Bramz fleet. The ever changing procession of mediocrity. Disaster time....

[stephen01]

5 pot marea / bravos are bloody awesome, they sound fantastic, decent turn of speed.

 

I've had a couple of 20v estates, loved them all.

[bramz7]

Well unsurprisingly the drive back was fine. I went to Chesterfield to get it, and an old man with an XM manual was waiting for me there. First impressions were good, he has clearly spent a lot of money on it. The interior is more or less spotless, which was a surprise for a 177k car, even the door cards look their original grey!

 

It does have a couple of negatives, as it's an XM.

 

-Speedo doesn't seem to work, but it worked for long enough for me to know the revs at 70/60/50, so that's fine. 

-Wheel bearing (aghhhh!) droning, but not to the degree that I got a headache, like in the Alfa.

-Accumulator sphere is a bit noisy but brakes fine, steering fine and the ride is superb. 

-STOP lamp comes on (along with the temperature light) despite what is perhaps the most level temperature reading i have ever had in a car. The seller mentioned the fans staying on when the car is switched off, so my guess is the temperature sender is fine but the warning lamp has a bad earth....it flickered on and off with the brake lights at one point. 

 

 

Overall though, not a bad car. Much like my old 405 with a similar engine (obviously without a turbo) and auto box it isn't very quick unless you mash the throttle, and then it really wakes up! Gearchange is smooth as anything. 

 

 

Quite pleased with this one. FJ are also refunding me £40 for swapping the Alfa insurance onto it, so that's even better.

 

More photos tomorrow.

[HMC]

Looks great! Good news on the insurance too, I dislike the “ there’s no extra charge” schtick when the car is less to insure and normally, even with admin account for, there should be money coming back. At least FJ seem good in this scenario.

[brownnova]

Cracking looking car! XM is on the ‘must try one day’ list!

[bramz7]

It handles like a big Xantia to be honest. Very quick through bends, and it was very easy to catch people up through the twisty bits. A bit more body roll, but it doesn't feel like as big a car as it is...if that makes sense?

 

Oddly superior spec to the 605...this is a VSX so has electric seats, twin info screens either side of the steering wheel (which work perfectly) and incredibly plush and padded seats. 

 

 

Only downside now is that I need some beater for commuting and general smoking about in....I don't know whether to get something a 'bit nice' or just go back to basics and get some Polo diesel or something.

[uk_senator]

Marea?
 

...Only downside now is that I need some beater for commuting and general smoking about in....I don't know whether to get something a 'bit nice' or just go back to basics and get some Polo diesel or something.

[bramz7]

I don't really want to commute in the Marea through salty roads and such. It's reasonably solid in most areas but it would definitely degrade quite badly through a heavy winter in my opinion. Plus, there's loads of speed bumps (and that huge pillar i once crashed into) at my work...

 

 

I am basically just making excuses to buy a winter beater really.

[uk_senator]

Blow the whole underneath over with waxoyl before winter, sorted!


Fair enough though!

[loserone]

You are sierraman and I claim my five pounds

[pandamonium]

Bloody hell. A Marea and an XM. That's a dream pairing.

[Ohdearme]

As it was lowered down on the ramp, a rear numberplate light fell out of its holder. Cool.

It is little comfort but TADTS.

 

Also another vote for removing the Marea spoiler, it is hiding the nicest design detail of the car, the little bum curve bit in the boot. I think that and the four lights at the rear of the Barchetta are two of the subtlest well done fiat design cues.

 

Were it not for the practical but hideous Multipla I’d almost call that 90’s era of fiat design a heyday...

 

Also, my Aero died on my drive just like the Alfa, bad eggs pop up for us all. I could spend a grand and then some fixing it but I’m not. It is listed for parts and is getting broken and then shipped to the bridge. Pang of guilt? Yes. Money wasted trying to fix? No.

[angle]

Funnily enough I have an odd hankering for a MK1 Laguna estate, but all of them for sale currently are far too far away.......And I'm picking up another XM tomorrow. Do we share too many negative automotive parallels?

Shall I leave this here? Bottom of my road, pictures flatter it a bit, but it's been there a while, so I imagine they'd be open to a cheeky offer...

 

[bramz7]

That is tempting but 2.0 petrol puts me off...I need something that will run for 100 miles on a thimble of diesel.

[sierraman]

You are sierraman and I claim my five pounds

I can now reveal I’m a secret agent from Tetroseal.

[BeEP]

Shall I leave this here? Bottom of my road, pictures flatter it a bit, but it's been there a while, so I imagine they'd be open to a cheeky offer...

 

 

Apologies for thread hijack, but whereabouts might this be?  Asking for a friend obviously!

[bramz7]

Bristol. When I went to get the Xantia (former me, barrett and now RobT) I remember noticing this estate Laguna then. If it was a 2.2D I'd be all over it!

[bramz7]

fullsizeoutput_1862 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_1860 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_1861 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

 

Looks pretty tidy for 177k doesn't it? I have just been reading through the history of it, and between 1997 and 2010 someone spent nearly £9k on the upkeep of it, which isn't that bad when you consider that's over 13 years. Now the old boy I bought it from spent a fortune on it in the 5 years he had it too....

