White valver leather and a/c (ebay)

[TizzyD]

What's the thing to the left of the front fog switch ?

[RobC]

Looks like aftermarket alarm left of the foglight switch. Or perhaps chav underbody lights

I think the heated seat switches would be on the centre console, if fitted. I must admit I never knew they were ever on UK market cars either. Happy to be proven wrong!

[BX4X4X2]

Also can`t say I`ve ever seen heated seats in a BX, but I will always regret not buying a black 16v down in W-S-M that had leather, AC, cruise control (aftermarket on side of dash) and even a proper shaped dog guard!
Perhaps if it`d had some of those floor mats I would have changed my mind! (I`m sure I read somewhere they give an extra 10bhp)

[Thread Bear]

Just setting off on a day out taking in a viewing if this car. After fitting a wood floor till 2.30am last night, with chums and libations, I need a change of scenery. Not great on a/c but leather seats, yeah baby! Pretty much top of the range for a BX. Has to be sniffed. The great smell of Diana Rigg? Though I think a Gti extends beyond my comfort zone in its sensors and so on, so I might have to out source that element should one come to me.

It gives me a fair sample of the later range of cars available, if acquired. Later we will see which ones I like.

[Thread Bear]

Pleasing drive out save my washers packed up. Driving into low sun with specky screens is not pleasant. Having swatted up on the sellers location I managed to arrive after only one wrong slot. Clearly the right place as an tweaked A30, various metros types and other projects jostling for position on the drive.

The March 1992 Gti was sat at the road end of the drive. On its third owner. Ex company car sold to an employee in Ledbury in 1995, and then to the seller in 2000. It seems pretty solid, which matches the reasonable mileage, and the fact it has been stashed inside since 2006. It has a reasonable spread of extras to go with the leather seats. Mudflaps, headlamp covers, sunroof deflector - indeed sunroof on an air con car, rear head rests, central rear seat arm, tinted rear lights and so forth. It also has Knight Rider LED and a proximity alarm, if you like those sort of things. New octopus had not resolved all the suspension issues and in fact it would seem to have the exact same prob I have with Gary. It blows out of the strut rubber itself. On giving it some LHM it managed to pump up OK. The rear spheres are pretty fresh. So chassis wise I felt it was a reasonable car in need of the usual TLC and sorting normal BXtrics.

The engine had suffered a failed cam belt. This was why it had had the head rebuilt. It ran up OK but my sense was that it was not a totally happy unit. There could be many reasons, and lack of use is never good for any car, but there could be an underlying problem there. Add to that the Air Con was decommissioned and some parts not present, including the radiator for A/C, meaning there could be issues getting that working again. So I was beginning to feel a little negative.

It then became clear that a second car had been broken up, back when this car was in regular use. The mechanicals had been sold. However it seemed about 1/3rd of this car was left as spares, including another set of lights, hinged panels, dash assembly and so on, some doubling up the optional extras. None of this was really mentioned in the advert, and it swung the value towards offsetting a risk on the engine.

Having sniffed, scratched and scuffled under the car it was haggle time to see where things really were on a deal. That it has a sunroof might be debated as a good point or bad point but it underlines my feeling A/C is a bit of a waste of time in the UK. That said, as a near top of the range model, this car's ultimate retail sale price will, in part, depend upon the A/C working. Not that this is why I am buying the car. I just fancy a few dances with a Gti to see where we get to. If I like it, it can stay a while, if not, then it can find someone to love it, as the potential is there for it to become a top ranked example for a more dedicated type of owner than, perhaps, myself.

Then my new chum helped me persuade the washers to start working again and it was a drift home via a meal to digest buying another car I do not need and how to get it, and a volume of spares, home in one hit.

[Mike P]

All 16V, bar a handful in Australia, will have a sunroof.

I have viewed a 16V in this country that didnt have a sunroof, as it was meant to be a RHD import but the owner had no paperwork to back that statement up and I walked away from it unsure if it was a reshell or not.

Mike P

[Thread Bear]

That will explain that then. Seller wasn't sure why it had the Sunroof and assumed it was an addition to the build rather than the other way round with A/C as the addition. To me it just seems illogical. But then life tends to be that way and so no basis for good judgement always.

