Back in 1991 I lost my company car and had to provide my own when I started my own business. I still wanted electric windows and sunroof, power steering etc. A BX GTI (not 16v) fell into budget, as 'it'll do'. I finished up owning a series of BX's, diesel ones after the GTI, which were terrific and gripped like a limpet. Following the BX's I bought a Xantia which I also loved for every 180,000 miles. I continued with Citroens for my business, the last one, when I sold my business in March 2022 was a Berlingo van. 31 years and 12 Citroens and I never ever suffered a failure or breakdown.
As a person that was born inthe states i find your content the best Imho!! Ive never seen any of these awesome 80's early 90s cars that only UK had. Man soo much automotive history here its mad i love it.
I had the ordinary 8V GTi from new in about 1988. It was phenomenal - two of my friends stacked Peugeot 205GTis trying to keep up with me (one a 1.6, but the other a 1.9 with basically the same engine and less weight). Then it became less than wonderful when it sprung a hydraulic leak. Twice (within 3 years of being new). I always adored it, despite its iffy build quality. Weirdly the electrics always worked - and it had 4EW, ESR etc, way more than its competitors. It was different to a sea of 205s, Golf GTis and Escort XR3is. I never had a problem with the gear change, but then they were like that - some good cars, some crap (kind of like a 1970s Rover SDi - though with those you had five loaded chambers, not one when playing Russian Roulette). Mine was a company car, so it wasn't driven like I had spent my own money on it.
I've always liked the Citroen BX, and loved the GTI and the 16Valve. I remember them being quite fast back then, and a real object of desire for me. Great to see one brought back to life.
I had the same issue with the wheel alignment of my BX. I ended up doing it myself. I made an excel sheet with all the required calculations, and now I can do it with two tape measures and a stick.
Now its worth some money :) Brake valve is actually solid, it responds to pressure and not to movement.... the pedal has a spring between the pedal and the brake valve so the first part of its travel feels like the brake valve moves, but it actually that spring. After the spring is compressed fully you fell the actual valve. You can take the spring out and replace it with a solid piece of steel and you will have the same brake feel as a Citroen CX.
It's just great to see how this, like many 'normal' cars from the 80's & 90's, can still provide great joy when a real car guy jumps in them. Even today. And, keeping them going, despite what some enviro-nut job may say, is better for the planet. Great vid.
A couple of years ago, one of the Dad's at our children's school asked if I could look at his exhaust. They had a ropey Mondeo, were struggling for money and needed it to last 6 month's to the next test. It had a fair sized hole in the middle section, so I joyfully showed them the bean can and hose clip fix from my youth - he'd never seen it done before. We'd whacked a load of paste underneath the can for good measure, it worked a treat. 6 month's on and I was informed it failed the MoT...but not the exhaust! Love the BX...I used to own a Xantia and the ride, handling and steering in that were always a joy. The electrics were another story👍
The "tracking" with a BX is just one thing: You can adjust the steering rods on both sides, so that the front wheels are straight when the steering wheel is straight. That is all you can adjust on the whole car, steeringwise. No camber no toe-in, nothing. If you want to enjoy the real comfort of a hydropneumatic BX , you have to change the spheres and use the ones from slower/weaker models. I´m driving my 6th BX and I like the spheres from the 64HP Diesel model the most and use them in my 8VGTI-Automatic/120HP. During acceleration, the car is almost at its bump-stops in the rear, so I would recommend the 88HP spheres for a GTI16V maybe. A standards sphere has 400ccc , but there are 500cc available from the Break models which are even more comfy. Have fun trying!
The brakes won’t really fade in turn of boiling the brake fluid with it using LHM. We had a trip through France and Switzerland a few years ago with a number of BX’s, a GSA and a ZX and descending the Cols into Geneva, the only car that lost it’s brakes was the ZX.
Congratulations on the MOT. I am a software professional. With inspiration from few RUclipsrs like you, I have sourced a project Porsche 924 for next to nothing price. A old gentleman decided to give up his hope to restore that car and so he sold it to me. It is very difficult to clear MOT (rego) in Australia. The car has clean title so far, I am hoping to bring it alive soon. Thanks for sharing your journey.
I enjoy your videos, they are all good, but my favorite are your drive experience videos. You communicate the way the car handles and feel in such a good natural way. Thank you for putting these together.
