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What could replace a BX?


vulgalour

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Theres a reason I always go back to french. Apart from being cheap and cheerful when buying older modern cars, the classic era don't seem to be as high purchase costs like the blue oval and similar. Theres not much that will replace the bx,you will miss the wafting ride. I echo sentiment above that an older diesel will fare short journeys a lot better than a petrol so maybe a petrol bx will be right. Me personally I prefer the xantia over the bx but that is personal choice. 

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Maxi?  Too similar to the Princess (otherwise very appealing).

Maestros I've had and like, but they don't stand a chance against what the BX is.

Talbot Alpine ticks many of the boxes but if I want a car that constantly needs attention I have the Princess.

Toyota Carina E remains the most boring car I've ever driven.

BMW 3 series, touring or otherwise, is a big fat nope.  I don't get on with any BMWs, they are the very antithesis of what I like in a car.

Renaults, I've realised, are toy territory.  I don't think I could ever trust one to be what I want it to be in the same way I trust the BX.

Skoda Favorit has the Lada problem, so is in toy territory.  While we're on Skodas, the Felicia is out too because while they are neat little cars, they're not a patch on a BX.

FSO Polonez is another toy territory car and a car I really do like an awful lot.  Rarity and build quality* put me off on these as a BX replacement.

@plasticvandan has some very good points, well made, and I agree I should have sold the Princess ages ago.  Misery likes company I suppose.  I'm at the point with the Princess now where I doubt I'll ever let it go, I'll just keep putting money into it and it'll keep being ungrateful about it, and that seems to suit us both fine.  The Princess has too much sentimental value now so I'll stand by it regardless, which is incredibly stupid and not at all rational.  The BX on the other hand, has generally repaid efforts with reliability.  It really is a fantastic car and this thread has proven, if nothing else, that the only thing that can replace a diesel BX is a petrol BX and honestly I haven't seen any petrol BXs that are what I want that could replace the diesel one I've got.

Is this a conclusion then?  Perhaps.  The BX does everything I need it to do, it's generally easy to get mechanical parts for, it's probably worth what I've put into it (this is perhaps a first for me) and it doesn't bore me.  It's competent, frugal, comfortable, and weird, which are all the things I like in a car.

Do I really make people think "here we go again" with new purchases and attempts to sort them out?  That's a bit depressing... and entirely reasonable, I suppose I do make a rod for my own back with some of my purchases and that's why I'm here!

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26 minutes ago, vulgalour said:

Volvo 300 was nearly my first car, in saloon flavour.  They're okay, not particularly interesting, suspect I'd get bored of one very quickly.

RWD for DriftYO! funz.

I think pretty much all bases have been covered. My personal bias would be rag the diesel BX once a fortnight up the M20 or get another French hatch of the era; Not sure where the idea of an R9/R11 having heavy steering comes from as every one I've driven has felt pretty light. 

E80 or E90 Corolla. Hatch. Reliable. Nice to drive but a little dull.

Mk2 Cavalier in base or L trim won't have power steering. Large. Hatchback available.

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49 minutes ago, vulgalour said:

Do I really make people think "here we go again" with new purchases and attempts to sort them out?  That's a bit depressing... and entirely reasonable, I suppose I do make a rod for my own back with some of my purchases and that's why I'm here!

Well yes, but in a good way. Your attention to detail and tribulations are interesting for me anyway.

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I have enjoyed following your progress on the BX, it would be a shame to sell it after all the good work you have done to make it so nice. You have the Princess with a petrol engine for shorter runs, the BX will be great for holidays and longer runs where the fuel economy will help. I must admit I am not a diesel fan but having been forced into company cars for the last 13 years I now dislike them less than I used to. Your BX is a great looking car and it would be mad to change it just because of the engine in my opinion. The positives far out weigh the one negative.

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1 hour ago, vulgalour said:

Skoda Favorit has the Lada problem, so is in toy territory. 

