My cat and I both panicked. We have now moved to Paris were we have checked in at Citroën headquarters for a three-year course were we study the "Operation of the Citroën BX headlight controls". We will be back in three years to watch this video again and try to get a grasp of what you just demonstrated.
This is an amazing video. I'm from Singapore and my dad had a 1985 MK1 16TRS back in the early 90's. Our neighbour 2 apartment blocks away had a MK2 16RS with the new single spoke wheel. I always envied his "rounder" version. But then again, we had the TRS whereas his was just a RS. Despite being a Ford man, my dad absolutely loved the BX. When it was time to let it go he desperately tried to look for a later MK2 but just could not find one at the right price and condition. Ended up with a POS Fiat that we all hated.
I wanted my dad too buy a red D reg 19rd estate. But it was really high mileage and the guy wanted some serious money for it. All the tidy ones were to expensive for what they were. Later looked at a 1.9 petrol estate maybe even an L reg in black maybe a 19trs it was a lot of money again.
Growing up my parents always had vauxhall astras. After having a troublesome one, they had a brand new h reg bx hatch 1.6tgs it drank fuel worse than our van, so it didnt last long. It ws replaced in 1992 with a bx 1.9 tgd estate. That was brilliant and my dad kept it an extra year on the lease than the usual 3 as they had discontinued the bx. I bought him a f reg in 2001 for £300 with a full history albeit it was a 19rd i noticed the differences between those 3 but this one had covered 277k it lasted him 2 years when the suspension and the corrosion killed it. I sent it to scrap but sold the engine to a neighbour whose 405 had died. The engine still lives although it had the fuel pump and injectors done, and still goes strong. Id love a late bx
You’re a funny guy, I’m looking to buy a BX 1.4 from 86 - very latest of the early models, with speedo-drum and all Came for the tips and info regarding the BX, stayed for the absolute cracking humour... oh and very informative as well! I would’ve given you 5 stars in the old days of RUclips, but have a like instead mate, proper good video🙏
I also agree 100% that the MK2 BX is loads better and much nicer looking with the tweaks they did to the bumpers and those odd ugly front indicators. For the 12 years this car remained in production they made some pretty good changes in it's later years... Great video bro - Well done. 👍👍👍
What a great video Rich I’ve always loved the BX and my cousin had several mk1 and 2 as company cars back in the day as he worked for BT and did many miles a year he refused to drive anything else! I didn’t realise much changed as it did between mk1 and 2!
I worked for the Perth, Western Australia Porsche dealership in 85/86 when they dropped the Audi franchise and took on Citroen. I was the Citroen salesman mostly. Demo cars were a BX 16 TRS auto and a 19GT. I managed to sell the GT, but public interest in Citroen at that time here was minimal. I recall taking the GT demo replacement car to Wanneroo Raceway for an open day. It had around 100km on the clock when I took it around the track with 3 passengers onboard. I remember overtaking a Jaguar. When returning to the pits, the brakes were a little smokey!
Jusr curious, but what was the perception of Citroen in general at the time? I had heard from various relatives who lived in Australia at that time that anything not Holden or Ford was disparaged
@@alfredsedgewick2184 You have it right. The CX was discontinued and the BX was the only model Citroen had to compete against the Holden VK Commodore and the Ford Falcon XF of the time. The BX was too quirky for most Aussie car buyers, even though it was years ahead in design and technology. The locally made cars were, essentially, early 70s tech.
@@carswithcharacterthank you for such a prompt and informative answer, much appreciated The perception here was fairly similar, plenty of snide remarks about 'funny French cars' and some very unwelcome insinuations Were there import tarriffs on the Citroens compared to locally built cars?
@@alfredsedgewick2184 Indeed there were import tarriffs which were designed to protect the Australian car industry. Even today Citroens are still considered too quirky, and assumed to be unreliable, by the masses. My first Citroen was a 2012 grand C4 Picasso and it was boringly reliable, only issues it ever had were caused by either the dealer or the bodyshops after it's numerous visits. The body shop visits were caused by hitting a kangaroo, huge hail storm and lastly a 4wd that lost it's wheel into the tailgate. Our current Citroen is a 2008 C5 2.7HDI, she's just suffering age related issues with just shy of 200,000km on the clock. Certainly more reliable than any German car of the same era, we also own a 2003 VW Bora v6 4motion and that thing has some issues.
7:52 On the 1.4 petrols that button turned the fuel econometer warning lights on and off. I've surprised myself remembering that as I last drove a mk1 BX 14 about 30 years ago.
Fond memories of my 1983 BX 16 TRS. I had forgotten just how interesting some of the controls are - I don't actually remember that crazy lighting set up at all. Instrument panel is frankly a mess but I used to like it anyway, because of its quirkiness
I used to have an 1985 MK1 BX 19 GT with the digital dash and the 1.9 (1905cc) carbureted engine that always used to sputter and hesitate at low revs. Nice looking car for it's time but those early carbureted Peugeot engines run rough !
Spot on ! - You certainly know your onions ! - You are 100% right ! - I was told that it was a limited edition and only a few were ever made during 1984/1985 - It was on a B plate and was a great car when it didn't play up due to those carbs (I think it was a twin webber carb model if I remember rightly.) I now have a 2010 Mercedes E63 AMG which is fabulous but I do love the old BX's very much and think that the 1989 - 1994 late BX's with those smoked tail lights and that staple style spoiler still look timeless today !
That was a very comprehensive list; thank you! I knew most of that, but not everything. By the way, my brother's 1989 16 GTi (RIP) still had brown-tinted glass and the earlier gear selection pattern. Personally, I'd quite like to find a lovely very-late model Millesime BX, simply because I like the spec :)
Excellent video. I consider myself fairly well informed with regards to differences between BXs, but I admit that some of these are new to me. For example I did not know that there was a Mk1 BX 19 TRI. In fact I can't find any information out there on it. Also, my Mk2 16 TRS from 1989 has the same gearbox as VEP does. The changes were rarely clear cut.