Sleeper cars are usually the most fun. The French build such wonderful machines, unlike anyone else's. Don't rush to get rid of this too soon, it is earning it's keep in the smiles it provides. Watching you drive it with such pleasure is what makes this a great video.
That central expansion box went on my BX GTI (not 16v) we just took it out and welded in a straight pipe instead - according to the ex Citroen mechanic that did it, it was a common mod.
Well done for getting the tomato through the mot. I used to get a lift to college in a beige non 16v version. The indicator switch was to the left of the speedo where you have the 2 flat switches on your car.
Could this have been Tomato's swan song? It was fun to watch, and I have discovered a new appreciation for the Citroën BX. Thanks Jack! BTW I'm looking forward to seeing the new garage..... er, I mean house. 😁
Re;-The internal space.Took my eldest to Uni,at Manchester UMIST,many years back,in my BX GTI 8 valve.Absolutely rammed with his kit on the way there.Left Dorset coast at 9 a.m.,got him to Uni,spent two hours getting him settled into halls,and arrived back home at 9 p.m! Long trip,but in great comfort,thanks to the excellent suspension!👍
Nice. Re... you have to rev it. Sounds like most other 16v engines. I bought a Golf Mk2 GTI 16 valve back around 1990. To be honest, I'd have been better with the standard 8 valve GTI. The power is much more accessible, and for most driving, that's what matters. Before the Golf, I had a BX19 GT ( 105bhp ). Really good car. As I recall, the BX wasn't chuckable in the way modernish hot hatches are. Once though, you're in tune with car, as you say, you can make rapid progress. Any way, thank you for the videos, and getting the BX back on the road.
I learnt my trade on these things. PSA XUD engines still haunt me but it would be great to have another one. I will keep an eye out for one. Thanks for the memory trip.
I remember driving one of these for 3 weeks during a scouts camp where I was the cook back in the late 80ies. It was a 16 TRS if I recall well. I recognize all the points about the driving, which, apart from the odd seat position, it did really well I found. Fun times.
I am 66 and I too got fed up crawling around under my cars so I bought a new two post lift for £1500 delivered , it was easy to set up in my garage . It is Chinese made but incredibly well made and solid and has transformed my working on my Mini’s . I can’t raise cars to full height but it’s easily high enough to work underneath comfortably and is easy to use .
My dad bought this car for me and my brother to drive as our first car. It's a really nice low mileage one as well. I absolutely love the way the suspension works, really comfortable and fun to drive with.
Here in Canada, that expansion chamber would be calling out for a piece of galvanized forced-air heating duct big enough to wrap around it, and a couple of big jubilee clamps (plus a slightly friendly inspector!).
The hydropneumatic suspension on the BX GTi 16V was fabulous. It cornered so flat at high speed and handlled all surfaces so well that for me it was in a different league to all conventionally sprung vehicles. At only 160hp it wasn't super powerful but the handling package meant you could use all of those horses even on the twisty B roads. Even now, 30 years later, nothing else I have driven comes close.
Congrats on the MoT pass with NO advisories. A mate of mine used to have BXs and he absolutely loved them. It is a car I would definitely consider for my own channel.
I am a 'Graduate' of the Citroen academy! 😱🤔 I was briefly a salesman at Camden Citroen Wolverton Milton Keynes. All new recruits had to sit through five days of propaganda at HQ where we were educated/indoctrinated as to the Citroen way! Genuinely great engineering of course, but I just hated the design, though I do admire it sticking two fingers up to the competition. I still remember the hole in the roof where someone managed to remove one of the spheres without injury! The group approved blurb was to appeal to caravanners and I remember being told to "ask the fattest one to jump on the tailgate" to illustrate the self-levelling suspension. If the potential client wasn't overweight, then we had a bag of cement in a pillowcase just inside the door! 💪🇬🇧 Funny thing is, I moved to France 12 years ago and I have never seen a BX.
Its a lovely car, keep up the good work of keeping the old timers on the road 👍. (Ps) brazing & patching up the exhaust might be an option over welding).
Come on Jack keep it and get it sorted. It's an oddball and I'm sure you'll get loads of views on the videos of its recovery. First thing I'd do would be contact my local stainless exhaust fabrication centre and see if they can help you out. Hoping you decode to keep it as I'm a sucker for the oddball stuff.