 

 

I ran a Favorit for five years or so as an only car, and - headgaskets aside* - it was mega reliable, and as a driving experience it was a gazillion light years ahead of a Lada. Worth a look if there are still any decent ones out there. 

 

*When it suffered HGF, as many of these did, I replaced it myself in a borrowed garage, with someone else's not very good toolkit. The gasket was £8, and in my naivety I just slapped it all back together without examining the head too closely. It ran for another 20000 miles, then blew it again. The second time I got it skimmed and it was still running beautifully when the car fell to bits around it...

 

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5 hours ago, Fabergé Greggs said:

However, like you, having found what should ostensibly be the perfect car I feel “meh” about it being diesel. Everything else about a BX is so serene, the XUD clatter just annoys me.

 

That's the whole charm of a diesel BX though, the things look like props from Blade Runner then the whole illusion is shattered when you start them up and they sound like tractors.

Admittedly it's worse on the N/A ones as the turbos act as great noise suppressors and above 2,000rpm they sound almost sporting, rather than rattly.

 

1 hour ago, vulgalour said:

Renaults, I've realised, are toy territory.  I don't think I could ever trust one to be what I want it to be in the same way I trust the BX.

 

 

I'm still not sure why people struggle with Renaults, they're tough as fuck and I've never worked on one that's been anything but straightforward. Plenty of us drive them as reliable dailies, especially in GGG country. Something like a Supercinq would be perfect minimal motoring.

 

1 hour ago, vulgalour said:

Volvo 300 was nearly my first car, in saloon flavour.  They're okay, not particularly interesting, suspect I'd get bored of one very quickly.

 

Drift weapon, innit. They're surprisingly entertaining on twisty roads and ride remarkably well, especially considering the rear end is suspended by leaf springs even an old Land Rover would laugh at. Admittedly the steering's a bit heavy (there must have been some extremely strong giffers about in the 80s and 90s) but otherwise they're quite good all-rounders. I still miss mine.

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My comments were in good nature,and were a congratulations and just step back a minute kind of vibe,I actually look forward to reading about the bx thread because I can see progress and enjoyment,you get something back.It to me is "your" car.there aren't many cars if that age,and that individual that can still cut the mustard at being a car as well.Dont sell it,you would be hard pressed to find another solid one that easily,and of course they get rarer and more expensive every year.you don't want to look back in 5 years time and think shit I wish I hadn't sold it,and now they are £5000....

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I own a high milleage vw golf tdi mk4 as a daily.
I didnt want a diesel when i brought it but it was so cheap i couldnt say no.
I do 10 miles to and from work on normal roads so its far from ideal really.
But and this is the big but..
Once a month i take it down the motorway and thrash it to the redline once its warmed up.
Ive had the car for just under a year its on 226k now.
Originsl pump injectors etc.
Because i abuse it once a month and stick decent diesel in her it always flys through the emmissions test and still does 60mpg if driven right.
Keep the bx. You will regret losing it

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Another one for E90 Corolla.

Accord also springs to mind, seeing as you liked your R8. 

Volvo 200 is a bad call, you'll need to pay out a couple of thousand for a good one and be stuck with 20mpg.

Petrol BX is also a good call. 

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Frigging PT Cruiser, that's more like it XD

Rover 800 is a good suggestion, as it happens, not thought about those but on paper they tick many boxes.  Again, not the right car to replace a BX for me, though I do like them.  AD017 a good call too aside from it being too similar to the Princess, I did briefly consider the Wolseley Six that @MikeKnight has until I worked very quickly through all the things about it that are wrong for this and how similar a thing it is to the Princess.

Corolla and Accord do nothing for me at all.

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6 minutes ago, 2flags said:

I was going to suggest a Ford Capri until I saw what they go for now. Who'd have though a 2.0 Capri would be priced at £20,000!! Keep the BX. You know you'll regret it as soon as is leaves the driveway. 

