GEEEE'z what an adventure!

[red_dwarfers]

Insurance renewal time for my fleet, now I've reached my late 20s things have become even more reasonable. This year I've managed to insure the Xantia for around £330 for a 20k policy with business use and the GSA, XM and 605 are on a classic multicar for £280 although that is limited to 5,000 miles for all the cars combined. To be honest, I think that's probably about right for this year.

The GSA needs some front floors. I tried to make up some but I wasn't able to produce the quality I was after so I bought both front floors from Chevronics.
I picked them up at his Chevronics 25th birthday party. That was good fun. He had an open day at the garage with various demonstrations, talks, activities, music, soft drinks and beer. We then all drove over to the Priory Hotel in Hitchin to a hired room to eat our 3 course meal. Each table was themed around different Citroens, on our table we had an old Fluide T (C-matic gearbox fluid) container with flowers in! After our hearty meal we spend a few hours chatting, listening to the disco and generally having a good time.
The following day we had breakfast together then a photoshoot in front of the Priory before all parting ways. Rob, Lisa and Cheryl put together a fantastic memorable event. People came from all over, a chap drove over from the Netherlands and another couple from Bulgaria. How many garages have a big celebration like that?!

This year I'm organising the Bristol Classic Car Show stand, we're going to focus on small Citroens. On the stand this year we will have an LN, LNA, Visa and AX. The LN (which was only available in France) is an ex-EDF car which will be very fitting with the construction of the nuclear power station just up the road. The show is on the weekend of 16-17th June.

The XM injection pump has been fitted but I'm having a few problems getting it started. It was running for a bit on high revs, I thought there was air in the injector pipes which needed clearing as it sounded similar to the 605 when I was trying to get that going a couple of years ago. Alas, its not running at all now and that's where I left it a month or two ago. I will get in running again, I'm sure it will only take a day or two's work checking the timing and fuel. If it comes to, I have spare pumps. I was in a similar situation with the 605 where I spent what felt like hundreds of hours replacing the fuel tank, pipes and pump. Trying to get a working pump for an amount of money that I could afford was difficult (At the time I was on the cusp of having enough to put down a deposit on a house which I have now had for over a year now!) but persistence paid off. Basically what I'm saying is that I've been in this situation before and I will sort it.

Going back to the GSA, yes it needs front floors. I'm really not looking forward to welding them up. I would like to have them in by the G rally in August but I don't know how realistic that is and whether I can dedicate the time.

To be honest, I'm losing patience and enthusiasm for tinkering with cars this last few months so since February I've decided to tone down the amount I do for the next 12 months unless its essential or preventative maintenance. I never want tinkering with cars to be something I loathe so I think its a healthy thing to do. Instead I've been focusing more on gardening, hiking and backgammon. This weekend I've been wild camping out on Dartmoor. We started at Princetown before walking over the moor to South Brent and then back again in a big circle. I'm feeling it today but it was a really good experience and of course pretty cheap now I have the equipment!

The 605 is the only other car aside from the Xantia which is taxed. This means I can use it as a backup car for work easily after a quick phone call to extend the insurance for business use. I took this car to the X rally where it always gets interest from XM owners. Other than that, I've not used it for a huge amount else apart from a few trips around Devon. Of course I am limited to the mileage so that's fine.

[CitroJim]

Great to see an update Kev

Don't worry about enthusiasm, it naturally waxes and wanes... Totally normal...

You have a good plan... It looks to some as if I may have lost a bit of enthusiasm but I've not, it's just I do loads of other things too...

The XM will wait patiently for you

[red_dwarfers]

I've been umming and arring about getting rid of my Xantia and buying a C5 instead. I wouldn't mind one of those 2004-2008 ones in an estate body. The main driver is car safety really. I do 20,000 miles a year now and there seems to be something happening every other week around here on the 303, 358 and M5.

If I took car safety out of my reasons, I can't really think of any other reason to replace. Most of the big jobs have been done on the Xantia aside from the heater matrix and it kind of just works apart from the odd hiccup here and there. There has never been an occasion where it's failed to get me home. I realised that if something did happen I would regret not buying something newer but people must have survived in the 90s and before!
A few months ago I was a few seconds away from being maimed or killed while standing next to the door of an AX. Fortunately I had got into the car before we were crashed in to and the drunk driver slide down the side of the car. If that had been a fancy car none of the safety features would have helped. I guess car safety is more of an insurance policy for a specific set of circumstances.

