Simon's new Xantia V6 and Leaf blog

[bobins]

I was told by my MOT bod a while ago that, technically, the test says you can't have bad corrosion within (I think) 30cm* of a suspension mount and that ought to be regarded as a sphere 30cm in radius from any suspension mount i.e. it could mean holed non-structural body parts within that sphere could cause an MOT failure. However - I think the vast majority of testers use common sense.... but it's worth bearing that in mind

* - may not be 30cm, but it's a defined measurement and the 'sphere' principal theoretically applies.

[RichardW]

The 30cm is right, but only applies to load bearing structures from steering, braking, seatbelt, and suspension pickup points. I would expect that wing to fail under the 'likely to cause injury' section (which is not limited to 30cm from pick up points).

[Stickyfinger]

Sadly, there will also be a lot more going on inside.

[Mandrake]

Sadly, there will also be a lot more going on inside.

The edge of the wheel arch rusted because there was hard packed dirt all up around the edge on the inside of the wheel arch and I didn't realise it was there and clean it out until bubbles started showing in the paint, but it was too late by then. That was a couple of years ago. There was nothing there before that.

[Mandrake]

Quick question for those of you who have used SORN before...

If I'm unable to sell the car or get it MOT ready in time for the MOT, what are the consequences for this, other than the obvious that the car should not be driven on the road except to a testing station for a booked test ?

Is there a time limit to how long a car's MOT can be expired but the tax and insurance is still up to date before it has to be put into SORN ?

Or is SORN just a way to stop paying insurance and tax on a car that is going to be off the road for a long time like restoration ?

The MOT expires on the 21st of August but the Tax will renew (I pay automatically monthly) on the 1st of August so the tax will renew while the MOT is still valid. (A car needs a valid MOT to renew tax ?)

[bobins]

If you SORN a vehicle then it doesn't need to be taxed or insured and can only go on the road in connection with an MOT. The car will need to be insured to go to the MOT station but doesn't need to be insured to sit on your driveway if SORN'd. Re-taxing your car after a successful MOT effectively cancels the SORN.
An car does not need to be SORN'd if is taxed and insured but not MOT'd and is sitting on your driveway.
A SORN is 'open ended' if the vehicle remains yours. I.e. once you SORN it it will remain SORN'd until you tax it again.... or dispose of it !
If you SORN a vehicle then, either, 'unused' tax fom the following month will automatically be refunded, or you won't (shouldn't !) be charged from the following month.
If you SORN a vehicle then it can't be re-taxed online unless a few days (week ?) have passed since the SORN application.

https://www.gov.uk/sorn-statutory-off-road-notification

[Mandrake]

So, I was a bit annoyed at my stupidity with the top caliper slide bolt so I thought I would do a good deed and change the discs and pads over today, however I've run into a problem I've never seen before!

I can't get the piston to wind back in...

I can turn it clockwise forever and it never goes in far enough to make enough room for the pads. I tried turning it slightly anti-clockwise to make sure it was the right way this just caused it to rapidly move out another few millimetres and made the situation worse because now it's sticking out even further and just goes round and round clockwise without going back in even to where I started.

I managed to find a socket that pushes on tight over the bump in the middle so I can rotate it quite quickly with a ratchet and also apply some pressure in case the threaded part had wound out off the thread and needed a push to re-engage but nothing happens, just round and round!

I've also squeezed the piston and it seems to be back as far as it can go.

Help ? Suggestions ? I've changed loads of Xantia front discs and pads on multiple cars and never had this before.

[Stickyfinger]

Sadly, there will also be a lot more going on inside.

The edge of the wheel arch rusted because

Have you been running the car with the "hole" in the arch liner ?
Have you checked the condition from inside the boot (looking into the area via the "vent" hole ?)

[Mandrake]

So, I was a bit annoyed at my stupidity with the top caliper slide bolt so I thought I would do a good deed and change the discs and pads over today, however I've run into a problem I've never seen before!

I can't get the piston to wind back in...

I can turn it clockwise forever and it never goes in far enough to make enough room for the pads. I tried turning it slightly anti-clockwise to make sure it was the right way this just caused it to rapidly move out another few millimetres and made the situation worse because now it's sticking out even further and just goes round and round clockwise without going back in even to where I started.

I managed to find a socket that pushes on tight over the bump in the middle so I can rotate it quite quickly with a ratchet and also apply some pressure in case the threaded part had wound out off the thread and needed a push to re-engage but nothing happens, just round and round!

I've also squeezed the piston and it seems to be back as far as it can go.

Help ? Suggestions ? I've changed loads of Xantia front discs and pads on multiple cars and never had this before.