Great work with the BX 👍, a good friend had a 16valve back in the late 90’s in exactly the same colour, it wasn’t the most desirable car back then but the way it drove impressed me, needed revs to get the power & with a sports exhaust sounded great! Really comfy seats as well!
Well done sir. You saved that great car! I'd be happy to take her off your capable hands and further nurture her back to the state of her glory days. Fab channel!!!
There actually pretty easy to work on, I’ve done a head gasket in a couple of hours. You can get at everything, it’s just the lack of understanding of the system that’s daunting
Probably the best car from Citroen with regard to the perfect mix of design/character/comfort/reliability and affordability.... I had a 1991 TZD turbo and I absolutely loved it.
Citroens self leveling hydraulic suspension made the BX a popular choice for overloading with beer on booze cruses without attracting the attention of HM customs, commenting for a friend, happy days.
I joined citroen when the bx came out and still with them now. I liked the 16v. The 4x4 was a mare to work on, and that's saying something for cotroen of that era. The xantia activa made every development in the car industry up to then look like a sticker kit. Amazing car but couldn't be advertised properly without putting it again the best handling of the rest and showing how good it was on corners but that was not the done thing.
Now time for a bit grinding and welding on that roof then the tomato is a well sorted low mileage keeper.. I know the feeling though as I’m getting to the age I hate working under motors and it isn’t funny working on a driveway in the cold and not being able to feel your fingers when you slip and take the skin off your knuckles with a spanner.
Great work Jack, Bravo!! Also fab to see a clean MOT and it back on the road too being driven like it should! Pleased you mentioned the front fogs as they were a bit of a mystery on Flipping Bangers! They had them ready to put on, but never did?
So weird drove past this on Thursday/Friday morning with loads of wood in it in woodstock, Had to have a look (my day had one)went straight to Vehicle smart app to have a look at its history and had a clean mot and now it's just come up in my suggested videos hahaha
Had a BX 16RE and one of the last of the GTis too....great cars, I do miss them. Great cars for relaxed distances, eg across France, really in their element..
I know I'm in a minority of one, but I'll be glad to see the back of the Tomato. Had one back in the day, it was ok I guess. But not as exciting as the 147 or even Peppy.
Immediately thinking it was difficult to weld. Looking forward for the future of this car. Once again it has been a while due to some surgery… A full new exhaust would be lovely. Were you at the NEC show? Some kind of similar channels I follow are making a nice clique together. Steph from Idriveaclassic, Ian from Hubnut, Matt from furiousdriving. Also Twin-Cam was there apparently. He’s very young and fond of BL cars and British cars in general. Your enthusiasm is lovely and made me think of Mr Bean when he is enthusiastic about something. And that is a compliment! Really! Cheers from very cold Belgium.
HeyJack, replace the gaffer tape on the roof with clear water proof tape available fro all good motor factors. Don't forget to clean up the surface first with nail polish remover available from all good pound shops. Works a treat, looks great!! Win Win!!
@@philtowle4683 The acetone content leaves the surface squeaky clean and for a cheap bodge is more than adequate. I've never had an issue with tape adhesion, sticks like the proverbial and has a nice lemony smell. You are correct though, it also contains glycerine and linalool but in insignificant amounts.
In my home country there was unique version on citroen bx estate it was called citroen bx van. It had extended fiberglass roof and back seats were removed. And that model was guite popular because people avoided taxes with that car It was registered as van in finland that time there had to be space at least 130cm that was done by cutting the original roof and putting that fiberglass roof there. And after few years it was registered as regular car and that how people avoided taxes. Nowa days citroën bx and bx van have long sinne disappeared from finnish roads the remaining bx vans are rare and most have been scrapped years ago but there are still bx vans left in the country side.