@@UPnDOWN Damn, no way! 19 TRIs (hell even 19 TRSs) are already pretty uncommon cars. And knowing there were Mk1s in that configuration is quite crazy. That would make them the only fuel injected Mk1s (at least according to my knowledge). Also, some additional BX geekyness. I happen to live in Croatia, and here we didn't have Citroen, but CIMOS. It was a partnership between a local motorcycle and light truck manufacturer and Citroen. All the Citroens they sold (DS, 2CV, CX, GS, BX) were branded as "CIMOS Citroen" (though only in paperwork). However, as I dug into my 1989 16 TRS I realized this partnership was quite a bit deeper than I initially assumed. Apparently the final assembly of the cars was done in Yugoslavia. All of the wiring inside has "Yugoslavie" (French for Yugoslavia) labels. These cars also sometimes deviated from known standards. For example, the Mk2 16 TRSs weren't sold with the trims VEP has but in silver. Instead they were sold with GT wheel trims (much like the 19 TRS/I). This was quite perplexing to the folk over at the BX club forum hah. I eventually plan on making a post over there with regards to these Yugoslavian BXs and their quirks.
love the deep geek dive vibe. that's a tongue twister! People say the Mk1 bearings vs bushes on the front arms are better. I just know recon front struts make all the difference on MK2s
You had missed a couple ! - The rear quarter window in the MK1 Not sure if some MK2's got those rear quarter windows ?... also the sump pan on the XU 1.6 is different on both MK1's and MK2's, the sides of the sump are smooth on the MK1 but on the MK 2 the sump has ribs pressed into the metal maybe to make it more rigid ?... I think you covered 99.9% of the differences between the early BX's and the Later ones ! - That huge "staple" like boot spoiler really transformed the later cars, my early BX only had the little lip spoiler which was nowhere near as nice as the later spoiler !
Mk2s did get the opera window, yes. It was decided by spec, not year. Sumps - you're not talking about the alloy ones are you? Those are for air-con cars (although many non-AC cars have them)
@@UPnDOWN I always thought that too about the MK2 also getting that extra rear window as in High School back in 1990 one of my teachers had an G reg BX 14 with that same little rear window and it always looked odd ! - I think it definitely looks much better without that extra window even if all round visibility does suffer a little bit ! lol Just to add, on your video if you look at 31:02 and then look at 31:07 you can see the differences in the sumps - I guess they also updated the XU engine over the years it was in production...
Our C4 had the rev counter similar style which would go totally red when you hit the max revs. It was a 1.4 petrol and when we got it the rev counter didn't work so I got one from the local breakers which came from a diesel so it would flash red a bit too early 😁 but the wife never reached those dizzy heights anyway😂😂
Kitsch - possibly the best Citroen video I’ve ever been privileged to watch, especially the head-lining bit ! You’re still wrong though - MkI is just (nerdy)better ! Keep ‘em comin’ JCHK
We had one of the very first BX's in the country, an A reg1.6 in silver, but, I'm convinced that it had twin yellow drums for the speedo and rev counter, not that horizontal bar indicator rev conter as seen here. We had a further 3 BX's through the years, the final one being a white 1.7 TD, don't recall the model. All were good, reliable cars, the only negative thing I thought at the time was the plastic'y build quality. Have also had 5 Xantias all diesels, mostly hdi's, a ZX td, an AX GT and a CX 2.4 Pallas. Oh, and a C15D!
Around the time of the early BX, the EU banned the use of sidelights only when driving. Cars either got dipped headlights or dim dip headlights dependant on manufacturer. Now I thought banning driving on sidelights alone was very sensible because they basically had no vision at night and were equally hard to spot when driving towards you. These days I have fully auto matrix LED headlights that I never touch at all and they don’t dazzle oncoming traffic because the blank out certain parts of the beam when the radar detects oncoming vehicles. Another quirky thing, the rear lights on the mark 1 were exactly the same as I had on a 1982 vintage Renault 14 TS which, by the way was the first car to have central locking fitted.
This makes me miss my old BX 19TXD (K223 DDP), Rene (the pink blancmange) was the same colour (volcane red I believe though it had turned to Vauxhall Racing Pink by the time I got him) so much :(. I loved that car. Definitely, Mk2 more Peugeot influence - the window switches for example, same location as on the 405 and the ventilation dials the same too. My fan control died too. My uncle had BXs as company cars during the '80s (a Mk1 and then Mk2 Leaders) and I always wanted a BX after that and I waited till I was 24 to get one. First diesel too - I loved the 19XUD. The throttle peddle was effectively useless as it was non-turbo but it sounded so good! I must also say that I prefer both the exterior and the interior of the Mk2... Though changing the dash cluster bulbs was a frustratingly difficult and painful endeavour... I stupidly scrapped mine for an 5 year old Opel Vectra B 2.0DTi CDX estate in 2006. Biggest automotive regret and I'm ashamed of that... Especially as the Opel was rubbish (especially compared to my previous Vauxhall badged Vectra B - but that's a different story). Though, I do believe the Citroen gods got me back as after the Vectra, I ended up with a 1997 phase 2 Xantia 2.1TD SX with the dreaded Lucas drive-by-wire throttle...
Great Cars 🇫🇷☺️ I had A BX Cannes white with white wheel covers 1991 build and bought in 1996 5 years old very comfortabel 1.4 litre Greetings from Holland 🖐🏻
My father owned a very very very early 14 RE mk1 purchased in 1984. As far as I know it's been the releasing version alongside the 16. The push button on the right in the mk1 dashboard should turn on every light into the rightmost panel, including stop and the three red lights underneath it. This means you have almost all the lamps broken cause I remember it turned on also non pertinent lights like i.e. the yellow one for the diesel glows which was of course useless in the petrol engine version.
