French Car Forum

My name is Martin and I'm a long time hydraulic Citroen owner. GS, BX's, Xantias, XM (2) and now another Xantia.

I bought the 44,000 mile, 1.8 16v one off Ebay this weekend.

In answer to a post referring to this car, why bother putting miles on this?, well, I also have a G plate TZD which makes 60 - 65 to the gallon, so between my wife and I driving the two it should balance out.

First experience of a Citroen? 1968, I was 17, bought a 2CV with a corrugated bonnet and a 400cc engine. Some hopeless case hit it and drove on. Crumpled most everything.

Latest experience? We have an XM 2.1 with 300,000 on the clock (not all ours), but now it's needing an awful lot of work doing to it, electrics (serious and widespread), cam belt, water pump, gear box and really it's not worth doing. Too expensive for what we'll get in return. Engine is now down to 35 mpg, too.

Well, I'm 60 now, and it's just possible this is the last car I'll buy. It's worse than buying another house these days. With 44,000 on the clock, and a deal of experience with these cars, and a good garage near by, this may last me out.

This last couple of days I've read a lot of posts on here, and good they are too. Hope, with a hydraulic Citroen background going back 40 years, I can contribute something to the forum.

So, I'll post a report on new Xantia on Friday, when I've had it a few hours.

Hi Martin, welcome to the forum

Hello DickieG,

And thanks for the welcome.

I've just been on the citroen flat four forum for the first time, and had a few tears as I remembered my long time with GS.

Hope I can contribute something useful to this forum, though with so many pages I guess the technical stuff has been done.

You've got yourself a lovely looking car

Welcome Martin You'll feel very at home here!

Thanks XantiaDaveEire and CitroJim. It's been a good experience on here.

I know that 1.8 16v I've just bought is a little thirsty, but we're both self employed (takes two of us now to pay the bills) and we can write the car off on tax, and most of it's fuel etc., so it will be a little easier on the pocket. Actual private mileage is below 5,000 a year. Total is only 16,000. Some of that is in by BX TZD.

Besides, we just wanted a good quality, low mileage Xantia for the comfort. It's quite possible soon no one but the richest will afford fuel. So we're going to enjoy it while we can.

Started off riding a push bike, and it could well be that's how I'll finish my days. Rags, riches, rags in one generation! (Riches? Not quite)

As said, I'll report in about the Xantia on Friday.

Welcome to the FCF Martin

Thats a nice list of previous French cars there

Thanks Citreonmad, it's really a case of finding something good and sticking with it.

Have to say the high pressure braking has saved both my wife's life, and mine on so many occasions.

I was smitten with the 2CV when I first saw it, a dull grey hulk sitting at the very back of a BMW showroom forty odd years ago. Walked in, told them that was a disgrace for a BMW showroom and paid £100 for it. Two years later sold it for twice as much! I should add it was the wreck I sold to an enthusiastic who wanted to re-build it.

Also has a C5 on a new reg plate, but it was not a Citroen in kind. Very disappointing, and so expensive to own. And that from new. It really did spend as much time in the main dealers as in our hands. After 20 months I lost £12,000 on it, but frankly was glad to get rid of it. My wife would love another one, but running costs and repairs are just too expensive.

Ditto the welcome!

That is a rare timewarp Xantia; is that the burgundy maroon N plater
with a short reg? The 1.8 is an odd engine in a Xantia as it was barely
on sale for long before a replacement with 16v was offered. Quite an
unusual potential classic in the making!

What plans do you have for it as I see your enquiry about fitting leather
seats into it?

Andrew

adamcit, sorry to disappoint you, but I should have posted earlier, it's a 16v on a P plate originally.

Plans? Not that many. But we would like leather if we can get it, especially the heated seats. Just feel at this end of life we'd like a touch of luxury while fuel is available and we can just about afford it.

Nothing short of limited hedonism.

I was carefully picking my words earlier as I nearly said the later
16v was a far better engine....

think about checking the timing belt! Half the mikes but a long age for
an original belt if it hasn't been attended to. Lots of valves to get busy
with the pistons!!!

Andrew

andmcit, sorry I got your name wrong earlier.

Yes, the car is going into a local garage for a close look at. I probably could check it over but at the moment I've too much work on and, being self employed I must work when that's available.

Agreed, the 16v has the reputation of being a better engine, and thanks for your tact.

In fact, I wouldn't mind owning a classic to be, but haven't seen a regular 1.8 for ages.

I'm stumped actually; still trying to work out how I missed the "16v" bit
in the title of your other fitting leather seats posting!!
Possibly accidentally swallowed or absorbed through messy blooded
fingers too much LHM for my own good and suffering early dementure?

Proper Xantia classic to have would be a showroom condition negligible miles
1.6 LX! Not sure whether many would've managed to live with one to the
present day without swapping it for a KIA (in fact anything else!)

Andrew

Such finds are so rare.

But having said that, twenty five years ago I was selling live stock pharmaceuticals for Yorkshire farmers; one day walked through the orchard to a big farmhouse (it was a very big farm too) and all but walked into a heap of green slime. Rubbed some of said slime off windscreen etc and found 1966 VW splitty camper. Rubbed slime off the drivers window and the clock said 122 miles! It had a first D plate!

Asked the farmer about it and he barely remembered it. Said he bought it for his wife years before and she didn't like it, so he laid it up.

Couple of days later told a friend who was into ageing VW vans and he bought it for £200. He did a thorough job cleaning it inside and out, and then went on to display it at shows all over the UK.

Who says farmers are poor? Hope there's no farmers on here.

And that's a true story!

Martin928 wrote:I've just been on the Citroën flat four forum for the first time, and had a few tears as I remembered my long time with GS.

What a car though - easy to get a bit emotional about - Hell look where
my first GS got me!! I can't see a Xsara Picasso or a C4 getting the same
goosebumps in 20 years time.


Those splitscreen campers are mega valuable now too - bargain were he to
sell it.

Andrew