Latest Frogchod

[wuvvum]

As you may have seen from the News 24 thread, I bought another shonky old French motor yesterday.

 

Here it is this afternoon after I'd chucked a bucket of soapy water over it.

 

 

 

It's a 22RS estate.  It's my first 5-seater CX estate - the others have all been Familililiales.  The 5-seater is a lot more practical for load-carrying purposes, with a proper folding (albeit not split) rear seat.  The 22RS seems to be a fairly low spec level - electric front windows, but keep fit rears and no central locking.

 

I picked it up yesterday afternoon from west of Oxford.  The seller had put in the ad that it was leaking water, but by the time I contacted him to ask how bad the leak was, he'd put a K-seal in which he said appeared to have cured it - and it does appear that way, I've now done nearly 200 miles in it and it hasn't used a drop.  It does, however, need some welding at the back of the sills, and a bit on one of the front floorpans.  The tailgate also has some grot, although that's obviously not an MOT issue.

 

Apart from being a CX and cheap (for a CX), the other thing that attracted me to it was this.

 

 

Not the towbar (though that's nice to have), but what's just to the right of it.  Yup, it's LPG'd.  This makes it feasible to run as a daily - and let's face it, I don't think I'm alone in saying that I'd rather be using a CX as a daily than a diesel Mondeo.  This is the first LPG'd car I've owned, so I'd never used an LPG pump before, but it was easy enough.  It has a small auxiliary petrol tank as well, just in case the LPG runs out, and it seems to run equally happily on either.

 

It drives well enough.  I've never had a 2.2-litre CX before, but I found it quite gutless - whether that's due to the LPG or whether it's just a thing with these, I don't know.  Otherwise it has the usual CX traits - hopeless heating and demisting, mediocre headlights and sluggish wiper - and the usual things don't work - rear wiper and the digital clocks in the centre of the dash - but the essentials are all there, and like I say it drove back from Oxfordshire with no issues so can't be too bad.

 

The interior's quite clean for one of these, and there's enough history with it for me to be reasonably certain that the 85K recorded mileage is genuine.

 

 

I'm hoping this is a keeper - I'm going to try and persuade my mate to do the welding and then stick it in for a test.  It won't be able to take on any heavy towing duties as I'd hoped, due to the lack of power, but it'll be perfect for other general duties.

[Craig the Princess]

That looks really good, looking forward to seeing how this one goes.

[Frogchod]

Frogchod ?

That's me.....

Cx's are fuggin ace .....

Not had a 2.2, but 2.4's had enough grunt, does 200cc really make them gutless ?

[richardmorris]

Frogchod ?

That's me.....

Cx's are fuggin ace .....

Not had a 2.2, but 2.4's had enough grunt, does 200cc really make them gutless ?

It's a completely different engine. The 2.2 should be quick enough- my 2.0 was fine. It could be the log I suppose. Or perhaps just needs a good service.

[steve_earwig]

It could be the log I suppose.

That's why it's slow, it runs on wood! (Autocorrect ftw)

 

I'm extremely dubious of lpg conversions so I'd be checking that first. Is it just as glacial on proper fuel?

[HMC]

Top bombing! Love the look of any cx but especially the estates; they just look right. Are all the hydraulics behaving themselves?

[hairnet]

 

 

looks good

 

jealous

[Guest Renault20tx]

A splendid choice sir If you search Citroen CX on car and classic, there is a chap in Keighley who always has several for sale - usually breaking/accident damaged/garage finds, and they start at £500 ish - may be a good source of surely scarce parts. 

 

He even had a Citroen DS for sale at around £500 recently - but it was a floor-up restoration job, you only had to look at it to see that!!

[Jon]

For a basic model, it still doesn't look like a bad cabin to sit in. Does anyone still manufacture big basic new cars these days? Also, what's that gold thing to the right of the steering wheel that looks like an Emoji turd?

[Bren]

I actually think the estate is more handsome than the fastback.

 

Pictures of the sills please.

