Really REALLY very sad... :(

andmcit · Unread post by **andmcit** » 01 Oct 2009, 10:34

another one gone from an owner who seems to like the car...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1996-CITROEN-XANT ... 0403751136

grrrrr

Can anyone persuade him to reconsider?
I'd buy some Delage bodywork but don't want to trigger the car's demise.

Andrew

Jennie · Unread post by **Jennie** » 01 Oct 2009, 14:22

Its such a shame that they are being broken for spares so that someone can have a couple of quid extra in their pockets

But, the other thing that annoys me is....whats wrong with the activa wheels? the stereo? the original clocks? Mine have these and look better than that imo

KP · Unread post by KP » 01 Oct 2009, 15:52

The guy is looking for £150 for the leather....

Also asked him if he would try and sell it whole and he will see what happens but to be honest if he does break it its a lot of work and takes a long time to shift even a quick selling car in bits and watching it slowly go while taking the bits off yourself must be even harder...

andmcit · Unread post by **andmcit** » 01 Oct 2009, 16:31

Well:

Hi Raf - it's a really REALLY sad day when yet another one of these get's
scrapped - do you realise just how rare these are? What does the car owe
you if it were sold in one piece to keep it running - I have another front ram?
Andrew

the reply:

07833788025

---------------------------------------------------------
Hi Andrew - I know they rare and pretty, but now need tlc and its expensive
to run so it means I would need spend money on it which I really need to
save:) Car with tax on it owe me about 700£. How much you looking for
ram if you ment to sell it? best regards

- hafael

Lots of money for a dead ram car with little legality so it will end up being
scrapped as good a prospect as it appears. I don't really mind the wheels
- makes it more noticeable though - not good for a Q-car. I recall it was
Combe Marshall's car and sold earlier in the year on ebay for 200ish IIRC.
Notice the rear silensers - part of the bespoke SS syatem!?

Andrew

Sid_the_Squid · Unread post by **Sid_the_Squid** » 01 Oct 2009, 21:34

This is indeed a great shame, it looks quite good from the pictures.

Deanxm · Unread post by **Deanxm** » 01 Oct 2009, 23:06

Hi all

It is a shame and yes it breaks my heart to see these cars going to scrap or being broken but i think we need to face facts a bit, to most people it is a thirsty 13 year old car with suspension that is known for having expensive hard to source parts fail like this one has, if you had to pay to have a garage sort this out would you buy it? ok for the diy'ing citroenist these things are much less of a concern but then out of all the activae that have been posted up here recently how many of us have bought one?
The sad truth is to the world it is just an xantia and the wrong one at that, the most popular and desireable model in the real world is probably the 19TD or 2.1 for its ballance of performance and economy.
I would love an Activa but the truth is i will never buy one and im sure this is the case for most people, all you can do is sit back and let it pass the 'cheap old banger' stage, wait for it to become even rarer and until more pistonheads style writups make it into the public eye raising awareness of what the car actualy is capable of and ive no doubt in my mind that it will in time, be widely regarded as a great car with prices to match.
What you want is a fund to buy them all up and stick them in a barn for 10 years

D

KP · Unread post by KP » 02 Oct 2009, 08:37

Thats not a bad idea as if we all donated £10 a month to the forum instead of a couple of quid we could as a club afford to get some cheap storage somewhere and start buying these up? Effectively making the forum a business and a nice retirement fund for Jim

keep him busy as well after he retires in a few years....

And the ones that are to far gone would be good to keep as cheap spares to keep others on the road, say 1 in 3 saved could be a spares car, or ones that have had engines pulled out by pug boys could become v6 or 2.1td conversions which would be even better i would imagine...

xmexclusive · Unread post by **xmexclusive** » 02 Oct 2009, 11:38

Sadly the annual cost of having somewhere to store even a few of these gems and the other associated costs will make the £700 asking price look very small. Protecting against deteriation is not easy particularly if unused. It is quite easy to start with for the first few cars until your friends and relatives patience runs out with your "wrecks" on their drives, sheds, garages and gardens. Once the purchases have been made there will always be better examples that become available. We will never save either the best or the total number that deserve saving but hopefully a few of us will have quite a good try.

