Project BX- Meltdown Saturday

Post by **Jon** » 02 Oct 2004, 23:33

Day started well!
n/s rear curly pipe on.
Brakes all bled
Changed oil and filter
Adjusted handbrake correctly
Fitted new washer pump and spraybar
2 new wiper blades
Wheels on!
Began to check car for MOT.
Found 2 holes in boot floor either side of rear chassis legs. Inside the boot I lifted the carpet and found that the rear panel was coming away from the bootfloor (maybe its been hit up the back at some stage, on the towbar??). Attacked holes with grinder until sound metal, not pretty. [V]
Options at this stage:
1) Sell the car as is to someone else, £350 spent on parts alone and they've all been fitted.
2) Pay someone to weld a couple of flat plates underneath to satisfy the MOT tester
3) Cry.
So.....no point in spoiling the ship for a ha'poth of tar I thought to myself, drove to Machine Mart and invested in Clarke 135TE mig welder, £185 quid.[:)]
Seam welded 2 nice plates inside boot floor, both with angled lip to join to the rear panel. Drilled 2 holes in each plate and plug welded plate to top of rear chassis leg. Underneath, 2 further plates (angled) attach the chassis legs to the boot floor. Just one small plate to do tomorrow, I need to drop the rear silencer to do this.
Its worth doing it like this because the towbar actually attaches to the towing eye plates which are part of the rear chassis legs. Welding flat plates over the holes would only be cosmetic.
Theres really got to be some good news soon.

paranoid · Post by **paranoid** » 03 Oct 2004, 00:07

Go Go Go Jon.
Best thing I ever learnt was to weld cars as part of my apprenticship you really are not scared of anything when you have got a welder. [^]

oilyspanner · Post by **oilyspanner** » 03 Oct 2004, 00:25

Ah the dreaded rot, BXs are not immune, my previous one had loads of welding to the boot floor area and was finally killed off by rot. I blame either the sunroof or the tailgate seal, my buddy had a 1.7Rd without a sunroof, lifting his bootmat only reveals dust. have you driven the beast yet since the work was completed?
Stewart

Stuart McB · Post by **Stuart McB** » 03 Oct 2004, 00:26

Welding, how I miss it now I'm office bound. I loved all the forms of welding, Gas, Arc, Mig & Tig. Something about creating something out of nothing if you know what I mean. To make something new again when it's rotten and the tin worn has had it's fill. Nothing like that first spark straight in the right place. Then again aload of pigeon sh*t has to pass under the bridge befor you get it right. Sorry just remebering the old days when I used the gas axe and welder as part of the job. Not any more.

Post by **Jon** » 03 Oct 2004, 00:43

I did take a road test in the BX today, to Machine Mart! All well, apart from clunk from n/s front over bumps, to be investigated!
BTW Stewart could well be right about sunrrof drains, lots of water started dripping out from the rear panel area as result of welding, hammering..... will have a look tomorrow.
Wednesday is judgment day, the MOT!

rg · Post by rg » 03 Oct 2004, 00:49

Fascinating stuff, Jon. Thanks for taking the time to share it.
rg

bxbodger · Post by **bxbodger** » 03 Oct 2004, 02:08

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Ah the dreaded rot, BXs are not immune<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Apart from the seam above the door hinges, where it's usually pretty obvious, there's another little hidey-hole for tinworm-the seam where the front inner wing is joined to the arch, don't be surprised if you find some here lurking under the sealant[}:)]
I have had my MIG since 1986, and the amount of money it's saved over the years it has paid for itself many times over!!![:)]

