Davie's french attraction.

[Citroening]

I think I've posted it before, but I'm surprised that more VTS owners haven't gone for a Sportex backbox - looks good value, but no previous experiance...

http://www.sportex-exhausts.com/Perform ... product/20" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[daviemck2006]

It's along that lines I'm going to try. Only because I can't drink due to medication a can of monster will have to be a substitute. I'll let you know if it works. If I get it sealed I don't see how it could fail a mot. If the exhaust is not going to fall off, and is not leaking gases it should pass. The rest of my exhaust is like new. The genuine back box as far as I know is an expensive Item, it might appear on the bay when I do get the stainless.

If the back box is good, what about this centre section on ebay?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Citroen-Exhau ... 257c36126e" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If my back box had been like new, I wouldn't have bothered with the stainless exhaust.

thanks FC, a bid duly placed. It's all held together now with a bit of coke tin and gungum now, and the car is the quietest it has been for a while. On that listing in pic 2 which is the rear end, the lip which is around the end and the clamp goes around to hold it to the back box has corroded off completely. The rest of the middle section is still good, silencer and pipe all sound. The back box looks good, surface corrosion on the weld between the pipe and box, nothing really to worry about, and all the hangers and rubbers are good also. I was quoted nearly £200 just for a pattern middle section fitted so heres hoping I get this one then that's a cheap fix and would last quite a while.

Franklin, I would say if it had been the back section gone I would have had that sportex back box. I did see it a week or so ago and thought it looked good value. I really do like the shotgun style tail pipes, fer better IMHP than the standard oval one.

I suppose there's a good chance that I will pay tomorrow for crawling about under the car this afternoon. From looking out the ramps to the time I tidied everything up, and I cleaned the wheels properly and gave it the first good hand wash it's had in my ownership, I was nearly 3 hours. Thats as much as I can do really, I'm alright just now, but nothing planned for tonight other than watching a bit of telly, a while on facebook and here, and a bath, whilst I'm still in this house. I'll miss the bath, it's a really deep one with whirlpool jets No such nicities in the rented flat I'm moving into next week Won't have a private drive to potter on either. I do have a garage at the flat tho, and there's plenty space in the carpark to potter in, but won't really be the same as private space. If I win that exhaust I hope I get it and have it fitted before the 15th when I move.

[Fake Concern]

I think I've posted it before, but I'm surprised that more VTS owners haven't gone for a Sportex backbox - looks good value, but no previous experiance...

http://www.sportex-exhausts.com/Perform ... product/20" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

They do look very good value, with a choice of tail pipe & nice finish on them. I would have been tempted, but I needed the whole exhaust, so stainless for about the same price (centre section plus back box) with lifetime warranty made more sense.

[Fake Concern]

thanks FC, a bid duly placed. It's all held together now with a bit of coke tin and gungum now, and the car is the quietest it has been for a while. On that listing in pic 2 which is the rear end, the lip which is around the end and the clamp goes around to hold it to the back box has corroded off completely. The rest of the middle section is still good, silencer and pipe all sound. The back box looks good, surface corrosion on the weld between the pipe and box, nothing really to worry about, and all the hangers and rubbers are good also. I was quoted nearly £200 just for a pattern middle section fitted so heres hoping I get this one then that's a cheap fix and would last quite a while.



I suppose there's a good chance that I will pay tomorrow for crawling about under the car this afternoon. From looking out the ramps to the time I tidied everything up, and I cleaned the wheels properly and gave it the first good hand wash it's had in my ownership, I was nearly 3 hours. Thats as much as I can do really, I'm alright just now, but nothing planned for tonight other than watching a bit of telly, a while on facebook and here, and a bath, whilst I'm still in this house. I'll miss the bath, it's a really deep one with whirlpool jets No such nicities in the rented flat I'm moving into next week Won't have a private drive to potter on either. I do have a garage at the flat tho, and there's plenty space in the carpark to potter in, but won't really be the same as private space. If I win that exhaust I hope I get it and have it fitted before the 15th when I move.

Looks like you won the bid (hooray!)
I did a similar repair to mine, but it didn't last more than a day. I think with the cold the gun gum didn't start to set until the car got really hot, by which time it moved & was blowing again!
I hope you are going to post some pics of the car cleaned up.
A hot bath is so good for a sore back or any aches & pains, so much better than a shower! Hope you don't suffer too much tomorrow.
Hopefully the exhaust will turn up soon, then you can get everthing on the car sorted.
When you get into the new flat, it should have it's own advantages, such as no memories attached & and yours to do what you want!

[daviemck2006]

Now bathed and bubbled, I will miss the jets in the bath. The guy finished the auction quite quickly once I placed the bid so got it for the starting price and the postage. It's paid and he's sorting the courier tomorrow and I should have it Mon or Tues. It's very rare to get the postage to here for the same price, everyone thinks that Scotland finishes at Aberdeen, and us guys 45 miles north of there has to pay twice as much. As far as I'm concerned it a bloody rip off. I bought wheels on e-bay once, they were from fife somewhere, and the seller wanted more money for postage for 120 miles to here than 500 miles to south coast. I never see for example cornwall having to pay more, and it's probably further than I am from a lot of say midlands addresses

Rant over I would be willing to bet that due to the cold the gungun has not set properly yet, I actually hope not now, it will be easier to get off next week when it arrives, and then perhaps I'll know the proper noise level in the car. With the low gearing and blowing exhaust it can be a bit buzzy and wearing cruising at 60 or so.

