Vince's XM...213k and slowing....

[davetherave]

Vince you have been good at the detailing stuff for a long time!

[CitroJim]

Great to hear from you Vince

[vince]

Thanks guys....ive been wandering around on here just not posting anything....work is manic being back in Manchester (ive just got back in from Birmingham today) so its taking up alot of brain time.

The relay i have tracked it to Rich is a grey one in the drivers footwell panel which is at the front top position if that makes sense...it hides behind a plastic support piece which looks as if it protects it and stops ot falling out. I put the indicators on and felt the relay, it is that one that clicks....i then left the door open and when it started freaking out i touched the same relay and felt it was definately that one that is faulty. If you have one Rich that would be great as i trawled the scrappies on sunday but with no Xantias present, i discovered that Saxo's, peugeot 406's, C5's, Xsara's dont have that relay...or at least not that i could see. It seems to activate with the suspension movement sometimes?....perhaps when the hydractive kicks in? Who knows...i just know i need to change it

Hope you are all keeping well.....i wish we all lived closer....i want to start up a website and need a portfolio of cars that ive done up and would happily spend some time on any cars you guys had that you wanted doing for nowt.

I passed a silver MK1 Xantia estate on the way back up north on the M6...it struck me then again just how few early Xantias you see on the roads now...which i liked, i like driving uncommon cars

[DickieG]

OK Vince I'll have a look at my VSX, work things out from there and let you know.

[vince]

OMG, has it beem that long since ive posted on here?

Well the Xantia is still in active service, Ive been out this morning and fed all the plastics which have been greying for a little while and spruced up the engine bay

The weather is so aweful that it makes it hard to keep on top of things, especially if you dont have a garage.

Its high time that my Xantia saw some mechanical work, so next month will see an LHM change being done, and most probably tyres or front discs and pads. The brakes are still ok to be fair its just the discs are getting close to time, so i like to keep on top of things like that.

Ive also struck a friendship with one of my customers who runs a bodyshop so im going to price up repainting the rear spoiler to get rid of the deep scratches that just wont polish out, and I've also bid on the saloon rear chrome strip on ebay as mine got split in the crash and needs replacing.

Linda is again looking to get driving this year so the Xantia is being fixed up either to keep it for me, or to sell it on for a small ammount of money to someone on here who will keep on top of it and get a damn nice car in great condition. Time will tell.....in the meantime, i want to get it looking tip top again and back on its original sixe 185 tyres so it looks factory fresh. I reckon a hundred quid or so will get it looking its best and then i can keep on top of it through summer again.

So thats the Xantia......have a look at my thread on Pallas auto refinishing in the french car section later today.....i havent written it yet as once again the Xantia and me are getting pulled into taxi duty

[Citroenmad]

If you do ever sell your TD the next owner should be very happy with it, must be one of th ebest looking TDs in the country! Mind, it would be difficult for me not to buy it, so please dont sell it

Good luck with your Pallas venture

[vince]

Hi guys, about time for an update....

I get to drive the Xantia today to work Albeit to get a fault fixed

Last week i noticed a new noise coming from the belt drive area. Sounds like the ribbed belt tensioner, or the alternwtor bearings or crank pulley. Either way its getting done as ill have the parts handy (Handy being at GSF)

Im dropping the car down to Paris Autos who have looked after it since i got it. Good Citroen independants and love the older stuff See how mucht he bill comes to?...

Another good thing about Paris Autos is they usually have a stash of Xantia second hand bits lying around, so ill see if they have a towing eye cover to replace my broken one, and a passenger side exterior door trim as mine is dented. (not the door though)

I can also ask them to check the drivers side top mount again as its looking a bit tired. Again they usually have good second hasnd ones of these.

Moving on....

With the ICCCR on this year (£80 a ticket now) I can see the only way i will be paying that is through getting some cars fixed up via the Pallas venture. Im being quite lazy TBH with the website design at the moment as the weather currently prevents any cars really being done. I know though that as soon as it warms a tad and dries up i will want to be ready to roll, so id better get on with it.

Ive got a black Clio to do once the weather clears, and some other cars to get done, but you know anyone not a million miles away who has anything old to spruce up then point them in my direction. I will do the car for a paltry £20 for my portfolio but would need fuel covering if its more than 30 miles away from Manchester I want my portfolio to include something like a 2CV, GS, DS, XM etc.

If someone has a garage then the weather isnt a problem

Cheap car job anyone ?

[Dommo]

My '91 Active Toyota Soarer needs a paint renovation, although some scratches are beyond polish-able.

Might not be the sort of thing you're after though.

[Chris570]

come to my XM

[Deanxm]

you could do mine Vince, like one of those crappy magazine subscriptions to build the mary rose, i will send you a different bit out of the pile each week and you can buff it up and send it back

D

[vince]

Lol, its easier doing the car in one piece

Dommo, you got any pics of the soarer? you got a garage? Send me a picture of the condition so i can guage how long it would take.

Well the Xantia is fixed It was the lollypop tensioner. The bill was free (he needs a good deal on some stuff for his XM

I also got a new side door trim and a towing eye cover again for free.

Its handu being in "the game"

[Dommo]

Hi Vince.

You can see the extent of the bodywork damage on my blog, here:

http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... 2&start=79

To be honest it's probably beyond rejuvination without a lick of paint. I've got a replacement drivers door so the first photo and dent in the second photo aren't relevant any more, and nor is the red spoiler as that's been replaced as well! Unfortunately the rest of the damage is still very much there

I do have a garage but not one that could house a car such as this, so again you may be best looking elsewhere for this one, unless I come up to you one day and use your services and you photograph it then, although that could be a good couple of months away!

[vince]

Jeez thats has some battle scars doesnt it

Apart from the big dents / patches of paint missing, with a touch up brush of the correct shade i could make 99% of that disappear.

That paint will also finish like a mirror. Japanese paint is a bit like french car paint, heavily laquered so comes up really well with minimal work.

Let me know when your ready to bring it back to life (even if its a few months away) and ill do it for you

[KP]

Do you do weekdays at all vince??

Still got the wife's swift that could do with a good sorting out and the little tank I have as well but weekends are always taken up and when I'm off in the week I've only got 9-3 free

[vince]

Your in Doncaster arent you?

I could do a weekday but id need to book a day off work. Send me some pictures of the swift's overall condition, and the little tank? and we can arrange something


Xantia wise, Ive had quite a busy day.....

First job was to fix the washers which mysteriously packed in when it was in the garage getting the tensioner done. Turned out the washer hose has come disconnected when the bonnet was fully opened, so an easy fix there.

The new replacement exdterior door trim was stripped, cleaned and refitted with the chrome from my old one and the badge also. Looks good polished up. The replacement towing eye cover was rubbed down and painted in the correct body colour and fitted making the rear bumper almost look pre accident again

Then the final job.....remove all traces of winter from the car. Fully cleaned, hand waxed, wheels and tyres done, glass done, plastics fed, interior hoovered. The engine bay just needed a wipe down and hey presto the car looks immaculate again

I do love a clean car...all ready for its pre MOT inspection tomorrow.....its MOT time at the end of this week. I expect it to fail on tyres all round which need doing this week, and hopefully the strut top mounts will pass. Ive spoken to Linda and told her they both need replacing with good second hand units. Another call to Paris autos i think

So a shiny new looking Xantia to go to work in tomorrow......i do love it