Return of the Rusty Justy

[Scruffy Bodger]

Mine was fairly knackered in many ways, I took it from 260k to 299.something k, was damn tempted to keep on up the motorway a bit to hit 300,000 but bub2006 was meeting me to transport me onwards so couldn't! Still comfy though, the knackered seat had contoured itself to my derriere!

 That's some mileage! How many drop links had it been thru to get there?

 

 

 

 

 

Back to the welding. I stuck some 3mm steel back into the runners so now at least it's got somewhere decent to jack up on in future. Hopefully this will stop any more damage to the stupid jacking points and stop any more creases being stuck in the front corners of the floorpan? The rest of it is pretty good considering its age. I couldn't be arsed to grind the welds properly as it doesn't seem to warrant it.

[beko1987]

Probably millions, I put new droplinks and bottom ball joints on not long after I got it which cured the knocking it had. Not before I'd done the rear bushes because crap me thought the noose was from the rear, was an easy job though so I wasn't too fussed, I learnt something!

[Talbot]

Access to a 2-post lift for weldage? Bloody luxury!

 

Good save though. ZXs seem to still be at rock bottom prices, so they are being scrapped off left right and centre. I know some people on this forum have struggled to give away decent cars for scrap money. Still an excellent daily car. All the benefits of a 306 without the premium they (used) to command.

 

I'm guilty of scrapping one ZX and one Xsara. Shame really, they were both very good cars, just waaay too small for me.

[Scruffy Bodger]

Access to a 2-post lift for weldage? Bloody luxury!

 

Good save though. ZXs seem to still be at rock bottom prices, so they are being scrapped off left right and centre. I know some people on this forum have struggled to give away decent cars for scrap money. Still an excellent daily car. All the benefits of a 306 without the premium they (used) to command.

 

I'm guilty of scrapping one ZX and one Xsara. Shame really, they were both very good cars, just waaay too small for me.

I've been spoilt on this one tbh. The cars owner has a friend with a ramp and kindly let us use it at the weekend while it wasn't needed. Makes a change from the last bit I did outside in late November dodging the rain

Well, they certainly are an ugly duckling compared to the 306 but I think as time goes on the shape is becoming more appealing? Especially on the 3 doors, I used to prefer the 5 doors but they've grown on me over time. I'm sure you're not alone on here with scrapping them but what are you meant to do when they are worth tuppence and would cost way over the odds to fix?

[Talbot]

I'm sure you're not alone on here with scrapping them but what are you meant to do when they are worth tuppence and would cost way over the odds to fix?

Quite.

 

I feel rather bad about the Xsara in particular, as it was a 1.9TD exclusive and not in bad condition at all. I had done the small amount of welding it needed, and was a 2-owner-from-new car that I knew the entire history of. at about 130k miles it had thrown a rod (known DHY-code engine issue) so between the owner (a friend) and I, we had completely re-built the engine bay with a perfect 405 block, and then everything else from the Xsara engine, fitting a new water pump, cambelt, head gasket, clutch, shaft seals etc.etc. as we went.

He ran it until about 160k miles, where I bought it of him for £200, and proceeded to run it until nearly 200k.

 

In the end though, it needed brakes all round, a CV joint, 4 tyres, front-to-rear brake pipes, a major service and the AC had leaked all it's gas out. And it was due MOT. So I scrapped it. Which I should not have done, but at the time it seemed like the sensible thing to do.... as you say. Worth pence, needed £loads spending on it, even if I'd done everything on the ultra-cheap.

 

Had I been here on Autoshite at the time I think I would have Roffled it for £1 a ticket, just so someone did something with it. I even had all three keys for it ffs!

[Scruffy Bodger]

Sounds like it was the right call at the time. Especially if you haven't got anywhere to put it long term. It certainly doesn't make sense to pay for storage on anything like that.

 

 

It never ceases to amaze me how one little bit of rot can turn into just a little bit more... Lamination between double layers on these things does not do them any good at all. Ends up like bloody puff pastry.

[Scruffy Bodger]

 

Then a bit more CAD.

 

 

Gearbox jack thingy used to stop the fuel tank dropping onto the floor as the strap was hanging by a thread at one point.

