Talking B____X

Philip Chidlow · Post by **Philip Chidlow** » Fri Aug 26, 2011 9:18 pm

It's a 1990 BX 19TGD in red with MOT to May 2012 and Tax November 2011, goes well and will come up well indeedy. Needs a new driver's seat/seat squab in that grey tweed, but apart from that interior's immaculate. Kermit picked it up after I arranged the rendezvous, and drove it back (top bloke!) leaving still quarter of a tank of diesel in it... LHM, oil, polish and t-cut all in the boot - and the handbook etc. Excellent result and it's got Challenge car written all over it! Not bad for free.

Pics to follow.

Philip Chidlow · Post by **Philip Chidlow** » Tue Aug 30, 2011 12:07 pm

The Red Baron

Philip Chidlow · Post by **Philip Chidlow** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 3:19 pm

Regrets, I have a few...

I wish I hadn't sold my XM in the end, and instead actually spent the £900 it would have cost to get right. But sell it I did, because at the time I needed more seats (so bought a Synergie) although that need came and went with a change of plan by my parents.

I should not have sold my Phase 2 16v although at the time I needed to pay the tax man and considering the car got about 2hrs use a week tops, it made sense to. But I think now, I'd appreciate it more than I did.

I should not have bought the Xantia I have now. It has all the toys and the interior is a nice place to be. It goes well but the suspension issues have made it hard to like and even though the rear is riding OK now it ain't no BX for comfort or XM for refinement.

I should not have parted with my Visa GTi - although the price I got for it was good at the time now I could triple it.

Anyone else have similar regrets with their Citroen history?

Way2go · Post by **Way2go** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 3:56 pm

Blimey Phil, this is not like you. I thought your philosophy was that a regular change of car is one of the things that makes the world go round?

I think if you like a car, better to stick with it within reason as you know it & what's done / needs doing to it, but it doesn't give you the thrill of change.

Perhaps you need a BX keeper as a special pet and then buy temporary others just for that 'extra fix' ?

Post by **Tim Leech** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 3:58 pm

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Philip Chidlow wrote:Anyone else have similar regrets with their Citroën history?

Yup, I should never have sold my first BX for a new AX, as it was a beauty. Oddly enough I should have kept my Saxo, as it was a great little motor, but I was young an impatient guy that wanted a new car every time I had paid off enough to swop it, for a Rover 214, which was nice but nowt special.

Lastly I shouldnt have sold a lovely grey 19TZD, up on the miles but one owner and full service history, Ken went through it, made it ride, stop and change gear properly, and I made it shine like a new pin, like a wally I sold it on ebay (complete with two NEW 1/4 windows

) and bought a battered 19TZS auto instead which I then gave away to sleepy.

The TZD was taken off the road when the MOT expired and hasnt returned to the road since........

Philip Chidlow · Post by **Philip Chidlow** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 4:14 pm

Way2go wrote:Blimey Phil, this is not like you. I thought your philosophy was that a regular change of car is one of the things that makes the world go round?

I think if you like a car, better to stick with it within reason as you know it & what's done / needs doing to it, but it doesn't give you the thrill of change.

Perhaps you need a BX keeper as a special pet and then buy temporary others just for that 'extra fix' ?

You may have a point. Despite the regular changes there's usually been a 'constant', like the last GTi I had - I ran that for three years (quite a record for me). Before that I had the other GTi auto 'DGK' which I ran for over four years. Maybe the current TXD will be the 'keeper' while, as you say, I swap others around for the 'fix'.

Post by **Tim Leech** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 4:21 pm

Got to say Phil, I did think DGK was a stunner......The silver against the anthracite wheels looks fab. So much so I copied you with the my GTi auto"FEG", another which I should have kept

Philip Chidlow · Post by **Philip Chidlow** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 4:38 pm

Here she is in 2005:

Philip Chidlow · Post by **Philip Chidlow** » Mon Sep 05, 2011 11:22 am

The chap Andrew, who sold me his well-cared for BX 19TXD estate, sent me a package containing copies of even more of it's extensive service history. I would suggest there is no other BX around with a more comprehensive documented history than this.

I'm pretty sure this won't be of too much interest to anyone here, but will highlight the fact to me that it would be disgraceful if I didn't keep up with the maintenance and servicing (to a fault) that this car has enjoyed thus far. So I will keep the car - and the level of pampering the car is used to - for the foreseeable and I am relieved in a way, that it is now only the back up car for the Challenge. I think it likes it's cosseted lifestyle lol!

Of course, the challenge that faces it now is to get the fuel leak (injector pump if that is what it turns out to be) fixed, replace the cam belt even if there is little hint of contamination, and might as well put a new accumulator/air con belt on... and it follows that the air con compressor might as well be changed for the reconditioned one I have here.... and so on.

The car was bought in late September 1995 at 41,762 miles for £6,154 (which included brake pads, wheel trims, full set of Citroen spheres, new clutch and pump belt...)

The papers record every penny spent since and the car cost over £22,000 to run over the fifteen and a half years. The details, which add to the mountain of bills etc. I already have suggest to me that this must be one of the best-maintained BXs around.

The reduced annual mileage confirms that with increasing lack of use, Andrew was right to sell when he did (for which I am eternally grateful of course!), but it still didn't want for anything - even in the last few thousand miles in his ownership.

Just in the last 9 years/10,000 miles (I have put 4,000 miles onto it) it has had five Mobil 1 synthetic oil changes, three gearbox oil changes (last engine and gearbox changes included Activ8 treatment), two coolant changes, two LHM changes, metal fuel pipe renewed, driveshaft boots, complete exhaust, lower ball joints, accumulator sphere, front anti-roll bar drop links, cam belt (just under four years and 5,500 miles ago) and tensioner assembly, rad cap, several brake strip and cleans plus new front pads, loads of cleaning and waxoyling, numerous oil/fuel/air filters and only 4,500 miles/one year ago, front to rear, all rear subframe mounted and rear brake hydraulic pipes/unions replaced with copper nickel at Chevronics (and a Dinotrol treatment). Octopus was replaced a little before the above.

Post by **mat_fenwick** » Mon Sep 05, 2011 11:25 am

Philip Chidlow wrote:One thing I might not do is

What?

Don't keep us in suspense!

Philip Chidlow · Post by **Philip Chidlow** » Mon Sep 05, 2011 11:35 am

Sorry my mistake, I forgot to edit that bit out...

What I was going to say was:

One thing I might not do is keep up with that rate of oil changes!

Post by **Tim Leech** » Mon Sep 05, 2011 12:04 pm

You wont be able to find another BX diesel like that on Phil, so you would be a fool to part with it, once the injector pump etc is done then it should be good to go for quite some time. And that may cure the lack of power problem too.

Philip Chidlow · Post by **Philip Chidlow** » Mon Sep 05, 2011 11:22 pm

Picked up a set of Citroen Accessorie (Thule manufactured) roof bars for the estate. Hardly used (look new) with locks, 4 keys. Free.

Now that's nice.

Thanks!!! (You know who you are

Just need to carry something big now.

Post by **Defender110** » Tue Sep 06, 2011 11:07 am

Philip Chidlow wrote:Just need to carry something big now.

'GS project' to the Midland meet

Philip Chidlow · Post by **Philip Chidlow** » Wed Sep 07, 2011 1:39 pm

Sorry it's off to the Brighton Speed Trials with Kermit (Phil B) and my brother on Saturday. I'm taking the BX down to Phil's place on Friday so we can hopefully sort the diesel leak as per Tech section thread. I'll take some pics.