Am I mad? (probably - but check THIS out)

[scooters]

Meet the last Citroen CX 25 ie Familiale Auto left in the UK.

 

I was browsing the Gumtree doing my 'is there any chod worth 'avin on here' weekly visit and low and behold on the very fringes of the carriage drive of Scooters Towers lurks this baby:

 

Our beloved CX will need to go to someone who would like her for parts or has got the time to spend on the restoration.

 

We don't have the time at present, so therefore we feel she be better off with someone else able to use her.

 

Excellent engine,

Fully rewired,

Lot's of spare parts [anything from windows to spare lights],

3 rows of seats [this is a 8 seater car] which are full leather

 

This car has got lot's of space, some of these models had been used as an ambulance [could also get used as a camper, as it has plenty of space in the back for a bed].

It gives a very comfortable ride.

 

The only reason she wasn't used on the road was due to her needing welding done.

Around 1/2 of it got done, but then my husband got a very demanding job, which means he doesn't spend much time here and therefore the time to do her up just hasn't been there.

 

This is a unique model, due to it being a series 1 with stainless steel bumpers , but has got the 2.5 ie engine, which was used only in the series 2 models.

 

As said, that engine is brilliant and had been any time it gone through an MOT below the required emissions , unlike some newer cars, who only just scrape through.

 

It's really just bodywork needing done on this car, then putting back together.

Anyone, who is good and enjoys doing bodywork, could make a wonderful car out of this.

This is a special classic car, which needs some TLC.

 

We would love to see it back on the road, but if someone else could use it's parts, be also great.

We do not want to see this car getting crushed [restored, this car could be worth several thousand £, therefore someone, with the time and knowledge could make this as an investment] - therefore please, please NO time wasters.

 

Please contact only if actually interested in restoring this car or using it's parts.

 

 

Many thanks for looking and reading this.

 

Looking forward to anyone being in contact.

 

So, without delay I called the lady selling...she seemed VERY keen to put me off - and made me jump through many a hoop - I had to give chapter and verse on family Citroen ownership going back to the early 70's (Ami, DS Safari, a troika of early BX, a late BX Tdi, a couple of CX's, an XM, a BX Gti and the current BX Meteor) and also talk at length about the mechanical and bodywork of Serie 1 and S2 CX's...

 

interrogation passed I headed up to sunny Gilmerton to have a prod.

 

The house was easy to spot:

 

 

and the old heart lumped out when I realised the extent of the work required. So, I decided to have a prod, take some snaps and walk away with a promise to spread the word - however, I then started to have a good prod under the skin and was quite surprised at what I found.

 

Now, there is a lot of pish and wind talked about big Citroens, "horribly complicated, flimsy, rusty, mechanical nightmares, electrically challenged etc etc etc" some of it justified, some of it urban myths - I will say one thing though - most early EFI cars I have owned have all suffered some ignition issues, in fact several later ones as well and I currently have a 2002 Mondeo Duratech outside the front of the house with the dreaded limp home mode/injector issue (I'm looking at it for a mate). Such dramas can usually be avoided by going for a car with a carb - the BX Meteor for instance is a Carn version - everything apart from the ignition and the lights, stereo etc is mechanical. However, get a good un and a big Cit can be one of the toughest and most reliable cars you can ever drive.

 

Anyone who has ever driven a CX will tell you that they are quite unlike anything else - remember this is the car that effectively destroyed Citroen - I mean DIRAVI steering in a production car - absurd! But as long distance Eurohoppers they are pretty much inrivalled in their ability to cope as well with a french farm track as a German Autobahn - I persoally thnk they are best fun on a highland A road. Prices have been steadily rising since 2010 when Ian (Dollywobbs) flogged his last CX for £750 I have not seen one go for under a grand since - good examples of the big estates can command serious cash.

 

There are CX's and there are CX's - yes the GTI Turbo 2 might be the mutts nutts but they ARE seriously complex cars and for the family/big dog scenario not practical - CX's contrary to pub bores are NOT hatch backs but are saloons. But we are Autoshitters and the UBER grail of the die hard Shitroenista HAS to be the Series 1 CX in Estate flavour - if only for the dash alone.

