St Tropez restoration blog

[benifotrem1]

I don't think your nuts. I wanted an absolute basic bx but ended up with a GT!

[Des Smith]

So what do you do with old car seat upholstery when you've replaced it?

Bin it?

Nope.

Build a Norse funeral pyre and cremate it?

No, not my style.

Keep it, just in case, I hear you cry!

No, sorry, I need more room in my garage, not clutter.

Use it to re-cover your tatty office chair?


Now you're talking!




Anyone else tried this, or is this a BX Club first?

[Paul296]

'Like'

[Way2go]

Looks good!

[Tim Leech]

Awesome

[Des Smith]

So, step one in preparing for CCC2015 is to get the St Tropez serviced and checked out. Chevronics naturally! Even more impressive is the 'while you wait' service, which was awesome. So what do you do with an hour to spare? A chance to wander around Rob's yard and see the current collection of stuff he has in, that's what. First view of Rob's Singer Vogue in the flesh. Lovely to see...



Anyway, the St Tropez went up on the lift, got a bit of TLC, some fresh oil and a new set of pads. Might be deluding myself, but the car felt so much better driving home.

[Tim Leech]

It's still blindingly white!

[Des Smith]

Yes, Tim. I reckon albedo 0.9...

[Des Smith]

Curses! Lost a wheel trim on the way to the CCC 2015 rendezvous. Now on the lookout for a replacement. Keep your eyes out for one, guys. Any colour....

[Des Smith]

The St Tropez continues to impress in little ways. I've had a chance to compare and contrast the injection TU engine in the Xsara with the carburated version in the BX. Although the injected engine has the same quoted bhp, you need to work it harder in the lower rev range to get a move on. The carb version revs more freely and progress can be quite brisk without much effort. I'm thinking the catalytic converter is likely to be the culprit. Both cars are quite noisy at speed, so a dead heat there. The Xsara gearbox is precise and not at all like the vague and wobbly experience I get with the BX and although it lacks the subtlety of hydropneumatic suspension, the Xsara has a pleasant and compliant ride and has predictable, neutral handling. It's too early to give a definitive opinion on fuel consumption, but I have a sneaky feeling the BX will edge it.

On a tangential note, I had the unenviable job of changing the dipped beam bulb on missus' Ford Ka today. Oh dear lord, what a faff! There is no easy way to access the bulb and you have to work largely unsighted. In spite of a mirror, surgical clamps and an infinite amount of patience, I had to give up on the approved method and detach the whole light unit from the body. Having wasted nearly an hour, it took me about 30 seconds to insert the bulb. Grrr! It beggars belief that car manufacturers insist on making bulb changes so awkward.

[Kitch]

The St Tropez continues to impress in little ways. I've had a chance to compare and contrast the injection TU engine in the Xsara with the carburated version in the BX. Although the injected engine has the same quoted bhp, you need to work it harder in the lower rev range to get a move on. The carb version revs more freely and progress can be quite brisk without much effort. I'm thinking the catalytic converter is likely to be the culprit. Both cars are quite noisy at speed, so a dead heat there. The Xsara gearbox is precise and not at all like the vague and wobbly experience I get with the BX and although it lacks the subtlety of hydropneumatic suspension, the Xsara has a pleasant and compliant ride and has predictable, neutral handling. It's too early to give a definitive opinion on fuel consumption, but I have a sneaky feeling the BX will edge it.

On a tangential note, I had the unenviable job of changing the dipped beam bulb on missus' Ford Ka today. Oh dear lord, what a faff! There is no easy way to access the bulb and you have to work largely unsighted. In spite of a mirror, surgical clamps and an infinite amount of patience, I had to give up on the approved method and detach the whole light unit from the body. Having wasted nearly an hour, it took me about 30 seconds to insert the bulb. Grrr! It beggars belief that car manufacturers insist on making bulb changes so awkward.

The BX has shorter gearing than the Xsara too, don't forget. But I fully agree: The TU3 BX is a lovely thing to drive, but the TU3 in a ZX or Xsara is, to me anyway, horrible. Totally flat and gutless. I've had a couple of TU3 ZXs and if you physically just want to move, they're great. If you want to do anything more, like factor in 0.3% of a smile, look elsewhere! The TU5 is much pokier, however. Works much better in the bigger cars, and doesn't use any more fuel doing so.

Again weird, because the TU3 in a BX is a lovely thing, and in the AX GT it's downright fun!

[Tinkley]

So just how much heavier is the Xsara? Even the old 150C was not too bad but you did not want less power in the BX, so the Italian 1.1 must be a true snail even with 145 width tyres....

Shame I did not get the TU3 one in my 14, missed it by 3 or 4 months unfortunately.

[MULLEY]

Strange that the BX gearbox is wobbly, perhaps there is wear & tear on the linkages, get chevronics to have a looksey, it should be quite a nice shifting gearbox.

[Tinkley]

TBH I always find the BX gearbox rubbery after my Chrysler Sunbeam. Could literally shift that one finger...ah the joys of being straight in the gearbox with the lever and rear wheel drive.... Truly sweet box, probably the Hillman Avenger one with different ratios, to this day the best shift I've used on any car.

[Kitch]

Strange that the BX gearbox is wobbly, perhaps there is wear & tear on the linkages, get chevronics to have a looksey, it should be quite a nice shifting gearbox.

Don't forget he's talking about the TU engine, so it'll have an MA box, not a BE.

Wobbly gear lever on an MA box - 75p roll pin that goes in the shift linkage on the back of the box. Makes the world of difference!