BX GT coming off the road for full restoration

Anything about BXs
Post Reply
adamskibx
BXpert
Posts: 950
Joined: Fri Jul 22, 2005 9:26 pm

BX GT coming off the road for full restoration

Post by adamskibx »

Right, the time has come to sort my BX out completely. Im due to be getting a company car soon, and this means the BX can get the full restoration it deserves. Basically, to make this car absolutely mint, it needs the drivers door bottom rust sorted and then some paint, two new rear quarter panel plastic windows, one more oil leak fixed (ive sorted 3!), 4 new tyres, wheels need shot blasting and repainting, all 4 mudflaps need renewing, and a couple of stone chips on the front bumper need sorting. Mechanically it needs a grumble from the transmition sorting, and, although there's no sign of the rear arm bearing going, it has now done 49,000 miles and is 20 years old so they cant be far off now. Also, I think a change of HP pump and 4 new spheres would do it good. As its going to be off the road for several months having all this work done, and I think I need to take the engine out again to find this last oil leak, the idea of changing the engine for a GTi or Gti 16V engine has occured to me.

Obviosly, if I did this, I would have to upgrade the spheres, anti-roll bars, brakes and tyres etc. The only thing that concerns me is the cost of insurance... Would it work out a lot more expensive to insure than a BX16V that always was one?

I quite like the idea of making it into the ultimate slealth BX :lol: I bet a BX 16V Mk one has been done before somewhere, but ive never heard of it.
User avatar
cavmad
Keeper of the site Goat
Posts: 7857
Joined: Fri May 20, 2005 9:13 am
x 1
Contact:

Re: BX GT coming off the road for full restoration

Post by cavmad »

adamskibx wrote: The only thing that concerns me is the cost of insurance... Would it work out a lot more expensive to insure than a BX16V that always was one?

I quite like the idea of making it into the ultimate slealth BX :lol: I bet a BX 16V Mk one has been done before somewhere, but ive never heard of it.

Undoubtably it will rise, possibly quite a lot too. It`ll then be classed as `moddified` which in insurance company owner`s terms means `huge price hike`. I reckon a std 16V would be cheaper to insure than modding yours. Might be worth phoning round some of the specialist insures in the boy racer mags and getting some quotes before you do anything.
Vauxhall apologist.
User avatar
Ian_Fearn
Spender lotta cash on Citroens
Posts: 2231
Joined: Fri Jun 03, 2005 9:51 pm
Location: Derbyshire

Post by Ian_Fearn »

Please dont put a 16v in it!

Theres plenty of 16v's about if you want one.
Over and out from me
richard
BXpert
Posts: 104
Joined: Thu May 26, 2005 9:35 pm

Post by richard »

I agree with Ian. Too many 16V's are being hacked up by the 205 brigade. As a BX enthusiast, Don't do it unless the engine is coming from a vehicle in which the bodyshell is knackered!
User avatar
Toddman
BXpert
Posts: 389
Joined: Sat Jul 02, 2005 12:55 am
Location: Lincolnshire
x 2
Contact:

BX

Post by Toddman »

Nice that the car is getting some attention but I agree it would be a shame to 16v it.
The 16v is becoming rare now and the GT even rarer would be a shame to take it away from original.

Cheers
Luke
Please call me Luke :)
1989 BX 16valve White 70k - G764KEW


http://www.bx16valve.com
adamskibx
BXpert
Posts: 950
Joined: Fri Jul 22, 2005 9:26 pm

Post by adamskibx »

Yeah I suppose so- Dont worry I would never dream of destroying a 16 Valver unless it was beyond viable repair in almost every way. I do want a 16 Valver at some point, but dont think I could part with this GT anytime soon. I just cant imagine selling this car for years yet, and my thoughts were, whatever I do, I could reverse for originality if I wanted. I have to admit, the idea seemed like a great one, but possibly a stupid one too. Now ive got some thoughts from fellow BX enthusiasts, I have made the decision to restore for total originality rather than something modified. Thanks for the input guys.
tim leech

Post by tim leech »

Keep it as is Adam, GTs are probably the most rare uk model bx left. Buy a 16v and enjoy it for what it is a very different but enjoyable Bx to the GT.
adamskibx
BXpert
Posts: 950
Joined: Fri Jul 22, 2005 9:26 pm

Post by adamskibx »

Yeah thats the plan now Tim. Im going to live without a 16 Valve as when push comes to shove I cant bring myself to sell the GT. I have come to realise that the parts of the car that are most important on something rare (the body and interior), are in time warp condition, and that its just replacable stuff that needs sorting out really, so I might as well make the most of the head start and do a really decent job on it. I might document it and make a website about the cars transformation. It really was a smart car when I bought it (especially for a MK1); better in fact, even from a corrosion point of view than the two Mk2 BX's ive owned, but then the engine was dead, so all my efforts went into getting it moving and getting it an MOT. I really did do the bare minimum to achieve that and should have spent more time on the car and engine when they were separate.

Does anyone know where you can get a full parts list from on the net? I will no doubt need all the codes of different bits and bobs that you cant even name etc. Also, does anyone know the best place to get original Citroen mudflaps from?

Cheers, Adam
User avatar
cavmad
Keeper of the site Goat
Posts: 7857
Joined: Fri May 20, 2005 9:13 am
x 1
Contact:

Post by cavmad »

Good decision in my humble opinion Adam. It`s nice to see a very rare car in the right hands. You never know when a 16V will come up at the right price, maybe sooner than you think, so you can concentrate on the GT for now and get it back to as close to perfect as you can. I for one would love to see a website dedicated to it`s restoration and I bet you`d get a large number of `hits` on it too.
Vauxhall apologist.
Kitch
Over 2k
Posts: 6417
Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2005 9:36 pm
Location: Fareham, Hants
My Cars: Too many to list
x 88
Contact:

Post by Kitch »

Dad's GT is going to recieving treatment in the future too, great to see two of the rarest BX's ever made being given the TLC they deserve!

Don't 16v it tho! :lol:
One third of a three-spoke BX columnist team for the Citroenian magazine.

CCC BX registrar: The national BX register - click to submit a car!

1983(A) 16TRS (Rouge Valleunga)
1990(H) 16Valve (Rouge Furio)
Post Reply