BX for the second time, hopefully

[white exec]

Hi folks,

Newbie here, although have only wandered across the patch a short distance, from FCF.
We've had our white 2.5 XM since new, and she's still with us, having started life in Godalming, Surrey.
Before that, 'twas this:

Spain & Portugal, 1996.JPG

- a Delage red 1989 19RD NA

Now living down here in Andalucia since 2004, rural roads have improved to the extent that we no longer need to negotiate mud, rubble and rock, nor push on along river beds, so it's time for our '03 RAV4 to go. It always was a tad agricultural, although pretty much dependable (if you ignore two failed DMFs, two snapped ARBs, a regularly shearing rear diff mount, and body trims held on by wispy clips). Enough about that; the affair has ended.

So, I now long for some simple Citroen comfort and smooth diesel for our daily, and so am looking for a BX. After mastering (so far) the complexities of a Hydractive II XM, looking after just 5 non-HA spheres will be a nice change. It has to be hydropneumatic, and I've read enough about C5 to know not to go there. In any case, the XM is here to stay, so do not want to duplicate that.

BX needs to be facelift, diesel, turbo or NA, manual, good bodily condition, and with AC. This last is important.

There are very few BX's for sale in Spain, and they can be anything between €1 and €3000. Almost all are without AC, but a few have it. I have pretty much exhausted what is advertised here, having seen two (drove best part of 1000 miles to see one this week, but there were complications with the seller). Plenty in France, but I would have to pay several hundred euros as an import and re-registration tax. May still have to do that.

The other possibility is to buy a tidy non-AC car, and fit the AC kit. This opens up a few Spanish purchase options.

Good bit written here about just that, and a very helpful read. Ideally, would like to fit components from an R134a system, rather than original R12 (and then have to refurb). Biggest job looks like fitting an evaporator into a non-AC heater unit, even assuming that is at all possible.

If anyone has done just this, or can offer help/suggestions, that would be really welcome.

[white exec]

Having now got full access to the forum, I've found plenty of threads on fitting AC to wade through, both to encourage and put me off, so I'll see how I go.

[mat_fenwick]

Hello and welcome along!

The moulding for the HVAC unit is the same for a non AC car, so fitting an evaporator shouldn't be problematical. If BX parts are no longer listed, you have have to search by dimensions to find a suitable alternative. I was retro-fitting a system to another car (with my BX I did the easier job of swapping all from a donor vehicle) so I found the best way to search was using Google images and look for dimensioned drawings! Slow and laborious though...

EDIT - seems like parts are still listed:
https://www.onlinecarparts.co.uk/car-br ... html#10343

[white exec]

Thanks, Mat - that is useful info to know.
From what I've read, I think I will try to go down the BX-with-AC route, and convert from R12 to R134a, using all the advice offered.
So now looking at a couple of AC'd BXs in France - only two days' drive away!

[rutter123]

There certainly are some nice examples for sale in Europe and commanding strong money.

[panky]

There's a Digit for sale in Spain but it ticks non of your boxes I'm afraid

[jamescarruthers]

Hello!

[white exec]

Hi James!

I think I did see see the Digit, but narrowed the search on Milanuncios down to about 17 BX diesels, only a couple of which had AC.
Long trek from here to Salamanca and back (almost 1000 miles) this week to a '91 BX19TRD; car ok, but not the seller, who had been simply misleading. If you FB 'Garaje Oeste', you'll see lots of old Citroens there, but the business shut a couple of years back, and an 'erbert there is selling off what were obviously trade-ins. I cannot un-recommend him enough .

[pablo]

Hello, I'm Spanish, I live in the North, in Bilbao, if you want me to have a look to any car round here, I've time and the knowledge, and Ithe digit is close to my place, I was thinking on having a look on the car, because I will probably never see one again. Digits were not sold in Spain.
In any case I would never re equipate an air conditioning system, even less here, it's much better to look for a factory installation unit.
I've seen the two BX sold in Salamanca and both look great
Try to look for BX in coches.net and walapop.
This week I'm going to see a TD sold in Bilbao for 450 euros, but has no a//a

[white exec]

Well, I've found one I like the look of, deposit paid, and collection from France (by trailer) in a couple of weeks' time, hopefully.
BX19 Millesime, LHD, manual, 1.9 NA, with A/C. RP 5800 = 25 Sept 1992.
Looks rust-free, and solid in all the usually suspect parts. Only obvious body ding is a small glitch on the front-left wheel arch, and paintwork in extraordinarily good condition - an interesting champagne/pale gold Millesime special, black dash etc.

Everything seems to work ok, but does need some proper TLC.
Handbrake cables not retracting properly; dipstick top broken (as they do), spheres need replacing or regassing.
No immediate signs of LHM escaping, and suspension is quick to rise.
Coolant and LHM both clean.
Engine sounds good (170k km, 106k mi), but seems a bit down on power, even for an NA.

A/C "needs gas" says the seller.
Compressor cuts in ok, and pipes at the condenser start to get warm, which is reassuring.
From the few I've seen down here, owners of R12 systems just seem resigned to letting the AC system go into disuse.
Interesting, consulting Parts on servicebox for the VIN, that there are a quantity of parts (seals, pipwork) listed "for reconversion to R134a". That seems to suggest that, by this date, the system was designed to allow for R134a use.

There were things I didn't get round to looking at, but it looks a good project and potentially a nice car, for a tad under €1000.
Looking forward to getting stuck in.

[xantia_v6]

I hope that you don't have any trouble with the importation and registration process. Having imported a car into France, I suspect that there may be some potholes along the way...

My experience is that most R12 systems will work satisfactorily with R134a, but older hoses are somewhat porous to the smaller molecules of the newer gas.

We look forward to seeing the beast.

[jamescarruthers]

Nice one!

[white exec]

Went through the Spanish importation-matriculation process back in 2004, when we brought the RHD XM ftom UK to Spain.
Involved a fee (based on the list price of the car ), which included an initial inspection by a roving engineer, then an extra-thorough ITV (MoT), which turned out to be nothing non-routine at all, except that the testers put a tape measure on the L, W, H and wheelbase of the car, to check against listed values!

Traffic office then issued plates (the actual plates, no less) and documentation. All took 2-3 weeks, which my gestor handled.
Was slowed up a bit by our local ITV station refusing to test the car, because the rating plate lacked one conformance digit. They were reminded that an extra digit had been added by EU after the car was built, but that cut no ice. We simply got it tested at one of the four ITV stations in Malaga, which knew all about the absent digit, and were delighted to be able to test an XM. So prepared for that one again, if it arises.

Thanks for all the bon mots...