Snotter thread - 1997 Citroen AX 1.0 Spree
Discussion
Just bought an old snotter for my girlfriend to learn to drive in / drive as her first car - a 1997 Citroen AX 1.0 Spree with about 118k on the clock.
Seems to be very sound mechanically apart from the fact the handbrake needs adjustment which I am hoping to tackle when my Haynes manual arrives. So far I've had to replace the washer pump (£19 but would've been cheaper if I'd bought one on eBay), fit a CD player because the factory radio wouldn't accept the code I had scribbled down (£5 for a CD player from a car boot and £9 for tools and adaptors to make it work from Halfords) and replace the number plates (£11) because the 16 year old dealer fit ones were badly faded and barely MOT legal. Driven a couple of hundred miles in it so far without fault - burns cleanly with no smoke and steering/brakes/etc are perfect if a blast from the past with no power assisted anything
Bodywork is dog-rough but it does appear to be solid enough.
Boatloads of history here with years worth of receipts for various repairs - a service in February and some MOT work in April totalling well over £200. I paid £300 with 12 months MOT!
Quick photo showing the difference something simple like changing the plates makes to the look:
More to follow along with some progress reports
Seems to be very sound mechanically apart from the fact the handbrake needs adjustment which I am hoping to tackle when my Haynes manual arrives. So far I've had to replace the washer pump (£19 but would've been cheaper if I'd bought one on eBay), fit a CD player because the factory radio wouldn't accept the code I had scribbled down (£5 for a CD player from a car boot and £9 for tools and adaptors to make it work from Halfords) and replace the number plates (£11) because the 16 year old dealer fit ones were badly faded and barely MOT legal. Driven a couple of hundred miles in it so far without fault - burns cleanly with no smoke and steering/brakes/etc are perfect if a blast from the past with no power assisted anything
Bodywork is dog-rough but it does appear to be solid enough.
Boatloads of history here with years worth of receipts for various repairs - a service in February and some MOT work in April totalling well over £200. I paid £300 with 12 months MOT!
Quick photo showing the difference something simple like changing the plates makes to the look:
More to follow along with some progress reports
Edited by Toaster Pilot on Wednesday 5th June 13:37
- can't believe just how mechanically sound it seems to be - really need to sort the handbrake though!
I might actually end up keeping this a bit longer - I've been offered workshop space about 20 miles from home and would need something that could get me to/from home if whatever car I'm working on needs to stay for a few days.
The whine from the transmission is comical, and I'll probably want to investigate it if I keep it longer!
The whine from the transmission is comical, and I'll probably want to investigate it if I keep it longer!
Changed the gearbox oil, it's quietened down a bit but still squeals like a good 'un when cold - I assume the level was a bit low but the release bearing is also on it's way out. Has a leak near the gear linkage, not sure if it's a seal on the linkage itself or the drivers side driveshaft, need to investigate further.
Went to change the rear brakes/wheel cylinders and the pipes/hoses are pretty crusty/perished so I'm going to be doing a bigger brake refurb than I planned.
Doesn't really make sense to do work like this to such a worthless car but I've decided to just use it as a project to tinker with / learn how to do things on
Doesn't really make sense to do work like this to such a worthless car but I've decided to just use it as a project to tinker with / learn how to do things on
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