Going on to other things about LEZ. Although the guy I dealt with is a rotten thieving git, apart from his lies about the exhaust and hiding the roof, the car actually is a cracker, and I would say has been really well looked after. Washing and chamoising it today, the paintwork is really smooth, none of the tar and roughness you get on a neglected car. I would say it has not been buffed up with a rubbing compound (t-cut or similar) as there is little marks on it which that would have been taken out. So once the new roof is in on Tuesday and the exhaust on it will be A1. After the roof's done then the wax will go on and photos done. The only bugging thing about cleaning it I think are going to be the wheels. I like them but jeeezo a bugger to clean!

[Fake Concern]

I just had a look on Google maps to see where you are, that's pretty far up! I don't see why the post should be any different in price to anywhere else though. I haven't been to Scotland since 1989 when we did a bit of a Charles Rennie Mackintosh pilgrimage, going to the Glasgow School of Art to start with & then around pretty much all his buildings, then on to John O'Groats, just because we could!
With your exhaust fixed, the VTS should be cruising as quietly as pretty much any other car, only noisy when you put your foot down.
When you have roof & exhaust sorted, I'm sure yours will be better than mine as there's quite a lot of blemishes on the paint (of mine). I got a DA polisher for my birthday & had hoped to buff the car up this week, but a combination of freezing wet weather & a complete re structuring of my youngest daughters room (my wife volunteered me!) have meant that has been put on hold.
As regards cleaning the Resolfen alloys, Halfrauds do a rather nifty long conical brush (for about a fiver) that fits into the smallest holes, so I use that with some Megs alloy cleaner.

[daviemck2006]

At least I'll have no more restructuring to do in a rented flat, and even if I had no wife to volunteer me!!!!!!! Think I've turned 18 again, hmmmm maybe better 21? LOL

[daviemck2006]

Some pics of car outside the house I was born in and moving away from next week after all these years.Have done 5 miles since washing and rained overnight. I'm sorely tempted to go out and polish and wax it just because it's such a nice day, but aware that I did too much yesterday and although not too sore today don't want to push it too far. These pics were taken on an old kodak easyshare camera so that will do me for now. I would like a better camera but on economy drive for flitting right now. At 3 quid for a memory card that works, thats economy

Could anyone tell me what colour the sky is, I can't remember. I'm wondering if the camera is working

[bxzx16v]

That looks cracking Davie , have you had a price for a stainless back box ? My local exhaust specialist do them for around £150 fitted . My Zx front pipe is like new it's the back box that's dodgy .

Mark

[daviemck2006]

The seller of the centre section just pulled out, cant get a courier to take it the distance here. It's as I said above, postage here a bloody rip off. Jeeeeeezzzoo I'm only 40 miles from Aberdeen which is the oil capital of europe! Pisssseeed off. So now it's back to the full system, made locally on the car for £369 IIRC. Can get a sportex back box as franklin posted for £169 or there about, but again would they post it here? I think it might be time, once the separation and house sale is done and dusted, for me to maybe move that 40 miles, but the only thing is for what we got for the house would only buy a wee flat in aberdeen, and what my share will be once it's sorted out might buy a wheelie bin, or maybe just a wheeliebin sized bedsit which does not appeal to me. I think I should put on the full system, once it's on it's done with warranty, and I do plan on this car being a keeper, and I might get some money back on the genuine back box I have, but then, will the couriers come to me? Or I'll go to the P.O. where the ex works and hassle her for royal mail. I would be willing to bet they will take it at the same price. I'll have to ask her.

[Fake Concern]

Pictures at last! It looks really nice. I especially like the one of it just peeking over the hedge.

What a blow about the exhaust (sorry about the pun), you shouldn't have mentioned it as it became a self fulfilling prophesy!

Maybe it was meant to happen & getting the full stainless system is the best option. As you say, maybe you can sell the old back box if it turns out to look good on close inspection.

[daviemck2006]

I'll have to print that one and keep it. Won't be my hedge or house soon. A nice motor at a nice house. It,s a pity about the overgrown mini and poxhall insigna estate on the road

[Citroening]

Thanks for putting the pics up Davie - looks a smart car.

[daviemck2006]

The only real marks on it is the wheels, there's 2 of them have been kerbed, nut badly though. I was thinking about refurbing them but after a good clean don't really need to. There's one that is really filthy on the back, and it was through the spokes a bit. Looks like maybe something had burst and not been cleaned off and the brake dust really stuck to it. It was on the front, now back left. It will have to come off to get cleaned properly, then if I do one then they will all need done. Think that can wait!

[daviemck2006]

A subtle change to the car today, and going by the pics of Franklin's and Peter's cars together, they both need to do it as well. Silvatec indicator bulbs front and rear. No orange tint in the lights now. You can particularly see it in Franklins pic of his own car, from the front. Also, mind made up seeing both cars from the rear, When the exhaust gets done it will be a shotgun tailpipe.

My roof is supposed to be getting done tomorrow, Autoglass phoned at 17.30 and said Citroen dealer hadn't been in touch saying the roof had arrived, the guy had been phoning during the afternoon and no-one at the Citroen branch knew anything about it. The service manager has been elusive to. He's calling again first thing in the morning. He said it's typical of the Citroen dealer in Aberdeen. It's an Arnold Clark, they do not have a good reputation for customer service. It looks like another day will have to be arranged. It's a PITA, I am moving and packing and need alterations to my schedule like a hole in the head.

Doc signed me unfit for work for another 8 weeks this morning, I wasn't really expecting that. I am feeling better. Oh well, it will give me a chance to get the new flat in order and get all the other problems sorted. I am disappointed, I was hoping to get back part-time which I had discussed with work, and could have been done. Just a bit fed up now again. Time to go for a thrash and get a bit of red revs!