It's got me thinking. I only bought the car in 2012, a few months before the ICCCR and Xantias were still pretty common. I'd pass a few most days. This last month, I've only seen 2. There are none for sale on eBay or Autotrader and one on Gumtree. Nothing has changed here, every morning I've got into my Xantia and driven off as normal with that familiar diesel rattle but in the background things change ever so slightly every day. It will only be a few years before Xantias are in the same boat as the GS/A.

[Stickyfinger]

That car is like your third arm Kev !

C5 Mk1/2 are not the best in a crash, the C5x7 is leaps ahead in safety and great cars. The X7 also seems to be keeping its value quite well and as it is the "last" car with wet suspension I think that value will stay with them quite well.

[daviemck2006]

One of the reasons I sold my activa and bought the 407 was crash safety for when I have my grandkids in the car. I’m not so worried about myself in the xantia as it’s mostly just me in it and at town speeds most of the time. The kids will never be in the 205, and only on the xantia in an emergency.

[Michel]

That car is like your third arm Kev !

C5 Mk1/2 are not the best in a crash

Well, a Xantia S1 has a 1.5 star EuroNcap rating and a 2004 C5 has a 5 star rating for adult occupants.

I know which I'd rather be in.

[Stickyfinger]

but the X7 is even better (as I said)

[red_dwarfers]

I collected a 2007 C5 Estate on Sunday. It's a 2.0 16v diesel VTR with 113k. What a day to collect a car, snow on the M4 and all the way into deepest darkest Wiltshire!
It needs a cambelt change and the DMF and clutch sorting which I'm planning on doing on Thursday-Saturday if the weather holds out.

[Stickyfinger]

Welcome to the C5 club Kev. Welcome to the "Carry anything you ever needed" club

[CitroJim]

Well, that is a surprise Kev but I guess we all have to move with the times and have at least one 'modern' on the fleet

Hope all goes well and you and C5 have a very happy relationship

[red_dwarfers]

The belts and everything that side of the engine is done, now I'm working on the other end. Mine is a 2.0 HDI 16v 138 with 6 speed box.
Although there is a bit more to take off, it almost feels like someone has sat down and thought about how the flywheel and clutch can be done with the engine in the car. There are a couple of bolts that would have been pretty awkward if they hadn't designed in slots so you only have to loosen them. The intermediate driveshaft bearing has a half circle retaining collar, both (non hockey stick bolts!) loosened, retaining collar knocked out the way with the end of a screwdriver as it has a slot in the top and leave it to hang while your knocking the driveshaft out.

There's also a retaining bracket at the back covering both the box and engine which needs to be removed. One of the bolts is obscured but a rubber air pipe is just undone giving you access. There's then another bolt which looks like it needs to be accessed from above but other bits of engine are in the way, however you can get to it using a spanner from underneath, loosen it a turn and again the bracket is slotted so it just slips out easily.

I read about RichardW having trouble getting his gearbox out because of the power steering pipe so I decided to unclip the pipe all along the front of the car and the sides giving me enough flex to cable tie it out the way (see photo). You've then got a large space to bring the gearbox out. I had no problems with the gearbox fouling the subframe like some others seem to have had on the web, I found there was plenty of space, maybe I removed more bits than others.

I need to replace the crankshaft seal on the box side as it seems to be weeping a touch. I've also got replacement diff seals, forks and guide tube.

[CitroJim]

Good work Kev, especially given the prevailing weather

Although there is a bit more to take off, it almost feels like someone has sat down and thought about how the flywheel and clutch can be done with the engine in the car.

I've thought that on many occasions with a variety of PSA vehicles... The V6 Xantia is a very good case in point... Great and intelligent thought was given...

In all cases I've found that if a component looks impossible to remove it'll turn out it is just possible even if the clearances are just shy of a gnat's cock to allow it... The ML5T 'box fitted in the big-engined Xantias are a good case in point...

[red_dwarfers]

All back together now aside from the wheel arch liners and under tray. I will finish that off next weekend and take it out for a test drive!

[lexi]

Some great work there Kev, without any fuss, top marks.

[red_dwarfers]

I'm Xantialess now. I've had one for the last 10 years and have just sold it to a local Citroen enthusiast who will be using it as a tow car. Perfect result really although a little saddening that I no longer have one. I've had my enjoyment out of them and it was the right time to move on. Priorities change, life moves on and all that jazz!