The new news 24 thread

[cort16]

This guy was no stranger to shite cars so he knew the score. i think he might have been trying to get off the road because the stop light of doom came on plus whats to say the handbrake on a 300 quid bx would work? I only every took my BX on one long journey (to Scarbourough) and it shat a load of it's LHM out at whitby on the way home and I had to buy all the LHM in the local autofactors and stop every 20 miles topping it up. I like BX's, I like big Citroens but it's a flawed system.

Possibly it'll be fine if looked after properly but unless they get into the hands of someone who's into them it will go wrong.  It's like the k-series. If you look after it absolutely perfectly it'll probably be okay but 99% of people don't and so with a little neglect they don't work. Other cars will just work without any kind of specialist treatment.

[dollywobbler]

Whereas my experience is one major hydraulic failure in a 300,000 mile example that produced no excitement at all. I just drove far enough from home to get around the no-homestart clause, then got it recovered to a specialist. I don't consider it a flawed system. Unlike the C4 Grand Picasso for instance...

[beko1987]

The only LHM I lost in the XM was when the strut leakoff pipe popped off whilst the system was going up, which dribbled a bit over the wheel arch liner, oh, and the first time I changed the filter I spilt shit loads out of the tub I used to rest the filter in!

[cort16]

I think your looking at it through green tinted specticles DW. Just read all the antics on here and pretty much everyone with a BX or an XM on here has some kind of incident involving that setup.

it's rarely a mechanical or electrical issue it's usually LHM related in someway. I like Citroens don't get me wrong I just think you need to know what you're letting yourself in for.

 

Modern Citroens have got rid of the LHM, which at least had the benefit of providing something usefull and replaced it with suspect and crippling electrical systems.

[dollywobbler]

I'll concede that they did over-complicate the hydraulics. With the XM and Xantia, they just started shoving more and more suspension spheres in, needing every more plumbing (at least ten spheres on a Xantia Activa for instance). Really though, as long as you replace the front-to-rear pipes once a lifetime, there's very little to go wrong. When you've lived with one for a bit, you wonder why all cars don't self-level. Isolating Citroen hydraulics as an example of a problem people on here have had kind of ignores the fact that all old shite has its problems in one form or another!

 

For me, the benefits easily outweigh the downsides. Can't be too long before I own something else with green blood.

[wuvvum]

whats to say the handbrake on a 300 quid bx would work?

That's a very valid point, going on my experience anyway.

[dollywobbler]

All you need to do to improve a BX handbrake is press the brake pedal really hard, and possibly pull the handbrake on a couple of times. It doesn't last all that long, so just do it every few weeks. Certainly easier than trying to get a Maestro van handbrake to be any good at all.

[Junkman]

It isn't like they go BANG and you lose all control.

 

Just because this didn't happen to you yet doesn't mean it can't happen.

I was nearly killed by a CX that decided to suddenly go BANG, and the handbrake does sod all at 90+.

[dugong]

Went out with my colleague at lunch to work out why the hell the van was grinding round corners.

It wasn't a wheel bearing or a missing return spring on the brake drum - the rear wheels are from a 206 as such, completely the wrong width and offset - so under compression, the sidewall's hitting the rear beam and grinding. Tyres at the moment are 175 65 14s, and the (full size) spare is 155 65 14.

 

I didn't have clearance issues on the estate with the Rallye wheels, and I don't have the originals to hand. My route back from Chatteris was mostly straight, so it didn't show up straight away.

 

If the offset's wrong, that means the nuts are wrong, and nowhere seems to have skinny 14" Peugeot wheels.

ARGH.

[dugong]

All you need to do to improve a BX handbrake is press the brake pedal really hard, and possibly pull the handbrake on a couple of times. It doesn't last all that long, so just do it every few weeks. Certainly easier than trying to get a Maestro van handbrake to be any good at all.

Or, in the absence of actual maintenance.........crash?

[dollywobbler]

Junkman - a CX has a rather different steering system to a BX. I prefer the latter's vaguely sensible assisted rack and pinion.

 

Dugong - the thing is, I've heard of non-Citroens having brake failure too. And some of them have rubbish handbrakes. I've been around Citroens since I was 18 and haven't heard of anyone (bar the anecdotes on here) having sudden complete brake failure. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, I'm just saying it isn't a disaster that makes you nervous every time you want to slow down. It is a rare thing.

[Tayne]

Hhmmm, I can see the direction this is heading in....

 

[vulgalour]

I need money, because reasons, so I've got a half price sale going on in my art thread: http://autoshite.com/topic/15640-vulgalour-arts-of-2014-50-off-all-new-artwork/

[barefoot]

I drove to South Wales & back on Saturday in the Scirocco of lasting joy, to buy furniture from sofa sofa, 282 miles on what looked like half a tank but in reality turned out to be 32 litres. Still, can't complain. Just over 40 mpg and we clattered along at an indicated 80 mph for most of the way - see 'should I tear up my licence' thread.

South Wales is not as pretty as mid Wales, can anyone recommend half decent camp sites for next year, devil's bridge / Aberystwyth way is my current favourite but anywhere considered.

[Tayne]

How did you get the sofa in the Scirocco?

[holbeck]

I drove to South Wales & back on Saturday in the Scirocco of lasting joy, to buy furniture from sofa sofa, 282 miles on what looked like half a tank but in reality turned out to be 32 litres. Still, can't complain. Just over 40 mpg and we clattered along at an indicated 80 mph for most of the way - see 'should I tear up my licence' thread.

