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Return of the Rusty Justy


Scruffy Bodger

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Hi,
 
this seemed to be the right sort of forum for this sort of thing? I've come across this place randomly a few times over the years, as again just recently. It seems most other forums are dying on their arses at the mo so it's good to see this one thriving!
A friend has just bought a 3 door ZX for spares for his other one. It's an MOT failure due to tin worm and pretty much nothing else. It was advertised locally on Ebay for a wheel nut but we went and had a look and decided the whole car seemed like a better prospect?
  The story goes that the old boy who owned it had "upgraded" to a Citroen C5. The remarkable thing about that was that he was apparently 92 when he bought his new car! Apparenty she's called Betty.
  His grandson had been given the car to sell but after seeing the rust had decided it was worth more in bits. A shame as it's not especially high mileage, starts brilliantly, drives very well, has power steering and overall it's not too bad. Apart from a couple of places...
 
Typical spot for a ZX
 
fltNcfB.jpg
 
rFVM8gC.jpg
 
Chassis rails too.
 
bLqr4dg.jpg
 
spcZmtD.jpg
 
THLkYa6.jpg
 
The sills seem to be a favourite spot too due to Citroens frankly ridiculous idea of what constitutes a jacking point.
 
f3wC629.jpg
 
I'm pretty sure this isn't meant to be removed from the car with just your fingers?!
 
Worth saving?

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It looks terminally crusty to me, but I'm not an expert. I'd say if you or your mate were proficient with the sparkle stick and could do the work yourself, then maybe. Depends how highly you value your time. If you have to pay someone else then I'd say it's destined for the bridge.

 

Again, not an expert, just my opinion.

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I could be bothered if the bodywork is really good and there isn't a list of other things needed, but of course there's almost always more rot than first appears.

 

Yes, ZXs are sweet, simple and relatively tough compared with newer stuff but they're still a generic, conventional modern hatch, albeit probably the best.

 

Verdict - if free or nearly so, would weld.

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Ah, I should've said it's down to me to save it. I like Zx's, I had a very tidy Volcane Td years ago that had been taken to Van Aaken tuning by a previous owner to be optimised. Sadly some fat twat stoved the side in at a junction when he failed to look left and pulled out.

 

I actually set about the thing at the weekend :-)

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One day all the ZXs and 306s will be gone, and everyone will have forgotten what it was like to have wonderful, communicative steering on their mid-range hatchback.

For as long as red diesel is charged at a lower rate of duty, there will *always* be 306 TDis on the road - in rural Ulster, anyway.

 

OP's ZX looks fairly borderline as a going concern - I'd agree that it's only feasible if otherwise in knockout condition, and welding skills can be procured for beer money. If not, then part it out as originally planned - it'll probably yield a goodly haul of spares.

 

I really do like the 3dr ZXs, but a crispy Cit can be an expensive Cit... ask me how I know. ;)

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Having seen some of the grot dealt with by various members of this forum, I reckon that can be saved. Not that I have the skills or equipment, but as I say some of the cars on here were worst than that (even though the ZX is quite badly corroded!). Triple Rich's Granada is a good example. FOAD has worked wonders on his stuff too.

 

Like everything if you have time and equipment, then what could possibly go wrong? Not as if it's in perfect condition and you can't make it much worse!

 

As the song says, "If you like it then you'd better put a MIG on it" (possibly misheard)

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EcnaTqD.jpg

 

lhD9gyv.jpg

 

dNyqVXe.jpg

 

It looks like beer tokens and just saving it are the order of the day. It was going to be broken so the 3 door specific bits could go towards a 2.0 16v he just bought (which I am itching to have a go in!) So still need a few bits if anyone reading this has any?

Also a passenger side wing as that's the worst part of the car. A little bit of laquer peel on the roof but apart from that it's not too bad for an old car.

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Having seen some of the grot dealt with by various members of this forum, I reckon that can be saved. Not that I have the skills or equipment, but as I say some of the cars on here were worst than that (even though the ZX is quite badly corroded!). Triple Rich's Granada is a good example. FOAD has worked wonders on his stuff too.

 

Like everything if you have time and equipment, then what could possibly go wrong? Not as if it's in perfect condition and you can't make it much worse!

 

As the song says, "If you like it then you'd better put a MIG on it" (possibly misheard)

I've seen the Granada thread, absolutely epic that. Way beyond my experience with old bangers.

 

 

zx 1.9 diesel, where's the pic of the injector pump?  Does the rear axle have play in those there trailing arm bearings?

It's a Lucas pumped  NAD, no Bosch or turbo sadly. Starts and runs brilliantly and that combo can do many, many miles ime. Rear axle looks fine at the mo and certainly wasn't picked up on for the MOT. Just anti-roll bar gaitors iirc. Needs some fettling on the rear brakes and the front disks look like plates so maybe a good idea to replace them.

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Looks familiar!

 

33720309666_3869e43502_c.jpgDSC_0330 by srblythe, on Flickr

 

I did the sills and chassis legs on my old ZX last year.

