My BX Break (barn find without a barn) in Australia

[Bruce hh]

Over Friday and Saturday, after initially going to look at a CX, I rescued 2 BX’s - a 1989 TRi auto Break and a 1991 TZi hatch - from a seaside location where they’d rested under trees for about a decade (TRi) and 15 years (TZi). Some sources say just over 100 BX Breaks were sold new in Australia, and when I first saw it I suspected that I knew this particular car, however it was wedged between 2 other cars and I couldn’t open the bonnet or doors to check the VIN or get a good look inside. My mother had owned one the same colour from new, and I’d also had one that colour, 2 VIN’s apart.
When the bamboo growing against the tailgate was cut down and I could climb through to open the bonnet and get it in neutral, I confirmed this was the second time I was rescuing this car. In 1996 I bought it as an insurance write-off after it had had some heavy animal with brown hair land on it (stuck in the half of the bonnet that was left). I had it repaired, later fitting a TZi dashboard/ seats / door trims when the original dashboard cracked, then trading it on a new Xsara VTR in 2001.
Unfortunately it is far from the condition it was in when I sold it - internal plastics have suffered even more from UV, with numerous cracks; paint is faded and bubbling in places; rust in the a pillars and a couple of bubbles around the windscreen, and soaked carpets (we’ve had months of rain). I haven’t been able to get underneath to see how much the floors have rusted, have yet to hook up a battery, and after hours of cleaning am still removing decomposing leaves. Given I keep finding more problems I don’t know whether repair of either vehicle is viable, so I’ve joined this forum to aid my research of BX’s in their older age.

[panky]

Welcome along. I'm no BX expert so I'll leave the advice to those that know but I'd just like to say well done for the double rescue and what a coincidence finding you old car.

[matara]

Hi Bruce, another BX owner here in Sydney. I have a 1985 16 TRS Auto. I know of a couple of breaks around here, was offered one a few weeks ago along with a 16v but alas I have no more room at the inn. Cheers Steve