Was that a low mileage minter? Going rate for a 2.0 laser on Facebook Capri pages seems to be £3-8k from a scruffy but MoTed to a very nice example. They have jumped a hell of a lot though, I have added a grand on my agreed value every year for the last four years.

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2 hours ago, SiC said:

In another note, did you want this back?

IMG_20200421_192930.thumb.jpg.09f6b086af7a9ab893d6d79a71bcbbaa.jpg

You gave it with the 1100 but its not quite to my tastes. 

Sure, it wasn't to my taste either, but went with the green interior to a degree.  I can donate it to the local animal rescue centre, they make use of these blankets for the cats.  I've got a bunch of ugly blankets waiting to be donated when the place is open again to the public.

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On 4/20/2020 at 10:29 PM, sutty2006 said:

Can I be the only one to recommend keeping it? N/A diesels aren’t that bad for short journeys. Heck, my Carlton turbo diesel does me 8 miles to work and back. 4 there 4 back etc etc. It’s more modern diesels that suffer with short distance. If you can make it work, make it work. No harm in trying. But I do sympathise for getting a petrol. I’ve not had a petrol daily for over 10 years and I do miss it to a certain degree. 

This,

It's a bit of a new fangled myth about all diesels and short drives. Yes it's not what they're meant for, and yes, it's not "good" for them, but on the older diesels, it's not much of an issue either.  Problems almost all come from the new highly strung crap with all the emissions control stuff getting bunged up. The older stuff (Most things up to about 2002ish) will be fine on shorter runs, just give them the occasional slug of injector cleaner and an occasional longer run to let them stretch their legs and they won't have a problem.

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50 minutes ago, vulgalour said:

Sure, it wasn't to my taste either, but went with the green interior to a degree.  I can donate it to the local animal rescue centre, they make use of these blankets for the cats.  I've got a bunch of ugly blankets waiting to be donated when the place is open again to the public.

Haha damn! It's been in my garage stored all this time and I keep forgetting to ask. If I'd known, I would have given it to my local animal sanctuary ages ago!

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3 minutes ago, Mrcento said:

This,

It's a bit of a new fangled myth about all diesels and short drives. Yes it's not what they're meant for, and yes, it's not "good" for them, but on the older diesels, it's not much of an issue either.  Problems almost all come from the new highly strung crap with all the emissions control stuff getting bunged up. The older stuff (Most things up to about 2002ish) will be fine on shorter runs, just give them the occasional slug of injector cleaner and an occasional longer run to let them stretch their legs and they won't have a problem.

I've owned several diesels over the years while living in a city with loads of traffic lights and awful rush hour. Our current diesel is my wife's 2010 A4 that both has the DPF and VAG emissions fix software update. This has been doing the wife's commute for nearly the last 3 years in stop+start traffic. Despite being on 196k, it is on the original DPF, turbo, never cleaned EGR and injectors. The DPF is quite happy regenerating at 20mph too. 

Like everything, when new emissions tech comes in, it can be troublesome. The biggest problem period was cars that had DPFs bolted on existing designs from around 2004 to 2009. Because the engine bay wasn't designed to take it, they were a long way from the exhaust manifold and so took a very long time to heat up for regeneration. 

Newer design stuff like our A4 was designed with a DPF in mind. So the filter is close coupled right up at the manifold and thus heats up very quickly. This is why it is capable of regenerating at 20mph and before the engine has even fully warmed up.

But diesel is still a stinky nasty fuel and even more so when burnt. I've only owned them because of the lack of not being able to get many medium to large modern cars with half decent performance that aren't diesel.  

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59 minutes ago, SiC said:

Haha damn! It's been in my garage stored all this time and I keep forgetting to ask. If I'd known, I would have given it to my local animal sanctuary ages ago!

Don't send it back to me then, send it to them, they'll appreciate it I'm sure.  I like making them when I've got left over wool and I ended up with far too many and nobody else to give them too, happily I now have somewhere for them to go when I make more.

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