Welcome to The BX Project

Well its been a while since I've writ a sermon on THE car mostly as a result of being uber busy first with exams then with the ULM Formula Student car. On the degree front well i finally graduated after not exactly a short time, took a hell of a lot of effort but definitely paid off and i'm happy with the result! On the FS front well we actually got a car to competition and managed to get through scruitineering, noise test, tilt test and brake test and managed a lap and a half on the endurance race before terminal chassis failure led to a wheel coming off (Should have had Citroen hydraulics!).

So, the car! Well there has been little work done, mostly just trying to keep her with forward motion. I finally swapped out the second leaking FDV 10 days ago and the car is a totally different animal now, but as with all HP Citroen's, i fixed one leak and the low pressure return from the N/S/F strut is pooling out. Actually now i think about it, there's a hell of a lot more fluid than there should be, perhaps it is the return from the safety valve? General problem is that the fluid returns through a length of washer hose which has perished under the influence of oil. Haven't managed to source alternative pipe yet (everywhere is sold out of any suitable pipe!)

Anyways that's nothing compared to the list of other things amiss;

• sheared O/S/R ABS sensor (been like that for two years now)
• leak from one of the drive shaft seals
• blowing from the exhaust still i think
• inner wings are looking worse and worse by the day
• MOT due in the near future
• need to change to the aircon sump
• need an oil change to go with it
• N/S/F door wont unlock from the central locking, and is very very stiff on the key (suspect failure)
• roof console has deformed and rattles A LOT
• clutch is generally naff, it works just about fine but if you fully load it it just slips!

There's probably more that I'm forgetting so i might update in time

Just when i thought archieve footage couldn't get any more retro, I've gone and found this proper little classic! This is Freda (the car) at SantaPod showing just how slow the TD engine really is :P okay fine, it was a detuned engine from and estate but it was the FIRST BX 1.9TD and the reason this website even exists!

Rapid!

I spent Sunday 2nd of December competing in my first ever Club Autosolo with Accrington Motor Sport Club, and wasn't it good! For those that don't know, Autosolo is a little bit like slalom, but for cars, you compete typically on a flat car park (this one was on two car parks at different heights with a link road!) and race against the clock around a course marked out by cones, simple really!

Well the weather wasn't the greatest for my first ever attempt, it chucked it down all day, however it typically pounded down when i was marshaling and eased off when i was competing! There where twenty cars in all and i had been invited/dragged by a friend from Liverpool Motor Club.

First run was very very timid, i mostly didn't want to hit the cones or the kerb or get the course wrong! And i didn't do any of them, and came in with i think the slowest time in Club solo, but when i am the ONLY novice in our category, and most have been doing it for years, i felt very pleased with myself!

Second run, and while i'm on the start it was kindly demonstrate to me why i shouldn't hit the kerb, thanks John, so i didn't hit the second lap too hard either, but after that the second FLEW off!

In my class i was was unfortunately pitched against a 3litre Golf VR6, you'd have thought i didn't stand a chance, but by the 6th attempt i was considerably faster! Couldn't catch up the 20second lead he gained from my first slow laps, but bugger me did i drop my times, lost 12 second between 1st and 6th run! How much to i rock!

After lunch the course was slightly shortened (and hence the much faster times), my last attempt did not go well, i'd been playing with he suspension setting while waiting in the que and it had stayed very low, and as i took off it went the rest of the way to the floor! It was so bouncy and uncontrollable by the time i got to the first big U-turn i failed miserably and near smacked a cone, reversed back and still got it on the second attempt no real damage done, but i might get a plastic bumper if i'm gonna do it again

So i came 2nd overall in class (well there was only me and the Golf) but good god how much better could i have done! Oh, i forgot to mention, the Golf was on LPG!!! surely not allowed

overall results can be found HERE
Nice even if i do say so myself. One one seemed to be taking pictures, but if i find some i'll let you know! Oh, i can also reassure you that if you take a corner with enough determination the BX will definitely coch a leg!

he he i had fun

I'd totally forgotten about this brilliant piece of archieve footage, and though (when i recently un earthed it) that i really should make it available for your viewing pleasure, so here it is!

Smooth (if you ignore the tappets :D)

It's nice to be able to provide some news again, especially now i have pictures, just a shame that i haven't much to report! Problem is i'm back at uni and thus VERY VERY busy, things are just getting put to one side. On the plus side, just at the end of the summer hols i did manage to score a lovely big bumper for the Landy, and following fitting, used it in part to move the scrapper!