ZX Keep it or get Shot of it ?

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killie77
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ZX Keep it or get Shot of it ?

Post by killie77 »

Was looking for a cheap runabout so bought the ZX couple weeks ago.
Paid £380 for it then at the time seemed like a bargain. it had the following:
Complete New Exhaust
New Battery
New Radiator & Hoses
New Brakes all round
Whatt appears to be many new engine Parts Brake Servo etc.
So in hindsight I probably got a Bargain.

The Car starts first time so have no problems their.
Whats worrying me and why I'm considering moving it on is this:

I will need 2 New tyres possibly 4 New tyres.The rear wiper doesn't work.
Neither does the Sunroof.
The Dash board lights have a life of their own On and off like Christmas tree lights.
Their is a Rattle which travels along the offside of the Car seems to come from the Doors but can never be Sure.

Had the Tracking checked NSF TrackEnd had seized. Kwikfit offered to replace for £60. declined their offer. Changed both TRac Ends myself also fitted a new CV Boot Gaiter on OSF Changed the Oil & Filter at the same time. that lot came to £40 for Parts so cheaper than letting Kwikfit do it
still Money I didn't want to spend at the time..

All these things are quite minor taken individually but added up I think their going to cost.
So as I bought this as a Cheap runabout do I persevere throwing Money at it or just call it a Day ?

Regards
Ia.H
Xsara 1.9TD X 88000 Miles
citronut
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Post by citronut »

it must depend on year model, general condition, is there movement in the rear axle, and what it feels like to drive, also how much ZX tin worm has set in
regards malcolm
killie77
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Post by killie77 »

Hi Malcolm
Thanks for replying. Their might be play in the rear subframe Bushes
I think that may be the rattle down the Offside. Though I'm still to find out for sure. Drives Ok for it's age no Fireworks but did not expect any from a Non Turbo.
Their is I think some rot in the front chassis legs. But that might be loose mastic. Hard to tel as every time I try to get under it I'm lying in about a Foot of Water. Scottish weather for you.
I'm still undecided whether to go and get some tyres and have a go at the Bushes if that's whats making the noise. Like I said before the object was to keep it as cheap as possible to run. Whether I can do that remains to be seen.
Regards
Ian.H
Xsara 1.9TD X 88000 Miles
mezuk04a
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Post by mezuk04a »

I personally have a strange logic for things like this.

I will need 2 New tyres possibly 4 New tyres. - Dont consider tyres as once replaced (even budget ones) its sorted and will last obviously a while in terms of price being paid, and you need tyres what ever the case.

The rear wiper doesn't work. = Although annoying, not life threatening in the short term, so if money is low its not a priority, although I dont believe its an expensive fix, possible a motor required from a scrappy zx.

Neither does the Sunroof. - Again not life threatening at the moment, although annoying, you still dont need to spend money on it right now as it doesnt affect the day to day running of it (and surely the weather at the moment certainly doesnt warrant immediate fixing).

The Dash board lights have a life of their own On and off like Christmas tree lights. - Bit of an awkward job but probably cheap to do, presumably its replacing the bulbs, but if its on and off then something a little more serious, this is probably the one to be investigating first (night time driving and all that)

Their is a Rattle which travels along the offside of the Car seems to come from the Doors but can never be Sure. - Again probably another one to be concentrating on for sure.

With you doing some jobs yourself, its obvious you can get stuck in and are competent which should aid you with these jobs given some feedback from other members on here.

I cant help thinking stick with it a little longer and see.

Regards
Chris
Golf 55' 1.9TD
killie77
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Post by killie77 »

Hi Chris
Thanks for the Input. Guess I wanted someone to confirm the Fact that in the long run I would be better off keeping the Car at least for the time being.
I'm having a Crack at replacing the Bulbs this morning got halfway their just need to get the speedo cable unplugged .
After that if I'm still in one piece will go and source some Tyres.
Thanks again
Ian.H
Xsara 1.9TD X 88000 Miles
deian
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Post by deian »

My car is probably in the same kind of condition as yours, although the tyres aren't so urgent, and i have a k reg 1.9td. I have the rear bushes needing replacing too, and my tracking needs doing, my dash lights works, although some are stronger than others, but it doesn't look like there's some dead bulbs there. I do need to connect the rev counter behind the dash to get it working though.
MOT is in June. But I only travel 4 miles to, and 4 miles from work.
Like yours it starts first time, and runs well, cheap to fuel, insurance is cheap too (even more so this year with an additional no claims bonus).