 

 

So - what about this car. well, the current owners have had it since the mid 1990s, it is a 1984 and the car was well known in the Scottish Chapter of the CCC. It is a rare 25 ie Auto - this is a high spec example with brown leather seats and a wonderful orangy-poo-post-kebab-and-cinzano coloured interior. It's the full on 7/8 seater and was used by the family to ship their 5 kids off to the isles for camping holidays.

 

Check out the colour of the trim on the steering wheel:

 

 

The car was taken off the road in 2004 and parked up with the intention of getting back on the road, the owner is a dab hand with a welder and stripped the car out - soft furnishings were stored in their attic so are nice and dry. The car was completely rewired using decent quality connectors and wires, he started working his way round the car clockwise from the offside front corner on a weldathon - about 60% of the work required was completed before a new job - away from home- halted the project. The car has sat pretty much untouched for about 4 years and they have now decided it is time to move it on but only to somone who can either use the parts or recommission the car.

 

It is not as bad as it looks:

all the important bits are solid and have good metal let in - floorpans, sills, inner wings, bulkheads etc. All the parts are there and loads more beside - when an edinburgh Citroen specialist got rid of his Safari a few years back the owners were offered his stock of parts. Mechanically it is all there and the hydraulic pipes are relatively recent and in good fettle. I was surprised at the condition of the engine - these blocks were tough as old boots and it should not take too much to bet it sorted - I doubt it will need much as until last year it was turned over on a regular basis.

 

Here's some pics:

 

 

 

nearside wheel arch - wing is a write off but under wing is very solid - A post in good condition - outer wings are available (at a price!) Wheel arches also available - surprisingly reasonable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The tailgate needs some serious work but might get away with reskinning - I hope so as a new part is 1200 Euros

 

The rear end is in remarkable fettle:

 

 

 

 

Spaghetti wiring looks a LOT worse than it is. Most of it is less that 10 tears old and the whole lot was protected with vaseline when installed.

 

Best of all is this home made stainless steel roof rack:

 

In the paperwork are the templates the owner has already drawn up for all welding sections required complete with measurements, thicknesses etc.

 

In addition there is a true 'Gifferspec' record of ownership - every trip ever made in the car no matter how small - fuel consumption, oil consumption and cost of journey/maintenance -

 

 

By the time I had finished having a prod this car had seriously grown on me - yes there is heaps to do - yes, the welding is a challenge but many of the most tricky bits have already been done, yes, refitting the car will be a mammoth task and should any of the panels need replacing although they are all available they are not cheap (there is a German CX parts specialist) and yes the car will need resprayed - realistically there's at least 6-8 months of full time work here and probably at least 10 grand including a decent paint job - at the end it would be a very sorted CX.

 

I would like to rescue this car. I'm not going to be able to start on it this year but could rebuild it over the next few years - there are however some immediate issues:

 

1/I need to store the vehicle and parts before I can start working on it - a friend has kindly made this sort of offer in the past - only challenge is it is in Gloucester, I could perhaps locate a container - a 40 footer would give me the restoration space as well if I stick the car on a tilt dolly. Does anyone have any ideas suggestions or solutions - I suspect I'd have to mothball it for a year before really being in a position to start properly.

 

2/ How much should I offer for the car? The car is currently advertised up to £1000, now the owners know damn well its a long way off that and priced it thus to deter the breakers and time wasters.I have a hunch if I were to offer £300 for the parts and car it reflects the scrap value for the metal and gives them the knowledge that at some point it will be back on the road.

 

3/ Before I get stuck into this I'm going to do a welding course at the local college - I'd rather get adept at a bead than learn on the job - question of time more than anything else - I'd like to do a good job on this and will have to collect tools as well as parts.

 

4/ am I being totally insane? Thing is, for a while now, my interest in tin has been becoming increasingly around mending it - looks like a serious dose of MrBolloxitis...Like most shitters I could spend a kings ransom collecting chod - I am best when I have a project to focus on and yes, I'm not in the best of health, yes I have young kids who take up a lot of time and yes, I am self employed but this is not an over night project - realistically it will be 3-5 years before this car sees the road again, perhaps longer but the parts are out there and more importantly, the knowledge is as well...yes I could restore a less complex less huge car but I do love the CX and buying a minter has little appeal for me and getting this back on the road motivates me a hell of a lot more than a stag would.

