16th Sept - BX Rescue Mission! - ATTN: All Greater London/Croydon/Kent/Orpington shiters - help needed!

[SmokinWaffle]

Hello!

I was visiting my mechanic in Orpington and spotted a sad looking BX estate languishing in a bush/tree. 

 

 

After a bit of investigation, I've found who is responsible for it and it's being scrapped in the middle of the month as the house next to it has been sold.

It's sat for nearly 20 years, on dirt (I assume it's dirt). She said there might be a tree growing in it. The windows are so dirty I can't see inside. Keys are unknown (for now).

1.6 Petrol Estate, that's all I know. Body looks remarkably straight.

 

NOW - this is where you all come in - I am but a humble chap with an eye for terrible cars. I could do with some bits off of it as spares for my BX, and some people on the BX Page on Facebook have shown interest in other bits. I have tools - but not loads.

I'm assuming it has no floor so would snap if winched onto a truck, but I haven't seen inside (I've asked if I can get inside via a key/other means to take a look) - would anyone be willing to help me take some bits off of it - and POTENTIALLY get it onto a recovery truck it if it's solid? Even just getting into it and making a thread to take pictures of the carnage/a fun day out, and get it on the BX Register before it goes onto it's great reward.

 

Fairly sure it's a total basket case - but I don't want to see all the good parts that I can take off easily just go into the crusher!

 

It's located in Orpington, I won't be too specific with location just in case.

Anyone up for a fun day out?

[SmokinWaffle]

If anyone has a Petrol strimmer or stuff to clear all the stuff of it that'd be amazing too....

 

Can pay in lifts, tea, coffee, jokes, and a fun* day out

[somewhatfoolish]

An AS flash mob. Shiters Assemble! 13.8/10.

[barrett]

If it's over the weekend of 11-13th then I might be able to swing by, as it's I'll almost certainly be driving past Orpington anyway. I can't offer any haulage solutions (or skills) but I'd love to see this pulled out and properly examined before it meets its fate. I reckon, seeing as it was on the road for such a short amount of time, it might be a lot better than it looks. Floors on BXs don't usually go, but I suppose anything is possible. At the very least it needs to be stripped down of every usable part - I can also store some of this stuff in Brighton if that's what happens to it. Let me know!

 

Edit to add - I would love to see a can of fuel to the carb, fresh battery etc on this as it would be the most amazing sight if it managed to start and rise up!

[barrett]

I need to visit Orpington anyway to see if this is still there...

[outlaw118]

May be able to assist (pointing at stuff) and Megamoose will pull anything... timing is everything though, I'm away 11th-13th and Chumley is the Sunday after IIRC.

Like @barrett said, bring as battery and some pez, you never know....

[strangeangel]

I don't suppose that 1.6 would have the same carb as a 1.4 suitcase engine??

 

[SmokinWaffle]

31 minutes ago, barrett said:

If it's over the weekend of 11-13th then I might be able to swing by, as it's I'll almost certainly be driving past Orpington anyway. I can't offer any haulage solutions (or skills) but I'd love to see this pulled out and properly examined before it meets its fate. I reckon, seeing as it was on the road for such a short amount of time, it might be a lot better than it looks. Floors on BXs don't usually go, but I suppose anything is possible. At the very least it needs to be stripped down of every usable part - I can also store some of this stuff in Brighton if that's what happens to it. Let me know!

 

Edit to add - I would love to see a can of fuel to the carb, fresh battery etc on this as it would be the most amazing sight if it managed to start and rise up!

How about this weekend? Next weekend is also possible, but I think that's when it's being hauled away. House has been sold so it needs to go...

Never done the fuel to the carb thing - but would love to learn. It would be quite a sight if it's not seized! 

12 minutes ago, outlaw118 said:

May be able to assist (pointing at stuff) and Megamoose will pull anything... timing is everything though, I'm away 11th-13th and Chumley is the Sunday after IIRC.

Like @barrett said, bring as battery and some pez, you never know....

This weekend any good?

9 minutes ago, strangeangel said:

I don't suppose that 1.6 would have the same carb as a 1.4 suitcase engine??

 

Who knows! I've heard the carb is worth saving so I'll be attempting to take it off regardless if all goes to plan.