[citsncycles]

I think for quite a while Citroens up to and including ZX's and Xantias had a sunroof as standard, with the aircon as an option.

[RobC]

Yes. Sunroof standard; a/c option.

Re the sound of the engine. 16v engines will sound different to others in the BX range, and will rarely idle 'politely'. This is because they are so highly tuned and uber sensitive to the slightest change in belt tension, which the affects cam timing. If it sounds 'funny' at idle it doesn't necessarily mean something is wrong as long as it pulls nicely once you get going - and particularly so above 4,500 rpm. Also they can sound quite tappetty until the oil warms up. There is a wealth of literature about these engines all over the internet, thanks to their history as an 'upgrade' for pug 205s. Simply search for Mi16...

Naturally do ensure that plugs, cap & rotor, leads and coil are all healthy, keep the oil breather hoses and air intake/bypasses clear from mayo and well sealed, make sure the fuel filter is clean (a commonly neglected point, since it's hidden away behind the rear wheel), and that's about all you can do. You can spend many hours agonising over the rough idle on a 16v; to be honest your time is just much better spent driving the thing.

[Stinkwheel]

CX's didnt

i had a pallas that someone had specced a sunroof and AC. This was seen as foolish by the dealer apparantly but they let him order what he wanted, it was his money !!!

[Thread Bear]

Yes. Sunroof standard; a/c option.

Re the sound of the engine. 16v engines will sound different to others in the BX range, and will rarely idle 'politely'. This is because they are so highly tuned and uber sensitive to the slightest change in belt tension, which the affects cam timing. If it sounds 'funny' at idle it doesn't necessarily mean something is wrong as long as it pulls nicely once you get going - and particularly so above 4,500 rpm. Also they can sound quite tappetty until the oil warms up. There is a wealth of literature about these engines all over the internet, thanks to their history as an 'upgrade' for pug 205s. Simply search for Mi16...

Naturally do ensure that plugs, cap & rotor, leads and coil are all healthy, keep the oil breather hoses and air intake/bypasses clear from mayo and well sealed, make sure the fuel filter is clean (a commonly neglected point, since it's hidden away behind the rear wheel), and that's about all you can do. You can spend many hours agonising over the rough idle on a 16v; to be honest your time is just much better spent driving the thing.

That could well cover what I was listening to. Just when a guy does the hard task of a rebuild on the head, you wonder why he is selling. He seemed a proper sort of petrol head to me and had, like most of us, to many projects. So judgement will be on the road to start with as the vibes said it was a reasonable risk. The joys of a none runner but given some time I think it could go to the road relativity quickly. That will not be till spring has sprung. Need to attend where the Gti go to gain enlightenment.

[Stinkwheel]

I will agree and back up the thoughts of lumpy idle sometimes on 16v's.

My black one was rock solid idle, but it was only 9 years old at the time. My white one was very lumpy as was my red one, they both went well though.

If i remember correctly the dizzy cap is an issue sometimes as they used to be properly expensive so didnt always get changed when they should have been.

[Thread Bear]

I had issues with the HT system on my Visa Gti, the big un. Wonder if it survived? Keeping the energy in the cap and leads was a problem. You could open the bonnet at night and see which lead was firing and tracking. I never really solved the problem but to continually change the parts when it got lumpy. The car was a complete nutters machine and far to fast for its own good. Pity, but not surprising, they are so rare now. Another would be tempting but ultimately it is a flawed car and the build was pretty crap. The BX Gti looks a whole better package. To think I sold a top of the range black one, as the head gasket had failed, when it was traded in against some pile of crap I was selling. It was nigh on mint, but practically worthless to any but the Pug boys at the time. Still that was then, this is now.

[Stinkwheel]

Ahh visa Gti, great fun, i had an e plate 115ch model. It had a fortune spent by the previous owner before i had it, it was truly mint. Loved it, unfortunately the youngish lad i sold it too crashed it rather badly ending its life, hence your point of rarity!!

[Defender110]

I have Air con and full sliding roof on my Renault Kangoo Trekka and there are times when one or the other is preferred so both do get used ; it is not a bad thing having the choice.