1.8L 16v P Reg Citroen Xantia for £60

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Tue 25 Feb 2003 19:52
1.8L 16v P Reg Citroen Xantia for £60 - Hugo {P}
Apparently it needs a replacement engine but is otherwise OK. Mileage is about 70K I believe.

This is the story.

A colleague at work and her husband were driving it when something nasty happened in the engine. A piston disintegrated and some valves got bent. Car is now in a garage who have been asked to scrap it.

I phoned them up expecting to be told that they have 'bought' it and will be putting it back onto the road. But amaizingly they are not interested in doing anything with it. They don't want anything for the car but just want £60 to drop it off to me (app 20+ miles from their garage).

An engine should cost around £300 I assume and about £150 to fit, minus the possibility of selling the old one onto a recon outfit. Plus say another £100 or so for other minor repairs that may be needed, and I've got a car worth £1500 to £2000.

So, I'm thinking, where's the catch? It's apparently straight, some minor front end damage was fixed under 3rd party claim about a year ago, so hopefully that's up to scratch.

Questions:

1) What other cars (Citroen or Peugeot) would provide a similar engine? I was told that the Pug 406 uses the same engine, what about the 405 or similar?

2) If it all becomes a bad idea once the car is delivered and inspected could I either use it for spares for my 2.0L 16v Xantia (L reg) at 70,000 miles or fit my whole 2.0 Litre engine and box and drive train if needed into this car and have a much newer car? The problem is that my L reg has just passed an MOT without needing any work, so I've got another 12 months without having to worry about that.

3) Has the market suddenly dropped out of the Xantia market? I know that a lot of people hate them, so I would understand.

Any advice from Citroenheads out there?

Thanks

Hugo
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Tue 25 Feb 2003 20:58
1.8L 16v P Reg Citroen Xantia for £60 - Ben79
406, Xsara, 306, Picasso, ZX, Maybe the 806 and Synergie.

If you are changing the engine, you could have problems with the ECU and immobilisor, some have transponder and some have keypads.

How about removing the head and seeing what needs doing?

Ben
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Tue 25 Feb 2003 23:20
1.8L 16v P Reg Citroen Xantia for £60 - Hugo {P}
Thanks Ben

The cylinder head has already been removed.

The disintegrated piston has apparently ruined the liner. I suppose I could replace the liner and the affected piston, then replace the head.

My concern would be the long term effect of any stresses the engine experienced.

I was hoping to reuse the same ECU and ignition system of the original engine and just replace the mechanical side of the thing ie the head and block with all the bits inside.

I may look more closely at the older cars, ie ZX etc though.

Many thanks again.

Hugo
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Tue 25 Feb 2003 23:39
1.8L 16v P Reg Citroen Xantia for £60 - M.M
Hugo,

I rarely post about the cars I'm offered for little or no money because there is a "bottom line" value of vehicles in the trade that is so low as to be almost unbelievable.

Simple fact is that the trade cash value of this vehicle running with MOT would be £800 and you might struggle to get much of a bid at all on a 1.8 petrol.

It needs an exchange engine and that would be over £1600 fitted for a decent one...so the car has no value as you've found out.

Even with a used engine at £300 add in the bits you'll need when fitting... a new clutch while you're at it, a timing belt, service, transmission oil & seals, fresh coolant, LHM fluid etc.

Changing the engine on one of these is booked at 9hrs so even with modest labour charges of perhaps £35/hr you're going to be looking at nearly £900 all in without any extra work on other items.

Now you can really see why it is worth nothing in the trade.

If I was offered it delivered to the drive for nothing I'd say yes but I wouldn't pay a penny for it.

It may *just* make sense for a complete DIY prospect if you didn't pay anyone to do anything and found a good engine for a bit less than £300.

MM
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Tue 4 Mar 2003 23:28
1.8L 16v P Reg Citroen Xantia for £60 - Hugo {P}
MM

Many thanks for your advice.

