BX GT Digit collected today - Now with 'Photos

This is the place for posts that don't fit into any other category.

Moderator: RichardW

User avatar
fastandfurryous
Posts: 1388
Joined: 07 Jul 2004, 17:57
Location: On the road, travelling at high speed. Meep Meep.
My Cars:
x 4

Post by fastandfurryous »

Ride is without doubt very much "GT" spec. I'm not keen on it to be honest, and as part of the repair work done to the car, it may get standard 19TRS spheres. Not convinced yet. The front suspension needs some work anyway, as it creaks somewhat, and goes up and down in quite large jerks (about 2" at a time). I guess this is probably due to stiff/sticking suspension cylinders, but I won't know for sure until I have a good look at it all. At least the height correctors appear to be in fine order, and the FDV appears to be fine!
alan s
RIP 2010
Posts: 2542
Joined: 26 Jan 2001, 15:53
Location: Australia
My Cars:
x 6

Post by alan s »

That is one very nice motor car.
I'd question the viability of changing colours for a few reasons. It's a hell of a big job to do a proper total colour change and whilst this potentially can increase in value due to its rareity, a repainted one would effectively lose that potential if in fact it does exist in the future.
The dent n the front bumper wouldn't be a big problem as they can be easily pushed out using a heat gun and some filler.
Unfortunately the server is presently down but when it is running again, I'll post some pics of one of our cars that had a much bigger dent in the rear bumper that I fixed and changed the whole appearance of the car in the process. It is a silver car too and now looks quite attractive.
The other thing to remember when considering colour changes is the amount of plastics and synthetics in BXs which in themselves create another set of issues regarding painting.
Alan S
User avatar
fastandfurryous
Posts: 1388
Joined: 07 Jul 2004, 17:57
Location: On the road, travelling at high speed. Meep Meep.
My Cars:
x 4

Post by fastandfurryous »

Interesting thoughts about colour changes. I am particularly looking into how to paint the plastic bonnet, as it really does need a respray. If I'm doing the bonnet, there are some other panels that need doing, and if I'm going that far, I may as well do the whole car. I can spray cars myself, and have done a few in the past. I think the paint needed for the GRP bonnet is 2-pack, similar to how you spray a GRP-bodied car.
I also think it's just me. I don't like light coloured cars: A nice deep solid colour is much more my choice.
alan s
RIP 2010
Posts: 2542
Joined: 26 Jan 2001, 15:53
Location: Australia
My Cars:
x 6

Post by alan s »

Here's a write up I did a few years back regarding painting plastics; might give you a few clues.
http://www.aussiefrogs.com/snippets/painting.htm
As regards the car, take a look at the rear of the car as it was and as it is, so it's a job that can have spectacular results. If you take a close look at the RH side you'll see the dent I took out; it was much nastier than the pic showed. I used a heat gun a piece of shaped wood and filler and then sanded, spray puttied and painted it in two pack.
Image
The rest of the shots of the car to give an indication of its overall effect are here:
http://www.aussiefrogs.com/gallery/adrians.htm
Alan S
DoubleChevron
Posts: 622
Joined: 22 Sep 2003, 18:06
Location: Australia
My Cars:
Contact:

Post by DoubleChevron »

That's one nice looking car. The dash, er, can you see it in the sun ?? It's certainly different.
The trip computer looks identical (going by the keypad) as the one fitted to the CX2500 GTi Turbos. I can send you the instructions for it's use. There should be an LCD display somewhere. It will be displaying Opt (option ---though it looks wierd). Possibly it's using the BX clock display. You will not have a hope in hell of working it out without the instructions. If you want to freak out switch it onto 'instantanious full consumption' and floor it in 1st. Just watch the fuel economy rise on the CX [:0] [}:)] Causes you to back of the accellerator bloody quickly that's for sure.
seeya,
Shane L.
Paulmi16
Posts: 167
Joined: 19 Dec 2002, 02:51
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars:
x 3

Post by Paulmi16 »

It looks very tidy for a 20 year old car, most C reg Sierra's and Cavalier's are scrap at half the age. I'd leave it the original colour to preserve its originality, but whatever you do I wish you all the best, and many happy hours of tinkering.
Paul.
User avatar
fastandfurryous
Posts: 1388
Joined: 07 Jul 2004, 17:57
Location: On the road, travelling at high speed. Meep Meep.
My Cars:
x 4

Post by fastandfurryous »

I would appreciate any information/instructions about the use of the fuel computer. It would appear to have two displays: One built into the top of the keypad, which works, but is barely legible due to a dead backlight. The other is supposed to be in the lower part of the digit dashboard, and I have seen in other photo's showing the time. Presumably this should also display fuel consumption etc.
Not sure what I've done with it this morning. There's a very tiny button just below and to the left of the main vac-fluorescent display. I pressed it, thinking it might be a MPH/KMH changeover, and nothing happened. Pressed and held it in for a few seconds, and the dashboard has gone into a "dim" mode, presumably for night driving..... Only problem is I can't get it back to "bright" mode. Ooops!
David W
Posts: 439
Joined: 30 Apr 2001, 17:49
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars:

Post by David W »

Interesting car. Had the chance to buy an identical one in Cambridgeshire about 6yrs ago. Being sold from a rough car dealers for £750. Hadn't room at the time, neither had any BX contacts.... ended up being run about by a local lady as a budget car and then disapeared... could be yours??
Note your comments about the GT suspension. Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure in the UK the GT became the TRS when they did the 1986 range update, apart from the badge they were the same. Understand Citroen wanted to have an "ordinary" carb 1.9.... and put some distance between that and the GTi (in marketing terms).
Those tinted side panels are a pain for unbonding, be easier if they fell right off and then a body adhesive/sealer could be used. I've done a couple like that and they never came off again.
Good luck with it anyway.
David
User avatar
fastandfurryous
Posts: 1388
Joined: 07 Jul 2004, 17:57
Location: On the road, travelling at high speed. Meep Meep.
My Cars:
x 4

