End of BX life crisis

BX Tech talk
User avatar
Vanny
Merseyside resident
Posts: 3581
Joined: Tue May 17, 2005 11:48 pm
Location: BXProject
My Cars: BX 16v Ph2 - Jazz
BX 16v Ph2 - XPO
x 79
Contact:

Re: End of BX life crisis

Post by Vanny »

Jaba wrote:
Vanny wrote: Getting alignment is a simple enough task, made easier with the Thatcham repair book or the Citroen Workshop Manual.
Vanny, how would the Citroen Workshop Manual(which I don't have) help ?
It has a rather long and rather dull section detailing the jigging rig (both brands) used to setup the body of a BX for repair. Normally a completely pointless section of the manual, but it this case it would allow you to put the sub frame back into place with millimeter precision as you will know exactly how the car was aligned as it rolled out of the factory. In theory you could remake the entire jigging frame from scratch if you so wished, though this would probably take the same amount of time as making a BX from panels!

Oh and with regard buying a new shell, forget it, they only did saloon shells as an after sales part, they where around £6k when they last had one, you had to pay up front, there was a 3 month (i think) lead time, and they haven't been available for 10 ish years. I did ask Citroen for one once, as a joke, but they took it seriously and tried to find one!
User avatar
Jaba
1K Away
Posts: 1893
Joined: Tue Jul 05, 2005 7:54 am
Location: Usually in the garage
My Cars: BX GTi, C3 Auto
x 80

Re: End of BX life crisis

Post by Jaba »

The decision is made. It is not repairable economically. And as I was going to sell it this year anyway it is now officially dead.
I am going to be parting it over the summer. The engine is a goodun as witnessed at Kitch's powerfest in March. So as I need a working engine in my Hurricane it will go in there and the rest will be stripped of anything worthwhile and then sent to local cubist.

Some of you may be interested in some of its innards, I have a collection of speedlines to move on too.

I have just worked out the stats for this car.
I bought it ten years ago for £600 with 73210 miles recorded, I have added another 33,000 miles, spent £1620 keeping it running and got an average of 45.5mpg. Cheap motoring indeed.
The Joy of BX with just one Citroën BX to my name now. Will I sing Bye Bye to my GTI or will it be Till death us do part.
Defender110
Over 2k
Posts: 5917
Joined: Wed Dec 16, 2009 8:02 pm
Location: Harwood, Bolton
My Cars: Land Rover Discovery Series 1 200tdi 3 door
Land Rover Discovery Series 2 Facelift TD5
2020 Fiat Panda cross 4x4 twin air.
x 27

Re: End of BX life crisis

Post by Defender110 »

Probably a very wise decision; despite the well-meaning moral support IMHO if it’s buggered that bad there then they are usually buggered in a lot of other places too. How safe you would be in an RTA has also got to be considered. Making a decision just on the pictures in this thread then I would have come to the same conclusion and I am a qualified welder. A great shame but not as bad as it would be for others with only one BX.
Kevan
1997 Mercedes C230 W202
2003 Land Rover Discovery Series 2 Facelift TD5 - Daily driver / hobby days and camping.
1993 Land Rover Discovery 200tdi Series 1 3 door - in need of TLC
2020 Fiat Panda 4x4 Cross Twin Air.
User avatar
BX Bandit
Backslash Bandit
Posts: 2588
Joined: Thu Aug 31, 2006 7:46 am
Location: Home
My Cars: Cars
x 3

Re: End of BX life crisis

Post by BX Bandit »

So 106,000 which isn't that much for a BX, but just goes to show the life of body work/structural underpinnings is not necessarily determined by miles.
My TGD did nearly 200K and the sills and sub frame mounts were pretty darned good. This was a real real work horse, treated only to mechanical maintenance. A former farmers car.
My current TZD has done 156K and went crunchy crunchy when I tried to jack it up in the exact same spot as yours failed Jaba. A west country car with the n/s constantly in mud and puddles I suspect.
Do you know the history of yours much Jaba?
1990 BX 16V Platinum Grey
1990 BX TGD White
1960 Morris Minor Clarondon Grey
1971 Triumph 2000 Auto Valencia Blue
Dollywobbler
Over 2k
Posts: 3940
Joined: Sun Dec 04, 2005 2:25 pm
Location: Wales
Contact:

Re: End of BX life crisis

Post by Dollywobbler »

A shame, but as said, that could well be just the start of the rot. Might be interested in the gearbox...
User avatar
citsncycles
Over 2k
Posts: 3224
Joined: Sun Aug 08, 2010 9:14 pm
Location: Dursley, Gloucestershire

