My rescued XM needs re-rescuing.
Posted: Thu Oct 19, 2017 10:15 pm
Hi everyone. I think that I should have been here a long time ago.
I live up in Co Durham and I'm a bit of a Citroen fan. I have a C15, (don't laugh!), a CX and a pair of Xms. Unfortunately, the only one that is on the road, (just), is the C15.
My 1st Xm arived some time around the early 2000s. It is a 89 2.0. I gave a bit of cash and a Lada Riva estate, (that didn't have a reverse gear.) It needed a brake valve, which I fitted myself, and a new clutch, which a local garage did for about £120. Pretty good, considering some of the quotes I'd had and even one garage telling me that it was not “economically viable”.
I then enjoyed it for maybe a year before it got laid up. Can't quite remember why, probably just a lack of cash as I was only working part time then and had the use of a company van. It is stored in a garage and a few years ago during one of the start ups it sprang a major hydraulic leak. It's still in the garage.
The real subject of this post is my 2nd XM. Round about 2006ish I called into a local scrappy to see if he had any Xms in. Turret tops were what I was looking for, (and they were probably the reason No 1 was laid up.) He pointed to a silver one just in.
Cutting a long story short, I looked around it and couldn't see why it was in. It was a 95, 2.1 with virtually unmarked body work and interior. Engine looked clean as a whistle, turret tops perfect. Thinking that the engine must be knackered I went back to the office to check.
No, I was told, heater matrix. Heater matrix? Blimey, that must be a big job then. Now, on the passenger seat I had noticed part of an old reg doc. I went back and made a note of the address, which was only 3 miles from where I lived. I went around that night and got to speak to the last owner who confirmed that he'd only bought it as temp run around and when the heater matrix went he simply scrapped it.
I got some quotes for a heater matrix and it didn't seem that much of a job and I couldn't bear the thought of it getting all stripped apart and cannibalised for bits so I bought it. I had to take a spare wheel with me as it was missing a wheel but after putting some diesel in it started right up and I drove it the short distance home. And that's the only time I've really driven it.
Now, on that short journey it did feel as if the suspension wasn't quite right and I think that there is something wrong with the rear height corrector.
Anyway, got it home and it too got “laid up”, parked up on blocks ready for the inevitable hydraulic leak.
Fast forward to the present. It is still parked up on blocks. It has been moved occasionally and I would regularly start it. Last year during one of the start ups it did indeed “spring a leak”, (about half way along the passenger side.)
Now, here is the crux of this ramble. I need to do something with it soon because it is blocking access to my Renault, (remember me saying how much of a Citroen fan I was.) I have a pretty early, British, and therefore rare, 1949 Renault 760 which I really do want to start restoring.
So I need to move the XM. Now, after standing for so long it is going to need some work. I was rather depressed last year when the front bumper seemingly simply fell off. Whether that is a sign of serious trouble or not I don't know.
After it sprung it's leak I stopped starting it because I didn't think it was a good idea with a major leak. However, around June time last year I thought that I would put a good battery on it and at least see if it would turn it over. To my immense relief it did. I cranked it a few times and stopped. Then did it again, and then a 3rd time until the oil light went out.
Of course I couldn't resist temptation. I punched the code into the keypad, which I was convinced wouldn't be working, and it turned green. Blimey! Turned the key and 3rd or 4th spin it almost fired. Tried again and it burst into life and ran beautifully. I've always thought that it was good engine. I didn't give it long enough to pressurise the hydraulics though and turned it off.
Now, I'm thinking of 2 options.
First one, does anyone know of any garages in the north of England that know XMs and would be likely to take it on to get it sorted and recommissioned?
Failing that, I might well be prepared to give it away to someone, providing that they can convince me that they would restore it and not break it, (unless it turns out to be beyond repair, which would surprise me.) Having rescued it once from a scrappy I'd hate to see it get broken now.
I'd really love to get it on the road, have a tow bar fitted and then it could tow my little Renault around. Anyone know of anywhere? Let me decide if it is too far away.
