My latest Xantia Activa

Tell us your ongoing tales and experiences with your French car here. Post pictures of your car here as well.
Quackers
Posts: 399
Joined: 11 Nov 2005, 13:58
x 17

My latest Xantia Activa

Unread post by Quackers »

Recently purchased Sl4yer's W/2000 Xantia Activa . Really regret letting my old Activa go back in 2011 and whilst the phase 2 C5's are really nice in there own way and the X7 C5's are just amazing, nothing made up for the zero body roll feeling on the country roads and roundabouts. So with it down to just 24 Xantia Activa's left road legal i thought its now or never again to have a truly special car.

I've already done 350 miles in it and only had it 5 days , i've been big corner hunting. :-D This will have to calm down though as i'm only to do 3000 miles a year with the classic insurance.

The good things, its had all 10 spheres changed last year, a hydraflush and a new clutch not too long ago, and she corners correctly. The Air Con works good, had a new ignition coil 2 years ago, and apart from a small hole on drivers seat interior is in very good condition.

It does have a few things that need addressing , but at the bargain price of £400 i cannot complain.

So first on the list was the drivers electric window not working as it made using carparks with barriers cumbersome , it did come with a replacement kit but the power connector did not fit. So it went into my local citroen specialist today to get that fixed and to give the car a once over.

Drivers Window now working :) , and car given a once over check £120 . Nothing to bad on the report, just exhaust had fallen off its mountings (which they put back), centre box is split and aux belt is cracking. Sl4yer did say on sale it does have the wrong exhaust on. So next job get exhaust sorted.

Other things i want to try and get done on it this year

- Cam belt and water pump changed
- Heater sorted, does not get hot and fans are not blowing strong (Could be expensive if it needs a heater matrix)
- Respray (It has pealing lacquer on 1 door, a few scratches and scruffs and the body work is just a little tatty)
- Alloys made to look like new
- Get the remote locking working again
- Remove the stickers in the rear window which have sun damage.
- Fix the cloth on the back of the rear seats which is falling off.

So looks like i very expensive few months in store for me but will be worth it to get an Activa in really good shape.
User avatar
CitroJim
A very naughty boy
Posts: 52130
Joined: 30 Apr 2005, 23:33
x 7017

Re: My latest Xantia Activa

Unread post by CitroJim »

Great to see you doing a blog Quackers and pleased the car is giving you lots of pleasure :)

Looking forward to subsequent blog instalments as work progresses ;)
Jim

Runner, cyclist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
wurlycorner
Donor 2024
Posts: 1497
Joined: 30 Oct 2012, 23:37
x 84

Re: My latest Xantia Activa

Unread post by wurlycorner »

Great news/plans.
Pics??? :)
--
Iain

'85 CX GTi Turbo s1 (met. blue)
2x '85 CX GTi Turbo s2 t1 (met. silver & grey)
'88 CX GTi Turbo s2 T2 (met. light blue)
CX DTR T2 Safari (silver)
2x '96 Xantia Activa (Black & met. green)
'01 C5 2.0 HDi LX Estate (Blue)
'11 C5 X7 3.0 V6 Exclusive Tourer
Quackers
Posts: 399
Joined: 11 Nov 2005, 13:58
x 17

Re: My latest Xantia Activa

Unread post by Quackers »

wurlycorner wrote: 15 Jun 2017, 21:46 Great news/plans.
Pics??? :)

activa_1.png
Quackers
Posts: 399
Joined: 11 Nov 2005, 13:58
x 17

Re: My latest Xantia Activa

Unread post by Quackers »

Just got her back from the garage , new back box and middle box fitted, the CAT was still ok. £190 in total.

Think i want to try and tackle the lacquer peal on the rear drivers side door and the tatty paintwork next as its driving me nuts every time i look at the car. Think i will just go for a basic external only respray. As much as i would love a proper full respray the costs i'm seeing other people say online is too much for me, £1000 is the most i'm willing to pay for the paintwork and even that is making me uneasy, i'm seeing people say a proper job is more between £2500 and £10,000 online.

