Travels & travails with a C15 (& other vehicles)

[van ordinaire]

You mentioned earlier in your blog that American cars have 'half years' and a couple of days later was reading something that featured a 1967½ Mustang in it.
Forgot all about it until another book I'm reading had Saint Louis du Ha! Ha! in it.

I'm fairly certain it only happens when there's a significant change mid-year (i.e. model years, not calandar years), e.g my '70 1/2 Camaro was an early 2nd generation car, not sure about Mustangs - but they grew in '67!

Of course it's not uniquely "Detroit" there's the iconic Series 1 1/2 E-type & it seems there's a Xantia 1.5 (which mine might be).

[van ordinaire]

Thanks Jim, yes I was - AND my luck held out (despite the taibox still not having arrived: e-t-a LAST Friday! ) because yesterday morning, the remedial work was done - ahead of time estimate & under budget, even though the welding needed was more extensive - & Xantia passed it's (free) re-test. Cracking Christmas prezzie, that!

I did a much fuller post last night (AND read it after I'd submitted it) but it's gone! (still not learned to save these witterings eleswhere, as back-up ).

Leaving the garage, which is in a residential street, turn left at X-roads at the end & through the railway arch (you might've seen those GWR piccies of trains passing beachhuts - it's that stretch ) there's the sun glinting on the sea! How many get that view taking their car back from an MoT? Can even take the edge of a fail!

Garage'll do the n/s ball joint that was an advisary* Saturday week (they confirmed they do have the special tool & will do it one Saturday morning - when they only usually do MoT's). Was invited to get the part myself, so that was ordered from CP4L - with the "XMAS" discount it was only £7.24! (obvioiusly not best quality - but neither is the car! ). Want it done soon because it's probably what's knocking out the n/s f tyre (another advisory).

* or whatever they're called now

[bobins]

I did a much fuller post last night (AND read it after I'd submitted it) but it's gone! (still not learned to save these witterings eleswhere, as back-up ).

You did, Van, and it confused me for a bit, but you posted it on Davie's blog
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=43673&start=3405#p595673

[van ordinaire]

This is just getting silly, revisited blog to update it & - nothing!!!

Fortunately, I DID save it this time, so here's my missive from about 9:30 this morning:-

"Thanks Jim, yes I was - AND my luck held out (despite the taibox still not having arrived: e-t-a LAST Friday!) because yesterday morning, the remedial work was done - ahead of time estimate & under budget, even though the welding needed was more extensive - & Xantia passed it's (free) re-test. Cracking Christmas prezzie, that!

I did a much fuller post last night (AND read it after I'd submitted it) but it's gone! (still not learned to save these witterings eleswhere, as back-up).

Leaving the garage, which is in a residential street, turn left at X-roads at the end & through the railway arch (you might've seen those GWR piccies of trains passing beachhuts - it's that stretch) there's the sun glinting on the sea! How many get that view taking their car back from an MoT? Can even take the edge of a fail!

Garage'll do the n/s ball joint that was an advisary* Saturday week (they confirmed they do have the special tool & will do it one Saturday morning - when they only usually do MoT's). Was invited to get the part myself, so that was ordered from CP4L - with the "XMAS" discount it was only £7.24! (obvioiusly not best quality - but neither is the car!). Want it done soon because it's probably what's knocking out the n/s f tyre (another advisory).

* or whatever they're called now"

It WAS besmattered with, I thought humourous, emojies - but I can't be bothered to edit them back in OR do the update.

Seems like contributing to this forum's in danger of being filed under "Too much like hard work" - shame!

Will anyone actually see this? Who knows - or cares!

[van ordinaire]

I did a much fuller post last night (AND read it after I'd submitted it) but it's gone! (still not learned to save these witterings eleswhere, as back-up ).

You did, Van, and it confused me for a bit, but you posted it on Davie's blog
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=43673&start=3405#p595673

Just to keep you on your toes!

No - it's because I'm in a permanent state of confusion - & then I bought a Xantia!

