Roffle Brammys BXcellent adventure, ZX RAFFLE all gone, draw tomorrow, pp details later

[bramz7]

Bah, it won't start.

 

I replaced the battery today thinking (hoping) that it'd be that. Nope. The starter just clicks, and that's it. The headlights dim when the key is turned so it points to the starter being duff. 

Oddly though, it started fine yesterday when I stalled it, after being driven around for an hour. Then it just refused to start last night and this morning. 

Is there something obvious I'm missing here?

 

It had to pick this time to be a French car didn't it, two weeks before its first road trip. 

[mouseflakes]

Poor earth maybe?

[M'coli]

Will it bump start?

[bramz7]

The earth looks okay, the cables don't look damaged either. Oddly after just messing about with them a little (i.e. twisting them about etc) it let out a whimper of a starter noise when attempted and then went back to clicking.

 

Yes it had to be bump started yesterday. Obviously if all else fails, that's the benefit of living on a hill but I'd rather not….

[Skizzer]

I feel your pain, brother. Could be a dodgy earth as mouseflakes said, or other connection - the click might be the relay rather than the starter solenoid. Worth a bit of contact cleaning action before writing off the starter.

[bramz7]

So it gets weirder (or more frustrating, whatever). I removed the earth(s) and brushed them up a bit, and put it all back together. Car starts first time! Wahey problem solved.

 

Or not.

 

As it won't start again!

[UltraWomble]

Have you checked the stop solenoid for the pump?

 

It wont be the first one to cark and need hard wiring to the live terminal of the battery due to old age.

 

 

Just fecking ignore me - its pez. For some reason I thought you had a 1900Dizzler.

[bramz7]

General train of thought here is that it could be the starter motor in some way, as now I think about it, it had been getting a bit lax starting on first turn recently. I assumed it was 'old car charm' but hey ho. 

 

Bit anxious about this journey in a fortnight though, as I won't be able to replace the starter myself due to lack of tools/space so it'll have to be a family friend mechanic.

Tempting to buy that Regata and use that as a temporary car. But that'd be a bit too mad wouldn't it?

[Jon]

 

Tempting to buy that Regata and use that as a temporary car. 

 

And so the Autoshite car ownership ethos begins.......

[BorniteIdentity]

Hahahahaha. Buys Fiat Regatta as reliable temporary cover for a Citroen ZX.

 

I hope this place never ever changes.

[bramz7]

So...

 

Drum roll….

 

1994 Citroen ZX Avantage Diesel. by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

1994 Citroen ZX Avantage Diesel. by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

 

Pasted from Flickr:

My new daily. I had to take the blue one off of the road to get it fettled and fixed up, especially with winter on the way and another Scotland journey on the cards, I daren't risk it again in a car with unknown cam belt history and other niggles stacking up.

 

So, L461XMR. I had seen it on eBay about a month or so ago and it got no bids. I kind of regretted not bidding as it looked nice and was cheapish. It then appeared again at a lower start, and I emailed the seller asking a few questions. Satisfied with the response, I bid in the dying minutes, and was the only bidder.

It was owned by the sellers mother in law for nearly 20 years, and unbelievably up until recently, had the numberplate <b>YVR1</b>!

108K on the clock, but thats a drop in the ocean for a XUD, and what a XUD it has. It pulls well and the gears fell perfect, in fact it might be the best gearbox I've yet to handle. PAS and ABS too, which is nice after having neither on the blue one. Amazingly clean inside too, like no ones ever sat in it basically.

Sadly there is some rust breaking through, no doubt due to it living in Yorkshire for so long, so the next MOT will probably be a fail. I may fix it up though, depending on the situation.

 

MR is a Swindon plate, no idea where it was sold though.

 

 

XUDs are great aren't they?! I got 160 miles from a quarter of a tank, and it wasn't even diesel I paid for. Bonus. 

[mouseflakes]

Flippin' ace!

[dean36014]

mine just did 57mpg average on the last tank full. That was a trip to norfolk and about 120 miles bumbling around the broads. That looks a nice one, hopefully the rust will be an easy fix, they seem to go around the inner wings where the strut towers are and the rear end of the sills. I've never actually seen one with ABS before!

[beko1987]

Mine would do 480 miles to £45 being thrashed to work and back

 

And thats the best colour, well done! You have a spring/summer and autumn/winter zx now!

[Spottedlaurel]

I got to see this for myself today, it really does look very good for the money. Perfectly respectable outside and a clean interior too.

[BorniteIdentity]

If I wasnt so attached to my Avensis then I'd be seeking out a really nice one of these for my daily 100 mile commute.

 

Well done on the purchase!

[bramz7]

Cheers for the comments guys.

 

So, it runs well enough and is annoyingly tidy inside! However, it is pretty rusty on the nearside behind the front wheel, and it looks like someones jacked it up wrongly at some point as the chassis rail has a big old dent in it. The other side is better, but there is the start of some rust in the floor. The blue one (which is more cosmetically challenged on the surface and has a few mechanical issues) is as solid as a rock. 

