BXProject

[stu]

I absolutely love the XM and at around 32mpg it's not even that thirsty, for a big heavy auto, but petrol prices have just got ridiculous and I need something that will run on chip fat.

Just done a search on ebay for diesel cars under £500 - which is probably what I'd get out of the XM - and come up with some odd, and some surprisingly cool, choices.

So, gentlemen, which one shall I bid on first?

A Disco?

A Taxi?

A small Peugeot?

A medium sized Peugeot?

A big Peugeot?

Another big Peugeot

Something weird and Japanese, yet strangely cool?

A farm vehicle?

A chav car?

If I was really feeling sensible I'd have a ZX 1.9TD estate, but none of those popped up...

[David]

Most of what you've posted there look either over your budget, fucked, or about as interesting as watching paint dry.

The 306 is an HDI, so SVO is a no-go. The Disco will be completely and utterly rotten (and only does 28mpg). The Landrover 90 sounds like a lash up (these did not have a transit engine in them from factory) The 205 sounds hideously small. The 406 is an electronic Lucas EPIC pump, the Bimmer is toss, the taxi is shagged and the delica has a shit fragile engine.

About the only one I'd have of them is the 405, and even these are a bit boring. They do handle very well though. A tad underpowered in 1.9N/A form though. I've driven many of the vehicles you've listed, but the only one I've owned is the 405 D estate. 700-750 miles on a 65 l tank of fuel is goooood.

What you need is a BX TD with a Bosch pump, or an early XM TD with a bosch pump. A xantia TD might possibly be a go-er too.

Or a personal rocket pack. That might work......

[Philhod]

Bandit has a Zant TD he is about to part company with PM him for details

[Terry]

Fuck it ............buy a 2CV ............mine costs the same to run per mile as my TZD

[stu]

Yup, flying rocket pack would do! I always used to fancy a 2CV but I've gone right off them since the crash for some reason.

I posted the list tongue-in-cheek really... I was just really surprised at the variety of mad cars a search for diesels under £500 within 25 miles of here threw up. I'd have never considered a Delica before, but now I really, really want a vehicle with curtains and Super Exceed printed on the seats!

[Philhod]

Ha Ha Ha. I don`t think he`ll fancy that, Tel, after swanning around in an
XM.

Is the relatively small imrovement in mpg that important to you Stu My 19 N/A BX only returns (genuinely) 45/6 MPG on day to day running, although on longer runs will constantly deliver 50+
For some reason similar Pug`s do slightly less well, probably due to being a bit heavier and, for some reason, rated with 2 BHP less?

Of the two ZX`s I`ve had, the N/A was better, just knocking about, but the TD would effortlessly give 55 on a run, as long as you kept it under 85

If you get a taxi, they are top speeded at about 65mph.
A Disco at £500?....don`t make me laugh. It`ll cost you that much again within 3 months, guaranteed.

If you go to your local major car auction, BCA or similar, or even smaller ones, you`ll find early XARA HDI`s going through at anywhere between £400 and a £1000 dependig on mileage/cond. X/Y 01`s will benefit from £125 / year road tax

Apart from that, none of your suggestions would seriously challenge your XM`s MPG

[David]

now I really, really want a vehicle with curtains

A C15 camper. You know it makes sense.

[Bx Bandit]

I used to drive a disco as a company pool car on customer visits...it was that or a Fiesta 1.2 (maybe 1.25 but the shit one...) I hated both...with extreme....well...hatred! The Disco had no end of g'box problems and I think they are also prone to rad problems as well. They handle like a sponge mounted on jelly, with the response time of the titanic.....................an utterly pointless vehicle.

I did once drive a 205 D (pretty sure it was a turbo as well)..SRDT?????
That went really well, but as David said it could be a shock going from an XM to a matchbox....

Why not consider a diesel XM....40 ish mpg...bit more for gentle motorway driving???

[docchevron132]

Bandits Xanty will surely have the EPIC pump aswell though wouldn't it?

Even later XUD Xanties with Bosch pumps will not like chip fat.

Surely a BX TD with Bosch pump is the only way to go if you want Citroëesqueness, DIT friendlyness and chip fatness. All in one sexy package.

TD XM's are fucking great cars, I really honestly mean this: when the silver auto I had arrived it was a 2.0i SEI auto.
It was thirsty, slow and unreliable.

Having whapped a 2.1TD auto unit in it, it was faster and did over twice as much to the gallon.
You'll have to get an S1 TD though since the S2's had the EPIC pump, and it will last about 20seconds on SVO..

As for what you found, interesting list!
I like 205's, really I do. But the only diesel I'd have would be the Turbo.
The 1.6 I hate, but the 1.9GTi is a great car, and the 1360 XS is a joy to drive...

[Bx Bandit]

Yep, my Xanty has Epic...not heard much good about them but I have to say that engine wise it's been faultless, the best thing about the car by far. Not much fun tho' compared to an XUD. Stu, have you not overlooked an abvious choice.........a BX TD?

[docchevron132]

The 2.1TD with EPIC is EPIC when it works. WAY more torque than a Bosch mechanical pump, but when they are bad, they are very very bad...

[smiffy]

Stu, have you not overlooked an abvious choice.........a BX TD?

I tend to agree, I'm delighted with the one I've just got!

[docchevron132]

You're delighted if you get a free cake.....

[Bx Bandit]

so am I, I like cake.

How is the delightful deisel Smiffy? Piccies then?

[Philhod]

Yes let`s have some Smiffy.....it is a fine example.......

You could find it more difficult to break

picture of a nice cream horn would be nice too

[Bx Bandit]

Charlotte gives Doc the cream horn!!!

**Note to Smiffy** CHECK OIL LEVEL

[docchevron132]

No she fucking does not! Ugly wench...
It's not bad at all is Smiffy's car, and best of all, it's got yellow headlamps!
How Parisian is that!

He did infact xheck the oil level at work t'other night, I think he's learnt his lesson...

[smiffy]

Yes, I have checked the oil level, and surprisingly, I made use of the free bus company oil dispenser!!
I will put some piccies on in the next day or two.
Tomorrows job, is to put the stereo and wiring for the CD changer and rear speakers in, and on saturday the CD player, and 6x9 parcell shelf from the 16v. Also the rev counter, and a temp gauge will be sorted out.

The front struts really do need to be looked at as they creek badly, but Doc tells me they are easy to sort out.
I think this car and I are going to get on very well!
john s

[Bx Bandit]

Yeah...but....you didn't mention the yellow lights

How fucking cooooooooooooooooooooool. I want some...mostly to be 'french' and boff boff boff etc but also as an antidote to the stoopid ultra modern ultra bright xenon shit with different chav colours to suit the anodised blinged up pieces of shit...hopefully, it will also make the drivers of the 5series (with american - always on amber warners) and the LEDs of some vulgar VAG based 'people's car' fill their own sense of self importance by looking down upon me as a poor peasant with yellows

[smiffy]

I didn't know the car had them until I turned on the lights at work to come home...They just look like clear ones.
They have yellow reflectors in them, which when you turn them on look the absolute dogs bollocks!
Thing is, I can't believe how much they are making the doc drool!

I put the stereo in today, and the wiring for the rear speakers is not only still there, but the tweeters in the C pillars actually work!!!
I will splice more wires into these, for the 6x9 parcell shelf.