Citroenmads Citroen blog.

[chopper602]

Tim (chopper602 ) did you get any decent video footage today? Not the stopping one Shame it was all motorways! We'll have to have a run out on some twisties next time and catch some of the bodyroll

You mean this stopping footage ? " onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I got plenty of footage, but as it was mostly on motorways it wasn't very interesting ! Not exactly 'hooning' !

Only 78, I got 82 and the needle was in danger of snapping off the peg on the speedo !!!

[Citroenmad]

Yep, that'll be the stopping footage Still, it was only minor and only for a second or two Its an odd one, as it was fine all the way there and back, and has been fine today, but those two times when cruising with full throttle it wasn't happy.

Yeah, 78 was the fastest we saw, there were two people and some luggage in ours though

[Citroenmad]

Looking through my pictures I came across one of my Prestige, taken last year, way before I got it:


I can safey say that as this stage it was by far the worst car I had driven, and I have driven some wrecks!
There was a wheel bearing droning as bad as possible, it was an all encompassing noise, dreadful
The tracking was toeing out a mile, coupled with very bald budget tyres, pouring rain and twisty back roads, it was the most hairy drive Ive had at such low speeds. Not helped by the winscreen wipers being useless
The speedo would work sometimes, though it created a awful scratching, clicking noise, very loud.
It had an LHM leak which, by the time I had driven the 30 miles home, had got rid of most of the LHM and so was getting interesting on the brakes and suspension.
The brakes were very noisey, which I noticed to be a rear pads down to the metal

All of which was put right months back.

The car had not seen a wash or hoover in 8 years, it was used more of a van than a car and had the spare wheel on the baack leather seat! I got more than one black bin bag of rubbish out of the car. It took an awful lot of cleaning and scrubbing to get the leather clean, but it got there.

And this one from the CCC Wetherby event, the day I decided I would buy the car myself. Notice how much the bumpers had been 'used':

My cover up worked a treat on those, if I do say so myself

At this stage it had four flat spheres, which when driving off the A1 onto the A19 on the way back from Wetherby, which I always do at speed and didn't think anything of it. Until it went into sports mode and it damn nearly bounced off the road.
Also no turbo working at this point, which gave very sluggish performance
When people asked about the car it was easier to say what was working on the car, rather than what didn't!

To look and drive it now, its a totally different car to what it was, its came a very long way!




Now the what needs doing list is much shorter and the what does not work list is also very short. Really only the AC doesnt work, which I doubt I'll bother with, and the ABS puts up the light when it wants.

A quick picture taken by a 2cvGB club member on Saturday. Me driving our Beachcomber in a 2cv convoy:

The small person in the passenger seat is my dad ... to be fair that seat does need new rubbers

[myglaren]

I see you have your number plate on backwards. Is that to fool the speed cameras

[Citroenmad]

I see you have your number plate on backwards. Is that to fool the speed cameras

Indeed it is Steve, these little 2cvs power along at some insane speeds, you can't be too careful!

[CitroJim]

Chris, what a difference you've made to the Prestige

[bxzx16v]

Chris I really love that Xm , the interior is looking way better than when I saw it at Wetherby , how's the polishing going ?

Mark

[Citroenmad]

Thanks Jim

It is looking a lot better since then and it can only get better!

Ive not got round to getting a machine polisher yet, I will do soon and finish it off.

[Dommo]

I can't understand why some people let their cars get into states like that, four spheres cost around £100, a crate of beer would buy a citroen savvy friends afternoon to fit them, and a clean out takes no money.. I don't get it!!

[Citroenmad]

Im not sure either Dommo, perhaps just a lack of interest of maybe things just creep up on people and before you know it, the car is a mess! I know a lot of people who just don't look after their cars, sad but it happens too often. Not a reassuring thought when these people and their neglected cars share the roads we drive on.


