ZX Crash!!

James.UK · Unread post by **James.UK** » 13 Feb 2007, 17:54

Jean was out in my ZX tonight when a BMW came out of a sideroad straight into her.. She is fine, but.. Jean tells me on her mobile that the ZX is pretty badly damaged, apparently even the glove box has been smashed!! I've not actually seen my car yet..

Sooo.. will my engine and gearbox fit into a Volcane???? If so -- then I am in urgent need of one.. Swopping the interior, brakes, wheels, etc etc into a ZX Aura will just be too expensive I think..

More to follow when I get more info.

..

Harlequin · Unread post by **Harlequin** » 13 Feb 2007, 18:03

hope she`s ok - crashes are never nice

Stewart(oily) · Unread post by **Stewart(oily)** » 13 Feb 2007, 18:33

Hope She is not hurt James, sorry about your ZX, sold my ZX a while back.

Stewart

andmcit · Unread post by **andmcit** » 13 Feb 2007, 21:07

James,

thank your stars she is still around to worry about a broken glovebox lid...
another ZX will be easier to find than another Jean!

Andrew

andmcit · Unread post by **andmcit** » 13 Feb 2007, 21:10

... http://tinyurl.com/2tsg7m

James.UK · Unread post by **James.UK** » 13 Feb 2007, 23:52

Thanks to all who were sympathetic..

But Jeans fine.. She drove the ZX home and said apart from the passenger door needing tying closed (coat belt) the car drove as normal..

Jean sez the lil ZX just seem to "bounce sideways for about 6ft" then she just drove back to the right side of the road and parked up..

.. Thats the 3rd time jean has been hit from the side whilst driving! 1st was a ford transit that failed to stop at the lights, that wrote my Rover 3.5 Auto off.

. 2nd was an artic that didn't see the "halt" sign at a crossroads, bye bye to her Mitsibishi auto Lancer!!

Now it deff looks like the end of my lil ZX!

Still.. I guess she is getting used to crashes now!! ..

andmcit thanks for the url

.. funnily enough I had just emailed the owner of that ZX you gave me a link too. If the price it right, that may just be the answer to my probs. Long drive though, Andover is over 200 miles from here.

And I will need a co-driver to bring the other car back..

I would still have to get all the repairs the Aura needs done, swop the interiors and wheels over, plus the footrest and a few other bits and pieces, but hopefully I will get it all sorted. Just a question of economic viability really. I doubt I will get much back from the insurers for my ZX..

Shame it wasn't the Accord, cos I am planning on part ex-ing that on an auto diesel anyway, if I can find one!!

Anyone happen to know if my engine and box would fit into a Volcane? That would give me more options.

.

AndersDK · Unread post by **AndersDK** » 14 Feb 2007, 00:10

Hi James -

I'd say from experiences with the BX series, your diesel/auto engine would swap straight over into another ZX.
But then again with the ZX, Citroen introduced quite a number of different component options according to engine variant in the ZX range.
So I wont say for sure its true.

There is one way to tell from the PR-net :
If you know the engine variant (engine code) on the 2 ZX'es in question, then its possible to trace if engine mountings, driveaxles, suspension arms etc are the same for the 2.
Only occasionally PR-net refers to trim level variants like Aura or Volcane.

I would think though that the main components like drivetrain, engine mounts and suspension would be the same for the rather torquy diesel lump - as it is for an uprated 16/18/20 pet engine variant.

How much of the work are you planning to diy ?

James.UK · Unread post by **James.UK** » 14 Feb 2007, 00:33

Hi, and thanks Anders.

If I have too, I will prob do the interior swops, door cards, seats, steering wheel, footrest, plus the 14 inch ally wheels, mist jets etc, and make the wiper park the right side again! but not the brake calipers, disks, suspension links, or engine stuff..

If the car I buy is a ZX diesel auto, then I would get my engine and box removed and put the gearbox into storage.

Hmm I may save the engine as well, I hate parting with stuff that still works well.

.

Edit.. The BMW came out of a side road on Jeans left, turning toward her at the same time, intending to head off in the opposite direction to Jean, Jean swerved away from it so that it missed the Front of the ZX hitting it just behind the passengers front wheel and knocking the ZX across the road into the wrong lane .. Fortunately it was a local "B" road and there was no oncoming traffic..

The damage to my ZX is:- the main impact was just behind the passenger side front wheel and front door hinge area, the damage continuing at a reducing amount through to the centre door pillar where it stops, the rear door shows virtualy no damage.. Fortunately it doesn't appear to have hit any moving bits apart from the doors, hence the car still drives..

Apparently the BMW belonged to the b/f of the woman driving it.. He's NOT going to be a happy bunny!! Fortunately, neither she, nor her son who was in the car with her, were injured in any way..
.