Wow. I had a BX 1.4l from `86, Mk1 by the dash, dad gave it to me in 2002. It was my 1st car, took great care of it best I could at 18ish but I do remember the phenomenal suspension & heater power. Also beat the Dacia car anyday any time. :D Guess I was lucky enough to have had one.
Guess this makes me a complete BX geek then! This is my kind of content! I have an 1989 BX GTi 8v. I do prefer the exterior design of the mark 2, but my interior is pretty plain compared to the Mark 1. I have black and grey trim too which doesn’t help. Any tips on dealing with thin dashboard cracks?
They pop up fairly frequently, you just have to be ready to grab a good one. The dodgy ones sit around unsold for ages, but the good ones almost go before they're advertised!
I remember cars in the UK having the side repeaters and not in France (my mother's 205 was one). The indicators in the pod were ok once you got used to them. Same set up in the GSA
Excellent, and thank you for posting. Quick question do Citroen AX's differ much between series 1 & 2. I know the dashboards were different, but anything else? Thanks.
I suppose that the Mk2 was less dauntingly different from the Citroen norm to not scare off potential buyers new to the brand but it does seem lacking the pure bonkers off the wall Citroen design that we all knew and loved and is so cute now.
Rich, loving the level of geekery on show here! Here is a possible:- the oil breather on the Mark 1 doesn't have the provision for the 2 breather hoses at the top and is different?
Did you mention the wider Wheel arches in front on series II and the small grill in front? By the way. I have one BX 16 TRS -86 65.000km, and on BX 19GTI 8v -89 69.000km. And I love them both. And a CX 25GTI, and CX25 GTI Turbo II and last but not least GSA Pallas -81. 🥰
On the Mk1 dashboard there is another strip of what appear to be warning lights above the rev counter and below the upper section. I have never been able to find out what these are as the manual just shows them as 15 blanks, however they are different colours so potentially would be warning lights. Any ideas ?
I would prefer the Mk1 because the dashboard is more Citroen, like it was with the Visa, thanks to the Satellite, not as boring as the Peugeot standard dashboard
did the mk2 bx have a floor flasher button? i was an apprentice panel beater when they were out in london, fun cars indeed i think but i may be wrong but the lack of firewall sound deadener might have been a recall for fire safety, there is a good chance i'm mixing that fact up with london taxi's TX model as i worked on them for many years also when did the bumper top machine screws change from philips head to torxs head, was that a mk1 / mk2 thing of just natural evolution?
I've never driven any Citroen with a floor flasher! As for the firewall, I think it's a spec thing. The plusher models had it, the lower ones did not, and the TX models (like this one) got whatever was (or wasn't) left! Phillips to torx was around 87/88, if memory serves. Went from bolts to screws.
I had a BX 16 RS in like a sky blue on an E Reg. It still had single spoke single spoke steering wheel but it the flap that hides the sterio and had dials rather that the spinny speedo and also had the small duck tail black spoiler on the rear. I loved that car so much.my pal had a gti and said when the bx hits 100mph the suspension automatically lowered to assist with arodynamics. Is that true
Brilliant video comparing the BX's, personally I prefer the mk1,just more citroen like,unconventional, poor " vecky " sitting with weeds growing around her,a will it start and drive video on her would be great,what are you doing for a work van? Fantastic achievement on the Sophies legacy total.
LHD MK2 dashboards are superior to RHD one's with the addition glovebox thingy on top. Did MK2's have a dipstick type tube thing in the radiator on early one's ? And an oil filter cap/breather in the rocker cover ? (Diesel or petrol) Mk1's had fresh air vents in the bulkhead too.
They do have the additional glovebox, yes. And the little cassette holder under the mirror controls. Dipstick, I don't know. I've seen some with them, but the brand of radiator has an effect as some don't have the ridges for the dipstick to sit in. Fresh air vents - not seen that before. You''re not getting confused with the A/C ports on mk2s, are you?
@@UPnDOWN Oh yes the cassette holder, forgot about that. With regards to the fresh air vents, my mum owned a C reg MK1 1.4 which I drove when i passed my test and unfortunately wrote off, proper upset me that ! It had fresh air inlets from the scuttle to the dash vents, note the blanking plates under said scuttle, but i have slept a few times and it may be a figment of my crazy imagination, but I'm sure it did have them like 😁
Roller bearings in the front control arm inner joints was a truly luxurious feature. Nearly frictionless movement all across the suspension travel. Too bad they deleted it so early on.
.and for a next-level-geek-out, lets do a comparison between Citroen GS1220 and GS1300 wagons, ( air-cooled. flat four engines, installed in longitudinally, but backwards, with inboard disc brakes. I miss my old GS1220 wagon...incredible comfort over long distances.. ;)
The BX was a Digital car built in Analog times, always liked them, but the design brief appears to be a bit too ambitious for the funds available. Sound engineers weren't a big thing at Citroen with every button pressed and door closed sounding like an empty plastic money box being taken apart. 10/10 for the headlining though ..and staying in place, but was that enough?.
Excellent and interesting. But why did some BX's have the extra rear quarter windows and some had them blanked off? Was it just a production year thing or a spec thing?
Spec. GT, TR & TZ spec only had it. Nothing else did, even the GTi or 16V, and the TZD lost it if it was a turbo model, too. Not many BXs had it in the end.
Not a Mk1/Mk2 thing, but didn't the brake and fog lights swap positions on the early and late versions of the Mk2 lights? Also noticed that the 16TXi has AC controls, but not an AC-ready shell...am guessing the option was only available on Mk2s though?
