Low Mileage 2.0 Litre Sx Hatch, Too good to scrap

Very true, although we already have 7 cars between the 4 of us.

The Xm hatch does get used for occasional weekend use mainly, although we have two dogs, they fit in the boot fine but we cant use it on hot days since it doesnt have Air con and the dogs are directly under the rear window. Which is one reason it gets so little use.

Our Xm averages about 3K miles a year, it has been used more recently though, its done over 700 miles just in the last two weeks, and it has another 250 to do on saturday.

Another one wont harm We shouldnt really, we have been looking for an estate car (Xm or C5) not another XM hatch

Peter.N. - Id just realised how close your Xms registrations are, is that just coincidence?

This post has been edited by Citroenmad on October 16, 2008 11:44 pm

No coincidence WHATSOVER: Citroen seemingly only made manual 2.1's in a few weeks in 1996
and registered them altogether and Peter is aiming to own each one of the set!

Andrew

I've had three out of 61 sold - so far

You could read them?

This post has been edited by Peter.N. on October 17, 2008 12:22 am

Well i didnt know that

No, i had been going back over some old topics and found a picture of your green and red estates together.

I have rang about the silver 2.0 hatch, it sounds pretty good, I dont think its been used much at all over the last 4 years so it may need quite a bit of work. I think ill go and have a look at it next weekend, see if its worth buying.

I saw a blue 2.1TD manual estate on an N plate (didnt think to check the reg until i left!, but i asume its a similar plate) at a Citroen specialist today, looks pretty rotten and not in good health. It only had 98K miles on the clock and the interior looked ok, but the outside was a mess. I doubt it will be back on the road, so another one off the list!

Shame though, its just what im after!

My dad went to see this yesterday, its in good shape, the odd light scuff here and there, slight dent in the front wing. The underside is very good condition.

It looks very original, with all the original tyres! (which need replacing), the spheres are about gone so it needs 7 of those too.

Its now on 31K and the engine sounds a little tapety and the oil is low. Im sure a good service and some magic forte will clear this up mind. It had a new clutch about 4 years ago but since then its not been used much. It has been dry stored mst of the time, i think.

Ive made a rough list of what it needs with rough prices:

Tyres x 4 - £200
Tax x 12 months - £190
Mot test - £30
Spheres x 7 - £150-£175
Exhaust - £150
Cambelt kit and water pump fitted- £250
Transport costs to get it back - £150

Which is over £1100 without the cost of the car!

Everything on my list it seems to need to get it back on the road, maybe i could save a few pounds here and there but it needs to be right.

Plus there is the dent on the wing and the chrome strips that have the usual Xm issues. I replaced mine recently which cost around £300 for the complete set.

Its definitely worth saving as its in good condition, especially the chassis, pipe work etc. Its far to good to be broken for parts.

However my list of costs is more than the car itself is worth, and thats without the purchase price of the car.

My dad has made a fair offer, so they are going to ring us and let us know the verdict. He is very interested in the car, i wanted to go and see it as id like it for myself but could not make it, so we will have to see how it goes.

We may end up with two hatchbacks, when we really want an estate!

Im a little worried that we will buy it and want to keep our white one (as much as we love Xms, ours doesnt get enough use as it is, as we all have our own everyday cars, so sharing its mileage between two would be worse) leaving us needing to sell the silver hatch for much less than it cost, BUT it will be back on the road.

We have also seen a nice estate, i dont think we can squeeze in two more xms!

What do people think? Is it too much money to spend on it?

This post has been edited by Citroenmad on March 08, 2009 07:41 pm

I know all too easily how it seems like a good idea and can be justified to get something that
takes your fancy but doesn't actually meet the brief exactly; in your case an estate. I could
just say stick to your guns and hold out for the estate you mention or another yet unfound
one but where'd be the fun and the emotional rollercoaster of Citroening in that!

If you get this smart looking silver car at least you can stagger it's upgrade over a period of
time as it's not expected to be pressed into immediate service as a sole family use car so you
won't necessarily feel the big lump of cash vanish from the coffers.

Only you can answer the million dollar question to buy or not buy. I would as I prefer saloons,
but then, I'm not you!!

Where do you get £30 MOT's or do you do you get OAP discount (yes, they do a happy morning
for OAP's in this part of the world though I'm not eligible, yet...

