Citroen BX 16v – Worth acquiring?

[Spottedlaurel]

To be honest, given the price I already know the answer is going to be yes...Anyway, went to a Client’s today and there was one of the above on the drive, looking a bit sad. Been off the road since ’05 when it was no longer large enough for family duties. Personal plate on a ‘J’ (which they want to retain) so that makes it a ’91 model. White, cloth interior, looks straight. Don’t know if it runs, but given the reason it went out of use I’m hoping there’s nothing untoward and in any case I imagine these aren’t horribly complicated engine-wise are they?Ideally I’d like to save it from being a 205 donor, though that will be a backup in case it’s not viable due to some terrible brake/suspension issues. Look to either sell on to a good home, or maybe use by me for trackday stuff (or even road?!).Do these have any kind of value within the BX scene, or as the aforementioned donor of bits to a 205 conversion?If I don’t help save it then it’s probably going for scrap, which seems a shame.Thoughts please?

[dollywobbler]

Save it! These things are insane fun. I had a really crap one and it was still an absolute hoot.As you say, prime 205 GTi upgrade fodder, but they're a good car in their own right.Save it then decide what to do with it. There's a good owners club for the BX and, believe it or not, one specifically for the 16 valve models too - they do command a following.

[mnde]

The BX16v is the most sought after model in the BX range (to BX afficinados mainly, so it's a bit of a niche market), and good ones fetch over £1000. But others will know more than I because I've never had one - mine is a lowly 1.6 carb model.

 

http://www.bxproject.co.uk

http://www.bxclub.co.uk

http://www.bx16valve.co.uk

 

all internet based clubs with very active forums. Go for it!

 

Mark.

[Pete-M]

Buy it. They're ace (and becoming quite valuable in good nick)

 

I had an 8v one and it was pretty bloody good. I sold it to a mate who thrashed it everywhere for ages until it finally threw a hyperspastic pipe outside his house. That was about 12 years ago and the tarmac still has a strange green tinge to it.

 

My one..

 

[Pillock]

Yeah get it - they're approaching 'dodo poo' levels of scarceness and unless the owner is deluded and thinks it's worth thousands, you're unlikely to lose out.If it just needs recomissioning it could be an excellent cheap sleeper, if the suspension and body is too far gone then sell your soul, and the engine to a 205boi.They seem to be truely excellent weapons though, hot hatch performance with more practicality. And at the traffic lights, you can surprise them all - a Citroen what???

[wuvvum]

/\ Wot they all said. /\Buy it - those things are amazing fun to drive and bloody quick. There's someone on RR who has a stripped-out one he uses as a track day car and it goes like a bat out of hell (when it's not chewing on its own crank sensor...). If you decide not to keep it I'm sure you'll have people on here queueing up to give it a good home. It would be a shame to see it raped of its engine for a 205 conversion, but I suppose that would still be better than seeing it simply get weighed in.

[VWPowered]

sod it buy it

[dollywobbler]

Some more info. The engines are a bit exotic, so can be a bit of a pain to rebuild. Worst problem is rust though. A posts (especially around door hinges), sills and boot floor are the key spots - and the latter's impossible to check if the car is down on it's suspension...Still worth having if cheap, but bear in mind that scruffy runners can usually be had for a few hundred quid.

[outlaw118]

SWMBO had an 8v and it was great...until the suspension went tits up, but that was more the fault of an idiot mechanic than the cars, and you'll already be aware that the spheres and such like have arseache potential. If it's cheap enough, have it, I drove a 16v shortly before I chopped madam's one in for an XR3i (Yes Essex bird motah) and it was smart!

[Spottedlaurel]

The wife seems to have been charged with “getting rid of it†while the husband is away, so I don’t believe I’ll need to pay a fortune for it. I don’t think there’s a tearing hurry as she’s going away in a few days and it didn’t seem as if it had to be gone before then. I will call her to stake my claim before then though...Can borrow a trailer to collect it, but if it can’t run and therefore can’t pump itself up, am I going to have an issue getting it on and off? It might run, just trying to think of any potential problems. Once it’s at mine it can hide away nicely until its fate is decided.Interesting (slightly eccentric) people, husband recently bought a V6 XM from the South of France just for spares, at considerable transportation costs. It’s a 24-valve model, did we not get them here or is it just that they’re rare in the UK?

[Volksy]

If its been stood for a long time, i certainly wouldn't rev it up, not until the cam belts changed anyways. But if it will idle its should pump up.I beleive we did get the XMV6-24 here, but like the C6 sold in very small numbers.

[dollywobbler]

Yeah, fresh battery, fresh petrol and hope for the best I guess. If you can get a jack under it, it is possible to raise the car and chock the suspension with bits of wood I believe, in order for it to be moved.

[mnde]

Far easier is to place planks of wood under the car as it's being winched up the ramps so that the exhaust clears the ground.I watched the recovery man skilfully use pieces of wood in this manner while carefully winching my GSA onto his truck with no hydraulics some years back(failed rear suspension cylinder). No it wasn't me that left the huge puddle of LHM in a motor factor's carpark, honest! Mark.

[nigel bickle]

Marvellous motors-my son's driving my 16v since he blew his Mazda.Highly recommended

[Father Ted]

AND THE REST!

 

Inner wings, outer inner wings (if that makes sense - usually only visible with the wing off), rear wings (look up under the rear wheel aarch or remove boot carpet & trim over wings.. Rear door shuts - if its well rotted in this area its FUBARed as its nigh on impossibe to repair.

 

Then there is the HP system, not only the state of the green blood and filters, but the state of the pipes, fuel pipes rot too (but are cheap and still avail from Citroen) brake callipers are scarcce to get and your best bet is someting like a Pliades exchange as bleed nipples sieze and shear off with consumate ease.

Electrics can cause headaches.

 

On the flip side they do shift some! And the pug boys will pay good coind for the engine and loom if the car is rotten.