I have since taken the plunge and accepted this car, taking your comments on board as 'worst case'. The reasons are as follows:

It has a good history and is relitively tidy apart from the obvious.

I've known the car for a few years, as the chap's wife used to work with me.

If I find a low mileage engine, I could be tempted to keep it myself, depending on what happens on the job front. My L reg Xantia is still good, but for how long I don't know.

I know a couple of Citroen specialists who would give me a profit on it as it is, which gave me some confidence in its potential value.

If nothing happens, it's got plenty of good spares, some of which can be used on the diesels.

Having yet another car at the house is a really good way to wind SWMBO up!

Furthermore, when it was delivered two months tax was remaining on it, which went straight down the PO and into an envelope on the 28th of Feb, so that's £26 back straight away, I couldn't believe the garage didn't get there first.

I have found an 18,000 mile engine for £295 incl VAT and del with 6 months warranty. I expect to pay around £150 to £200 to get it fitted. I know a good mechanic. In addition, the old engine will have a residual value, which I should recoup from an engine recon outfit.

So, this little project should cost around £700 all in. If I were to sell my L reg Xantia with 70,000 on the clock privately for £800 (I know the trade value is probably £500, I should have a newer car and a bit of money to spare. Also the 1.8l should be cheaper to run than the 2.0l

So, we'll see how it goes!

H
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Tue 4 Mar 2003 23:45
1.8L 16v P Reg Citroen Xantia for £60 - M.M
Hugo,

You did the right thing in taking my comments in the right spirit and then going your own way, it at least gave you a backstop view to work from.

It does go to prove how stupidly cheap a useable car can be.

Good luck with it all.

MM
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Fri 7 Mar 2003 23:08
1.8L 16v P Reg Citroen Xantia for £60 - Hugo {P}
Hugo,
You did the right thing in taking my comments in the
right spirit and then going your own way, it at least
gave you a backstop view to work from.
It does go to prove how stupidly cheap a useable car
can be.
Good luck with it all.
MM


MM

Thanks, I'll let you know how it goes.

I ordered the engine on Thursday, to be delivered Monday at the workshop where my friend works.

I had another look at the mess under the bonnet. I thought the cam belt must have snapped to do that sort of damage, but it appears to be OK! So, what caused it to go like that I don't know. The woman who owned it said that the head gasket had gone, so maybe it overheated, then 'happened'. I would have thought that there would have been some warning though. The affected piston is in a right mess. I don't think I actually tracked down all the bits.

The garage have very kindly and neatly organised the head, rocker covers etc in the boot on newspaper, but as I'll be replacing the engine, this lot will probably be put in a box and made available to an engine recon workshop.

Hugo
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Fri 26 Oct 2012 22:08
1.8L 16v P Reg Citroen Xantia for £60 - daveyK_UK

How did it go?

What are peoples general opinon of the Xantia?

Are they as bad as expected for a mid 90's citroen?

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Fri 26 Oct 2012 23:21
1.8L 16v P Reg Citroen Xantia for £60 - Bromptonaut

This is a 9yo thread . IIRC Hugo dissapeared from site c2004/5.

The Xantia generally was a decent car. I have a very late model - 2000/X 2.0 HDi LX estate. Owned it from new, paid around £11,500.

Now on pushing 150k. There are cheaper cars to run but they're without self levelling suspension and the fantastic brakes that came with the hydropneumatic set up. Neither would they be so well screwed together as to be rattle free and with all electrics, A/C and everyting else still working. For a big estate it handles superbly; real fun to chuck it round the local lanes.

Of course it's not problem free. Fuel lift pump grounded it once and usual issues with older batteries etc.

Only masive issue has been it chucking its cambelt at 5years/85k.. My caution, on advice here, suggested cambelt drive pulley be replaced with belt @ 75k. Dealer advised not necessary. Drive pulley lunched itself 6months on.

Secondhand it would be worth peanuts but to me it's a damn site cheaper than a depreciating replacement.

I'd be wary of petrols but as a massively under rated and therefore cheap diesel even a pre noughties one would be a bargain,

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