Hello from new member - but maybe soon goodbye (or good buy)

[allmat]

Thought I'd introduce myself and ask for people's thoughts.
Almost all of my cars in the last thirty years have been Citroens - a 2CV, Ami, Dyane, Ami Super, two GSAs, a Visa, a ZX, and five BXs. I started with an '84 1.6 TRS, then an '87 1.4, but the others have all been diesels. Two saloons (a 1.7 and a 1.9) both sold with over 180,000 on the clock and still going strong. The only one left is a '92 TXD Estate which I bought in 1997 with 92,000 on the clock. In the ten years I've owned it it's done another 80,000 and has been a real gem – utterly reliable, enormous capacity, supremely comfortable and a real pleasure to drive. But now the kids have left home it's really too big for just two of us. At one level we both think that fifteen year old cars should just be sold on to a local builder or whoever and driven into the ground. But at another level it's been so good for us that we'd really rather see it go to someone who would appreciate it, and perhaps restore it, as it's one of the last of them.
It's always been maintained by a local independent specialist repairer, and I've got all the bills. It went through an MOT in October at a cost of £30 to weld an exhaust bracket back, and the year before I think I replaced a bulb! About six years ago the gearbox threw a tooth through the casing, and I got a replacement from a breaker, which my mechanic fitted together with a new clutch. Although I was assured by the breaker that it was the correct gearbox for my car, once it was in it became clear that it was actually off of a turbo - so all the ratios are rather high. Result - somewhat sluggish, but amazing fuel consumption (around 50 mpg). It’s had three new tyres recently and all the important bits work (but not the rear screen heater, or some panel lights - and the rev counter is intermittent). The driver's door has a crease where the wind caught it against the front wing, but apart from that the body's sound, and the interior is good apart from a couple of cigarette burns in the driver's seat.
So the upshot is - what's it worth, and how best should I advertise it to get a sympathetic buyer?

[tom]

It sounds like the sort of car that would be on the scrapheap as soon as the MOT ran out in 90% of the cases we hear of but, as you know, it is an honest and viable motor car. Sure, it has the wrong 'box but so what! A good fettle will see it scrub up well. Some of us have a soft spot for the estate (Between the ears, some would say) but the 1900 isn't so sought after because the turbo is just so good. The 1.9 is smoother and less fussy to live with and the TXD spec is worth having. Advertise it in the For sale column here because this is where the buyers are and bear in mind that cars sometimes come up for very little money on Ebay.
With an October MOT, Somebody on here would probably pay (I'll stick my neck out here) between £125 and £175.

[tim leech]

Hmm I do think a diesel estate with a long MOT is woth a bit more, if its in good nick and runs well I would expect it to fetch over £200 maybe even £250 on the right day.

What colour is it and do you bave any pictures please.

[Kitch]

Welcome to the site.....just on the side I see you're from Southend....not a football man by chance are ya? I'm a Southend Utd follower

Anyway the car....I know how good these things are at everyday use, I'm using one now.
I'd actually go even further to say its worth £250-£300 if the problems listed are all thats up. TXD's a good spec and the 1.9D is the most painless BX to own by some margin.....ours runs on no oil or coolant half the time

However, what I'd ask is why do you need to get rid? A smaller car definately won't cost any less to run than one of these and although its got more space than 2 people need, is that such a bad thing? I run a 19RD estate on my own.
Tell me if I'm preeching, I don't mean to. But I know for a fact the BX I'm using costs less to own than my girlfriends Saxo!

[Oscar]

Hi Allmat

Welcome to the site.

I understand that you think the car is too big for two of you. Before you sell though, Tom has written an interesting piece on the depreciation costs of new cars versus keeping old BXs on the road. It's worth a read, if you are thinking of buying a new, smaller model.

Oscar

[M]

Fancy swapping for a Rover 100?

[allmat]

This is clearly a busy group - 60 views and five replies in a few hours!
Thanks for the input so far - replies (in no particular order)
The car is red - like most BXs - and I'd post a photo or two if someone could point me to the instructions.
I'm not a football supporter at all - and I actually live quite close to the ground. And that's one of the issues with keeping the car, because parking is at a premium. and something a lot shorter would mean I could use spaces that I currently can't. And I should have mentioned that I also have a Berlingo, which does most things the BX does.
I appreciate the point about depreciation on newer cars as against keeping old ones going - but I suspect most of you do your own fettling. My days of crawling under cars are over. I think my mechanic's prices are very reasonable, but even so it's easy to spend a hundred pounds getting something fixed.
A bit more about the car - it uses no oil at all between changes, starts easily hot or cold (£50 battery fitted two years ago). new front spheres two years ago, rear arm bearings replaced 25k and 50k miles back, cambelt 40k miles back. There's also a pair of roof bars to fit across the roof rails, and a roofbox.
Once I've digested any further thoughts it'll probably appear in the For Sale thread.

[Oscar]

Sounds like a really good buy for someone...