Jump to content

Robinmasters' French Fancies - Now with post-Brexit British content


robinmasters

Recommended Posts

  • 1 month later...

About time I updated this.

 

I had a go at the paint. 'Had a go' is being incredibly complementary. As I've already mentioned, I managed to scrape the peeling lacquer off without (much) further damage. I sprayed a few coats on, but on a very windy day-as I'd pretty thoroughly masked the car up, in the road, I persevered, with the inevitable result of a streaky finish caused by spraying so close so as the wind didn't blow it all away. It's better, but not by much.

 

post-5742-0-66912000-1540498728_thumb.jpg

 

post-5742-0-63862900-1540498749_thumb.jpg

 

I put a set of tyres on. The fronts were for four years old, and the rears eight. Kuhmo tyres. I took the (original) trims off in case the tyre fitters decided to remove them with a hammer or something, and I've left them off. I like black steels.

 

post-5742-0-87492800-1540497467_thumb.jpg

 

My stereo (with USB, because I can't abide the radio), fitted. I think the cage has been in more cars than [insert non-PC simile here].

 

The cigar lighter was working all along. It was my USB charger that wasn't. The inoperative reverse light was just a bulb which isn't hadn't been changed because you need to open the boot to do so.

 

There was another issue with dashboard-related electronicals; half the backlighting didn't work, so you couldn't see the speedo at all at night.

 

post-5742-0-96030500-1540498123_thumb.jpg

 

After some dismantling and a handful of bulbs which costs pennies (and the local factor gave me a bulk discount because I bought 10! 11/10, will shop again), the issue was resolved, but not before fixing the broken bits left by a previous owner.

 

post-5742-0-20502300-1540497912_thumb.jpg

 

post-5742-0-81164700-1540497971_thumb.jpg

 

All I did was glue in some nuts in place of the broken plastic bits the screws thread into, and used long machine screws instead of self-tappers, but for some reason that small repair was incredibly satisfying. 

 

It's had a basic service-oil and filter not pictured, because the sump plug refused to budge the day I did the other bits. When it did, a mere 1.25 litres came out (capacity 3.5l).

 

post-5742-0-12954100-1540498254_thumb.jpg

 

Bonus giffer-bodge shot:

 

post-5742-0-40565500-1540498302_thumb.jpg

 

The aforementioned stereo had consequences. The original speakers obviously objected to continual, full-volume Depeche Mode, and gave up within less than a day.

 

post-5742-0-17851600-1540498396_thumb.jpg

 

The only two speakers are in the back, just behind the doors. The doors have no wiring at all-there's no central locking, the windows and mirrors are manual. 

 

The boot lock remains inoperative. The part is NLA from Citroen, so I've wangled the mechanism so as the rod is reachable from inside the car. 

 

I've been saving a few bits up before posting this, so as not to post a series of 'changed a wiper blade today #builtnotbought #mechanic #madskills' type posts, and in the meantime have decided to get rid of the AX. 

 

It's as I bought it, plus new tyres, a service, and new speakers. And a dealer sticker and AS sticker. The appendages are still on, and the car will come with the a-frame. £350, Folkestone, Kent.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I didn't want to sell this following purchasing it from Bramz,  but following the winter i drove it through, I had no further use for it, and hated seeing it being unused. Bucketeer came to its rescue.

 

It was a very comfy thing to use instead of the motorbike - seats and heater the best I have experienced. And I could not resist peeling the lacquer off of the roof as it lifted (daily).

 

Hopefully it will live on in the AS community, as I like seeing it pop up every now and again

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Due to the Xantia's unwillingness to be repaired (mostly my putting things off and being ham-fisted), I'm keeping the AX. The sale was purely for monetary reasons, but I've decided I can manage with a little less money and more AX.

 

After literally weeks of occasionally looking on eBay, I've found a working lock for reasonable money, which arrived yesterday (the same day I'd spent hours playing with the Xantia's door lock mechanism). After much frustration with one Citroen door lock, what could possibly be better than wrestling with a second one? It was actually an easy job, as the boot lock has one connecting rod, and isn't hidden in the shadows between two sharp-edged bits of metal. 

 

There is now a lock instead of a blanking plug in the boot lid:

 

post-5742-0-38758500-1543447211_thumb.jpg

 

So now this is possible, without climbing over the back seat:

 

post-5742-0-73098700-1543447236_thumb.jpg

 

The failure of the boot lock was down to this tiny part-monkey metal, with a lobe, that snapped off, that pulls on the latch (not pictured, the lobe).

 

post-5742-0-55349200-1543447270_thumb.jpg

 

Also pictured above (in the gratuitous open-boot shot above), new rear light lenses. Both the original ones had broken (one caused by me, the other by a previous owner, in exactly the same place. Why? Because that's where you grab the cluster to pull it out. This has improved the car's appearance by eleventy-million percent (it totally distracts you from the stripey flat paint*). 

 

post-5742-0-24997000-1543447319_thumb.jpg

 

I always get a bit nervous with cars that have a lot of stuff which can go wrong; unnecessary electrical stuff, DMFs, DPFs, BCUs, etc etc. This car has nothing extraneous; it doesn't even have them bits of string that lift the parcel shelf up. 

 

* It doesn't.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

From the previous sale post:

 

 

 

It's as I bought it, plus new tyres, a service, and new speakers. And a dealer sticker and AS sticker. The appendages are still on, and the car will come with the a-frame. £350, Folkestone, Kent.

 

Only changes are the issues mentioned above have been rectified, but the Speedos stopped working.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 weeks later...

This is still available. Why? I don't know. I put it up on Facebook, and have had numerous enquiries, which I've ignored; I'd rather it stayed here.

 

To recap:

 

Newish tyres all round, recent service, new speakers, new ball box. And a dealer sticker and AS sticker. The appendages are still on, and the car will come with the a-frame. £350, Folkestone, Kent.

 

The speedo's stopped working.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...