@@UPnDOWN I do like the BX, never driven one but I would love to. I can remember BX's being used as Taxis and them being so comfortable to sit in. My uncle had a 1986 BX17RD, that was a lovely car.
Not really. There were versions of the mk2 that had a stiffer setup, but the rides were pretty similar. The sphere specs did change, so there was an alteration to the damping and softness which some people might be able to notice, but it's slight. The mk1 probably had a softer setup but the mk2 was more refined, so they balance each other out for the most part
Oh man, I miss my mark 2 BX 19 TRD diesel, it even had climate control! Granted, when you turn it on it felt like you're suddenly having a caravan attached to the car, but what a great car!
Crikey! With your anorak on and bottle of weak lemon squash in hand you lead us through the intricacies of the the things that we didn’t even know that we didn’t know!😂 My recollection of French car diy was that any given part requiring replacement could be any one of a half dozen different obscure non interchangeable options! You didn’t know until you removed it! How we laughed at the time!😢
I guess you could say both the 16V and the TU engines were mk2 only? Although I'd argue that's more down to evolution of the model rather than the facelift itself. I would imagine 16V wheels and tyres might not fit in the wheel arches of a mk1
were the opera windows just a mk1 thing? I wonder if the group B mk1 had the big tunnel ( or would that be too sensible) . But there’s a difference… you could get a for/aft engine in a mk1 . Could you in a mk2? Obviously it’s the group B one but barrels and scraping….
Nah, opera windows were spec-dependant: GT; TR and TZ spec only (and DTR, if you're in the UK). The 4TC was totally different. Had a custom tunnel for the drivetrain. Same engine bay as a mk2; the only way they put a fore/aft engine in the 4TC was to extend the nose by 200mm or something daft like that. Wasn't really a 'normal' BX at all.
Yeah, sure, the MK2 indicator looks better.* Also, I think the weird headlamp wiring is a UK only thing, because at one point you had dim-dipped and regular dipped beam. *with stock headlights. If you go quad lights, the original indicators are just better.
Surely the transmission tunnel was modified for the 4WD option rather than the exhaust diameter?
Holy crap, you're right!
Ladies and gents, I was correct for about an hour!
@@UPnDOWN I'm sure that was a deliberate error, just to test us. (trying to help you out here :) )
nah it was to fit the catalytic converter. the 4x4 had a further modified tunnel that wasn't in the regular production version.
My cat and I both panicked.
We have now moved to Paris were we have checked in at Citroën headquarters for a three-year course were we study the "Operation of the Citroën BX headlight controls".
We will be back in three years to watch this video again and try to get a grasp of what you just demonstrated.
Perfection. This sort of video justifies the existence of RUclips
The light switch does the Citroen, town and rural thing.
So side and dipped town
Dipped and main bean rural.
It's similar to the 2cv and GSA
Wow! That makes a lot of sense! I was going to comment that my '72 DS works the same way, now I understand why.
This is an amazing video. I'm from Singapore and my dad had a 1985 MK1 16TRS back in the early 90's. Our neighbour 2 apartment blocks away had a MK2 16RS with the new single spoke wheel. I always envied his "rounder" version. But then again, we had the TRS whereas his was just a RS. Despite being a Ford man, my dad absolutely loved the BX. When it was time to let it go he desperately tried to look for a later MK2 but just could not find one at the right price and condition. Ended up with a POS Fiat that we all hated.
I wanted my dad too buy a red D reg 19rd estate. But it was really high mileage and the guy wanted some serious money for it. All the tidy ones were to expensive for what they were. Later looked at a 1.9 petrol estate maybe even an L reg in black maybe a 19trs it was a lot of money again.
Absolutely glorious gathering of geekery. Loved it!
Growing up my parents always had vauxhall astras. After having a troublesome one, they had a brand new h reg bx hatch 1.6tgs it drank fuel worse than our van, so it didnt last long. It ws replaced in 1992 with a bx 1.9 tgd estate. That was brilliant and my dad kept it an extra year on the lease than the usual 3 as they had discontinued the bx. I bought him a f reg in 2001 for £300 with a full history albeit it was a 19rd i noticed the differences between those 3 but this one had covered 277k it lasted him 2 years when the suspension and the corrosion killed it. I sent it to scrap but sold the engine to a neighbour whose 405 had died. The engine still lives although it had the fuel pump and injectors done, and still goes strong. Id love a late bx
You’re a funny guy, I’m looking to buy a BX 1.4 from 86 - very latest of the early models, with speedo-drum and all
Came for the tips and info regarding the BX, stayed for the absolute cracking humour... oh and very informative as well!
I would’ve given you 5 stars in the old days of RUclips, but have a like instead mate, proper good video🙏
Just the video I needed for my cup of coffee 😃👍👍
Enjoy!
I also agree 100% that the MK2 BX is loads better and much nicer looking with the tweaks they did to the bumpers and those odd ugly front indicators. For the 12 years this car remained in production they made some pretty good changes in it's later years... Great video bro - Well done. 👍👍👍
I thoroughly enjoyed the geekyness having partially grown up in BX's
Enjoyed that nerdy BX film thank you. Those MK1 wheel trims are glorious. And thanks for not calling them hub caps 😆
Missing my 87 red GTI😊 And also my red Activa when I saw the one in the background🤩
Great cars BX👌 I drove my BX14 all around Iceland in 1990. A fantastic roadtrip.
I really want a BX now, this is so very nerdy I love it
What a great video Rich I’ve always loved the BX and my cousin had several mk1 and 2 as company cars back in the day as he worked for BT and did many miles a year he refused to drive anything else! I didn’t realise much changed as it did between mk1 and 2!
Fantastic. I didn't know about the rear doors or the tunnel👍. Excellent video.
I worked for the Perth, Western Australia Porsche dealership in 85/86 when they dropped the Audi franchise and took on Citroen.
