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2002 Citroen Xsara VTS - another old French bird!!

180K views 616 replies 65 participants last post by  Ben_W 
#1 · (Edited)
So, here we go!

To quote something musical which I've not done for a while, Ice Cube had it right. Today was a good day (ask your dad kids :D )

With the buggy sold and the bank swelled with funds, I did the right thing and pacified the wife by buying a new dining table and promising her a posh holiday next year, on the proviso I could buy myself a new, cheap(ish) toy. Agreement was forthcoming.

I considered several cars. A white Rallye (they are the hottest ticket in Rallye world with another selling in the last two weeks for £5k but I have a Rallye already), a Clio F1 (very nice but not the cheapest) and several other more recent hot hatches. Nothing really, really took my fancy. I then bought the Xsara to break and wondered.........what if? The Citroen half of the late 90's hot hatch pairing.....wouldn't look bad on the drive, would it?

So I began looking. And looking. And looking a bit more. Crap, these are a bit thin on the ground. I found more Rallyes for sale than I did Xsaras. Hmmmmm............and then.....an advert appears on Gumtree and nowhere else, advertising a 2002 MY, 51 plate Xsara VTS, with 57k on the clock and two previous owners, in silver. 57k.......!!!!!!! How many 16 year old sports hatches have that mileage. This is the ad........



It HAD to be worth a look at that mileage and that history. Original P6000's (ditchfinders? But period correct!) Older lady owner for a long time? Deffo not been thrashed then. Decent MOT history backing up the sellers story. Trouble was, I wasn't free until Sunday. At this point, I made the mistake of sharing the link and my plans with someone. That, along with a lesson well learned, is all I'm going to say publicly.

Details being what they are, I noticed the seller had reduced the price to £300 on Sunday night. Much frantic phonecalling, which resulted in me getting a voice mail message numerous times finally paid off with the seller picking up at 21:37 on a Sunday night.

I apologised profusely for the time of my call. It had to be right then otherwise I'd have lost it. I told the seller I knew what had transpired the day before (I apologise again for the cryptic sh!t but like the walls, the internet has ears) and had a lengthy discussion with him regarding the car, offering some advice after asking some questions. The £300 was a result of what he had been told (I'll share privately for those of you I know who ask). An agreement was made that he'd get some advice by lunchtime Monday and I'd go view Monday night after work as it's 50 miles from work. I remember thinking at this point this now turning into some Lincolndanny esque press car kinda chase :D

Mid afternoon, I text the seller as I've heard nothing. He replies, confirming some info I had been after, and crucially, what someone else had offered him and that he was considering accepting. Act cool Trig, act cool.......

I left work dead on time and hightailed it to where he was. I arrived at 17:40 and immediately knew I was onto something. This was my view parking up.





Seller met me at the door and was very keen to show me the car. It was as he said. Completely original, very, very clean (some stone chips etc but very clean) and, completely bog standard.

Having satisfied myself the major component was good, I got busy looking round, especially underneath.

Just wow. This thing is clean. I mean really clean.







.

Doesn't look like it's ever seen a jack, let alone one in the wrong place. The spare even seems to have an original Michelin.....



The rest of it, whilst a little dirty in places, is honest, rust free and just in need of a clean.











A time capsule car. Went for a drive, it drove well enough. Went back, looked through a mountain of history which again, matched the MOT history. I knew at this point I had to have it. Asked what it would take to buy it. Seller said make it an offer. £850 prompted a forthcoming handshake. Deposit immediately transferred (mobile app internet banking, bloody ace!)

In truth, I think I stole it. I've picked up what has to be one of the cleanest, low mileage Xsara VTS's left. Plans are to collect Friday, giving me a whole weekend to really get into/under it. I cannot wait.

Sorry to disappoint Mr Lincoln....I did have a chance at a Ph1 in that green/yellow but had been sat 18 months and the seller wanted £1k.....
 
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#95 ·
Bit more done today.

I intended to finish all the machining first. Every intention etc....

I ended up pulling out door seals and taking off the front grill and cleaning those first....





Door seals pulled off and all of a sudden, I've taken the screen trim off and cleaning stuff I wasn't intending too!

Next bit was the grill mounted to the bonnet. It rattles a lot and upon removal, I soon discovered why. The two very outer housings for the mounts are broken.





Nothing some araldite or similar won't fix. Number plate and grill off, and it's not that clean..







Nothing G101 and a brush wouldn't fix....
 
#96 · (Edited)
No other pics really from today. Was just a case of machining the bumpers front and rear, which was not issue, and it was done.

For a car that's approaching 17 years old, I can't believe how clean it is. I appreciate it's had older owners who haven't done many miles, which is rare for a sports model, but that's the way it is. Looked after mechanically, maybe less so cosmetically, which is where my and my Flex step in...

The finished article. Orchard Autocare Speed Seal sealant and Perfection QD used.



















Like several women of my past, it might not be too much of a looker, but goes well...... :D

I had plans to plans to pull a Chongo (has anyone seen/heard from him by the way?)



Unfortunately, rain stopped play.....



So I went inside and concentrated on dinner. Been a while since I've done a food update but....



Massive leg of lamb, stuffed with garlic and rosemary. After a weekend of detailing, it, along with several ciders, hit the spot.
 
#103 ·
A package was waiting for me when I got home tonight.



The check strap on the driver's door had been driving me bonkers. Normally I'd go OEM but with Citroen wanting slightly more than £40 for one, I got a pattern one delivered from France for £20. Bargain.