 

 

 

I had some Zintec left over from the last shed I welded as it thankfully needed a lot less wheelarch making up than I first thought. My mate did a good job of cutting the templates, he hadn't done any in a good few years so wanted to have a bit of practice. He also turned up with the ideal cardboard, coffee, pasties, crisps etc to keep us going. His Mrs also popped in with a mini bottle of wine and 2 bottles of Bulmers. It took me about 3 hours to drink mine because I think it'd have fucked the job as I'd have retreeted to the pub too early!

  He had a piece of 5mm flat bar kicking about so I used that as a start for the sill lip. It wasn't quite long enough so another bit of plate was cut and used to make up the rest. I screwed up a bit here as tried to replicate the slight kick uphill there is at the rear of the sill, I overdid it basically. I beveled the rear of the flat bar heavily so I could get some good penetration and didn't weld the front face as it would be impossible to get a flapper disk in there to flush the weld. The sill cover piece wouldn't sit flush otherwise. There's quite a bit more behind that that was done too but forgot to take a photo of that bit. The sill cover turned out ok, I sat it back a touch so a skim of filler could be applied after linishing back.

  Now at least that one corner should survive a trolley jack if it's put in the right place.

 

 

[Mrs6C]

Looks great!

[mr_fish]

nice job paul. good to see a retro citroen kept on the road.

[forddeliveryboy]

Result! They're more pleasant than a 306, never worked out why. Capable of munching 10p a litre waste veg at 50% through warmer months, too. That's 65p/litre for your fuel overall if diesel's £1.20, which at 50mpg on a free/nearly free car ain't bad.

[Broadsword]

This is some seriously excellent work, and progressing very quickly too. Well done!

[SiC]

I think we've got another pro, legendary shitter here. 18 posts in since being here and an old, worthless car has nearly been saved.

[Scruffy Bodger]

More done to it since, will update tomorrow The last thing I saved makes even less economic sense by quite a margin!

[Scruffy Bodger]

Looks great!

? It's a ZX

 

nice job paul. good to see a retro citroen kept on the road.

Cheers mr_fish, it's getting closer now.

 

Result! They're more pleasant than a 306, never worked out why. Capable of munching 10p a litre waste veg at 50% through warmer months, too. That's 65p/litre for your fuel overall if diesel's £1.20, which at 50mpg on a free/nearly free car ain't bad.

I've always preferred the Zx too, don't really know why either. No cooking juice for this one I'm afraid, it's a Lucas pump. Would be asking for trouble!

 

Anyhoo. Last of the welding I hope.

 

 

 

 

 

Bit of anti-rust on the sill for now.

 

 

Volcane alloys provisionally sold I think and some steels with very good tyres obtained

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apart from a bit of wear on the drivers bolster and the dodgy passenger wing it really is quite a straight car for the age. It's seen a bit of paint here and there but I must admit I do like the colour.

[Mrs6C]

? It's a ZX

 

Exactly!

[bramz7]

That looks great. You were wise to sell the alloys too, still amazes me how mental certain people go for them, and value them accordingly too.

 

Did anyone catch a glimpse of the red/brown ZX that appeared on Gumtree about 24 hours ago? It was an early TurboD Aura, and sold more or less right away for £350, with 180k on it. I was strongly tempted but gathered it had been a cheap hack for a long time and probably had a shot rear axle anyway....

 

Also, are the early TurboDs more potent? 

[Scruffy Bodger]

That looks great. You were wise to sell the alloys too, still amazes me how mental certain people go for them, and value them accordingly too.

 

Did anyone catch a glimpse of the red/brown ZX that appeared on Gumtree about 24 hours ago? It was an early TurboD Aura, and sold more or less right away for £350, with 180k on it. I was strongly tempted but gathered it had been a cheap hack for a long time and probably had a shot rear axle anyway....

 

Also, are the early TurboDs more potent? 

It seems to be pretty much just the Irish who go mad for them, they can fetch very good money out there. I saw a set with good tyres being advertised the other day and they were asking 260 Euros for them

As far as I'm aware, all the TD's are 90 bhp. They do however come in umpteen different turbo trims so they feel very different to drive. Zx's seem to have turbos that have nothing down low and then whoosh they are off. It makes them feel more potent than others in 306's tht run out of uff at 3.5K. Zx's are also a deal lighter than the 306 which makes them perkier anyway. Saying that, you can take any TD with a Bosch on it to circa 110bhp with a 10mm spanner and a screwdriver.

Didn't see the Aura, there seems to be a couple on Ebay at the mo for first time in a while.