[strangeangel]

1 minute ago, SmokinWaffle said:

Who knows! I've heard the carb is worth saving so I'll be attempting to take it off regardless if all goes to plan.

 

 

Nice one. It was for the team-owned Beige BX I was thinking... I'll have to look at the HBOL later, but I have a feeling that it couldn't be that simple!

 

[barrett]

I think the 16 has a big Weber (32/34DTRC) on it, and the 14 had a Solex.

I can't do this weekend, but if a rescue mission can be mounted I will happily throw in £20 towards transport costs. I fear it may be a bit short-notice for a rescue mission though

[vulgalour]

Also happy to chuck £20 in the pot, not in a position to help with the rescue at the moment other than that.  Providing you can get a jack underneath it, you can chock the suspension with blocks of wood to help transport it, just expect it to fight you every step, they can be right awkward sods when they've sunk.

Being an estate, it'll probably be more rotten at the back than the front, they tend to have had a harder life so the boot floor, rear inner arches, and sills are usually toast.  That said, sometimes these rescues are surprisingly solid so who knows?

It looks like potentially a good donor for yours too, same colour, potentially the same interior trim, and the estate is built on the hatchback floor pan so pretty much everything from the back seats forwards is entirely interchangeable.  Good luck!

[SmokinWaffle]

Thanks @vulgalour and @barrett for the offers of money in the pot. If it goes ahead - I might have to take you up on it.

Trying to piece together some form of plan....going to ring the people tonight and see if they're willing to either smash a window or find the key, the result of whats inside will decide if I need a trailer or not.

[somewhatfoolish]

It's a 1980s car door; will it not slimjim easily?

[SmokinWaffle]

3 minutes ago, somewhatfoolish said:

It's a 1980s car door; will it not slimjim easily?

After googling what you mean - that's a decent idea. Just need to find myself a coathanger...

[vulgalour]

Door frames on these are a piece of piss to bend.  Getting in will not be an issue.

[barrett]

I'd probably try all the doors and the boot first just in case one of them isn't locked...

[strangeangel]

1 hour ago, somewhatfoolish said:

It's a 1980s car door; will it not slimjim easily?

 

Yes, ask me how I know ?

 

[SmokinWaffle]

15 minutes ago, barrett said:

I'd probably try all the doors and the boot first just in case one of them isn't locked...

Tried that - all locked and door handles quite brittle to add to the fun.

25 minutes ago, vulgalour said:

Door frames on these are a piece of piss to bend.  Getting in will not be an issue.

Good to know!

Looks like I might be making a return visit this Saturday - but I'll phone them tonight to double check. If anyone fancies it for a laugh, drop me a PM, I'll give you my number and we can arrange to meet there.

Hoping they can find the keys. I'll bring some petrol and my BX which I can take the battery out of, and some tools to get the ignition barrel out and a key sized screwdriver just in case.

[vulgalour]

On the assumption there's no battery in the estate, use jump leads first, connect the estate's battery leads to your battery before you remove it.  If you get no life out of the estate at least that way you don't end up stranded with a dead battery in the hatchback.

[CaptainBoom]

I live in Orpington, and am free this weekend.  More than happy to help, I have a petrol strimmer somewhere and gardening tools to assist with weed clearance (if there's a tree growing through the middle, I might have to decline!)

I have some car tools and bits and pieces and can offer biscuits/tea/sticky plasters for ouchies!

 

 

[dollywobbler]

Watching. It's the G Rally in Surrey on Sunday 13th, though I'm not 100% committed to that yet. Surrey is certainly a lot closer to Orpington than Wales though, so could potentially get involved.

Take plenty of pics!

[lesapandre]

Just some advice. Make sure that the person you have spoken to actually has the authority to let you on the land and to allow the dismantling of the car in-situ. And ensure whoever is collecting the carcass knows that is what will be left - you will have to decide whether to leave the wheels on etc - just depends who is collecting and disposing. These things I know from bitter experience can unravel if everybody is not absolutely clear from the outset what's happening.  

Like a lot of abandoned stuff the moment somebody shows an interest somebody else gets propriatorial and having got it in bits you don't want to find an executor of the deceased estate (no pun intended) or whoever turning up and going on about 'the valuable rare Citroen'.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

1 minute ago, lesapandre said:

Just some advice. Make sure that the person you have spoken to actually has the authority to let you on the land and to allow the dismantling of the car in-situ. ....