I was the Citroen salesman mostly. Demo cars were a BX 16 TRS auto and a 19GT. I managed to sell the GT, but public interest in Citroen at that time here was minimal.
I recall taking the GT demo replacement car to Wanneroo Raceway for an open day. It had around 100km on the clock when I took it around the track with 3 passengers onboard. I remember overtaking a Jaguar. When returning to the pits, the brakes were a little smokey!
Jusr curious, but what was the perception of Citroen in general at the time?
I had heard from various relatives who lived in Australia at that time that anything not Holden or Ford was disparaged
@@alfredsedgewick2184 You have it right. The CX was discontinued and the BX was the only model Citroen had to compete against the Holden VK Commodore and the Ford Falcon XF of the time.
The BX was too quirky for most Aussie car buyers, even though it was years ahead in design and technology. The locally made cars were, essentially, early 70s tech.
@@carswithcharacterthank you for such a prompt and informative answer, much appreciated
The perception here was fairly similar, plenty of snide remarks about 'funny French cars' and some very unwelcome insinuations
Were there import tarriffs on the Citroens compared to locally built cars?
@@alfredsedgewick2184 Indeed there were import tarriffs which were designed to protect the Australian car industry. Even today Citroens are still considered too quirky, and assumed to be unreliable, by the masses. My first Citroen was a 2012 grand C4 Picasso and it was boringly reliable, only issues it ever had were caused by either the dealer or the bodyshops after it's numerous visits. The body shop visits were caused by hitting a kangaroo, huge hail storm and lastly a 4wd that lost it's wheel into the tailgate. Our current Citroen is a 2008 C5 2.7HDI, she's just suffering age related issues with just shy of 200,000km on the clock. Certainly more reliable than any German car of the same era, we also own a 2003 VW Bora v6 4motion and that thing has some issues.
@@alfredsedgewick2184 Undoubtedly!
I’m always interested in Citroën facts. Thanks Kitch for explaining these BX differences… «❤»
7:52 On the 1.4 petrols that button turned the fuel econometer warning lights on and off. I've surprised myself remembering that as I last drove a mk1 BX 14 about 30 years ago.
I did not know this, I'll have to have a look!
@@UPnDOWNOnly on the 14s though. The 16s never had econometer lights AFAIK.
Regarding ashtray, if you look closer there is a small hole (with small light bulb) which illuminates your cigarette once open used.
There is, yes.
Fond memories of my 1983 BX 16 TRS. I had forgotten just how interesting some of the controls are - I don't actually remember that crazy lighting set up at all. Instrument panel is frankly a mess but I used to like it anyway, because of its quirkiness
& this is why I refer to you as the UK's Citroen BX-pert. I love videos like this
Oh mate, don't listen to me. I forgot the 4x4 existed...
@@UPnDOWN you're only human Kitch
Used to have a 89 model with the electric sunroof, same colour Red as well. Pity the engine went as it was a lovely ride 😊
The answers you didn't ask for, but still nice to know.
I used to have an 1985 MK1 BX 19 GT with the digital dash and the 1.9 (1905cc) carbureted engine that always used to sputter and hesitate at low revs. Nice looking car for it's time but those early carbureted Peugeot engines run rough !
Ah, that'd be a BX 19 Digit then. Rare car!
Spot on ! - You certainly know your onions ! - You are 100% right ! - I was told that it was a limited edition and only a few were ever made during 1984/1985 - It was on a B plate and was a great car when it didn't play up due to those carbs (I think it was a twin webber carb model if I remember rightly.) I now have a 2010 Mercedes E63 AMG which is fabulous but I do love the old BX's very much and think that the 1989 - 1994 late BX's with those smoked tail lights and that staple style spoiler still look timeless today !
Really enjoyable Geeky Video Rich.
That was a very comprehensive list; thank you! I knew most of that, but not everything. By the way, my brother's 1989 16 GTi (RIP) still had brown-tinted glass and the earlier gear selection pattern. Personally, I'd quite like to find a lovely very-late model Millesime BX, simply because I like the spec :)
Excellent video. I consider myself fairly well informed with regards to differences between BXs, but I admit that some of these are new to me. For example I did not know that there was a Mk1 BX 19 TRI. In fact I can't find any information out there on it.
Also, my Mk2 16 TRS from 1989 has the same gearbox as VEP does. The changes were rarely clear cut.
I didn't until last year, either! Apparently there's one in Switzerland. Very knowledgable guy would Nick was showing me pictures of it.
@@UPnDOWN Damn, no way!
19 TRIs (hell even 19 TRSs) are already pretty uncommon cars. And knowing there were Mk1s in that configuration is quite crazy. That would make them the only fuel injected Mk1s (at least according to my knowledge).
Also, some additional BX geekyness. I happen to live in Croatia, and here we didn't have Citroen, but CIMOS. It was a partnership between a local motorcycle and light truck manufacturer and Citroen. All the Citroens they sold (DS, 2CV, CX, GS, BX) were branded as "CIMOS Citroen" (though only in paperwork). However, as I dug into my 1989 16 TRS I realized this partnership was quite a bit deeper than I initially assumed. Apparently the final assembly of the cars was done in Yugoslavia. All of the wiring inside has "Yugoslavie" (French for Yugoslavia) labels. These cars also sometimes deviated from known standards. For example, the Mk2 16 TRSs weren't sold with the trims VEP has but in silver. Instead they were sold with GT wheel trims (much like the 19 TRS/I). This was quite perplexing to the folk over at the BX club forum hah. I eventually plan on making a post over there with regards to these Yugoslavian BXs and their quirks.
