I'm breaking my TZD - anyone want the engine?

[Linegeist]

I've finally done the math and made the decision. I'm going to strip the TZD Break for donor spares for the Athena.

This means that there are a number of diesel specific bits going begging - the engine's done about 80,000 miles and runs like a watch, starts first time and pulls like a train. 45-50mpg and doesn't use oil at all. There's also the tailgate, interior, etc, etc.......

Now, I happen to want a 1.6 petrol engine to overhaul as a spare motor ('cos I'm paranoid) ..... and if anyone wanted to swap one for this TZD motor complete with pump, exhaust, intercooler, turbo, etc .......

[toddao]

Don't do it!

[ken newbold]

Are you mad

[Linegeist]

Oh!

What am I doing wrong?

[citronut]

Bob arnt trains on ANGLSEA steam TEA HE,

regards malcolm

[toddao]

It just sounds too good to break really and from what I've seen of your pics - also you really sold that engine ' runs like a watch' etc. Sounds good to me. I recall that you had some space issues with the wife's runabout etc taking up space that could better be filled with a BX shaped item, but to pull it apart?
Obviously you're a free man and you can do what you like - within reason! - but is it really neccessary? It wouldn't provide that many parts for the Athena would it?
I would have tried to say that last night but I'd had a small beer but I'm not sure that I've expressed it that much better this morning!

[Tim Leech]

Oh!

What am I doing wrong?

NO NO NO NO NO!

Dont do it Bob, nice TZDs are getting rare now, if theres not much wrong with it then keep hold of her.

[Linegeist]

Okay already........ If I stop struggling, will you quit kicking me?

Look, here's my logic.

The TZD's a bit tatty, despite the pictures - she photographs well. She was the working runabout while we spent the last 3 years restoring our 19th century farmhouse. She's carried cement, bricks, timber, cement ...... and it shows. She really needs a respray, both bumpers are rough (the old chap who owned her previously had his licence taken off him by his doctor, apparently because he kept driving into walls and stuff) and the tyres are on their last legs.

The upsides are it's mechanically excellent. But then I finally have an immaculate Athena that's coming along nicely (plus a couple of motorbikes, the VW Bora, bicycles, etc, etc). The Athena's a much more sensible car for pootling around the island's lanes - the TZD only ever got to stretch her legs once a month when went down the dual carriageway to Bangor - and then it was a case of clear the crap out of the turbo before letting her have her head. Out here in Brundtstrom country (the mad druid Ex Chief Constable with the speed fetish and a kink for cameras), that's licence-losing behaviour with a TZD!

I can use all the TZD suspension bits for my parts pool, along with the electrics and control gear. All the door panels will fit the Athena as will the new windscreen. The steering gear will come in usefull as insurance as will all the hydraulic subsystems. That just leaves the low mileage engine, gearbox and exhaust.

I'm not going to have time to strip and respray the TZD to the standard I'd want, but I know there are folks on here who could put the diesel specific bits to good use - and the interior trim if anyone's in need. I'm not looking to flog this stuff - I'd like to do as many members as I can a favour while seeing if I can net myself a rebuildable 1.6 petrol engine.

Am I still mad? It seemed a sensible set of choices yesterday evening - now I feel like I need my bumps felt. Is this bullying?????

[Philip Chidlow]

Whatever you want to do, mate. A good TZD engine and ancillaries will find another BX to keep going (which otherwise might've died) so the net result hopefully, will be that there will be two (including the Athena) BXs kept alive anyway.

[Linegeist]

I think Phil's just said, in a dozen words, what it just took me half a page to do ..............

[Tim Leech]

Unless you sell the TZD estate?

[Linegeist]

But then I won't have the spare struts, brakes, piping, lamps, alternator, battery, glass ...........................

It's a conundra-wotsit, innit?

[mat_fenwick]

I think Bob's got the right idea with a spares car. It's not going to get any easier to find good second hand (or new) bits, especially in the wilds of Wales. Here's another idea though - sell the TZD and get a 1.6 hatch as a spares car? Downsides are that not many people will want to go to Anglesey to get the TZD, and the new spares car would be an unknown quantity, although would have more compatible parts.
If you do get rid of the TZD complete, I may well be interested in it for spares (if I am allowed to say that!)

[Tim Leech]

As 1.6s are so cheap and unwanted you shoud be able to get a 1.6 spares cars I would expect.

[Linegeist]

The problem for me is that I know the TZD and its history. It's a for-real 1-owner, 80,000 mile car. Okay, so the old chap who originally bought it new had poor depth perception, but he never thrashed it, the running gear's perfect, the engine leak free and the car's a known quantity for me.

F'rinstance, I know the front suspension legs are both in superb condition (for an 80k motor, natch'), the spheres are only 18 months old, and I've serviced the car for the last 4 years using Castrol's fully synthetic engine oil. I know the brakes are all perfect and unseized and, in short, there are no gotcha's.

I'd be mad to exchange it for an unknown car because I'd have no guarantee that the parts would be usable when the time came to use them.

I'm starting to feel guilty about even thinking of slotting Teezie now ........