It feels like a Bx. It smells like a BX. It drives like a BX. It looks like a BX

[Cavcraft]

(inside) and like a BX some of the dashboard lights don't work. But it isn't a BX.

 

BOOM!

 

 

 

(I don't know why it appears I stopped at a Nike sponsored petrol station, but get over it and stuff.)

 

1.9 TURBO diesel with veg oil friendly pump. Spotted it on GumDiseaseTree, MOT and tax until April next year, £300. There was just one picture (of the front of the car!) and naff all else, so some coercion was required for the money shot. Bingo, correct fuel pump confirmed by the AS massive, so I did the usual, put an offer* in prior to seeing it, and whizzed up there (Liverpool) this evening. half arsed test drive round the estate the seller lived on, all seemed well and we shook hands. The seller was a lovely lady who was sad to see it go, she'd been given a nearly new Fiesta.

Stopped for fuel, followed my son and his sat nav then it was time to give it some beans. F*ck me, this thing doesn't half go, albeit leaving comically huge plumes of black smoke in it's wake.

I can definitely confirm it does 70mph, and I would hazard a guess it will reach 110mph and a bit more besides probably. I wouldn't go that fast myself, so I'm just guessing. It's very much BX-ish inside and it pulls probably slightly better than I remember the TD BXs doing.

 

Handling is about what you'd expect, I think it probably has 175/65 section tyres, it absolutely doesn't like roundabouts at fair speed, something my 306 (which is slower of course) excels at. The plan had been to bum it for the engine, but after the drive home I think I'll keep it as it is and just lob some wider wheels/lower profile tyres on. Sadly I had to actually put diesel in it to get it back, the idea of which sickens me to the core, so it'll be veg oil ahoy later this week.

Big test is if I can fit bikes in the back, but I seem to recall these are pretty much a 306 underneath so I reckon it'll be fine. The journey to work is going to be immense once I sort some wider wheels out!

   

*£250!

[vulgalour]

It has a very appealing 2 digit numberplate too, or I think so at least.  I'm guessing the reason it's quicker than a BX is that it weighs a good bit less.

[Jim Bell]

They are supposedly epic. Always fancied a Volcane TD.

 

Very jealous I be.

[cort16]

There must be no oil left to fry chips around your way these days .

[Shep Shepherd]

I like it

[dollywobbler]

Nice buy. I can't get excited about them - I'd rather have a 306 - but the 1905 turdblow does seem to have a chunk more torque than the smaller BX TD. 

 

Decent rubber a must though. My 306 DTurbo was lethal on a set of legal-but-worn Goodyears. Bunged some Avons on it and it was super.

[scruff]

Nice buy Cav. There should be a PSA 1.9 TD in the engine hall of fame if such a place exists.

[MrDuke]

Allegedly* a design too similar to the Yugo Sana to be coincidental.

[Cavcraft]

So there was.

 

 

This thing gets round the deep green rule by not being a pew-jo.

 

 

Top Bombing, is it faster than your son's Alfa?

 

It'd give it a decent run for it's money, I think. I missed having a diesel where you can just put your foot down in top doing almost any speed and it just keeps pulling.

Are these lumps tuneable to squeeze a bit more out of them? 

[MrDuke]

Nice buy Cav. There should be a PSA 1.9 TD in the engine hall of fame if such a place exists.

 

 

Word. Either turbo'd or N/A, the XUD is one of the finest engines (not just diesel, engines period) ever made. Epic mileages, basic maintenance, bags of torque, respectable acceleration, and you can make it faster with a couple of spanners. The HDi replacement just doesn't quite cut it IMO.

[KruJoe]

Hey good darts Billy.

You surely don't have the heart to break this little beauty? I reckon these will have a fairly strong cult following in the near future. I'd love one eventually.

For a fair handling comparison, try swapping the 306's wheels onto this for a bit.

[garbaldy]

 

Are these lumps tuneable to squeeze a bit more out of them? 

 

A mate of mine had a lovely red one of these and he spent shit loads on tuning at van aken,  it was very quick and the only problem he had was the whole back of the car was black with soot all the time.

[MrDuke]

Are these lumps tuneable to squeeze a bit more out of them? 

 

Yes, hugely!

 

There are plenty of sources on t'interweb, but basically it involves fine-tuning the fuelling and boost, adding a bigger intercooler if necessary. If you want even more, I believe you can run water/methanol injection for not much coin.

[Cavcraft]

Pah, it's doing that now so a bit more won't hurt, Garbaldy!

 

Joe: Yeah, can't see me stripping it now, seems a shame. I think the 306 estate has 185/65 tyres on it, and in the garage somewhere we have four mint 195/60s, so I could put them onto the estate steels then fit them to the Z.

 

Right, talk to me about tuning please someone!

[phil_lihp]

Quality; I'd always imagined these to be more or less just a bigger AX, presumably a bit lighter than the 306?  They seem to be getting a bit rare now, it's not a regular sight any more so would be a shame to break it while it still works.  There's only 6 ZXs on eBay right now, only 1 is a Mk1 whereas there's 200+ 306s.  

