Picasso restoration.......a tale of idiocy and citroen fun

[Prote]

15 hours ago, maxxo said:

it does indeed, it attaches to the right hand side of the boot where the felt strap is

it's a very useful thing to have, i've actually got a couple of them

When I got my 2001 Picasso last year, I was surprised that the boot trolley looked completely untouched. It felt like it had never been unfolded from new - it spotless inside so it's clearly never carried anything.

I wonder how many trolleys still lurk in sheds. Or perhaps in landfill for archaeologists to discover in thousands of years. "Obviously used to carry offerings to the Citroën god." 

Need one to appear in the next Planet of the Apes film...

[maxxo]

5 hours ago, Prote said:

When I got my 2001 Picasso last year, I was surprised that the boot trolley looked completely untouched. It felt like it had never been unfolded from new - it spotless inside so it's clearly never carried anything.

I wonder how many trolleys still lurk in sheds. Or perhaps in landfill for archaeologists to discover in thousands of years. "Obviously used to carry offerings to the Citroën god." 

Need one to appear in the next Planet of the Apes film...

I frequently go to car boot sales and often see them full of crap selling stuff

it's quite funny as the people using the trolley are always driving some moden crossover or something which i imagine was the picasso replacement

i bet theres more trolleys than there is picasso's left

[Agila]

22 hours ago, Nyphur said:

The trolley appears to collapse down. Does it secure somewhere in the rear load area?

Looks a useful thing to have though, thanks for the pic

Dreams can come true. Treat yourself. Loads on ebay.https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GENUINE-CITROEN-XSARA-PICASSO-BOOT-SHOPPING-TROLLEY-BASKET-FOLDING-BOX-WHEELED-/303754474770?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49292

[maxxo]

I do actually take my trolley shopping with me sometimes!

people look at me, jealous, envious and just in love with my trolley

well

they look at me because i'm a 21 year old walking round with a citroen granny trolley from his picasso

[Prote]

2 hours ago, maxxo said:

I do actually take my trolley shopping with me sometimes!

people look at me, jealous, envious and just in love with my trolley

well

they look at me because i'm a 21 year old walking round with a citroen granny trolley from his picasso

Top man - loud and proud!

They'll pretend it's not envy but it is really... 😉

[maxxo]

23 minutes ago, Prote said:

Top man - loud and proud!

They'll pretend it's not envy but it is really... 😉

probably more envious i own my car and can actually afford to run it and not be tied up in PCP or something for a modern

mind you.......i am slightly tempted by a dacia logan

[maxxo]

yup.....it's that time again, only got 1 out this time but it's really annoying me

absolute genuis using bulbs instead of LEDs

actually they'd be french LEDs so they'd fail

this car sure does have an appetite for bulbs

[Prote]

19 minutes ago, maxxo said:

probably more envious i own my car and can actually afford to run it and not be tied up in PCP or something for a modern

mind you.......i am slightly tempted by a dacia logan

My younger colleagues tend to have PCP cars and seem to have all sorts of restrictions on them which takes the fun out of it all. Plus the cars they have aren't exotic - just average Fords or Mazdas.

One guy had a loose brake caliper - turned out to be a missing bolt from a recent service - so the approved garage ordered new calipers. The repair took longer and cost a fortune whereas my mobile mechanic could source a new bolt and fix the same day. Not sure where the convenience comes in. But my colleague seemed happy with the service so happily sheds money every month for something he doesn't seem to own, and is so bland it looks like every other car in the car park. He's not a car person so I guess he just pays for convenience and a support package.

When I was his age I just wanted my own car that nobody else had any say over....

 

 

 

[Prote]

7 minutes ago, maxxo said:

yup.....it's that time again, only got 1 out this time but it's really annoying me

absolute genuis using bulbs instead of LEDs

actually they'd be french LEDs so they'd fail

this car sure does have an appetite for bulbs

I need another set of these. Replaced them all in the summer but one has gone dim about centre right. As you say, it's not the end of the world but it's annoying for a Picasso pedant. 

 

Need some for the air direction dial too but that's much more of a faff to do.....

