Why Do We Do It (revisited)

jeremy · Unread post by **jeremy** » 21 May 2003, 04:16

A while ago I recall there was a thred which started off with the suggestion that as this board was the most popular then it followed that Citroens were the most unreliable.
I looked at a rival board tonight and was amused to see that their BMW forum has 2060 topics and 13620 posts. I wonder what the explanation is for a car with crude steel springs?
Jeremy

mbunting · Unread post by **mbunting** » 21 May 2003, 15:04

Probably bragging about how many people they've cut up that day.
Or perhaps they ask why thier indicators don't work ( or where the stalk is ! ).
I won't go on !

algieuk · Unread post by **algieuk** » 22 May 2003, 01:50

Surely people buy BMW's so they can be seen sitting in them? They don't actually have to drive.

jeremy · Unread post by **jeremy** » 22 May 2003, 03:40

I didn't look to see if all the postings concerned how to fit even wider wheels!
[:D]
jeremy

AndersDK · Unread post by **AndersDK** » 22 May 2003, 05:14

Come on guys...
Other people than Cit owners are dedicated to their cars [:)]

mbunting · Unread post by **mbunting** » 22 May 2003, 15:13

Bet AndersDK has a BMW then !!!
Thinking about a new car, sean a cheap Xantia Est, can't afford it right now, but prices are coming down !

AndersDK · Unread post by **AndersDK** » 23 May 2003, 03:55

I've owned & driven hyd BX'es & CX'es only since 1990.
Since '75 where I bought my first car, I've done all service repairs to my cars.
This means I have a network of car-DIY friends in general, not only Cit owners.

Unread post by **alan s** » 23 May 2003, 05:57

I've been sitting back waiting to see if this thread went where I thought it might; but it hasn't so...here goes.
Living where I do (swinging upside down off the planet according to the Atlas) as well as being in a reasonably remote part by European standards, I need to have a car that can offer safety, comfort, long life & reliability. These don't come as a combination in local or Asian cars usually (contrary to a lot of theories floating around) so I tend to stick with European.
Having owned Cits since 1984, I reckoned it was time for a change. Looked at Mercs; not bad but big lumbering tanks for the kind of general use we had in mind so someone suggested the BMWs. Reasonable; found a fairly cheap (looking) one first up. Low miles, good looker, price seemed right, so we went further. It seems power steering was optional on some of their models in Oz as was air/con; this one had neither. Drove like a bloody tank. My wife couldn't handle it. Was advised by the nice gentleman with the gold bracelet, dark sunglasses, missing front tooth, greasy hair & fag hanging out the corner of his mouth at the car selling establishment to "Lurn a bitta bowt 'em" before I went looking any further. Good idea; this guy was not just a pretty face.
Got on the net & found a site which connected to a forum. Asked questions. Best response was "buy a new one" which was a far cry from what I had in mind. The rest of the messages seemed to go into raptures about some member's car or some other as well as people recommending various repairers & I soon got the impression that it was considered that if you owned a Beemer, it was below the dignity to talk about anything going wrong and even worse to admit you were into DIY, they were a different breed altogether, so I went back to owning froggy cars where I can ask & receive advice & hopefully pass on my own experiences to others.
I haven't & wouldn't bother spending any time checking out too many Beemer forums but I'd say either the owners over there are either different to those out here hence don't make the average DIYer feel like a leper or they are all just sitting around, telling each other what a wonderful thing it really is to own one & as soon as they can afford to get some work done on it they may even drive it [:D]
A lot of debate seems to revolve around polishes, paintwork & how to dolly the exterior up. One could be excused for thinking that looks play a more important role in their ownership than the joy of driving them.[:D]
Alan S....still froggin' on[:o)][}:)]

