"BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires" (biturbo228)
05/11/2015 at 16:28 • Filed to: La Citroen
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"BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires" (biturbo228)
05/11/2015 at 16:28 • Filed to: La Citroen | 7
| 17 |
I’ve just driven my !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! down to the garage for it’s MOT test. These are my first impressions:
-It sounds like a mix between an old diesel generator and if you put a saucepan over your head and started hitting it with a wooden spoon. Oddly, this cacophony somehow manages to be charming.
-My god this thing is comfortable . That’s coming from someone who has daily driven a Jaguar XJ6 for the past year so that really means something!
-Hydropneumatic suspension that !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! at will is the next best thing after pop-up headlights (and anyone who has ever owned a car with those knows that they’re fucking awesome)
-People need to stop complaining about cars having enough power to keep up with modern traffic. This car has 70bhp from it’s 1.9l non-turbo diesel engine and I didn’t hold anyone up on my way there, nor felt like it was unsafe. The rev gauge isn’t even working so it’s not like I was pushing it either...
-This car is ridiculous. Brilliantly, endearingly ridiculous. It’s a real shame that the French manufacturers these days have lost their mojo a bit. When they’re on form they can create cars that transcend the world around them. Driving a Citroen is not an experience, it’s an event. It’s brilliant :)
Axial
> BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
05/11/2015 at 16:30 |
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I dunno, man. 375 HP under foot is pretty intoxicating.
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BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
> Axial
05/11/2015 at 16:36 |
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Absolutely! But necessary for one’s safety while driving in modern traffic? Absolutely not...
Pitchblende
> BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
05/11/2015 at 16:38 |
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A work mate of mine once had a Citroen of that era (I believe it was the bigger model that I can’t for the life of me remember the name of) and his only complaint about the suspension was that it appeared to make people in the back prone to carsickness.
RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
> BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
05/11/2015 at 16:39 |
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So you’d not been able to drive it when you first got it because it wasn’t MOT’able? Somehow I’d not recalled that.
duurtlang
> BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
05/11/2015 at 16:39 |
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Ah, the naturally aspirated BX diesel. The first car I ever drove without anyone on the passenger seat. They’re just brilliant. Slow, but fast enough. Our one had 330k km on the odometer at that time (2001), and was far from worn.
I’ve been trying to buy a BX in the last year or so. Driven a 16V, viewed another GTi. Haven’t bought one just yet though.
Anyway, did you get the hubcaps we talked about ages ago? I was in a French-specific junkyard last Saturday and spotted a red BX diesel (with turbo) with those hubcaps.
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BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
> duurtlang
05/11/2015 at 16:45 |
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I did! However, in red I prefer it with the black steelies :S I’m going to plastidip them to get them looking alright, then if I ever respray it (probably gunmetal grey if I do) then the hubcaps will go on :)
That one could be a carbon copy of mine :) I bet it still runs and drives. Oh, and mine’s on 172k miles (277k km) and it’s still chugging away. Good to know it’ll chug away for many years to come :)
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BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
> RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
05/11/2015 at 16:47 |
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The guys I bought it from drove it up to me, but that was without MOT, tax or insurance (sketchy people) so I knew it ran and drove, but I hadn’t driven it on the road up until now :)
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BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
> Pitchblende
05/11/2015 at 16:50 |
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The XM? They’re cool too :)
Yeah I can see how they can do that. It’s a bit like floating along on a cushion of air as opposed to driving in a car. Wallowy, but very comfy...
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duurtlang
> BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
05/11/2015 at 16:51 |
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Oh, I’m sure it will. Especially if you keep up the maintenance. Those engines will live forever, cockroaches, the rest of the car not so much but you’re familiar with the condition yours is in. Rust isn’t the biggest issue either I believe, I know you did some repairs but it’s a quarter of a century old. Just keep the suspension healthy preventively and it should be reliable and cheap to run.
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BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
> duurtlang
05/11/2015 at 17:04 |
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Yeah I plan to do a bit of a flush and lubrication with the struts when it’s back from the MOT man, as well as an oil change.
Luckily, it seems like the suspension spheres are working as they should. Nice soft ride rather than rock-solid bounciness...
My citroen won't start
> BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
05/11/2015 at 18:31 |
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I feel the need to drive one and compare it to my Citroen, in some ways they are quite similar. Hydra, not enough power but somehow perfectly driveable.
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BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
> My citroen won't start
05/11/2015 at 18:35 |
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I’d definitely consider your Citroen to still have the French-car mojo. Can you change the ride height on it or is it fixed?
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My citroen won't start
> BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
05/11/2015 at 18:40 |
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There are multiple heights I can pick from but it decides the best height over 40 Kph (it is my favorite party piece, when the front lowers itself at traffic stops and my first-time passengers think they are having a stroke)
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BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
> My citroen won't start
05/11/2015 at 18:44 |
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Hah! I can’t wait to try that out :)
Schaefft
> BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
05/11/2015 at 19:45 |
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Keep us updated, always love to read about members on here driving obscure cars. This article makes me more interested in checking out XMs on ebay...
davedave1111
> BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
05/13/2015 at 07:57 |
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Loving your work. Oddly, the 11th was the first time in this country I’ve ever worried about my acceleration.
Stopped here for a pee-break, and fortunately there was no traffic when I came to pull out:
Normally the traffic along there’s doing at least eighty, and can be pretty heavy. I wouldn’t want to try pulling out in those conditions with the limited visibility at that junction - you’re literally going from a standing start to 60+ as fast as possible to remain safe.
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BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
> davedave1111
05/13/2015 at 09:51 |
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Thanks :) yeah I wouldn’t want to do any risky pull-out maneuvers in the BX, and that does mean you might get a bit of heat from drivers waiting behind but driving an old clattery diesel does breed a certain level of ‘give a fuck’ attitude towards other people’s impatience ;)