Bramz car related stuff, impulse buyer alert....

[Noel Tidybeard]

eleventy bonus shitter points for renner nnn19 content and another twelvety points for best colour/model

[carlo]

I'd leave it a bit longer before you consider the cambelt, reckon you need about a month to decide whether you really like a car or not, or if it's just the 'newness' factor which you liked.

 

And I'm surprised you think the ride is better than a ZX, I thought this era of Renaults had traded off a bit of their legendary ride comfort for better handling, am sure the 9/11 and 18 started this trend.  

[bramz7]

I'd leave it a bit longer before you consider the cambelt, reckon you need about a month to decide whether you really like a car or not, or if it's just the 'newness' factor which you liked.

 

And I'm surprised you think the ride is better than a ZX, I thought this era of Renaults had traded off a bit of their legendary ride comfort for better handling, am sure the 9/11 and 18 started this trend.  

 

 

I think the new car feeling is definitely washing over me at the current time. 

 

I dunno. The handling I felt was better on a ZX as you can literally chuck them into corners and they hold on, whereas the 19 has definitely got a touch more understeer. I always thought Citroen made a mistake with the seats in the ZX though, they just don't do long journeys. Also the fact I have a working fuel gauge in the 19 is wonderful. And two electric (heated) mirrors! Makes my ZXs with their semi manual mirrors look peasant. 

[Burnside]

Saw this on gumtree myself but just hadn't got the space / cash to go down south for it. As an ex 19 owner I reckon it's well getting the cambelt kit done on this. Renault 19's are great motors the last one I had cost me £250 from a scrapyard which was dear with next to no Mot but was such a nice car I had to save it.

 

Stupidly let my brother sell it after I passed it on to him as had no need for it. If you roffle this etc I be interested. 

[bramz7]

Right I got bored of the 19.

 

I decided I prefer the BX as a daily now, plus I can't quite stomach the extra insurance now.

 

Anyone want the 19 for £175?

[bramz7]

Ah man, cars. I need to stop. 

 

So what's been going on? Sold the R19 to JohnK, but in the middle of all that, had put a deposit down on something else. I don't need* it, but I've always wanted etc.

 

Here is the beauty:

 

Impulse buy...again. by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

20170326_174154 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

Looks can be deceiving and it's actually remarkably solid in the bits that count, and it doesn't appear to have ever been tickled with a welder either. Quite an interesting back story, a shoe company in Wellingborough used it from 1994-2000 and managed to take it all the way up to 160k (!!!) in that time, then the family I bought it off of got it for £800 from a used car lot somewhere in London, it then only did 35k between 2000-2017. The engine supposedly has been serviced routinely all its life, and it runs very well. Little bit of noise from the gearbox so I reckon it needs some oil. 

The only negative so far seems to be the rear suspension being a bit tired, but that's top of the list of things to do. The OAP owner decorated the interior with all manner of things too, the fog light switch has to be seen to be believed. I like this car because it's a bit of a beaten up survivor, and in my opinion the 1.9 XUD under the bonnet is better than the TU3 the blue one has.

 

Oh yeah, the blue one. On the very same day I put it back on the road, a wire melted coming up to a roundabout, and the car cut out. Now back on a driveway sulking, it will be fixed at some stage.

 

And then yesterday, went and got this....

 

My 1989 Peugeot 205 GR. by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

My 1989 Peugeot 205 GR. by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

My 1989 Peugeot 205 GR. by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

This is nice.

Went all the way to Leicester to get this one. Seller was a nice chap, had a 306 XSi and a 205 GTX. Drove it the 110 miles back without fault, and what a little flyer. Pretty obvious why so many people get caught out by the handling, they are so light. 

The 106 XSi alloys it has aren't really to my taste, so if anyone really wants them they can have them, but only on the condition you have steel wheels with (good) tyres to swap with. 

 

NO MORE CARS IN 2017. 

[Supernaut]

LHM GREEN WITH ENVY.

 

That 205 is lovely. Get any pics of the 306 XSi?

 

 

 

I like the BX estate, a lot. It's like my Xantia's ancestor. Battered-looking but solid LHM Citroens unite!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I like the blue BX, are you selling it?

[bramz7]

LHM GREEN WITH ENVY.

 

That 205 is lovely. Get any pics of the 306 XSi?

 

 

 

I like the BX estate, a lot. It's like my Xantia's ancestor. Battered-looking but solid LHM Citroens unite!

 

 

I did think about taking a photo of the XSi, but forgot to ask. It was blue and an X reg, pulled very well. I more regret not taking any photos of the 205 GTX though....

 

 

I like the blue BX, are you selling it?

 

 

Hmmm, I was, but then pulled the advert as I was in two minds about it. Now the 205 has arrived and seems fine, I don't need 3 cars. If you're interested I can fire you a PM?

[Mr_Bo11ox]

yeah go on then!

[Supernaut]

LHM FTW!

[DSdriver]

I had to drive a BX to Paris years ago. As my daily driver was a CX Cmatic I found I was shifting gears without using the clutch until my passenger requested that I use the clutch occasionally in HIS car.

Back to the plot, could your clutch issue be an oil seal problem?

[RobT]

NO MORE CARS IN 2017. 

 

Best not kid yourself bramz, it will happen.  It's only April after all!

[tooSavvy]

Best not kid yourself bramz, it will happen.  It's only April after all!

Ha! No fool like a April Fool, eh?