[DSdriver]

For a basic model, it still doesn't look like a bad cabin to sit in. Does anyone still manufacture big basic new cars these days? Also, what's that gold thing to the right of the steering wheel that looks like an Emoji turd?

Cloaking shield.

[Jim Bell]

You sir, are a winner.  That looks amazing.  I would HAVE to do 30mph down the nearest cobbled hill if I bought one of them.

 

I've only had two LPG'd cars but in theory, performance should be comparable.  Spose it might need an "lpg service", whatever that is.  Neither of the cars I had never got one (ever) and ran like a wet dream.

[D Spares & Tyres]

Is it injection or carb?

[Noel Tidybeard]

 

[strangeangel]

'Like' X 1000000000000000000000000000

[Felly Magic]

Nice find. Must be pretty rare in 5 seat format

[wuvvum]

Are all the hydraulics behaving themselves?

They seem to be thus far.  I've tested the suspension on all its height settings, the brakes are as they should be and the steering is fine with no lumpiness or tight spots.  Spheres are a little on the firm side, but not bouncy.

[wuvvum]

Also, what's that gold thing to the right of the steering wheel that looks like an Emoji turd?

That's an adaptor for European LPG pumps.  The chap I bought it off used to run it down to Italy occasionally.

[320touring]

Looks lovely- look forward to trading moans relating to cxs as time goes on:)

[DVee8]

You got to love were the radio is.

[lisbon_road]

Post some pictures of the lpg system and some of us might be able to comment.  Some love lpg some don't, I'm the former and not alone on here.

[wuvvum]

Is it injection or carb?

Carb. 

[wuvvum]

One thing I have noticed, which I may or may not get round to doing something about in the long term - the exhaust is rather noisy.  To start with I thought it was blowing, but it isn't - because of the LPG tank being slung under the boot floor, the car has had to have a custom exhaust made up to avoid the tank, and it's basically a straight through system from the front box back - so it only has one silencer.  I'm not sure how best to remedy this as there isn't a lot of room under there, but it'd be nice to have a slightly lower noise level on a long run.

[barmatt]

Top purchase there Dave, that looks lovely.

 

I'm a fan of lpg too, if you need anything doing to it there's a chap in Reepham I have used in the past that is very good and not too expensive.

 

http://www.wcrlpg.com/

[Inspector Morose]

Interested how you get on with yours. My 2.0 series 1 is now on everyday duties, sharing with the BX. Apart from rot, I can't see any reason why these shouldn't be an everyday car. Bit juicy maybe but so is a Volvo brick but they don't have "that" floaty suspension. Hydraulics are seldom an issue, it's the other, more ordinary stuff that'll pose problems. I've just discovered mine is electronic ignition so I'll be looking at finding as many spares for this as and when.

[DSdriver]

... but it'd be nice to have a slightly lower noise level on a long run.

 Drive fast, leave the noise behind you.

Both my DS just have one silencer but it is quite big lying crossways under the front seats (below the floor natch) and then straight pipes out the back. I expect yours did as well.

I had a stainless system made for my CX Familiale. They got the front bit wrong, too much angle so that the back would have come out about roof level. So had to sling the old one back on whilst they got it right. The stainless exhaust was slightly more noisy because of thinner gauge metal, but not in a bad way.

[garethj]

Excellent choice, you are truly a prince amongst men.

 

For the exhaust, is there space for anything behind the back wheels, maybe going across the car under the bumper?  I've forgotten lots about exhaust systems but two silencers from a big motorbike would be about the size you need, can you split the single system and go to two silencers at the back?

 

Might be worth taking it to a custom exhaust place and at least see what they say.

[richardmorris]

Is it injection or carb?

They're carb- you can see the manual choke too to the right of the steering wheel!

[dollywobbler]

Fabulous. There are still times I miss my old Familiale. Then you mentioned the shit heater and I also remembered that it's like trying to park a house so maybe not...

 

As for hydraulics, I did absolutely sod all with mine and nothing went wrong at all. Apart from the electric height control for the suspension going mad occasionally. What a stupid idea. Glad they went back to a nice mechanical linkage for the XM...

[Junkman]

A perfect death trap for the terminally world worn.