Got talking about Activa's on Club-Xm forum...

[andmcit]

...and just out of passing interest to anyone here: thought you'd find
this interesting

Oct 25 2008, 16:39 PM

We used to have an Activa, about two years ago, my dad bought it for
£350, it had had a recent respray as it had been a little scratched by
vandals, the paintwork was superb apart from the front bumper was
scuffed. So we had the bumper repaired and it looks great, even the
wheels were in good condition.

It was a 1996 N reg in the nice metallic red colour, it had only done
64,000 miles with a full service history and it last owner had just spent
£750 on the car before we bought it. (i know this because it was my dad
who was repairing it)

The guy wanted to trade it in for a mondeo, the ford garage would only
offer him £350, so we gave him the money and we kept it.

It was an awsome car, we did not use it very much though. It developed
a small leak and the part it needed to fix it was going to be very
expensive, more than we paid for the car.

We were offered £1000 for it, but the guy wanted to break it to use parts
on a DS! We didnt want it broken as it was a great car, so we didnt sell it
to him.

We eventually traded it in for a 1999 XM VSX for the same money we had
been ofered. Unfortunately the Xm wasnt the best of Xms and we sold it
shortly after.

I wish we still had the Activa, nothing else can quite match that.



....FOLLOW UP:

That may have been the colour we had, it went a copper/orange colour
in bright sunlight: a very hard colour to pick up in photographs:

(Bad picture, but its the only one i can find)



Not sure if it will still be on the road, would be nice if it was.

My dads old job was a Citroen specialist, so we got the suspension working
just how it should be. Im not really clued up on how it works, but operating
something under the car would have it dancing from side to side!

Odd things they are. Ive always liked Xantias, and the Activa is the ultimate!

Yay!! Another one still lives according to the DVLA! Well at least for a few
months yet!

The vehicle details for N293 YVN are: Date of Liability (tax renewal)
- 01 01 2009

Anyone's car here on the forum? Bit of background for you if it is!


Andrew

[andmcit]

As DickieG will tell you, there's not much similarity in suspension
layout/design between a double wishbone DS and a McStrut Xantia
so here's hoping that project never got off the ground with another
Activa being a donor!!

Andrew

[ACTIVE8]

Thanks for that andmcit, it's an interesting thread, and also the line about having an Activa selling it, and wishing that the owner still had it, it's not the first time I have heard that, and it seems some don't appreciate what they have got, to they so to speak lose it.

[CitroJim]

I've seen so many regrets like this. For me, an Activa will remain a part of my collection for as long as possible. Nothing comes close to it in so many ways.

Yesterday the girls and I went to Bristol for the day and by choice, I took the Activa. The whole journey was a joy. It's a long-distance cruiser par excellence

[andmcit]

Another thought to take away here, is the leaking rams are a known weak
point and source of concern. We either try and repair or try to prevent any
damage or work out a way that this can be prevented. With so many cars
being prematurely scrapped by the Activa Despatchers it must be every
Activa enthusiasts 'mission' to get hold of these if in GWO or be prepared
to pay the price!

I'm not saying buy cheap complete cars to harvest spares either, just that if
we can't save ALL the remains after an engine swap, keeping the rams as
well as struts and sphere brackets wouldbe the next best thing and thus
prevent them going to scrap too: OK, you're recovering some of the Activa
Despatchers purchase costs but in personal experience the damage is done
before I hear about the dead car. Do you refuse to deal with these sadly
misguided fools out of a sense of outrage and pride to spite yourself or
take the opportunity to give your car a lifeline to live longer?

Andrew

[andmcit]

Oh yes. The dubious delights of BMT - British Miserable Time...

[Citroenmad]

Thats me!

I just found this site yesterday, after reading Jims article in this months Citroenian. A very good read.

It will be interesting, come january, to see if its Tax date changes. I hope its still going well, it was a very clean and tidy car.

Yes i do still wish we still had it, they are becoming an increasingly rare beast now, it would have been nice to keep it for a good while. Out of all the cars we have had, that is the one i wish we never sold. You never know what you have, until its gone!

[Citroenmad]

As DickieG will tell you, there's not much similarity in suspension
layout/design between a double wishbone DS and a McStrut Xantia
so here's hoping that project never got off the ground with another
Activa being a donor!!

Andrew

Actually i dont think it did ever get past the thought stage.

The guy did eventually buy an Activa, very nice it was too, a S2 in black with cream leather. It had done well into the 100Ks iirc but it was quite tidy. I dont think the plans for the DS convert ever got anywhere, so i asume it did not get broken for that purpose.