How much money can you throw at a BX?

ohms69 · Post by **ohms69** » 03 Mar 2004, 04:27

I think I've gone mad!
The BX was only ever intended as a cheap workhorse... The sort of car that gets regularly serviced, but rarely washed and not often thought about!!
How could I have been so foolish![:p]
I think I need therapy for a disease known as BX fever...It's starting to take over my life. What started out as a £400 shed is quickly turning into a £1000+ obcession. And the probelm is I can't stop spending money on it.
I knew the car had the odd fault here and there, and to be honest it was always my intention to ignore these minor foibles, and reap the fruits of cheap A to B motoring.
But the more I drive the car the more I seem to love it...Sad, I know.
My biggest problem at the moment is the colour of the car. I hate red cars, but yet my BX is of the said colour...Why did I buy it? Because it was mechanically sound...So who cares what colour it is?
well, it would appear I do!
So, I'm thinking about spending yet more money on the workhorse and having it resprayed black.
I know I've lost the plot, but can anybody empathise with me?
Is it really worth splashing out the cash on a respray? I haven't even got a clue what it's likely to cost. Is there such a thing as a cheap decent colour change respray?
Your thoughts and opinions gentleman please...[:)]

Andy Pritchard · Post by **Andy Pritchard** » 03 Mar 2004, 04:57

In a word "NUT'S" Just go out and buy a black one!! as a good respray would cost you a grand!! Sorry!!

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » 03 Mar 2004, 05:06

Hair dye -
Shoe shine -
[8D][8D]
- honestly - if you first get that bite - it will end up with a concours d'elegance BX [:)]
- a car in better shape than off-factory [:I]
Any story behind your wish on a black BX ?
My first BX was indeed black - but an economy BX14 model with the standard black paint - no metallic gloss finish.
Personally I found this colour BX suited the best for the (large) rear "GTI" wing - which was fitted by previous owner.
Loved it to bits - only parted with it for the reason of trading in to a (-n older !) CX.
Still have a dream of a black CX Prestige [:p][:p]

Paulee · Post by **Paulee** » 03 Mar 2004, 05:35

I can feel some empathy having once had a flirtation with customising cars...
If you do all the peparation yourself you will find someone in the local Autotrader will do it for around £300 plus paint.
talk to them and go see them...
Thats how I found a superb body repairer / sprayer.

alan s · Post by **alan s** » 03 Mar 2004, 08:10

You should move to the tropics; soon lose your love of black cars then....[V][V] particularly ones that aren't air conditioned.[8D]
I agree, that bloody Bertoni did something when he designed the BX; almost everyone who sits behind the wheel of one falls in love with them and all seem to want to own the "Ultimate BX."
I drive a 16V, my eldest son who also owns a Nissan GT-R Godzilla, keeps it under a cover in the shed & drives a BX 16V if he wants to go anywhere. His girlfriend was looking to replace her car so a cheap 16 Trs came on the market so guess what she owns now? Another son has a TZi; all he ever wanted to own & drive was a BX & when his mates start bragging about their wannabe fancy cars, he patronisingly refers to them as "sedate looking family cars; kind of things you'd take grandma & the kids out for a picnic in on a Sunday." Another son bought a Lancer but has declared that the first decent BX that comes along, he'll buy it.
On the Cit boards out here, there's been heaps of Citroen "purists" who have long looked down their noses at BXs for being 'plasticcy.' Now as time's gone on & they've had reason to drive them, many are now also hooked.
As regards painting; brother, you certainly go the hard way about things. The hardest colour to paint over on the planet is RED...it bleeds through so needs special sealing. Added to this is the fact that plastic is another thing in its own right & I'd be learning to love it for what it is; a red BX.[:D]
Here's a website that gives some clues to painting & may be of some help if you decide to do some of the prep work yourself; I have painted quite a few cars but it's not a job I'd advise if you don't have a decent lock up garage with all the gear on hand.
http://www.thebugshop.org/bsfqpnt.htm
Alan S

DoubleChevron · Post by **DoubleChevron** » 03 Mar 2004, 09:08

Bloody Alan, he beat me to it again [:D]
I've decided, everyone owns ONE black car in there life before deciding, never, ever again.
I have a black '63 ID19. They look fantastic when clean. If you spend 2hours cleaning/polishing/buffing and no-one breaths near it, it looks fantastic for about 20minutes (at which time it looks like it's covered in a coating of dust). Every mark/scratch stands out like dogs balls, and it's to bloody hot to ever consider driving on a day when the sun might be shining (which is great considering I live in Australia).
Best colour ?? Metalic Gold, hides lots of panel damage, never 'looks' dirty and usually looks awful on all cars. White isn't a bad colour but looks very bland. Deep reds look good but are very hard to keep clean, dark blues are almost as bad as black ...
Hmm, how about a nice canary yellow car [8)] [:o)] [}:)]
seeya,
Shane L.

