St Tropez restoration blog

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Tinkley
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Re: St Tropez restoration blog

Post by Tinkley »

You mean they did not do the beam check on low setting? I had a few people flash me after one MOT station completely reset the beam height, I think full was aiming for the stars... :lol:
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Re: St Tropez restoration blog

Post by Des Smith »

Arrgh! Yesterday, one of the neighbours' visiting rellies reversed their MPV into the St Tropez. They clipped the NS corner of the rear bumper but happily did no damage other than a big black scuff mark all over the nice matt white paintwork! The neighbour was very apologetic and offered to bear the cost of repair, but it was pretty obvious this wasn't going to be necessary.

So I pulled out the white spirit and the white T-Cut and set about removing the offending scuff. Turned out it wasn't going to be my day. Next door have a yappy Jack Russell cross that doesn't get much by way of obedience training and is quite aggressive. The little bugger has already tried to have a go a few months back, much to it's owner's amusement. Yesterday the dog decided it wanted a re-match and came charging on to my drive. Bad move. As I was sitting on the ground, I was effectively at eye-level and he got a right hook on the snout before he got close enough to bite. That persuaded him he was out of his league and he ran away faster than he arrived. Of course, when I told the neighbour she needed to take him to obedience classes or keep him on a lead, it was all my fault - he's very territorial apparently. I pointed out he was actually on my property and this wasn't the first time he'd done this. I was then told that I was a bad neighbour (presumably for making a fuss) and the dog knows I don't like him, which is why he is aggressive. Interesting insight into said neighbour's thinking here.

Now, I'm not a dog-lover, but equally I'm not a dog-hater. I do believe that dogs need to know who the boss is, and it's quite clear that this one thinks it's him. Not good. Sadly, if my ad-hoc dog training has not cured the mutt of his 'territoriality', I will have to consider involving the council.

Anyway, back on-topic, the bumper scuff came out quite easily, although a tiny snick of paint had been worn off the corner edge. Ironically, if I had retained the black corner protectors on the rear bumper, it would have rendered the remedial work unnecessary and I wouldn't have had to spar with a snappy Jack. Big sigh.... the burden we have to carry to keep our cars in original spec.
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Re: St Tropez restoration blog

Post by MULLEY »

Awful luck about the knock on your car. That owner clearly has no idea that she is responsible for the dog. I'd just contact the old bill & make a complaint about the dog stating that you were attacked, she'll soon get the message when they turn up on her doorstep & have a chat.
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Re: St Tropez restoration blog

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Des Smith wrote:?....As I was sitting on the ground, I was effectively at eye-level and he got a right hook on the snout before he got close enough to bite.
:lol: that made me laugh! Don't get me wrong, I love dogs, I have one, and I wouldn't hurt any animal except in self defence. You did the right thing, put it this way (to your neighbour possibly) if he had bitten you, he'd have to be destroyed right?
Dogs are very much at the mercy of their owners and your neighbour should take full responsibility and apologise.
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Re: St Tropez restoration blog

Post by Kitch »

Des Smith wrote:Arrgh! Yesterday, one of the neighbours' visiting rellies reversed their MPV into the St Tropez. They clipped the NS corner of the rear bumper but happily did no damage other than a big black scuff mark all over the nice matt white paintwork! The neighbour was very apologetic and offered to bear the cost of repair, but it was pretty obvious this wasn't going to be necessary.

So I pulled out the white spirit and the white T-Cut and set about removing the offending scuff. Turned out it wasn't going to be my day. Next door have a yappy Jack Russell cross that doesn't get much by way of obedience training and is quite aggressive. The little bugger has already tried to have a go a few months back, much to it's owner's amusement. Yesterday the dog decided it wanted a re-match and came charging on to my drive. Bad move. As I was sitting on the ground, I was effectively at eye-level and he got a right hook on the snout before he got close enough to bite. That persuaded him he was out of his league and he ran away faster than he arrived. Of course, when I told the neighbour she needed to take him to obedience classes or keep him on a lead, it was all my fault - he's very territorial apparently. I pointed out he was actually on my property and this wasn't the first time he'd done this. I was then told that I was a bad neighbour (presumably for making a fuss) and the dog knows I don't like him, which is why he is aggressive. Interesting insight into said neighbour's thinking here.

Now, I'm not a dog-lover, but equally I'm not a dog-hater. I do believe that dogs need to know who the boss is, and it's quite clear that this one thinks it's him. Not good. Sadly, if my ad-hoc dog training has not cured the mutt of his 'territoriality', I will have to consider involving the council.

