My story - not a happy one

xonxon · Post by **xonxon** » Thu Apr 07, 2011 10:09 pm

Hi all, Firstly I wanted to say Hi, I'm new here. My name is Shaun and I come from the island of Malta.

Honestly I've never been a fan of french cars, deffo not citroen. Recently I met up with a friend I have known since the age of 5 and took me for a spin in his bx, I was amazed!!

I have a well sorted mx5 that handles well, but the way the bx treated the road surface was beyond words.

Cutting the long story short I found one last sunday for sale for 400euro, the tax had just ran out and needed an mot. The car is a 1990 1.4(modern engine) with only one owner. 2 little bits of rust flaking, less than a square inch between the lot of them, 73k on the clocks but filthy.

The owners didn't want to sell it to me prior the name changed on the v5 equivalent - we go do it at an office here and its done in 30mins.

The car was not allowed on MOT since it has a broken tail lamp, a broken front indicator and a blowing exhaust.

The owners decided they're sending it to the crusher!!!

I spent 1.5 hours at about 150 wpm trying to convince them to give it to me but they wont.....and there goes a perfectly good bx - (its been on the drive for ages, I didn't find any oil leaks) to waste

probably there are less than 20 left on the island.

I currently feel like a 5 year old who was promised of being taken to the playground, but was fooled!!

probably sharing this story with citroen lovers would make me feel slightly better.

Thanks for reading this

Kitch · Post by **Kitch** » Thu Apr 07, 2011 10:13 pm

Shame. I didn\'t see many when I was in Malta a while back. If I ever get sick of living in the UK there will be one more 16v over there though

xonxon · Post by **xonxon** » Thu Apr 07, 2011 10:13 pm

there was one on ebay yesterday, went for less than 500quid. was it worth the money?

Kitch · Post by **Kitch** » Thu Apr 07, 2011 10:29 pm

A tidy 14 is probably worth around £400-£500 yeah. A minter might be worth more, and a shed will be worth less (much less if it\'s the old suitcase engine).

A shame really, the 14 is the model slated by those who\'ve never driven one! In honesty they drive every bit as well as a 16 IMO.

xonxon · Post by **xonxon** » Thu Apr 07, 2011 10:32 pm

Im fooked. I lost the deposit paper, which was my only way outta this!!

Kitch · Post by **Kitch** » Thu Apr 07, 2011 10:44 pm

You put a deposit on it? And then they crushed it?!

xonxon · Post by **xonxon** » Thu Apr 07, 2011 10:45 pm

they havent yet (as far as i know) but theyre doing that soon!!

xonxon · Post by **xonxon** » Thu Apr 07, 2011 10:51 pm

found the deposit paper thingy at least

xonxon · Post by **xonxon** » Thu Apr 07, 2011 11:05 pm

by the way, the car is very similar to this

why is the rear bumper grey, does it lose its colour, or was it like that from the factory?

Kitch · Post by **Kitch** » Thu Apr 07, 2011 11:25 pm

Like that was it?

(we know what a BX looks like

Bumpers just discoloured. Cheap French plastic + UV sunlight= cheap faded plastic.

rayfenwick · Post by **rayfenwick** » Fri Apr 08, 2011 12:54 am

It is a pity the owners are being unreasonable - surely they will let you have the car if you offer more than the crusher will?

I miss Malta. I am currently exploring ways to go back. If you see a big Citroen or 2 in Mellieha, they will probably be mine

Paul296 · Post by **Paul296** » Fri Apr 08, 2011 12:58 am

(we know what a BX looks like)

. . . exactly like that but smaller!!

Sorry to hear about your 14 - isn't there any chance you can take your deposit receipt to them and save it from the crusher?

xonxon · Post by **xonxon** » Fri Apr 08, 2011 5:57 am

I am sure you all know what a BX looks like, didnt mean to imply that. But the actual car is almost identical to that (colour condition etc) bar being RHD. Sorry for filling the forum up with a big ass pic. Thanks for the uv info

Mellieha is a bit far from me, not really up there more than a few times a year, but I do not recall bx's, or was it somethings else you had?
Nope they wont let me have it because money is not an issue, they just made up their minds that the car is not roadworth and so deserves no better!!
I tend to think otherwise because the thing doesn't even leak!!!

Spoke to a lawyer, local legislation says that they will have to double my deposit. Will use that as a bargaining tool, maybe they don't feel like throwing money away and give me the car

wish me luck

rayfenwick · Post by **rayfenwick** » Fri Apr 08, 2011 9:41 am

xonxon wrote: Mellieha is a bit far from me, not really up there more than a few times a year,

It's always one of the things about Malta that makes me smile. Given the whole country is 14 miles by 9, people's definition of far always surprises me. Having lived in Russia and Malta I've seen both extremes I guess.

xonxon wrote:but I do not recall bx's, or was it somethings else you had?

I was there in my black XM:

xonxon wrote:Nope they wont let me have it because money is not an issue, they just made up their minds that the car is not roadworth and so deserves no better!!
I tend to think otherwise because the thing doesn't even leak!!!

Spoke to a lawyer, local legislation says that they will have to double my deposit. Will use that as a bargaining tool, maybe they don't feel like throwing money away and give me the car

wish me luck

Good luck!

xonxon · Post by **xonxon** » Fri Apr 08, 2011 10:37 am

just to get an idea of the 'far' concept. i live adjacent to the 3 cities. Anywhere else in the world is close, but here isnt lol

anyways, the photo does look like home yes

what did you do with the xm? register it locally and pay shitloads of money, or did you not stay long and took it back with you