Figured it out! Onwards.

[Mandrake]

Figured it out! Onwards.

And then the heavens opened up on top of me while I was just finishing the first side trying to bleed the brake leading to a frantic scramble to get tools inside. I guess that's it for today then.

On the plus side that's the first side done apart from bleeding.

[Mandrake]

Sadly, there will also be a lot more going on inside.

The edge of the wheel arch rusted because

Have you been running the car with the "hole" in the arch liner ?
Have you checked the condition from inside the boot (looking into the area via the "vent" hole ?)

To be honest I don't know what you're talking about here - what hole in what arch liner ?

What vent are you talking about, is it under carpet somewhere ?

[Stickyfinger]

Look in the wheel arch at the back.... There is an open oval hole in the arch liner, Citroen never closed it....this is most likely the source of the build up in there.

In the boot, on the side wall behind the carpet covering the inner wing, just below the light level, there is a vent panel, remove it and you can see inside. Looking here will allow you to see the condition of the main C frame that comes down from the roof/forms the main rear/side structure.

[Michel]

Sadly, there will also be a lot more going on inside.

This is my major concern. I've spoken to a man who also knows about these things and for me to have it properly done, the cost is prohibitive. I'm unsure.. I know my brother could do a decent job with fibreglass (he's made entire front ends for 2cvs!) but I'm not sure if that befits the car.

@Simon - distance isn't an issue, I have a friend in Cumbernauld who's camper I was planning to borrow in a couple of weeks. It'd just mean train up instead of driving and leaving my car with him

[Mandrake]

Look in the wheel arch at the back.... There is an open oval hole in the arch liner, Citroen never closed it....this is most likely the source of the build up in there.

In the boot, on the side wall behind the carpet covering the inner wing, just below the light level, there is a vent panel, remove it and you can see inside. Looking here will allow you to see the condition of the main C frame that comes down from the roof/forms the main rear/side structure.

Sadly, there will also be a lot more going on inside.

This is my major concern. I've spoken to a man who also knows about these things and for me to have it properly done, the cost is prohibitive. I'm unsure.. I know my brother could do a decent job with fibreglass (he's made entire front ends for 2cvs!) but I'm not sure if that befits the car.

@Simon - distance isn't an issue, I have a friend in Cumbernauld who's camper I was planning to borrow in a couple of weeks. It'd just mean train up instead of driving and leaving my car with him

Hi Both,

I was bleeding the rear brakes today so tried to get some pictures from within the rear wheel arch's looking out. On the left hand side there is a plastic bung plug that seems to have gone brittle and shattered:

Wasn't like that a year ago as I did some clean up on the rear brakes last year and would have noticed it. For now I've gaffer taped over it to stop any more water potentially getting in:

The rest of the left hand side:

Right hand side:

Hopefully that helps.

I guess I should state the obvious here that you're not going to find a 27 year old car that sits outside and was being used on the road that is rust free, so expectations have to be set accordingly and a little bit of work may need to be done here to patch up the rear arches sufficiently for the MOT.

If it was rust free I probably wouldn't be selling it until next year, when I do really need to move it on due to a change in circumstances with drivers and a possible replacement of the Leaf as well. (or at least the Leaf would become the second car making the Xantia a 3rd wheel that I wouldn't have room to keep)

It's not a concours car, never was as it already had scrapes from the previous 93 year old owner when I bought it. (And I nearly didn't buy the car because of those scrapes on the doors and bumpers that it already had) So if I was the new owner I would not be doing any expensive body work to it to try to restore it to original, rather just doing the minimum to pass the MOT and look passable at a glance and enjoy driving the car as it's a car that runs well and is great fun to drive and one of the few left in the UK.

I just checked on howmanyleft and there are only 13 Xantia V6's still licensed in the UK and 60 on SORN. When I bought it in 2014 there were 80 licensed and 40 on SORN. So it's a very rare car now and possibly the last chance to get a Xantia V6 and get a few years fun from it if you haven't had one before, before they are all gone or in the hands of collectors that won't part with them.

I've finished changing the front disc brakes/pads and bled all the brakes today but haven't had a chance to take it for a drive to bed the discs/pads in. It's no wonder there was vibration when braking at speed, check out the delaminated edges of the discs:

This is what only 6000 miles over 6 years looks like. (new discs/pads in 2018!)

As far as I can see that leaves the sump pan leak repair and rear wheel arch rust as the only blockers to getting an MOT, possibly tyres are near the limit on the shoulder.

[Michel]

What would the "nominal sum" you mentioned earlier in the thread be then? I shouldn't... but....