal wire from the indicator switch module to - you guessed it - the tell-tale lamps! I was so giddy with delight, that I forgot to take a picture of them working!
The car was now as ready as it would ever be. I planned to get a few more miles in before the 29th, but before this I gave it a good clean inside and out. The paint needs a machine polish really, but for now it'll do. I started on the engine bay, which, before the project got going, looked like the upper pic below. The lower pic is how the same engine bay looks now:
It's come out nicely
Finishing touches were some repro stickers I bought at a Citroen event a couple of years ago:
On the 27th, I cleaned the interior. Probably the first time it's been cleaned in about 7-8 years! It came out well - better than I thought it would!
Next I waxed all the wheels, but for the spare I needed to think outside the box. It lives under the car, you see, and being diamond cut, I didn't fancy its chances of retaining a pretty finish if it spent its days lying face down at the road.
I devised a cunning plan. First step: Wax....
Then (in Uncle Rob style), polythene bag:
Then, place bagged wheel in a spare wheel cover I bought on eBay:
Then, wheel refitted under car:
Now it was time to get serious. I cleaned and polished the car top to bottom on the 28th. It really did look nice, even if I knew it could be much better up close. I wanted to get some nice pics of it before I handed it back:
It was at this point my wife suggested we take a picture of my kids with the car, and then buy a frame and wrap that picture up for his Christmas present, so that's what we did.
Then, my wife and I drove the BX to Harveys, to look at sofas. Even journeys to mundane tasks are enjoyable! It was a pleasant afternoon, and we found a cracking corner sofa that we've now ordered, and I can't wait to slump into (Featherby at Harveys, if you want a BX-esque corner sofa - it's very soft!)
The 29th rolled around, and the nerves were building! I put the final touches to the BX, and got it ready to go. Here it is bidding the Imp farewell:
And just before we set off to my parents.
You're all going to hate me, but I didn't get any pictures of it actually at my parents house! I did get a video of him driving off in it (on one of the 3 or 4 rides he had to do that afternoon), but it's got my kids in it, so I'll see how my wife feels about me uploading it!
The reveal went well. It all started badly, as my mum (who was the only one at base who was in on it) said to be there at 11:30am. That suited me, and I was running late, which was fine, as I wanted to be the last one to arrive. I actually planned to park it just out of sight, and let myself in with my own key.
I followed my wife down the M27, and when we came off we split two ways, with me going to top up the petrol tank, and wait for the all clear. When she got in touch, it was to say that she was the only one there! Nobody else was there, because nobody else had been told to be there at 11:30am! Bloody hell!
So I ring my brother, who I needed to get in the house before me, as we knew my dad would come to the front door to meet my niece and nephew as he always does. Having a spanking BX parked outside would give the game away somewhat, so they needed to haul ass and be there before me. My brother suggested I drive the car to his, which entailed driving PAST my mum & dad's house, but my wife reckoned my dad was distracted by getting my kids' new phones hooked up to the Wi-Fi!
I arrived at brother's house, who'd just returned from walking the dog, and waited for them to walk over. When everyone else was there, I drove it around the block and parked it exactly where I wanted to - in sight of the front door, but out of sight of the window.
My nerves were already in bits at this point, as I'm quite an anxious person anyway, but to compound matters, my dear old Gran is suffering from dementia, and she now knew the car was outside as I was on speaker phone in my sister's car when I had to ring and brief her too. I could just imagine my Gran turning to me and asking "So who's car did you drive here today Richard? Your father's?" But, Gran was good as gold, and Mum was the word. Well, Gran was the word, technically!
As if by fate, we were doing food first. Somehow I managed to chow down a large buffet lunch, and then the time came (about the time I replied to that message above).
We dug the bag of gifts out, and my wife asked if I wanted to do his first, but I was worried that he'd feel a bit awkward, so I said I'd just give it to him with the others. It worked out well, as the first gift I gave my parents was a copy of my new book (a buyer's guide on the TVR S Series). They're not prospective buyers, but I thought it would be a bit of a joke present, though they were actually quite touched!