 

That looks like just the spot where another mate's Volcane has gone. I think I've been volunteered for that one too. What model do you have?

 

3NxCepb.jpg

 

Surprising what a mess of the floor these things can make. That's before the XUD gets to do it's best too obviously...

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33880875992_cc2a7cca1b_c.jpgDSC_0850-1 by srblythe, on Flickr

 

It was a 5 door Turbo-D elation from what I remember, I sold it on to a pal from south east England when he was holidaying up here with his parents and their car died so needed something cheap to get them home.

 

I think I paid £100 for it.

 

I also briefly owned a zx volcane

 

27586024253_fe9e99fbd2_c.jpgCitroen ZX Volcane by srblythe, on Flickr

 

Paid £80 for it

 

And I paid £60 for this...

 

34539236673_82c6a47242_c.jpgDSC_0158 by srblythe, on Flickr

 

All gone!

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33880875992_cc2a7cca1b_c.jpgDSC_0850-1 by srblythe, on Flickr

 

It was a 5 door Turbo-D elation from what I remember, I sold it on to a pal from south east England when he was holidaying up here with his parents and their car died so needed something cheap to get them home.

 

I think I paid £100 for it.

 

I also briefly owned a zx volcane

 

27586024253_fe9e99fbd2_c.jpgCitroen ZX Volcane by srblythe, on Flickr

 

Paid £80 for it

 

And I paid £60 for this...

 

34539236673_82c6a47242_c.jpgDSC_0158 by srblythe, on Flickr

 

All gone!

I bet it got them home too. This 3 doors an Elation and guessing the same colour as that one. The Volcane doesn't look too bad apart from needing a bloody good wash, original wheels too. Wish I could find one for 80 quid now.

This one's fitted with Volcane alloys too as it happens, I think they are getting changed for a set of steels and some wheel trims?

The estates are good tools but they really don't float my boat.

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Are the rear inner arches as good as this one?attachicon.gifIMG_20170727_143738_hdr.jpg

 

 

 

 

Ah hold on let's have a better lookattachicon.gifIMG_20170727_170000_hdr.jpgattachicon.gifIMG_20170727_143919_hdr.jpg

 

I haven't dared to look yet, I bloody hope not!  I can see you gave that one a gentle prodding with a lump hammer, one way of seeing what you are dealing with :-)

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When I sold my old L reg volcane to Dean_numbers to break for spares for his much nicer zx he said it was rotten in all those places when he chopped it up.

 

Would have another one in a flash if one was around when I need a car! Funny actually, sitting in the laguna wobbling up the road (as the inner tie rods are fucked) I realised I was just as comfy in the zx as i am in the lag! And I'm 6ft2 and a fat bastard!

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Best ZX I've had so far was this:

post-20043-0-81817500-1518551327_thumb.jpg

 

Very early TurboD Aura. It had done 212k but still flew. It was utterly knackered but drove largely fine. It was rusty everywhere mind you, fist sized holes in the front inner wings and the rear inners were even worse.

 

I will own another early TD in this spec. I've promised myself the best one I can find , but I just have to hope it appears a little later this year as I'm on a car buying ban.

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One day all the ZXs and 306s will be gone, and everyone will have forgotten what it was like to have wonderful, communicative steering on their mid-range hatchback.

 

Nah, you just buy a focus.

 

I've had 4 306's (1.9D, 1.9TD, 2.0pez and 1.6pez) and 2 ZX Volcanes, one petrol one diesel, great cars :)

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When I sold my old L reg volcane to Dean_numbers to break for spares for his much nicer zx he said it was rotten in all those places when he chopped it up.

 

Would have another one in a flash if one was around when I need a car! Funny actually, sitting in the laguna wobbling up the road (as the inner tie rods are fucked) I realised I was just as comfy in the zx as i am in the lag! And I'm 6ft2 and a fat bastard!

 

I travelled over 600 miles in a day a couple of times in my old Volcane, fantastically comfy seats. Better than any Ford, VW or Audi etc I have had by quite a margin.

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Mine was fairly knackered in many ways, I took it from 260k to 299.something k, was damn tempted to keep on up the motorway a bit to hit 300,000 but bub2006 was meeting me to transport me onwards so couldn't! Still comfy though, the knackered seat had contoured itself to my derriere!

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Best ZX I've had so far was this:

attachicon.gif2018-02-13_07-48-14.jpg

 

Very early TurboD Aura. It had done 212k but still flew. It was utterly knackered but drove largely fine. It was rusty everywhere mind you, fist sized holes in the front inner wings and the rear inners were even worse.

 

I will own another early TD in this spec. I've promised myself the best one I can find , but I just have to hope it appears a little later this year as I'm on a car buying ban.

 

It's a pity they started to rust so badly. I welded a mates up to stop the shock mount punching its way thru the bonnet some years back. That too was an Aura, it was thrashed to bits and driven into the floor but never let him down. At one point 5 of us had Zx's all at the same time but all bar one have fallen by the wayside, there is another but it's sorned, rotten and needs an engine transplant sadly.

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