[maxxo]

8 minutes ago, Prote said:

My younger colleagues tend to have PCP cars and seem to have all sorts of restrictions on them which takes the fun out of it all. Plus the cars they have aren't exotic - just average Fords or Mazdas.

One guy had a loose brake caliper - turned out to be a missing bolt from a recent service - so the approved garage ordered new calipers. The repair took longer and cost a fortune whereas my mobile mechanic could source a new bolt and fix the same day. Not sure where the convenience comes in. But my colleague seemed happy with the service so happily sheds money every month for something he doesn't seem to own, and is so bland it looks like every other car in the car park. He's not a car person so I guess he just pays for convenience and a support package.

When I was his age I just wanted my own car that nobody else had any say over....

 

 

 

I would like a civic type R, if i lived with nothing i could get one....

but i want a car i can mess about with, and i would only loose my license being stupid

4 minutes ago, Prote said:

I need another set of these. Replaced them all in the summer but one has gone dim about centre right. As you say, it's not the end of the world but it's annoying for a Picasso pedant. 

 

Need some for the air direction dial too but that's much more of a faff to do.....

i'll be replacing them all, might as well really

yes i've heard the air con controls are an absolute nightmare to do

[maxxo]

55 minutes ago, Nyphur said:

Any luck digging out the sellers details? 

Thanks

https://www.facebook.com/JosEmbroidery4U/

Here you go, some of the best customer service i've had in a long time is from her

[maxxo]

did a partial fix

wacked half a bottle of redex diesel system cleaner in last time i filled up and you know what

the uneven idle is tons better! it's still there slightly but doesn't feel like it's going to cut out after a cold start

also quite pleased to report it's starting so much better from cold with this new battery

otherwise it's still going very well indeed, very much being a solid reliable car

so solid i'll be driving 1,500 miles next week and i have faith in it!

[beko1987]

What you want to do is hit the motorway and be in 3rd to 60, then 4th to 80... And watch the rear view mirror! Don't boot it, but rise the revs up hard so the turbo screams and pushes the shit out 

My xsara desperately needs it poor girl. Last time I went to the office I had little fuel so couldn't. Must make it happen whenever I'm next in, if that's this year... 

[maxxo]

3 hours ago, beko1987 said:

What you want to do is hit the motorway and be in 3rd to 60, then 4th to 80... And watch the rear view mirror! Don't boot it, but rise the revs up hard so the turbo screams and pushes the shit out 

My xsara desperately needs it poor girl. Last time I went to the office I had little fuel so couldn't. Must make it happen whenever I'm next in, if that's this year... 

did 45 in 2nd, 62 in third etc today during a good old fashioned acceleration test

barely anything came out the back

i remember when i first got this car and i drove 50 in 3rd and it was literally black fog behind me.....and instantly starter running better

[Prote]

MOT on Tuesday... Bought my car any early Xmas present...two wishbones - Delphi not turkey. Looked at other parts such as Napa, but various mechanics I spoke to weren't impressed and Delphi came up as a preferred aftermarket option. I think they're OE for GM or were at some point.

N/S wishbone is intermittently clonky when going over speed bumps and some uneven roads - think it's the P-bush that's going or the balljoint has some movement - but can only hear the noise at certain times. Anyway, I've bitten the bullet and will get both replaced - peace of mind and means the front end has new parts now - shocks, top mounts, track rods, discs/pads, drop links, engine mounts, and wishbones. I'll bung on some new wipers too - some Bosch ones from wiperblades.co.uk.

Hoping to get another few years out of this one and be happy handing it to a new owner. It's such a good care in excellent condition that it's nice to preserve it for more adventures. TBH it really deserves a young family who can load it with prams and snotty kids and have some cheap motoring.

Be bloody gutted if it's a fail this year...it's so good it shouldn't even have advisories.

[maxxo]

On 12/5/2020 at 1:43 PM, Prote said:

MOT on Tuesday... Bought my car any early Xmas present...two wishbones - Delphi not turkey. Looked at other parts such as Napa, but various mechanics I spoke to weren't impressed and Delphi came up as a preferred aftermarket option. I think they're OE for GM or were at some point.