Jack..Let's hope your new place has room for a 2 or 4 post lift..As you did say it's not good for a oldish guy to crawl under grubby older cars. Nice video thanks
Great video jack. Despite having the 16v head the car sounds just like dad's. Makes me sad that it was sold (28 years ago) just nicely after I passed my test. The noise and poise despite the cars mechanical differences shows that they were underrated and much better than the mainstream stuff (you knowy allegiance to ford's, esp escorts and foci) so that says alot. The motoring mags have alot yo answer for. I think its time for tomato to meet pepe and..... Rocco please, to see what his expert opinion is!!!! Thought of you in Huddersfield on service 229 this morning as an 03 Merc SL 320cdi slewed in front of me crabbing down the road with what looked like a bust wishbone, abc susp or tracking malfunction on its nsf. Looked a right shed in comparison to yours. By the way does the Merc have a name?? Wolfgang perhaps?!!! Best wishes, Ben 🚍🚌🙏❄️☃️🇬🇧🇫🇷🇮🇹🇩🇪
Like a sporty 2CV, way it bounces driver around in seat, have had a diesel in trade 10 years ago, even then a BX had become insanely rare and an oddity
Congratulations 'Le Tomato' i for one am really liking this fantastic 'French' automobile. Its in fantastic condition - im not in the UK or Europe but have heard the atrocious stories of what salt on the roads does to cars & Le Tomato is in amazing cond!!! There are so many ???'s id luv to ask about this iconic piece of motoring but will only plead with the owner to do a full in depth review of this beauty at sum time What type of engine is it ? Is it 4 or 5 speed etc etc Well done 'Le Tomato' Vive La France!!!
Great work to bring the Tomato back from the brink, Jack. And with a clean MOT, it’s now in a position to go to someone who can finish it. 👍🏻…. Unless you have more repairs to complete??? Does your new house sport a double height garage?? Would be handy 😉
Back in 1991 I lost my company car and had to provide my own when I started my own business. I still wanted electric windows and sunroof, power steering etc. A BX GTI (not 16v) fell into budget, as 'it'll do'. I finished up owning a series of BX's, diesel ones after the GTI, which were terrific and gripped like a limpet. Following the BX's I bought a Xantia which I also loved for every 180,000 miles. I continued with Citroens for my business, the last one, when I sold my business in March 2022 was a Berlingo van. 31 years and 12 Citroens and I never ever suffered a failure or breakdown.
Nice to hear, thanks!
As a person that was born inthe states i find your content the best Imho!! Ive never seen any of these awesome 80's early 90s cars that only UK had. Man soo much automotive history here its mad i love it.
Ah Mark, that’s so great to hear, really thank you!!
For a while someone did import a limited number of Citroën CX models. That one is absolutely glorious!
I had the ordinary 8V GTi from new in about 1988. It was phenomenal - two of my friends stacked Peugeot 205GTis trying to keep up with me (one a 1.6, but the other a 1.9 with basically the same engine and less weight). Then it became less than wonderful when it sprung a hydraulic leak. Twice (within 3 years of being new). I always adored it, despite its iffy build quality. Weirdly the electrics always worked - and it had 4EW, ESR etc, way more than its competitors. It was different to a sea of 205s, Golf GTis and Escort XR3is. I never had a problem with the gear change, but then they were like that - some good cars, some crap (kind of like a 1970s Rover SDi - though with those you had five loaded chambers, not one when playing Russian Roulette). Mine was a company car, so it wasn't driven like I had spent my own money on it.
Well done, great to see an old car being brought back to life, repaired and re-used! 👍
Well done putting a classic back on the road.
Hear hear! A proud moment for anyone!
Seconded! I’ve never owned a Citroen but I’ve often thought of driving one.
I've always liked the Citroen BX, and loved the GTI and the 16Valve. I remember them being quite fast back then, and a real object of desire for me. Great to see one brought back to life.
I had the same issue with the wheel alignment of my BX. I ended up doing it myself. I made an excel sheet with all the required calculations, and now I can do it with two tape measures and a stick.
Now its worth some money :)
Brake valve is actually solid, it responds to pressure and not to movement.... the pedal has a spring between the pedal and the brake valve so the first part of its travel feels like the brake valve moves, but it actually that spring. After the spring is compressed fully you fell the actual valve.
You can take the spring out and replace it with a solid piece of steel and you will have the same brake feel as a Citroen CX.
It's just great to see how this, like many 'normal' cars from the 80's & 90's, can still provide great joy when a real car guy jumps in them. Even today.
And, keeping them going, despite what some enviro-nut job may say, is better for the planet.
Great vid.
