GSF Swindon, nice peeps

Anything about BXs
Post Reply
User avatar
Thread Bear
1K Away
Posts: 1651
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 9:47 am
Location: Longcot, near Faringdon, Oxfordshire
x 1

GSF Swindon, nice peeps

Post by Thread Bear »

With Gary X wilting in the sun for a drink of LHM. He really has got a problem and needs to go to Hydroalics Anonymous drunk . I popped into GFS in Swindon. What with Gary's thirst and several more BX to resusitate, once I have finished selling Invalid Carriages and small motor vehicles for surprising prices, high and low 8) , I asked for a box of LHM litre bottles. As a sign of things to come they could not do that. However I was allowed to clear the shelf of 7 litres of Total for a very keen discounted price of a smidge over £5 a throw. Not as cheap as the very pleasent trade outlet gent that appears at the rallies =D> , but good for a retail outlet. Buying in an emergancy is more like £8 round here, if you can find a stockist. GSF no doubt knowing they can restock in a day, as they are pretty effcient moving things around, were happy to do the deal. I think seeing an older car in use helped, as there was a bit of banter and they recognise me now. Nice place to do bizz, unlike some.
Though BX now do seem to stimulate chat from folk who recognise them as something different. Not unusual to be stopped filling fuel or in the street by people asking about the car. This did not happen last year. Is it the media and show coverage having an effect :D ?

On the negative side Gary is now grumbling. The clutch cable to be specific, never a good thing :( . Now I ask myself if this itermittant clutch slip, now worse, is down to a duff cable and poor return spring/leverage issue. When not riding depressed or slipping its clutch this car goes really well now. My only critism is the poor turn in, but that is a product of the tyres I fitted, so my own fault #-o . A frustrating car as I never get time to chase out the little faults waiting to get bigger :? . But it is my fault, not the cars, as it has been maltreated in the past nd I never chased out all the issues :cry: .
Miguel - 16 TRS Auto S, light blue, 43k miles - £450
Pluto - 14 E S, White, 105k Miles - in work
Egbert - 19 16v Gti, White, A/C & Leather, - Keeper
Walt - 17 TZD Turbo S, graphite, 70k miles, good op extras - Keeper
Scraper- 17 TZD Turbo E, blue, 208k miles - parts
Homer - 19 TXD E, Red, 189k miles - £250
Gary - 17 TZD Turbo E, 118k miles - in work

'87 Trooper, Borgwards, Saabs, MG ZB, Bellamy Trials, Fiat Jolly & Bianchina, Goggo Dart, Messerschmitt, Heinkel, Bubblecars
User avatar
themildbunch
BXpert
Posts: 592
Joined: Fri Apr 30, 2010 9:38 pm
Location: Stroud, UK
x 5
Contact:

Re: GSF Swindon, nice peeps

Post by themildbunch »

GSF can be good - I've bought older batches of seals etc very cheap at our Bristol one but it really depends who's on the counter... The older staff have sold piles of XUD and BX related stuff and often know their stuff, the younger ones just want your Reg. and follow the computer religiously...

Clutch cables are cheap but really nasty to change...
1988 BX 19 Gti 16v
1991 BX 17 TZD Estate
1991 BX 17 TZD Estate
User avatar
Thread Bear
1K Away
Posts: 1651
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 9:47 am
Location: Longcot, near Faringdon, Oxfordshire
x 1

Re: GSF Swindon, nice peeps

Post by Thread Bear »

Pity to hear, but not suprising.

Clutch muse - Having got hydraulicly controled everything, why is the Citroen clutch on a cable?

The answer is not so when a LHM return pipe falls off you get struck in gear is it?
Miguel - 16 TRS Auto S, light blue, 43k miles - £450
Pluto - 14 E S, White, 105k Miles - in work
Egbert - 19 16v Gti, White, A/C & Leather, - Keeper
Walt - 17 TZD Turbo S, graphite, 70k miles, good op extras - Keeper
Scraper- 17 TZD Turbo E, blue, 208k miles - parts
Homer - 19 TXD E, Red, 189k miles - £250
Gary - 17 TZD Turbo E, 118k miles - in work

'87 Trooper, Borgwards, Saabs, MG ZB, Bellamy Trials, Fiat Jolly & Bianchina, Goggo Dart, Messerschmitt, Heinkel, Bubblecars
User avatar
citsncycles
Over 2k
Posts: 3224
Joined: Sun Aug 08, 2010 9:14 pm
Location: Dursley, Gloucestershire

Re: GSF Swindon, nice peeps

Post by citsncycles »

GSF branches can be a lottery - a lot depends on the history of the individual branch (when it became part of the business etc.)

It makes me laugh that the local motor factor can look up the BX's and Visa by reg. and get the parts come up, but Citroen can't!

