The Xantia of Not Many Shitters

[purplebargeken]

I suppose I had better start a thread for it over here rather than drag on the for sale section.

This has now been purchased for £2 over the WBAC price. 

The car was owned until 2 days ago by a lovely, utterly devoted Citroen worshiper by the name of John.  The car was until a couple of years ago in very regular use until a health issue meant that John was no longer realistically able to drive a manual car.  He has made noises about an auto and I do hope that this comes to fruition for him. We have had a few nice chats about his love of old Citroens, he has owned a DS, a Safari et al and he thrived in being part of the Citroen scene. The car has two keys, original handbooks and a chunky history folder. 

He is very happy to hear that the Xantia will be resurrected and put into regular use.

The thread will obviously kick off properly with the kollektion kaper scheduled for the weekend of 5th/6th August.  There should be bits winging their way around to hopefully aid the obtaining of a new ticket on the Monday following collection, but we will see. A full 'thank you' list of shitters will happen in due course.

Hints, tips and suggestions will be gratefully received as I am a complete newbie to this flavour of Citroen.  Hopefully time will see the odometer click to the 200, 000 mile mark and there will be much celebratory eating of garlicky snails, etc to mark the occasion.  However, just getting a fresh MOT will be a joyous event.

No doubt there will be many photos from the collection event to grace this thread soon enough...

[Matty]

Right man for the job. I've looked at the ad and there's a good car under there deserves to live.

[wesacosa]

I'd recommend joining the French Car Forum as there is some useful resources on there. Not sure if there is a sub site for the Xantia like there is on the XM but if there is join that too. 

Hopefully its been well looked after if its a Citroen enthusiast but if the fluid and filters are old and dirty it will never ride or steer well so plan to change fluid and clean filters.   If its losing LHM and no obvious signs of puddle underneath the brake doseur valve seal is the usual culprit, the carpet underlay in drivers footwell will be a sticky mess if that is the case. As per my post on the for sale thread , plan to lubricate the rods and pivots on the levers for the height correctors if its been stood but never ever go underneath it without depressurising the system

If the ride is still not good after changing the fluid it might need spheres. Not a difficult job. Listen to the clicking from the regulator/accumulator at the front of the engine during normal running. If it clicks all the time it will need a new accumulator sphere 

have a good look at the condition of the front strut mounts as when they let go its pretty spectacular 

[somewhatfoolish]

Is there a means of propping up the radius arms like they do with CXs?

[purplebargeken]

All positive advice and gratefully received.

[Stinkwheel]

8 hours ago, somewhatfoolish said:

Is there a means of propping up the radius arms like they do with CXs?

At the rear its do-able but a faff, at the front, no chance (McPhersons not double wishbone)

[Bren]

They can look great up top but the sills do suffer like the strut mounts.

When I had mine french car forum was very good.

[GregZX]

French Car Forum is pretty decent. Currently getting advice about the ZX from a fellow moron who has a 1.4i. 

[purplebargeken]

French Car Forum.... check.

 

[purplebargeken]

Feeling that heady but familiar mixture of fear, excitement and trepidation.

[omegod]

I ran a 98 2.0 SVX or summat , was a very good car and pretty quick .  The spheres needed a change and it had a cambelt done at a place in Widnes. I'll happily come and twirl a spanner with you to some extent but I'm not going  near anything hydraulic !  

[purplebargeken]

A rear light is winging its way to RustyCollector as we speak. Many thanks to AndyF.

[Zelandeth]

On 7/28/2023 at 3:42 PM, omegod said:

I ran a 98 2.0 SVX or summat , was a very good car and pretty quick .  The spheres needed a change and it had a cambelt done at a place in Widnes. I'll happily come and twirl a spanner with you to some extent but I'm not going  near anything hydraulic !  

To be fair, I had two Xantias, probably spanning six or seven years of motoring between them, one a 200K mile TD, the other a 140K mile Activa, and the only hydraulic stuff I had to touch on either were a couple of sphere swaps and cleaning the pickup filter in the reservoir.  Everything else they needed was just normal stuff for cars of their age.

Though they are getting to the point that line corrosion is a real problem, especially where they vanish up above the fuel tank/rear subframe which is an awkward job to sort.

The single biggest headache I found generally was just the diabolically poor approach to legacy parts supply PSA had.  So it was third party only stuff for even basic consumables even a few years back unless you could find a reseller with NOS stuff on the shelf.

[purplebargeken]

Ooooh. One more sleep till update time hopefully..

[Rust Collector]

On 7/29/2023 at 5:15 PM, purplebargeken said:

A rear light is winging its way to RustyCollector as we speak. Many thanks to AndyF.

I missed this thread popping up whilst I was away - I can confirm that the rear light has been safely received and is sat on the parts bay/dining room table ready for fitting.

[purplebargeken]

Flash... dining room/parts bay combo.

[purplebargeken]

Am somewhat slightly excited..

[HMC]

Hoping for lots of pictures!

[gadgetgricey]

7 hours ago, Rust Collector said:

I can confirm that the rear light has been safely received and is sat on the parts bay/dining room table ready for fitting.

From memory, no tools needed. Just plastic wingnuts to unscrew... (probably stuck on like a git though )

 

[Zelandeth]

1 hour ago, gadgetgricey said:

From memory, no tools needed. Just plastic wingnuts to unscrew... (probably stuck on like a git though )

 

Correct.  Recessed just enough in the surrounding panel to be fiddly as I recall, but no tools needed.

[Andy F]

Yes, just a wing nut holds it on. Well that and about a million spiders webs on mine. Luckily I put on my big boy pants and gave it a good clean before sending. I'm not scared of spiders, just not their biggest fan.

I'm not sure if I said in a message, but the locating bolt that said wing nut attached is loose in the box, it stuck out too far to get into the carefully selected box so I unscrewed it.

 

[purplebargeken]

Spiders need homes too but not sure that there is an adequate supply of food in a Xantia rear light lens.

Anyway..... it's THAT day today! Fear and whoohoo in mostly equal measures. No poo count applicable I think, unless RC had a really go for it curry last night.

[purplebargeken]

Nnnnnnngggg....

[purplebargeken]

Nails.... biting....

[Matty]

When's it due?

[purplebargeken]

RC is giving it the once over as we speak I believe. Collection at the weekend hopefully... by RC.

[purplebargeken]

RC has visited the Xantia...

[purplebargeken]

Fluid levels checked, battery charged and attached. Started first time, goes up and down. Will be collected at the weekend, jeteashed and chucked in for an MOT...

Piccies to follow hopefully.

She lives!!!

[purplebargeken]

No keypad model too.

[Rust Collector]

50 minutes ago, purplebargeken said:

RC has visited the Xantia...

As promised, some hastily taken pics during a break in the rain!

Target acquired:

Some giffer marks and flora around her, but I’m sure she’ll clean up nicely:

I was surprised by the interior - I’ve not really nosed inside a Xantia before. It’s much plusher than I imagined!

Im looking forward to driving it 😁