As you've always been great here, I wanted to share a little 'progress' report. By progress I mean survival!
I worked out recently that this car which is now 22 years old I've had for 8 years through ups downs and general busy life progressions. It cost me £140 in 2008 with a water leak and rock hard spheres, though I spent over a grand on it over the last 2 years with pump recondition and clogging injectors etc!
More than that, at 8 years, it's the car I've had the longest through driving for 20 years, it's sort of the best most loyal car I've had. Arguably I should have kept my neat CVH powered Sapphire in 2006 as that was the only car I've had that sailed an MOT but I only had it 3 years or so.
Anyway so the Xantia is turboless - slow, It still doesn't start when warm (or probably really cold), the clutch cable nylon thing snapping did keep it off the road a few months but only broke me down exactly at work! Every long journey it has trooped on and come home again somehow. It even let me take it round the track at Haynes Museum at Retro Rides Gathering 2010! Great car.
It's no longer our daily drive though so currently on my classic policy making the biggest cost of keeping it full fat VED, and MOT/repairs etc. I keep getting twitchy about getting something else or even just getting it sold to concentrate efforts and funds on other cars/things. I'd also like another retro car or modern bargain old car. I have a soft spot for this now, even though it's one major fail from a scrapper in theory. I do worry about the cable snapping again or the clutch going fully even though it's got no worse. It drips oil but runs so well for 160k and is a cheap back up car. What to do?!
Here are some current no frills pictures and a list of what it needs to keep it sweetish...
good side see bash on rear door when I crashed into myself with an A frame on a greasy roundabout. So little spot of grot on wheel arch.
Bad side this rear bit was bubbling but a crazy commuter literally flew past it doing a 270 degree spin one morning while it was parked. We didnt claim annoyingly as we'd only just recovered the front end that year from someone cutting across our lane.
The horror under.
Slightly older pic, repair centre did a great job of the near side front. original bumper, wing and bonnet
Crumbled - currently zip tied together
NEEDS:
[*]A proper rear door ideally in same colour to work with central locking and manual wind window, this one was bodged fitted by previous owner.
[*]A gear knob
[*]Leak fixing on rear window seal boot gets soggy and damp
[*]split rear seat (40% bit)
[*] starting issue fixing more, maybe a new positive cable next, maybe starter motor. Starting fine at present if not run hot
- an annoying little alarm noise weeps sometimes too!
[*]needs a decent steering cowl attempted theft a few years ago. they also wrecked the lock top bush.
[*] possibly LHM refresh and check over. 8 years since I replaced those spheres too.
[*]slow oil leak fixing
[*]possibly injectors - makes do with Forte Injector cleaner every now n then.
and probably other stuff.
older pics
When we picked it up in 2008
The seat isn't a big issue actually it's just not locking in place anymore thats all. could bodge it shut. most of the time I just leave the seat belt plugged in. Just that and the door being wrong makes it not ideal to carry a passenger on that side.
Needs a 