Project BX17RD - the further adventures of PBO

[SmokinWaffle]

On 8/9/2021 at 7:59 PM, SmokinWaffle said:

 

That's.....not meant to be that melty. I figure it's had some crap on it, more resistance over time, more heat, repeat, melt. I'll give it a clean up when I get a second and see how it goes and keep a close eye - might have to replace that connector though. I probably should anyway.

Oh - I also picked up a garden swing seat in it the other day but forgot to take a picture. Boo.

Am I right in thinking that this is a H4 bulb holder? Now it's getting darker I really need to replace this and a H4 looks about right...I could go outside and take a closer look but it's much warmer on the sofa!

On 8/11/2021 at 10:14 PM, adw1977 said:

I will admit to also owning a pair of black crocs.

Check moneybags out over here - these are shoezones finest.

[Fumbler]

Yep, these are H4. I have a socket or 3 going spare should you want it at some point. Includes free mucky H4 bulb.

[SmokinWaffle]

This has been off the road since the MOT expired in November, just had other things going on. 

Wife's Corsa then failed the MOT on the airbag light in late Jan which has been a saga, hopefully over soon, leaving us with no car 

In the meantime I picked up an Aygo with an engine light for very cheap, gave it an oil and filter change, Italian tune up and the engine light is all good so that's been our reliable runaround for the past few months. Actually quite like it. Sweet little thing. Aircon and cup holders too. 

I miss the BX dearly, always starts even after sitting though. Went into it a month or so ago and there was a small lake in either footwell which was nice. Took out the carpets, rolled them out and dried in the garage, and put little moisture collector's in it which have done a great job. 

Taking a proper look at it soon to make a list of what I know is needed, and I'll pop it in for an MOT to see what it fails on. 

I know one of the backs of the front arches is questionable, sills probably could do with cutting out and freshening ( although not an MOT failure I don't think, just I know what lurks). Also the fuel pipe on the injection pump keeps popping off every now and then no matter what I do. 

 

Aaaand it has a leaky injector seal. 

 

Stay tuned, hopefully movement soon. 

 

At least now the MOT will be near summer so I'm not scrambling around in winter

[SmokinWaffle]

Two months already? Life doesn't slow down does it.

Got a mostly free weekend - off for a week next week on a little much needed getaway then have a free Sunday after that. Figured I'd take a quick look this eve and start it up at the weekend for a bit of a once over, and book the MOT for either next weekend or the weekend after.

Battery dead for the first time - not surprising but impressive. It's sat for nearly 8 months and has only been started to jump start a couple other cars - at least 6-7 times and only now is the battery flat.

Sills are looking....well, see for yourself:

Not great. But I'll take a better look when I can raise it up.

Popped the battery out and busted out the trusty Halfords battery charger that has served me well the past few years:

Will hopefully start it up tomorrow and check the various fluid levels, LHM, rust, that leaky injector and take it for a nice little uninsured poke around the bloke to see what's what.

Sitting in it and smelling it, just being in it brings me such joy and happiness. I miss it so much esepcially with this nicer weather and want to get it back in use! Soon my pretty, soon.

Also there is now a big fuck off spider that lives next to one of the front spheres in the engine bay. Like, it's huge. I'm hoping it's gone by tomorrow.

[grogee]

13 hours ago, SmokinWaffle said:

Popped the battery out and busted out the trusty Halfords battery charger that has served me well the past few years:

 

Can you give me a link to the Halfords toaster/battery charger combo please? Looks useful 

[GrumpiusMaximus]

If the engine gets going without issue, you can have roast spider for tea.  I'm sure the cat will help if necessary.

[SmokinWaffle]

After many months of no movement (car wise at least - life has been very busy elsewhere), we have acquired a house of our very own with a chuffing great garage w/a workshop area out back. House needs renovation - but the garage doesn't. BX was moved in two days after we got the keys. 

LOOK AT THE SPARE SPACE AROUND THE CAR. It even has electric heating if needed, and storage overhead.

First time in over a year it's been out of the elements and it was genuinely a very happy and almost emotional moment getting it in there. Finally in a place where I can give it the care it needs. Since we had more rain and some snow it's acquired a large amount of water on the passenger seat and carpet, which has caused some mould to start to form - so it couldn't come soon enough.