You should feel proud for saving the Tomato Jack! ……… it was well worth saving in my opinion 👍 Cracking content as always buddy 😉
A couple of years ago, one of the Dad's at our children's school asked if I could look at his exhaust. They had a ropey Mondeo, were struggling for money and needed it to last 6 month's to the next test. It had a fair sized hole in the middle section, so I joyfully showed them the bean can and hose clip fix from my youth - he'd never seen it done before. We'd whacked a load of paste underneath the can for good measure, it worked a treat. 6 month's on and I was informed it failed the MoT...but not the exhaust!
Love the BX...I used to own a Xantia and the ride, handling and steering in that were always a joy. The electrics were another story👍
The "tracking" with a BX is just one thing: You can adjust the steering rods on both sides, so that the front wheels are straight when the steering wheel is straight.
That is all you can adjust on the whole car, steeringwise. No camber no toe-in, nothing.
If you want to enjoy the real comfort of a hydropneumatic BX , you have to change the spheres and use the ones from slower/weaker models.
I´m driving my 6th BX and I like the spheres from the 64HP Diesel model the most and use them in my 8VGTI-Automatic/120HP.
During acceleration, the car is almost at its bump-stops in the rear, so I would recommend the 88HP spheres for a GTI16V maybe.
A standards sphere has 400ccc , but there are 500cc available from the Break models which are even more comfy. Have fun trying!
Cool, another one back on the road. The breaks are strange at first but, Once you get used to them, anything else feels really sloppy. Excellent.
The brakes won’t really fade in turn of boiling the brake fluid with it using LHM. We had a trip through France and Switzerland a few years ago with a number of BX’s, a GSA and a ZX and descending the Cols into Geneva, the only car that lost it’s brakes was the ZX.
Congratulations on the MOT. I am a software professional. With inspiration from few RUclipsrs like you, I have sourced a project Porsche 924 for next to nothing price. A old gentleman decided to give up his hope to restore that car and so he sold it to me. It is very difficult to clear MOT (rego) in Australia. The car has clean title so far, I am hoping to bring it alive soon. Thanks for sharing your journey.
Nicely summed up! The BX 16v doesn't get enough praise for how it drives. A-B, I haven't driven many cars capable of covering ground quicker.
I enjoy your videos, they are all good, but my favorite are your drive experience videos. You communicate the way the car handles and feel in such a good natural way. Thank you for putting these together.
Thank you Sebastian!!!
Thank you for shining the light on an underrated but brilliant car ✊
Sleeper cars are usually the most fun. The French build such wonderful machines, unlike anyone else's. Don't rush to get rid of this too soon, it is earning it's keep in the smiles it provides. Watching you drive it with such pleasure is what makes this a great video.
That central expansion box went on my BX GTI (not 16v) we just took it out and welded in a straight pipe instead - according to the ex Citroen mechanic that did it, it was a common mod.
Congrats! It’s undoubtedly satisfying to rescue a cool, old, quirky classic like this and then pass your “MOT”! Enjoy! 🥂
Well done for getting the tomato through the mot. I used to get a lift to college in a beige non 16v version. The indicator switch was to the left of the speedo where you have the 2 flat switches on your car.
I am impressed! I never thought it would make this far with the relative ease and work you've put into it. I stand corrected!
Could this have been Tomato's swan song? It was fun to watch, and I have discovered a new appreciation for the Citroën BX. Thanks Jack! BTW I'm looking forward to seeing the new garage..... er, I mean house. 😁
Re;-The internal space.Took my eldest to Uni,at Manchester UMIST,many years back,in my BX GTI 8 valve.Absolutely rammed with his kit on the way there.Left Dorset coast at 9 a.m.,got him to Uni,spent two hours getting him settled into halls,and arrived back home at 9 p.m! Long trip,but in great comfort,thanks to the excellent suspension!👍
Nice. Re... you have to rev it. Sounds like most other 16v engines. I bought a Golf Mk2 GTI 16 valve back around 1990. To be honest, I'd have been better with the standard 8 valve GTI. The power is much more accessible, and for most driving, that's what matters. Before the Golf, I had a BX19 GT ( 105bhp ). Really good car. As I recall, the BX wasn't chuckable in the way modernish hot hatches are. Once though, you're in tune with car, as you say, you can make rapid progress.
Any way, thank you for the videos, and getting the BX back on the road.
I learnt my trade on these things. PSA XUD engines still haunt me but it would be great to have another one. I will keep an eye out for one. Thanks for the memory trip.
