Deltic's GTi Blog

Tell us about life with your BX, or indeed life in general!
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deltic
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Re: Deltic's GTi Blog

Post by deltic »

Hope the cam belt is now fixed and not a sign of part availability.

Talking of which I'd previously mentioned concerns about my noisy exhaust and for which some sections are obviously coming to the end of their life. Of course with the Challenge less than 2 weeks away as per usual I've left this rather late to sort but at the same time I'd rather not embark on a long trip with an irritating, flaky exhaust. Ideally I would have fitted a stainless steel exhaust, but with time being the essence I contacted the usual places with Kwik-Fit seemingly able to source me a system as they did in 2012 for my other BX. Alas, you probably all know this, for the GTi the back two boxes and intermediate pipes are easily available including Chevronics and eBay, however the front pipe from the manifold and silencer is not... Indeed the helpful man at Kwik-Fit said that these have actually been unavailable since 2005!
BX exhaust system.jpeg
Resigned to doing some temporary repairs for the Challenge I rang around a few places who not surprisingly couldn't do anything in time on stainless system. By chance I popped into a local company who after they's all downed tools to excitedly look at and photograph the car said they could do one for next week! Obviously I'm taking a bit of a chance, but I will update in due course.
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1991 BX GTi auto, grey, 137,000 miles (2015, 2017 & 2019 Citroen Classic Challenge veteran)
1991 BX GTi auto, grey, 92,000 miles (2022 Citroen Classic Challenge veteran)
2006 C4 VTR+ 2.0 Coupé, silver, 78,000 miles (RIP)
2016 Volvo V40 T2 R-Design Pro, blue, 24,000 miles
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deltic
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Re: Deltic's GTi Blog

Post by deltic »

I'm also binning the cheap and nasty tyres next week. Expensive week!
1991 BX GTi auto, grey, 137,000 miles (2015, 2017 & 2019 Citroen Classic Challenge veteran)
1991 BX GTi auto, grey, 92,000 miles (2022 Citroen Classic Challenge veteran)
2006 C4 VTR+ 2.0 Coupé, silver, 78,000 miles (RIP)
2016 Volvo V40 T2 R-Design Pro, blue, 24,000 miles
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deltic
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Re: Deltic's GTi Blog

Post by deltic »

20220502_175726.jpg
My chief mechanic Digby doing the rounds before jumping into the other BX for a kip...
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1991 BX GTi auto, grey, 137,000 miles (2015, 2017 & 2019 Citroen Classic Challenge veteran)
1991 BX GTi auto, grey, 92,000 miles (2022 Citroen Classic Challenge veteran)
2006 C4 VTR+ 2.0 Coupé, silver, 78,000 miles (RIP)
2016 Volvo V40 T2 R-Design Pro, blue, 24,000 miles
mds141
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Re: Deltic's GTi Blog

Post by mds141 »

How big is that cat?!! 😄😳 No joy with the cambelt kit I’m afraid. Dayco and Gates both sent the wrong one, so we’ve resorted to trying to get one from France via Citroën U.K. That should be turning up sometime mid May, if that’s wrong then I’m stuffed, as the car is in bits and the existing belt definitely needs changing. The challenges of running a now 33 year old car I guess.
Mark Smith

Is it just me or is everything shit?

1989 BX GTi 16 valve. Blanc Alpine. Completed the Citroen Classic Challenge Ecosse and 1337 miles without a hitch.
2000 XM VSX 2.1 td Auto. Rouge Magenta.
TGD saloon many years ago.

