Barn find! - collecting next week - epic road trip!

[messerschmitt owner]

OK - I've been to see a beautiful dark blue XM VSX Auto estate - R plate, first reg Sep 1997, but built in June 1996. Sorned since 2008, with 101,009 miles on the clock. One warning light on (the fuel injection one) but starts no problem with a jump start. All the electrics work, but the left hand display is as usual on an XM and has missing lines along it.

 

Its a 2.0 petrol - is it a turbo - has enough piping for one?!

 

Has full leather, which is still lovely and supple, with a split rear seat, both headlamp washer covers are there and there are no marks or dents on the body. No visible major rust underneath, strut tops look spot on (like my 2.1TDs when I got it).

 

Bad points

Needs a good wash and I think it'll shine ...

It's a petrol auto.

warning light on

needs an LHM top up as when I put it on high, the warning lights came on

needs two rear spheres - they're hard!!

needs a battery

 

 

Good points

Leather, with split rear

service history

sensible miles

Vredstein tyres all round in good nick

seems to be smooth to drive - took it up and down the drive only.

sunroof works

all leccie windows work

has trip computer

headlamp washer covers are there

front spheres seem fine and the accumulator clicks only intermittently

 

what do we think a tidy 2.0 petrol with a good service history at 101,000 miles is worth in as found condition. Garaged since January 2008.

 

IMG_0787 by messerschmitt owner, on Flickr

 

IMG_0784 by messerschmitt owner, on Flickr

 

IMG_0783 by messerschmitt owner, on Flickr

 

IMG_0782 by messerschmitt owner, on Flickr

 

IMG_0781 by messerschmitt owner, on Flickr

 

IMG_0780 by messerschmitt owner, on Flickr

 

IMG_0779 by messerschmitt owner, on Flickr

 

IMG_0778 by messerschmitt owner, on Flickr

 

IMG_0776 by messerschmitt owner, on Flickr

[Albert Ross]

It's a Turbo. It's French.It's Auto. Why are we having a discussion about it? Get it bloody bought. Sell a kidney if you must.

[messerschmitt owner]

It's a Turbo. It's French.It's Auto. Why are we having a discussion about it? Get it bloody bought. Sell a kidney if you must.

I made an offer of £250 - but need to speak to the son about it tomorrow.

[skattrd]

Without MOT and needing new spheres and other work its not worth a lot. It's prob worth more in parts as it stands, as most of our cars are.

I nearly bought a VSX estate with MOT but higher mileage recently for £500

[messerschmitt owner]

Without MOT and needing new spheres and other work its not worth a lot. It's prob worth more in parts as it stands, as most of our cars are.

I nearly bought a VSX estate with MOT but higher mileage recently for £500

that was my thought - it's worth £250 as scrap all day long, but it's way too good for scrapping. It's worth £600-800 with a ticket and tax, and needs £200 of work and bits to get there.

 

But it's a sublime way of getting somewhere.

[Shep Shepherd]

I'd be quite happy to pay up to £500 for that beauty

[DSdriver]

You can get spheres for £25 each on the bay. If the rear ones are borked and the membrane has split this is where the LHM will have gone (unless there's a big green puddle on the floor). Is it just the photos or is it suffering from laquer peel? In any case you need this car in your life.

[messerschmitt owner]

You can get spheres for £25 each on the bay. If the rear ones are borked and the membrane has split this is where the LHM will have gone (unless there's a big green puddle on the floor). Is it just the photos or is it suffering from laquer peel? In any case you need this car in your life.

it's the dirt on the bonnet, and the rain - it was peeing down when I drove it out of the garage. I didn't attack the bonnet but I am hoping it will all just wash off.

 

I had to fit rear spheres to the last XM I dug out of a five year slumber - £30 delivered each and ten minutes to fit.

 

 

 

I am hoping this will be in my life.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Is it defo a turbo? I can't see any intercooler pipes.

[boobydoo]

I'd forgotten about these! Very stylish!

 

Who's the old bird pottering about? The owner?

