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MK1 BX16 TRS 'SE' - Make it or break it, a tale of neglect and fondling


Tomtation

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OK folks, so a better update. It's an 1985 TRS, so got all the toys, including a sunroof which i've not seen on a MK1 BX before. It is a late MK1, in the 86MY the first of the MK2's came out, so the last of the MK1's. It was last on the road in 2009 according to the CT sticker on the windscreen, so been stood a good 10 years.

There was a challenge with the delivery, the OH was at home for 20 mins after work before going out, and guess when it was delivered? Yes - in the only 20 mins of the whole day when there was the OH's car on the drive... So because our road is very narrow with limited parking, the driver had to drop it off way way down the road, whilct holding up neighbours in both directions, apparently. Poor driver! Sounds stressful, but the OH didn't hear the doorbell, if it was rung. Teh car was left right at the bottomw of the road, past the end of the cars you can see here.

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We then had to push it over the bump onto the drive, luckily this is a little bit downhill so we got some momentum going - steering was a bit interesting! It was quite heavy, as to be expected in a non-running hydraulic Citroen.

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The car itself is filthy dirty, dusty, crusty seats etc etc. BUT is NOT SHIT! I've not gotten under it yet, but aboveboard it all seems remarkably good, all the electrics i've tried work, i'm not brave enough to try the sunroof yet but all the window motors work, the fan works, the dash (nearly) all lights up. Not tried any of the exterior lights as most bulbs seem to be gone. The front door hinges and rear door shuts aren;t rusty, so that bodes well for the underneath, that'll be the deciding factor if it is broken or not (and if the engine can be made to run , if I c an register it over here without a Carte Grise, if the hydraulics aren't fucked... etc). I only really want the a/c for my GT so as long as I can get some monies back for the rest of it.

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Best dash! Shame my GT has a conventional CX GTI version, with needles and dials etc, not the really cool rotating drums...

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A/C bitches! Interestingly the central air vents look quite a bit bigger than in my non-a/c GT.

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So it doesn't turn over, just clicks and all the dash lights go out. There is definitely enough juice in the battery, it came of a sprinter ambulance (so a BIG fucking battery) and is fully charged, just incase I hooked it upto to the Venga of boringness with no difference. So could it be a starter motor issue? Bad starter earth/contacts? Perhaps not as all the other leccys work. My other though was the gear lever, being an auto I imagine there will be a switch to stop it starting if it isn't in park (maybe neutral)? The gear lever doesn't feel very secure/tight but does move freely up and down the run. I'd appreciate advice here guys as if I can get it started and lifted, I can see underneath.

Is all quite exciting!

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Oh, and waspies. Little cunts had a nest on the underside the bonnet, just above the fan blower motors on the RHS (looking at the engine). They didn't even move whilst I was faffing about getting the battery in (which is not very far from their nest), they just sat on the nest (it wasn't the ball shape style nest, with everything going on inside, this looked like a muffin with all of them sat on the honeycomb surface)  so I didn't notice them - until I had a look at the air recirculation flap motors (right under their nest) and they went ape-shit. Had to sprint down the road as they were not happy little bastards. OH had some super weedkiller in his car, which was linked with jump leads at the time, so when they all settled down again I gave them all a good dosing with that - they were all bar one dead within 30 seconds. Have that, little angry fucks. They weren't english wasps either, not hornet sized, but defo bigger than your average english wasp, which are quite big enough as it is, thank you very much.

Didn't get a photo as i'm not into sadism.

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If you can't get it started, you could always whip the belt off and spin the hydraulic pump over with a drill - that should get it lifted, assuming the pipework is intact.

On first appearance though it doesn't look too bad at all for a BX that's been stood for 10 years.

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As most of you have said, I now have a dilemma! It really does depend on the condition of the underside, hydraulics and engine bowt whether it gets bridged or registered and MOT'd etc. Would there really be a buyer for a LHD tatty 1.6 auto BX for £750? I have a concern there isn't, I do need to get some funds back from this as I didn't really have them in the first place... Especially as I have so far paid for it, and it's transport TWICE now.

I'll clean it, which'll help hugely to distinguish scratches/gouges from shit/algea and have a fiddle on Saturday with starter etc, It's been a cunt of a week so far, and doesn't look like easing up much. Weekend is quite free though, apart from a party sat night, that TBF will probably wipe out Sunday!

I kinda hoped it'd be a heap of wob so I didn't feel bad about breaking it ?

Haven't got a rubber hammer, would a gentle* metal one do?