 

5/ do I go for a full strip down restoration rebuilding everything to concourse or do I get it back on the road and treat it as a rolling restoration? Whilst the former is an ideal there are thousands of examples of stripped down cars for sale because taking things to bits is easier than putting them back together! At least a rolling resto (I like to think of it as the 'shitters way') keeps you motivated

 

 

[scooters]

Meet the last Citroen CX 25 ie Familiale Auto left in the UK.

 

I was browsing the Gumtree doing my 'is there any chod worth 'avin on here' weekly visit and low and behold on the very fringes of the carriage drive of Scooters Towers lurks this baby:

 

Our beloved CX will need to go to someone who would like her for parts or has got the time to spend on the restoration.

 

We don't have the time at present, so therefore we feel she be better off with someone else able to use her.

 

Excellent engine,

Fully rewired,

Lot's of spare parts [anything from windows to spare lights],

3 rows of seats [this is a 8 seater car] which are full leather

 

This car has got lot's of space, some of these models had been used as an ambulance [could also get used as a camper, as it has plenty of space in the back for a bed].

It gives a very comfortable ride.

 

The only reason she wasn't used on the road was due to her needing welding done.

Around 1/2 of it got done, but then my husband got a very demanding job, which means he doesn't spend much time here and therefore the time to do her up just hasn't been there.

 

This is a unique model, due to it being a series 1 with stainless steel bumpers , but has got the 2.5 ie engine, which was used only in the series 2 models.

 

As said, that engine is brilliant and had been any time it gone through an MOT below the required emissions , unlike some newer cars, who only just scrape through.

 

It's really just bodywork needing done on this car, then putting back together.

Anyone, who is good and enjoys doing bodywork, could make a wonderful car out of this.

This is a special classic car, which needs some TLC.

 

We would love to see it back on the road, but if someone else could use it's parts, be also great.

We do not want to see this car getting crushed [restored, this car could be worth several thousand £, therefore someone, with the time and knowledge could make this as an investment] - therefore please, please NO time wasters.

 

Please contact only if actually interested in restoring this car or using it's parts.

 

 

Many thanks for looking and reading this.

 

Looking forward to anyone being in contact.

 

So, without delay I called the lady selling...she seemed VERY keen to put me off - and made me jump through many a hoop - I had to give chapter and verse on family Citroen ownership going back to the early 70's (Ami, DS Safari, a troika of early BX, a late BX Tdi, a couple of CX's, an XM, a BX Gti and the current BX Meteor) and also talk at length about the mechanical and bodywork of Serie 1 and S2 CX's...

 

interrogation passed I headed up to sunny Gilmerton to have a prod.

 

The house was easy to spot:

 

 

and the old heart lumped out when I realised the extent of the work required. So, I decided to have a prod, take some snaps and walk away with a promise to spread the word - however, I then started to have a good prod under the skin and was quite surprised at what I found.

 

Now, there is a lot of pish and wind talked about big Citroens, "horribly complicated, flimsy, rusty, mechanical nightmares, electrically challenged etc etc etc" some of it justified, some of it urban myths - I will say one thing though - most early EFI cars I have owned have all suffered some ignition issues, in fact several later ones as well and I currently have a 2002 Mondeo Duratech outside the front of the house with the dreaded limp home mode/injector issue (I'm looking at it for a mate). Such dramas can usually be avoided by going for a car with a carb - the BX Meteor for instance is a Carn version - everything apart from the ignition and the lights, stereo etc is mechanical. However, get a good un and a big Cit can be one of the toughest and most reliable cars you can ever drive.

 

Anyone who has ever driven a CX will tell you that they are quite unlike anything else - remember this is the car that effectively destroyed Citroen - I mean DIRAVI steering in a production car - absurd! But as long distance Eurohoppers they are pretty much inrivalled in their ability to cope as well with a french farm track as a German Autobahn - I persoally thnk they are best fun on a highland A road. Prices have been steadily rising since 2010 when Ian (Dollywobbs) flogged his last CX for £750 I have not seen one go for under a grand since - good examples of the big estates can command serious cash.