South Wales is not as pretty as mid Wales, can anyone recommend half decent camp sites for next year, devil's bridge / Aberystwyth way is my current favourite but anywhere considered.

Sofa sofa, whose delivery men arrived in the dark on a filthy night, caught a glimpse of a homemade lasagne in our oven and just stared misty eyed at it for what seemed like hours until my wife gave in and cut a couple of portions to take with them.

[sporty-shite]

Went out with my colleague at lunch to work out why the hell the van was grinding round corners.

It wasn't a wheel bearing or a missing return spring on the brake drum - the rear wheels are from a 206 as such, completely the wrong width and offset - so under compression, the sidewall's hitting the rear beam and grinding. Tyres at the moment are 175 65 14s, and the (full size) spare is 155 65 14.

 

I didn't have clearance issues on the estate with the Rallye wheels, and I don't have the originals to hand. My route back from Chatteris was mostly straight, so it didn't show up straight away.

 

If the offset's wrong, that means the nuts are wrong, and nowhere seems to have skinny 14" Peugeot wheels.

ARGH.

I know they're only 13s, Jon, but I've got a set of 205 XS steels you can have if you want them.

[barefoot]

How did you get the sofa in the Scirocco?

 

There's always one bloody pendant on here isn't there!

 

Sofa sofa, whose delivery men arrived in the dark on a filthy night, caught a glimpse of a homemade lasagne in our oven and just stared misty eyed at it for what seemed like hours until my wife gave in and cut a couple of portions to take with them.

 

Point noted, when they arrive I shall ensure that the entire house smells like someone has just died/the dog has shat himself etc.

[dugong]

I know they're only 13s, Jon, but I've got a set of 205 XS steels you can have if you want them.

Merde! Do you have the tyres and nuts? Mega keen.

[ShiteRider]

Well she's home and running pretty good despite the two year slumber and three old petrol. All that she needed was a fresh battery and a squirt of lighter fluid in the carb.

[cms206]

Took the Montego to work today. Its actually not a bad little car but I'm struggling to justify keeping it

[wuvvum]

Well that was easy.  The running problem with the scooter turned out to be because somewhere between taking it out of its box and fitting it to the bike, I'd managed to squash the new plug so the electrodes were pretty much touching.  Hence the lack of sparkage.  Regapped the plug to roughly the same as the old one, refitted it and away she went.

 

I also tried out the soft top on the Golf this evening - didn't try it when I bought it as I didn't want to tempt fate, and didn't try it when I got home as it was dark.  It doesn't go up and down electrically (don't know if it's supposed to - there's a switch there, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything), but to put it up and down by hand is the work of a few seconds, so that's good enough for me.  Nice solid-feeling movement too - just like a Golf.

[scruff]

Great looking motor ShiteRider

[320touring]

http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/rover-75-25v6-connoisseur-se-auto-y-reg-2001-96k-miles-s-mot-full-leather-interior/1070513378

 

ANy use to anyone? no idea about it- just popped up on my regular look through cheap cars.

 

its the 2.5 too

[hairnet]

I know they're only 13s, Jon, but I've got a set of 205 XS steels you can have if you want them.

got a pair of 14 fiesta wheels with 185s on them if you want

 

save giving them to scrap man

[Pillock]

http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/rover-75-25v6-connoisseur-se-auto-y-reg-2001-96k-miles-s-mot-full-leather-interior/1070513378

 

ANy use to anyone? no idea about it- just popped up on my regular look through cheap cars.

 

its the 2.5 too

Says £350 in the title but £750 in the advert. Tempted to not mention price, turn up with £350 and waste the sellers time.

[trigger]

More Civic adventures today, spent some time in Cromer this morning before heading to Mundesley, the only trouble is disaster struck when the car decided not to tick over anymore and kept cutting out, I turned round in a garage entrance and it just died and wouldn't run anymore, bumhats.

 

 

Luckily I choose a classic friendly garage to breakdown at, this stunning Daimler convertible was being worked as well as a Rover P5, a Sunbeam Alpine and early Mini Van.

 

 

After some messing about it turned out to be crap in the slow idle jet, the fuel filter is full of sand too, the garage owner came out and gave me a hand with it and lend me some toys, good to see there's still some good eggs out there.

 

After that little incident Blossom has started behaving perfectly, I've only used £20 in fuel in around 200 miles so can't knock that either. Only issue I now have is that the new rocker cover gasket I've fitted is literally pissing oil out all over the manifold, not good at all so I'll have to fix that once home.

 

Also Norfolk is the mecca of shite, there's old cars everywhere out here, even popping to the pub tonight I saw a Citroën DS and Rover P5 in a driveway, this Cortina got me all hot and sexy this afternoon in Blakeney.

 

[Negative Creep]

Well so far with the Celica I've had one offer for half the asking price (didn't bother to reply) and one person who sounded so much like Borat I'm still wondering if it was a piss take from someone I know. Said I was working all week so that will hopefully put them off

[stuboy]

saw this galaxy with all same reg as my car bar 1 number..

mine

 

and this attempt at plate modding

[derskine]

Changed diesel filter on 18 today, was pretty brown and there was some sludge at the bottom.

Not changed a diesel filter before so priming and bleeding is new to me, though luckily my 18 has a priming plunger on the filter housing, a lot of them weren't fitted with one!

Seems to be running a lot better, though I can't say it was bad before.

 

Also said goodbye to the petrol 18, as it went back to Nisfan, the diesel one suits me far more.