Down with wasps! :brutal_42:  As a beekeeper and a person I can't stand the aggressive bastards.

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52 minutes ago, Tomtation said:

Would there really be a buyer for a LHD tatty 1.6 auto BX for £750?

Maybe not £750, but quite probably nearer £500

That said BX prices are on the rise generally so you never know - if you break it ( I mean totally dismantle not just pillage the AC) you still have the issue of finding someone who wants to buy wings, bonnet, glass, interior, ancillaries, engine and so on.

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If you can't be arsed to MoT it but can't bear breaking a potentially solid rare car, I'd speak to Chevronics as they often bring over lhd cars and recomission/register them for sale over here. They have a toilet blue Mk1 1.4 which they've sorted out up for something crazy like £4k at the moment but, yes, it's a limited market. A very smart rhd version of yours sold for £2500 recently, which is probably a record for a Mk1. 

I'd have thought with the minimum work for a ticket it's got to be worth £1500 to the right person. As it stands, as an unknown quantity with the a/c removed it's more like £500 which might cover some of your costs. Prices are definitely on the up, but a solid usable Mk2 TD estate or a GTi are the only ones people seem to actually want, beyond a small but broke band of weirdos. 

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15 hours ago, Tomtation said:

.... They weren't english wasps either, not hornet sized, but defo bigger than your average english wasp, which are quite big enough as it is, thank you very much.

Could be German wasps.

Seems that, if you have a go at one wasp, it gives off alarm pheromones that alert all its colleagues to come and have a go at you....

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Think we need a photo of that interior in the dark for the dash at night thread!

I love those rotating drum instruments.  Really need to track something up with that setup for the collection of random car stuff...could use it as some sort of futuristic status readout for something in the house...

GSA one would be best though just because the backlit diagram looks so good.

 

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I'll stick my hand up for bonnet, seats, wheels, parcel shelf support brackets (both the ones on the rear seat, and the ones on the side of the boot), if that helps at all, they'd all be useful for my Mk2.  Collection might have to wait a bit since I'm sort of between houses at the moment.  That said, it does look particularly good in the right areas and it's going to end up looking viable with a wash.  If it can be got road legal it's got to be tempted to keep it as is and not worry about transferring the AC to the other car.

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9 hours ago, barrett said:

Mk1 seats won't fit a Mk2. Suspect the bonnet is the wrong one for your car, too, Angyl .

What's different on the seats?  They look the same as the ones in my car apart from mine having grey plastics instead of black.  Same with the bonnet, looks the same type as I've got fitted, just not all wibblywobbly.

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10 hours ago, Microwave said:

What are these automatic petrols like to drive when sorted? Utter wank? Bearable?

I can only point to my CX and say that performance via a 3-speed auto is....relaxed.

Shift points (upward) seem to be between 2000 and 2500 particularly when cold, and you need to keep an eagle eye on fluid levels.

BXs seem to have had 4-speed autos (something I think the CX badly needed but was never given), so may be more flexible.

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How have I not seen this thread until now? I love, love, love a mk1 BX.

 

I very briefly owned a TRS auto (until an arsehole drove his Subaru into it at great speed). Not a fast car, but a lovely wafty cruiser.

 

If I could find a mk1 estate with aircon........

 

Great find, great rescue and as others have said it will certainly find a home even without the AC. Hat duly doffed.

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On 7/16/2019 at 8:49 AM, Tomtation said:

Oh, and waspies. Little cunts had a nest on the underside the bonnet, just above the fan blower motors on the RHS (looking at the engine). They didn't even move whilst I was faffing about getting the battery in (which is not very far from their nest), they just sat on the nest (it wasn't the ball shape style nest, with everything going on inside, this looked like a muffin with all of them sat on the honeycomb surface)  so I didn't notice them - until I had a look at the air recirculation flap motors (right under their nest) and they went ape-shit. Had to sprint down the road as they were not happy little bastards. OH had some super weedkiller in his car, which was linked with jump leads at the time, so when they all settled down again I gave them all a good dosing with that - they were all bar one dead within 30 seconds. Have that, little angry fucks. They weren't english wasps either, not hornet sized, but defo bigger than your average english wasp, which are quite big enough as it is, thank you very much.

Didn't get a photo as i'm not into sadism.

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NOVA done yesterday - thanks for reminding me sir lanciamatt.

It has an SE badge on the back, it looks the same font/style as the other badges. Im unreasonably excited by this, never seen SE as a trim level before and google has no answers...

Is clean(er), is less dented but is dark, piccies tomorrow. Much arousal!

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