Zel's Fleet Blog...Rover, Renault, Peugeot, Trabant, Invacar & Sinclair C5

Post pictures and stories about your cars both present and past. Also post up "blogs" on your restoration projects - the more pictures the better! Note: blog-type threads often get few replies, but are often read by many members, and provide interest and motivation to other enthusiasts so don't be disappointed if you don't get many replies.
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Zelandeth
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Re: Zel's Fleet Blog...Lada, Saab, Citroen, Sinclair...and a Pug 107.

#11 Post by Zelandeth » Mon Nov 20, 2017 9:03 pm

So here are a few photos of the new toy.

...Which is annoyingly stuck on the driveway until the V5 arrives so I can tax it!
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Yes, those seats *are* as comfortable as they look. The French really do know how to do comfortable leather seats. Far more so than the cardboard which seems to pass for leather on the current VW motors.
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Not complicated at all under here! ...Okay, maybe a little. Need to tidy up that wire from the battery terminal which runs to the additional relays for the headlights (otherwise they tend to cook the headlight switches and suffer low voltage issues at the lights), and track down a cover for the positive terminal.

Having previously owned a 1.9TD Xantia, it's really startling how similar to the XUD this engine (TCT I believe?) is to it. Knowing they share origins is one thing, but actually seeing it in the metal is quite another.
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Bonus...Not even a single lamp out in the dashboard! A couple in the stereo have lost their colour though...we'll see how long it takes my OCD to require me to fix that.
(No, the Merc isn't ours - it's a demonstrator from a housemate's work, and to be honest utterly disappointing given the pricetag if you ask me).
My website - aka. My *other* waste of time
Current fleet: 73 AC Model-70. 75 Rover 3500. 84 Trabant 601S. 85 Sinclair C5. 88 Renault 25 Monaco. 06 Peugeot Partner 1.6HDi.

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Zelandeth
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Re: Zel's Fleet Blog...Lada, Saab, Citroen, Sinclair...and a Pug 107.

#12 Post by Zelandeth » Wed Nov 22, 2017 10:45 am

Still waiting for the V5. I did however have the opportunity to get the first bit of cleaning done yesterday. While the car generally wasn't too bad, there were some (inevitable) fingerprints on the wings from when the brakes and driveshafts just had work done on them and quite a bit of moss growing in crevices. The window seals and around the sunroof being by far the worst.

Now...How do you go about pressure washing a Dante Red Citroen? *VERY* carefully is the answer. Glad to report that the clearcoat didn't suffer any further.

Looking rather cleaner now though.
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If time permits I may well grab the polish and wax today and give it a quick skim over, I reckon it would benefit from that quite a bit.
My website - aka. My *other* waste of time
Current fleet: 73 AC Model-70. 75 Rover 3500. 84 Trabant 601S. 85 Sinclair C5. 88 Renault 25 Monaco. 06 Peugeot Partner 1.6HDi.

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JPB
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Re: Zel's Fleet Blog...Lada, Saab, Citroen, Sinclair...and a Pug 107.

#13 Post by JPB » Wed Nov 22, 2017 3:31 pm

These much underrated (IMHO) Citroens are handsome old things, loving the furniture and the paint colour. :thumbs:
J
"Home is where you park it", so the saying goes. That may yet come true.. :oops:

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Zelandeth
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Re: Zel's Fleet Blog...Lada, Saab, Citroen, Sinclair...and a Pug 107.

#14 Post by Zelandeth » Wed Nov 22, 2017 6:03 pm

JPB wrote:
Wed Nov 22, 2017 3:31 pm
These much underrated (IMHO) Citroens are handsome old things, loving the furniture and the paint colour. :thumbs:
They really are very underrated cars I think. They don't half wear their miles well too. My previous Xantia, essentially a 1.9TD in SX trim still drives like a new car despite being now up to 212K miles I believe.

They're not even *that* difficult to work on in the grand scheme of things. You just have to make sure that you know the specific order you need to do things in is understood...though in the case of an Activa that does tend to start most processes with "dismantle the entire car first" because of the amount of suspension "stuff" in the way of everything else.

Had a very quick chance to do some polishing today, only got the bootlid done before I completely ran out of daylight...Looks like it's taking a decent shine though.
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Just got the rest of the car to do now. There are some sweep marks (I reckon from when it was painted) on the roof and bonnet that I might need to hit with something a bit more aggressive to get rid of though.
My website - aka. My *other* waste of time
Current fleet: 73 AC Model-70. 75 Rover 3500. 84 Trabant 601S. 85 Sinclair C5. 88 Renault 25 Monaco. 06 Peugeot Partner 1.6HDi.

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Zelandeth
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Re: Zel's Fleet Blog...Lada, Saab, Citroen, Sinclair...and a Pug 107.

#15 Post by Zelandeth » Thu Nov 23, 2017 5:04 pm

V5 arrived today so I've finally been able to get the Xantia taxed etc. The Lada is now officially off the road until the spring rolls around.

Adrian Flux apparently think it's perfectly reasonable to charge me £1300 a year to insure a Pug 107 and Citroen Xantia...Not even with any commuting or work use on, and with a combined total of <10K miles a year...Will *definitely* be shopping around shortly. I didn't at the last two renewals because the world was ending around me and saving a few quid on car insurance was the last thing I was worrying about at the time...however I reckon that bill is steep enough that I have to take note!
My website - aka. My *other* waste of time
Current fleet: 73 AC Model-70. 75 Rover 3500. 84 Trabant 601S. 85 Sinclair C5. 88 Renault 25 Monaco. 06 Peugeot Partner 1.6HDi.