The before....



And after....



So much happier with that....I think we all know how.nasty a worn out check strap sounds! Fitting including removal and refitting of the door car, 15 mins max. Unfortunately, it appears some of the clips for the door cars are broken so I'm off to do a little more ebaying shortly....
 
#105 · (Edited)
Wow. Thank you very much. Always nice to get some positive feedback!

Attention to detail is what makes the difference between good and great, I always try and shoot for great! As for the pictures, all are taken on my new phone, a Huawei P20 Pro. Was fabled for having a great camera, the reviews definitely weren't wrong. As for writing, I try to make it a little more interesting but 'well written' is a proper compliment for me. Again, thanks.

So, back to the car. I've been driving it around as much as possible during the evening's, to the gym, to fat club, boxing, just generally keeping it moving. The P6000's have to go. They were a terrible tyre back in the factory fit on a GTi6/Rallye days, the moniker of 'ditchfinder' wasn't gained for nothing...:rolleyes:

Door cards need more clips, I'll be phoning the local to work Citroen dealership tomorrow to order the clips but I suspect that despite only needing a few, they will come in packs of 10 which the dealer won't split down. Normal PSA group form.

The front end still isn't quite right. At times wallowy, other times, a little crashy, and, despite the tracking being done, there is still an odd 'bucking' feeling through the steering when cornering at low speed. I suspect that will be down to a worn components, or combination of several worn ones, although I do.wonder how much of this feel can be attributed to said Ditchfinders.....still, it's due it's MOT end of October which should find anything I don't between now and then. The history suggests it's had a second hand hub, due to a.failed bearing that they couldn't get out. I need to check they fitted the right one as there were two, for 16 & 18mm balljoints although I'd expect that to have been obvious. However, given the state of the 'repair, I found to the door card, I'm taking nothing for granted.



Yes, believe your eyes. That is what you think it is. A non factory door card fixing, in the form of a self tapper through the door card and I'll suspect through the door metal itself. Really? A self tapper? For the sake of a couple of pounds and a few minutes?

Well, it gives me something else to resolve, although I'm not sure, other than replacement, how I'll sort the door card.

The rattling and banging exhaust is somewhat annoying too. The aftermarket cat needs to go, but I can't find an OEM one. I'm not sure if it's been badly fitted, but the fact someone has bashed the pipe to half its normal diameter, I suspect to 'clearance' it from the subframe, doesn't fill me with much confidence either. As I may have mentioned previously, the whole exhaust is a bit of a dog's dinner. It will be worth me checking the lower and upper engine mounts on the driver's side too, just to eliminate excessive engine movement as a cause.

Still, in the grand scheme of things, I guess they are small(ish) issues. Worn components on a 17 year old car wouldn't be any real surprise. A gradual wearing might not be noticeable to a long term owner, but far more so to a new one. Exhaust could be a challenge. Cat will have to come from a breaker as I'm not paying the silly Citroen money. The two listed on carparts4less say they are illegal to supply for cars registered after 01/03/01 (18/01/2002 is when this one was registered). Quite why the illegality, I don't know. Gives me something to Google. I am quite tempted by a stainless system. This one isn't as strictly OEM as the Rallye so it might be worth a look. A stainless system is certainly cheaper than a Citroen centre section and seemingly unobtainable back box....some thinking to do.
 
#108 ·
Ben_W said:
The two listed on carparts4less say they are illegal to supply for cars registered after 01/03/01 (18/01/2002 is when this one was registered). Quite why the illegality, I don't know.
EU Type Approval rules :thumb:

From Klarius' website:

"It is currently illegal to sell non-type approved CATs for vehicles that were registered after the 1st March 2001"

It would suggest the carparts4less ones are non-type approved. Best avoided as in my experience non-type approved means a cheap construction that may well give issues passing the emissions part of the MOT.
 
#121 ·
Well, I planned in giving it a good wash today to wash all the mess off of it from the wind this week but I went out and it was raining a small amount....

Decided to start the service (I need to buy more oil, had to use mine in wife's mini as it was leaking after its recent service from the oil filter...) so I started with the spark plugs. Everything came undone easily enough. Discovered it's got the wrong spark plugs in it....



Should be a heat grade 6, the 5s are too hot :rolleyes: Anyway, that all went without a hitch and I'm sure it sounds a little happier at idle. Might just be the placebo effect though.

Not long after it started raining properly so I came inside for lunch and got onto looking out a Walker cat for the Xsara following Danny's recommendation. However......



It doesn't look like they do one for the Ph2 :mad::mad: Centre section and back box yes, cat no.

Back to the drawing board.
 
#123 ·
I know this might go against the grain a little seeing as you like things OEM, but could you not have full exhaust system made complete with CAT? I’ve herd good things from a company called Vortex but I’m sure there’s plenty of others that would make something suitable.
 
#125 ·
Another Xsara VTS popped up on eBay this week. Gold, PH2, advertised as spares and repairs as hadnt had an MOT for a while....starting bid of £125. I was intending on buying to break should the price remain low enough but it got ended early so assume a deal was done. No biggy, explaining yet another car on the drive would have been an interesting conversation.

However, what I did notice is that it has a part under the bonnet that mine doesn't and that I cannot find on Service Box. It appears to be a battery box cover, and part of a larger cover.



It's the black part on the right. It's odd. I'm not sure it's OEM, but it seems to fit perfectly......

Anyone familiar with it?
 
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