Citroen XM Forum

OK a rare post from me these days, but times are a'changing. Health is improving, and no thanks to the docs!

We bought our 2.1 manual from WHM back in February this year. Danny seemed uninterested in selling just anything, just getting his hands on the dosh.

The car has a years ticket, but have since found so many testable items which would have failed in a real test it's quite alarming. The parking brake was so inefficient it wouldn't hold the car on even a slight gradient, front tyres were respectively six pounds under and nine pounds over, and the offside nearly bald (he was supposed to have changed it!) the spare was flat and illegal, the exhaust leaked so we could smell diesel fumes in the cockpit, headlights so misaligned I thought a bulb was gone ...I could go on for so long it would bore you. OK, so why didn't I spot some of these things? Well, I had a ticket in my hand ... that used to be enough.

Shortly after I got our XM I sent a friend down there to look at one which was advertised on ebay. He phoned me and, well, I can't repeat here what he called me, and the heap of **** he saw in the flesh. Have to say, ours, with 260,000+ on the clock is now fine and going wonderfully. But it's under new management.

With hindsight, it would have been better to spend less on a private sale on ebay, and put it right when I got it home.

As for the field, yes, it's there, loaded with cars, including a beautiful red BX valver going rotten. He wouldn't part with it even for cash.

I wouldn't now touch anything WHM. Now, as I say, I'd buy private from ebay and do it up when I got it home. That's not a commendation for ebay, just a sign as to how bad WHM really is!

ouch, sorry to hear that , does seem like the place is to be ovoided like the plague

D

That is shocking Richard.

Does he test his own cars - I naively believed this conflict of interest was prohibited?

With a car that may need some work sold by an enthusiast owner (most if not every person here
were some even prepared to part with their pride & joy!) and even possibly through ebay at least
you'll know that the price will start at a sensible level and any monies spent will be strategically
pinpointed into key areas for enhancement such as brakes/clutch/bodywork etc where it seems
under the veneer of BS you're not sure what you'll be letting yourself into with WHM...

AND THE CHUNK OF MONEY ISN'T BUYING PEACE OF MIND!!

Andrew

Andrew, no he doesn't test his own cars but, in a long conversation with Danny, found out he has a deal with another garage in Diss with MOT facilities. Danny pays less than £30 for a test, and I guess they think, well, OK, if it's come from Danny we won't bother to test it. Just give him the ticket.

Certainly a conflict of interest there.

When I was at WHM in February he had a big, grey, sports car near the office. I can't now remember exactly what is was, but white leather upholstery, gold gear stick - upmarket stuff. Had a sold sticker on it.

The car had a soft top ... I peered in, wondering why there was a mains flex disappearing into the cockpit. In the drivers seat was a domestic de-humidifier. I asked one of the 'Saturday' lads hanging around what that was for. He said there was a rent in the soft top, water had flooded the cockpit, and it needed drying out.

Fair enough, we all have accidents, but when I looked again, the rent in the soft top was eighteen inches long, and still unrepaired, and the car was going to a new owner the next day. Trouble was, I had already handed over my dosh.

Richard wrote:Andrew, no he doesn't test his own cars but, in a long conversation with Danny, found out he has a deal with another garage in Diss with MOT facilities. Danny pays less than £30 for a test, and I guess they think, well, OK, if it's come from Danny we won't bother to test it. Just give him the ticket.

Certainly a conflict of interest there.

I am really shocked by your experience Richard, it's so sad, especially as he has the nerve to comment on other (non-specific) people generally in his adverts... If there wasn't such a conflict of interest I'd post a link to this thread in my advert!! Possibly open up a legal minefield in the process, too!!

Keith

In contrast - I bought my last 2.1 estate for £150.00 taxed and MOTd, albiet shortly, admittedly that was an exceptional bargain. To restore it to its full glory, pretty well anyway, I spent £30.00 on a pair of secondhand rear ABS sensors, one I had to change the arm for, a rear exhaust box about £60.00 and £150.00 on a set of spheres. It had a new clutch and two new Goodyear tyres when I bought it. I had to replace the heater control panel and one front brake caliper which both came from the poor old green one. It still needs a new rear window motor but I have that in stock, otherwise it is mechanically excellent with no serious rust and suspension that will stay up for several days on the high setting.

So its cost me no more than say £300.00 allowing for anything I have forgotton and I have a mechanically excellent car. It needs a good polish and there is a little rust round the edge of the rear wings but nothing serious, it also needed a good clean inside as it looks as though it had been used by a builder and smelt of dogs, but its OK now. It passed its MOT with flying colours, in fact my friendly garage man said he could find nothing wrong with it.

Buying new parts and paying a garage the going rate would have been considerably more expensive, but nothing like the prices being asked by certain firms.

The black hatch I paid £250.00 for with a non functioning clutch for breaking, but when I drove it back from London - even with no clutch it felt so nice I repaired it. Cost me about £35.00 for a clutch thrust bearing and I think that was all and the engine had only done 78k when I bought it, this one has no visible rust at all and with a good polish would look very smart. Being an SX it also has the far superior heater.

If these inflated prices are being paid, I think there must be a future in buying them off ebay and doing the up - although there don't seem to be any 2.1 manuals left.

Peter

Peter, our 2.1 was supposed to have had a new clutch. It felt like it when I first drove it.

When I got the car home, got under the bonnet, the clutch cable had been so tightened and now after a few thousand miles running, we need a new clutch.

So much for WHM!

I would not normally slag off a garage, or anyone else, like this, but this fella has to be put out of business before he kills anyone.

Not everyone is a car mechanic, knowing what to look for when buying a car. For some, like me, an MOT is good enough, at least to get it home.

Richard, I bet the car wasn't a snip in the £ department either!?

Andrew

Richard wrote:
Not everyone is a car mechanic, knowing what to look for when buying a car. For some, like me, an MOT is good enough, at least to get it home.

Which is exactly what the new owner of this car thought....well it did get him 48 miles home....

He thought it would be a good car and all sound as it has a new MOT.

http://www.club-xm.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=471