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Apr 11, 2020 22:33:56 GMT
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A neighbour who hasn't driven this car for 5 years (its been laid up in her garage) may be keen on letting her Xantia go. It's an X-plate and a diesel. Pretty low mileage, she hasn't done much in it since 2004. Unfortunately there is a big graunch down one side, which may have been the reason why she gave up driving.
Other than that bodywork damage it's pretty clean inside and out.
The problem is, it hasn't been driven for 5 years, just sitting in her garage so will need tyres, brakes, service etc.
Looking on ebay they're not even making £1k for a mint one, which makes me wonder, with the above servicing money etc needing to be put into it, would you even bother? It's not exactly a dream car of mine, or many others I'd guess. If it was a BX I wouldn't even need to ask on here, I'd be going for it.
It's a shame it's a diesel as back when it was new it was a good idea, now, not so much.
Any thoughts?
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Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,784
Club RR Member Number: 34
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Apr 11, 2020 22:58:27 GMT
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I had one for a month or so as a temporary runaround. It cost £20, which tbh was about its value.
I fixed the usual rear caliper problem to put it through a test, clutch pedal snapped as they do, fixed that, was done with it after a month and literally could not sell it even for scrap value. I had it advertised for £150 with 11 months test on it in perfect mechanical order and no one wanted it.
In the end I cut cut the cat off, pulled the starter and alt off, weighed that lot separately and kept the battery and wheels, got my space back in a day and made double what I couldnt sell it for.
If it’s been stood that long and has damage its weigh/in time really. But with the price of scrap at the mo it’s worth sod all.
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Apr 11, 2020 23:07:19 GMT
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That sort of thinking is why many retros are becoming scarce and expensive. They were scrapped by the thousand when they were worth nothing and now the remaining ones are appreciating in value.
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Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,784
Club RR Member Number: 34
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Apr 11, 2020 23:25:23 GMT
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Scarce and expensive are two different things though.
The xantia will no doubt become the first but I very much doubt the latter.
Whilst I admit it was perfectly adequate at keeping me mobile for a few weeks (apart from all the times it broke), even the quirky suspension couldn’t save it from being so bland you could fall asleep driving it. It’s the culmination of years and years of that quirky automobile Frenchness being watered down bit by bit until it became so forgettable that it literally had nothing about it. It’s the Howard Moons face of 90s automobiles.
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Last Edit: Apr 11, 2020 23:25:46 GMT by Dez
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Scarce and expensive are two different things though. The xantia will no doubt become the first but I very much doubt the latter. It isn't always about the money.
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vulgalour
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 7,243
Club RR Member Number: 146
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I've had a Xantia and I love my Citroens and even I'd recommend avoiding it. Better Xantias can be had for very little still. They're like a toned-down BX, or a slightly odd looking Peugeot. Very easy to live with and providing you deal with the problems they all have at the age they are now, they're a pretty decent car. They do everything a car in its class needs to do, and does it well. They're just not particularly remarkable beyond their now-odd styling and decent cornering ability. Rationally, they are a better car than the BX. The build quality is generally better, the rust protection far superior, the interior trim a better standard. They're just... dull. The styling isn't as distinctive as really any of the Citroens before it, and it doesn't stand out in a crowd like the bigger XM. They're not as fun as the smaller Saxo or AX. They're just... eh. A Xantia that's been sat idle since 2004 and with significant body damage is worthless. No car benefits from being stood so you can guarantee there's going to be electrical gremlins and perished fuel hoses waiting for you. You'll spend more than its worth putting the bodywork straight so you have to really want this particular car to get into that. Dez is really bang on the money with his estimation of them. The Xantia's time has not come, nor may it ever, for some cars that's just their lot. I don't particularly miss mine and all the while I had it I wished it was a BX.
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time
Part of things
Posts: 152
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Apr 12, 2020 13:50:26 GMT
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A teacher at my sons primary school has one, it’s quite funny because the kids are amazed at how low it sits when parked in the car park, the kids call it the spaceship/ hover car
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Apr 12, 2020 14:55:51 GMT
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Thanks guys, I will give this a miss. It's only because I know the owner I was thinking about it. The body damage will be enough to put most off.
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time
Part of things
Posts: 152
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Apr 12, 2020 15:17:19 GMT
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What kind of money is she after for it ? If it’s peanuts and it’s only up the street might be a way of passing the time in lockdown, getting it running etc Would the engine have some value being diesel
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Apr 12, 2020 15:28:56 GMT
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skinnylew
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 5,620
Club RR Member Number: 11
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Apr 12, 2020 23:43:24 GMT
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I'd say the mk1 has a bit of quirkiness that would make it a worth while save and have some appreciation value in the future but the mk2? I'm afraid i don't think so. Kind of the same with the mk1 406 and the mk2 face lift, they just lose some sharpeness and style when rounded off
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Apr 12, 2020 23:56:37 GMT
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Diesels don't do well pottering about clocking up a few miles a week then being mothballed for years. Unless it's absurdly low mileage I would anticipate significant expense in the recommissioning. Would have been a different proposition if it was VAG.
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stealthstylz
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 14,926
Club RR Member Number: 174
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Which size diesel engine is it?
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pretty sure it'll be a 2.0 hdi on an X plate came in 90 and 110 bhp.
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Apr 13, 2020 11:02:57 GMT
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af1
Part of things
Posts: 67
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Apr 13, 2020 11:40:07 GMT
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I like the Xantia and you can do far worse than a 2.0HDi engine! The XUD and 2.0 HDi's are amazing motors! Shame you cant say the same about the 1.6HDi!
Give it a punt. WCPGW
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Apr 13, 2020 18:10:03 GMT
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Two of my friends have each had a Xantia. One was the one with the active suspension and was a superb car to drive. I always felt it was a huge repair bill waiting to happen, but the cornering on that thing was epic.
The other pal had a 2.1 diesel. It was the biggest pile of manure I have ever had the misfortune to be a passenger in. He couldn't see past the funky Citroen suspension and had bought effectively the worst one in the range. It was a low-ish trim level and the 2.1 engine was a dog. It was also cheap due to having little service history. He put it in for a belt change, and then a few thousand miles later something went catastrophically wrong with the belt and the engine effectively ate itself. He sold it on eBay and got just over scrap value.
As stated above, unless it's sentimental value, I would leave that one to the scrap man.
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Last Edit: Apr 13, 2020 18:14:20 GMT by mrbounce
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Apr 16, 2020 17:13:17 GMT
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"As stated above, unless it's sentimental value, I would leave that one to the scrap man."
I think that puts it best. There's 100 other cars I'd choose before this one!
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Apr 16, 2020 17:44:51 GMT
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Out of idle curiosity I though id have a look on ebay. One rough one. Autotrader. None. Then I looked on 'how many left' I do question that sites accuracy but it seems that Xantia numbers have literally fallen off the edge of a cliff in recent years. If I had the space and spare money id be tempted to find a good one and stash it away, because as soon as they have all vanished, you can be sure somebody somewhere will want one. Possibly.
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