[Cavcraft]

Think all the 2.0 pezzers were turbo (CT) models but stand to be corrected. I think £800 with a full ticket would be pushing it a bit to be honest, had it been diesel it'd have done that and more but the petrol models were less desirable.

 

Not that that should stop you of course, get it bought asap!

[messerschmitt owner]

Is it defo a turbo? I can't see any intercooler pipes.

All I know is it as a 2 litre - the pics I found on t'interweb say it's a turbo, but I don't know!

[kinkersaab]

hmmm. from memory of my ones, they have a boost gauge on the dash, and usually have c.t on the front wings if they are turbo.... still nice all the same, but i have always found xms best as manuals. not that that would stop me.

[dollywobbler]

Is it defo a turbo? I can't see any intercooler pipes.

 

I've had a quick look on Google, as I wasn't sure myself. Seems similar to another CT engine bay I found, but that's not exactly conclusive.

 

I've always wanted an XM but haven't been brave enough yet...

[messerschmitt owner]

I've always wanted an XM but haven't been brave enough yet...

just buy one - a well sorted XM is fantastic - it is the only car I have enjoyed as much as my old W123 Merc 230TE.

[skattrd]

I thought all the later petrol ones were CT turbos as well ... but I may be wrong.

Do I spy aircon pipework in there?

[messerschmitt owner]

I thought all the later petrol ones were CT turbos as well ... but I may be wrong.

Do I spy aircon pipework in there?

no it has the more basic climate control rather than the digi dash air con.

[kinkersaab]

 

now thinking it was perhaps the diesels that had a gauge.....

[messerschmitt owner]

it's a turbo not an injection model! I should have looked at the bloomin' manual!

[Cavcraft]

hmmm. from memory of my ones, they have a boost gauge on the dash, and usually have c.t on the front wings if they are turbo.... still nice all the same, but i have always found xms best as manuals. not that that would stop me.

 

I'd have a manual but that's mostly because the autoboxes in these are notoriously fragile.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

It'll have injection regardless of the turbo situation!!

 

Theymust not have an intercooler, which sounds credible cos theyre a fairly low-boost setup these things I think.

[messerschmitt owner]

It'll have injection regardless of the turbo situation!!

 

Theymust not have an intercooler, which sounds credible cos theyre a fairly low-boost setup these things I think.

what I should have said was the air intake on the non turbo has three huge cast pipes run up the front of the engine

[messerschmitt owner]

and you lot are meant to be going ... it's a Citroen XM, it'll blow up on you, don't buy it ...

[skattrd]

and you lot are meant to be going ... it's a Citroen XM, it'll blow up on you, don't buy it ...

 

This is AS, fear of imminent engine/gearbox failure is just part of the charm of a car

 

ps. I'm after an XM once I shift a car or 3

[RobT]

Corr, lovely! I'd say 250 is reasonable considering it needs a bit of work, but it looks like one of those finds that once cleaned up will be a cracker. I'd love an XM but a pre-92 one so it's classic insurable. Big old beasts aren't they!

[messerschmitt owner]

Corr, lovely! I'd say 250 is reasonable considering it needs a bit of work, but it looks like one of those finds that once cleaned up will be a cracker. I'd love an XM but a pre-92 one so it's classic insurable. Big old beasts aren't they!

Gloucestershire is obviously full of old beasts like this - this is the second I've found like this.

 

Glad you liked the toilet roll pic too Rob!

[stuboy]

bit ol barge...

 

hope its cheap

[RobT]

Gloucestershire is obviously full of old beasts like this - this is the second I've found like this.

 

Glad you liked the toilet roll pic too Rob!

 

Let me have first dibs if you find a third then

 

Took me a while to see the joke!

[messerschmitt owner]

collecting this soon!

[messerschmitt owner]

well, road trip organised for early next week once it's booked in for an MoT and is insured - it'll be an epic seven miles back home, past a cop shop or two. Blow up tyres first, swap battery for known working one, visit petrol station for some of Mr Shell's finest unleaded, then a short blast down the Golden Valley bypass to home, then to the garage for an MoT after an inspection and clean.