Wanted: a relatively cheap XM to import

[Thegrind_Israel]

Hello, I am interested in importing a Citroen XM to the United States. I have a relatively low budget of around 4000 GBP/ 5000 USD for both purchase and shipping.

I am looking for a y3 trim 3 (SD or SED) turbo diesel 2.1L saloon or estate, with either a standard or automatic transmission, and Hydractive.

I have a list of preferred features (below) that I could live without but I would prefer having.

1. A sunroof(I have some fond memories of using my old car's sunroof I would like to share one day).
2. In-car phone (Motorola CarTel or similar).
3. Climate control.
4. 13th window.
5. An 'interesting' colour like blue, green, red, yellow/gold, or the brown and copper two tone.

I would prefer one with mild damage, as in fixable paint damage and dents as opposed to either basically brand new condition, or the other side of the spectrum being too damaged to even move on it's wheels.

I am going to install DIRAVI eventually, so I may eventually create a "retrofitting DIRAVI" post if there isn't one already. That is if it's even possible. Finally, I do not care if it is RHD or LHD, as I have used both in a car before.
I know I am asking so much for so little, and I'm not likely to find anything.

I apologise if I got anything here wrong, or if this is horribly written. I have never written a "wanted" post on the internet before, and me being American, I have little Citroën experience, especially with the XM.

[DownUnderXM]

Is it something to do with the northern hemisphere spring? There suddenly seems to be a surge of interest in owning an Xm!

Hopefully someone with a lot more experience than me will take up the challenge and respond to your enquiry.

In the meantime, have you read the Wikipedia article?

Although my experience is limited, I'll offer a few thoughts based on what I've learnt from this forum.

1. Diravi was only fitted to some LHD Xms, so starting with a Left Hand drive model would seem more practical - you would only need to acquire and bolt on the appropriate parts - not engineer something from scratch.

2. In addition, because so many more Xms were made with LHD than with RHD, you have far more chance of finding a car with the options you are looking for in Europe than in the UK (or Japan or Australia - also RHD).

3. Later cars ('97 on) have improved safety eg. 4 airbags.

4. How is your French/Spanish/Portuguese/Italian? Apart from looking within the (southern) USA, you are most likely to find a relatively rust-free example in the southern parts of Europe. While LHD XMs can of course be found in pretty much every country in Europe, fixing dents and faded paint is one thing - fixing rust is really another level.

5. It wouldn't be impossible to find a running example for sale in the UK, but it will take some patience to wait for the right one to come up for sale.

Cheers
Alec

[Dieselman]

As said, look in Europe as there is unlikely to be any rust and it will be Lhd, so much more practical for use in rhe USA.
There are a lot more Lhd Xm than Rhd, so there won't be a problem finding one.

Rust, rust and rust are the killers of an Xm. If Lhd was suitable for the Uk, there would have been a steady trickle of Xm into the Uk from Europe.

Any 2.1 Td is likely to have fairly high mileage, but that's not an issue. My preference would be for a manual gearbox, it suits the 2.1td better, makes for a more rewarding drive and will last a lot longer.

Only V6 petrols came with Diravi and I'm not sure there is even space to fit it in the 2.1Td, irrespective I wouldn't bother as it is lower geared and has no feedback when driving.
Diravi offers very light parking effort and return to centre even when stationary, but tends to leak more than regular Pas, due to the ram being made up of several parts.
The steering in standard Pas form was rated as being one of the top five steering cars of all time, pin-sharp accuracy, plenty of feel and is standard hydraulic assistance, so feels natural.

As far as costs, you need to research transport and import costs before looking for a car.