BX Mk1 estate - Mojo returns, alternator fails

[dollywobbler]

After not enough sleep - the result of somehow winning the local pub quiz and my assistant's body disliking the amount of wine it was subjected to - we woke the neighbours at about 8am this morning with the distinctive clatter of cold, Italian diesel power. Dodging hurled shoes, we threaded our way south through Wales, stopping after just a few miles after the Range Rover's clutch started to play up. The free play in the pedal became enormous, and the point of complete disengagement seemed to be slightly below the available pedal travel. We bought some DOT4 but the clutch master cylinder only took a little. Didn't seem to make any difference, but the clutch action did seem to improve during the day. Range Rovers make life exciting!

 

Eventually, we reached Bristol, thankful that our destination was probably less than a mile from junction 3 of the M32. That's my kind of city driving - straight off the motorway to your destination. The streets were tiny, but I somehow reversed the Range Rover and trailer down a road barely wider than both. A Xantia was used to force electricity into the BX, but so shagged was the battery that we initially bypassed it alltogether - jump leads straight to the terminals. Then we cobbled in a jump box thing, which is why the bonnet looks odd in the pic below. Eventually, after three years of slumber, the BX roared into life (very bad exhaust blow) and after a few splutters, eased herself upwards from the blocks on which she had been resting. Out she came!

 

As you can see, this was a quality purchase. In fact, it rivals the Bond Equipe I once had as the worst car ever purchased - at least this cost one quarter of what the Bond did...

 

I used low box to crawl past the parked cars - going forwards is much easier than reversing through this gap!

 

The journey home was fairly uneventful. The Range Rover's VM engine proved amazingly capable, with bags of low down torque. Time and again, it'd plod up hills at about 1750rpm in fourth. Quite relaxing really. We even caught up some folk! (tourists...)

 

With the BX home, I gave it a quick cat scan. I'm not sure of the results as Pebble refused to share her thoughts with me. I like to think she looks pleased.

 

Her response was at least better than that from the local shop. They just seemed to laugh a lot.

 

Here are three things I love about this car, and I can enjoy them without having to drive anywhere - which is good as that time may be distant...

 

What a fabulous interior. All the switches fall to hand so beautifully. Some of them actually make stuff work too. Some of them.

 

Details.

 

There are some bodywork issues, that have caused some people close to me to describe this car as hopeless. It has been side-swiped, the tailgate has nearly been torn off and there is rust here and there. Mere trifles that we here celebrate. Plan is to find out what it needs for an MOT (less rusty brakes for a start I suspect!) and get this honey on the road.

[jonathan_dyane]

This is possibly the best purchase of evah; I am envious beyond belief!

[jonathan_dyane]

...personally I'd just hammer out the wing and door, fit a new tailgate if needed and run it having only done the work needed for test...

[Guest]

God. That dashboard makes a Piazza's look sensible. Top purchase and copy.

[jonathan_dyane]

...don't you have a pic of the fubared rear quarter?

[RobT]

Cracking purchase and that dash is superb. I'd say leave it all beaten up and dirty so you can take on the mantle of local village eccentric

[Shep Shepherd]

That dash makes me very happy. I haven't seen one for so long that I had forgotten that early BXs had PRN satellites, which are quite possibly the most logical multi-function switches of all time

[dollywobbler]

Oh yes. FUBAR'd rear wing. Curvy!

 

I have the long term aim of making this car good again, but the first stage is indeed to do whatever's necessary to get it back on the road. I think a project is more likely to succeed if you can start enjoying the car as soon as possible. I bet people will give me plenty of room and never park next to me if I leave it like this!

[meggersdog]

Sounds like the pivot has punched a hole through the clutch fork on the Range Rover,gearbox out job I'm afraid.It will only get worse but might be ok for a month or so.Replace it with the heavy duty option as standard ones don't last very long in my experience.

[jonathan_dyane]

If I were you, I'd be jacking it up and getting hammering as we speak!

 

Many years ago a friend crashed her Golf GTI into a Jag and well fucked up the front NS. It took nearly a full days hammering to repair it, with me and her boyfriend taking turns when our arms got tired. It was a beauty when we finished!

[dollywobbler]

Sounds like the pivot has punched a hole through the clutch fork on the Range Rover,gearbox out job I'm afraid.It will only get worse but might be ok for a month or so.Replace it with the heavy duty option as standard ones don't last very long in my experience.

 

Balls. Looks like I've got a lot on my plate then!

[catsinthewelder]

Top purchase, you utter looney

 

I've got a spare hubcap you can have, in condition to match the others.