Either I was prompted by something I'd picked up on in Davie's blog OR (probably more likely) I'd read that 1st & didn't move on.

I'll try to do better in the New Year

[van ordinaire]

Luck ran out Saturday night - found the driver's door mirror hanging from its wires! No other damage (I think those scuff marks are old ones) but, curiously the mirror on the red Cherokee, parked right in front, was folded in AND that's not how I'd left it! Ironically the Xantia wasn't where it's usually parked, but a few feet further forward, to avoid being opposite a car parked on the other side of the road AND I'd quite forgotten the mirrors do fold in (but while I MIGHT think to use that feature in London, I doubt I'd bother down in Devon). It's held on with gaffer tape at the moment so, encouraged by that, if it would only dry out, I'd have a go at gluing it back together. I've had a look at replacements & they're not horribly expensive but all the r/h ones I've seen specify they're for LHD cars (is that just because they're convex?) & have blue glass!

I've just noticed the pair of LED's I fitted in the sidelights look like they're different.

The hight adjustment seems to have woken up AND driving it raised is now possible - all too odd for me!

p.s. good job I (a) saved this & (b) checked, as had to submit it a 2nd time - &, now, just noticed the time: Joyeux Noël!

[xantia_v6]

There are a few variants of the Xantia mirrors, so check before you buy. Mk 1 and 2 have different connectors, and the temperature sensor moved from one side to the other. Early ones had black textured casings, later they had removable shells painted body colour.

Glass is flat or convex, blue or clear, heated or not...

Passenger mirrors also had the option for dip in reverse, those are very rare on a Mk 1.

[van ordinaire]

Thanks for that, I was going to ask - because while many are described as, e.g. "94-97" or "98 on" there seem to be some pattern ones which are universal; if the connectors are different, how can that be?

f-w-i-w, I think mine's supposed to have the dipping passenger mirror - but it doesn't. Either this function has failed (as it did on all my Cadillacs) or it now has a Mk1 mirror, as it's black, whereas an earlier photo shows one with a grey case; I'd assumed it had lost that - now I'm not so sure.

Went accross the county to Mortehoe (alright, Woolacombe - for those less familiar with North Devon/the Atlantic Coast), become something of a Christmas tradition in recent years. Must say the Xantia was ideally suited to going via the fastest route & returning X-country: lapped up those deserted country lanes & just flew down the equally deserted A-roads.

Mirror stayed securely taped on, rear wiper did all that was asked of it, on demand, even the rear wash seems to have some power behind it (but no discernable jet.spray) BUT, here is an oddity: 1st time I've driven it any distance in daylight & I suddenly realised that somebody's swapped the "aero" driver's wiperblade (which I didn't much like) for one that matches the passenger one - & works perfectly. Why, when? No idea! But it IS very strange!

Encouraged by today's outing, definitely taking it out over Dartmoor tomorrow. (have to slightly revise my route thought - because it's NOT a Cherokee!)

[van ordinaire]

Went out over the moor this morning, amazing number of cars in ditches &/or hedges, always on the wrong side of the road, clear evidence of having gone straight on at a bend, on the way home from the festivities, no doubt. Shouldn't be too smug though, approaching a downhill blind left-hander in a narrow lane, had to brake hard & pull in as close to stone wall on left, as car appeared round the bend. Probably only stopped as quickly as I did, thereby missing the other car, because the n/s f wheel buried itself in some rocks on the verge. Somewhat relieved, & not a little surpaverised that I was able drive out of that situation - even more so, to discover damage was limited to some nasty 45° scratches outboard of the foglight. Well the bumper scuff man was going to have some work in that area anyway, once the rear arches have been done - BUT I'm getting (a long way) ahead of myself. Later I found some quite deep scratches on the wheel centre but the wheels are deemed "not round" - & I'm looking for a 5th ally anyway. However, I do now have a set of (slightly narrower) winter tyres, already mounted on steel rims - well I will have once I've collected, & paid for, them. Not before time, as the shortcomings of the present tyres became all too apparent a couple of times this morning.