 

There are CX's and there are CX's - yes the GTI Turbo 2 might be the mutts nutts but they ARE seriously complex cars and for the family/big dog scenario not practical - CX's contrary to pub bores are NOT hatch backs but are saloons. But we are Autoshitters and the UBER grail of the die hard Shitroenista HAS to be the Series 1 CX in Estate flavour - if only for the dash alone.

 

 

So - what about this car. well, the current owners have had it since the mid 1990s, it is a 1984 and the car was well known in the Scottish Chapter of the CCC. It is a rare 25 ie Auto - this is a high spec example with brown leather seats and a wonderful orangy-poo-post-kebab-and-cinzano coloured interior. It's the full on 7/8 seater and was used by the family to ship their 5 kids off to the isles for camping holidays.

 

Check out the colour of the trim on the steering wheel:

 

 

The car was taken off the road in 2004 and parked up with the intention of getting back on the road, the owner is a dab hand with a welder and stripped the car out - soft furnishings were stored in their attic so are nice and dry. The car was completely rewired using decent quality connectors and wires, he started working his way round the car clockwise from the offside front corner on a weldathon - about 60% of the work required was completed before a new job - away from home- halted the project. The car has sat pretty much untouched for about 4 years and they have now decided it is time to move it on but only to somone who can either use the parts or recommission the car.

 

It is not as bad as it looks:

all the important bits are solid and have good metal let in - floorpans, sills, inner wings, bulkheads etc. All the parts are there and loads more beside - when an edinburgh Citroen specialist got rid of his Safari a few years back the owners were offered his stock of parts. Mechanically it is all there and the hydraulic pipes are relatively recent and in good fettle. I was surprised at the condition of the engine - these blocks were tough as old boots and it should not take too much to bet it sorted - I doubt it will need much as until last year it was turned over on a regular basis.

 

Here's some pics:

 

 

 

nearside wheel arch - wing is a write off but under wing is very solid - A post in good condition - outer wings are available (at a price!) Wheel arches also available - surprisingly reasonable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The tailgate needs some serious work but might get away with reskinning - I hope so as a new part is 1200 Euros

 

The rear end is in remarkable fettle:

 

 

 

 

Spaghetti wiring looks a LOT worse than it is. Most of it is less that 10 tears old and the whole lot was protected with vaseline when installed.

 

Best of all is this home made stainless steel roof rack:

 

In the paperwork are the templates the owner has already drawn up for all welding sections required complete with measurements, thicknesses etc.

 

In addition there is a true 'Gifferspec' record of ownership - every trip ever made in the car no matter how small - fuel consumption, oil consumption and cost of journey/maintenance -

 

 

By the time I had finished having a prod this car had seriously grown on me - yes there is heaps to do - yes, the welding is a challenge but many of the most tricky bits have already been done, yes, refitting the car will be a mammoth task and should any of the panels need replacing although they are all available they are not cheap (there is a German CX parts specialist) and yes the car will need resprayed - realistically there's at least 6-8 months of full time work here and probably at least 10 grand including a decent paint job - at the end it would be a very sorted CX.

 

I would like to rescue this car. I'm not going to be able to start on it this year but could rebuild it over the next few years - there are however some immediate issues:

 

1/I need to store the vehicle and parts before I can start working on it - a friend has kindly made this sort of offer in the past - only challenge is it is in Gloucester, I could perhaps locate a container - a 40 footer would give me the restoration space as well if I stick the car on a tilt dolly. Does anyone have any ideas suggestions or solutions - I suspect I'd have to mothball it for a year before really being in a position to start properly.

 

2/ How much should I offer for the car? The car is currently advertised up to £1000, now the owners know damn well its a long way off that and priced it thus to deter the breakers and time wasters.I have a hunch if I were to offer £300 for the parts and car it reflects the scrap value for the metal and gives them the knowledge that at some point it will be back on the road.

 

3/ Before I get stuck into this I'm going to do a welding course at the local college - I'd rather get adept at a bead than learn on the job - question of time more than anything else - I'd like to do a good job on this and will have to collect tools as well as parts.