Stewart(oily) · Unread post by **Stewart(oily)** » 14 Feb 2007, 10:06

Was their guide dog hurt at all James? But seriously I think your engine swap into a Volcane is quite feasible provided the car recieving the bits is a diesel or one of the larger petrol engined variants, my mate put a TD lump into a 1.4 petrol BX but the job involved fabricating an engine mounting, the larger engined cars should allow a drop in installation though the usual headaches might apply with getting a rev counter etc working.
Stewart

James.UK · Unread post by **James.UK** » 14 Feb 2007, 13:36

Thanks Stewart.

I have decided to look for a ZX Aura diesel auto of similar age and in good condition. Fortunately I am in no rush as I still have the dreaded Honda to run about in..

..

I am waiting for a reply to the email I sent to the seller of the white ZX diesel auto on Ebay, if the car is genuine, then I will bid for it.. I need more info about the car before I do that though..

I had a better look at my car this morning in daylight.. uh ohhh, it's a real mess. The rear door is damaged quite badly at the bottom, and the pillar has been stoved in about 2 inches just above floor level and is almost touching the passenger seat.. I was surprised at how low down the damaged area is, it is so low it hasn't even brocken any windows? But the top of the door has sprung out about 2 inches so the rain will get in and theres a lot of wind noise when driving it now.

It's deff well beyond repair..

I took it for a drive this morning, up into the Peninnes, to let it have a last look out over the Cheshire plains, beautifull morning, could see for about 30 miles, couldn't see the Welsh mountains though, bit to hazy for that.. I was tempted to take it down to the local canal and race it against the canal barges, but I hate losing so decided against it.. heh heh..

.

James.UK · Unread post by **James.UK** » 15 Feb 2007, 16:24

Update..

I had a word with my tame mechanic and -- he suggests that I buy one off ebay, take both cars to his worshop, and between us we can swop whatever needs swopping to put the new car right..

I will then negotiate with my insurance people to claim for the cost of the car purchase, plus the bill for all work done by my mechanic..

but I will list the work under expenses and car hire..

That way, hopefully the car swop will end up virtualy cost free from my point of view.. *fingers crossed*

I will have to go fetch the new car and put a few hours work in, but nothing worth while is ever easy huh.. lol...

.

Kowalski · Unread post by **Kowalski** » 19 Feb 2007, 16:34

I'm sorry to hear about your ZX, its not nice to lose a loved member of the family.

I'd expect that the insurer will give you more money for your car than the new one on ebay will cost. They're obliged to give you market value for it, so with a little negotiation you'll be in a reasonable position.

Negotiating with the insurer for the cost of the new car and work to bring it up to the same standard as the old will be hard and I'd expect you'd be worse off financially than if you just negotiate the best price you can for the loss of the old car, or its original value less the scrap value you'll buy it back for.

James.UK · Unread post by **James.UK** » 20 Feb 2007, 02:23

Hi Kowalski..

I agree with all you say, but I am going to try to do both, get max pos for my ZX, and be a bit devious about my erm "expenses" eg. my mech friend does rent out 'courtesy' cars sometimes, so that's an expense I may be able to claim for. Though in actuality, I ran Jean to and from work so I could use the Honda during the day ..

I have bought another car now, a dark blue, 1994 L reg, ZX Aura diesel auto, 98K. The body work is in good shape, it's very nice in fact,

but.. The test drive was over very good roads, and I now find it has a knock on the back end over sudden bumps!! I also found after the long drive home, that the gear selection gets less than positive once the box gets warm right through, mainly when using reverse gear, something I didn't do on the test drive!

dohhh..

But the good news is, I paid very little for the car, as most of the dash bulbs are gone, it needs two tyres, and for some odd reason it doesn't have velour seats, or an adjustable for height drivers seat? Jeans Aura had both? ..

I also have plenty of spares at the moment!! So I only have to worry about the cost of the labour..

And if I end up out of pocket, and provided I end up with a nice ZX again, I will still be a happy bunny..

On another front, I have been offered a very reasonable deal on the Honda in part ex against a VW Passat, auto diesel, with air-con.. But Strange as it may seem, I do like the Honda, it's not very good on fuel, but it's a lovely car to drive.

. So not quite sure what to do really.. heh heh... It's all decisions, decisions at the moment..

..
.

andmcit · Unread post by **andmcit** » 21 Feb 2007, 19:01

incorrect posting - SORRY!!
Andrew

James.UK · Unread post by **James.UK** » 23 Feb 2007, 20:30

The first salvage offer on my ZX was £120 - £320 !! So I asked the man to please check the internet for ZX 'diesel autos' ..This he agreed to do. He called me the next afternoon stating he had only found two, the nearest one to me was a 1996 @ £ 750 = four years newer than mine.

So after negotiating for a while, I finally accepted £550 and my old car back..

So the bad news is, it will cost me approx £300 to get all the Volcane bits swopped over, a new cam belt fitted, and a full service, including all fluids and filters changed..

The good news is, the car is two years newer, an Aura, (my old one was an Avantage) lower mileage at 98K miles, and is quicker?? So all things considered I am happy with the outcome

I can't get the cars done till tuesday week as my mechanics garage is a busy lil place.

But hopefully it will all be good in the end.

I still don't understand why the Aura is quicker than the Avantage though..

.