 

 

It's a dilemma, as I suspect this one will run and run and run, whereas the earlier petrol one will need fettling on a constant basis in my opinion, but it's a rare one and I doubt there's many others with a choke still about. Do I get the green one welded up and run it for potentially over 100k miles? 

Or do I run it in to the ground and put all my efforts into the blue one?

 

MOT on the diesel doesn't run out for nearly 6 months, so it's not overly pressing at this stage. 

[beko1987]

Drive both on alternate weeks, then they will last twice as long before needing any repair!

 

You need to work out which you love more. I know which one I'd fall in love with tbh...

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Lets see some rust pictures

[bramz7]

Lets see some rust pictures

 

 

I'll take some tomorrow. 

 

It did have some (oddly decent for MOT) welding done this year around the nearside front suspension.

[Lacquer Peel]

NICE. ZXs rust a bit on the inner wings but it's not terminal or difficult to repair if that's where your grot is.

XUDs can be quite fuel efficient, I managed over 700 miles out of a tank in one of my 405s and calculated a 56MPG average in another one. They rinse fuel in Xantias for some reason.

[bramz7]

Might have lost my mojo with the blue one. Plus I'm tinged with guilt with it being roadworthy but on SORN.

 

So, anyone want it for a shiter special price of £400?

45k now, mot until June. Pretty sizeable service history from 2008 onwards. Does need fettling though, but did 1400 miles in a week in August without any issue.

 

If no one wants it, I'll just keep hold of it for now.

[beko1987]

The xud bug has bitten then!

[mouseflakes]

...if it wasn't for the fact we're just heading into winter and I'd like to have another chance to try my Justy in the OMGSNO...

[LostnotFound]

Two working cars, that's a bit fancy!

 

As your thread has turned into a definite ZX appreciation page can I ask a quick question. My other half had a ZX as her first car. (White 1.4 advantage, that died from head gasket failure and was replaced by a far less nice Astra).

 

My main memory of driving it was having real issues with the really small pedal box. No one else seems to ever mention this, so have I just managed to convince myself of something that is just plain wrong?

[beko1987]

I never had any issues in either of mine, although when I got into the Xantia for the first time the pedals were in a completely different place, bub lolled at me kangerooing off his drive... So wether the ZX is odd or the Xantia is odd could be another question

[bramz7]

I've caught my shoes on the bottom of the dashboard a few times and I used to accidentally catch the throttle with the clutch too, but I've adjusted to it now. Bear in mind that I've driven 3000 miles in ZXs since driving anything else, so my experience is a little....limited.

 

On the subject of XUDS, yeah it's a better engine but the TU is weirdly economical for a carb fed car. First gear is annoyingly short on it though.

[bramz7]

Oops when I said clutch up there, I obviously meant brake pedal....

[bramz7]

Okay, I do actually really need to sell this.

 

Looks like I may have to move out sooner rather than later so yeah, this has to go.

 

Good points:

 

Low mileage

Everything electrical works. Everything. Windows, mirror, lights, all dash lights, sunroof, fan blows hot and cold etc

Interior is more or less spotless and clean

4 good tyres, including two Michelin Energy tyres fitted less than 1500 miles ago on the front, and a useable spare

Very clean underneath, no signs of rot

New starter motor and battery

Economical enough on motorway journeys to suggest no fuelling issues

Early car with manual choke charm, if you like that sort of thing.

MOT until June 2017

Bad points

Cambelt history unknown at current. 

Dent on rear O/S door. Probably would pull out. Seems to pop out on warm days for some reason.

Scuff on rear arch needs sorting

Gear linkage worn so will need doing, but not making it impossible to drive

Speedo needle ticks, but registers near enough right speed

Fuel gauge is vague, as its in a ZX, but car is doing about 40mpg seemingly.

Some paint marks all over car, as well as some lacquer peel (grrr) on drivers door, but its reasonably small.

 

It's a good car. It'll do every day use but also, being an early one and one of few with a carb still going, worth preserving. A days work and it'd be perfect.

 

I won't get back what I paid for it, I know that much.

 

So one off for £375. Or if you really, really desperately want it, I MIGHT be open to swaps on the condition that its a similar age AND roadworthy. Maybe an R8, if someone has one they want to swap a ZX for.

 

I can pick people up from Reading station if need be. I make alright coffee.

 

Any messages, please ask. This is absolutely killing me writing this but heck, life goes on I suppose.

 

I can possibly drive it to you if you cover fuel costs and a train fare back. 

[bramz7]

Hmmm. No interest at all?!

I really don't want to sell it through eBay or gumtree either.

 

If a shiter wants it, you can have it for £300. I'm that desperate.

If it doesn't sell by the end of the week, it'll have to go on eBay.

 

Photos on the first page still sum up the general condition.