My bodged Citroen BX 16v
Discussion
Kitchski said:
CarlosV8 said:
Love this car, can't wait to see it back on the road! I miss my BX 16v, the Xsara VTS isn't quite the same!
Xsara VTS is quicker though, believe it or not! Off the line they're neck and neck, but only because this BX is chipped and can rev higher. If I was changing up at the standard rev limit the Xsara would have nosed ahead.After 80mph, the Xsara starts pulling off. After *ahem* 120mph, the Xsara just f
ks off! Not even close! Mi16 1.9 might be cooler etc, but the GTi-6 lumps definately have more grunt!Edited by S10 GTA on Wednesday 10th November 09:43
Glad I'm not the only wierdo that is strangely attracted to this car. I agree, you just can't beat a whacky old fast french car, so much character and intrigue.
Amazing to think they actually developed and built a car like this, when you think of the dull boxes PSA churn out today.
Admire the dedication here, hope you turn it into a minter! Keep us updated.
Amazing to think they actually developed and built a car like this, when you think of the dull boxes PSA churn out today.
Admire the dedication here, hope you turn it into a minter! Keep us updated.
Holy thread resurrection! I forgot I'd ever started this!
Well fast forward to today then. I got all the welding done (though it was very cold when I did it and I wasn't enjoying myself, which kinda showed in the work, so I plan to do it again right at a later date.
After I'd attacked the welding, I took the car into work to finish off some of the reassembly jobs I had to do. It made life alot easier being able to crack on during the evenings there!
Once I'd got it all back together, it failed the MOT on a number plate lamp! Popped it back on the road and pressed it into daily service in the middle of the last winter and it's just carried on from there. It went on a PH south coast organised R/R day, where it surprised everyone (including me!) with an est. flywheel output of 176.2bhp. Personally, I wasn't convinced that was right - luckily we're in the last processes of fitting a rolling road at work so I might get to try it on that if I'm lucky and see what the truth is. To be honest, times matter more than graphs anyway, don't they?
After that I've just been using it everyday. My commute to work is short and sweet, meaning the car never warms up fully and I'm doing well to better 25mpg! It's run very well in all that time, except for a pair of knackered anti-roll bar links. I haven't even serviced it in the last 3 years or so (it's only covered 5k miles in that time, but it is running high grade oil.
I took my 2yr old twin boys out for the day in it during the "summer" which included a trip to Tangmere air museum:
Took it to a local car show:
And these are the most recent pics of it, taken at a recent PH meet (the purpose of which will hopefully be revealed soon!)
I'm not going to subject it to another winter on salty roads, I think it's had it's fair share. It'll actually be heading for a garage to live in at our new house (all being well). I'll probably try and get it on the road next year on a classic policy, but until then I'm looking forward to just enjoying driving it, which I never seem to stop doing.
Well fast forward to today then. I got all the welding done (though it was very cold when I did it and I wasn't enjoying myself, which kinda showed in the work, so I plan to do it again right at a later date.
After I'd attacked the welding, I took the car into work to finish off some of the reassembly jobs I had to do. It made life alot easier being able to crack on during the evenings there!
Once I'd got it all back together, it failed the MOT on a number plate lamp! Popped it back on the road and pressed it into daily service in the middle of the last winter and it's just carried on from there. It went on a PH south coast organised R/R day, where it surprised everyone (including me!) with an est. flywheel output of 176.2bhp. Personally, I wasn't convinced that was right - luckily we're in the last processes of fitting a rolling road at work so I might get to try it on that if I'm lucky and see what the truth is. To be honest, times matter more than graphs anyway, don't they?
After that I've just been using it everyday. My commute to work is short and sweet, meaning the car never warms up fully and I'm doing well to better 25mpg! It's run very well in all that time, except for a pair of knackered anti-roll bar links. I haven't even serviced it in the last 3 years or so (it's only covered 5k miles in that time, but it is running high grade oil.
I took my 2yr old twin boys out for the day in it during the "summer" which included a trip to Tangmere air museum:
Took it to a local car show:
And these are the most recent pics of it, taken at a recent PH meet (the purpose of which will hopefully be revealed soon!)
I'm not going to subject it to another winter on salty roads, I think it's had it's fair share. It'll actually be heading for a garage to live in at our new house (all being well). I'll probably try and get it on the road next year on a classic policy, but until then I'm looking forward to just enjoying driving it, which I never seem to stop doing.