I owned a mk 1 (A873 EAU) and two mk 2
The mk 2 was the best for driveability but sitting in the mk 1 was a joy every time
I has a Mk2 back in the early 90s and it was a very good car.
love the deep geek dive vibe. that's a tongue twister! People say the Mk1 bearings vs bushes on the front arms are better. I just know recon front struts make all the difference on MK2s
Having driven both, a lot, I reckon there's no advantage to the bearings, other than the bushes will last longer (and it's cool).
You had missed a couple ! - The rear quarter window in the MK1 Not sure if some MK2's got those rear quarter windows ?... also the sump pan on the XU 1.6 is different on both MK1's and MK2's, the sides of the sump are smooth on the MK1 but on the MK 2 the sump has ribs pressed into the metal maybe to make it more rigid ?... I think you covered 99.9% of the differences between the early BX's and the Later ones ! - That huge "staple" like boot spoiler really transformed the later cars, my early BX only had the little lip spoiler which was nowhere near as nice as the later spoiler !
Mk2s did get the opera window, yes. It was decided by spec, not year.
Sumps - you're not talking about the alloy ones are you? Those are for air-con cars (although many non-AC cars have them)
@@UPnDOWN I always thought that too about the MK2 also getting that extra rear window as in High School back in 1990 one of my teachers had an G reg BX 14 with that same little rear window and it always looked odd ! - I think it definitely looks much better without that extra window even if all round visibility does suffer a little bit ! lol
Just to add, on your video if you look at 31:02 and then look at 31:07 you can see the differences in the sumps - I guess they also updated the XU engine over the years it was in production...
Our C4 had the rev counter similar style which would go totally red when you hit the max revs. It was a 1.4 petrol and when we got it the rev counter didn't work so I got one from the local breakers which came from a diesel so it would flash red a bit too early 😁 but the wife never reached those dizzy heights anyway😂😂
Yeah, I had a C4 VTS and remember bouncing it off the limiter and having the whole pod in front of me flashing red!
Love a good geek session 👏👏👍
Kitsch - possibly the best Citroen video I’ve ever been privileged to watch, especially the head-lining bit !
You’re still wrong though - MkI is just (nerdy)better !
Keep ‘em comin’
JCHK
Glad you enjoyed it!
We had one of the very first BX's in the country, an A reg1.6 in silver, but, I'm convinced that it had twin yellow drums for the speedo and rev counter, not that horizontal bar indicator rev conter as seen here. We had a further 3 BX's through the years, the final one being a white 1.7 TD, don't recall the model. All were good, reliable cars, the only negative thing I thought at the time was the plastic'y build quality. Have also had 5 Xantias all diesels, mostly hdi's, a ZX td, an AX GT and a CX 2.4 Pallas. Oh, and a C15D!
Great content
Around the time of the early BX, the EU banned the use of sidelights only when driving. Cars either got dipped headlights or dim dip headlights dependant on manufacturer. Now I thought banning driving on sidelights alone was very sensible because they basically had no vision at night and were equally hard to spot when driving towards you. These days I have fully auto matrix LED headlights that I never touch at all and they don’t dazzle oncoming traffic because the blank out certain parts of the beam when the radar detects oncoming vehicles.
Another quirky thing, the rear lights on the mark 1 were exactly the same as I had on a 1982 vintage Renault 14 TS which, by the way was the first car to have central locking fitted.
Loved the Meteor trim level on the mk 2 estate.
Learnt to drive in a Mk one estate (19rd) we then had a Mk 2 1.9DTR which went to 435,000kms!
This makes me miss my old BX 19TXD (K223 DDP), Rene (the pink blancmange) was the same colour (volcane red I believe though it had turned to Vauxhall Racing Pink by the time I got him) so much :(. I loved that car. Definitely, Mk2 more Peugeot influence - the window switches for example, same location as on the 405 and the ventilation dials the same too. My fan control died too. My uncle had BXs as company cars during the '80s (a Mk1 and then Mk2 Leaders) and I always wanted a BX after that and I waited till I was 24 to get one. First diesel too - I loved the 19XUD. The throttle peddle was effectively useless as it was non-turbo but it sounded so good! I must also say that I prefer both the exterior and the interior of the Mk2... Though changing the dash cluster bulbs was a frustratingly difficult and painful endeavour...
I stupidly scrapped mine for an 5 year old Opel Vectra B 2.0DTi CDX estate in 2006. Biggest automotive regret and I'm ashamed of that... Especially as the Opel was rubbish (especially compared to my previous Vauxhall badged Vectra B - but that's a different story). Though, I do believe the Citroen gods got me back as after the Vectra, I ended up with a 1997 phase 2 Xantia 2.1TD SX with the dreaded Lucas drive-by-wire throttle...
Great Cars 🇫🇷☺️ I had A BX Cannes white with white wheel covers 1991 build and bought in 1996 5 years old very comfortabel 1.4 litre Greetings from Holland 🖐🏻
Nice! We didn't get those here, we got the St. Tropez.
My father owned a very very very early 14 RE mk1 purchased in 1984. As far as I know it's been the releasing version alongside the 16.
The push button on the right in the mk1 dashboard should turn on every light into the rightmost panel, including stop and the three red lights underneath it. This means you have almost all the lamps broken cause I remember it turned on also non pertinent lights like i.e. the yellow one for the diesel glows which was of course useless in the petrol engine version.
Wow. I had a BX 1.4l from `86, Mk1 by the dash, dad gave it to me in 2002. It was my 1st car, took great care of it best I could at 18ish but I do remember the phenomenal suspension & heater power. Also beat the Dacia car anyday any time. :D
Guess I was lucky enough to have had one.
Guess this makes me a complete BX geek then! This is my kind of content! I have an 1989 BX GTi 8v. I do prefer the exterior design of the mark 2, but my interior is pretty plain compared to the Mark 1. I have black and grey trim too which doesn’t help. Any tips on dealing with thin dashboard cracks?
Loved my '87 BX14RE which I owned in the 1990s. I've thought about buying one in recent years but there never seem to be any for sale.