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Zelandeth
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Re: Zel's Fleet Blog...Lada, Saab, Citroen, Sinclair...and a Pug 107.

#16 Post by Zelandeth » Fri Nov 24, 2017 1:00 pm

Even with a nice clean looking interior, it's astonishing the difference that a bit of leather conditioner can make...

Was just about to start on the passenger seat here with the other side already having been done.
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Rear seats also cleaned up a treat.
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Given how quickly and completely the stuff was absorbed, reckon I'll probably do another couple of applications over the next couple of days.
My website - aka. My *other* waste of time
Current fleet: 73 AC Model-70. 75 Rover 3500. 84 Trabant 601S. 85 Sinclair C5. 88 Renault 25 Monaco. 06 Peugeot Partner 1.6HDi.

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Zelandeth
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Re: Zel's Fleet Blog...Lada, Saab, Citroen, Sinclair...and a Pug 107.

#17 Post by Zelandeth » Fri Dec 01, 2017 3:50 pm

Just a really quick update for today as I've been pretty busy and it's too cold out there to be messing with cars!

The only real mark on the interior was a bit of a scuff on the usual spot on the driver's seat bolster. Had the opportunity to chuck a bit of black leather dye onto it. The result is that it looks a good deal better.
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You can still see the scuff if you're actually looking for it, but it's a good deal better.

Hoping I might actually have the opportunity to take it on a decent length of drive at the weekend...even though that will be to the dentist!
My website - aka. My *other* waste of time
Current fleet: 73 AC Model-70. 75 Rover 3500. 84 Trabant 601S. 85 Sinclair C5. 88 Renault 25 Monaco. 06 Peugeot Partner 1.6HDi.

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Zelandeth
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Re: Zel's Fleet Blog...Lada, Saab, Citroen, Sinclair...and a Pug 107.

#18 Post by Zelandeth » Sat Dec 30, 2017 1:54 pm

Things have generally just been ticking over nicely.

Activa has so far been behaving impeccably, only gremlins which have turned up have been a couple of dead lamps in the stereo and a dying heater blower motor (I've got a good spare in the garage).

The 107 has been getting so little use that keeping the battery topped up has started to become tiresome, think I really need to look at moving it on soon. Likewise the sick Saab.

I have also now started looking for the next fleet member, having just discovered them a week or so back. I'm now on the lookout for an Invacar. Ideally a Model 70. Just strike me as fascinating little things from an engineering perspective, and I like the idea of something that compact and simple from an approachability perspective.

Given there's a classic car show over at Stoney Stratford on New Year's Day I'd hoped to get some cleaning and polishing done today. However by the time I'd dispatched my allocated tasks for the day and walked the dog I was left with a grand total of about half an hour's daylight to work with. So instead just did my usual level checks etc then indulged my OCD for a moment and tidied the wiring around the battery that's an upgraded feed for the headlights. This was a bit randomly routed before and was annoying me. Also gave the top of the LHM tank a good wipe down while I was in there.
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Also noted that the front indicators were starting to show a distinctly pastel shade of orange, so threw a pair of new lamps in there which has restored a sensible shade of orange. Did noticed though that I appear to have one Series 1 indicator and one Series 2...Visually identical externally, but the reflector/diffractor arrangement is different inside.
My website - aka. My *other* waste of time
Current fleet: 73 AC Model-70. 75 Rover 3500. 84 Trabant 601S. 85 Sinclair C5. 88 Renault 25 Monaco. 06 Peugeot Partner 1.6HDi.

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Zelandeth
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Re: Zel's Fleet Blog...Lada, Saab, Citroen, Sinclair...and a Pug 107.

#19 Post by Zelandeth » Sun Jan 07, 2018 6:09 pm

Relatively little to report, though despite having turned the garage upside down twice now, my spare blower motor has stubbornly refused to show itself. Less than ideal as the one in the Activa as of a couple of days ago progressed from "temperamental but would usually work if I thumped it" to "dead." Luckily a friend locally has a spare, so that shouldn't be a massive problem. On the plus side, it's a five minute job to swap out.

Coming to the conclusion that it might be time to move the 107 on. Simple reason: The fact that it's getting used so rarely these days. Have also got my eye on another project at the moment. Ridiculous, impractical project what needs a lot of work...but you only live once!
My website - aka. My *other* waste of time
Current fleet: 73 AC Model-70. 75 Rover 3500. 84 Trabant 601S. 85 Sinclair C5. 88 Renault 25 Monaco. 06 Peugeot Partner 1.6HDi.

User avatar
Zelandeth
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Re: Zel's Fleet Blog...Lada, Saab, Citroen, Sinclair...and a Pug 107.

#20 Post by Zelandeth » Sun Jan 14, 2018 1:38 pm

Well, things are afoot in my fleet!

Firstly is that this is now up for sale.
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Main reason? It's currently costing me £75 a month to insure, and hasn't moved in about six weeks. She's been a cracking little car (owned since new), but it's time to move on.

I do have a new project inbound as well - which means that I *really* need to clear some room to work in my garage.

Yesterday morning there was just a narrow channel down the one side to get to the freezer at the back...we're getting there!
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The Crypton machine will be getting moved along to the back wall once we're done.
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Looking forward to getting stuck in to the new car when it arrives - going to be a first for me on quite a few levels!
My website - aka. My *other* waste of time
Current fleet: 73 AC Model-70. 75 Rover 3500. 84 Trabant 601S. 85 Sinclair C5. 88 Renault 25 Monaco. 06 Peugeot Partner 1.6HDi.

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