Citroen XM 2.1 TD Now for SALE! £900

[mouseflakes]

Sadly today is so grey and miserable that if I didn't know any better I would assume I was in Scotland, with that heavy drizzle that soaks everything.

 

Whenever I wake up with that same uncertainty, I just look out the front window and count the number of Volvo Bricks in the street.

[Richard]

I was advised to submit my cars on a cold, damp day (as previously noted it does help to live in Scotland) and take them for a good thrash beforehand, and I normally remove the air filter element too. Most of my diesel cars have had a serious clag problem but I've yet to have one fail a smoke test.

[Partridge]

Congratulations. You have half a Citroen XM. In all seriousness, well done, many woulden't bother saving it!

[dollywobbler]

I always give the car an Italian Tune-up just before the MoT and I've never had emissions related fails.

 

This. Problem is, they often leave the cars idling for long periods before doing the emissions test. PSA dizzlers really will soot up when left idling/pootling about. A good thrash usually cleans them right up.

[philibusmo]

The weather today was either heavy drizzle or proper rain so I didn't manage to get anything done on the car itself which was a shame. I think I'll try and get a days emergency holiday from work this week on what ever day looks likely to be the driest.

 

What I did do today was make 4 very small clips. When I got the car it didn't have any rear mud flaps, I got some off Lankytim, but the clips, as usual, were knackered. I looked around trying to find some metal substantial enough to hold the flaps onto the bumper without jettisoning them at the first sign of standing water but thin enough to be able to bend it with my rudimentary tools - see also a hammer.

 

Then I spotted this bracket bolted to the ceiling that has never had anything hanging from it. Perfect.

Once cut to length, bent to shape, holes drilled through, a small section ground off and a bolt put through it has made an excellent mud flap clip:

Repeat 3 times and spray black. Done.

I did also manage to plumb in a sink, paint the bits that hold the fuel tank up on the Lancia with red oxide, fix a computer and take a nap so overall quite a productive day for a rainy one.

[philibusmo]

Today I have mostly been welding.

 

I took the day off work today as it looked like the weather was going to be fairly decent to crack on with finishing off the welding on this car. Luckily it was as good as the weather forecast showed so now all the welding is done!

 

The drivers side was a little more difficult than the passenger side, the problem seems to stem from some idiot using the jacking point for jacking the car! The first rule in shite ownership - regard the jacking points with deep suspicion. The lower edge of the front wing traps some water and mud that makes it past the mud flap and arch liner and holds it against the sill and a cross member with no drain holes. These then rot out of sight and at some point the jacking point has been used, which has just buckled due to corrosion around it and split the sill and the cross member which was then expertly patched with hessian.

 

I only have a picture of the finished article as there was more welding to do than expected and I was getting seriously pushed for time to get it done in a day:

This was reached after welding one patch on the cross member, one on the outer sill and two on on the inner sill. The vast majority of my time was taken up with removing the rust as it extended into the most awkward corners. The jacking point was straightened with a sledge hammer and should now be up to the job of jacking the car again.

 

I also got the rear mud flaps on while I was waiting for the seam sealer to dry and can confirm that the home made clips have worked a treat.

[Bucketeer]

Fingers, legs and eyes crossed for a happy outcome to MOT - The Sequel.

[phil_lihp]

As ever your welding is remarkable, shame about the tyre but at least you found it now rather than it going at a really awkward moment.  Good luck with the MOT, you've earnt it!

[dollywobbler]

I've been looking into XM ownership, and 'sills buggered up by clumsy jacking' seems a VERY common problem.

[messerschmitt owner]

I've been looking into XM ownership, and 'sills buggered up by clumsy jacking' seems a VERY common problem.

Ian

 

I may sell one of my two ... 2.1td manuals with Bosch pumps

 

Campbell

[Danblez]

I was reading this thinking "ooooh nasty rust" followed by "bloody hell he isn't hanging about and is just getting on with it" followed by the penny dropping and "oh, it's Philibusmo!"

 

Good work, that could easily have been the bridge on someone else's hands!

[dollywobbler]

As long as you're in no rush. Funds a bit low at the moment. I do have a major ambition to own an XM this year though, and having spent a few hours with a 2.1TD recently, they have a really sound engine. Far better than a blown XUD.