They pop up fairly frequently, you just have to be ready to grab a good one. The dodgy ones sit around unsold for ages, but the good ones almost go before they're advertised!
I prefer the MK2 as well, but when it comes to the AX I prefer the MK1.
I enjoyed this BX comparison video. I prefer the more adventurous Mk1 dash.
Superb nerdery. Grew up with a B reg 16RS (well, I had human parents too).
I remember cars in the UK having the side repeaters and not in France (my mother's 205 was one). The indicators in the pod were ok once you got used to them. Same set up in the GSA
We only had them in the UK after 1985 I think. A lot of things like early metros escorts and fiestas and renault 5 didn't have them.
Excellent, and thank you for posting. Quick question do Citroen AX's differ much between series 1 & 2. I know the dashboards were different, but anything else? Thanks.
I suppose that the Mk2 was less dauntingly different from the Citroen norm to not scare off potential buyers new to the brand but it does seem lacking the pure bonkers off the wall Citroen design that we all knew and loved and is so cute now.
Rich, loving the level of geekery on show here! Here is a possible:- the oil breather on the Mark 1 doesn't have the provision for the 2 breather hoses at the top and is different?
That's more down to the spec of the engine. Certainly wasn't a mk1/mk2 thing.
Loved my 86c 1.9rd. I'd have one today if I could.
I really enjoyed this video, after having owned 17 BX's. And I knew all of it. ;-))
Keep up the good work!
4:34 That stands for something ENTIRELY different for me 😅
I now miss my 1987 mk II 19TRI break. White with ALL OF THE BROWN interior and fat single spoke steering wheel. Injected XU engine.
Did you mention the wider Wheel arches in front on series II and the small grill in front? By the way. I have one BX 16 TRS -86 65.000km, and on BX 19GTI 8v -89 69.000km. And I love them both. And a CX 25GTI, and CX25 GTI Turbo II and last but not least GSA Pallas -81. 🥰
The grille? That's not a mk1/2 thing, some mk1s had it. I'm guessing you didn't watch as far as the front arch bit!
Where did the front wheel arch plastic covers (fenders) go on the Mk2 model? :DD
I loved my BX GTi petrol...think it was a H reg, but it just used too much fuel which I couldn't really afford at the time.
On the Mk1 dashboard there is another strip of what appear to be warning lights above the rev counter and below the upper section. I have never been able to find out what these are as the manual just shows them as 15 blanks, however they are different colours so potentially would be warning lights. Any ideas ?
Also the Mk2 dash binnacles are similar to Peugeot 205 GTI dash binnacles and are a popular 205 upgrade.
I knew the 205 was similar, but didn't know 205ers were nicking dials from BXs as well as engines!
You didn't talk about the rear quarter windows 😅 or lack of
Aside from that, deliciously nerdy🎉
Both series 1 & 2 had these on luxury trimlevels. They where ditched after 1991 as far as I know
I would prefer the Mk1 because the dashboard is more Citroen, like it was with the Visa, thanks to the Satellite, not as boring as the Peugeot standard dashboard
did the mk2 bx have a floor flasher button? i was an apprentice panel beater when they were out in london, fun cars indeed
i think but i may be wrong but the lack of firewall sound deadener might have been a recall for fire safety, there is a good chance i'm mixing that fact up with london taxi's TX model as i worked on them for many years also
when did the bumper top machine screws change from philips head to torxs head, was that a mk1 / mk2 thing of just natural evolution?
I've never driven any Citroen with a floor flasher!
As for the firewall, I think it's a spec thing. The plusher models had it, the lower ones did not, and the TX models (like this one) got whatever was (or wasn't) left!
Phillips to torx was around 87/88, if memory serves. Went from bolts to screws.
I had a BX 16 RS in like a sky blue on an E Reg. It still had single spoke single spoke steering wheel but it the flap that hides the sterio and had dials rather that the spinny speedo and also had the small duck tail black spoiler on the rear. I loved that car so much.my pal had a gti and said when the bx hits 100mph the suspension automatically lowered to assist with arodynamics. Is that true
I doubt if it could afford the ground clearance. The normal ride height was fairly Conservative
Sounds all correct for a mk2 16RS. Your friend, however, is chatting crap I'm afraid! The C6 lowers with speed, though.
Brilliant video comparing the BX's, personally I prefer the mk1,just more citroen like,unconventional, poor
" vecky " sitting with weeds growing around her,a will it start and drive video on her would be great,what are you doing for a work van? Fantastic achievement on the Sophies legacy total.
LHD MK2 dashboards are superior to RHD one's with the addition glovebox thingy on top.
Did MK2's have a dipstick type tube thing in the radiator on early one's ? And an oil filter cap/breather in the rocker cover ? (Diesel or petrol)
Mk1's had fresh air vents in the bulkhead too.
They do have the additional glovebox, yes. And the little cassette holder under the mirror controls.
Dipstick, I don't know. I've seen some with them, but the brand of radiator has an effect as some don't have the ridges for the dipstick to sit in.
Fresh air vents - not seen that before. You''re not getting confused with the A/C ports on mk2s, are you?
@@UPnDOWN Oh yes the cassette holder, forgot about that.
With regards to the fresh air vents, my mum owned a C reg MK1 1.4 which I drove when i passed my test and unfortunately wrote off, proper upset me that ! It had fresh air inlets from the scuttle to the dash vents, note the blanking plates under said scuttle, but i have slept a few times and it may be a figment of my crazy imagination, but I'm sure it did have them like 😁
Roller bearings in the front control arm inner joints was a truly luxurious feature. Nearly frictionless movement all across the suspension travel. Too bad they deleted it so early on.
All hydro Citroens prior to it had them (sometimes in place of bushes entirely) but the ones on the BX proved too troublesome.
