Todays new Citroen Shite

[Timewaster]

Yesterdays if you want to be picky.Just aquired a Citroen AX GT for the princley sum of £100 - so "Tontops" is back in business!(Actually my name is Phil)Its a Little honey - with one small exception.. The burnt wiring loom that scared the previous owner into parting with it.So far it seems to be confined to the lighting circuit, but I have many more hours pulling melted wires apart before she rides again.I always fancied one of these - and pushing it off my mates towtruck made me realise just how light these little tiddlers are.90 bhp should make it fly.Pics to follow when I remember my photo*uckit account password.(Astra Estate either on ebay or on a ship to China in a little cube shape, depending on the mot outcome)Edited because in my post pub haze I couldn't spell Shitreon

[andrew e]

Oooo very nice - about a 100kg heavier than a mini too.I had a diesel one new, then another. How ever I lost most of my right knee in between so don't go crashing it.

[Milford Cubicle]

I really wanted one as my first car, but insurance was too costly.Wouldn't mind getting one now though, do they have the same ridiculous pedals as the 106/Saxo?

[retrogeezer]

Great little cars, just don't hit anything in it.

[r.welfare]

These things scare the hell out of me, very nippy indeed. I understand better than the later injection model, from a power/weight ratio perspective.Unfortunately my feet just don't fit on the pedals properly.

[pompei]

The former Mrs P had a boggo AX, which was quite fun too, but v flimsy

[chaseracer]

The former Mrs P had a boggo AX, which was quite fun too, but v flimsy

Yes, but what was the car like?

 

 

[MrRegieRitmo]

90 bhp should make it fly.

Funny, I believe you as they had a reputation for being alot of fun. The thing is I had 90bhp in my MkIII Fiesta 1.6 Si - fly it didn't. Quite disappointing actually. Still rate it, looks wise, way above the XR2i though & at the time it was alot rarer too but the XR2is are fading away now so I see more big bumper Si's about.

[r.welfare]

'Tis all about power-to-weight, Reg - in comparison with an AX, a Mk3 Fezza is quite a lardy old bus, being a fair bit longer/wider.

[mk2_craig]

and full of emissions nonsense like catalytic converter, etc... Even the carb-fed Fiesta 1.6S available during the first few years of mk3 Fiesta production would have been a sprightlier drive!We had a 5-door AX GT from new in 1992, was something of a go-kart compared to the Punto 1.6 ELX that replaced it three years later.

[MrRegieRitmo]

and full of emissions nonsense like catalytic converter, etc... Even the carb-fed Fiesta 1.6S available during the first few years of mk3 Fiesta production would have been a sprightlier drive!

I think there must be something in that, because at the time I had my 1.6 Si I wondered howcome the much older, plainer looking 1.6 S of earlier years was group 10 insurance when my much more purposeful looking Si was only group 8!Another thing I never understood was how the Saxo VTR 1.6 was group 7 insurance but the VTS 1.6 was twice as expensive at group 14. The car looks identical & has the same size engine FFS, how different can it be?!Was the AX GT the top of the range or was there an AX GTi too?

[Timewaster]

The GTi replaced the GT sometime around 1993 when Catalytic convertors became mandatory.At the moment the dash is refusing to budge from its mountings and Mister Haynes is not helping much!

[Volksy]

Another thing I never understood was how the Saxo VTR 1.6 was group 7 insurance but the VTS 1.6 was twice as expensive at group 14. The car looks identical & has the same size engine FFS, how different can it be?!

The VTR was a 1.6 8v, whereas the VTS was a 1.6 16v, the VTS was quite a quick machine, the VTR just looked quick...

[r.welfare]

The VTR had an 8-valve motor with 90bhp, the VTS had a 16-valve lump with 120bhp. The insurance Powers That Be presumably thought that more VTS' would end up going backwards through hedges, hence the increase in group. But it does seem like a high loading. No wonder the VTR was so popular, particularly as (badging and engine aside) it was visually identical...

[MrRegieRitmo]

The GTi replaced the GT sometime around 1993 when Catalytic convertors became mandatory.

Does that mean the same pattern was followed as with the Fiesta, that the GTi was not as potent as the GT?

[r.welfare]

I think it was all to do with the insurance crisis around that time, Reg - hot hatches had crazy premiums due to the joyriding phenomenon. Hence detuned engines and a move away from "GTI" badging generally. Ford did persevere with the Fezza RS1800, but it was still a crock of spuds according to contemporary road tests.

[mk2_craig]

Was the AX GT the top of the range or was there an AX GTi too?

When they facelifted the AX late '91 a GTi (3 door only I think?) was added to the range, alongside the GT (3 and 5 door) but was reportedly SLOWER in some respects compared to the carb car. Black bumpers and arches on the GTi while the GT remained colour-coded, otherwise fairly similar spec I think.AX GT eventually became a casualty of the insurance problem and I think it was supplanted by a Forte model, which saw a return to steel wheels as standard.

[MrRegieRitmo]

No wonder the VTR was so popular, particularly as (badging and engine aside) it was visually identical...

Especially seeing as the badges were very subtle as far as I remember, being a small identifier on the passenger doors. VTR in chrome lettering & VTS in more swoopy yellow lettering, but you'd have to be looking for the badges which isn't easy to do once the car's moving!It seems then that they must have created quite a small market for the VTS with only the 25+ yr old boy racers being interested in bothering with the extra oomph & everyone else thinking that the VTR was perfectly adequate considering how similar they were! Maybe a faux pas by Citroen?Funny how different car makes treat the letter signifiers. In Jaguar terms an XJS is not as tasty as an XJR. In Honda terms a Civic Type S is not as hot as a Civic Type R. But it's the other way around with Citroen.

[MrRegieRitmo]

Funny how different car makes treat the letter signifiers. In Jaguar terms an XJS is not as tasty as an XJR. In Honda terms a Civic Type S is not as hot as a Civic Type R. But it's the other way around with Citroen.

Or to really confuse things there's the Jaguar S-Type R

[r.welfare]

Reg, don't even TRY to understand car badging, you'll only give yourself a nosebleed

[Volksy]

On the subject of AXs how about this for the ultimate shite AX..

 

behold the Proton Tiara!

[andrew e]

Whoaaa! I am immpressed - a new one on me - Ta!

[mk2_craig]

Coming a close second:

 

 

I don't think Citroen UK ever offered the 4WD version here, a decision Subaru were probably thankful for

[Ross_K]

If the 4x4 setup was as bad as the BX's I'm not surprised.

[andrew e]

Class - much to my wifes disgust I actually had a Tunisian cab ride years ago in an AX 5 door taxi...

[reallyloud]

I had an 1.4 AX forte for a while, crackin' little motah - 3 stud 'rallye' type wheels as I recall. I actually replaced it with a S1 106 Rallye, which is essentially the same car in spirit. Seldom see anything older than a G reg AX these days though.

[Marty]

My AX diesel was truly dire, yet this thread has had me looking at tiny Garlic shite on the bay of E.Bid on this - which isnt really that tiny...

[Timewaster]

A quick update.Wiring all sorted after many hours seperating,splicing and studying the wiring digram.So far the only snags are the front fog lights (which probably never worked anyway) and the choke warning light.I wont waste much time fixing them.After bypassing the appalingly fitted immobiliser I am pleased to report that she starts and runs, and actually sounds quite perky.Now the dash is back in, an afternoons trim fixing and loom taping will have it all sorted :-)The Astra mot wasn't bad at all and is in for a re-test this afternoon.Even the sierra has got over its stroppy stage and is now behaving.At this rate i'll soon have a 100% road worthy fleet.