I had a very enjoyable trip down to Hull last week to meet up with Matthew (MTXM) to collect a replacement front bumper chrome for my XM. It was nice to catch up with Matthew and all his XM happenings, it was also interesting to drive his manual TCT SEi. I found performance quite similar to my Prestige, mine feeling slightly less powerful, probably due to it being an auto. I used to drive the 220 mile round trip most weekends a few years back, I always take the back road scenic route which takes in one of my favourite B roads. I went in the Activa, as with those roads I would have regretted it had I not. Those roads suit an Activa perfectly, as its a rough and bumpy road but quite demanding with nice bends, flowing curves, steep decends and climbs, with lots of overtaking opprotunities. I did forget about one road hump which got the Xantia slightly airborne Never did I see anyone in my rear view mirror It really is driving like a dream at the moment and I have used it quite frequently recently, its a joy.

I set about fitting the chrome strip today, it was dull but not corroded under the coating in the normal way. I went with Vinces recommendation and used Autosol to try and bring the shine back. It really made a big difference and no doubt with a few more goes it will be even better.

Before:

After:

The white spots are not all stone chips, its splattered polish!



The 2002 C5 110 SX is out of MOT this Friday, I thought it was slightly later in the year So I took it in for a test this morning, it was all going very well with no issues until the handbrake on the OS stopped working. The handbrake was coming right up but the brake was not being applied. As it was during the test I couldn't take a look, but thought the cable must have came off at the caliper end or at worst snapped. As it happens the cable is fine and attached at both ends. Its the internals of the caliper which have failed, the lever on the outside is free and moving but it is not having any effect on the brake, its just loose. That caliper was new 4 months ago, so another one is being sent FOC as a replacement.

Not ideal as I could have done with the car passing today. All else was fine though. Well, the car itself has sprung up a few issues recently. First was the air con, which has a gas leak and so the gas has gone. The AC specialist has found a leaking pipe. Recently the passenger side heater stuck on full heat, the usual S1 C5 climate control problem. Less than handy as it happened on a 300 mile round trip on a fairly hot day. There are a few other niggles which need sorting out, so I'll have to find some time to take a look at this C5 and get it sorted out. Its just about to turn onto 143,000 miles, so its got a lot of life left yet!

We are considering the possibility of selling the XM estate, its just not getting enough use and I hate seeing cars just stood around. We have had it almost three years now and covered a not remarkable 7,000 miles in that time, it could well be time for it go and let someone else enjoy it. I had it out on Sunday, it really is a great drive and rides beautifully.



Picture overload as per

[vince]

Great reading Chris....

The 2CV stopping video was great....it ,makes me look forward to the CXM.....the convoy down (if anyone wants to convoy)...old cits all in a row amongst the newer unnoticeable cars

The fuelling problem you are having with the 2CV sounds to me like fuel vapourisation.....have you checked for that? I used to get in an old ZX of all things.....when the engine was hot it would lose power and sometimes cut out. A few minutes later everything back to normal. I traced it to a fuel line which ran near the exhaust manifold. I re routed it i think or somehow sheilded it from the heat and never has any further problems....Just a thought

The XM's journey does seem immense from what you started out with...well done for helping rescue a tatty prestige to one that will no doubt continue its journey to just get better with age

If i remember rightly the chrome strips did require more than one coat of autosol...suppose t cut would work the same, i probably couldnt be bothered to go and get mine so opted for what i could reach at the time and it worked

[Citroenmad]

I could convoy down, what day are you going? I'll be taking the Prestige probably and my dad might take the XM estate.

Ive driven the 2cv since and its been fine, it seemed to be when sat with my foot hard on the floor. It would make rattling/ticking noises, followed by a lack of power but not total and a very warm smell. It wants the filter changing and also the carb cleaning, so we'll look into that.

Yes, its certainly improved. I obviously like XMs but even I was thinking it was possibly the end of the line for it. I'm very glad I got it and gave it a chance.

I'll give it another few goes with autosol and see how it comes up, already its an improvement. Certainly much better than the peaking one.I removed. I did all the chrome on my C5 today too, the strips on the sills and the grill, it brought that up like new!

