Help me make my mind up time then.

C.J. · Unread post by **C.J.** » 17 Mar 2011, 08:56

I'll be getting into trouble here.

Meanwhile.....

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0584204433

....for your purusal.

Citroenmad · Unread post by **Citroenmad** » 17 Mar 2011, 09:21

That does look very tidy, a nice looking car.

Original Citroen mats and flaps, additional parking sensors etc. Looks well looked after going by those pictures. Nice mileage and the price seems to be a good one for that condition and mileage.

That does have air conditioning, it looks to be an LX spec.

The rear pictures do the colour no favours, but it is a nice colour in the metal.

C.J. · Unread post by **C.J.** » 17 Mar 2011, 09:29

Citroenmad wrote:That does look very tidy, a nice looking car.

Original Citroën mats and flaps, additional parking sensors etc. Looks well looked after going by those pictures. Nice mileage and the price seems to be a good one for that condition and mileage.

That does have air conditioning, it looks to be an LX spec.

The rear pictures do the colour no favours, but it is a nice colour in the metal.

Qute so. Just trying to contact the guy with a view to darting down there while I have a no work day.
Hell of a trek down tto the bottom of the M5 though, and that'll be two trips too

.. but it might just be worth it.

This is going to possibly replace my Vauxhall Combo van btw. Will also reduce my 'debt' burden considerably. MPG should be similar but no HP to worry about anymore.

You reckon it has got air con then?
LX spec, yes?
That seat trim looks LXish to me iirc?

Could have given it a good bath before taking those pretty useless pictures imo.

Unread post by **Peter.N.** » 17 Mar 2011, 09:32

I am of the same opinion as citroenmad, I was a bit of a lunatic as a teenager and as being a TV engineer was a good job in the '50s I could afford the 'fast' cars of the day, Vauxhall Velox's and Cresta's in the main, but they were not really fast by modern standards, if they would go up almost any hill in top gear that was my criteria for performance.

For much of my working life I was covering about 30,000 miles per year and very soon discovered that pottering along at 60 -70 mph was much more relaxing and less tiring than burning the road up, not only that but you use so much less fuel.

I now drive like that most of the time, I don't do Leeds and back in a day like I used to, I don't think traffic conditions permit it any more but we do one or two trips to the far north of Scotland every year and manage well in excess of 50 mpg in the XM, have not done it in the 406 yet but I would expect at least 60 mpg. Another bonus is that tyres, brakes, in fact everything, lasts much longer.

Peter

Citroenmad · Unread post by **Citroenmad** » 17 Mar 2011, 09:40

Yes, it will be quite a trip, 500 mile round journey or so? Ive done more looking at cars

Well anything is better than a Vauxhall surely

They are good cars the Xantias and the TDs are usually super reliable.

Yes, I think im right in saying that all S2 Xantias have AC. Going by the seat trim it is an LX, which certainly had AC as standard and i can make out the button for it too.

Yes, pictures are often a bit poor on adverts, they are not the worst though.

Hmm, I do drive quickly and im usually chasing down the outside lane rather than pottering along at 60. However you dont need a fast car to do that. I was more talking on good driving roads that a car with too much power almost seems usless. Though I do quite like lower powered light cars for that kind of driving, as I can drive it for all it has with a grin on my face while pushing its grip levels but still being within the law-ish!

On the motorways is where i spend most of my driving time and thats where i like a nice torquey diesel, has to be in a refined and comfortable car though.

C.J. · Unread post by **C.J.** » 17 Mar 2011, 09:41

Just managed to get hold of the guy, and he sounded absolutely astounded staggered and shocked that someone would want to 'drive all this way' to simply look at a car.

Had to give him 1st prize for totally underselling it.

Xaccers · Unread post by **Xaccers** » 17 Mar 2011, 09:43

I paid £1300 from a trader for Cassy in 2006, and that was with them agreeing to do the cambelt at a later date (fortunately it snapped before then otherwise I may not have found FCF and met such great people).
She was only 9 years old.
For that price on a S2 '98 Xantia I'd want it's cambelt and water pump changed, and for all the spheres to be in good condition.
Basically have it require no major work at all.

jgra1 · Unread post by **jgra1** » 17 Mar 2011, 09:48

Dont know about the speed thing..

both the VFR**************[VIN obfuscated, can be read by forum staff] and the Coupe are able to do more than double the speed limit, but it doesn't make me drive faster than the old xant

C.J. · Unread post by **C.J.** » 17 Mar 2011, 10:01

Xac wrote:I paid £1300 from a trader for Cassy in 2006, and that was with them agreeing to do the cambelt at a later date (fortunately it snapped before then otherwise I may not have found FCF and met such great people).
She was only 9 years old.
For that price on a S2 '98 Xantia I'd want it's cambelt and water pump changed, and for all the spheres to be in good condition.
Basically have it require no major work at all.

Good points well taken.

I'm on my way. Hope it's worth it.
Day out regarfless anyway I suppose.

MikeT · Unread post by **MikeT** » 17 Mar 2011, 10:57

Good luck, C.J! Hope it's what you want and having driven such a long distance, might give you the advantage to haggle a much lower price - asking for cambelt and sphere change would mean a second trip, wouldn't it?

Unread post by **Peter.N.** » 17 Mar 2011, 11:25

The sun's shining down here at the moment - make the most of it

Xaccers · Unread post by **Xaccers** » 17 Mar 2011, 11:59

MikeT wrote:Good luck, C.J! Hope it's what you want and having driven such a long distance, might give you the advantage to haggle a much lower price - asking for cambelt and sphere change would mean a second trip, wouldn't it?

Use it as leverage to get them to knock £200-300 off the asking price (I got £100 knocked off Cassy's asking price because I said I'd come back later for the cambelt to be done).

If the tensioners are ok, and with this being the first change they should be, you only need to do the belt and waterpump (with the metal sheild) and coolant, which is what? £50 in total? 4 hours to do the job which the BoL covers quite well.

MikeT · Unread post by **MikeT** » 17 Mar 2011, 13:59

Xac wrote:
MikeT wrote:Good luck, C.J! Hope it's what you want and having driven such a long distance, might give you the advantage to haggle a much lower price - asking for cambelt and sphere change would mean a second trip, wouldn't it?
Use it as leverage to get them to knock £200-300 off the asking price.

Agreed. It looks priced so he'd be happy with £1000. As such, I'd start negotiations at half price

IMO, it's what a dealer would sell to another dealer as is, without a service, warranty and valet etc.

(C.J's probably already on the road risking life and license by now)

Citroenmad · Unread post by **Citroenmad** » 17 Mar 2011, 14:37

I can't see the point in not replacing the tensioners on any cambelt change. Seems a pointless exercise just to save a few pounds. Get the lot done and then you have peace of mind.

If a tensioner goes after a cambelt change then the whole thing needs doing again. Plus if you expect the tensioners to last two cambelt lifetimes, thats a fair few miles/years.

I hope you find a good car on your inspection ...

Unread post by **Peter.N.** » 17 Mar 2011, 14:56

That's not a long distance - I went to Edinburgh to look at an XM