 

TS

[robinmasters]

Is that an optical illusion, or is the green one listing a bit? Offside rear wheel looks a bit wonky.

[Lacquer Peel]

TADT,S.

[Cleon-Fonte]

Is that an optical illusion, or is the green one listing a bit? Offside rear wheel looks a bit wonky.

 

Camber, y0 caused by radius arm bearings which are guaranteed to go eventually on BXs, it's just a question of when.

 

I've started to notice a certain pattern to Bramz's purchases, involving buying a blue TU-powered example of a particular car then supplementing it with a triton green XUD version later on.

[bramz7]

Camber, y0 caused by radius arm bearings which are guaranteed to go eventually on BXs, it's just a question of when.

 

I've started to notice a certain pattern to Bramz's purchases, involving buying a blue TU-powered example of a particular car then supplementing it with a triton green XUD version later on.

 

 

Yep, arm bearings it is. They are top of the to-do list, probably either May or June. It's got it's MOT up in July (I think?) but I'll take it for the test right away. 

Yeah I dunno what it is about me and blue Citroens, as they always end up costing me more money than any other car, and also end up starting to destroy themselves too. I also end up losing tons of money on them too....

[UltraWomble]

yeah go on then!

Olympic Blue - Best colour FTW

[bramz7]

Yo BO11, I sent you a PM, dunno if you saw it.

 

In other news, the 205 did 300 odd miles over the weekend and went fine, and seems oddly mega economical too. I do think a CV boot on one of the NS driveshafts is split though, as something is spewing grease/oil all over the wheel arch....I was worried it was a gearbox oil leak but nothing suggests that to be the case.

 

Took some more photos of the green BX

 

My 1993 Citroen BX19 TXD Estate. by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

XUD. by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

BX TXD interior. by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

BX TXD interior. by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

The interior isn't too bad given the mileage. Obvs the OAP addition of that foglight switch isn't perfect but it'll do.

Annoyingly there is a few spots of crunch in it, one of the front door hinges looks a little weak and one of the inner wings has signs it needs work sooner rather than later but nothing that's the end of the world. 

 

I might be visiting a scrapyard with (hopefully) a few BXs in it at the end of the month, hopefully I'll be able to pick up some bits for it, although estate breakers seem a lot rarer than the hatchbacks.

 

 

I'm going to try and get this one in decent running condition (i.e. the rear arms renewing) before the Festival of the Unexceptional, so it should turn up there. 

[Keymaster]

 

 

Obvs the OAP addition of that foglight switch isn't perfect but it'll do.

 

That's brilliantly shonky, well bought.

 

Was the previous owners name Krusty?

 

[bramz7]

Sold the 205.

Blue BX for sale as a bit short of money/time to have two BXs as projects, and the estate has taken priority.

 

Got this:

 

My 1995 Citroen AX Dimension. by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

My 1995 Citroen AX Dimension. by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

My 1995 Citroen AX Dimension. by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

The lacquer on the roof has gone AWOL. But it's tidy inside, low miles (59k) and cost me £170. And came with an A frame and light board. And seems to sip fuel. And it's a hoot to drive, a bit faster than 954cc would suggest. I like it. 

 

MOT expires soon, but it's not failed one on record. 

 

So I'll be down to 2 cars soon enough, but I will potentially be able to park my 'daily to be' when the blue BX is gone. So if anyone wants to sell me their (working) ZX/Xantia diesel at any point, I am all ears. 

 

I think I have a car problem.

[RobT]

The interior looks plush, run out model before the arrival of the Saxo I assume.

 

WFT is going on with those front fogs wrapped in gaffer tape? Or are they some kind of battering ram?!

[bramz7]

I think the Dimension was a late special edition, it has plenty of velour.

The front 'situation' is the mounts for the a frame it was towed with behind a camper van for 11 years. The old couple (from Brixton) had a Mercedes 207D or something but they sold it just before i picked up the AX.

[Pillock]

So are those 59,000 driven miles or would the odo have been clicking up and up whilst being dragged behind a camper?

[bramz7]

I think the bulk of the 15k it covered in their ownership was behind the camper.

There was another 1 litre AX on gumtree which had a similar role, expect it had clocked up 129k!

Dunno how many people have driven one but it's vastly better than i expected. Also bottle holders in the doors?!!!!

[mk2_craig]

Is the AX light enough with an A frame attached to get under the limit for unbraked trailers? I've only ever hauled a 1.1 Fiesta using an "A" and in retrospect that was probably touch-and-go.

[strangeangel]

If you want some wheeltrims for that BX for the price of the stamp LMK.

[Skizzer]

Fantastic, your new BX wagon is the reincarnation of Dollywobbler's old mk1, which is one of my favourite shonky cars ever.

 

This is not a car problem, it's the building of a legend.

[bramz7]

If you want some wheeltrims for that BX for the price of the stamp LMK.

 

 Yes please!

 

 

Fantastic, your new BX wagon is the reincarnation of Dollywobbler's old mk1, which is one of my favourite shonky cars ever.

 

This is not a car problem, it's the building of a legend.

 

 

Yeah I got a vibe of that when I got it, shame it's not a MK1 but hey, it'll do right? 

Haaaa, don't encourage me. I tried to make a mental promise to not buy anything in May, but I've got all sorts of cheap French tat winking at me. I was fixated on Xantias but now an early (L-N reg) 306 looks all kinds of appealing.