[Jim Bell]

 

Right, talk to me about tuning please someone!

 

 

Add MBC and BG.

 

 

Increase boost. Travel faster.

[chaseracer]

My 306 DTurbo was lethal on a set of legal-but-worn Goodyears. Bunged some Avons on it and it was super.

 

Oddly, a set of new BOGOF Avon ZT5s in place of the previous time-expired ditchfinders has transformed the 300E 

 

Billy, a mate near Brum is about to scrap a BX with 14" Blingo steelies on it - would you like me to have a word?

[garbaldy]

Add MBC and BG.

 

 

Increase boost. Travel faster.

 

not without increasing fuelling too   

 

I have a pug diesel turbo in the garage and the waste gate activator doesn't look adjustable 

[meshking]

Top quality cars these. My Dad got one as a company car, which I bought off him when I finished my undergrad course. Between us we put 130k on the n/a diesel, with only one fail to proceed caused by a snapped gear selector cable.

 

I hope yours has the string from the parcel shelf dangling out the back over the tail lights.

[wackywacerwill]

Waste gate adjuster, snigger.

[sporty-shite]

Billy!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4l5on3_IrA

 

and

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=telXJxsd4gE

 

should give you a few more ponies 

[dugong]

Billy, come down to GARAGE_DUGONG one night. We have many 4 x 108 PSA wheel options for your consideration. Early Mi16, Gutmann - all the winners for you to choose from.

Plus SCTSH_ANDY can probably troubleshoot the fsck out of it if there are any model-specific issues that need sorting.

[Micrashed]

ZX = WINNAH

 

Ive had a few and rather like them.

The clonking noise from the rear end is worn subframe bushes and is a bit of a faff to do so I personally would just live with it.

The rear arm bearings have a habit of going in a big way and ruining the beam if left too long - 306 beams can be made to fit.

[Micrashed]

Oh, and Xantia bonnets fit in the rear with the seats down without any problems at all

[Cavcraft]

Billy, come down to GARAGE_DUGONG one night. We have many 4 x 108 PSA wheel options for your consideration. Early Mi16, Gutmann - all the winners for you to choose from.

 

Plus SCTSH_ANDY can probably troubleshoot the fsck out of it if there are any model-specific issues that need sorting.

 

 

Cheers, J. I'll take you up on that, even if just to see what suits or doesn't. I'm starting to think some white Speedlines might be the answer, but open to suggestion.

[chaseracer]

...come down to GARAGE_DUGONG one night. We have many 4 x 108 PSA wheel options for your consideration. Early Mi16, Gutmann - all the winners for you to choose from...

Jon, you're giving me bad ideas re. the Blingo...

 

[ruffgeezer]

Check the strut top to inner wing area very carefully, I nearly bought a lovely looking one of these earlier this year, but a closer look showed that it had rotted and split both sides. I was utterly gutted.

[Station]

I really like that - are you selling, just out of interest?

[scruff]

It's a bosch pump so look for the many online guides. Under the cap on top of the injector pump is the "smoke screw", this controls the fueling when not under boost by pressing down slightly on the diaphragm underneath. Basically useful for improving bottom end grunt. Turn it clockwise to increase fuelling and anti-clockwise to decrease. Do it 180 degrees at a time and watch for black smoke, you don't want too much as it's wasteful.

 

Under the 'lid' secured with four screws is the diaphragm, this controls the ratio between the boost and the fuel delivered when under boost. This is the POWERRRRRR mod. It's a good idea to mark where the diaphragm is before you fuck around with it. This diaphragm and the disc is attached to a sloped cone. A pin runs against this to control fuelling in the pump and turning the diaphragm assembly can make a big difference on how far this pin travels

 

Turn the diaphragm clockwise to increase fuelling under boost. Try 90 degrees to start with. This will (should) make a big difference.

 

I did the above on my Perkins Prima and it transformed it, especially at the lower end.

 

You can also take the diaphragm out and adjust the star wheel, this preloads resistance against the diaphragm moving so basically it won't dump as much fuel in until a certain boost pressure is reached. I've never done this but a friend did to his 306 with a boost gauge and some swish turbo.

[Cavcraft]

Thanks for the tuning tips gents, I must get cracking on getting it to shift quicker.

 

I cleverly bought the car in the dark and the extent of the comprehensive* check we gave it was to look for oil in water/water in oil and a quick test drive. I didn't even bother looking for bubbles in the radiator or whatever, I pretty much just went on instinct as the seller was great.

She said it had had a new rad last year and was serviced yearly and regularly cleaned.

I mailed her last night to say thanks and got a lovely response this morning, it doesn't half make a difference dealing with people like that.

 

Anyhow the trip to work was GR12 this morning, I'm starting to find the point where it runs out if handling and the seats are a bit 'perchy' so if I do get it a bit quicker I might have to get a Volcane interior as I think they were more 'sporty.'

One thing it should excel at is traffic light GP as it looks utterly dismal so I reckon u can get a march from the lights as nobody will expect it to go like it does.