[Citroenmad]

A new caliper was fitted to the 2002 C5 SX to restore its handbrake function. I then took it back for an MOT restest and it flew through with no advisories Its just turned 143K while I was driving it this evening, I can see it doing double that at this rate, its engine is as fit as a fiddle. Goes well too, its always been the most lively 110 ive driven, my previous VTR never was quite as gutsy and our 110 estate was pretty flat.

The C5 SX is also got a spot of towing to do on Sunday, the first time we have towed with it. Its set to take one of our horses and horse box to a show, its within its weight limits, so it will be interesting to see how that goes.

The restoration on the C15 is getting there now, the exterior is all painted and the interior is due for paint soon. I must say, its a top quality job they are doing, I can't wait to see it finished. Though I can imagine it'll be scraping close to the ICCCR before we get it back, which wont give us any time to do any other cosmetics. Its steel wheels could do with sandblasting and powder coating, though that will have to wait.

The 2cv still needs a few bits and bobs doing in preparation for its attendance too. With me using my sisters C5 yesterday she took the C1 to work, which left my mum with just the massive cars, which my mum wont drive, and the 2cv ... which she opted to use. Its about 30 years since she has driven one but apparently she really enjoyed driving the Beachcomber, time will tell, if she uses it again

I'll no doubt spend some time tomorrow doing some cars job, the C1 needs a service and some bits and pieces on the 2cv will be sorted.

[Citroenmad]

As planned I got a few things done with the cars this weekend. Yesterday I gave the C1 its second service, there was no way we were paying the local Citroen stealer another £180 just for an oil and filter change! We asked the manager of the dealership while buying the C1 new if the warranty would still be valid. After explaining he guaranteed that it would be, which sounds right ... As my dad used to have a Citroen specialist business, its actually still a business but not functioning, and is VAT registered, so long as genuine parts are used and the book is stamped, then the job is a good'en.

After that I took the Activa for another pair of front tyres. This time I have gone for Continental PremiumContact2's, I had the first ones on a car a few years ago and got along very well with them, So I had hoped these would be good. Wet weather has always been something which takes the edge of driving my Activa, as its grip has been minimal and even at normal cornering speeds the front would want to wash wide. This didn't fill me with confidence and so I rarely used it in the rain, my C5 could outhandle the Xantia in wet weather, its very grippy. So wet weather grip was my main priority for tyres, I have had a few different brands on the Xantia now and none have really had engouh wet grip. I fitted a pair of new Pirelli P7s to the rear a few months back, which seem to grip very well in the wet, so it was just the front which needed sorting. After a quick blast out earlier in the torrential rain its good news, the grip is excellent and it can acutally be driven in the rain now with plenty of cornering grip. I also notice that steering is more responsive and direct, which hopeufly means a more stiff sidewayy. A good choice with these Contis I think.

Today I spent the morning taking one of the horses to a show and back. The 2.0HDi 110 C5 towed the horse box very well indeed. I then set about giving the Activa a service. Oil and filter with genuine filer and Total oil, which was carried out after using a Forte engine flush and driving the car about 10 miles. I then set about checking the gearbox oil level, totally forgetting I had the car up on ramps at the front end I got slightly covered in gearbox oil, which is not the nicest smelling of oils! I then jacked the back of the car up and got it level, the oil level is correct but the oil could be cleaner, so that will be my next job. I happened to notice that there was a nut missing from the manifold and one which was serving no prupose as it was at the end of the tread, held on by a pipe. So I fitted another nut and checked the rest were tight. Spark plugs and air filter are all pretty new so they were only checked and I had the brakes apart not long ago.

ICCCR is fast creeping up now, Ive still got a few things to get ready on the cars and sort final arrangements.

[bxzx16v]

It sounds like you've had a busy weekend Chris , I bet you could quite easily spend a weekend on your fleet just cleaning/ tinkering , we've got four and that's enough at times .

Mark