If you're really lucky, said person may have told several parties they can remove the car. Who'll be on site first, and will a punch-up follow when the others arrive?

[lesapandre]

Well at least its not a Ford - otherwise it would become a circus.

But you get the gist of where I am coming from. There is nowt as queer as folk.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

2 minutes ago, lesapandre said:

....There is nowt as queer as folk.

Or indeed non-binary.

[Sunny Jim]

Good luck with this, I've already been chatting to you on the BX Facebook page about it.

@strangeangel & @barrett, useful list of which BXs had which carbs can be found here.

[sloth]

easy start, a big juicy battery and some pez. i reckon itll run. no immob so just hotwire it.  ign lock has a pin underneath, drill it out and your gold.

[SmokinWaffle]

14 hours ago, CaptainBoom said:

I live in Orpington, and am free this weekend.  More than happy to help, I have a petrol strimmer somewhere and gardening tools to assist with weed clearance (if there's a tree growing through the middle, I might have to decline!)

I have some car tools and bits and pieces and can offer biscuits/tea/sticky plasters for ouchies!

So very kind. I've sent you a text!

13 hours ago, dollywobbler said:

Watching. It's the G Rally in Surrey on Sunday 13th, though I'm not 100% committed to that yet. Surrey is certainly a lot closer to Orpington than Wales though, so could potentially get involved.

Take plenty of pics!

Will do!

13 hours ago, lesapandre said:

Just some advice. Make sure that the person you have spoken to actually has the authority to let you on the land and to allow the dismantling of the car in-situ. And ensure whoever is collecting the carcass knows that is what will be left - you will have to decide whether to leave the wheels on etc - just depends who is collecting and disposing. These things I know from bitter experience can unravel if everybody is not absolutely clear from the outset what's happening.  

Like a lot of abandoned stuff the moment somebody shows an interest somebody else gets propriatorial and having got it in bits you don't want to find an executor of the deceased estate (no pun intended) or whoever turning up and going on about 'the valuable rare Citroen'.

Good advice. They've purchased an abandoned cottage/looks like it's been that way for many many years. Unsure of who the actual owner is but it's been decided that the car comes with the house so....I guess? The house itself is in a sorry state too.

13 hours ago, Sunny Jim said:

Good luck with this, I've already been chatting to you on the BX Facebook page about it.

@strangeangel & @barrett, useful list of which BXs had which carbs can be found here.

Cheers @Sunny Jim!

8 hours ago, sloth said:

easy start, a big juicy battery and some pez. i reckon itll run. no immob so just hotwire it.  ign lock has a pin underneath, drill it out and your gold.

Cheers! I'll need to get together a list of things I need

@barrett @outlaw118 @CaptainBoom @dollywobbler I've got a confirmed date of the 16th which isn't ideal - I'm probably going to see if I can take a half day at work and go in the afternoon - that's when they get the keys to the cottage it's sat in front of - maybe the keys to it are inside, who knows.

A list of things I think I need

• SlimJim/Coathanger and a door wedge
• Can of fresh petrol
• Socket set
• Various screwdrivers
• some bits of wood
• rope
• battery (anyone have one semi-locally to me I can buy?)
• ez start of some sort
• Shovel
• Strimmer/cutters

 

Anything else?

[barrett]

I won't be able to make it, but good luck!

I'd take a length of rubber fuel line to run from the can to the carb - put the can on the roof, run the line from the can down, give it a good suck to pull the petrol through and then shove it on the carb.

Starter motor might be stuck so a big hammer will be useful... maybe a pump for the tyres?

[Tadhg Tiogar]

48 minutes ago, SmokinWaffle said:

.....A list of things I think I need

• SlimJim/Coathanger and a door wedge
• Can of fresh petrol
• Socket set
• Various screwdrivers
• some bits of wood
• rope
• battery (anyone have one semi-locally to me I can buy?)
• ez start of some sort
• Shovel
• Strimmer/cutters

 

Anything else?

A-frame / trailer / transporter?

If all goes well, and you get in and are able to make it start/run, I'd be thinking you'd want to remove it intact for possible onward poking and recommissioning rather than stripping bits off before anyone else gets to it....