uhn113x · Post by **uhn113x** » 03 Mar 2004, 12:49

What has cost all this money? I have had my Series 1 since 1997 and it has cost about £300 in parts in that time!
It is silver, not red or black - only black car I have is DS

Brian Oblivion · Post by **Brian Oblivion** » 03 Mar 2004, 17:05

I love that incredible bright blue metallic that some Berlingos, Saxos and Nissan Almeras are painted in. The best IMHO would be that flip paint that Mk2 Nissan Primera GTs were painted, but I bet they didn't sell touch-up pens for them!!

tomsheppard · Post by **tomsheppard** » 03 Mar 2004, 17:18

I know where you are coming from. My last one cost about £1000 in bits over a year. Getting them just right seems to be an obsession!
Oh and Alan- you are tired, mate. As you correctly told me before, Bertoni didn't style the BX. The Bertone styling house did but the pen was that of the celebrated Marcello Gandini.

DLM · Post by **DLM** » 03 Mar 2004, 17:48

I didn't care much for red until I got my current BX (after "ivory" and white). After 12 years driving them and a few less tinkering, I think that the colour of a BX is immaterial so long as it does all the other things required from it. If you've located a good'un (getting harder nowadays), then keep it as it is, on the "if it ain't broke..." principle. On the other hand, if you have one as a project, and don't have to rely on it for your daily transport, then do whatever takes your fancy.....
A couple of the nicest-looking BX's I've looked over have had terminal problems. Some of the stoutest mechanically have looked like sheds from outside. Some have been terminal sheds.... and very few have been that rare mix you're seeking.
Tom - do you still have a working email? If so, please text it to me. Think I may have just located something useful for you...

ohms69 · Post by **ohms69** » 03 Mar 2004, 18:26

Thanks for the input chaps...It's good to know I'm not the only nutter in here[:D]
It's probably not worth resparaying, and having mentioned to the G/F this fanatical idea she has well and truly stopped me in my tracks.
the problem is that I have 2 BX's. One that is a fantastic gun metal grey with mint bodywork and leaky struts and one red good'un.
I'm seriously debating sorting the grey one and flogging the red one.
Sorry to offend Red lovers but I absolutey detest the colour. I've only ever owned one previous red car, and had to sell it for exactly the reasons outlined in this post./
I love my grey one!![:p]
It failed the MOT on leaky struts, leaky caliper and unbalanced braking forces. I'm assuming this is because of the leaky caliper. Is ther anything else more disastrous that could be causing the brake imbalance?[:)]

tomsheppard · Post by **tomsheppard** » 03 Mar 2004, 18:33

It is always worth pulling the caliper off and giving the sliding parts a good clean and a dose of copaslip. do both sides and check that the handbrake cables are equally adjusted. BTW I hated the grey colour of mine. The new one is- red. Most satisfactory!

alan s · Post by **alan s** » 04 Mar 2004, 02:14

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by tomsheppard

It is always worth pulling the caliper off and giving the sliding parts a good clean and a dose of copaslip. do both sides and check that the handbrake cables are equally adjusted. BTW I hated the grey colour of mine. The new one is- red. Most satisfactory!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Gandini, Bertoni....all sounded the same to me at that time of night[:D][;)]
and red, who couldn't love a red car??
They go faster don't they[?][?][:D][:o)]
Alan S [8D]

Post by **Jon** » 04 Mar 2004, 02:24

Too right Alan, my red ZX is faster than my silver Berlingo and my white ZX and my "Morello" ZX. (read, "Burgandy"). And all the others that were not red.... !? Except the grey BX16v of course, that wasn't red but was quicker. Obvious innit. [:o)]

Post by **philhoward** » 04 Mar 2004, 02:59

My BX is white (with brown patches on the roof

) and the Xantia is Black - as you say, black looks smart when spotless; shame the first puddle kills it off!
Had a VW Bora company car in metallic black - now that's the compromise. Looks black (well, it is!), but doesn't look dirty 20 minutes later (try 2000 miles later)!