 

Such as-

 

Cambelt, waterpump, tensioner etc done at 171k.

Tons of bodywork, for example he had the front bumper beam rebuilt by an engineering firm at 168k. 

All of the pipes and spheres done.

Silicon hoses all over the place

New radiator

He had all of the joints in the instrument panel re-soldered earlier this year

It's had annual underbody treatment with Dynax and the sills injected with the same too....blimey.

Spare wheel carrier rust treated and then coated with GRP.

Think I got a good one?!

 

I took the Marea out today and other than the changing down to first crunch, it drove spot on. It's done nearly 250 miles to half a tank too...which is a lot better than I anticipated.

[Stinkwheel]

I think you got a very good one. Looks a really nice XM that. Lucky man.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bramz7]

Did that guy ever come back and pick up that people carrier he left when he finally collected the Alfa from you?

 

No. It's still here. More annoyingly it's parked in the place I really want the XM to be in...as it's bird poo free. It's been here something like 4 and a half weeks now....

 

Maybe he died?

[HMC]

Sounds like you bagged a good’un! Love the front 3/4 view with the car low. It still looks like it’s from the future!

[uk_senator]

Sounds like the ideal long termer with all that wax sloshing about underneath, & its probably lowered the centre of gravity!

Re the Marea, not many cars like being changed down into first over a few mph, so its not a problem as such. Changing the oil may help a bit (& probably needs doing anyway), but it doesn't sound unusual to me.

[Ohdearme]

That's taking the piss somewhat. Know anyone with a 4x4? Tow it into the middle of the road and call the council to report the obstruction

The xm has a towbar...pop to the local fine dining cafe, nick two trays for the wheels and drag the thing out of the way.

 

Or if you still have it before scrapping, ram it out of the way with the Alfa.

[Toledo71]

Saw that XM for sale and would have been very highly tempted if I'd anywhere to keep it. Hope it works out well.

[SierraMikeHotel]

I love XMs but electrical niggles are just part of the charm. Mine was hypochondriac about its water level too.

[bramz7]

So had a peek under the XM today and my god....it's all solid as a rock, absolutely plastered (but not wobbed AFAIK) in rustproofing. The only slightly disappointing bit is the drivers side front wing looks like it has come away slightly where it joins onto the sill. No big issue. The strut tops also look fine. Spheres all good. 

 

Slightly mental speedo at times also annoying, but otherwise it all works. With the exception of the leaking (but sealed long ago) sunroof. 

 

Still on the hunt for a boring, basic daily in diesel flavour. I think I've got something in my sights local, but I am unsure. 

 

Doesn't the TCT engine in these sound absolutely rubbish? You get a whiff of turbo spool at low speeds which entices but then nothing wooshy. 

 

In 156 news, it's still at the garage as I cba to drag it home just yet. The garage told me ' it's probably for the best' not to spend the £1k plus on it as it smokes a bit when cold (that's new) as well. It's currently sat at £215 on eBay, dunno what it will finish on but it's one of my cars so you just know it's going to be a healthy loss right?

[hairnet]

Nice I like that.

step away from monitor

[bramz7]

As the 156 shamed itself at a local garage (and is awaiting a new home from eBay), I needed some cheap diesel wheels, thankfully £95 Peugeot knew this and put this up for sale. I have had a 406 before but this is a facelift HDI 110. It's done 191k now but it still drives well, no knocking at all and it's great on fuel. I took it for a proper hustle on the road between Crieff and Aberfeldy today and it was more or less spot on. It covered 480 miles today and didn't miss a beat, predictably. I also seem to have adjusted the seat perfectly as for the first time ever I did the nigh on 9 hour drive without any aches or pains, brill.

 

I reckon 406s are among some of the last proper French cars that can do silly mileages. I know the interior plastics are pretty awful and the handling isn't as engrossing, but for a cheap steer it's great.

[95 quid Peugeot]

Bramz buys reliable car shocker

 

 

Good man Bramz. Decent old bus that. The C5 I got off flat4 seems to of self healed all its foibles.

[bramz7]

Jesus. I just can't catch a break. I went to take the XM to work today...noticed the left hand side pixel screen is going funny. Irritating.

Drive off. Car is super down on power. It's changing up really early and then kickdown isn't working. Turn around on a roundabout and the turning circle is massive. Hear some clonks from below...

 

I assumed sticking caliper but no hot or even warm wheels. No drips.

I did know it has a bit of steering rack play on the last MOT.

 

Help!

[wuvvum]

the turning circle is massive.

TADT,S.

 

This XM is a turbo engine, isn't it?  My Audi 80 was properly down on power when I took it for a drive on Sunday (wouldn't do more than about 50 on the flat and took ages to get there), and changing up early as well even under full throttle.  A fiddle with the vacuum pipes under the bonnet and redlining the engine a few times got it behaving again - not sure which of the two aforementioned was most effective mind.