Fanfare please! I announce the arrival of...

cavmad · Post by **cavmad** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 9:24 pm

...... a BX 1.9TGD estate, bought today from David (who posted the details on this site).
Some jobs require doing but it drove back the 30 odd miles very well and I`m well pleased so far. Given it a good clean today with more to come tomorrow, I`ll have it shining up a treat in no time.
Lots of spares came with it which was nice and they`re currently fighting for space in the garage with my Cavalier spares.
Can`t go without saying a huge thankyou to Vanny for taking me up to see it and giving it a thorough once over, Vanny you`re a top bloke mate.
In another BX related matter it looks like I`ll be saying a very sad farewell to my TGD hatchback tomorrow. Had a very enjoyable time whilst in my ownership and did thousands of miles without hassle, I`ll genuinely be very sorry to see it go. However it`s going to a good home (a friend of Vannys) and it should be back on the road very soon for many more miles of motoring so not all bad news.
Vanny has kindly agreed to post some pic`s up (when I get round to taking them and mailing them to him) as if I do it I`ll swamp the site again, and we know what happened last time don`t we

Vanny · Post by **Vanny** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 10:54 pm

So thats two BX's rehoused in one day! God i'm good, though im sure i'll start loosing friends the way i'm going!

cavmad · Post by **cavmad** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 12:14 am

Vanny wrote:So thats two BX's rehoused in one day! God i'm good, though im sure i'll start loosing friends the way i'm going!

Only if I manage to swap the doors over before you get here! (only joking

)
BTW I`ve managed to rehouse some of the startling spider collection that were in/around the car. I`ve liberated most of them who`ve now got a sporting chance until my cats find them.

roscoe · Post by **roscoe** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 12:06 am

You haven't seen spiders until you see the darlings we have downunder...I have a couple of u-beaut RedBacks living under the bonnet in my TZD after it's long layup for the head. Been using a compressor, vacuum cleaner, spray, you name it and still can't shift the buggers. Don't dare stick my bare hands in too many dark places under the bonnet now - they bite! Also leave nice webs everywhere to let you know they are still there!

AlanS · Post by **AlanS** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 1:24 am

roscoe wrote:You haven't seen spiders until you see the darlings we have downunder...I have a couple of u-beaut RedBacks living under the bonnet in my TZD after it's long layup for the head. Been using a compressor, vacuum cleaner, spray, you name it and still can't shift the buggers. Don't dare stick my bare hands in too many dark places under the bonnet now - they bite! Also leave nice webs everywhere to let you know they are still there!

Yeah, I've had a few thrills with them over the years; once I walked into a garage and was wiping all these spider webs off my face when a voice behind said "Don't move; you've got a half dozen or more redbacks on your shirt." I was wading through their webs in what had been a deserted tin shed.
Another time I was doing a job out in the Gold Coast hinterland and was working inside this washing machine in a dark laundry when I had someone shine a torch in and discovered those "Daddy long legs" webs I was wiping innocently away were in fact redbacks. WE also get Huntsmen where I am that seem to like to get into houses. Biggest I saw one night spread its legs from the front door on a CX to the wheel arch, possibly about 12 inches across. They're not supposed to be venomous but at that size, they look like they might eat you!!

Of course trap doors are another we get, but the biggest thrill of all was when a red bellied black snake decided to pay me a visit one night when I was jammed under a CX and passed within about 3 inches of my nose. Geez my undies were in a mess!!

This isn't a bad run down of a few of them

http://www.spiderzrule.com/spider2.htm

Alan

sleepy0905 · Post by **sleepy0905** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 7:51 am

we get a few rather big garden spiders out here in the country my cats love em ( wife dont ) motheringlaw has one about 2 and a half inches in her shed so he is left alone.

cavmad · Post by **cavmad** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 9:17 am

Well the estate has cleaned up pretty well so far. A good T-cut and some polish had brought quite a nice shine to it. A thorough vacuum inside saw off the last of the spiders (I hope!) and a polish round has improved things no end.
I`ve changed the n/s/f tyre which was a 165-70-14 as all the rest were 175-70-14s and I was concerned about handling problems. Luckily enough I had a brand new one in my garage and luckier still it`s exactly the same tyre as the o/s/f. I`ll have to change the spare when I get 5 minutes as that`s a 165 too.
Haven`t mended the electric window yet-it`s shut now and I can live with it like that for the time being.
Took Tom`s advice and got some Rover Tempest grey spray for the window surrounds and started on the driver`s side. Considering it was a quick job it looks bloody brilliant and I`ll do the passenger side as soon as I get the chance.
A couple of niggly problems have been discovered: the clutch is a bit jerky when mving away from a stop in first gear unless you use no throttle at all-can live with this for a while yet. The interior heater dial (hot to cold) is being stupid and clicks rather than turns properly-quite annoying.
The exhaust rubber mount is loose I think as the backbox is clunking against the body somewhere but that should be esy to sort out.
Other than that still impressed with the car though the 1.9 engine seems noisier and less refined than the 1.7 in my last one. I find I`m driving at about 60-65 on the motorway as opposed to 70 like I used to. I put this down to the less refined engine note which is mentally telling me I`m going to fast as I was so used to the BX I could tell by the engine note if I was speeding. In fact the 1.7 was more refined at 80-85 (on private roads of course officer) than the 1.9 is at 65. I`ll get used to it though.
Did my first run to the tip yesterday and it`s like a cave in the boot with the seats down, very impressed.
Also impressive after years of building muscles in my last BX struggling with the steering is the power assisted in the 1.9-so much easier to drive and makes it feel more modern.
I`ll do some more cleaning and post before and after pic`s up-it does look 100% better already and there`s still more to do.

cavmad · Post by **cavmad** » Sat Sep 10, 2005 3:11 pm

Oh the joy of spares! My indicators only worked when they felt like it the last couple of days and when I wiggled and jiggled the stalk they`d work then pack up again.
Found another stalk in the mountain of spares I acquired with the car and fitted it this afternoon.
Now working like a good un with two added benefits: firstly I discovered the dimmer switch for the dashboard lights and will be now able to see how fast I`m going in the dark (but what a bloody stupid place to put it where your knee catches it getting in and out) and secondly it gave me the chance to bin some more of those stupid bloody torque head type screws. I am now wondering if I`ll ever keep the car long enough to change every single screw to a `proper` one. I have done the driver`s door trim as I had that off the other week but there`s quite a few left to go yet.