Red_dwarfers EPIC XM adventures

[red_dwarfers]

Realised I haven't really got much on here about my XM, a 2.1 Turbo Diesel VSX with a manual gearbox, registered on 27th November 1997 but built in late '96. It was a Citroen car until September 1999 when it was sold to a gent in Gloucester via Citroen Hallmark Approved Used. This chap ran the car from 56,230 miles on 04/09/1999 right up until around 180-185k in 2005. Some serious mileage, mostly long distance motorway driving. Looking at the history he was a very organised bloke and always had the car serviced or repaired at the dealer or Citroen specialist with no expense spared. Judging by the condition of the car I'm assuming he kept it in the garage when not using it.

In 2005 he decided to parked it in the garage and declare it SORN until 2010 when he sold it to messerschmitt owner on here. Again another organised bloke who even kept the newspaper the car was advertised in!

I bought it in 2011 and can honestly say, if we ignore the lack of air con, that it's my dream car. I use the XM for 6 of the warmer months, the other 6 it lives in the garage and the Xantia comes out to play.

Weekend just gone was it's first time in my ownership abroad



Photo courtesy of Chris Salter

Can anyone guess where that was taken to?

[messerschmitt owner]

Kev
it was indeed garaged all its life in Gloucester.

And I think it's benefited in your ownership.

Last owner was a CCC member too.

It's replacement was a much smaller Citroen.

[captainhaddock]

Nice car, good wheels! Could be Gent....in Belgium maybe, it must be Belgium!

[red_dwarfers]

Thanks

Yep. Ypres in Belgium!

[robert_e_smart]

I want to go to Brugge, especially after drinking so much "Blanche de Brugge" in France when I studied there and watching the film "in Bruges"



http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0780536/

[russ92xmsed]

Good film that.

[Vince]

You don't have get around Kev

The xm is looking good Kev....

[red_dwarfers]

I'm using the XM again for work since fixing the oil leak from the sump gasket, I let the gasket sealer/gasket/gasket sealer sandwich dry a bit before bolting onto the sump then did it up loosely before waiting a bit longer and torquing it up.
There is a slight weep from a pipe going into the front hydractive block which I'll look at some point next spring and the leak off pipes could do with replacing. I've learnt my lesson to use proper PSA leak off pipe from GSF rather than the generic rubbishy pipe. It's not really much more expensive and is stocked on the shelf of my local branch.

I'm going to be dropping my XM down to Innovate Automotive down in Bridport, Dorset for a few days so that Paul can work his magic on the paintwork. He did the Peugeot 605 when we had that, his XM and a Renault 21 Monaco (couldn't get hold of a 25 for that weekend!) on the Bristol Classic Car Show stand this year and it looks the business. He likes cleaning XMs he says, his is stunning, I think he's on this forum but not certain. I can't wait to see mine afterwards.

There seems to be a few XM owners I've met around here, there's another in Crewkerne with a black S1 and also a close friend over near Honiton with an S1.5 Prestige.

I'll probably use the XM until October/November time before hiding it away for winter.

I went for a drive over to Lynmouth and Porlock in Somerset to take a photo of a AA box for a French Car Forum challenge, here's a couple of photos from the trip. I feel so lucky to live near countryside like this!

[Dieselman]

Good to see you are still around Kevin.

[citroenxm]

Thats a lucas EPIC car...?

Could do with asking you a few Qs .. are you on FB messenger?