Post by fastandfurryous »

The guy I bought this one off had owned it for about 10 years aparently. He bought it in about 1995 for £1k, and judgeing by the mahoosive pile of reciepts with the car, had spent several times that keeping it on the road. He was very sad to see it go.
The tinted side panels have almost fallen off anyway. Given another week or so, the last inch of bonding goo should have given up it's "last stand" struggle to hold them on. My intention was to use windscreen bonder to hold them on. As the car does need a respray (even if it stays the same colour) this is handy, as I can spray it properly, and not leave a paint line adjacent to the panels.
As for the suspension... maybe "TRS" was the wrong model to quote. What I'd probably be looking for is a standard soft suspension, rather than the "GT" spec that it has at the moment. I'm less concerned about doing this mod than any other, as it can of course be easily put back to the "GT" spheres. That's the last thing to worry about at the moment though. Right now, it needs a proper corrosion assessment, mainly the floorpan and the sills. They don't *look* too bad from the small peek I've had, but until I've had a prod, you never know.
Are there any hidden places that a BX rusts/rots?
alan s
RIP 2010
Posts: 2542
Joined: 26 Jan 2001, 15:53
Location: Australia
My Cars:
x 6

Post by alan s »

Interesting one David.
Out here, we had the 16Trs and the 19GT. To my knowledge (remembering I was well into CXs at this stage so wasn't really involved with the BX) we then had the Tri (low HP version) the 122 (higher HP version) and the TZi as well as the 16V.
It seems that the Trs and some TZi's had the see through plastic side panels on the "C" pillar and most of the Tri's and all the 16Vs had the sunroof.
We also had a handful of Savauge models and a few Estates. No diesels.
I have been told that we never saw the GTis but instead were given the TZi which effectively had the same specs.
As a side note and knowing you have an interest in writing in at least one Citroen publication, I discovered when I first bought my 16V that when I spoke to the Insurance company and asked for a quote, I was asked if it was a GTi and as I had seen much about the Soupapes 16V GTi I asked why. I soon found out with a mind shattering price for Insurance. However, I discovered that the series 2 16V was described as just that "BX16V series 2" and not a "BX16V GTi" or in fact a "GTi" so as a result, my insurance was about 20% - 25% of the figure quoted. Further investigations revealed that I was correct in that assumption that a 1986 GT with carby and distributer was far more expensive to insure than a twin cam 148BHP with ECU vehicle.
The strange and weird workings of Insurance companiey world wide strike again.
Alan S
P.S. We have used "Sikaflex" to refit those side "C" panels and the judicous use of a strong nylon fishing lline will get them off fairly painlessly.
VisaGTi16v
Posts: 829
Joined: 27 Sep 2002, 21:39
Location:
My Cars:
Contact:

Post by VisaGTi16v »

On that note. Lots of people seem to call the 16v the BX GTi 16v but im sure the one I had did not have gti badges anywhere on it and the handbook only said BX 16v as well?
alan s
RIP 2010
Posts: 2542
Joined: 26 Jan 2001, 15:53
Location: Australia
My Cars:
x 6

Post by alan s »

Apparently the GTi designation was only attached to the series 1 after which Citroen woke up to the problems they were creating so just simply dropped the badge.
I have been told that even the 2 litre versions with the higher horsepower engines in the series 2 without the kat were also not Gti badged even though the power and performance figures were above those of the series 1.
We own the only series 1 in Australia to our knowledge so we were the three wise monkeys when it came to insurance....badges off.
Alan S
VisaGTi16v
Posts: 829
Joined: 27 Sep 2002, 21:39
Location:
My Cars:
Contact:

Post by VisaGTi16v »

2 litre bx? :) I saw a 205 on ebay recently with a mi16 in it but he had replaced the badges for 1.6 ones instead of its original 1.9's simply to make it less nickable which made sense. The Visa GTi is only group 8 insurance here out of 20 whereas the 205 1.6 gti was 13 or 14 I think :)
User avatar
fastandfurryous
Posts: 1388
Joined: 07 Jul 2004, 17:57
Location: On the road, travelling at high speed. Meep Meep.
My Cars:
x 4

Post by fastandfurryous »

I think this has a fair bit to do with the problems associated with the theft of "GTi" cars in the 80's, thus anything that had a "GT" or "GTi" badge was horriby expensive to insure. Unfortunately, even 20 years later, the insurance rating has not been re-assessed, and so they are still expensive to insure. The only saving grace here in the UK is that cars like this are beginning to be recognised as classics, and so qualify for significantly cheaper "classic" insurance.
It's all a joke anyway. My 405 costs about £220 to insure for the year. It's a standard car. My FC landrover costs £94. It, in contrast, is modified, and if it were to hit anything would completely destroy it. I can do FAR more damage in the Landrover than I can in the 405, and yet the insurance for the Landrover is less than half. Doesn't make any sense at all.
Getting back to the Digit. I am still considering the option of fitting a late 1.9TD engine to this, along with a MK2 front subframe, and mayyyyybe a black leather interior. I do drive some horrendous mileages, and so the fuel economy from a TD engine is almost essential. Would I be wrecking a (potential) classic?
User avatar
fastandfurryous
Posts: 1388
Joined: 07 Jul 2004, 17:57
Location: On the road, travelling at high speed. Meep Meep.
My Cars:
x 4

Post by fastandfurryous »

oh, and also some aircon, and a pollen filter. Am I making the list rather long? [:D]
Post Reply