Citroen BX GTI 16V: PH Fleet
No, the rest of Alex's BX hasn't just disintegrated...
Nurse! Let the transplant operation commence!
Every time I sit down to write an update on the BX, I ask myself whether, on balance, it's been a good month for the car. It's fair to say I've probably answered 'no' about as many times as I've said 'yes'. But this month, I'm glad to be able to say it's the latter.
Most recently it's been the turn of the interior. And friend and resident BX wrangler Rich can confirm that with a socket set in one hand and a spanner in the other, I become to the field of mechanics what Dr Nick Riviera is to open heart surgery, which is why I normally leave these things to him. But an interior's just nuts and bolts - what could possibly go wrong?
Over the course of the day, we managed to swap the BX's Le Mans interior - from a very late 16V and therefore not correct - with a Monza-trimmed example that's both true to the car's age and in far better nick.
Mmm, velour. Correct velour at that. Double Mmm.
I have to say a big thanks to Rich, for allowing me to plunder the spares car he'd just acquired for the bits we needed. Top man. I like to think it got a lot of itself back, if that makes sense. Plenty has been put right. Little things like courtesy lights and the lights-on buzzer now work where they didn't. And of course, there are the seats - not only do they look right, but because the foam padding's in better nick, they're better to sit in and don't sag. Small steps, I know, but they mean we're getting somewhere, and they bring a smile to my face.
Of course, there are still some things on the list to sort. The most pressing concern is the oil leak I mentioned last report. Which turned out not to be an oil leak at all, but rather a fine mist of atomised high-pressure LHM emanating from a pinhole fracture in one of the pipes. A job that's most definitely not for these pudgy hands, so it'll go back to Southways for a fix over winter. Meanwhile here's to the good days and 'yes' months ahead.
No, it's cold and wet. I'm not coming out.
Winter has descended and opportunities for automotive enjoyment are becoming scarce. So, keep it on the road, or lock it away 'til spring? When the insurance and tax ran out at the beginning of December the question answered itself and winter hibernation beckoned.
There's still fettling to be done though.
You might remember I took the BX down to Huets to bring its stereo system kicking and screaming into the 21st century; sadly that didn't include the speakers but Peter from Huets agreed to supply some new ones for me to test out.
The door speakers were junked in favour of a pair of JL Audio C2-525 two-ways. Fortunately there were already grilles in the dash for the tweeters, and with the woofers being the same size as the standard holes, there was no need to cut the door cards about. The result is that the whole lot looks suitably standard to the unsuspecting eye - exactly as I'd hoped.
'Boy racer' 6x9s in place in the parcel shelf
Peter assured me they'd sound good - and he wasn't wrong. I'm no car audio expert but my deeply embarrassing music collection now sounds crisp and sharp, rather than hollow and fuzzy. I'm still chuffed with the head unit, too. It's also jolly marvellous that I can have a hands-free phone conversation and listen to my choice of DAB or internet radio in a car that dates from 1989.
I've all that to look forward to when I get the car back on the road - in spring, or beforehand. In the meantime, there's much work to be done, so I'd best stop faffing around with my volume control and get cracking. Or, y'know, ask someone else to, when I inevitably break what I'm meant to be fixing.
FACT SHEET
Car: 1989 Citroen BX GTI 16V
Run by: Scrof
Bought: April 2013
Purchase price: £800
Last month at a glance: Alex gets hands-on with sorting the BX from the inside out
Previous reports:
Alex indulges a long-held dream ... yes, a white Citroen BX
BX gets a tidy up ahead of daily driver duties
'Character' traits aplenty with Alex's Citroen
The BX is back on the road ... sort of
Feeling cool and looking good, well, the Citroen is at least
Smoke signals from the BX, and news isn't good
There's a rather lovely early BX GT on eBay at the moment, not cheap but very, very tidy!
My old one G675 YLL is showing as unlicensed, and was last due 01/08/1997. I wonder what happened to it.
Stef
BTW, does anyone else think that those BX front seats would make for an amazing armchair? I still regret not keeping one of the brown velour chairs out of my GSA years back, mmmmmmmm velour.......
BTW, does anyone else think that those BX front seats would make for an amazing armchair? I still regret not keeping one of the brown velour chairs out of my GSA years back, mmmmmmmm velour.......
I had a pair of the later fabric ones fitted to an old Defender of mine, best £40 I'd spent on the Land Rover!!
Stef
I owned a 1991 16v from 6 months old, and put 70,000 miles on it. A fantastic car, comfortable economical in normal use and very fast when all the revs are used.
My father took it over and ran it to 165,000 miles (135,000 on the first clutch) at which point it started burning oil and he retired it. He liked it so much he can't bring himself to get rid of it as it failed to sell and he doesn't want to scrap it. It is difficult to think of a modern car with the space/economy/performance of the BX 16V they are all far too heavy.
Duncan
I drove it a fair bit and it was like a rocketship, but not one you'd want to take to the moon - I only too clearly remember the power steering deciding it didn't want to play as I threw it into a hairpin bend that led over a reservoir. I'm amazed I kept it out of the wall!
I would suggest you cover those 6 x 9 speakers - the last time I put a set in a Citroen was the last time I saw them. Some scrotes smashed the rear glass of my AX 1.4 Forte (insurance friendly gti) while I was shopping for a surround sound amp in Farnsworth, Bolton. At the time I didn't know what a delightful little ghetto the area was, and the little f
kers ran off with the whole parcel shelf, newly installed 6 by 9s still attached.Great cars though, even if a bit flakey- you can't beat lightweight for performance.
Give it to Mr Harris for a session round Anglesea for the next update I reckon. I'd love someone in a qualified position to give their recent opinion on one, having driven loads of more modern stuff. It'd be a culture shock!
Monkey!! Time to brush off your beret and don the stripey t-shirt 
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