Back in Torbay, weather much improved, so tackled repairing the mirror (not wildly optimistic - especially in view of Jim's observations elsewhere) as obtaining, never mind fitting, a replacement seems to be something of a pantomime (they may be topical - but I'm too old for'em).

What leather is used for Xantia seats? The few surface cracks (& one small patch where the surface has worn off) show white. Anyway, I've treated those areas wth W5 (i.e. Lidl's own) liquid wax, a shoe care product which I've had success with before. Recalling the disgusting state of the wooden gear knob (it looked like rubber) thought I'd introduce a cleaning wipe to the steering wheel: the top half of the rim at least, is just as bad. I've got some el cheapo leather cleaner somewhere, that I used on the Eldo's shifter knob, which is tan, so you can imagine, & worked well - but, of course I couldn't find it.

Remember that LED sidelight that appeared dimmer than the other? Today, it appeared to have gone out. Actually it's just VERY dim, barely glowing in fact (who said they last X,000 hours?) so that's gone in the bin. There's some more stuck in the Christmas post, can't wait to see what the "50w" ones are like!

The mystery of the wipers deepens: looked at them more closely today - it wasn't raining! They're a new pair (well as close to a pair as 2 blades of different lengths can be)! How could this happen? Why would anyone sneak up to a strange car & replace the wipers - & when? Does this car have a secret admirer?? (even that doesn't really make sense because, aesthetics aside, it didn't obviously need new wipers - well, not at the front).

[CitroJim]

Yes, as an Exclusive it should indeed have a passenger-side dipper Van...

Your leather seats once went baaaaaa

I know Mortehoe - it once had a railways station on the line from Barnstable to ilfracombe... Shame it closed as it would be a cracking scenic tourist railway now It had some killer ruling gradients though...

And Xantias do have wipers of two different lengths

[Gibbo2286]

Van, The mystery of the wipers deepens: looked at them more closely today - it wasn't raining! They're a new pair (well as close to a pair as 2 blades of different lengths can be)! How could this happen? Why would anyone sneak up to a strange car & replace the wipers - & when? Does this car have a secret admirer?? (even that doesn't really make sense because, aesthetics aside, it didn't obviously need new wipers - well, not at the front).

Are you sure it's your car, you haven't done what one of my mates did and got into a lookalike He didn't find out until the cops knocked on his door and asked him why his car was parked in town for a week.

[van ordinaire]

Yes, as an Exclusive it should indeed have a passenger-side dipper Van...

I'm beginning to suspect the passenger mirror's been replaced with an S.1 one. Shame, I'ts a particularly useful feature when parking outside the London address.

Your leather seats once went baaaaaa

aaaaaa, that'd explain it - so, are they really "leather"?

I know Mortehoe - it once had a railways station on the line from Barnstable to ilfracombe... Shame it closed as it would be a cracking scenic tourist railway now It had some killer ruling gradients though...

Yes, one of those places with an otherwise inexplicable "Station Road" - & the pub's got a few locomotive name plates on display. That'd be the line my mother went to school on

And Xantias do have wipers of two different lengths

I know, but I didn't want someone picking me up on describing them as a pair when they're obviously not - & "set" suggests all 3 (perhaps "brace" would've been a better word )

[van ordinaire]

Nice story Gibbo but, yes it is mine - & I can't believe anyone else thought it was their's, even for the time it took to change the wipers

[Gibbo2286]

I think that dipping left mirror in reverse can be set to work or not in the on-screen menu, I know there's the option in my menu but it's an option not actually fitted on this car.

[CitroJim]

Your leather seats once went baaaaaa

aaaaaa, that'd explain it - so, are they really "leather"?

Oh yes, definitely leather... Leather does not have to be made from cows... Any animal skin can become leather of different sorts... Some rich women become leather after lying in the sun for many years

Chamois Leather is, for instance, traditionally made from the skin of a chamois - a kind of mountain goat - but is often made from sheepskin these days...