Re: End of BX life crisis

Post by citsncycles »

What're the rear wing panels like on it? It may be worth cutting them off if they're at all repairable as they're getting sought after now!
Mike Sims
BX 19RD Estate Mk1 - Timex!
BX 4X4 Estate - Oh god, I've done it again!
BX 17RD MK1 - it called to me!
BX14 TGE, - SOLD
XM Turbo SD,GS Club Estate,Visa 17D Leader,HY Pickup,Dyane Nomad,Dyane 6,2CV AZL,Falcon S,Trabant P50,3x Land Rovers (88" series 1,109" series 2a FFR,series 2a Marshall ambulance),DKW F7, Lambretta LD150 x 1.5,Mobylette SP93,Ural Cossack,Ural M63,CZ 250 Sport,Honda Varadero 125,lots of bicycles & tricycles including (but not only) Sunbeams,Higgins & Bates!
User avatar
Jaba
1K Away
Posts: 1893
Joined: Tue Jul 05, 2005 7:54 am
Location: Usually in the garage
My Cars: BX GTi, C3 Auto
x 80

Re: End of BX life crisis

Post by Jaba »

To answer the questions :

Thats interesting Bandit.It came from a farmer near Barnstaple. It was always a low mileage but high rear underbody rust BX.
The rest of the car is pretty solid and undamaged as far as I can tell. Its just the backend/underside that shows up as obviously rusty. So if you want to cut anything off Mike then you are welcome.

I will be saving the rear suspension cylinders but will need to fit some faulty ones to keep the car mobile. So does any one have a holed or otherwise fubarred cylinder ? I hav eonly got one in stock to fit.
The Joy of BX with just one Citroën BX to my name now. Will I sing Bye Bye to my GTI or will it be Till death us do part.
User avatar
mat_fenwick
Moderator
Posts: 7326
Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2005 4:08 pm
Location: North Wales
x 19

Re: End of BX life crisis

Post by mat_fenwick »

If it's just literally to keep the shell rollable, how about a couple of lengths of wood in place of the cylinders?
Image

1993 1.9 TZD Turbo Estate
1996 3.9 V8 Discovery
1993 VW LT35 campervan
1985 Hyundai Stellar V8
2016 Hyundai iLoad
User avatar
citsncycles
Over 2k
Posts: 3224
Joined: Sun Aug 08, 2010 9:14 pm
Location: Dursley, Gloucestershire

Re: End of BX life crisis

Post by citsncycles »

Thanks Jaba - let me know when you're ready and I'll do my best to come on up.
Mike Sims
BX 19RD Estate Mk1 - Timex!
BX 4X4 Estate - Oh god, I've done it again!
BX 17RD MK1 - it called to me!
BX14 TGE, - SOLD
XM Turbo SD,GS Club Estate,Visa 17D Leader,HY Pickup,Dyane Nomad,Dyane 6,2CV AZL,Falcon S,Trabant P50,3x Land Rovers (88" series 1,109" series 2a FFR,series 2a Marshall ambulance),DKW F7, Lambretta LD150 x 1.5,Mobylette SP93,Ural Cossack,Ural M63,CZ 250 Sport,Honda Varadero 125,lots of bicycles & tricycles including (but not only) Sunbeams,Higgins & Bates!
Dollywobbler
Over 2k
Posts: 3940
Joined: Sun Dec 04, 2005 2:25 pm
Location: Wales
Contact:

Re: End of BX life crisis

Post by Dollywobbler »

mat_fenwick wrote:If it's just literally to keep the shell rollable, how about a couple of lengths of wood in place of the cylinders?
Surely it wooden be that easy? Arf arf.
Mothman

Re: End of BX life crisis

Post by Mothman »

It is bud, Mollie is 'jacked' up at the rear with wood and looks good and is at the right ride height.
Going to be sorted though soon i hope.

Andy
User avatar
Jaba
1K Away
Posts: 1893
Joined: Tue Jul 05, 2005 7:54 am
Location: Usually in the garage
My Cars: BX GTi, C3 Auto
x 80

Re: End of BX life crisis

Post by Jaba »

That's a good idea Mat. I was going to use wood, but the hard way, ( I wood woodn't I !) by fitting a piece of dowel 33cm long inside the cylinder held in place by the sphere.

There is no correct ride height though with this one as the subframe is floating downwards as the height goes upwards.

I suppose the same could be done with wooden front strut replacements too.
The Joy of BX with just one Citroën BX to my name now. Will I sing Bye Bye to my GTI or will it be Till death us do part.
Post Reply