Is the recession biting BX ownership

Anything about BXs
Dollywobbler
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Post by Dollywobbler »

Aye, very true. But it's easy for the tinker-happy to see BX ownership as trouble-free. If you can't do the work yourself, the BX can seem like a very expensive prospect. A cheap Mundano that you can just throw away if a problem develops (and get good scrap money for at the moment) makes much more sense from a bangernomics point of view, though I do agree that far too many people are put off old cars unecessarily. As you say, a well looked after car of any era is a fairly safe bet.
anaconda
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Post by anaconda »

I do very little to my car as im pretty useless so rely on garages. Like any older car if you chose carefully you reduce the risk of problems. Its also a case of finding a garage which doesnt charge an arm and a leg for work, or in other words wont charge 'southern' prices. Like every one else I could do without forking out cash all the time, but with a bit of luck a low mileage BX which has been cared for shouldnt be too onerous to own and run.

As far as the status of the BX is concerned it does seem to be an aquired taste (cult?). When I swopped my DS for the BX quite a few people wondered what I was doing, but there are still people who recognise the BX as special, just in smaller numbers. I think appreciation will grow, but Id agree we're already at the stage where owners are real enthusiasts rather than just general car owners
1991 BX TGD Saloon
1990 VW T25 Camper. Currently on sabbatical
Dollywobbler
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Post by Dollywobbler »

Anaconda - I fully recommend having a go yourself. I have gone from doing absolutely nothing on my own cars to pretty much doing all of the maintenance. It really does help to get to know your car and saves a bloomin' fortune. Mind you, the main problem is time. I'm self-employed so its easy for me to make time for tinkering. When I had a full-time job, this was much more difficult.
kiwi
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Post by kiwi »

I have two BXs the second was originally destined to be a parts car 3 years ago but with using parts from a 3rd one and getting minor issues fixed over the time it has been invaluable as a 3rd vehicle for us.

The problem is not so much the recession for us as being able to get parts! a couple of years ago there was a sudden flood of secondhand parts and now even the whole BXs have dried up as the value has dropped to what can only be described as an acceptable loss.

I have reached a point where the BX is no longer the primary car and one of them has to go to get a newer vehicle in the fold and last week I was sorely tempted by a reasonably priced Xsara.

Keeping a BX as a spare car is probably the best way to keep them alive.

It is the age of the vehicle and difficulty in getting parts eg Octopus pipe thats the problem.
Mothman

Post by Mothman »

[Keeping a BX as a spare car is probably the best way to keep them alive.

It is the age of the vehicle and difficulty in getting parts eg Octopus pipe thats the problem.[/quote]

Ile second that.

Ime not a mechanic but have managed to change radiator, alternator and many other parts on my own, others such as sphere's etc with help from a mate and am ready to do more. A donor motor is in my book becoming a real requirement to keep these motors going. However i can understand the difficulty of storing such a vehicle. ime lucky with plenty of space.

Also, a forum such as this is a godsend for advice, parts and such a willingness from members to help each other. Bloody glad i found it. Also grateful for the windups[Kiwi].

Andy
philhod
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Post by philhod »

The only reason I'm selling K39 is financial. I retired in 2008.
Oh this is the wrong time to retire say the pension people (as though I had any choice) so I can no longer afford to run 2 cars.
Fortunately I am a better mechanic than most garages and still do any work myself. I have always saved any spares I came across and those will go with the car.
Anyone who wants or needs to start to do their own work should have a go. It really isn't that hard, all you need is a decent manual and set of tools.
There is plenty of expert adviceavailable on here and other sites.
A number of us have actually been out to help members who got stuck.
So, if your feeling the pinch, have a go. 8)
You don't need to keep the whole car. Just strip all the bitz you need and scrap the shell
67 and still rockin (but not in a chair)
mds141
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Post by mds141 »

I think i have been lucky with the recession issue. Being a HGV driver i know of a lot of fellow drivers who have been laid off, but they have been in general haulage. The company i work for specialises in refrigerated transport mainly supermarket RDC work. The produce is mainly staple foodstuffs ie chicken, dairy produce and the like, so i suppose no matter how desperate things become, people still have to put food on their table. I feel for anyone who has or is about to be negatively impacted by the fiscal situation at the moment. Keep smiling whenever possibile and don't let the bastards grind you down. :)
Mark Smith

Is it just me or is everything shit?

1989 BX GTi 16 valve. Blanc Alpine. Completed the Citroen Classic Challenge Ecosse and 1337 miles without a hitch.
2000 XM VSX 2.1 td Auto. Rouge Magenta.
TGD saloon many years ago.

1990 Swift 'Corniche' 12/2 aka BXClub HQ.
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citsncycles
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Post by citsncycles »

The problem is not so much the recession for us as being able to get parts! a couple of years ago there was a sudden flood of secondhand parts and now even the whole BXs have dried up as the value has dropped to what can only be described as an acceptable loss.
At the risk of upsetting people (not my intention I promise), this is the situation that will eventually separate die hard enthusiasts from people who like BX's but are really after cheap transport.

The BX is truly at a crossroads now and can go one of 2 ways. The ideal way is the direction of the 2CV and DS (among others), where there are enough fans willing to buy new parts as opposed to 2nd hand to keep the remanufacture of these parts by specialists going, assuring a long future for these cars.

The other direction is that gone down by models like the GS and Visa, where too high a proportion of owners during the 'banger' stage kept their cars running by breaking other vehicles as they didn't want to spend too much money. This results in either nothing being available unless it's common to other models, or (as is the case now with the GS) any parts that are made are expensive due to the small batch sizes being made. I'm willing to pay these prices, but wish I didn't have to!

With the rise in prices for BX's I've seen in the last year or 2 (for good examples of some models at least), the BX is coming out of banger status. This is a critical stage in BX survival and why I tried (as much as anyone can) to make sure mine went to an enthusiast and was as good as I could economically make it. The survival rate now will decide whether the BX is a practical classic, or just classic.

Apologies if I went slightly OT here, but I feel it's relevant, as a recession will adversly affect the number of cars kept on the road, whatever the age or model.
Mike Sims
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anaconda
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Post by anaconda »

Dollywobbler wrote:Anaconda - I fully recommend having a go yourself. I have gone from doing absolutely nothing on my own cars to pretty much doing all of the maintenance. It really does help to get to know your car and saves a bloomin' fortune. Mind you, the main problem is time. I'm self-employed so its easy for me to make time for tinkering. When I had a full-time job, this was much more difficult.

Getting started is the issue. So i'll probably change the oil and filters easy enough, though I notice talk about a specific tool to get the sump nut out! hmm. It seems that getting useful on a welder would be a good idea but that sounds pretty daunting. Waxoiling may be worthwhile too.

Where you self taught? I wonder whether there's any appetite amongst the regulars for a BX technical weekend or similar, so idiots like me can learn. Id be happy to arrange if theres interest.
1991 BX TGD Saloon
1990 VW T25 Camper. Currently on sabbatical
tim
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Post by tim »

Jay, who is charging you £100 f/c?? Mine is due up and the cheapest I can get is £160 fc from Saga (showing me age!) - tried Lankester and NFU but all too high. 1992 just falls outside the classic bracket alas.
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