@@UPnDOWN It was all downhill after the DS!
Can't agree with that...
.and for a next-level-geek-out, lets do a comparison between Citroen GS1220 and GS1300 wagons, ( air-cooled. flat four engines, installed in longitudinally, but backwards, with inboard disc brakes.
I miss my old GS1220 wagon...incredible comfort over long distances.. ;)
The BX was a Digital car built in Analog times, always liked them, but the design brief appears to be a bit too ambitious for the funds available. Sound engineers weren't a big thing at Citroen with every button pressed and door closed sounding like an empty plastic money box being taken apart.
10/10 for the headlining though ..and staying in place, but was that enough?.
Have to agree with you, the mk2 just looks better
I think mark 2 has a bigger tunel too because there was a 4x4 version. I saw one in Switzerland but it was rusted away unfortunately..
That's actually exactly what it is. I completely forgot about the 4x4!
Excellent and interesting.
But why did some BX's have the extra rear quarter windows and some had them blanked off?
Was it just a production year thing or a spec thing?
Spec. GT, TR & TZ spec only had it. Nothing else did, even the GTi or 16V, and the TZD lost it if it was a turbo model, too. Not many BXs had it in the end.
@UPnDOWN when my dad was working for the Benefits Agency in Aberystwyth they had a 93 BX 19TGD in Grey.
Lovely car.
Well I'm suitably informed now 😂
Is that square at the bottom of the Mk2 steering wheel for sticking a jambon et fromage baguette in so you can eat “en route” ?
If it wasn't before, it is now!
Not a Mk1/Mk2 thing, but didn't the brake and fog lights swap positions on the early and late versions of the Mk2 lights?
Also noticed that the 16TXi has AC controls, but not an AC-ready shell...am guessing the option was only available on Mk2s though?
That image was BAH 😆
Side bump strips? In know trying to get them for my MK1 can be a pain. All you find is the more rounded strips
They're not specific to mk1/2, just trim level.
C pillar window?
Used on mk1 and mk2. It was simply spec dependant.
Where else would you get this level of geekery? Chuffing marvellous. My wife is giving me very strange looks. Oh well. . .
The dash is very reminiscent of my old Renault 11 if I'm honest the Mk 2.
I’d own All of Them Citroen BX Cars in Turbo Diesel’s TZD & Petrol 16V 1.9 GTI BX Cars
the fog light main beam thing is present in a GSA
And the SM...
@@UPnDOWN and how would you know that?!!! 🤣
Switches for front electric windows. BX mk2 had them on the door right at the top. Didn't BX mk1 have them between the seats?
It did, yes. That's part of the doorcard change. The mk2 still has the rears down in the same place as a mk1 though.
@@UPnDOWN I do like the BX, never driven one but I would love to. I can remember BX's being used as Taxis and them being so comfortable to sit in. My uncle had a 1986 BX17RD, that was a lovely car.
What about the ride are the mrk 1s softer then mrk 2s as it was with the cx.
Not really. There were versions of the mk2 that had a stiffer setup, but the rides were pretty similar. The sphere specs did change, so there was an alteration to the damping and softness which some people might be able to notice, but it's slight. The mk1 probably had a softer setup but the mk2 was more refined, so they balance each other out for the most part
Bloody Good Cars Citroen BX Cars in Petrol & Turbo DIESEL’s
Oh man, I miss my mark 2 BX 19 TRD diesel, it even had climate control! Granted, when you turn it on it felt like you're suddenly having a caravan attached to the car, but what a great car!
Climate control?!
The engine displacement signage is much more ZX?
It is. The whole Citroen range went like that in the early 90s.
Crikey! With your anorak on and bottle of weak lemon squash in hand you lead us through the intricacies of the the things that we didn’t even know that we didn’t know!😂
My recollection of French car diy was that any given part requiring replacement could be any one of a half dozen different obscure non interchangeable options! You didn’t know until you removed it! How we laughed at the time!😢
I guess you could say both the 16V and the TU engines were mk2 only? Although I'd argue that's more down to evolution of the model rather than the facelift itself. I would imagine 16V wheels and tyres might not fit in the wheel arches of a mk1
Yep, fair point. TU engine, 16v and TD all mk2 only.
The mk2 steering wheel does indeed have 2 spokes you can't see, I have one in the shed sans plastic
I knew you would!
were the opera windows just a mk1 thing? I wonder if the group B mk1 had the big tunnel ( or would that be too sensible) . But there’s a difference… you could get a for/aft engine in a mk1 . Could you in a mk2? Obviously it’s the group B one but barrels and scraping….
Nah, opera windows were spec-dependant: GT; TR and TZ spec only (and DTR, if you're in the UK).
The 4TC was totally different. Had a custom tunnel for the drivetrain. Same engine bay as a mk2; the only way they put a fore/aft engine in the 4TC was to extend the nose by 200mm or something daft like that. Wasn't really a 'normal' BX at all.
A lot of similarities to my ZX inside on the MK2.
7:06 - That's the horn, isn't it?
Hahaha! A bit louder than the horn...
Difference: I owned a MK2 back in the 90's, not a mk1 (yet).
Yeah, sure, the MK2 indicator looks better.*
Also, I think the weird headlamp wiring is a UK only thing, because at one point you had dim-dipped and regular dipped beam.
*with stock headlights. If you go quad lights, the original indicators are just better.
I actually meant to say that sidelights become dim dipped-beam when the ignition is on, but totally forgot.
Spanish cars, buildt in Vigo always left factory with metal bonnet, dont Knowl why, becouse the booth Wash made of fiber
Salut, j ai exactement la même gti 16😉
It is a shame that the dials and switchgear became more Peugeot-like. The dials look like those on a 309GTI.
I'm in a bit of bind myself. I do love the old dials, but I also like the conventional ones.