[stripped fred]

I loved my volcane TD. L727KKY, RIP. It was the nearest I ever got to a hot hatch.

[beko1987]

Once my 1. 9td xantia was turned back down to stock tune so it passed her majesties mot test it felt slower than the old 1.9td zx. Until I turned it back up a few turns! A zx with that engine does seem a nice sweet spot of weight vs power, if I timed the boost right I could embarrass many a modern thing on the motorway up to a point.

 

My old 1.4 petrol wasn't too bad either tbh, although where I lived at the time I didn't go on the motorway much so that might have made a difference, I did do a long slog on the m40 once and at 90 it did go a bit unstable. I was en route to shake a man's hand over an xm though so wasn't too bothered!

[Scruffy Bodger]

I loved my volcane TD. L727KKY, RIP. It was the nearest I ever got to a hot hatch.

Yep, they go surprisingly well, quite a bit better too if they have been tweaked.

 

Once my 1. 9td xantia was turned back down to stock tune so it passed her majesties mot test it felt slower than the old 1.9td zx. Until I turned it back up a few turns! A zx with that engine does seem a nice sweet spot of weight vs power, if I timed the boost right I could embarrass many a modern thing on the motorway up to a point.

 

My old 1.4 petrol wasn't too bad either tbh, although where I lived at the time I didn't go on the motorway much so that might have made a difference, I did do a long slog on the m40 once and at 90 it did go a bit unstable. I was en route to shake a man's hand over an xm though so wasn't too bothered!

"You'll get zippy performance in the safety rather than the rubber-burning range (the 50-70 mph overtaking burst in top outpaces a Ford XR3i), and still save a fortune at the pumps and cut the insurance costs by half." Source,  http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/motoring-auto-biography-the-citroen-zx-volcane-in-0-60-seconds-by-john-fordham-1490061.html You weren't imagining things

Sounds like you had something up with your 1.4, old/worn suspension? I've had the Volcane off the clock, nice and stable

[hairnet]

For as long as red diesel is charged at a lower rate of duty, there will *always* be 306 TDis on the road - in rural Ulster, anyway.

 

OP's ZX looks fairly borderline as a going concern - I'd agree that it's only feasible if otherwise in knockout condition, and welding skills can be procured for beer money. If not, then part it out as originally planned - it'll probably yield a goodly haul of spares.

 

I really do like the 3dr ZXs, but a crispy Cit can be an expensive Cit... ask me how I know.

youve hacked fakers account bai?

[beko1987]

 

Sounds like you had something up with your 1.4, old/worn suspension? I've had the Volcane off the clock, nice and stable

 

Very possibly, had done 64k and not used much the year before, and I didn't do anything to it bar a service. It went light if I recall correctly, almost floaty. On a/b roads it was utterly fine, got me through the worst snow and most awful/fun drive home I've ever had, I kept having to wait for modern stuff to crash and get out of the way so I could plod through!

[hairnet]

Exactly!

Mrs6C, on 14 Feb 2018 - 2:51 PM, said:

Looks great!

? It's a ZX

 

youve been talking to a serial perv

 

estates are cool

[Arthur Foxhake]

I think i recognise this behavior from another forum.

Are you Master Baldwin by any chance?

Master welder, frog fancier and fettler of serious exhaust manifolds for serious ZXs?

[Lacquer Peel]

Come up here and weld my Berlingo! It's grotty in the same places, inner wings, but not as bad

[stripped fred]

These have rear wheel steering don't they?

[Arthur Foxhake]

Passive rear wheel steering from the rubber beam mounts, i believe.

[DodgyBastard]

I still have the Volcane steering wheel sitting on a shelf somewhere.

 

C15 Camper by srblythe, on Flickr

 

I briefly fitted it to my C15 before I found an early single spoke wheel.

[forddeliveryboy]

I've always preferred the Zx too, don't really know why either. No cooking juice for this one I'm afraid, it's a Lucas pump. Would be asking for trouble!

 

 

Lucas pumps are usually happy on the mix and conditions I mentioned provided they've done over 70-80k, it's the Bosch which handles -20C and 99% veg. Once ran a (Lucas) Epic-pumped 2.1TD on 70% veg through temps as low as -10C with a coolant heat exchanger but no preheat, it ran fine then and for years after.

[Rave]

This is a great thread, enjoyed it, thanks! Just for my own info, as an aspiring welder with ideas of rescuing a few hopeless cases in the future, how long did all that take?