Xantia of Desires - Farewell xantia!

[beko1987]

Dirty engine

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clean engine. Unfortunately can't read the engine number as the plate is corroded. Would be interested to know if it's original still.

Cleaner engine after attacking it with various degreasing agents found in the shed.

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Ha thats great! I never did anything with the engine. Youll need a new dipstick for it too...

[bub2006]

The front passenger wheel may not be balanced right. Had part worn fitted to it and I only drove it at 40 max since

[dean36014]

Spotted that about the dipstick hence the rag wrapped round it. My neighbours are wondering if a new chip shop has opened locally whilst running it! Under all the caked on mess all the inner wings appear nice and solid. Found a small water leak behind the thermostat housing and that's it. Well chuffed with it, but no idea what I'm going to do with it😆

[HillmanImp]

I am still not completely sure whats going on here and I'm not even drunk yet but am looking at remedying this situation shortly.

 

Will try again in a bit.

[beko1987]

I'm Home!

 

Fuck me it's so damn lovely! Smooth, quiet (in the cabin at least), I stalled it when I got home cos I forgot it was turned on when I lifted off the clutch after (luckily) pulling the handbrake up! However, what is an utter revelation is the light steering! My god, it's brilliant! The A34 shat itself near the M40, and google maps said the M40 itself was just as fucked, so came home the back road to Biscester, and it was fine. May have got into a little fight with soem chavs (was ford fair or something ford on this weekend? Fuck loads of fordso n the a34). Was quite happily baiting a focus ST a few times... (probably why I used so much fuel)

 

148 miles done in her so far! Will need fuel soon, bo idea how much the 3mm from the bottom bar will get me, will lob £20 in tomorrow.

 

Thank you very much for buying the ZX dean! The previous owner proudly told me when I bought it that he had painted the underside and engine bay in oil and grease every so often, hence the black mess everywhere! It also makes simple jobs like changing a light bulb a filthy affair! Yes, the thermostat housing has a little drip, but what you see is as bad as it gets. I did think of putting a new seal in it early on, but as you can see the coolant is ace, so didn't fancy loosing some of that to have it off, so left it, and threw half a litre of water in it maybe 3 times in the time I've had it! It's more of a deisel mix now as I ran it right down last night and lobbed a tenner in, so it shouldnt stink of chips for too long

 

HillamInp - Dean bought my ZX, Bub picked me up from deans and I bought the Xantia from Bub. A meetup with a vacuum cleaner collecting friend of mine was done, and now I'm home!

 

The wheel wobble does smack of an unbalanced wheel, so should be easily sorted. I'm loving the waft at the moment though, so it's not too urgent, 75+ is when it gets quite noticable. I'll pop the hubcaps back on later.

 

Just the v5's to sort and we are done! 

[dean36014]

Personally I love the smell they make on cooking oil, used to run my merc on it.

I did wonder why the inner wings were completely gunked up,that explains it! Well chuffed with it, going to have a look at the steering in the week and see if I can sort it out. The steering shaft pulls out the column you gave me in the car so might be able to swap the shafts over and use the original column if the bearings are ok. Glad you like the xantia,I always thought they were a cut above the other cars of that era, great brakes, ride and steering.

[dollywobbler]

Yup, it was indeed Ford Fair.

 

I'd try swapping wheels about to confirm a balance issue. If the wheels are warm, I'd suspect a binding caliper. They are a bit notorious for it. 

[dean36014]

Will get logbook changed in the morning. A bit weird you can't do it online on a Sunday but that's dvla for you

[dean36014]

Can remember smacking holy hell out the handrail levers on the front calipers on mine once. Wife rang me up saying it was getting slower and slower and there was smoke pouring out the front end. Somehow the handbrake mechanism had seized on

[beko1987]

What I have done though is empty the ashtray...

 

 

 

And bin the 3 air fresheners I found!

[beko1987]

Personally I love the smell they make on cooking oil, used to run my merc on it.

I did wonder why the inner wings were completely gunked up,that explains it! Well chuffed with it, going to have a look at the steering in the week and see if I can sort it out. The steering shaft pulls out the column you gave me in the car so might be able to swap the shafts over and use the original column if the bearings are ok. Glad you like the xantia,I always thought they were a cut above the other cars of that era, great brakes, ride and steering.

Sadly you can't, the diameters are different. I tried all that. You could always drill and tap the mounting point to take the indicators. I did briefly think of that, but lack a drill, or a tap and die set...

[beko1987]

I might try swapping the wheel to the back. But only the tyre was hot. The steel wasn't.

 

I did check when I got home, but I'd been pottering at 45 for the last 13 miles so they were lovely and cold. Id done 10 or so miles of the m1 when I first checked.

[dean36014]

Drill and tap it is then.

[beko1987]

Yup, it was indeed Ford Fair.

 

I'd try swapping wheels about to confirm a balance issue. If the wheels are warm, I'd suspect a binding caliper. They are a bit notorious for it.

There was a nice f reg escort bonus. Everything else was awful.

 

Talking of calipers, they squad slightly when coming to the 'and stop' part of braking, and I'm sure I heard a very faint scuff scuff scuff for a few metres crawling in traffic.

 

I shall investigate, possibly next weekend...

[KruJoe]

This thread contains much win. The purple Numatic especially.

 

...only the tyre was hot. The steel wasn't.

 

Under-inflated?

[Guest Burger1]

Nice shiter.....n clean that fkn ashtray

[beko1987]

Daddy I want to see your new car NOW!

 

 

OK love!

[taxi paul]

This post made me smile. Sounds like a good day's work.

[vulgalour]

I think every owner has enjoyed baiting people in this thing, nobody expects it to be as rapid or capable as it is!  I hope it brings you much joy.

[beko1987]

I think every owner has enjoyed baiting people in this thing, nobody expects it to be as rapid or capable as it is! I hope it brings you much joy.

Its ace. Below 2k revs its a wafty docile barge. Kick it up the arse though, and wow! Had to slow down from near a ton a few times on the Northampton bypass...

[bub2006]

It's a bit raucous at higher speed. Combo of low geared xud and drainpipe exhaust doesn't help. Hope you happy though mate. I asked him to put 32psi in that tyre too

[beko1987]

I'm over the moon! I'll check the tyre pressures at some point, and rule that out. They look fine though!

[beko1987]

ERM, I might be being really stupid here, but how does one turn the lights on?

 

I twist the stalk, and nothing externally lights up...

[beko1987]

The main beam flash works, but nothing else. The light on the dash doesn't come on either. Tried with the car on and off...

[bub2006]

There is two rotary dials on the stalk. Inner one is for fogs, outer one is lights. If you twist inner one nothing will work unless outer one turned first.

[beko1987]

Aaaah, I twist that bit! Bloody French...

[bub2006]

Outer is side and head, pull on pull off for main beam. Inner is fog lights

[beko1987]

I genuinely started to panic when they wouldn't work, but then thought thats stupid, of course they work!

 

It looks lovely inside at night, lots of mood lighting!

 

I need a spare wheel though and the toolkit if anyone's got one lying around!

[bub2006]

Never had either in my ownership

[beko1987]

I've got form for needing it though lol