Citrojim's Ka, Saxo and Bike Tales

[CitroJim]

I've used just one 'bar' of petrol

wow does it use stick fuel then Jim????, stop and pick up twigs and branches ern route,

Wouldn't that be lovely Malcolm if you could just pick up sticks and twigs to run it. I suppose if it was steam-powered you could..

The fuel gauge is a series of LCD bars. Seven of them I think. It's great fun to see how far you can go on a bar. All C1/107/Aygo owners play the game so I understand...

Having had a look at the new C1/Aygo, its not a patch on the original, far too many luxuries!

I was worried that might be the case Chris

Good job I got one of the last of the old model then...

In other news, the new strut tops are on the XM and she's now ready for viewings and purchase...

[Citroenmad]

I was worried that might be the case Chris

Good job I got one of the last of the old model then...

Yes, exactly. You can get leather, climate and cruise on them now ...

As for not using 5th gear until 70, that is a good plan, however they have a higher top speed in 4th than they do 5th What a good noise they make at 80 in 3rd

[Northern_Mike]

Where is Jim Eastment? Who are you and what have you done with him. We've had "him" driving Chris570's Tweaked Activa and enjoying it, and now seeing cars off at the lights!

There's something amiss!

No, honestly it is me, the real CitroJim, and yes, I'm enjoying, by my standards, being a right hooligan

A whole new world of fun has opened up

Both Chris's Activa and the C1 just makes you drive them with spirit. Honestly it is a real hoot to burn off a far larger and more powerful car at the lights in such a little thing as the C1. It behaves like an energetic little kid around adults. The big cars will catch it quickly past about 70 but in the initial stages very little seems to be able to catch it.

Yesterday on the A303 I had another C1 come flying past me at well over the speed limit and I never did catch that one although it was in my distant sight for a good few miles..

The sprint performance of the C1 raises some eyebrows to those driving far larger and presumably more expensive hardware!

I really hope the new generation C1/108/Aygo has managed to preserve the spirit and character of the original and we don't see the loss as we did with the 206 and 207 which never came close to the utterly wonderful car they supposedly replaced: the 205.

What amazes me is how the seats and driving position are so good in the C1.

And the pedals are so light I can drive it in bare feet

Today, hopefully, Team WFA will be refitting XM strut tops

[Northern_Mike]

Where is Jim Eastment? Who are you and what have you done with him. We've had "him" driving Chris570's Tweaked Activa and enjoying it, and now seeing cars off at the lights!

There's something amiss!

No, honestly it is me, the real CitroJim, and yes, I'm enjoying, by my standards, being a right hooligan

A whole new world of fun has opened up

I'm glad to hear it Jim!

I think part of this is something all of us over a certain age need to realise - small cars are no longer necessarily absolutely awful - if you think back and compare a Mini, or Moggie Minor, or Austin 1300, or early Fiesta, Civic, Datsun 120Y , or even 2CVs, Renault 4s, small Pugs and Cits of the 70s with their larger models, then the small ones were invariably s**t and pretty horrible. We've got that idea instilled in us, and it's no longer true.

Hmm. Strut tops. Hmm.

[Hell Razor5543]

I once saw a Daihatsu Charade Turbo accelerating in a hurry. It didn't have a high top speed, but it didn't take long getting there. I saw it pull out to overtake another car, with an oncoming bus not too far off (close enough for me to be sure there was going to be a crash). One blur later and it was past, with nothing but nerves damaged.

[CitroJim]

What a good noise they make at 80 in 3rd

I know! Great isn't it The engine seems to thrive on it as well.

[KP]

As James May once said
" unless the tappets are dancing ontop of the bonnet your not driving it right" or close enough...

[CitroJim]

As James May once said
" unless the tappets are dancing ontop of the bonnet your not driving it right" or close enough...

I have been the past few days Will.. It's excellent advice

I've just proved now beyond all reasonable doubt that the more you thrash the little C1 the more economical it is

Driving it like I stole two of them and using them to escape from a world full of Vauxhalls I achieved 58 to the gallon

Now, I need to test this properly. See if I can get 60 out of it. I guess I'll really have to rag it to do that

It's certainly starting to loosen up nicely and get even more responsive...Done nearly a thousand miles in in now, every one a delight...

[Mandrake]

Does yours have the 1 litre 3 cylinder petrol engine Jim ?

That's the one I've got my eye on, although a few years older of course, not brand new

Are there any disadvantages to a C1 that's about 5 years old than a current one like yours, apart from higher mileage and age ? (Eg were there any design changes, recalls etc...)

[CitroJim]

Does yours have the 1 litre 3 cylinder petrol engine Jim ?

Yes, that's the one Simon although mine has the new generation one that qualifies for free VED. The earlier one that'll be in the ones you're looking at don't quite qualify and I think they cost £20 a year!

Mike, you beat me to it!! but yes,

Weaknesses in early ones I know of are marginal clutches, which I believe was fixed quite early in production and weak water pumps.

Apart from that they seem pretty much indestructible despite their willingness to be thrashed unmercifully They certainly feel well screwed together. First French car I've had that's free of rattles!

Both jobs are easy to do. The engine is dwarfed by the alternator and the gearbox looks like it came from a moped.. Chris was commenting on the driveshafts and oil filter the other day. Bic pens and a thimble respectively

Basically, apart from the clutch and an slightly cleaner engine I see no discernible difference in the earliest 55 platers right up to mine although they did have a bit of a cosmetic job around 2011'ish. It's not very obvious though...

Needles to say I thoroughly recommend them... Remember a Pug 107 or a Toyota Aygo is exactly the same car wearing a slightly different outfit...

Mike, tell me more about water ingress

[citronut]

when i was looking into the clutch failure on my daughters friends 05 C1 30Kish people were telling me this was a usually fault on C1's up to 09

[CitroJim]

Think the newest ones are water free (ours is ... it's on a '12' plate)

Ahh - sigh of relief! I hate water ingress with a passion. Fought it enough times on Xantias

when i was looking into the clutch failure on my daughters friends 05 C1 30Kish people were telling me this was a usually fault on C1's up to 09

That wasn't very early in production then That'll be up until the first facelift then...

Simon, there was a second slight cosmetic again later when they got DRLs and a restyled front end...

[daviemck2006]

Anything after 09 plate which my 107 was is ok. They had the bigger clutch and improved seals. Any that are older than that I would think has had a replacement clutch upgraded to the 110 mm unit, and the leaky seals replaced. We're I to buy one again it would be 09 or newer, but Citroen chuck out new and pre reg so cheaply why buy a 4 or 5 year old one?

[CitroJim]

We're I to buy one again it would be 09 or newer, but Citroen chuck out new and pre reg so cheaply why buy a 4 or 5 year old one?

Indeed. It makes sense to go new and especially at the moment with the new model coming in dealers will be keen to shift old model stock...

[Mandrake]

We're I to buy one again it would be 09 or newer, but Citroen chuck out new and pre reg so cheaply why buy a 4 or 5 year old one?

Indeed. It makes sense to go new and especially at the moment with the new model coming in dealers will be keen to shift old model stock...

It only makes sense if you can afford it Jim

There's still a big difference between ~6k and ~2.5k, especially if its just a cheap runabout you don't intend to keep for a long time.

(Although that's coming from someone who has only once bought a car newer than 10 years old )