I did try a T-Cut at the weekend to see if it would make it look more presentable and then just go for the lacquer peel repair on 1 panel and a touch up on the bonnet but it did not achieve too much, looks a little more shiny.
ekjdm14
(Donor 2020)
Posts: 1878
Joined: 19 Jan 2015, 18:42
x 222

Re: My latest Xantia Activa

Unread post by ekjdm14 »

Be interested to see what it costs you in the end & what company you go with as we're not far from you. Sometime in the future the Escort NEEDS a respray badly & I was thinking the same, blowover in same colour, blended into the door shuts etc but leaving things like the engine bay/boot areas/door shells as they are.
'95 Xantia LX 1.9D-auto, Black, 118k
'97 306 XS 1.6i, Blaze Yellow, 24k
'96 ZX SX 1.9TD, White, 87k
'09 407SW 2.0HDi, Black, 120k
User avatar
van ordinaire
(Donor 2017)
Posts: 2537
Joined: 23 Jun 2015, 14:45
x 405

Re: My latest Xantia Activa

Unread post by van ordinaire »

I couldn't bring myself to spend that much on a £400 car BUT maybe £1,000 for a respray's not so bad, I was quoted £400 to deal with the lacquer peel & electrolytic corrosion & paint the bonnet on the '98 STS.
Citroens:-
'81 2CV Club :cry:
'05 C15 :!:
'97 Xantia Exclusive estate [-o<
others:-
Jeep XJ Cherokees x 3 :?
'96 Cadillac Eldorado
'99 Cadillac STS :|
& the numerous "abandoned projects" #-o
elma
Posts: 3745
Joined: 13 May 2007, 02:17
x 287

Re: My latest Xantia Activa

Unread post by elma »

Im quite interested too. My car will have body improvements done as the last job. It needs one rear shut welding, the bootlid painting and both rear wings need a little work.

I'm saving it until last and dreading the cost. I could do the welding myself but will get a better job by someone that does it everyday. Not that the car will look perfect afterwards, im not having every little bump removed, just rust bashing.

With tyres at many hundreds, ignition coils at £100 each and a full set of spheres at £250 it could be a while until I turn up at the body shop.
User avatar
CitroJim
A very naughty boy
Posts: 52130
Joined: 30 Apr 2005, 23:33
x 7017

Re: My latest Xantia Activa

Unread post by CitroJim »

I'm watching with interest too as my Activa needs a full respray...
Jim

Runner, cyclist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
Sl4yer
Posts: 849
Joined: 12 Apr 2003, 04:29
x 2

Re: My latest Xantia Activa

Unread post by Sl4yer »

Quackers wrote: 15 Jun 2017, 17:11 Drivers Window now working :)


Good work! Really pleased to hear that.

James
Image
Now Citroenless for the first time in 20 years
2008 Mazda RX-8 231
2007 Honda CR-V Auto
Quackers
Posts: 399
Joined: 11 Nov 2005, 13:58
x 17

Re: My latest Xantia Activa

Unread post by Quackers »

Got another cosmetic issue sorted today, the cloth over the back of the rear seats was coming off.
IMG_1276.JPG.jpeg
with the magic of glue, all is better.
IMG_1277.JPG.jpeg
User avatar
CitroJim
A very naughty boy
Posts: 52130
Joined: 30 Apr 2005, 23:33
x 7017

Re: My latest Xantia Activa

Unread post by CitroJim »

First time I've ever seen that happen :shock:
Jim

Runner, cyclist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
ekjdm14
(Donor 2020)
Posts: 1878
Joined: 19 Jan 2015, 18:42
x 222

Re: My latest Xantia Activa

Unread post by ekjdm14 »

CitroJim wrote: 30 Jun 2017, 15:03 First time I've ever seen that happen :shock:


Really? the same thing is happening (to the same side) on our leather seats... I thought it'd be quite a common failure, old glue dying. Must remember to shove some carpet tack behind ours before it gets worse...
'95 Xantia LX 1.9D-auto, Black, 118k
'97 306 XS 1.6i, Blaze Yellow, 24k
'96 ZX SX 1.9TD, White, 87k
'09 407SW 2.0HDi, Black, 120k
Quackers
Posts: 399
Joined: 11 Nov 2005, 13:58
x 17

Re: My latest Xantia Activa

Unread post by Quackers »

Managed to get a few things done in the last 2 weeks, aux belt changed as that was cracking , number plate taken off and put back on straight and put a brand new shiny citroen badge on. Looking better now :-D
Screen Shot 2017-07-20 at 15.14.01.jpg
Screen Shot 2017-07-20 at 15.14.24.jpg
User avatar
CitroJim
A very naughty boy
Posts: 52130
Joined: 30 Apr 2005, 23:33
x 7017

Re: My latest Xantia Activa

Unread post by CitroJim »

Excellent :D A wonky numberplate is a thing that would drive me mad...

Starting to look good!
Jim

Runner, cyclist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...