Vince's XM...213k and slowing....

[Trainman]

GOOD GOD!!

I've seen mirror's with less reflection than the Traction.

[Citroenmad]

Im well impressed with how the Traction has turned out, its 100% better than we thought it would look, and we were thinking good!

Thanks for all your hard work on it, its really brilliant

I dont think we will be taking it out in the dark for a while, it'll just dazzle the other drivers

Not bad for paintwork which is over 20 years old!

Im just about to post a few pictures of my XM after my first attempt at machine polishing. See my blog thread shortly

[Citroenmad]

The end and goodnight for now, long day, lots of miles covered and work carried out.. Big thanks to Chris and his dad for allowing me to work on their Traction and for the cheese butty and water...and my first drives in a 2CV and Chris's XM....which is awesome

Your very cheap to keep!

I bet you were knackered when you got back, it'll have been a very long day for you and a lot of hard work. Worth it though, the finish is immense!

The 2cv is a bit of a mad thing but its easy to get used to driving one and its massive fun. Im pleased you enjoyed the XM, you'll soon have your own

Thanks for letting me loose with your machine polisher and the use of your products. Im going to have to get one now

[vince]

No problem Chris, im glad your deciding to take the plunge on a rotary polisher, they are so cheap to buy at £40 considering the capabilities of the machine. It takes a while to get used to them and learn how to get the best from one (even im still learning) but youtube videos from reputable detailers are a great source of information and guidance

The 2CV shocked me in a good way but the XM of yours has made the wait this week even harder so thanks for that

I am cheap to keep....i think thats one of the reasons my wife married me

[Citroenmad]

but the XM of yours has made the wait this week even harder so thanks for that

Not a problem

[vince]

Well its the final countdown to XM ownership i hope...the car is in for its MOT tomorrow over in Anglesey, im sure Paul will get it through and so line up the sale nicely for Friday morning.

I have lined up insurance through RH insurance on an unlimited mileage classic car policy at just short of £500 for the year (half price of the Xantia for me) so that will be ready for putting the car on cover for friday and the trip back home. The car will be taxed on line at Paul's (at least thats the plan) as i wont have the insurance certificate to hand immediately, so then its legal and on the road as a daily driver I will then start working through the car and readying it for our holiday and for the CXM in september

Whilst at Chris's he kindly donated me a single spoke XM steering wheel which was a bit dirty and green round the gills, but after several coats of Meguiars dashboard and trim restorer cream its come up like new again and now waits in the shed for friday Ive also OK'd with Paul taking a set of new front spheres for the XM with me....corners, accumulator and centre sphere, paul is ok to give me a hand or lend me the tool to change these over on Friday so that the ride home is as good as it can be. Ill also whack the single spoke wheel on aswell time permitting for the full effect and then ill be "XM'ing" in old school fashion

After driving the 2CV and the XM on sunday, getting back into the VSX for the ride home really made me appreciate just how good a blend the Xantias actually are They have the nimbleness and tightness of a smaller car than their size, yet retain the fantastic floaty ride. I really enjoyed the drive up and back in the VSX. It handled it with ease and my working out of £45 there and back was spot on....the fuel light came on just as i pulled into our street....a nice 321 mile round trip with me taking it nice and easy cruising at between 60 and 70 on the motorways and 56mph on the A roads...some great roads up there

A great trip and some great cars

P.s. On a final note, Linda said to me this morning "ive been thinking, when i pass my test, it will be better for me to get a little automatic run around so we can keep the big car for family trips etc and for you to drive and i can just drive mine" Honestly one of the best things ive heard in a long time.....i can drive big old cars without having to compromise in any way Heaven

[Citroenmad]

After driving the 2CV and the XM on sunday, getting back into the VSX for the ride home really made me appreciate just how good a blend the Xantias actually are

P.s. On a final note, Linda said to me this morning "ive been thinking, when i pass my test, it will be better for me to get a little automatic run around so we can keep the big car for family trips etc and for you to drive and i can just drive mine" Honestly one of the best things ive heard in a long time.....i can drive big old cars without having to compromise in any way Heaven

Its a shame we didn't get more time once the Traction was finished, as id have given you a ride in it. Its nothing like the 2cv, its much quieter, handles like a dream, more accurate steering than most cars I've driven, quite flat and nimble round bends and obviously quite a bit more powerful!

Xantias do take a bit of beating and really are nothing like XMs to drive. Which is a good thing, the XM is a huge cruiser but it can more than cope on the twisties too. Xantias do feel much smaller and more nimble, I think of mine as a small car now, it feels tiny compared to the XM and C5.

That is excellent news, your XM might well be a good long termer then! Im looking forward to seeing it once you have had it a while

[citroenxm]

Just as a prequel for vince's XM.. untill he gets it friday i thought id give an update..

car had mot this morning when i called later she had FAILED... On a small hole in the chassis... but everything else was ok...

so i went to the garage and asked them how much to do it? the mot man came back and said 40 quid. I said done.. he said will be by tomorrow night.. So I shall be collecting an Xm with full mot tomorrow...yaay...mot man said everything else is good. so i assume after the welding there will be no advispries.. find out tomorrow night.

thats all for now.

[andmcit]

It must be the salty sea air and constant barrage from the Irish Sea which won't help where Xm's can
sometimes demonstrate more perforations than a damned Tetley teabag without any additional 'help'!
The panels may allegedly be Zinc/Galv'd yet they still need vigilance BUT moreso the s2's and estates...

[vince]

One of the first jobs once im back from my holiday in August will be to re work the underside of the XM and in the arches. I usually wire wheel off any loose rusty bits or flaking underseal and reseal the entire floor and arch area. Then periodically i borrow someone's ramp through work and get it up and have a good poke around. Naturally the XM is going to demand more of that that the Xantia has but even the Xantia was quite messy and rusty underneath when i first got it, especially the front subframe....it needed sanding back and re painting.

Paul sent me a text earlier, the XM now has a full MOT and i have it insured as of friday morning in my name so its game on

[Deanxm]

Exellent stuff Vince, dont forget to check on Askmid that its registered as insured before you go and collect it or you wont be able to tax it online, sometimes it takes 24hrs to update so if you insure it at midnight on thursday it may not be taxable online until after midnight on friday when the database has been updated, ive been cought like this before but if your doing it the oldschool way there wont be an issue.

Not long to go now.................

D

[citroenxm]

One arch wont need much clearing off, apparently the welding was needed on the chassis to wheel arch area, Ive not really looked to be honest exactley where it was...

[vince]

I could see the signs of a possible repair to the passenger side wing on the trailing edge...my bets it was something around there. Its on my investigation list

The fact that its also had a belt kit and water pump recently is a huge bonus as my spare money can be spent on any tidy up areas i find around the car..

From seeing Chris's last sunday i will be retro fitting an extra rear window on the parcel shelf if for nothing else because its such a cool quirk

Jobs for the morning.....Front spheres change...corners, accumulator and centre, and the single spoke wheel to go on

[Citroenmad]

Not long now

The second inner rear window is a must if you have an XM hatchback, its what they are about!

[citroenxm]

Ive tons of rear windows BUT being a base model the upper plastic trim along the end of the roof lineing does NOT have the provision for the hinges on it! you will need the plastic trim from an upper spec car .. the windows will not just sit there resting.. it needs the hinges..

well see if we can do anything tomorrow..