Great thread. Had a new one back in 1988. E339VUX if you're still out there which I very much doubt. Fantastic car.
Car was incredibly comfortable and at the time reliable. Did 80,000 miles in 18 months. Only issue I had was when my Panasonic phone was removed from the boot, the car stank of fuel. The muppet that had fitted it had screwed the bracket through the fuel tank so had to get that replaced.
Still hanker after one but I guess few and far between
Car was incredibly comfortable and at the time reliable. Did 80,000 miles in 18 months. Only issue I had was when my Panasonic phone was removed from the boot, the car stank of fuel. The muppet that had fitted it had screwed the bracket through the fuel tank so had to get that replaced.
Still hanker after one but I guess few and far between
Excellent thread. I had a 89 F plate 16v in red back in 1996. Fantastic car and quick. Dodgy suspension on mine though, rear spheres I believe which led to it bouncing up and down when driving along. The adjustable ride height never failed to impress my mates in their XR2 and RS turbos. After I sold it, for a profit, I had a couple of Mi16's, one of the best cars I've owned. A few years later I owns a ZX volcane 8v, this taught me the fun of lift off oversteer 
E31Shrew said:
Great thread. Had a new one back in 1988. E339VUX if you're still out there which I very much doubt. Fantastic car.
Car was incredibly comfortable and at the time reliable. Did 80,000 miles in 18 months. Only issue I had was when my Panasonic phone was removed from the boot, the car stank of fuel. The muppet that had fitted it had screwed the bracket through the fuel tank so had to get that replaced.
Still hanker after one but I guess few and far between
I've driven past a couple sat in someones garden in a Ironbridge a few times, VUX seems to ring a bell for some reason. There is a white one and a red one.Car was incredibly comfortable and at the time reliable. Did 80,000 miles in 18 months. Only issue I had was when my Panasonic phone was removed from the boot, the car stank of fuel. The muppet that had fitted it had screwed the bracket through the fuel tank so had to get that replaced.
Still hanker after one but I guess few and far between
Thats one thing this car always manages to do....brings out tales of similar cars others have had with fond memories! AX GT's always seem to do the same. To everyone else its a stty old French car!
The mk1's didn't have indicator stalks and the like. They had this system called PRN (I forget what it stood for) but it basically put all the switchgear into little pods on either side of the steering wheel. Looked a bit weird and took gtting used to, but once you did it actually made sense! Can't say the same about the rotating drum speedo and LED rev counter, but they were good fun!
There was also a model called the Digit, based on the mk1 19GT. Had digital dials with shift lights and rolling speedo. If you knew what one was, then had a look at a Lamborghihi Reventon dash operating you'd have to ask the question!
tty old French car!The mk1's didn't have indicator stalks and the like. They had this system called PRN (I forget what it stood for) but it basically put all the switchgear into little pods on either side of the steering wheel. Looked a bit weird and took gtting used to, but once you did it actually made sense! Can't say the same about the rotating drum speedo and LED rev counter, but they were good fun!
There was also a model called the Digit, based on the mk1 19GT. Had digital dials with shift lights and rolling speedo. If you knew what one was, then had a look at a Lamborghihi Reventon dash operating you'd have to ask the question!
Not alot to update. It's parked on a farm at the moment looking a bit grim. Going to pick it up again tonight though - quietly excited! How sad is that? You own a (comparitively slow, regular) car 8 years, don't drive it for 3 days and get excited at the prospect of driving it again? Just goes to show how much more important character and fun-factor is over value I guess.
I might be retrofitting air-con to it soon though, as well as ripping all the panels off and performing rust-prevention measures underneath to avoid the carnage you had with that Peugeot!
I might be retrofitting air-con to it soon though, as well as ripping all the panels off and performing rust-prevention measures underneath to avoid the carnage you had with that Peugeot!
Love for French oddities has stretched to 'our Cheryl too:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/qr1bkbWKevE
(Just cover your ears, you'll be fine)
http://www.youtube.com/embed/qr1bkbWKevE
(Just cover your ears, you'll be fine)
Kitchski said:
I might be retrofitting air-con to it soon though, as well as ripping all the panels off and performing rust-prevention measures underneath to avoid the carnage you had with that Peugeot!
BX with air con... that'll be pretty rare, think I've only ever seen a photo of one of them.Controls are mounted in the tiny horizontal gap below the central air vents IIRC
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