The car itself was also so excited it couldn't contain itself, and had a large diesel piddle on the road outside. New neighbours loaned me their pressure washer and hose to get it all cleaned up / washed in the drains as when it started to spread out with the rain it was a large hazard. 

Nothing gives better new neighbour first impressions than causing an environmental hazard immediately.

The line from the injector to the pump has a couple pinholes in it now it seems and was spraying out like nobodies business. Only noticed after I'd been talking to the recovery driver for 5 minutes though after unloading!

Also pictured, cheeky Berlingo £400 driveway find that I got the other week. Sitting for a year, but went straight through an MOT an put it immediately into use. Stripped out the back to use as a van for the house stuff/tip runs, job's a good'un. Already more than earning it's keep.

Probably no updates for 3-6 months at least, as we'll be mega busy with the house - but at least in that time it's not filling with water or rusting away in the elements!

[somewhatfoolish]

Going to start a house thread so we can tell you you're doing it RONG? Nice garage, is there room at the far end for a workbench?

[vulgalour]

Good luck with the new place, sounds like you got the workshop/house condition the right way around and that garage is proper fancy with it's tiled flooring and whatnot.  I bet the water is getting in through the front passenger door seal again.

[GrumpiusMaximus]

I’ve seen the estate agent’s pictures of the inside of the house.  Don’t change a thing!  It suits the BX perfectly!

[stuboy]

20 hours ago, SmokinWaffle said:

my dream

[bigfella2]

Are you still in Sheffield?

[SmokinWaffle]

On 12/27/2022 at 6:32 AM, somewhatfoolish said:

Going to start a house thread so we can tell you you're doing it RONG? Nice garage, is there room at the far end for a workbench?

There is, but I don't need it because it has a separate part through the door at the back right which is an attached workshop/space. I'm extremely happy with it!

On 12/27/2022 at 2:05 PM, vulgalour said:

Good luck with the new place, sounds like you got the workshop/house condition the right way around and that garage is proper fancy with it's tiled flooring and whatnot.  I bet the water is getting in through the front passenger door seal again.

Thank you - appreciate that. And it certainly is by the looks of it. Looked at it again today though after being in the garage for a few days. Much less condensation - I'll get  dehumidifier in there in time / when I'm not doing a constant episode of 60 minute makeover on repeat!

On 12/27/2022 at 5:17 PM, GrumpiusMaximus said:

I’ve seen the estate agent’s pictures of the inside of the house.  Don’t change a thing!  It suits the BX perfectly!

In ripping off wallpaper and such we actually found some writing and it appears to have been redecorated in 1986 last - so it lines up with when the BX rolled off the forecourt nearly! But no. It smelt and looked awful - pictures don't portray the stagnant old cigarette/old room smell!

On 12/27/2022 at 8:03 PM, bigfella2 said:

Are you still in Sheffield?

Rotherham, yes.

[vulgalour]

A separate room for activities?  That's right posh is that.

[SmokinWaffle]

Just going back through this thread after chatting to someone at work about old cars, figured I'd give a quick update.

House renovations have taken longer than expected and it's been a tiring, exciting, fun, expensive and, at times, extremely stressful 4 (nearly 5) months - but overall hugely rewarding. We are finally at the point with the house where we can paint - following a few caulking jobs I'm doing this evening.

The BX has been sitting patiently in the garage - I'd like to think it's somewhat dried out as there is now no moisture on the windows and just mould on fabrics and interior remains - but every spare moment of every weekend and evening has been spent working on the renovations so I couldn't really say. Mrs Waffle and I are going to get it back to a good working, clean state when we are settled (we officially move out of our rented place in 3~ weeks) - and I'm really excited at maybe being able to drive it before winter sets in again.

Going back from when I bought this car from @vulgalour in 2020 and looking at the various work I've done, what I've learnt, places I've taken it, how reliable it's been and the sheer amount of use it's had (and the usefull-ness of said use), it's really hit home how much I miss driving it and how much I genuinely treasure the relationship I have with this boxy, loud, weird, electrically questionable 36 year old inanimate French object. I'm legitimately not sure I'll ever be able to sell it - and I've never really been able to say that and mean it properly before now.