Verdict: Can't see any reason to sell it, even if it needs some fixing for the MOT. I would probably keep it as backup car when I get another better car later on too, it's too good to sell for what it's worth (£400 max as it is). Plus, they are good cars overall, easy to fix, plenty in the scrappers, and parts are available all over, as well as documentation and help from the forum, namely this one.

Hope that helps.
James.UK
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Post by James.UK »

I agree with Chris and Dei.. Fix things that are essential, the rest can wait till the warmer weather arrives. :lol:

If -- You got rid, what can you replace it with? There are very very few mid size diesels around? And even fewer at the price of an old ZX!

Once you get the niggly problems sorted, you will have a car that will last for years..

My advice.. Keep the ZX.. :D ..

PS, I read somwhere that if you have smallish hands you can access the speedo cable by removing the air intake on the right of the dash near the door.. Then -- When you have undone it and got the instrument cluster available, feed as much cable through the bulkhead as poss before you reconnect it.

My mech did this on mine, and it's now possible to get to the bulbs by taking the front off the panel, lifting it up to reach the cable, and thus be able change all the bulbs in about 20 mins.. :D
.
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Post by CitroJim »

Can't help but totally agree with every word Dei and James says :D

It is always cheaper in the long run to sort out known problems on an existing car than sort out all the unknowns on another car; that often works out far more expensive in the long run.

I spent quite a lot sorting out my old 1.9TD when I first got it. It has since cost very very little these past three years to keep in good order. The same holds true for my Activa and hopefully my 2.1TD.
Jim

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deian
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Post by deian »

As citrojim says, fix known problems on an known car than unknown problems on an uunknown car, which you will have to pay for as well, and I doubt you will make a profit on many cars these days, you may get your money back on cheaper ones.

I've fallen into the trap of selling my xantia 2.1td because i couldn't be bothered to fork out £400 for the tensioner for the aux belt, now after buying 3 more citroens after that i feel I should have kept the 2.1.

So now I made a promise to myself to run the zx to the ground, and scrap it when it dies, scrapping means the very last resort, as in it's rusting so much it'll break in half if it was hit or something. Even if the engine blows or the head gasket fails, i can just get an old engine for £250ish and swap them over. Even if it means paying a £250 for some help too, it's still £500, which is what the car would be worth with a new engine. Back to being cheap to run, and still very functional. Of course you could go through the "hassle" of selling it, or scrapping it, and buying another car, deal with the dvla, maybe renew a 4 month old tax when yours had maybe 7 months, and another MOT, which could be much sooner than the one on your own car, £50 without problems, so this £500 car is now £550 without any servicing/maintenance to satisfy an MOT, and so on and on.

All things to think about! Keep it simple.
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Post by Peter.N. »

The days of 'cheap runabouts' are rapidly coming to an end. Nothing made after 2000 or even before, is repairable on a DIY basis and the cost of diagnosis and repair are often more than you would consider paying for a 'cheap runabout'. Have a look at some of the modern car forums and read some of the horror stories. I was considering updating until I read the above and spoke to a few people, now I am sticking to my XM until I am no longer able to repair it. It is very spacious, very comfortable and very economical, and most important of all it has mechanical fuel injection and I can repair it myself.

My advice to anyone on a limited budget is, find a good pre HDI car, XM, Xantia, ZX, 405 or early 406 and look after it. However much you spend in repairs it is likely to be a fraction of what you would spend on a newish car.
killie77
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Post by killie77 »

UPDATE:
Thanks for all the replies so glad I found this Forum. Wish I had come accross it before I bought the Car.
Replaced the dashboard light bulbs this morning, I'm a bit confused regarding the speedo cable. I could not find a cable going to the back of the Panel only the Block connectors running along the top. ?

Also managed to get 4 New Tyres strangely enough got a reasonable deal at Kwikfit as I could not find anywhere open near me £130 supplied and fitted Budget Arrowspeed tyres but they should do.

My next thing is to find the cause of the rattle coming from the OSF/Rear
I noticed all the Door panels have been off at some time the drivers side does not seem to have been put back properly so I'm wondering if their could be something loose in their ?

Once again thanks for all replies and advice
Ian.H
Xsara 1.9TD X 88000 Miles
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Post by simoncanfer »

As you've found the later ZXs have an electronic speedo. Makes bulb replacement much easier!

The main 2 things I would consider are the state of the rear axle, and the cooling system health - these engines don't like old coolant or airlocks.

Otherwise- -better the devil you know, as others have written. There can't be many other cars as cheap to run and as comfortable as the ZX!

Simon
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