GTI on TV: Mystery solved!

[deltic]

Back on 4/4/10 Gary pondered: "silver gti spotted on homes under the hammer on bbc1 friday. reg no j151klu anyone on here own it. programme dated feb 09."

Well maybe I should ask why the BBC didn't send my BX a model release form! I guess I must begin with an apology for not keeping you all informed. Some years I was on a BX forum, maybe this, can't remember which but other priorities took over a bit in life and I fell out of the loop. In an idle moment I put my car's registration number into Google and it brought up Gary's post -very odd! But it would explain why I'd seen some media types looking at the house in the programme. So I joined BX Club with the intention of answering Gary's post and promptly forgot. Of course I then couldn't then find the thread or at least the (useless!) search facility kept saying no and after a long trawl I found the post again...

The car is indeed a GTi auto and has been owned by me since early 2002 when my rather nice GSA X1 was written off by a passing vehicle whilst parked. At the time although a life long Citroen fan I neither liked the look of BXs nor how they drove Indeed I recall thinking of buying a ZX as I couldn't afford a Xantia or face the extra work needed to keep a GSA in good condition without a garage. I didn't want an auto either! On that latter point the BX is far and away the best auto I've ever driven. Anyway BXs were cheap and John Hannam advised getting a BX GTi and the rest is history. I enjoy driving the car every time I get into it. I now like the BX's look especially in GTi guise and I think the BX is one of the few cars that suits red or white. I'll admit I prefer the look of the GSA and the GSA's steering and brakes but do you know towards of the end of my GSA days I didn't enjoy driving it that much although I'd still love one. Perhaps all that GTi performance has gone to my head!

As far as I'm aware the car was purchased by Nat West from west London and a railway enthusiast ex-banker acquaintance also had a BX registered Jxxx KLU suggesting the bank bought a few cars. The car only covered about 30000 miles in the first 9 years but incredibly then covered about 35000 miles in 2001 alone and I have the suspicion it may have been used as a taxi in Surrey. Mileage is now about 115000 and the fully stamped service book has been maintained by me with quite a lot being spent on the car in my ownership. Apart from a couple of occasions it has passed every MOT first time and I hope it is mechanically sound. The interior is pretty good but the exterior is now rather let down by paint lacquer problems especially on the bonnet and roof. The car also suffers from being parked on the street - thanks particularly to the Mitsibushi pickup owner who used his tow bar to shunt my car to get out of a parking spot it now has a cracked tailgate. I really think Medway's drivers are the worst in the country. Sadly it has gained a few knocks since my wife passed her test last year and I can now change a wing mirror in less than hour in the dark compared to the three hours the first one took me!

So what of the future? Ideally I'd like to restore the car before it deteriorates much further but finances dictate that the car will continue to be used and I guess we've kept it so long on the basis of better the devil you know. Seems pointless to spend a lot on it if it just gets trashed straight away. That said Laura would prefer a manual car and I keep making lustful glances at Alfa Romeos... Whatever I wouldn't give up the car lightly.

Enough waffle from me. We'll be making a rare appearance at some or all of the ICCCR so come and say hello. I hope the weather is better than the one in 1976 we attended in my father's SM...

Jonathan Makepeace

[Mike E (uk)]

Interesting you found that posting here. Its becoming a small world in BX land.

Mike

[Defender110]

''Sadly it has gained a few knocks since my wife passed her test last year and I can now change a wing mirror in less than hour in the dark''

[deltic]

''Sadly it has gained a few knocks since my wife passed her test last year and I can now change a wing mirror in less than hour in the dark''

Perhaps I should teach Laura how to change them...

[deltic]

Interesting you found that posting here. Its becoming a small world in BX land.

Mike

I think there are more members on this board than BXs on the road.

[Tim Leech]

Interesting you found that posting here. Its becoming a small world in BX land.

Mike

I think there are more members on this board than BXs on the road.

Lol there are some nutters out there that have more than one.....