N/S wishbone is intermittently clonky when going over speed bumps and some uneven roads - think it's the P-bush that's going or the balljoint has some movement - but can only hear the noise at certain times. Anyway, I've bitten the bullet and will get both replaced - peace of mind and means the front end has new parts now - shocks, top mounts, track rods, discs/pads, drop links, engine mounts, and wishbones. I'll bung on some new wipers too - some Bosch ones from wiperblades.co.uk.

Hoping to get another few years out of this one and be happy handing it to a new owner. It's such a good care in excellent condition that it's nice to preserve it for more adventures. TBH it really deserves a young family who can load it with prams and snotty kids and have some cheap motoring.

Be bloody gutted if it's a fail this year...it's so good it shouldn't even have advisories.

excellent to see you're still maintaining it well!

going to be like a new car!

i wish you the best of luck

[maxxo]

sat at the lights today minding my own business........when thump!

a woman driving a 70 plate mercedes c class i think it was? shunted into me

apparently it was the first time she had driven an automatic and got confused....which is concerning if you get confused by an automatic

told her it's alright due to the fact neither of us really had any damage

[beko1987]

You've got her plate and the time it happened written down somewhere though right? 

I had similar coming home one night, the car behind came into the back of me at tick over (heavy traffic). Zero damage to either car that we could see so we shook hands (were allowed to do that back then) and went on our way, as gentlemen do. 

Then he overtook me for the roundabout lanes and I saw his whole frunt bumper hanging off on the passenger side, where he hit my towbar it snapped in two! Quickly crammed Amy and got her to write it all down and heard nothing, but I did worry for a few weeks! 

[Prote]

5 hours ago, maxxo said:

a woman driving a 70 plate mercedes c class i think it was? shunted into me

Oh no! Lucky you have a tow bar 🙂

When my car was rear-ended last year, the driver admitted it and then when I contacted them said she had 'witnesses' to say I deliberately brake-checked her to claim off insurance.. Interestingly nobody else was around at the time we exchanged details. I didn't bother anyway - only a minor scuff. Always did think a towbar would be a good bumper protector!

[maxxo]

5 hours ago, beko1987 said:

You've got her plate and the time it happened written down somewhere though right? 

I had similar coming home one night, the car behind came into the back of me at tick over (heavy traffic). Zero damage to either car that we could see so we shook hands (were allowed to do that back then) and went on our way, as gentlemen do. 

Then he overtook me for the roundabout lanes and I saw his whole frunt bumper hanging off on the passenger side, where he hit my towbar it snapped in two! Quickly crammed Amy and got her to write it all down and heard nothing, but I did worry for a few weeks! 

yep, got all the details.

just she doesn't seem the type to really try it on i guess, wasn't a base model mercedes either and a nice colour so probably bought it lol

but yes i have all the details etc

in some ways it was quite nice to have a pleasent transaction after a minor accident, no shouting or anything and she was very apologetic

[maxxo]

35 minutes ago, Prote said:

Oh no! Lucky you have a tow bar 🙂

When my car was rear-ended last year, the driver admitted it and then when I contacted them said she had 'witnesses' to say I deliberately brake-checked her to claim off insurance.. Interestingly nobody else was around at the time we exchanged details. I didn't bother anyway - only a minor scuff. Always did think a towbar would be a good bumper protector!

very very grateful for the tow bar

yes i hate people who act like that, theres no need for it most of the time, or maybe that's just me as i'm the type to admit liability at the scene

[bezzabsa]

On 2/19/2020 at 8:23 PM, maxxo said:

I have also found this stick on wooden trim (oooooh vanden plasss, mega luxury high end yo)

i know for a fact it will be terrible and look very fake! which is what makes it fantastic

 

Also going to try and track down a leather interior.....far easier said than done

**cough cough ** I have those fitted to mine, AND a wood effect gear knob.......looks better in person.....HONEST!!!!

[maxxo]

11 minutes ago, bezzabsa said:

**cough cough ** I have those fitted to mine, AND a wood effect gear knob.......looks better in person.....HONEST!!!!

it's a rather wonderful thing to do

and yes, they do look quite shockingly good!

[bezzabsa]

12 minutes ago, maxxo said:

it's a rather wonderful thing to do

and yes, they do look quite shockingly good!