[messerschmitt owner]

Ian

 

likely the white XM SX hatchback - head gasket/timing belt/water pump done at 104k in 2011 and running well. Mot is up May and Sorned at mo - just had new brake pads on the front.

 

Campbell

[Grundig]

I was reading this thinking "ooooh nasty rust" followed by "bloody hell he isn't hanging about and is just getting on with it" followed by the penny dropping and "oh, it's Philibusmo!"

 

Good work, that could easily have been the bridge on someone else's hands!

 

This to me is what autoshite is all about, not running with the 'on finance' crowd - the satisfaction of keeping old motor on the road, that as you say "in anybody else's hands" would have been scrapped - an old car only asks for a little care & effort, Long Live Autoshite!! 

[vulgalour]

Crikey, that was a lot of rust hiding under there, good to see it and the bodges have been replaced properly.  My fingers too are crossed for a pass on your next MoT attempt.

[citropaul]

I have had the "Pleasure" of welding Three XMs all in these areas now, and a 4th to do eventually!

 

Ive also 5 of these, but earler Mk.1 cars up to L reg.. Unfortunally, the Outrigger Rot and Cill rust is becomming wide spread. But the first clue is ALWAYS a bent jacking point. NEVER EVER Jack these on the Jacking Point! Yes its supposed to be, but because of the behaviour of the suspension this is what causes the points to bend.. Once bent, if you buy one with bent points, expect the areas to be rotton.. Also the area betwwen the body and wing behind the plastic liner also fills with mud and crap..

 

This write up is BLOODY fantastic! Certainly the dot Matrix display. I was reading through and was ready to shout Series 1 displays DO NOT work in Series 2 cars, and the S1 displays never pack up!

 

The repair is top notch, and should be posted up on the XM Forum, it would be well recived! I need to do this on a mates s2 car.

 

Oh for Rust, the other area for rusting and needs checking is the rear subframe mount areas..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thats what I found under my H plate V6 24v S1 Manual..

 

Excellent reading!

[Lankytim]

I must be fortunate as my XM doesn't appear to need any welding and recently went through an MOT, its getting a bit scabby in some areas underneath though..

[DSdriver]

I presume those are the bits that don't receive the regular LHM underseal treatment? 

[philibusmo]

I have an MOT!

[cort16]

hard earned that one. No advisories either, get in.

[messerschmitt owner]

congrats Phil!

[EssDeeWon]

Don't sit down and put ya feet up just yet Phil, now that SD1 needs some attench  

[dieselnutjob]

I discovered that the front jacking point on my 607 was bent over, and in fact that the cill wasn't connected to the floor any more.

 

Luckily the metal was all still there so it was easily welded up.

 

I hate the way that tyre centres jack these things up, but then why couldn't Peugeot have built then strong enough to deal with it?

[philibusmo]

Last weekend I changed the rear most sphere which has made the ride quality a little better. The sphere was possibly the original, I couldn't tell because it was very rusty and well ceased onto the car.  With some vicious use of my sphere removal tool and a length of scaffolding pole it was soon removed from the car and with only 48,000 separate rust flakes ending up in my eyes. The brakes were then bled and I swapped back to the alloys with summer tyres.

 

Yesterday the two front tyres were changed to new Khumos as the ones that came on the car were pretty worn out and I ordered a little kerjigger from e-crofting to sort out the suspension ecu which arrived today and will be fitted at the weekend.

 

To thank me the XM decided that I do not need dipped beam headlamps on my way back from work at 8.30 today. Full beams; perfect. Side lights; never better. Any attempts to use sidelights was greeted with nothing more than a disinterested shrug. I managed 3 miles through the woods to the next village where I pulled over as I had become bored of being blind or blinding those coming the other way. No amount of hitting the head lamps would fix it, so I popped the bonnet and prodded every relay I could see to no avail and decided it is probably a fuse. I stated poking around behind the head lamp to see if I could find a fuse box when the dipped beams burst into life. I'll investigate this in the light tomorrow morning but I suspect it is just a dodgy connection.

 

Good job because it was moments away from getting a damn good thrashing - in a Basil Fawlty type fashion.

[Felly Magic]

I spotted yesterday a dark red XM estate in Ipswich with a silver bonnet, it was parked on a grass verge outside someone's house, not the wisest place to park I'd say looking at the rust issues these old beasts seem to have, going chod photo hunting later in the week and will check out the area, see if it's still there

[Partridge]

Kidnapp it for me.