The other, not quite so clean, StTropez blog....

[Stinkwheel]

Well after a suggestion from Charlotte i have had to spring into action and keep you all up to date with the another StTropez on the forum.
Not quite as nice (or nowhere near) as Des's fully restored example, but shes not a bad old thing and quite a nice drive, I implore anyone who hasnt sampled a 1.4 TU engined BX to do so if they should get a chance. The weight upfront isnt as much as other BX's and they are so nicely balanced and sprightly, thanks to a well matched set of cogs in the gearbox.

Here is a pic of her taken today....


She has been around these parts since february 2010, when she looked more like this....


At first she gave sterling performance, but unfortunately trouble soon came when she needed some serious inner wing, under water bottle and a little inner sill welding.
So being a practical sort, I got the hot spanner out and MIG'd her up and continued to drive her daily.

One fine evening late in 2010 I found a tatty mk3 golf GTI and youngish lad driving, that wanted to fill her mirrors and push the old citroen a bit, so i and the StTropez rose to the occasion and had a little spirited drive, managing to stay easily in front of the old VW, which was it has to be said, being driven by a fool.
Annoyingly about 20 minutes later, as i neared my parents house, a cloud of green mist appeared, yes thats right folks, that high pressure leak anyone who has driven Hydraulic citroens for years knows only too well.
Limping her back to the folks place (just round the corner at this point) i parked up and began some further investigation, only to find.............this...........



Yes, basically the wrong pump for this model/engine combo and definitely the wrong 6.35mm HP pipe from pump to regulator. Hence the pipe had fractured as it had no 'give' thats allowed by the clever way the correct factory pipe is routed and bent.

Luckily a kind forum member here put me onto a 14 being broken and i contacted Medway Citroen and rescued a correct HP pump (which turned out came from Charlotte's old red BX14 - Small world)
I also managed to buy another as a spare from Ken on the forum. More HP pumps the merrier I say.

More adventures have followed and some i may even recount here soon, and also any new bits of work and fun stuff we encounter from here on in. The car will mainly be driven by Charlotte as her commuter now, so, watch this space folks

[mat_fenwick]

The only BX14 I've driven was coincidentally a St Tropez, although a LHD one over in France. It felt very odd, being in a car that was so familiar yet so different, both in responsiveness (better) and being on the 'wrong' side. I echo the comments about the engine though, which I'm a fan of anyway from 205 days.

[Stinkwheel]

You are correct Mat, The StTropez feels very different to get into than other 'big' engine BX's. Refreshingly so, same but different

Forgot to mention how many owners this car has had on the forum...
Tim, Phil, Matt C and myself just to my knowledge, any more care to hold up a hand to having owned her?

[Tim Leech]

Im glad the old girl lives on, when I bought her in 2009 she was in a right state, dented, filthy, and a half chewed interior, I paid £50 for it as it was either me or the scrap man. It drove really well though after we changed the very bent wheel.

[Stinkwheel]

Im glad the old girl lives on, when I bought her in 2009 she was in a right state, dented, filthy, and a half chewed interior, I paid £50 for it as it was either me or the scrap man. It drove really well though after we changed the very bent wheel.

Well saved Tim,

I believe that the chap you got it from was an freelance classic journo (much like our own Dollywobbler) and i know there were some pages floating round the web of the StTropez whilst it was in his care, although i can no longer find them after a quick google.

[Tim Leech]

Im glad the old girl lives on, when I bought her in 2009 she was in a right state, dented, filthy, and a half chewed interior, I paid £50 for it as it was either me or the scrap man. It drove really well though after we changed the very bent wheel.

Well saved Tim,

I believe that the chap you got it from was an freelance classic journo (much like our own Dollywobbler) and i know there were some pages floating round the web of the StTropez whilst it was in his care, although i can no longer find them after a quick google.

He was indeed, fourwheelsteer? I had two BX's off him actually, the first a very tired and equally filthy (but free) 19TRS auto which has a water leak which meant it was off to the scrappers, turned out it was just a pipe to the autobox cooler which was easily sorted and cleaned up well! Complete pig to start though and had quite alot of rust issues, but lovely ride. Passed free to Mr C who it then reappeared in the hands of Mr Dickinson (anyone seen him recently) then Ray Fenwick but has since been squished. When I picked up the St Tropez he was testing a Proton of some description which was rather awful. I remember the boot of the 14 to be full of empty LHM bottles...it had a leak previously which was sorted with a replacement pump (hence the bodge). I asked to use the loo and he reluctantly obliged......seems he may be one of these "hoarder" types as Ive never seen so much stuff in a small flat! Nice chap though.

http://fourwheelsteer.blogspot.co.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Stinkwheel]

Thats the very one Tim.

In fact, hopefully this link will show the St Tropez content from his very blog....
http://fourwheelsteer.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=St+Tropez" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Tim Leech]

Thats how I got it, complete with hair lip, badly creased drivers wing and a dog chewed drivers door panel. Exhaust which was totally fitted wrong and wasnt allowing the spare to be fitted and a headlamp which lost its lens when you braked hard!

http://www.bxclub.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10932" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Tim Leech]

I did "luck out" as the americans say as the dealer in Louth had a complete St Tropez stripe kit!....hence why its the correct colour.

[Stinkwheel]

I did "luck out" as the americans say as the dealer in Louth had a complete St Tropez stripe kit!....hence why its the correct colour.

I still have the unused remnants of that kit Tim for 'back-up' use.

Or for correct matching of colours when i get a full set made up
(my other half isnt a talented Graphic Design artist for no benefit you know )

[RxBX]

Thats the very one Tim.

In fact, hopefully this link will show the St Tropez content from his very blog....
http://fourwheelsteer.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=St+Tropez" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Hi Matt, as I can't see a link for your St Tropez, (When in Tims ownership) whilst getting it spruced up into a decent state, after a good clean, service and MOT (With a small amount of help from me too ) hopefully you have seen/read it ?

But if not and for the folks that haven't TIM's ST. TROPEZ BLOG !



.

[Dollywobbler]

I haven't owned this car, but it really is a bit of a club bike. I once gave it a good ragging around Lake Vyrnwy. I was very impressed. Might consider going 14 if I get myself another BX. Short gearing would be a boon around here - no motorways!

[BX Bandit]

It's funny, I've never seen the 'point' of a 1.4 or indeed any petrol BX bar the 16v but I often wonder if I've missed something. It's been 3 months without a BX and I have serious withdrawal symptoms!

[Tim Leech]

It's funny, I've never seen the 'point' of a 1.4 or indeed any petrol BX bar the 16v but I often wonder if I've missed something. It's been 3 months without a BX and I have serious withdrawal symptoms!

Horses for courses I guess, benefit of the 1.4 is the cheap tax, slightly better fuel than the 1.6 and of course its alot cheaper (new anyway than the 1.6).

[Dollywobbler]

The 1.4 is surprisingly good fun as well. Short gearing and light weight means they accelerate with surprising vigour!