Life on the edge - the Diary of a C5

[Xantianut]

Ay up!

CJ, that's awfully kind of you - hope they work!

RD, the idea is you screw two of these doobries into the hub, locate the alloy over them and then insert two wheel bolts. Remove the doobries then insert the the other two bolts, tighten to taste.

They work!

I've tested them. Make 'em longer and you won't need the screwdriver slot!

Happy welding....

[red_dwarfers]

Ah! I see!

Cheers, welding will hopefully continue this weekend...

[Xantianut]

Ay up, RD!

Please post piccies!

[Citroenmad]

Quite an early sinker that, looking forward to seeing how you put your mark on this one

I had a similar moment of genius the other day. My mattress is one of those which needs rotating and flipping over every so often but I kept forgetting whether I flipped or rotated last time. So I drew simple symbols on it to remind me which one I need to do next when I change my sheets I was well chuffed with that, almost as much as when I decided it would be a good idea to put sticky labels on my plugs to tell me which was which

That really made me laugh! Kev, how long did it take you to come up with that?

[Xantianut]

Ay up!

Fifi has sprung a water leak which turned out to be a bleed screw. So I removed the plastic plug, found that it was cracked and replaced it with the seat runner bolt from a BX which I found in my box if "stuff that may come in handy." Or, as Mrs XN puts it, "Junk!"

Been swapping the rear springs on a Ford Ka today. A truly horrid little parasite of a car, with, AFAIK, no redeeming features. It was competent and, no doubt, provides cheap, reliable personal transportation. Personally, I'd set a match to it, but then, thankfully, it ain't my car.

If I can be bothered to point my camera at this poxy piece of poxiness I'll post a piccie.

Then a large oil leak on a Megane 16v tomorrer that doesn't drip when the car is stationary. I'm thinking sump gasket-itis.

Keep y'all posted.

I am enjoying my brief eascape to my playpen and covering myself with oil and similar substances. Sadly, next week looks like a return to cleanliness and my new job. As eBay shop manager.

Now, can I do summat to Fifi to make her need the workshop? Got it! Alloy wheel refurb!

Look out, Workshop, here we come!

[CitroJim]

So, a bit of a fan of the little Fords then XN

I've done rear springs and arm bushes on a Fester (virtually identical) and what a bloody awful job.

My dad was always a Ford man, going through several marks of Festers. He stopped being Ford man upon the purchase of a brand new Ka. he quickly swapped it for a Pug 205D. I'm in fully agreement with you - a wretched little thing and as ugly as sin, the Ford that is, not the 205

Don't take a picture of it. We really don't want to see it on here unless it's in the form of a cube straight from the crusher

We will want to see the result of Fifi's wheel refurb though

[Xantianut]

Ay up!

I think the owner of the Ka(k) might object to such radical mods!

However, hunk of junk is MOT'd and ready to go.

Megane turned out to be a leak from the back of the cam cover and unpiccyable.

Now, for those wheels....

[Xantianut]

Ay up!

I'm back.

Basically after a whole bunch of broken promises from my Boss, I'll be going self-employed in the New Year, but still based at the same place. Fifi will have to come off the road, mainly because the DVLA won't accept a dustbin lid as payment for road tax and partly because she needs servicing and a few repairs. And, seeing as I'll be broke until the end of January when things start selling on the Bay of Evil, looks like it'll be Clarkson's nemesis for me.

Public Transport.

Yeuch!

Still, I have at least sorted some undercover storage for my old bus and also facilities to work on her. I'll report back when I have summat to report.

[CitroJim]

Sorry to hear you’re having to take Fifi off the road and rely on public transport I hope the situation does not last too long and that the tales of said transport are wildly exaggerated.

[Xantianut]

Ay up, CJ!

Sadly, here in Wolverhampton, the tales are true! However, Fifi, will return. Better and stronger than before!

[CitroJim]

Good to hear it's not a permanent thing XN..

Have an excellent Christmas!

[Xantianut]

Ay up!abl

Quick update. The covered storage and self-employment startup were yet more broken promises. Sadly my ol' Xantia is too far gone to be a serious iprospect for rejuvenation hence the purchase of the C5. She has donated her radio (C5's played CDs and picked up radio signals but made no noise) and a few other bits. The Xsara alloys are perfect for the C5 (too big really for the Xantia but the speedo was at least completely accurate with them fitted ) and will be fitted once I've refurbed them.

This is the best car I've ever driven. It's knocked Fifi 1 (BX14E Leader with horizontal engine) off her perch in terms of cornering. Is this embarassing?

Anyway, pictures of Fifi VII.



In my mum's back garden, freshly washed and waxed



By the memorial on Towton Moor.

[Xantianut]

Ay up!

Well, that's the old Xantia ready for the scrapper. The Xsara VTR alloys have been removed and replaced with some elderly steelies. No way is the scrappy getting £120 of wheels and only paying £85 for the whole bloody car! The alloys, after refurb, will go under Fifi VII.

I'll post a piccie of Fifi Vi when she's collected.

[Xantianut]

OK, the full list

Fifi I = BX14E Leader C77LCX

Fifi II - Cream BX19DTR but fitted with 1.7D engine, cunningly disguised to look like a 1.9. Can't remember reg No, was a 1986 (F)

Fifi III - silver BX14, bought to provide spares for Fifi I.

Fifi IV - red BX16TRS F746EWF, finally scrapped because of knackered hydraulics. 2 weeks later, Pleiades started trading.....

Fifi V - a blue 1988 BX16TRS bought for spares.

Fifi VI - Xantia 1.8i LX L941TAC about to be scrapped with holes in rear wing, roof, scuttle, heater box and a few other places I daresay.

Fifi VII - the grey C5 SX HDi110.

Every car I have owned has been a Citroen and they've all been called Fifi, after by brother named a silver Xantia TD I borrowed from work "Fifi the ####ing Frog." Minus the alliteration, it stuck!

[CitroJim]

I'm confused!

Too many Fifis going on here .... I, Vi, VII ....???

It's like Lisa Simpson's cat - Snowball...