1990 Swift 'Corniche' 12/2 aka BXClub HQ.
Honda Firestorm. Gone, but not forgotten.
2015 Triumph Tiger Explorer XC.
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deltic
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Re: Deltic's GTi Blog

Post by deltic »

He’s quite a big boy! Sorry about the car, bit of worry.
1991 BX GTi auto, grey, 137,000 miles (2015, 2017 & 2019 Citroen Classic Challenge veteran)
1991 BX GTi auto, grey, 92,000 miles (2022 Citroen Classic Challenge veteran)
2006 C4 VTR+ 2.0 Coupé, silver, 78,000 miles (RIP)
2016 Volvo V40 T2 R-Design Pro, blue, 24,000 miles
mds141
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Re: Deltic's GTi Blog

Post by mds141 »

Good news, the BX is rebuilt and lives once more. Cambelt arrived from France this morning. So if anyone else is struggling to get hold of a cambelt for their Valver then Citroën U.K. is the go to place.
Mark Smith

Is it just me or is everything shit?

1989 BX GTi 16 valve. Blanc Alpine. Completed the Citroen Classic Challenge Ecosse and 1337 miles without a hitch.
2000 XM VSX 2.1 td Auto. Rouge Magenta.
TGD saloon many years ago.

1990 Swift 'Corniche' 12/2 aka BXClub HQ.
Honda Firestorm. Gone, but not forgotten.
2015 Triumph Tiger Explorer XC.
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deltic
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Re: Deltic's GTi Blog

Post by deltic »

Great stuff, enjoy!
1991 BX GTi auto, grey, 137,000 miles (2015, 2017 & 2019 Citroen Classic Challenge veteran)
1991 BX GTi auto, grey, 92,000 miles (2022 Citroen Classic Challenge veteran)
2006 C4 VTR+ 2.0 Coupé, silver, 78,000 miles (RIP)
2016 Volvo V40 T2 R-Design Pro, blue, 24,000 miles
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deltic
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Re: Deltic's GTi Blog

Post by deltic »

New, stainless steel exhaust made and fitted by A2 Tyre Supplies in Sittingbourne. Not quite as quiet as I would have liked but I’ve an idea stainless systems can be a bit noisier. I had hoped that with all the expense we’d be ready for the off for the Challenge but on testing a new headlight I’d fitted on Saturday I noticed the red stop light was on and there was a huge puddle of LHM on the drive. I’m guessing it is a low pressure return pipe behind the engine or needs the octopus 🐙 replacing.

Given that we are supposed to be on the ferry to France on Wednesday morning there’s probably zero chance of fixing it this week even if we travel a day or two later. I am not happy as I’ve been looking forward to this trip for a very long time, however I’m grateful that whatever pipe has gone didn’t go on the motorway when I was running back and forth to Northumberland to look after my Mum.

Looks like it is going to be a trip in the C4 instead…
1991 BX GTi auto, grey, 137,000 miles (2015, 2017 & 2019 Citroen Classic Challenge veteran)
1991 BX GTi auto, grey, 92,000 miles (2022 Citroen Classic Challenge veteran)
2006 C4 VTR+ 2.0 Coupé, silver, 78,000 miles (RIP)
2016 Volvo V40 T2 R-Design Pro, blue, 24,000 miles
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Jaba
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Re: Deltic's GTi Blog

Post by Jaba »

What bad timing for your luck to run out. It sounds like a high pressure pipe failure for it to have dumped out most of the LHM. Easy to fix - as long as you have the time which clearly you do not.
I wanted to come on the Challenge again this time but have run out days I can spend in Europe due to the annoying Brexit 90 day limit.

Stainless steel is always a noisier option unfortunately and is what puts me off doing the same as you have.
The Joy of BX with just one Citroën BX to my name now. Will I sing Bye Bye to my GTI or will it be Till death us do part.
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deltic
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Re: Deltic's GTi Blog

Post by deltic »

Yes, bit of a bummer. However I'm just awaiting breakdown truck to take it to Chevronics who will attempt to fix it as quickly as they can.

I won't comment on Brexit (!) but I'd like to think that there might be another Challenge in the future as I've thoroughly enjoyed all three that I've been on. Great country and always a good group of people to travel with. Challenge is an apt name given some of our trials and tribulations with our cars though...