Andrew

This post has been edited by Andmcit on November 03, 2008 01:33 am

I would have thought that adding another XM to an existing large collection when it is neither the specification you want nor in a roadworthy condition is possibly a bit silly. But hey - what are we all doing on this site if not being a little obsessive

For anyone interested, I've attached the full HPI report on the car (I have an Experian account). If you use my XM as a rough guide to the market, I would have thought this one is worth around the £400 mark. CAP value is £190 and Glass say less than the cost of a night out, though these aren't much use when dealing with 'enthusiast oriented' vehicles.

As you said yourself, you'll have to spend at least £500 getting it back on the road and properly legal, and after that you'll be spending money that you'll never get back.

Unless you're Wolsey Motors PLC...!

This post has been edited by ThwartedEfforts on November 03, 2008 01:33 am

Thanks for your reply, i guess its just Citroen ownership, it deserves to be saved, its had no life yet!

Its not as if we 'need' an estate, we use the VW for the dogs usually, but it would be nice to have a more dog-friendly Xm which we could then use more often.

Not quite! The MOT is actually £25! Its a garage my dad always took customers cars to when he was a citroen specialist, so they give a good discount. Although i get my own car and our other newer cars MOT'd at the local Ford dealer! They only charge £20 and have not yet failed any of them. I say newer as im sure if i took the van of Xm they would find some niggly fault!

I can imagine the white one staying too, its part of the family now! Plus for what its worth its not worth selling.

I just hope they take the offer, as what they want is not all that realistic.

Out of interest, does anyone know what its actually worth, with all the above done? Id think around £800 perhaps? Hmm it may seem much less than that.

This post has been edited by Citroenmad on November 03, 2008 01:54 am

Every place doing MOT's around these parts charge £45!!!
Even more painful than it already seems to be!

Andrew

Thanks for the HPi check ThwartedEfforts

I never go by parkers prices, certainly not for cars such as the Xm. They seem to under value just about every car. With the Xm you buy one because you want one, its not just any old cheap car. Or atleast its not to a small number of people.

See, if this is a car we will buy and keep for a few years, its worth putting the money into it. However if its only going to be with us a year or so and be changed for an estate it wont be such a good idea.

We always go about buying and selling cars in a backwards kind of style anyway

Besides, an Xm purchase is always a decision from the heart and not the head!

If we dont buy it i can see it getting scrapped, which would be a huge shame.

Xms really become addictive

This post has been edited by Citroenmad on November 03, 2008 02:10 am

This is the one mentioned in my readers rides:

We will be collecting it on Friday.

Its actually better than i had described above, however i had not seen the car myself until today. The dent in the wing is very minor, nothing which can not be pulled out without the need to paint. Only one or two of the chrome door strips have just started to go, pretty good then. However the front bumper corners and mirrors are scuffed but intact and working and the rear wing has some scratches - all things which can be fixed over time.

The body is totally rust free, unlike many S2 cars i have seem, its like new, not a sign of rust or corrosion anywhere, even the sills are solid and rust free. As are the strut tops and everywhere in the engine bay. Looks mint under there, under the car is in great condition. It had been stood outside for 7 months, however before this it was garaged when not in use.

It started up fine, even though it had been sat for 6 months without starting. Ran up to temperature fine, interior heater was very hot with the interior fan working as it should. Engine sounded smooth once the knocking had got quieter. I dont think its had a service in a good while, but once warm it was much better. A good service and some forte magic will have it purring again - hopefully!

It has only done 31100 miles and you can tell, the interior is like new. The whole car needs a good clean but thats to be expected, it looks like it will clean up very very nicely.

All electrics work fine, including the sunroof, windows, electric mirrrors and remote locking/deadlocks. Im happy it is the SX as there is less to go wrog as ever.

Cambelt kit and water pump is first on the list.
Brakes need looking at.
Suspension pipes need a good checking, most look good though.
Needs new spheres - fronts might regass and a LHM flush and replace
Needs a full set of tyres as its still on its original Michelins - look very unsafe
New backbox
And a good service should have it mostly done and ready for its MOT.

Yes its going to cost a bit to get it put right, however if you see it you would understand it is well worth saving, im glad we are the ones to do it I might even have this one to myself. What a nice find

Chris.

Congratulations! I am pleased it has been saved rather than scrapped. I will have to go round and ask for some commission - only joking of course.

Ken

Thanks very much Ken, without you it may well have been lost and broken for bits, which would have been a real shame.

Ill keep my readers rides thread up to date with the progression. Hopefully it will be fairly straight forward, with no hidden horrors along the way. Will be interesting to drive a manual one for a change.

Chris.