Anyway, back on-topic, the bumper scuff came out quite easily, although a tiny snick of paint had been worn off the corner edge. Ironically, if I had retained the black corner protectors on the rear bumper, it would have rendered the remedial work unnecessary and I wouldn't have had to spar with a snappy Jack. Big sigh.... the burden we have to carry to keep our cars in original spec.
Had a similar thing with one of those ratty little ones (possible a JR) years ago when I used to be a multi-drop driver. I can understand dogs getting funny if you go on their land, so when I used to have a delivery I was cautious.
But there was one which went at me from the other side of a green. I was carrying a fairly large box at the time, and saw it bounding towards me, teeth showing. "He's just being friendly" the owner said. It got hold of my trousers, but I managed to shake it off. Then it ran and came back at me again, really aggressive. Owner had turned away and was chatting to a neighbour.

I don't watch American football, but I believe the term for the action I performed on the dog was a 'conversion.' Took a few seconds for it to get back up and it didn't run off this time. Don't think I ever saw it run again. Little shit :evil:

On the flip sid, my accountant has a white Alsatian. Thing is massive, loud bark, pretty intimidating. Had to go to her house the other day to drop some paperwork off, and it's sat on the drive with no one around. As I'm walking up to the drive I realise I've never actually met the dog, just seen it in the back of her car. I wonder what will happen when my foot steps on her driveway. Got pretty nervous about it, but tried not to show it.

Bloody thing pretty much took my legs out and tried licking me to death :lol:
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Re: St Tropez restoration blog

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Yesterday we took the St Tropez across the Channel to buy some wine. P&O made me an offer and it would have been rude to turn them down, so I paid 'em £25 and they gave me a day return trip to Calais and a case of six bottles of Piat D'Or wine. We had to get up stupidly early and drive through some impressive fog patches to Dover. Rather surprisingly, we got sent through the security shed and a nice lady decided she wanted a good look at my car. She was suitably impressed with a car of that age in such good condition and asked me to open the bonnet. I'm not sure what she expected to find there, but she got a eyeful of a TU engine.

We made it on to the ferry, claimed our case of wine and then disembarked to tour shamelessly around Nord and Pas de Calais buying up all the available stock of Gaillac. There's usually something that pops up to spoil a good plan. As we swung into Lumbres, the engine refused to idle. I'm no expert on carbs, but I reckon it's probably some crap fouling up the idle jet. If I pull the choke on, the revs pick up and the engine runs fine with some throttle but goes lumpy when I take my foot off the pedal. It was quite fun driving through town with the engine stalling on every downshift - not!

Image
En route to Hazebrouk

Image
What the St Tropez was bought for - a bootful of wine!

Anyway, never one to be put off my mission, we filled the boot up with wine and made it back to Calais without further drama. Coming up to the Border Force barrier, the (English) guy looked up and down the car and said "How old is that!" I told him to behave himself and he said he was amazed at the condition of the car. Cue another potted history of the restoration - how long? Did you do it yourself? etc.

25 metres up the road, I was a trifle bemused by the reception we got at the P&O check-in. The (French) lady of a certain age began with a standard greeting and then asked me what kind of car this was. I resisted the urge to point out she was French enough AND old enough to recognise a Citroen and simply said it was a Citroen BX, whereupon she said she'd never seen one before! Was this a subtle gallic variation on irony, or plain old ignorance. I will never know.

The day's excitement was not yet finished. We got off the ferry and ended up on the A2. About ten miles down the road we got sent on a diversion because the road on to Canterbury was closed for roadworks. Fair enough, but you don't expect the diversion to send you back up the A2 to Dover. We then ended up deciding to take the B-roads to get to Canterbury, by which time the fog was getting nice and thick again. Long story short, we took rather too long to get home.

If anyone's got any bright ideas about the idling problems, feel free to pipe up. In the meantime, I shall sit here and pour myself another glass of wine.
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Re: St Tropez restoration blog

Post by Thread Bear »

Funny this trip should come up as report. I was wondering about a trip over in the Estate as it used to be that the choice and price of some hardware fittings was bigger, better and cheaper in France. Doing the house up it might be worth a trip doubled up with filling the corners with contraband. The old BX is ideal for such a trip as it actually can contain a hell of a lot of stuff if packed carefully. Need to check on the relative pricing.

Local car club does several raids into Normandy/Brittany. It is popular to go in a quality saloon, Bristol, Jag, Alvis as these cars have huge boots to fill with goodies you cannot get in a sportscar.