I remember driving one of these for 3 weeks during a scouts camp where I was the cook back in the late 80ies. It was a 16 TRS if I recall well. I recognize all the points about the driving, which, apart from the odd seat position, it did really well I found. Fun times.
I am 66 and I too got fed up crawling around under my cars so I bought a new two post lift for £1500 delivered , it was easy to set up in my garage . It is Chinese made but incredibly well made and solid and has transformed my working on my Mini’s . I can’t raise cars to full height but it’s easily high enough to work underneath comfortably and is easy to use .
I put solid shifter linkages in, that helps with the shifter feel and much more reliable than the factory linkages with nylon insert.
Love the tamato 👍, still here watching your vids a year after I found your channel, love them
"O"
Thank you Me Madzilla, it is always really great to get such positive feedback
I'm really happy you got this back on the road! A really nice and interesting car. Daily driving a classic is the best!
My dad bought this car for me and my brother to drive as our first car. It's a really nice low mileage one as well. I absolutely love the way the suspension works, really comfortable and fun to drive with.
I had 2 of these back in the day. First one white, second one red so exactly like this. Loved them, that's why I had 2 back to back.
Here in Canada, that expansion chamber would be calling out for a piece of galvanized forced-air heating duct big enough to wrap around it, and a couple of big jubilee clamps (plus a slightly friendly inspector!).
Put a smile on my face watching your video. I had one of these (black) back in the 90s.
Thanks for another vid...best wishes from Edinburgh...great to see old cars being saved
These engines just sound amazing
The hydropneumatic suspension on the BX GTi 16V was fabulous. It cornered so flat at high speed and handlled all surfaces so well that for me it was in a different league to all conventionally sprung vehicles. At only 160hp it wasn't super powerful but the handling package meant you could use all of those horses even on the twisty B roads. Even now, 30 years later, nothing else I have driven comes close.
Loved the videos on the BX , I’ve always had a soft spot for these and the XM
Well done Jack & Tomato! One thing less to worry about before the house move, hope everything goes well for you!
I’m so glad the 🍅 steers and handles well - The French used to design fantastic little cars.
Congrats on the MoT pass with NO advisories. A mate of mine used to have BXs and he absolutely loved them. It is a car I would definitely consider for my own channel.
Love you Jack, and love this car.
You cheer me right up, such a nice character and presenting style.
I am a 'Graduate' of the Citroen academy! 😱🤔
I was briefly a salesman at Camden Citroen Wolverton Milton Keynes.
All new recruits had to sit through five days of propaganda at HQ where we were educated/indoctrinated as to the Citroen way!
Genuinely great engineering of course, but I just hated the design, though I do admire it sticking two fingers up to the competition.
I still remember the hole in the roof where someone managed to remove one of the spheres without injury!
The group approved blurb was to appeal to caravanners and I remember being told to "ask the fattest one to jump on the tailgate" to illustrate the self-levelling suspension.
If the potential client wasn't overweight, then we had a bag of cement in a pillowcase just inside the door! 💪🇬🇧
Funny thing is, I moved to France 12 years ago and I have never seen a BX.
I had a BX back in early 90's. It was my spare car & to be fair I really loved driving it. I'd have another
Its a lovely car, keep up the good work of keeping the old timers on the road 👍.
(Ps) brazing & patching up the exhaust might be an option over welding).
*Our man in the old Enzo game the British enthusiast extolling the virtues of medium in & fast out*
That tomato seems like a lot of fun. I like how strong the engine is at high rpm. I never would have thought. Citroen has always been under my radar.
Same engine as a pug 205 GTi 1.9.
@@knobrotknobrot 205 GTI 1.9 is 8v, this one is 16v ;)
@@mjcbento Yes, same engine as the 309 GTi 16v. Rev happy screamer
ruclips.net/video/AdAwo0Q6y0o/видео.html
Did Renault and Peugeot put this engine into the 19 & 405..??
@@johnchurch4705 not renault. Peugeot 405 has it
Nothing better than a clean MOT, especially when you've done a fair bit of the work yourself. Hope Dr. Tomato serves you well!!
Fantastic. Lovely to see that on the road. Well done Tomato!