[Father Ted]

Quality write up and puchase Ian

 

Not sure if you saw my other post, Charlotte at Medway has a few Mk 1 bits they want to get rid of ( free) and Jon Wood had a load of Mk1 switchgear once over - not too sure if he still has but you could ask him.

[dollywobbler]

Thanks. I'll drop them a line once I'm clearer about what I need. NT Shaw of Louth are also having a clearout. Typical. Lots of parts available and I've got not a lot of cash!

[kinkersaab]

top buy! that is fantastic!!! well done that man.

[garethj]

The rear wing is probably unique to the estate, but what you might be able to do is graft in a new bit below the swage line from a hatchback and hammer the rest to shape?

 

Good purchase!

[brammy777]

Thanks. I'll drop them a line once I'm clearer about what I need. NT Shaw of Louth are also having a clearout. Typical. Lots of parts available and I've got not a lot of cash!

This wouldn't be the garage with loads of 2CVs and an Ami outside it, would it? Definitely saw that from the roadside yesterday! There is also a few BXs laid up on a road near Lincoln, I may be able to find out more details when I remember for certain where it is.

Quality purchase though DW, that is a superb piece of shite. Like other members, I can't remember when I last saw a MKI Estate, how many are left?

[dollywobbler]

Rear wing is not just unique to the estate, but is unique the Mk1 estate! Wheelarch lip is different. I'll definitely explore the hammer option. Looks crap as it is, so can't really do any harm exploring with a brummie screwdriver.

 

Brammy - that place you're on about sounds like Deux Chevaux Lincs.

 

As for how many Mk1 BX estates are left, only two are known (including mine) and one of those is apparently sitting outside in a field with engine bits missing. Pretty rare, though being French, I don't pretend that it'll ever be worth much because of its exclusivity. Apparently the Mk1 estate was only sold here for 8 months before the Mk2 took over (larger indicators, more conventional dashboard).

[Father Ted]

The estate is in fact a saloon with the back end grafted on ( have a look underneath the back end if you dont believe me) - its is perfectly possible ( though a metric shitload of hard graft) to remove the back end and graft on a new one. - Doc Chevron has done this with Phoenix (albeit that was a saloon) and could probably give you some pointers.

 

Sorry, I should have expanded a bit - if you can source a MK1 rear end from France then it wont be impossible to replace whole panels.

[dollywobbler]

Well aware of the Heuliez conversion from saloon - explains the rather blatant saloon doors. (yes, I know the saloon is actually a hatchback non BX anoraks, but Citroen are odd). All options will be explored!

[Timewaster]

Doc Chevron

 

The same Doc Chevron who used to be in Soham Cambs?

I imagine there is probably more than one.

[barrett]

Just in case you hadn't got the idea yet, great purchase and write-up!

Definitely deserves to be saved, I'd never thought about how rare these were even by Mk1 BX standards. Good work Mr. Wobbler.

[jonathan_dyane]

[theorganist]

Thats great Mr W, love that dashboard!!

 

Well done, excellent save!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Splendid work Wolly_Dobbler. This looks horrible but super rare, just my cup of tea. I'm intrigued by this business of estates being built by converting saloons, it sounds absurdly complicated and inefficient! Its not like they were an exclusive low-volume seller is it.

 

I recon that rear wing can be fixed without a massive war, at the end of the day the majority of it is flat panel and a straigh swage line, I would like to get my hands on it! Good on you for getting stuck into some mutha-grade shite.

[Father Ted]

Doc Chevron

 

The same Doc Chevron who used to be in Soham Cambs?

I imagine there is probably more than one.

 

Some say he has an irrational fear of water, and will only drink beer...

Some say he was the 5th member of Genesis and left when he heard Phil Collins sing...

Some say he used the blood of a thousand men to make the iron needed for his new rear suspension hangers...

 

All we know is, he is called The Doc, and drives a BX....

 

One of many BX's he has.....

[345DL]

That has to be one of the most glorious sights I have ever seen. I LOVE the Mk1 BXs, they are just so completely mental.

 

I am really looking forward to seeing what progress you make. And I think you should leave it as battered as possible - it's what makes French cars so charming!

[stuboy]

blimey that shitey..lol

[cort16]

Wow that's ace. I had an 84 BX GT with the same mental dash and it was like nothing like any car I've driven. You may as well have poked youself in the eye to turn on the windscreen wipers the controls were so illogical. From what I remember the panels are one step up from tin foil so a couple of knocks with a rolling pin and a half a kilo of filler show see that rear quarter right.

[mk2_craig]

I think this one is still knocking around as I clocked it earlier this year, won't show up on the DVLA stats though!

 

I'm afraid this one's long gone though, shame as it appeared to be very tidy when I encountered it about four years ago (i.e. six months before this photo was taken)

 

Delighted to see one's been saved!