RHD V6 Activa numbers go up by 1

V6Activa · Unread post by **V6Activa** » 10 Aug 2009, 08:33

Bonjour

I thought that forum members may like to know that there is now a 4th rhd V6 Activa...

BL Autos have just built the car for one of their own team.

There is also IMHO another of their Xantia conversions worthy of note. A 2.0 Turbo estate was converted a few years back to manual V6 Exclusive. I had the privilege of owning that car for a year or so. The current owner has made a number of mods to the car, the latest and for me the most interesting, is a higher 5th gear ratio giving much lower revs than previously.

Theoretically, what was previously 90mph in 5th would now be 110mph in 5th at the same revs, but of course one would have to go to Germany and find a derestricted autobahn to confirm this... However the motivation for this change was to improve fuel economy at UK mway speeds

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 10 Aug 2009, 08:48

Ahh yes, the red one

It made its public debut and was hugely appreciated at the recent CCC National Rally.

Looking closely at it, there was no real "give-aways" that it was a conversion. It looked very "factory".

But for the "V6" badge BL Autos have put on the boot, it would be quite a "Q" car

V6Activa · Unread post by **V6Activa** » 10 Aug 2009, 11:33

Hi

Was it the red S1 at the CCC rally? It has a V6 and a front door Activa badge on the lower rhs of the tailgate. That one has recently been recommissioned and well fettled. I think the reg is A19BLA. If it is that one at the rally it was the first conversion carried out by BL Autos back in 2000. If it wasn't that one it must have been John's car. Mine was converted in '07, Shaun's was completed early this year and John's car (Barry's brother) was finished this last week I believe.

I forgot to add that the gearbox conversion uses 5th from the HDi.

Here in France exceptional V6 Activas come with high asking prices - there is a nearly fully loaded 1997 S1 with 140k kms, 2 owners and a fsh with a price tag of 7.5k euros! There is also a late '99 with 115k kms with a same dealer from new fsh with a price tag of 5.8k

There are also a couple of 2.1 Activas for sale at 2k (238k kms)and 4k (153k kms).

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 10 Aug 2009, 12:15

V6Activa wrote:Was it the red S1 at the CCC rally? It has a V6 and a front door Activa badge on the lower rhs of the tailgate. That one has recently been recommissioned and well fettled. I think the reg is A19BLA.

That was the one!

Sorry, I got the impression that it was a new conversion rather than a recommission

So there is another one then. Brilliant

Do you have any details of the latest conversion?

I'd love a V6 Estate

My perfect car would be a V6 Activa Estate...

Amazing the value of a V6 Activa on the continient! Shame we never had the V6 and 2.1TD Activa here

Tusing the HDi 5th gear would be absolutely right as my V6 Auto is doing about the same revs at 70mph as my 2.1TD (2400rpm approx) in 4th (top) gear compared to about 3000rpm for the 2.0TCT Activa.

V6Activa · Unread post by **V6Activa** » 10 Aug 2009, 13:12

Hi Jim

I'll try to get details on the 4 cars I know have been converted so far, probably be next week by the time it's done.

I think a V6 Activa estate would be stupendous. I am told that someone in Holland has had the Activa system integrated into his SM, anyone know anything about this? Methinks perhaps a case of gilding the lily.

Has anyone on the forum power chipped the PSA 194bhp V6? Venturi extracted a comfortable 300bhp from the engine.

A French friend told me that Heuliez, as Xantia production was ending, produced 10 fully optioned V6 Exclusive estates with the C5 V6 installed, so 210 instead of 194 horses...

Dominic

Sid_the_Squid · Unread post by **Sid_the_Squid** » 10 Aug 2009, 13:21

Fantastic stuff, I may pop along to see B&L at lunch time, see if I can find out more, I work only a couple of mins away from their workshop, so far only used their services once, but was very impressed.

300bhp from the V6, nice. shame can't do that with an auto, I would imagine the extra torque would rip the box apart

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 10 Aug 2009, 13:45

Sid_the_Squid wrote: I would imagine the extra torque would rip the box apart

Very possibly. Considering the power and torque the B and E clutches have to transmit, they're not that big really. Seen bigger clutches on a motorbike!