Terriers are known for steaming into trouble. If the owner is not responsible then the dog takes its chances. I used to deliver wine and have had the little sods at my ankles. A rugger type back heel normally cures them. Has to be timed right and not visable. Then the owner normally says something like 'Oh, he likes you'. Meaning they actually are fully aware their dog is a biter but choose to do nothing about it. A Dog is essentially a coward/bully and less inclined to attack unless encouraged by order, or a sense of duty, once they have had a bad experience. Several dogs are a different matter, and so are brutalised and specially unstable bred ones. (Why would you're home a Bit Bull thing when you have children and be surprised when the dog kills the child?) Cats on the other hand bare a grudge and will attempt to gain revenge. It is one reason I do not like them. I am fed up of getting hassled because of other people who cannot be bothered to keep their dog properly. It restricts my freedom to go out with my dogs, which 99% of the time do what they are told. The dog is a real softie and has been returned by kids before now happily waking with them back holding his collar. Why? Because some arsehole in the street thinks its fun to open my gates to let them out. Good job I am moving as I would eventually find out who it is and if male he would get a bang in the gob for his trouble. That is not allowed, now, either, as your not allowed to protect your property. Oh to get into the country and away from people.
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Re: St Tropez restoration blog

Post by Defender110 »

Des Smith wrote: There's usually something that pops up to spoil a good plan. As we swung into Lumbres, the engine refused to idle. I'm no expert on carbs, but I reckon it's probably some crap fouling up the idle jet. If I pull the choke on, the revs pick up and the engine runs fine with some throttle but goes lumpy when I take my foot off the pedal. It was quite fun driving through town with the engine stalling on every downshift - not!

Did you see this thread on similar symptoms with surprising (to me) cure?

http://www.bxclub.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=18957" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: St Tropez restoration blog

Post by Tinkley »

I don't know the 1.4 TU intimately only the 150C engine. However I am suspicious of the idle jet and 'mayonnaise' getting to it as Defender suggests. It was hellishly foggy round here (Surrey) and the Hindhead Tunnel had a 40 mph speed limit (normally deristricted) on that day - ideal for 'mayonnaise' to form in the engine breather. My first port of call would be the idle jet itself and feed. Then the engine breather (oil filler cap) which I bet is full of mayonnaise. I would clean the gauze (remove and use petrol to wash it) and the pipe work (hot water and detergent for the pipes). If it is like the 150 and 1.6, one pipe exits the oil filler cap and is directed in some way to the manifold. The other goes to the air filter/inlet. I put a cork in the pipe on my 150C and let the breather go to atmosphere to stop this problem. EU legislation on emmissions prohibit this, but no MOT station ever picked up on it... :lol:
Worth a deko at the air filter but I would be surprised to see any gunge actually get through it.

If it still persists, I would suspect an HT lead especially the distributor to coil one. I have had this fail on my 1.6 B2C unit which is pretty similar to the TU. Symptoms are fairly close but I have the autochoke unfortunately so you can't just pull the toggle!. Pull that one lead and check the condition or preferably substitute. I found a lot of corrossion inside one end and that was the problem, and you won't see it without pulling it off. Failing the above - distributor cap/rotor arm pitting.

You had a good trip. Mmm Gaillac, mind you there are some superb Corbieres out there too!.
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Re: St Tropez restoration blog

Post by Des Smith »

Thanks for the steer. I will have a scout round the various areas mentioned. I failed to mention that the St Tropez has always idled lumpily - whether this is just co-incidental or a lengthy prelude to carburation issues remains to be seen. I suspect the former, but you never know.
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Re: St Tropez restoration blog

Post by Kitch »

Time for an AX GT carb setup 8)
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Re: St Tropez restoration blog

Post by Stinkwheel »

Kitch wrote:Time for an AX GT carb setup 8)

stuff it, go the whole hog and throw the cam in too :)
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Re: St Tropez restoration blog

Post by Des Smith »

Kitch wrote:Time for an AX GT carb setup 8)
Funny you should say that... If there's a carb rebuild on the horizon that's very much a possibility.
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Re: St Tropez restoration blog

Post by Des Smith »

Jets are all blown clean and carb re-set with a full emissions test. Runs a like dream! :D :D :D
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Re: St Tropez restoration blog

Post by Des Smith »

A set of BX Cannes front seats are on the way from Holland, courtesy of Bobby. With a little luck I should have them by the end of next week and then there will be an end to the foam dandruff under my seat and that sinking feeling as your a**e gradually disappears through what's left of the seat base. Brings a new meaning to 'anti-submarining'!
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