Hoping that the next 3 - 6 months will have some new updates and giving it the attention it's been crying out for so I can preserve it for many years to come and many more miles ahead. Thanks to all involved in this thread for the help over the years - I couldn't have done it without you. Special heartfelt thanks go to @CaptainBoom for giving me the assistance with the glow plug relay wiring many moons ago - I was genuinely at the end of my tether and it was a really hard time for me, and you were a saving grace which helped me see how much I love the car in a otherwise shitty situation. Cheers.

[vulgalour]

BXs are like that.  I've regretted parting ways with both of the ones I've had, they might have all the safety credentials of a creme brulée but that's outweighed by the sheer competence of the things in just about every other field.

[CaptainBoom]

@SmokinWaffleYou're welcome, that feels like a looong time ago now.  I've had my haircut at least once since then!
It's good to hear that the BX is having a little rest but will live on.  I do have an occasional look for one of these or an XM, but I've still got to finish start sorting the Saab first.

The red Reliant front end lives on, I rewired it and it lights up the end of my garden:

[SmokinWaffle]

What's better than one BX you don't have time to work on?

Two, obviously. 

This one is a is a bit rough and ready (but isn't my other BX, too?) - has been asleep for 6/7 years in a unit. Genuine barn find dust included.

 

Needs a new clutch and a few other little bits but rust wise is surprisingly solid, and it stops, goes, sinks and rises (albeit with a bit of an LHM urination at the same time). The plan is to get it up to an MOT'able standard and give it a wipe over with an oily rag, then it'll replace the Berlingo for daily duties and general running around in/tip runs as it's bloomin massive - A car I don't have to worry about denting that is cool as hell. It even has power steering and comfy seats with bolstering. Very posh indeed. I've always wanted an estate - very much a bit of a dream car moment right now.

Huge, massive, galaxy sized thanks to @Stinkwheel for offering this gratis on the forum and being helpful every step of the way, and to @worldofceri / @Inspector Morose for a first class transport service as always.

 

More pictures to come, gave it a very good hoover this evening now it's stopped hammering it down with rain and the interior is lovely. It's clearly been used as a family car and has a hell of a lot of character about it. Rest assured it's going to be put back into use and serve it's purpose. 

 

[Back_For_More]

That looks fantastic...... I didn't see it up on here or wed have had pistols at dawn good sir. 

LHM leak a relatively easy fix? 

[Stinkwheel]

7 minutes ago, Back_For_More said:

That looks fantastic...... I didn't see it up on here or wed have had pistols at dawn good sir. 

LHM leak a relatively easy fix? 

I'm going to stick my neck out and say it finally needs a new 'octopus' (or Oil Back Harness - as citroen used to call them) as i 'repaired' it a couple of times over the years.

[grogee]

The world needs more running BXs. 

Can you imagine what a modern Audi driver would think if he drove one? 

"Better slow down for this speed bump." 

"Oh, the council has removed it" 

[SmokinWaffle]

On 6/21/2023 at 12:43 PM, Back_For_More said:

That looks fantastic...... I didn't see it up on here or wed have had pistols at dawn good sir. 

LHM leak a relatively easy fix? 

It looks to be, fingers crossed, entirely localised to here:

So a new octopus return loom (I believe) would solve it, £132 from Chevronics and some jiggery pokery.

I said I'd update, and update I shall...incoming picture spam.

Was delivered in the pouring rain - but that did give it a bit of a jet wash being trailered on the M1 on the way over. Shout out to @Inspector Morose for parking the trailer just ahead of a drain in the road when he arrived so all of the LHM spilling out was washed right into it to keep my neighbours happy - now that is service.

You know it's a BX when the storage tray looks like this:

Ah yes. I'm home.

Taking a closer look, it was certainly showing that it had been laid up a while in the form of....well being grimy.

Armed with my good friend Henry (hoover) - he made short work of that:

Interior is very good condition, really. Clearly had kids in it at some point who have melted nice circles in the dash above the cigar lighter with it, and a few woody stickers on the back of one of the seats. All adds to the charm.

I also found a rather odd looking nest-esque parcel of foam and little chewed bits of other stuff under the rear passenger bench. Sadly the hoover sucked it up before I could get a picture - but the it certainly couldn't suck up it's ex-inhabitant...