As for the BX using a clutch cable, I suspect it's cost saving as a result of using Peugeot derived mechanicals.
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
Thread Bear
1K Away
Posts: 1651
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 9:47 am
Location: Longcot, near Faringdon, Oxfordshire
x 1

Re: GSF Swindon, nice peeps

Post by Thread Bear »

Update. Clutch is really giving signs of giving up the struggle. Touch and go going out of Bath to the M4. Bit smelly when I got to The Major's Retreat. Gary needs a good going over but that is a year's extra usage. Timing not great, I have a lot on.
Miguel - 16 TRS Auto S, light blue, 43k miles - £450
Pluto - 14 E S, White, 105k Miles - in work
Egbert - 19 16v Gti, White, A/C & Leather, - Keeper
Walt - 17 TZD Turbo S, graphite, 70k miles, good op extras - Keeper
Scraper- 17 TZD Turbo E, blue, 208k miles - parts
Homer - 19 TXD E, Red, 189k miles - £250
Gary - 17 TZD Turbo E, 118k miles - in work

'87 Trooper, Borgwards, Saabs, MG ZB, Bellamy Trials, Fiat Jolly & Bianchina, Goggo Dart, Messerschmitt, Heinkel, Bubblecars
User avatar
Stinkwheel
1K Away
Posts: 1516
Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2006 9:38 pm
Location: In front of this flamin' PC

Re: GSF Swindon, nice peeps

Post by Stinkwheel »

citsncycles wrote:It makes me laugh that the local motor factor can look up the BX's and Visa by reg. and get the parts come up, but Citroen can't!

Thats not really surprising when the local 2 citroen dealers to me (one of which is very well and long established) havent even got a BX micro film anymore, let alone can be bothered to look on the EPC.

Citroen have washed their hands of the older cars totally nowadays.
Doctor Of Gonzo Journalism!!!
93 BX TZD Estate
90 BX 14TE St Tropez
93 BX 19 TXD Estate
92 BX 16TXi
77 Ami 8 Break
79 Acadiane
81 Dyane6
84 2CV6
85 GSA saloon rally car
To slightly mis-quote Kitch ... "BX 14. They're just brilliant!"
User avatar
themildbunch
BXpert
Posts: 592
Joined: Fri Apr 30, 2010 9:38 pm
Location: Stroud, UK
x 5
Contact:

Re: GSF Swindon, nice peeps

Post by themildbunch »

I've been pleasantly surprised by our local main dealer in Stroud... they are small though but they've been able to source parts from all over the dealer network and have them sent down from Glasgow for free... they even let me have a look through their pile of old tailored mats in case they had any BX ones..
1988 BX 19 Gti 16v
1991 BX 17 TZD Estate
1991 BX 17 TZD Estate
User avatar
Stinkwheel
1K Away
Posts: 1516
Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2006 9:38 pm
Location: In front of this flamin' PC

Re: GSF Swindon, nice peeps

Post by Stinkwheel »

Thats a very good cit dealer yu have there then :)
Doctor Of Gonzo Journalism!!!
93 BX TZD Estate
90 BX 14TE St Tropez
93 BX 19 TXD Estate
92 BX 16TXi
77 Ami 8 Break
79 Acadiane
81 Dyane6
84 2CV6
85 GSA saloon rally car
To slightly mis-quote Kitch ... "BX 14. They're just brilliant!"
User avatar
electrokid
1K Away
Posts: 1764
Joined: Fri May 09, 2008 2:14 pm
Location: Woking

Re: GSF Swindon, nice peeps

Post by electrokid »

Charters of Aldershot seem to be quite good especially if you phone up with the part number - they automatically search the UK dealership network and give you the telephone number of any dealer who has the part: much better than Bollingmores who used to be in Sheerwater.

But then you do need the part number... and I haven't put the Citroën software back on the computer after HDD failure / OpSys re-install... and I really should dig out the microfiche and have a look to see exactly what I have. Lot of things I should be doing...
1992 BX19 TGD estate 228K Rusty - SORNed
2002 C5 HDi SX estate
User avatar
themildbunch
BXpert
Posts: 592
Joined: Fri Apr 30, 2010 9:38 pm
Location: Stroud, UK
x 5
Contact:

Re: GSF Swindon, nice peeps

Post by themildbunch »

I find the http://service.citroen.com site works very well for confirming parts and their part numbers if it still lets you create an account..

Our local, very helpful main dealer is Thompson First in Stroud - not sure if they'd go to the length of shipping parts somewhere else but I've bought quite a lot of bits from them recently..
1988 BX 19 Gti 16v
1991 BX 17 TZD Estate
1991 BX 17 TZD Estate
User avatar
Thread Bear
1K Away
Posts: 1651
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 9:47 am
Location: Longcot, near Faringdon, Oxfordshire
x 1

Re: GSF Swindon, nice peeps

Post by Thread Bear »

And Stroud area seems to have had many BX and Citroen sales. Good dealer, good sales. Round here it was Pugs out of Fish Bros. when it was a local firm. Skoda out of Avenell's, didn't he have the last laugh getting the agency prior to the VW link. Etc.
Miguel - 16 TRS Auto S, light blue, 43k miles - £450
Pluto - 14 E S, White, 105k Miles - in work
Egbert - 19 16v Gti, White, A/C & Leather, - Keeper
Walt - 17 TZD Turbo S, graphite, 70k miles, good op extras - Keeper
Scraper- 17 TZD Turbo E, blue, 208k miles - parts
Homer - 19 TXD E, Red, 189k miles - £250
Gary - 17 TZD Turbo E, 118k miles - in work

'87 Trooper, Borgwards, Saabs, MG ZB, Bellamy Trials, Fiat Jolly & Bianchina, Goggo Dart, Messerschmitt, Heinkel, Bubblecars
Post Reply