As to the exhaust A2 did originally suggest a hybrid system using a stainless front pipe/silencer to allow for the availability of the other parts, so that could be an option.
1991 BX GTi auto, grey, 137,000 miles (2015, 2017 & 2019 Citroen Classic Challenge veteran)
1991 BX GTi auto, grey, 92,000 miles (2022 Citroen Classic Challenge veteran)
2006 C4 VTR+ 2.0 Coupé, silver, 78,000 miles (RIP)
2016 Volvo V40 T2 R-Design Pro, blue, 24,000 miles
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deltic
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Re: Deltic's GTi Blog

Post by deltic »

Gosh, all a bit out of date here! With big thanks to Rob at Chevronics the car was fixed in time and the rest, i.e. the Challenge, is already history. Looks like Phil is already planning more for the future. A big thanks to Phil for organising!

The Challenge was great fun and I'll post some more details/pictures if I ever get time. One thing that slightly tempered its enjoyment was our noisy exhaust. A few people commented that the car sounded good (from the outside) but inside was a less comfortable story and I do wonder whether a hybrid system might have been a quieter option. I will post elsewhere shortly...
1991 BX GTi auto, grey, 137,000 miles (2015, 2017 & 2019 Citroen Classic Challenge veteran)
1991 BX GTi auto, grey, 92,000 miles (2022 Citroen Classic Challenge veteran)
2006 C4 VTR+ 2.0 Coupé, silver, 78,000 miles (RIP)
2016 Volvo V40 T2 R-Design Pro, blue, 24,000 miles
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deltic
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Re: Deltic's GTi Blog

Post by deltic »

Some Challenge stats:

Distance: 2175 miles (Sittingbourne - Castellane - Sittingbourne)

Fuel consumption: 32 mpg (tankfuls ranged from 25 - 36 mpg)

Oil consumption: 2l (from a leak rather than being burnt!)

Failures to proceed: 0 (A first!)

Number of BXs seen on the road: 1 (Platinum grey one in Blere)

Other BXs: 5-6 of which probably only one was in use. On the 2746 miles of the 2019 Challenge I saw around 8-10 BXs on the road.

Quite a few Xantias and C6s but only one DS and unusually only one Mehari.

Not one but two Fiat 128 3Ps - I last saw one of those in Slovakia in 1993!

And a surprise convoy of 5-6 Renault 20s and 30s.

Finally Tuesday seemed to be the day all the cyclists were out...
1991 BX GTi auto, grey, 137,000 miles (2015, 2017 & 2019 Citroen Classic Challenge veteran)
1991 BX GTi auto, grey, 92,000 miles (2022 Citroen Classic Challenge veteran)
2006 C4 VTR+ 2.0 Coupé, silver, 78,000 miles (RIP)
2016 Volvo V40 T2 R-Design Pro, blue, 24,000 miles
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deltic
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Re: Deltic's GTi Blog

Post by deltic »

MOT pass today!!!
1991 BX GTi auto, grey, 137,000 miles (2015, 2017 & 2019 Citroen Classic Challenge veteran)
1991 BX GTi auto, grey, 92,000 miles (2022 Citroen Classic Challenge veteran)
2006 C4 VTR+ 2.0 Coupé, silver, 78,000 miles (RIP)
2016 Volvo V40 T2 R-Design Pro, blue, 24,000 miles
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Tim Leech
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Re: Deltic's GTi Blog

Post by Tim Leech »

Excellent, did you sort the exhaust?
Lots of Motors, mostly semi broken....
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deltic
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Re: Deltic's GTi Blog

Post by deltic »

Lol, it’s still loud but given the money spent on it I think I will have to live with it for a while longer and it’s one less MoT thing to think about being stainless.
1991 BX GTi auto, grey, 137,000 miles (2015, 2017 & 2019 Citroen Classic Challenge veteran)
1991 BX GTi auto, grey, 92,000 miles (2022 Citroen Classic Challenge veteran)
2006 C4 VTR+ 2.0 Coupé, silver, 78,000 miles (RIP)
2016 Volvo V40 T2 R-Design Pro, blue, 24,000 miles
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