Come on Jack keep it and get it sorted. It's an oddball and I'm sure you'll get loads of views on the videos of its recovery. First thing I'd do would be contact my local stainless exhaust fabrication centre and see if they can help you out. Hoping you decode to keep it as I'm a sucker for the oddball stuff.
Good luck with the move! Also nice classic Casio 😉
Whehey! The Tomato lives! Love this video and your excitement for this car. Well done Jack!
Great work with the BX 👍, a good friend had a 16valve back in the late 90’s in exactly the same colour, it wasn’t the most desirable car back then but the way it drove impressed me, needed revs to get the power & with a sports exhaust sounded great! Really comfy seats as well!
Great to see this car road worthy again, and I enjoyed your review too. Vive La Tomate!
Great result, well done. Thanks for sharing the story of the car's rebirth.
Well done sir. You saved that great car! I'd be happy to take her off your capable hands and further nurture her back to the state of her glory days. Fab channel!!!
I love the rising suspension, I would never have ever thought about one of these cars, it looks fun and it has passed the MOT!
I’ve had lots of really great cars, Porsche, Maserati, Jags, but the car my kids still talk about is a BX, they just loved the up/down suspension
There actually pretty easy to work on, I’ve done a head gasket in a couple of hours. You can get at everything, it’s just the lack of understanding of the system that’s daunting
Probably the best car from Citroen with regard to the perfect mix of design/character/comfort/reliability and affordability.... I had a 1991 TZD turbo and I absolutely loved it.
Great that you saved this car Jack - well done wonderful content on the Tomato
-Mike
Citroens self leveling hydraulic suspension made the BX a popular choice for overloading with beer on booze cruses without attracting the attention of HM customs, commenting for a friend, happy days.
Aside from the cool cars, I love the countryside scenery. Nice reminder for a guy who hasn’t been back to the UK for two years.
I joined citroen when the bx came out and still with them now. I liked the 16v. The 4x4 was a mare to work on, and that's saying something for cotroen of that era. The xantia activa made every development in the car industry up to then look like a sticker kit. Amazing car but couldn't be advertised properly without putting it again the best handling of the rest and showing how good it was on corners but that was not the done thing.
Love the Tomato… fabulous to see another classic saved.
Congratulations on the fresh MOT on Tomato!
Great update, seems you did a better job than the boys on Flipping Bangers!
Congrats on bringing this FRENCH FANCY back to life Well Done
Love watching your channel as a scot living in the sw of France there are a lot here still on the road
Now time for a bit grinding and welding on that roof then the tomato is a well sorted low mileage keeper.. I know the feeling though as I’m getting to the age I hate working under motors and it isn’t funny working on a driveway in the cold and not being able to feel your fingers when you slip and take the skin off your knuckles with a spanner.
Precisely that!! Thanks for watching chap!!
Great work Jack, Bravo!! Also fab to see a clean MOT and it back on the road too being driven like it should! Pleased you mentioned the front fogs as they were a bit of a mystery on Flipping Bangers! They had them ready to put on, but never did?
They had the wrong ones..
I thoroughly enjoy your videos Jack, thank you.
Very satisfying video, and nice to see and hear how one of the last 'proper' Citroens drives. Let's have another (or two).
Don't you know the C5 III V6 X7?
So weird drove past this on Thursday/Friday morning with loads of wood in it in woodstock,
Had to have a look (my day had one)went straight to
Vehicle smart app to have a look at its history and had a clean mot and now it's just come up in my suggested videos hahaha
Loved this video Jack ....mainly because you dropped the accordion music 😂
Had a BX 16RE and one of the last of the GTis too....great cars, I do miss them. Great cars for relaxed distances, eg across France, really in their element..
I know I'm in a minority of one, but I'll be glad to see the back of the Tomato. Had one back in the day, it was ok I guess. But not as exciting as the 147 or even Peppy.
Love it. Making me miss my 106 Rallye.
Immediately thinking it was difficult to weld.
Looking forward for the future of this car.
Once again it has been a while due to some surgery…
A full new exhaust would be lovely.
Were you at the NEC show?
Some kind of similar channels I follow are making a nice clique together. Steph from Idriveaclassic, Ian from Hubnut, Matt from furiousdriving. Also Twin-Cam was there apparently. He’s very young and fond of BL cars and British cars in general.