Sid_the_Squid · Unread post by **Sid_the_Squid** » 10 Aug 2009, 15:19

I've just come back from visiting B&L autos, first of I want to say what thoroughly nice guys they are, they happily took some time out from what was clearly a busy day for nothing more than a quick chat about Citroens with me, that’s more than customer service, as I was not even buying anything.

They have indeed just finished building another V6 Activa Exclusive, apparently it’s their best conversion yet, it certainly looks good, like a factory fit. The car is a beautiful silver mk1, with black leather interior

Hats off to B&L autos, another job well done

Interestingly enough the higher 5th gear ratio mod came up, apparently it’s a mod the guys are thinking of fitting for their own V6 Activa’s.

Apparently there are a couple of Activa estates in existence, not in the UK sadly, but somewhere in Europe, should imagine if they were ever up for sale it would be collector money, better start saving

Power mod wise, I fancy a K&N panel filter, and a stainless steel sports exhaust, or failing that a rear stainless sports back box. Reckon that might free up 10hp or so, probably the most extra I’d dare run though the auto box.

V6Activa · Unread post by **V6Activa** » 10 Aug 2009, 16:08

One site you may not have visited is Citroen Andre's (Andre Pol), the Dutch Citroen broker. One of the cars he sold is a V6 Activa Exclusive Automatic, now there is an idea. Plenty of mouthwatering and very expensive Citroen metal for sale on his site

Can only endorse what you say about BL Autos, ime, unrivalled knowledge and experience, they're friendly and are true enthusiasts who drive what they work on.

Perhaps one of the more mechanically/electronically minded forum members could carry out a diy V6 Activa conversion?

Sid_the_Squid · Unread post by **Sid_the_Squid** » 10 Aug 2009, 16:13

Perhaps one of the more mechanically/electronically minded forum members could carry out a diy V6 Activa conversion?

Jim's undoubtedly the man for this job..

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 10 Aug 2009, 16:38

Sid_the_Squid wrote: Jim's undoubtedly the man for this job..

Possibly and arguably I have the raw materials right here now to do it but...

My Activa is a bit too special to modify it from its current specification and I like my Activa and V6 for their differences; the lazy, easy, comfy V6 on a long trip versus the fun factor of the Activa.

And to do it I'd really have to break my V6 and to be honest, I've invested far too much into that car..

It's a project I'd truely love to undertake but not on my own existing cars. I'd need a couple of donors!

Prima-facie, the job is not too difficult as all the mountings are the same on both cars. As always, it would be the electrics that would be the challange.

Sid_the_Squid · Unread post by **Sid_the_Squid** » 10 Aug 2009, 16:44

As always, it would be the electrics that would be the challange.

The impression I got from B&L was that the electrics simply plugged in... but they also told me rebuilding a SM Maserati engine was simple too

addo · Unread post by **addo** » 10 Aug 2009, 21:40

The whole thing with Xantias, is that the bits are pretty "modular".

Activating an estate really only raises two concerns with me - one being the rear antiroll bar thickness, and the second being the the suspension ECU's reference tables by which ram activation is controlled (due to different centroid of mass).

There may be nothing in it, unless the estate is loaded to the gunwales - all the same I would be curious if the ECU could be unpicked and its tables hoovered up for us all to ponder.

Cheers, Adam.

xmexclusive · Unread post by **xmexclusive** » 10 Aug 2009, 21:54

Hi All

Taking Addo's point about suspension tables. From my XM experience I thought that cars and estates used the same ECU tables just larger rear piston diameter on the estate to deal with the heavier load range possible.
I would also be interested in knowing the gearbox type that has had 5th streatched. Would like to do the same on a 2.5TD XM.

John

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 10 Aug 2009, 22:10

xmexclusive wrote: I would also be interested in knowing the gearbox type that has had 5th streatched. Would like to do the same on a 2.5TD XM.

I would imagine it'll be the ML5 'box as fitted to the Activa, 2.1TD and 110HDi Xantias amongst others that is used on the Acyiva V6 conversions. The diesel 'boxes do have a longer fifth than the petrol version and it's a pretty easy swap to take the fifth gearset out of one and transplant it into another as they're under the tin end-cover. No need to remove the 'box from the car.

I have a feeling the XM 2.5 used the MG 'box which is similar but I don't know if it used the same gearsets as the ML series.