 

4/ am I being totally insane? Thing is, for a while now, my interest in tin has been becoming increasingly around mending it - looks like a serious dose of MrBolloxitis...Like most shitters I could spend a kings ransom collecting chod - I am best when I have a project to focus on and yes, I'm not in the best of health, yes I have young kids who take up a lot of time and yes, I am self employed but this is not an over night project - realistically it will be 3-5 years before this car sees the road again, perhaps longer but the parts are out there and more importantly, the knowledge is as well...yes I could restore a less complex less huge car but I do love the CX and buying a minter has little appeal for me and getting this back on the road motivates me a hell of a lot more than a stag would.

 

5/ do I go for a full strip down restoration rebuilding everything to concourse or do I get it back on the road and treat it as a rolling restoration? Whilst the former is an ideal there are thousands of examples of stripped down cars for sale because taking things to bits is easier than putting them back together! At least a rolling resto (I like to think of it as the 'shitters way') keeps you motivated

 

 

[cort16]

You'd have to be fuggin mental to take that on. You should do it.

Seriously though it looks like one of those 9000 part 3d puzzles that's probably got a few of the key bits missing from the box. It's probably best for spares to keep another less challenging one on the road in my opinion anyway.

[cort16]

You'd have to be fuggin mental to take that on. You should do it.

Seriously though it looks like one of those 9000 part 3d puzzles that's probably got a few of the key bits missing from the box. It's probably best for spares to keep another less challenging one on the road in my opinion anyway.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

There is ABSOLUTELY NO WAY IN THE WORLD that will ever see the road again! Sorry but there you are.

 

Get on leboncoin and get a 'living' example for a fraction of the cost and hassle.

 

Absolutley everything on it has been buggered about with, the wiring, the tarp, the wobbly sills, the half-done plating on the front of the sills, the water-filled tub of shite in the footwell - i'm telling you every single thing on it has been mucked about by someone who loves it but clearly has no grip of reality. do NOT attempt to revive this!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

There is ABSOLUTELY NO WAY IN THE WORLD that will ever see the road again! Sorry but there you are.

 

Get on leboncoin and get a 'living' example for a fraction of the cost and hassle.

 

Absolutley everything on it has been buggered about with, the wiring, the tarp, the wobbly sills, the half-done plating on the front of the sills, the water-filled tub of shite in the footwell - i'm telling you every single thing on it has been mucked about by someone who loves it but clearly has no grip of reality. do NOT attempt to revive this!

[Pete-M]

I'm with Bollz on this.

 

There's a massive difference between rebuilding something you took apart and rebuilding something someone else took apart a few years ago. That CX is history.

[Pete-M]

I'm with Bollz on this.

 

There's a massive difference between rebuilding something you took apart and rebuilding something someone else took apart a few years ago. That CX is history.

[catsinthewelder]

I'd love to be more positive, but as a first project even bringing something simple like a 2cv back from that state is going to be a challenge. It's much nicer to have a rolling resto where you can take it off the road for a month or so to get a bit done, but have it available to enjoy the rest of the time.

[catsinthewelder]

I'd love to be more positive, but as a first project even bringing something simple like a 2cv back from that state is going to be a challenge. It's much nicer to have a rolling resto where you can take it off the road for a month or so to get a bit done, but have it available to enjoy the rest of the time.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Here are a dozen CX wagons under 2000 euros:

 

http://www.leboncoin.fr/voitures/offres ... +CX+Safari

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Here are a dozen CX wagons under 2000 euros:

 

http://www.leboncoin.fr/voitures/offres ... +CX+Safari

[RedSparrow]

Would it be worth combining the RHD bits from this with a decent one from France?

[RedSparrow]

Would it be worth combining the RHD bits from this with a decent one from France?

[Ross_K]

Sorry. I love Citroens but that's a heap of shit. The owners would seriously need to pay YOU to take that one away.

 

The council's probably told them to get rid or they're going to HIAB it.

[Ross_K]

Sorry. I love Citroens but that's a heap of shit. The owners would seriously need to pay YOU to take that one away.

 

The council's probably told them to get rid or they're going to HIAB it.

[Cavcraft]

It would seem absolutely mental to try and take it on, Mr B01 seems to be on the money here. I don't for a minute doubt your enthusiasm but I reckon it'll be one of those things you'll get stuck into here/there in your spare time then either find more work that will frighten you off, or just realise what a nightmare it will become to plod along with.

 

If you're determined then offer scrap value and not a penny more: it's all very well them saying it must be saved or whatever but the number of people in the UK who would actually bother is probably down to just one person. You.

