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AXually Sold! But There's Another AX For Sale...


rml2345

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This one is bodily quite scruffy but apart from needing front wheels balanced and the standard TU rocker cover leak it's mechanically bob on. It'll be fun tidying it up and giving it some love.

Initial impressions are good but shall save them for a proper sit down write up... Tomorrow probably...

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I had an AXGT for a while. It's purchase price is reflected in my username.

 

I was working away from home on a new job, and on the second day they issued us all with big 'ol steel toe cap boots, so I put them on...

 

On the 2 mile drive from the site back to the hotel I nearly crashed about 6 times pushing 2 pedals at once.

 

Sold on after 6 months for a fat profit, a right result I thought.

 

Of course they are going for silly prices now, but you can't keep them all..... Can you?

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Situation Report;

We're still on the road...

AX appeared to be losing coolant and drivers losing awakedness. Managed to placate former with water but it'll need a bloody good flush and a fresh expansion cap.

Managed to help the latter with a bit of s nap in the back. Surprisingly comfortable!

Swampy21 looked less cosy...

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I had an AXGT for a while. It's purchase price is reflected in my username.

I was working away from home on a new job, and on the second day they issued us all with big 'ol steel toe cap boots, so I put them on...

On the 2 mile drive from the site back to the hotel I nearly crashed about 6 times pushing 2 pedals at once.

Sold on after 6 months for a fat profit, a right result I thought.

Of course they are going for silly prices now, but you can't keep them all..... Can you?

I had a similar use when a mate was driving my X1/9 with boots on!

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  • 2 weeks later...

So... Yes. I was supposed to come back and write initial impressions of the tiny Citroën but it didn't happen. Mainly because I've been driving about in it. 
So what's it like?
Small. Very small...

 

20157327901_d17d64d4c0_b.jpg

 

... But not uncomfortably so. Two adults will sit happily in the front with enough room and I reckon the back would seat two more, probably because you sit in the very corners of the cabin. Driver's door sill is the right height for elbow-out-the-window-enjoying-the-experience motoring but perhaps a tad cosy with the window shut. Being quite a low spec, there's only two adjustable air vents in the centre of the, dash so ventilation isn't brilliant but the heater is surprisingly ferocious. The blower fan only works on one setting at the moment so I'll see if it improves when sorted.
Cabin ventilation is aided by a tilt/pop out/blow away sunroof which also makes the interior feel incredibly light and airy.

Seats are incredibly comfy as well, and the interior quality is probably on a par with 700 series Volvos. Make of that what you will.
The driving position itself is completely absurd. All the pedals are in a shoebox in one corner and the rest is wheelarches, forcing your legs to sort of bend at strange angles. Being an odd shape, it suits me well and beyond the occasional onset of AX knee doesn't cause any problems.

So what's it like to drive? Superb.
The steering is pig heavy at parking speeds (or I'm a big wuss too used to PAS) but brilliantly weighted on the road and wonderfully direct. The wee AX grips well on the mad 145/80s that it's arrived with but will slide if you're a bit enthusiastic. I think a decent set of 155/70s will help that considerably though and stop it trying to chew through the screenwash tank as well. Brakes require a hefty shove to pull up quickly so may also receive some attention. 

 

post-4790-0-24592700-1437247153.jpg

 

At the heart of the AX lies the venerable PSA TU engine, in 954cc fuel injected TU9 flavour. Not going to set the road alight, even in 688kgs of small car but it tries and makes a silly sort of racing car noise in the process. Mated to the delightfully melodious 4sp gearbox and it's surprising how much fun can be had even at a rather pedestrian 40-50mph. The change itself is pleasantly light and swift, helped by the light clutch action. Keep trying to put it into the fifth gear it hasn't got.

It has it's problems, as most cars do but  it's such an involving thing that all you want to do is drive it,

 

 19910797198_0b28ebcf29_b.jpg

 

It's probably one of the best cars I've ever had. 

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I have a 4 speed gearbox for one of these sat in central Scotlandshire, if you're interested - Under pressure from my dad to weigh it in, as it's dumped in his garage...(!)

 

(Might also have some other TU9 bits left over from my old 205 XE - Will look next time I'm over visiting my folks).

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Coalville is about ten miles from me, it is a former mining town and even grimmer than it sounds with only a decent bikers pub and a tyre repair place to redeem itself with.

Good luck with the collection.

 

Oi! What about Snibston?

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They all do that Sir.

 

Had three of these and a 106 and all have poor brakes despite being in perfect order. In standard form, they cannot be improved

 

Ah. Will leave bigger gaps then and hope no one pulls out suddenly. 

 

I have a 4 speed gearbox for one of these sat in central Scotlandshire, if you're interested - Under pressure from my dad to weigh it in, as it's dumped in his garage...(!)

 

(Might also have some other TU9 bits left over from my old 205 XE - Will look next time I'm over visiting my folks).

 

Cheers for the offer! Not sure what I'd do with a spare gearbox but any extra TU9 bits would be handy.

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Regarding the brakes, yes, they're never going to be particularly awe-inspiring but I recall the ones on mine always being particularly terrible, even after new pads, discs and calipers.  You had to mash the pedal to the floor and when fully loaded it just wouldn't stop in the wet, I actually overshot a roadside parking space at low speed because it simply carried on regardless of how hard I pressed the pedal.  I always just accepted it as the norm until I took it for an MOT at a different garage I'd never used before, after a straight pass he handed the keys back and said 'try the brakes' - huge improvement, brake effort started much higher up the pedal travel and it felt so much safer.  Turned out the pedal just needed adjusting, might be worth checking that on yours.  I don't know any details, it was a long time ago and it was back in the day when I hardly dared touch the oily bits so I took him at his word.

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  • 1 month later...

So... Aye. Been meaning to update this with progress on the tiny biscuit tin since, oh, about July so we'll go through it crono chronol cronicha... From the start.

Unfortunately it will be illustrated.

 

First thing noticed on the way home with the AX was a sharp drop in the coolant level. It was topped up but decided on a coolant flush and new thermostat and radiator cap, so those were done.

 

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Apparently there are lots of bleed valves on the cooling system and reading back on the HBOL I'd forgotten to use any of them. Fortunatley the RED LIGHT OF DOOM works and TU cookage was narrowly avoided. Or it's ruined and will fail to proceed in a November gale 150 miles from home. 

Anyway.
Chuffed to bits with that success*, a small amount of external tidying up was done.

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Despite having four PSA wheel trims, none of them were the same. 

 

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So it got a set of scruffy Saxo ones from the local breakers that at least all match.
The AX, having received some love and attention decided that the back box wanted replaced as well.
 

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Since then, it's had the centre pipe done as well and the front will need done too but can wait a little bit. 
Anyway!
On to the pressing* problem of ICE.

Having OEM guilt, I was disappointed to find the original Citroën radio was kaputt and that one of the two speakers had come out in sympathy. However, by spending £2 on a second hand Sony head unit and a few more on some bangin' Maplin speakers I could listen to music in proper stereo sound.

 

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Other scrapyard finds included a new blower unit that was the wrong shape to fit but supplied a resistor pack to fix the right one so I could again enjoy the decadence of three fan speeds and a replacement cam cover because I managed to fuck up the other one when replacing the gasket.

 

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What a tit.

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