Team Green Tiger - BX19TGD - Back on the road

[Mistah G]

Current mileage is 186000

I've been doing what, from the car's perspective, essentially amounts to multi-drop work... 50-70 drops a day in her all over the South-East clocking anything up to 250 miles a day for months and months now. She's missed a beat here and there but I can hand on heart say she's the best car I have ever owned (and the best 300 quid I've ever spent!)

Some things I have learnt:

- don't park your BX half on a pavement. When she sinks overnight the exhaust will slowly but surely be crushed against the kerb and eventually you will get pulled over by very amused coppers because you are driving a stripy car that sounds like a dragster.

- Halfords overcharge massively for LHM.

- Your BX has SPECTACULARLY GOOD brakes. It is possible while you are getting used to this to lock all 4 wheels on dry tarmac. Not a good look.

- People, especially young chavs in Novas, are massively impressed with the variable suspension height but are unimpressed that your front wheel drive car with front acting handbrake cannot 'drift'.

- Driving other cars is like stepping back in time even if they are 20 years younger. "You mean this road has BUMPS?!? When did they put them in?"

- The approximate safe working load (ie. the warning light for the suspension is only on when you go round corners) is 5 adults (2 slightly overweight) 2 guitar amps, 3 guitars, half a drumkit and 6 plectrums.

- The XUD engine runs just fine on anything remotely oily you put in the fuel tank. My favorite being from the BA-FU chinese takeaway... vegetable oil that is literally BLACK from being used so much and infused with more spices than the average meal. Excellent fuel economy (5 pounds for 25 litres, 55mpg yes please!) and appetite stimulation to boot.

- LHM persists for a long time when it is spilt. See that massive green stain in the middle of the A2 at the junction near Rochester town centre? That was from BeX spilling her guts about 10 months ago.

- BeX would be an excellent car to own if you were a catholic priest, since the stripes and the tiger decal constantly attract the attention of the young and innocent.

A pleasure to drive and own. I hope I get my financial situation sorted soon because she will need some serious loving (read: money) to keep her on the road past the next MOT.

And a new alternator Cheers Yan!

Gx

[saintjamesy89]

- BeX would be an excellent car to own if you were a catholic priest, since the stripes and the tiger decal constantly attract the attention of the young and innocent.

I'm incredibly impressed with the usage of your BX! Hopefully keep plodding on, eh!

[Kitch]

- The approximate safe working load (ie. the warning light for the suspension is only on when you go round corners) is 5 adults (2 slightly overweight) 2 guitar amps, 3 guitars, half a drumkit and 6 plectrums.

They can take ALOT more than that! You'll probably find the spade connector on the low level sensor on the res needs cleaning or clamping down more.

BX 1.9D n/a estates absolutely rock as workhorses

[MULLEY]

Do you filter the chinese veg oil?

[Dollywobbler]

I believe it is filtered with socks. Wish I'd thought of running it on chip fat...

Maybe I should start running mine in chip fat. It doesn't appear to be running on diesel at the moment... (well, not running at all at the moment. Doh!)

[Dollywobbler]

So, due a to a change in personal circumstances, MisahG has sold The Green Tiger back to me. Arrangements are being made to ship it back to Wales, as it has a very knackered wheel bearing (first priority! Second priority is a service).

This takes the pressure off the Mk1 for a bit, so I can get down and dirty and try and cure another batch of its issues, without worrying about whether I'll need to use it.

This'll be a bit odd. I've never returned to a car I've previously sold. Looking forward to it though. A Mk1 and a Mk2 on the fleet. Nice.

[MULLEY]

Nice one, & like you've said, you can tackle the jobs on the mk1 whilst having the mk2 available to use daily.

[Dollywobbler]

She's on her way! Up to the Midlands today I think, then a break before she'd dropped off here on Monday.

[Dollywobbler]

She's back!


Rear wing is quite rotten then...


Lots of issues to sort, but she still drives very nicely. Clocked up her 187,000th mile (well, sort of. She had a snapped speedo cable at 16k miles so has probably done slightly more) on a trip to the fuel station and back. Engine is much smoother than the Mk1 and she drives a lot better. Needs some servicing, a clean and that wing patching up but otherwise, I think she'll be ok.

[Sathos]

You can see why I'd have taken some plate metal and a welder to her if she'd been on my drive any longer lol

[Dollywobbler]

Just put fresh oil and a new filter on the BX. Old oil was horrible. Not enough of it and very black. There are worrying signs of leakage too. What concerns me most is that the inside of the RH front tyre has had a soaking in oil by the look of it. Haven't found a serious leak though. Have given it a good long run (albeit not driving as I'm still awaiting a front wheel bearing) and watched carefully for drips. Nothing. Will see if it leaves its mark overnight...

[Dollywobbler]

Actually, the inside of the front tyre is sticky, so I reckon it's LHM - probably the strut return on that side. Slightly annoying because guess what this car did just after I bought it the first time?!

EDIT - I couldn't remember whether I'd had the timing belt replaced on this car. Trawling through this thread told me when it was done, but not the mileage. However, the handy online MOT checker thing told me it was about 32,000 miles ago, so ok for a bit longer I reckon. Sadly, the online MOT checker also told me that the MOT runs out in just over a week. DOH!

[Sathos]

Poor girl definitely needed some love didn't she?

[Dollywobbler]

Indeed. I've got my work cut out trying to get her ready for an MOT next week. STILL awaiting tools and parts, so won't be able to achieve much this weekend. Though I've got friends coming anyway, compromising tinkering time.

[Tim Leech]

Iim glad you have it back Ian, seems the guy you sold it too didnt care for her!