Purchase in an American XM desert - am I brave enough?
Posted: Sun Jan 29, 2023 4:07 pm
Greetings from Atlanta.
I’m excited to find this forum, and I hope you don’t mind a couple of newby simple questions. I fell in love with the XM when I spent 6 months in Avignon in the early ‘90’s. What a unique, special car.
First of all, I hope I’m not breaking some etiquette by asking these questions. I started in the FAQs and don’t feel I am.
I am close to pulling the trigger on a 1996 XM VSX 6 cylinder 72,000 mile, manual transmission red beauty. I haven’t recorded the RP number, but the VIN is VF7Y4GN0000GN566. Doubt it matters at this point, but it seems a frequent request.
I’ve checked the usual rust spots, seen that the suspension is doing what it should, started the car easily, and noticed nothing dripping underneath.
I understand that when you go for a drive in your lovely, old French car, and it doesn’t give you any grief, you don’t write about it online. You simply enjoy your ride.
Thus, I don’t have experience with all that goodness. I doubt there is a single XM within 500 miles of me. So, I can’t talk to a local about his recent drives. However, all I see during my research is how challenging it is to get ABS sensors, and I hear about hydraulic leaks, suspension valves that can’t be sourced, exhausts that weren’t made aftermarket, and keypads that go bad so you can’t even start the car.
As far as I can tell, there is no mechanic in Atlanta with any experience, much less expertise in managing Citroen’s suspension or other mechanical oddities. I can change oil, spark plugs, install a radio & cruise control, but I don’t think I would want to replace a leaking hydraulic line or mess with the spaghetti behind the dash (electronics).
So, my question to you experts: can I bravely pull the trigger and enjoy my ride for years? Or, will I shortly have a parked brick outside the home, wishing I’d never met the beast?
Not, of course, asking for any guarantees, but I would love to hear some wonderful stories about how many of you only need to change the oil regularly and the spheres every decade (whether you need to or not) to balance out all the challenges that do make it online and scare a potential buyer.
I also know of the all the initial quality challenges that necessitated S2 vehicles, but it appears the sought after rides are the S1 turbo diesels? Not sure I understand why that dichotomy exists.
Thanks for reading this far and any feedback you are comfortable providing. I hope to contribute a beauty story of my own soon.
-Pip
[PS - I have owned a 1991 SAAB 900 'vert since 1995. I have a 2002 Panoz Esperante which is likely much harder to source trim pieces for than an XM. So, I'm not afraid of an old car, and I can drive one that doesn't have everything working all the time. Just adding as a frame of reference for my expectations. Thanks.]
I’m excited to find this forum, and I hope you don’t mind a couple of newby simple questions. I fell in love with the XM when I spent 6 months in Avignon in the early ‘90’s. What a unique, special car.
First of all, I hope I’m not breaking some etiquette by asking these questions. I started in the FAQs and don’t feel I am.
I am close to pulling the trigger on a 1996 XM VSX 6 cylinder 72,000 mile, manual transmission red beauty. I haven’t recorded the RP number, but the VIN is VF7Y4GN0000GN566. Doubt it matters at this point, but it seems a frequent request.
I’ve checked the usual rust spots, seen that the suspension is doing what it should, started the car easily, and noticed nothing dripping underneath.
I understand that when you go for a drive in your lovely, old French car, and it doesn’t give you any grief, you don’t write about it online. You simply enjoy your ride.
Thus, I don’t have experience with all that goodness. I doubt there is a single XM within 500 miles of me. So, I can’t talk to a local about his recent drives. However, all I see during my research is how challenging it is to get ABS sensors, and I hear about hydraulic leaks, suspension valves that can’t be sourced, exhausts that weren’t made aftermarket, and keypads that go bad so you can’t even start the car.
As far as I can tell, there is no mechanic in Atlanta with any experience, much less expertise in managing Citroen’s suspension or other mechanical oddities. I can change oil, spark plugs, install a radio & cruise control, but I don’t think I would want to replace a leaking hydraulic line or mess with the spaghetti behind the dash (electronics).
So, my question to you experts: can I bravely pull the trigger and enjoy my ride for years? Or, will I shortly have a parked brick outside the home, wishing I’d never met the beast?
Not, of course, asking for any guarantees, but I would love to hear some wonderful stories about how many of you only need to change the oil regularly and the spheres every decade (whether you need to or not) to balance out all the challenges that do make it online and scare a potential buyer.
I also know of the all the initial quality challenges that necessitated S2 vehicles, but it appears the sought after rides are the S1 turbo diesels? Not sure I understand why that dichotomy exists.
Thanks for reading this far and any feedback you are comfortable providing. I hope to contribute a beauty story of my own soon.
-Pip
[PS - I have owned a 1991 SAAB 900 'vert since 1995. I have a 2002 Panoz Esperante which is likely much harder to source trim pieces for than an XM. So, I'm not afraid of an old car, and I can drive one that doesn't have everything working all the time. Just adding as a frame of reference for my expectations. Thanks.]