John

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 02 Oct 2009, 21:21

KP wrote: keep him busy as well after he retires in a few years....

Funny you should say that Will, as that is my plan when I do retire. If I could, I'd buy a big warehouse and use it to store and restore Activas and V6s just as some very well known companies do for Moggy Minors and other similar classic stuff.

It's unlikely I will ever go to that extent unless my six numbers come up but in any case I fully intend to start up as a small specialist in Activas and V6s when I'm finally given parole from my lengthy detention in Her Majesty's employ. We joke that we're "lifers" as a good few of us have been there a very, very long time. In my case since I was 16

On a more serious note, it is always a crying shame to see another Activa being turned into parts but at least there are sufficient of us to keep an albeit small number alive and well for a long time yet. The majority will disappear but so long as we're here conserving a few, no matter. We'll be the ones to reap the benefits when they become true classics.

ACTIVE8 · Unread post by **ACTIVE8** » 03 Oct 2009, 00:02

Described as ..................

"Im breaking for parts beautiful Xantia Activa 2 l turbo petrol"

So if that's the case, or the word he chooses to use to describe it, then why break it!

What a waste!

Sad to see Combemarshall's car end up like this, and with a muppet!

andmcit · Unread post by **andmcit** » 03 Oct 2009, 00:51

Natural selection still doesn't make the stomach churning spectacle feel any
the more comfortable to witness. The car looks significantly better and 'cared
for' than my latest s1 with it's scraped and chipped bumpers yet I've already
spent a load on mine with a new back box and front discs/pads/wishbone
bushes and fresh LHM and the £'s will still be spent getting the cosmetics
eventually sorted.

I think the bottom line is the fact he knows he only bought it himself
for around £200 when it had known issues to start with and he never
addressed them and is now facing an unsellable car unless the almost
inevitable Activa related vices are sorted. Chances are, the engine will go
with the alloys an the rest will be largely wasted or sold at a significant
drop from his perceived values where he's currently at in LaLa Land.
My betting is the seats will finally sell on ebay for £75 and a nice car will
be p!ssed away! Watch the "matching" door trims too if you're thinking
of buying the interior!!

So, sadly, for posterity as I forgot to load them on the original link, the car
pictured below is being scrapped with little significant problems; to make
the owner a load more cash than he paid for it? Possibly but I'm not giving
him any of my money to spite myself!

I can't "save" them all (I've tried and have 8!!) but I very nearly bid on this
earlier in the year as Bristol isn't even a big distance away from me to start
with. Wish I had now. As very "sad" as this may sound, I didn't because it
doesn't have a sunroof!

When they're all gone, they're all gone and as usual only then will they
be truly appreciated and missed. If you haven't and you do want one,
get one whilst they're still out there before being yet another casualty
of the BarryBoys.

Andrew

handyman · Unread post by **handyman** » 27 Oct 2009, 17:42

I have emailed this joker and have got a much better price to buy the whole car. I did start off with a list of parts to strip off but he wanted me to do all the donkey work and then pay him!

It is only a few miles away from me so I shall play a waiting game to see if the car becomes even more economic in its purchase price and I can probably store it for a while.

If anybody here has an interest in this maybe they would PM me as I do not want to help bid up the price.

Handyman

XantiaMan · Unread post by **XantiaMan** » 27 Oct 2009, 22:12

Look familiar?

andmcit · Unread post by **andmcit** » 27 Oct 2009, 22:24

XantiaMan583 wrote:Look familiar?

Yep, does look familiar - looks very nice.
Are these piccies off Activanet when Coombemarshall had it
or yesterday afternoon when you bought it!?

Got to be worth saving it HM - it IS a Delage red Activa after all!

I'd love a decent bonnet and grille but am damned if this forces the car
to be scrapped - I'd rather live with feeling laquer.

Andrew

XantiaMan · Unread post by **XantiaMan** » 27 Oct 2009, 22:28

The chap who owned it when these pictures where taken was 2 years ago, so i suspect before coombemarshal.

He did a few bits to it, but it looks quite 'barryed' now sadly. He sold it because the mpg was too heavy, usual story. Think he regrets it now seeing it on ebay.