jonathan_dyane · Post by **jonathan_dyane** » 03 Oct 2004, 02:12

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Jon

Day started well!
n/s rear curly pipe on.
Brakes all bled
Changed oil and filter
Adjusted handbrake correctly
Fitted new washer pump and spraybar
2 new wiper blades
Wheels on!
Began to check car for MOT.
Found 2 holes in boot floor either side of rear chassis legs. Inside the boot I lifted the carpet and found that the rear panel was coming away from the bootfloor (maybe its been hit up the back at some stage, on the towbar??). Attacked holes with grinder until sound metal, not pretty. [V]
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Bugger bugger bugger! I had to weld mine too, in the OSF wheelarch. Contrary to popular belief BXs do rust and aren't galvanised. Mine will be getting the oil and grease treatment shortly...
<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Jon
Options at this stage:
1) Sell the car as is to someone else, £350 spent on parts alone and they've all been fitted.
2) Pay someone to weld a couple of flat plates underneath to satisfy the MOT tester
3) Cry.
So.....no point in spoiling the ship for a ha'poth of tar I thought to myself, drove to Machine Mart and invested in Clarke 135TE mig welder, £185 quid.[:)]
Seam welded 2 nice plates inside boot floor, both with angled lip to join to the rear panel. Drilled 2 holes in each plate and plug welded plate to top of rear chassis leg. Underneath, 2 further plates (angled) attach the chassis legs to the boot floor. Just one small plate to do tomorrow, I need to drop the rear silencer to do this.
Its worth doing it like this because the towbar actually attaches to the towing eye plates which are part of the rear chassis legs. Welding flat plates over the holes would only be cosmetic.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Wise solution Jon, and the only sensible one. Just remember to rustproof her well.

NiSk · Post by **NiSk** » 03 Oct 2004, 04:49

Glad to hear the "meltdown" was a metal one and not you brain Jon!
//NiSk

DoubleChevron · Post by **DoubleChevron** » 03 Oct 2004, 09:14

Excellent descision, once you have a MIG you'll wonder how you ever survived without one !!
You'll find you'll be able to do all sorts of jobs you never before dreamed possible (and not just automotive work).
BTW: I hope it's a gas welder, I tried my MIG with gassless wire and it was hopeless[:(]
seeya
Shane L

Post by **martyhopkirk** » 03 Oct 2004, 13:00

D'y know i was actually seriously contemplating buying a very cheap 1.9D BX on eBay in Manchester (£50 bid, or buy it now for £180)..... I thought ive got a new garage... Ive got a few spanners.... how ghard can it be?
Then you mentioned welding!
Not good, last car I welded was an Austin 1300... and i was blinking hopeless at it (set the car on fire too).

Post by **martyhopkirk** » 03 Oct 2004, 13:07

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... RK:MEWA:IT
just on the off chance anyone else is barking mad enough...

madasafish · Post by **madasafish** » 03 Oct 2004, 19:07

1993 CITROEN BX ESTATE, 69950
miles, immaculate inside and out, full MOT, new suspension, exhaust and tyres, first viewer will buy. £495.
Tel: (01527) 458474 or (07768) 377706
Distance: 61 miles
Price: £495
Glossary of Terms

DLM · Post by **DLM** » 04 Oct 2004, 16:10

"last car I welded was an Austin 1300... "
I've got a soft spot for these (first car) but unfortunately they tended to become a mobile reddish-brown soft spot with wheels semi-attached - perhaps ideal as a mobile welding primer.
With the Mk2 BXs, they seemed to got more rust-prone, not less, as the production run got towards its later stages. I took apart a 1987 RD that seemed totally unaffected by being used as a surfer's waggon for most of its life. That was a non-sunroof model,though.
The area under the drain pipes at the rear of sunroof-equipped BX hatches can fill with water, and then prove impervious to rodding from underneath to clear the drain hole. However, I can't see how this would transfer to the areas that DO rust, unless there's some creep along the seams. My inspection routine for a BX hatch now includes firm thumb-pressure on the very rear of the boot floor just above the box sections. Even with the carpet in place, it often yields alarmingly.....

Stempy · Post by **Stempy** » 05 Oct 2004, 04:51

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by martyhopkirk

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... RK:MEWA:IT
just on the off chance anyone else is barking mad enough...
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Looks like the winning bid was £77