Citroen XM Forum

Full of Hell yesterday

Giving the car its first really good clean in a while and I noticed the nearside sill line wasn't right; yes the twat in the tyre centre had tried jacking it up using the jacking point with the inevitable result. I am fairly sure this happened when I took it back to complain that the wheel balance wasn't 100% and it was probably the only time ever that I have not left clear instructions about jacking procedures. I foolishly thought they might have remembered.

Was full of woe and gloom about the damage that might have been done and what might have been revealed, but I took it to an old school independent this morning who was able to report that there were no holes and no welding required, so it is going back to him next week for some more straightening and underseal replacement. Still bloody annoying though.

Rob

It is annoying indeed Rob

Much the same with mine although that revealed welding is needed. Not much but enough...

Made a purchase today, it's not an XM and it's not even a Citroen, but it is French and I have high hopes for it's ability to brake my heart and bank balance - but I think it is quite lovely, Papa.













Promise I won't mention it again, but I am quite excited about it, especially as I found it less than 20 miles from home - result!

Rob

Crickey, an automatic as well.

I've only ever driven one Clio...The steering had about as much feedback as a supertanker.

Those Clios are excellent, I have driven a few back in the day, and they were great fun.

Mk1 Renault Clio!!! nice purchase Rob ....auto...ummmmm
That will look very good parked on the drive with the XM.

The MK1 was possibly the best Clio Nice one Rob!

Spent a couple of hours with Chris last week end doing an oil change and a general bit of a check over for the winter and all seems pretty well. The Lexia showed a plethora of old faults in the ABS but that was all, and when they were cleared nothing reappeared.

Apart from the M5 hydraulic incident, my only disappointment this year has been that I couldn't afford to get the bit of paint work done that would make it into a "real" beauty. I was quoted £250 for the nose cone and the door tops on both sides, which I think was a pretty fair price, but I decided that a new cam belt etc was a better investment this year - and then it needed an exhaust. And tyres. Oh well, next year maybe.

I did have a drive of Chris's Xantia HDI Exclusive Estate which I had been looking forward to, and while I think it is a cracking car in every other respect, I found the pedals very close together and myself rather clumsy. I know my XM is an auto, but two of our other cars are manuals so I am quite used to switching - strange.

I'm really pleased with the new (ish ) Clio, it is getting used to being used after a long lay off and seems the better for it. A first fuel consumption check shows it to be doing about 33mpg, which isn't fantastic compared to the C4 diesel, but I am developing a soft spot for it, which I haven't for the C4.

As an aside, a mate of mine who retired about the same time as me but has done well with his investments has spent about two years looking for a "fun" car. After a million false starts, he has bought an Audi TT for about 13k at about five years old. I think he will LOVE it, butI can't help thinking how many interesting cars I might have been able to buy, sell and enjoy for about ten years or more on that kind of spend. My starting point might be a BX GTI and an XM 24 valve, or maybe a ....

Blimey Rob, if you think the pedals are a bit close together in a Xantia then try a Saxo. They're like little toy ones and too close even for me and I'm not exactly massive in the foot department.

A colleague has an Audi TT at work, a fairly early one, and loves it to bits. Seems the early ones are beginning to attract a following now. All I know is that over speed bumps I can leave him for dead...

They're a bit cramped and claustrophobic for me.

For the price of that sterile Audi....you could have bought some cracking cars. I would have seeked out a Mk1 Safrane to kick things off! Not quite a sports car mind!
Then there's a Xantia v6 ....Jims fault that one! even a mk1 Mazda Mx5 would be quite fun.