Spoiler alert - gross 

Spoiler

Yep - a stowaway. Poor little thing, but long since dead. Sadly mice tend to need to urinate, which means that that side of the foam was rather pungent. Got as much out as I could at the time - but I'll need to get some gloves on and probably gut all of the insulation under the rear bench just to be sure as it certainly smells better - but certainly still smells like rat piss from a ft away.

Now to the outside - again - pretty dusty even after it's wash on the way

So I grabbed the pressure washer and some random AA wash and wax stuff, a big ol bucket and a wash mitt and got to work

I actually went over it once with a bucket of water/wash and wax (after an initial pressure wash), then rinsed it, then went over it with the lance, rinsed it again, then again with the lance as it was pretty dirty, rinsed then dried.

Caution - arousing when wet:

All dried off and smelling....better:

OOOOH SHES PURDY. 

Colour really pops, subtle but bright. I really like it - and the pinstripe. Not even that rusty either...certainly solid enough from a few heavy taps, underneath is pretty clean. Hopefully enough for the MOT tester to not want to stab it with a hammer to see what falls off.

Some moody night shots to finish (it needs a rear bulb, rear foglight bulb, sidelight bulb and....that's it, impressive.)

It also oddly has this on both the front and rear plate:

@Stinkwheel didn't know why either. I'm assuming that Denise is the car and the little fossil rodent I found was one of da boyz - so I think this car has now naturally been named Denise. Fitting.

 

 

Side note, are the front seats made for people who are very, very relaxed? Both of them only seem to adjust the back far enough forward to be vaugley close to the dash - still too laid back to comfortably or safely drive for me. Seems broken - but they both stop at the same point so maybe I just need to relax more and get with the vibe of being an antique dealer.

[GrumpiusMaximus]

I might have to tell your wife that you've posted strong pornography on the Internet.

[vulgalour]

Jealous.  There's probably nothing wrong with the seats, it's just a BX thing.  You do slouch in them, it's just more noticeable in the later cars with the bolstered seats than the earlier ones with the sculpted beanbags.  Don't forget, Mk1 rear arches on the estate because reasons.  The sheer volume of shite you can get in the back of a BX estate is ludicrous.

[Stinkwheel]

Damn, for two reasons,

first, good work that man

second, I’d forgotten it was a nice colour 🤣

my 19TRS is a lovely car, but something about a BX diesel 

[Fumbler]

17 hours ago, vulgalour said:

Jealous.  There's probably nothing wrong with the seats, it's just a BX thing.  You do slouch in them, it's just more noticeable in the later cars with the bolstered seats than the earlier ones with the sculpted beanbags.  Don't forget, Mk1 rear arches on the estate because reasons.  The sheer volume of shite you can get in the back of a BX estate is ludicrous.

Whenever anyone got into my BX they said they felt they were sinking into a beanbag. Those seats still are the most comfortable IMO. Haven't yet found anything better. I still miss driving my BX but boy I don't miss the electro/mechanical hassle it gave me.

That estate sure looks nice. Is L reg the last of the last?

[SmokinWaffle]

Just relaised after moving it forward to get another car on the drive that it is also piddling LHM near the end of both sills. Curious. 

Need to have a look at that. Noticed a car wash near me (cash only forecourt dealer type) has a 4 poster lift in their converted petrol forecourt - half tempted to ask if I can borrow / rent it to make my life easier. 

Equally I could just shift the other one and get this in the garage. But it has a pinhole leak from the pipe from the fuel pump to the first injector. Is this just a normal bit of fuel piping with a fancy material cover? I'm sure I could just patch it to get it out without pissing diesel. 

[Stinkwheel]

oh bum, it’s become incontinent!! 
 
I believe diesel injector hose if similar to normal fuel hose but possibly higher pressure rated? 
 

[mat_the_cat]

I don't think there is anything special about it, just 3.2mm ID fuel hose. The injector leak- off is relatively low pressure. I don't like the braided type often sold for the purpose, as it can deteriorate unnoticed under the covering.

[vulgalour]

Might just be perished boots/return pipes on the rear suspension that's causing the LHM leak, it's really common for BXs to do that, especially if they've been sat around a while.