BX v ZX

ken newbold · Post by **ken newbold** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 9:31 pm

After a month of driving round in a ZX td estate, I've been out in the BX d auto today.

First thing I noticed was how much bigger the car felt, how much higher the driving position and then we set off

There's simply no comparison! I thought at first the local council had done away with the speed bumps but quickly realised I'm now in a car with a suspension system. OK it doesn't perform like the ZXtd but who cares, comfort over performance anyday.

I went to the scrappies in Leeds to get some plastic crap for my ZX dashboard that some previous numpty had smashed to bits when fitting a CD player. I've even replaced the heater blower so now I can have the heater on more than position 2! before the vibration would have shaken the car to bits

The J reg BX tzd turbo is still in the yards.

MULLEY · Post by **MULLEY** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 9:36 pm

Sounds like you might need to get a bx diesel estate

ken newbold · Post by **ken newbold** » Sun Nov 15, 2009 12:56 pm

Don't think I haven't considered it!

There are 2 really nice TZD estates for sale right now, although I think one will selll for well beyond my budget.
Also I quite like the ZX even though it's quite a nasty little car in my opinion but at the end of the day, "it's just a work tool" I can park it anywhere and not worry about it!

Post by **Tim Leech** » Sun Nov 15, 2009 8:41 pm

Must agree Ken, drove the GT back from the NEC today, 24 year old car that sang up the motorway at 90 with no problems with some bemused looks on people faces as I went by, you can see the cars in front boucing up and down on the rough road surfaces as I glided over them in silence and comfort.

I guess we are spoilt!

MULLEY · Post by **MULLEY** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 10:16 pm

I think you've hit the nail on the head Ken, its just a work car.

Tourist · Post by **Tourist** » Tue Nov 17, 2009 12:06 pm

ken newbold wrote:it's quite a nasty little car in my opinion

Really? I thought mine was a good little car, but it was an early one and yours was a late one, the last ones were quite nasty.

Philip Chidlow · Post by **Philip Chidlow** » Tue Nov 17, 2009 12:26 pm

I really liked our ZX Aura TD (1993) and 1995 Volcane TD. Great little cars. Handle better than a BX but obviously don't ride so well.

toddao · Post by **toddao** » Tue Nov 17, 2009 7:15 pm

I have never been in a ZX though I'm a fan of the styling. There's an early ZX Volcane laid up near here and has gone a lovely washed out red/pink. I went to look because I wanted to pinch the top rear spoiler for my similarly faded 16v but then I thought - should be saved really complete. Everything is there. It's the four door version which I actually prefer for looks, anyway..

Let's have a self portrait of you in your ZX then Ken driving down the fast lane at 80. You know how much I like those 'action shots'

. Or just a normal snap of it - I quite like the estate too. Was that the work of Heuliez?

Kitch · Post by **Kitch** » Tue Nov 17, 2009 7:27 pm

I always though quite highly of the way the ZX rides. Ok it's not as well controlled as a BX's system as you'd expect, but for springs it's great. In fact I'd say it has a better comfort/handling ratio than the BX.

Still prefer the BX obviously. Little things about ZX's make me dislike them....the dashboard, the gear lever, the feel of the door handles and the sound the doors make when they shut. The way the heater blocks up and the way the front brakes creak as you release them at a junction is an annoyance too.

roody262 · Post by **roody262** » Tue Nov 17, 2009 8:26 pm

I've always been a fan of the ZX had a Volcane TD as my first car which today was part exchanged for a 3 door 2.0l 16V version

.

There are a few annoyances about the car, its the same with every car though. I think its whats wrong with the car that gives it its character.

ken newbold · Post by **ken newbold** » Tue Nov 17, 2009 8:32 pm

Kitch wrote: the feel of the door handles and the sound the doors make when they shut. The way the heater blocks up

Sounds just like a golf

well not exactly, sounds more like crap!

as for the heater blocking up, now I've got a blower motor in it than doesn't shake the car to bits at anything more than pos2. The heat coming out of the thing is still not good. Is this an easy fix, or should I just buy a thick coat for the winter

DavidRutherford · Post by **DavidRutherford** » Tue Nov 17, 2009 9:09 pm

ken newbold wrote:as for the heater blocking up, now I've got a blower motor in it than doesn't shake the car to bits at anything more than pos2. The heat coming out of the thing is still not good. Is this an easy fix, or should I just buy a thick coat for the winter

Disconnect both pipes to the heater matrix, and alternately flush the matrix in each direction with mains water, and then use a wet-or-dry vacuum cleaner to vac the matrix through each way. Removed a remarkable amount of sludge from my 405 and made the heater much hotter.

Post by **docchevron** » Wed Nov 18, 2009 3:13 am

and if you do need to change the matrix, if it's anything other than a base model with no wiring in it at all, buy another car.. Arse of a job..

That said, the TD Volcane was pretty hellfire, although the only ZX I would have is the 1.9i Volcane, 8valve. Ok, doesn't have the extra grunt of the 16v, but IMHO the best of the bunch by a long way, my mate had one, and a 2.0i and I've driven a couple of 16v's, but that little 1.9i was a beast.

Matt H · Post by **Matt H** » Wed Nov 18, 2009 3:34 pm

I always liked the idea of a Volcane TD... I always thought the bumpers looked a bit BX 16v

I went off the idea when I found out I could actually insure a BX 16v for the same price

Tourist · Post by **Tourist** » Wed Nov 18, 2009 8:50 pm

ZX Volcane = ins group 10
306 D Turbo = ins group 5

Seems like a big difference for cars which have the same chassis and engine