My Mum then unwrapped her picture canvas, and my Dad started to peel back the paper. I sat quietly and watched, as did my wife. Nobody else was paying too much attention, so it worked out OK. He unwrapped it, and sat and looked at it for a few seconds. I know you're probably all hoping for a 'Car SOS meets X-Factor' emotionally-charged moment, but it wouldn't come across like that.
He paused, and then said "Oh, it's a nice picture of the boys next to a BX. It looks like my BX!"
I said it was his BX.
He asked if I'd managed to get it on the road, or if that was near my work.
I said I managed to get it on the road, and it's on the road now; The road outside his house! I then gave him the keys and told him it was done.
Like I say, no emotions, tears, hugs or the like. But I know my Dad, and he was a bit choked. Thing is I'm emotionally awkward, so I just started talking, and talking, and talking! I talked it through for a few minutes, and revealed my plan. He suggested we go outside, and he was pretty stoked to see it looking much brighter than it did last time he saw it! He actually said "Oh wow!" and chuckled in amazement when he saw the engine bay. He droves a DS4 around, which is only a year or two old, and it's fair less tidy than this!
He ended up taking us out for trips, first of which my brother, who jumped in the car to "Relive old times", harking back to our red 16TRS we grew up with. We went out first with Dad, and just as we were getting back to the house, he realised he'd forgotten to drive down the road the laid speedbumps down when he used to own hydro-Citroens years ago! He used to enjoy just being able to take them at any speed, while mere-mortals had to slow down!
So, it was an about-turn and back to that road to relive it! It's weird, as the road has a mix of bumps; Half are those red rubber ones your wheels tend to drive either side of, and the others are some mean tarmac humps. The BX doesn't actually deal with the former any better than a modern, as it's not quite as wide and the wheels end up riding the bump more, but the humps? It's uncanny!
Anyway, trips were completed, and the next day he posted a picture on social media:
That's the first time he's ever posted a picture of a car of his online! I think he must be happy
And that's where we are today! We're up to date, once more! The BX GT has returned home, and it's probably the only GT currently on the road (there are normally two or three a year, but they're both SORN over the winter).
It'll need to come back, of course. It's bound to have niggles, as it's been in so many bits. It's got an oil leak, coolant leak (waterless coolant eats Hylomar - who knew!) and I think the timing is slightly too far advanced, as since I'd tinkered with the carb it's pinking slightly. Short-term, I need to get some rear bumper stops fitted (the originals aren't available, so I've found some alternatives I'm going to see if I can adapt to fit). I also need to refit a gear linkage, which I've now found since I cleaned my desk up when I returned to work at Southways!
It was weird being there, because for the first time in 6.5 years, my Dad's BX GT wasn't!
Over and out
I'll try and pick up in the correct chronological order, so we actually need to go back to the 21st December! I'd noticed that the spark plugs had become really fouled up, despite the car seemingly running well and emissions that were within spec. The only possible cause in my mind was the choke. I was loath to play with the carb again, but I knew that when the choke was in operation, the engine ran a more little on the lumpy side than I would like. I was confident I'd be able to play with it successfully, so you can imagine my disappointment when I adjusted a couple of screws and threw the whole thing out!
So it was back out with the gas analyser!
I managed to get the emissions right down this time (0.3 Co anyone?!) I also got it to run smoothly on the choke, but I haven't got the rate at which it shuts off quite right, as it goes from 2000rpm down to 1000rpm in the space of 20secs or so. Still, it runs, and though it's a bit lumpier than it was, I'm hoping it won't foul the plugs up at least!
Later that night, the real fun ensued. I was feeling a bit deflated, as though the car was driving very nicely, I knew it had more niggles than I really wanted to give it back with. One of the niggles was the inoperative indicator tell-tale lamp. It wasn't an issue to me too much, though given that the indicators don't self cancel, there was a chance my Dad would have issues, so I went fault hunting. That escalated into....
Yeah. Not good for the stress levels a few days before the Xmas holidays! However, I found the problem at least, which turned out to be a wire I hadn't plugged in, because it was trapped inside the heater ducting. The wire was a signal wire from the indicator switch module to - you guessed it - the tell-tale lamps! I was so giddy with delight, that I forgot to take a picture of them working!