Your enthusiasm is lovely and made me think of Mr Bean when he is enthusiastic about something. And that is a compliment! Really!
Cheers from very cold Belgium.
Ah.. welcome back and glad the surgery went well!!
If I won the lottery I’d set up a workshop restoring classics from this era…. Regardless of making any profit! 😎
HeyJack, replace the gaffer tape on the roof with clear water proof tape available fro all good motor factors. Don't forget to clean up the surface first with nail polish remover available from all good pound shops. Works a treat, looks great!! Win Win!!
Nail polish remover can contain oil, so check as will stop tape sticking properly.
@@philtowle4683 The acetone content leaves the surface squeaky clean and for a cheap bodge is more than adequate. I've never had an issue with tape adhesion, sticks like the proverbial and has a nice lemony smell. You are correct though, it also contains glycerine and linalool but in insignificant amounts.
I really like this car , the interior trim reminds me of the ax gt I had back in the 90s
I was a big fan of Citroen’s hot hatches
In my home country there was unique version on citroen bx estate it was called citroen bx van.
It had extended fiberglass roof and back seats were removed.
And that model was guite popular because people avoided taxes with that car
It was registered as van in finland that time there had to be space at least 130cm that was done by cutting the original roof and putting that fiberglass roof there. And after few years it was registered as regular car and that how people avoided taxes.
Nowa days citroën bx and bx van have long sinne disappeared from finnish roads the remaining bx vans are rare and most have been scrapped years ago but there are still bx vans left in the country side.
Jack..Let's hope your new place has room for a 2 or 4 post lift..As you did say it's not good for a oldish guy to crawl under grubby older cars. Nice video thanks
That tomato looks really planted.
Ahh.. I see what you did there...
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 very good 👍
Passata 😆
Great video jack. Despite having the 16v head the car sounds just like dad's. Makes me sad that it was sold (28 years ago) just nicely after I passed my test. The noise and poise despite the cars mechanical differences shows that they were underrated and much better than the mainstream stuff (you knowy allegiance to ford's, esp escorts and foci) so that says alot. The motoring mags have alot yo answer for. I think its time for tomato to meet pepe and..... Rocco please, to see what his expert opinion is!!!!
Thought of you in Huddersfield on service 229 this morning as an 03 Merc SL 320cdi slewed in front of me crabbing down the road with what looked like a bust wishbone, abc susp or tracking malfunction on its nsf. Looked a right shed in comparison to yours. By the way does the Merc have a name?? Wolfgang perhaps?!!! Best wishes, Ben 🚍🚌🙏❄️☃️🇬🇧🇫🇷🇮🇹🇩🇪
Great work getting tomato back on the road there's not enough of these about
Nice to see it sorted, I didn’t know the Renault 19 16v had a cousin
I wish you would have made as many videos about the GranSport, looking forward to your next project.....
Congratulations at 5,04 on passing the MOT
Should be
La Tomate !
Well done 👍
These were lovely to drive, still looks sharp design wise
Like a sporty 2CV, way it bounces driver around in seat, have had a diesel in trade 10 years ago, even then a BX had become insanely rare and an oddity
Congratulations 'Le Tomato' i for one am really liking this fantastic 'French' automobile. Its in fantastic condition - im not in the UK or Europe but have heard the atrocious stories of what salt on the roads does to cars & Le Tomato is in amazing cond!!!
There are so many ???'s id luv to ask about this iconic piece of motoring but will only plead with the owner to do a full in depth review of this beauty at sum time
What type of engine is it ?
Is it 4 or 5 speed
etc etc
Well done 'Le Tomato'
Vive La France!!!
Wife had a red bx gti in the mid 90’s. I loved driving it more than my 318i.
Great work to bring the Tomato back from the brink, Jack.
And with a clean MOT, it’s now in a position to go to someone who can finish it. 👍🏻….
Unless you have more repairs to complete???
Does your new house sport a double height garage?? Would be handy 😉
It really looks like a PROPER tomato😂😂
Great job, Jack👌👌
Drove one (16v) a couple of times back in the day. Great car.
Nice one Jack from useless to useful great work loved our BX x3 hope your new home has more space to work on your car collection 👍👨🏻🏭
Well done Jack another great job 👏👏👏
I use to have one it was fine until the hydraulic system started to go crazy. Most comfortable driving car I ever had great for long journeys.