Cheers, LG.
I live up in Co Durham and I'm a bit of a Citroen fan. I have a C15, (don't laugh!), a CX and a pair of Xms. Unfortunately, the only one that is on the road, (just), is the C15.
My 1st Xm arived some time around the early 2000s. It is a 89 2.0. I gave a bit of cash and a Lada Riva estate, (that didn't have a reverse gear.) It needed a brake valve, which I fitted myself, and a new clutch, which a local garage did for about £120. Pretty good, considering some of the quotes I'd had and even one garage telling me that it was not “economically viable”.
I then enjoyed it for maybe a year before it got laid up. Can't quite remember why, probably just a lack of cash as I was only working part time then and had the use of a company van. It is stored in a garage and a few years ago during one of the start ups it sprang a major hydraulic leak. It's still in the garage.
The real subject of this post is my 2nd XM. Round about 2006ish I called into a local scrappy to see if he had any Xms in. Turret tops were what I was looking for, (and they were probably the reason No 1 was laid up.) He pointed to a silver one just in.
Cutting a long story short, I looked around it and couldn't see why it was in. It was a 95, 2.1 with virtually unmarked body work and interior. Engine looked clean as a whistle, turret tops perfect. Thinking that the engine must be knackered I went back to the office to check.
No, I was told, heater matrix. Heater matrix? Blimey, that must be a big job then. Now, on the passenger seat I had noticed part of an old reg doc. I went back and made a note of the address, which was only 3 miles from where I lived. I went around that night and got to speak to the last owner who confirmed that he'd only bought it as temp run around and when the heater matrix went he simply scrapped it.
I got some quotes for a heater matrix and it didn't seem that much of a job and I couldn't bear the thought of it getting all stripped apart and cannibalised for bits so I bought it. I had to take a spare wheel with me as it was missing a wheel but after putting some diesel in it started right up and I drove it the short distance home. And that's the only time I've really driven it.
Now, on that short journey it did feel as if the suspension wasn't quite right and I think that there is something wrong with the rear height corrector.
Anyway, got it home and it too got “laid up”, parked up on blocks ready for the inevitable hydraulic leak.
Fast forward to the present. It is still parked up on blocks. It has been moved occasionally and I would regularly start it. Last year during one of the start ups it did indeed “spring a leak”, (about half way along the passenger side.)
Now, here is the crux of this ramble. I need to do something with it soon because it is blocking access to my Renault, (remember me saying how much of a Citroen fan I was.) I have a pretty early, British, and therefore rare, 1949 Renault 760 which I really do want to start restoring.
So I need to move the XM. Now, after standing for so long it is going to need some work. I was rather depressed last year when the front bumper seemingly simply fell off. Whether that is a sign of serious trouble or not I don't know.
After it sprung it's leak I stopped starting it because I didn't think it was a good idea with a major leak. However, around June time last year I thought that I would put a good battery on it and at least see if it would turn it over. To my immense relief it did. I cranked it a few times and stopped. Then did it again, and then a 3rd time until the oil light went out.
Of course I couldn't resist temptation. I punched the code into the keypad, which I was convinced wouldn't be working, and it turned green. Blimey! Turned the key and 3rd or 4th spin it almost fired. Tried again and it burst into life and ran beautifully. I've always thought that it was good engine. I didn't give it long enough to pressurise the hydraulics though and turned it off.
Now, I'm thinking of 2 options.
First one, does anyone know of any garages in the north of England that know XMs and would be likely to take it on to get it sorted and recommissioned?
Failing that, I might well be prepared to give it away to someone, providing that they can convince me that they would restore it and not break it, (unless it turns out to be beyond repair, which would surprise me.) Having rescued it once from a scrappy I'd hate to see it get broken now.
I'd really love to get it on the road, have a tow bar fitted and then it could tow my little Renault around. Anyone know of anywhere? Let me decide if it is too far away.
Cheers, LG.