The car was now as ready as it would ever be. I planned to get a few more miles in before the 29th, but before this I gave it a good clean inside and out. The paint needs a machine polish really, but for now it'll do. I started on the engine bay, which, before the project got going, looked like the upper pic below. The lower pic is how the same engine bay looks now:
It's come out nicely
Finishing touches were some repro stickers I bought at a Citroen event a couple of years ago:
On the 27th, I cleaned the interior. Probably the first time it's been cleaned in about 7-8 years! It came out well - better than I thought it would!
Next I waxed all the wheels, but for the spare I needed to think outside the box. It lives under the car, you see, and being diamond cut, I didn't fancy its chances of retaining a pretty finish if it spent its days lying face down at the road.
I devised a cunning plan. First step: Wax....
Then (in Uncle Rob style), polythene bag:
Then, place bagged wheel in a spare wheel cover I bought on eBay:
Then, wheel refitted under car:
Now it was time to get serious. I cleaned and polished the car top to bottom on the 28th. It really did look nice, even if I knew it could be much better up close. I wanted to get some nice pics of it before I handed it back:
It was at this point my wife suggested we take a picture of my kids with the car, and then buy a frame and wrap that picture up for his Christmas present, so that's what we did.
Then, my wife and I drove the BX to Harveys, to look at sofas. Even journeys to mundane tasks are enjoyable! It was a pleasant afternoon, and we found a cracking corner sofa that we've now ordered, and I can't wait to slump into (Featherby at Harveys, if you want a BX-esque corner sofa - it's very soft!)
The 29th rolled around, and the nerves were building! I put the final touches to the BX, and got it ready to go. Here it is bidding the Imp farewell:
And just before we set off to my parents.
You're all going to hate me, but I didn't get any pictures of it actually at my parents house! I did get a video of him driving off in it (on one of the 3 or 4 rides he had to do that afternoon), but it's got my kids in it, so I'll see how my wife feels about me uploading it!
The reveal went well. It all started badly, as my mum (who was the only one at base who was in on it) said to be there at 11:30am. That suited me, and I was running late, which was fine, as I wanted to be the last one to arrive. I actually planned to park it just out of sight, and let myself in with my own key.
I followed my wife down the M27, and when we came off we split two ways, with me going to top up the petrol tank, and wait for the all clear. When she got in touch, it was to say that she was the only one there! Nobody else was there, because nobody else had been told to be there at 11:30am! Bloody hell!
So I ring my brother, who I needed to get in the house before me, as we knew my dad would come to the front door to meet my niece and nephew as he always does. Having a spanking BX parked outside would give the game away somewhat, so they needed to haul ass and be there before me. My brother suggested I drive the car to his, which entailed driving PAST my mum & dad's house, but my wife reckoned my dad was distracted by getting my kids' new phones hooked up to the Wi-Fi!
I arrived at brother's house, who'd just returned from walking the dog, and waited for them to walk over. When everyone else was there, I drove it around the block and parked it exactly where I wanted to - in sight of the front door, but out of sight of the window.
My nerves were already in bits at this point, as I'm quite an anxious person anyway, but to compound matters, my dear old Gran is suffering from dementia, and she now knew the car was outside as I was on speaker phone in my sister's car when I had to ring and brief her too. I could just imagine my Gran turning to me and asking "So who's car did you drive here today Richard? Your father's?" But, Gran was good as gold, and Mum was the word. Well, Gran was the word, technically!
As if by fate, we were doing food first. Somehow I managed to chow down a large buffet lunch, and then the time came (about the time I replied to that message above).
We dug the bag of gifts out, and my wife asked if I wanted to do his first, but I was worried that he'd feel a bit awkward, so I said I'd just give it to him with the others. It worked out well, as the first gift I gave my parents was a copy of my new book (a buyer's guide on the TVR S Series). They're not prospective buyers, but I thought it would be a bit of a joke present, though they were actually quite touched!
My Mum then unwrapped her picture canvas, and my Dad started to peel back the paper. I sat quietly and watched, as did my wife. Nobody else was paying too much attention, so it worked out OK. He unwrapped it, and sat and looked at it for a few seconds. I know you're probably all hoping for a 'Car SOS meets X-Factor' emotionally-charged moment, but it wouldn't come across like that.
He paused, and then said "Oh, it's a nice picture of the boys next to a BX. It looks like my BX!"