[Cavcraft]

It would seem absolutely mental to try and take it on, Mr B01 seems to be on the money here. I don't for a minute doubt your enthusiasm but I reckon it'll be one of those things you'll get stuck into here/there in your spare time then either find more work that will frighten you off, or just realise what a nightmare it will become to plod along with.

 

If you're determined then offer scrap value and not a penny more: it's all very well them saying it must be saved or whatever but the number of people in the UK who would actually bother is probably down to just one person. You.

[Station]

I was looking for the photo of the actual car, I thought that one was just a shed rotting in the corner of the garden. I don't get how it goes from having every mile obsessively documented to ending in that state in 10 years.

[Station]

I was looking for the photo of the actual car, I thought that one was just a shed rotting in the corner of the garden. I don't get how it goes from having every mile obsessively documented to ending in that state in 10 years.

[scooters]

Thanks for all the advice - these things always have to be looked at with a serious dose of reality - it is a hell of a lot of work - hell it took me 3 hours just to grind back, kill and fill the rust at the leading edge of the Rover's roof the other day!

 

The bits are all there - just not in the right place! I think Pete's point about taking somthing to bits yourself vs putting together one that someone else has taken to bits is an excellent one, As are Bol's points about the buggering about with.

 

If money and storage were not an issue I would give it and the bits a dry home until a lunatic with enough machoistic tendencies comes along -

 

Bols right a rolling RR has to be the way to go - I'll save up a wodge and do it that way

[scooters]

Thanks for all the advice - these things always have to be looked at with a serious dose of reality - it is a hell of a lot of work - hell it took me 3 hours just to grind back, kill and fill the rust at the leading edge of the Rover's roof the other day!

 

The bits are all there - just not in the right place! I think Pete's point about taking somthing to bits yourself vs putting together one that someone else has taken to bits is an excellent one, As are Bol's points about the buggering about with.

 

If money and storage were not an issue I would give it and the bits a dry home until a lunatic with enough machoistic tendencies comes along -

 

Bols right a rolling RR has to be the way to go - I'll save up a wodge and do it that way

[trigger]

I can't even believe your thinking about taking it on, what a piece of shit. Your misses and neighbours will love you if you bring that home but not half as much as much as other people's neighbours will though once that eye sore is of the driveway.

[trigger]

I can't even believe your thinking about taking it on, what a piece of shit. Your misses and neighbours will love you if you bring that home but not half as much as much as other people's neighbours will though once that eye sore is of the driveway.

[scooters]

It does look a LOT worse than it actually is - its covered in crap and full of shit but prods with a screw driver confirmed the important bits are all very solid -

 

it is a viable restore for an experienced giffer with a workshop, plasma cutter, jig and ten grand - not me though!

[scooters]

It does look a LOT worse than it actually is - its covered in crap and full of shit but prods with a screw driver confirmed the important bits are all very solid -

 

it is a viable restore for an experienced giffer with a workshop, plasma cutter, jig and ten grand - not me though!

[trigger]

If it was some kind of one off Rolls Royce then I'd understand it but like Monsieur Bo11ox say's there loads of them still out their on the continent and if you start looking i bet there's still plenty over here sat in driveways and gardens in miles better condition then this, every photo is showing something that needs replacing or repairing.

[trigger]

If it was some kind of one off Rolls Royce then I'd understand it but like Monsieur Bo11ox say's there loads of them still out their on the continent and if you start looking i bet there's still plenty over here sat in driveways and gardens in miles better condition then this, every photo is showing something that needs replacing or repairing.

[Station]

If you are getting it scrap value, you should take the lot, get all the stuff that you could need and then make money back on the rather dilapidated looking shell. I wouldn't even know where to start - how you would even move it from the front garden? I would be weary of any car that has been used as a place to store junk. The whole beloved thing doesn't hold much either, it's been sat there rotting for 10 years.

[Station]

If you are getting it scrap value, you should take the lot, get all the stuff that you could need and then make money back on the rather dilapidated looking shell. I wouldn't even know where to start - how you would even move it from the front garden? I would be weary of any car that has been used as a place to store junk. The whole beloved thing doesn't hold much either, it's been sat there rotting for 10 years.