I also have the "standard heater control" piece too, as the kit came with climate and standard......and how did u get the 'speedo ' bit?? i couldn't find that anywhere, so brought a metre of the same vinyl, just not got round to it yet..

so far in 12 months, its had the usual sill welding, 2 Brand new tyres (£56 fitted...BOTH ) brakes, DAB stereo, dash bulbs...need to do the climate controls AGAIN... grrrr... battery last week as old one was dying slowly...its on 125k 2004 still starts and runs amazingly....think its a keeper!!

No trolley though

And my keyfob will Unlock the car but won't lock it!!

[maxxo]

38 minutes ago, bezzabsa said:

I also have the "standard heater control" piece too, as the kit came with climate and standard......and how did u get the 'speedo ' bit?? i couldn't find that anywhere, so brought a metre of the same vinyl, just not got round to it yet..

so far in 12 months, its had the usual sill welding, 2 Brand new tyres (£56 fitted...BOTH ) brakes, DAB stereo, dash bulbs...need to do the climate controls AGAIN... grrrr... battery last week as old one was dying slowly...its on 125k 2004 still starts and runs amazingly....think its a keeper!!

No trolley though

And my keyfob will Unlock the car but won't lock it!!

got a spare trolley if you want it?

as i say the speedo bit came with the kit, was not going to use a hair dryer on the speedo so it's mostly stuck on but not perfect

yes, they do tend to hold up extremelt well for an ageing french car

[Prote]

Well, it's passed the MOT with flying colours, no advisories and comments of amazement from the tester who couldn't believe how clean it is underneath for a 2001 Xsara Picasso.

It has two new wishbones too, so sorted for a while now. The wishbones have sorted out the clonking noise over rough ground. Think I only needed the N/S one but replaced both to save another winter repair soon after. 

Here's the emissions results...

 

 

 

[maxxo]

23 minutes ago, Prote said:

Well, it's passed the MOT with flying colours, no advisories and comments of amazement from the tester who couldn't believe how clean it is underneath for a 2001 Xsara Picasso.

It has two new wishbones too, so sorted for a while now. The wishbones have sorted out the clonking noise over rough ground. Think I only needed the N/S one but replaced both to save another winter repair soon after. 

Here's the emissions results...

 

 

 

That's absolutely excellent news!

very glad to hear it

[maxxo]

quite concerningly i'm starting to really trust this car

which is something you must never ever do with an ageing french car

which means some excitement will be coming shortly, no doubt in a single lane contraflow at rush hour

of course, i still spend most traffic jams starting at the temp guage waiting for it to overheat.....it hasn't overheated yet though but it's french so no doubt the cooling fan relay will choose an inconvinient time to fail

[beko1987]

Ah you'll be fine, it's winter and the hdi is a very cold running engine! Mine takes about 10 miles for the needle to register where it should but the warm air comes out very quickly from the vents. 

Just drive it! Keep a check on the coolant level though, I don't think I torqued up my waterpump bolts fully and have a small drip which looses a few ml every few hundred miles. Cba to remove the cambelt covers and crankshaft pulley again to check though... I'll keep checking the coolant, it's easier! 

You want a 2.2dci, myself and @Kiltox will attest that they don't mind having zero coolant in for many hundreds of miles, bar the heater going cold. But it had heated leather! 

[Prote]

23 hours ago, maxxo said:

quite concerningly i'm starting to really trust this car

which is something you must never ever do with an ageing french car

which means some excitement will be coming shortly, no doubt in a single lane contraflow at rush hour

of course, i still spend most traffic jams starting at the temp guage waiting for it to overheat.....it hasn't overheated yet though but it's french so no doubt the cooling fan relay will choose an inconvinient time to fail

Hahah. I never doubt mine. I like the spirit of adventure!

If I'm worried about temperature in traffic, I put the aircon on. I think the aircon uses the main fan for cooling, not a separate one, so my theory is that if the aircon is on, it'll make the fan spin a bit. You can hear the fan spinning down when I switch the engine off so it's turning to some extent. Even in the el scorchio days last year in rush hour it never moved past two bars on the gauge... I've heard these run cool anyway...a bloke down the pub told me..