I said it was his BX.
He asked if I'd managed to get it on the road, or if that was near my work.
I said I managed to get it on the road, and it's on the road now; The road outside his house! I then gave him the keys and told him it was done.
Like I say, no emotions, tears, hugs or the like. But I know my Dad, and he was a bit choked. Thing is I'm emotionally awkward, so I just started talking, and talking, and talking! I talked it through for a few minutes, and revealed my plan. He suggested we go outside, and he was pretty stoked to see it looking much brighter than it did last time he saw it! He actually said "Oh wow!" and chuckled in amazement when he saw the engine bay. He droves a DS4 around, which is only a year or two old, and it's fair less tidy than this!
He ended up taking us out for trips, first of which my brother, who jumped in the car to "Relive old times", harking back to our red 16TRS we grew up with. We went out first with Dad, and just as we were getting back to the house, he realised he'd forgotten to drive down the road the laid speedbumps down when he used to own hydro-Citroens years ago! He used to enjoy just being able to take them at any speed, while mere-mortals had to slow down!
So, it was an about-turn and back to that road to relive it! It's weird, as the road has a mix of bumps; Half are those red rubber ones your wheels tend to drive either side of, and the others are some mean tarmac humps. The BX doesn't actually deal with the former any better than a modern, as it's not quite as wide and the wheels end up riding the bump more, but the humps? It's uncanny!
Anyway, trips were completed, and the next day he posted a picture on social media:
That's the first time he's ever posted a picture of a car of his online! I think he must be happy
And that's where we are today! We're up to date, once more! The BX GT has returned home, and it's probably the only GT currently on the road (there are normally two or three a year, but they're both SORN over the winter).
It'll need to come back, of course. It's bound to have niggles, as it's been in so many bits. It's got an oil leak, coolant leak (waterless coolant eats Hylomar - who knew!) and I think the timing is slightly too far advanced, as since I'd tinkered with the carb it's pinking slightly. Short-term, I need to get some rear bumper stops fitted (the originals aren't available, so I've found some alternatives I'm going to see if I can adapt to fit). I also need to refit a gear linkage, which I've now found since I cleaned my desk up when I returned to work at Southways!
It was weird being there, because for the first time in 6.5 years, my Dad's BX GT wasn't!
Over and out
Oh, I forgot!
Here's a vid I took on the 28th, on our way to look at the sofa. I wanted to capture just how good the BX's suspension is at dealing with crap roads, and the ones in our industrial estate were ideal, as they are truly s
te.
https://youtu.be/gevuIZeLqjo
Considering those spheres are 7 years old, it's riding pretty sweetly! As the old saying goes, "Like the needle in a record groove!"
Here's a vid I took on the 28th, on our way to look at the sofa. I wanted to capture just how good the BX's suspension is at dealing with crap roads, and the ones in our industrial estate were ideal, as they are truly s
te.https://youtu.be/gevuIZeLqjo
Considering those spheres are 7 years old, it's riding pretty sweetly! As the old saying goes, "Like the needle in a record groove!"
Congratulations on all your hard work and what an amazing present for your Dad!
threadlock said:
I just caught up with the full story after forgetting for a few years. Thanks, Kitchski - I enjoyed the story and your writing style! It's all a great advert for your skills and your business. Hope your dad's still enjoying the car.
It's really weird that you just bumped this, as I was thinking about it about 15mins before I noticed! We're painting a very pitted sump pan at work, and I was trying to remember what I did with this! As for my Dad....I don't think he's used it much after all that 
FerdiZ28 said:
Maintains an excellent read this thread, good work OP and a very intriguing/endearing car.
One thing I’ve always wondered, is the one spoke steering wheel sturdy? Or does it flex on the top half?
Thanks. The wheel flexes a bit if you tug at it, but the steering's quite light and quick geared, so you're never really hauling on it anyway. It's never been a problem, put it that way.One thing I’ve always wondered, is the one spoke steering wheel sturdy? Or does it flex on the top half?
This thread is due an update soon, though, as the BX GT is booked in for Bicester Sunday Scramble on 6th October. I've also applied to get it into Goodwood's 80s breakfast club (cos I thought what could be more 80s than this?!) Not guaranteed to be accepted to that, though.
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