Thompatruck · Unread post by **Thompatruck** » 23 May 2003, 18:42

Firstly, I fully agree with the general run of comments, very amusing!
To add to this, I don't know whether anyone else has noticed but with the generally falling prices of second hand cars the older beamers are now the next step for the Ruuude boy, boy racer brigade bringing with them their kappa tracksuits, big bore exhausts and fluffy dice. A source of endless amusement when considering the 'i'm better than you' idiots that regularily cut me up! Not so posh now are they!
Mark

Unread post by **Jon** » 23 May 2003, 19:04

Careful!
One of the Administrators of this Forum drives a 535i BMW and very proud of it he is too.
Except for a few weeks ago when the alternator went on the M4 and the AA recovered said BMW to my house and I fitted a nice Citroen battery so he could continue onto Somerset.Then got him a nice Valeo Alternator too as no-one could work out the right one.Including Bosch.Funnily enough Valeo got the right one first time even though they're not OE to BMW in this area.They're OE to all French cars though.
[^]

jeremy · Unread post by **jeremy** » 23 May 2003, 19:33

Of course BMW have done very well out of the 'My boss won't pay me properly but prefers to waste his money on a car' brigade and in UK this has grown up into a ridiculous status orientated business. For us who prefer to run older cars this is probably wonderful as it ensures an apparently unending supply of cheap used cars but things may change with recent changes in company car tax and many people opting to run their own car and take the cash.
I am always amused by the apparent value of a Full Service History as to my knowledge this always involves a cursory inspection and the carrying out of routine tasks. So far as I know none of the cars are actually driven during a full service and as most of the contributors to this board have found many defects only show up when driving and not routine inspections even if they are carried out at all.
Well enough for now excet to say to Alan that yoru story of the lack of PAS on a BMW reminds me of when a chap we knew of decided that the time in his life had come to treat himself to a Porsche 944. this chap is knowledgeable with a touch of the obsssions about looking after his car as well as an electrician by trade and so can be considered knowledgeable. So he buys his shiny Porsche, picks up his girlfriend - then discovers the electric windows don't work - so its straight back to the seller garage - who after much searching and head scratching eventually anounced that electric windows weren't even fitted to that car!
Caveat Emptor I suppose!
jeremy

mbunting · Unread post by **mbunting** » 23 May 2003, 20:33

Well, I do my own maintenance as a learning experience. I originally came on this board knowing nothing ( and some would argue that's what I know now ! ), but having done both rear arms, all spheres, all disks and pads and my current project - the head gasket ( yes, still doing it ! ), I don't particularly worry about any job now, you just have to remember to use a little common sense, and take things carefully.
Previously, my jobs have been done by garages, out of laziness, or necessity ( warranty ). Having written off one car immediately after some brake work by a garrage, I would never trust them to do a proper job. Even with my new car, I always checked the obvious ( pads, discs, connections ) myself as much as I could after they'd been fiddled with.
I suppose my main reason for having a Xantia is the ride, and availability of parts from places like GSF. I don't fancy much having a Ford or Vauxhall.

ghostrider · Unread post by **ghostrider** » 31 May 2003, 04:37

Good point that about the value of a FSH, Sad as I am I've driven loads of different cars but only actually owned citroens since 1979, and the cars with the most problems have been those with FSH, especially CXs, they do it by the numbers at the dealers I guess but they don't seem to have the sort of encyclopaedic knowledge that peolple on this board have and I suspect that that is where all this unreliabilty stuff originates, in nearly 25 years and 100s of thousands of miles I've only been left unable to drive home maybe once.
________
No2 Vaporizer

tomsheppard · Unread post by **tomsheppard** » 04 Jun 2003, 19:49

A well known motoring writer once told me "Paper is patient". As the originator of this thread, I have to say that the BX is still running and has now done several continental trips without problems. I think it might stay.

Unread post by **Jon** » 04 Jun 2003, 20:31

Ah, Tom!
Thought you'd deserted us [;)]
Pleaseed to hear that the BX is still ploughing on.
Any GS/GSA news??