19?? Citroen Ax 5dr Memphis Vts: Update 2/11/11

[ruffgeezer]

Well if you've read my threads before you'll know that last year, I finished the build of my shitbox Ax VTR, and drove around in it for a bit, and for a while it was fun, but even though it all worked nicely, the underlying problem was that the shell was terrible, so all bets were off as to the car's future.

Last thursday, I snagged a lift down south to have a look at a potential replacement, the story goes as follows:

At around 5.50am, Thursday morning, my dad and his colleague arrive outside my place to head to the office in Saffron Walden, leg 1 of the journey...

Watching the sunrise on the outskirts of peterboghorror:


At the end of leg 1, I collect my ticket and await the (late) train from Audley End into London Liverpool Street:


Its not hard to see why people don't take the train, grim innit?


At the end of leg 2, just off of the train into the station concourse:


Now after this, I got on the tube where you aren't allowed to take pictures, so I didn't... and I didn't get any that show just how truely crappy Picadilly Station is either, but it is. In any case, I arrived in Reading to collect this:



Unfortunately, the ebay turned out to be a lying fat curse word, the car had a busted bootlid (annoying but not really an issue) and when I went to drive it the next day, the battery was dead.

I will be taking a dump on his ebay feedback.


After a fairly epic journey, arriving home at around 3.30pm, I parked the new ride up next to it's older brother...


This might give the game away as to my plans:

[chrismc90]

106 gti/saxo vts engine?

Nice, I remember your old thread, it was a good read

[daver555]

Mi16?

[skinnylew]

VTS 5dr looks solid Tim, guessing its fairly good in the usual places then?

[joem83]

Id say VTS, I believe the Mi16's don't fit unless you change the engine bay for a 205 one?

[ruffgeezer]

Yeah its going to be a saxo vts mill under the bonnet, with a lot of the running gear from my previous effort...

This is what I got up to this weekend:

The best thing about the new shell, is that inspite of several cosmetic problems, its base is fairly solid, and it all comes apart nicely:


I must remember to swap the plates back around, but I'm going again for the look of the mk1 ax, I haven't decided whether to get an older plate for the car, I'll see how it comes out I guess!


Front end converted to mk1, save for the badge being in the wrong place, I feel kinda bad for the smurf, but I know I'm doing the right thing long term.

[kitch]

Nice one mate, gutted that you've worked out my badge idea though lol

[ruffgeezer]

Dec 2, 2010 20:41:53 GMT kitch said:

Nice one mate, gutted that you've worked out my badge idea though lol

To be honest I got the badges around 5 years ago from a chap on bx16v, I just never got round to finishing anything to fit them.

That has changed now though, because last Friday after I finished work near Lincoln, I dragged the silver ax kicking and screaming across the country to Warrington, where the frankly crappy 1.1 was liberated.

As soon as I arrived, the car was backed in on the lift and we started preparing the engine for removal, I think we spent about 1.5 hours on this and by the time we left that night, both the ax's engine and that of the doner car were ready to be lifted out the next day.

Saturday was one of those days where nothing seemed to go to plan, even the little jobs were taking forever! We battled on with the conversion for 12 hours solid, so sadly there wasn't a lot of time for pictures, but here is what I got anyhow:

Early saturday, the 1.1 engine is removed:


View from the 3rd floor: The ax sits behind it's previous engine, and nearer the door, it's next engine.


Obligatory artsy fartsy shot through the crane's jib:


Later that evening, its seriously cold but we've replaced the new engine's cam covers, headgasket, water pump and timing belt, and it's ready to be hoisted into the ax


Finally, a warning to all on retrorides, doing 12hours solid is not big and it's not clever, and it could lead to you looking like us:

Myself:

The ever-so-helpful RyanMT:


I've still a lot of work to do before it's properly finished, needless to say, it is curse word your pants quick, which I like a whole lot!

[ChasR]

Seems to be coming along nicely.

I can just about imagine a VTS/GTi engine in an AX. In my 106 it is enough of a hoot!

[ruffgeezer]

Well the build on the ax continues, sadly as it's been a bit of a whirlwind build, there aren't as many progress pictures as I'd like, but most of the ground covered is that similar to the smurf build last year, I didn't think it was worth boring you all with second time around!

As time goes along, the uprated parts from the Smurf are slowly migrating to the silver car:



I actually prefer the smurf with silver bumpers, its a different look, which I hope it's new owner will like.

I acquired a new exhaust this time round, this time a powerflow system so I could lop the tailpipes off and stick something a little less max power on.


unfortunately, the exhaust was just too loud, as I've already problems with my hearing, it had to go, I was lucky as I still had the old system from poor smurfy, so that came across too:


As you can see, the grey mk1 bumpers make an appearance on this car now too, I just prefer the shapes of a mk1, but being as they are relatively rare now, I couldn't bring myself to go butchering one for the hell of it, anyway, the Ax's cosy up to each other of a night, it won't be long before I get the smurf roadworthy again ready for it's new owner.



Today I had a bit of a ride out in the silver car, it's now got 4 stud all round and I've replaced a wheel bearing that died during lay-up, nothing too major but there is still some vibes through the running gear at speed, I might have to replace the drive shafts at some point.

Anyway the ride out consisted of an 180 mile round trip, primarily to collect a pas pump for my 106, but secondly, to complete one of the tasks from the 24months thread is complete, its not in mint condition but it is the right colour, it just needs a bloody good clean!



Every little helps, I'm still trying to decide what to do with the interior!

[ruffgeezer]

Well on the way to work this morning a suicidal pheasant wandered out in front of me, it was either hit it, or swerve into a skip lorry, so someone is having game pie tonight...

Sadly the ax looks a little worse for wear, most annoying is that it's claimed the light up RAC badge from the front bumper. curse word.

[Deleted]

mmm game pie. Are the Mk1 bumpers staying grey, or are you painting them at all? They look pretty good as they are with the silver, of course.

[hoopsontoast]

I had similar with my old AX, except it was a fox and took out the whole side of the bumper, light and number plate, it was scrapped a few months later....
I miss that car, you could rag it everywhere and feel like you were doing the speed of light while staying under the speed limit, as well as getting 50mpg!

[bstardchild]

OK I followed the smurf thread and liked the results - why the switch to another?

[ruffgeezer]

Mar 30, 2011 20:35:33 GMT bstardchild said:

OK I followed the smurf thread and liked the results - why the switch to another?

I dunno to be honest, I've never really kept a car long after "finishing" it.

The trouble I found with the smurf was that it was so defined by the big sticker on the bonnet, it didn't leave me with much else I could do, the sticker was probably the only reason it gained the infamy it did, it wasn't the result I'd intended for but at the same time I couldn't just tear it apart, so it's back as stock now and awaiting a new home.

The new car I'm a lot happier with, sure there are bits I'd like to have improved but its the direction I wanted for the smurf originally, I only got the smurf as it was on my doorstep!

[ruffgeezer]

Well it turns out that bloody pheasant has done more damage than I realised, as when I parked the car up earlier, it disgraced itself by leaving a little puddle, the taste test confirmed it as being coolant.

Nutsacks!

[Deleted]

If pheasants weren't so tasty, I'd be suggesting they go the way of the Dodo for you at the moment.

[ruffgeezer]

Well I've some proper updates to come on this, but for now I'll just leave these here:

Out with these:


And after a heavy session with the upholstery spray and steam cleaner:




Gt500 half leathers!

[Deleted]

Shiny. Nice design on the fabric bits too.

[ruffgeezer]

curse word me, took some finding this one!

Well I haven't done very much to this of late, I have lost my mojo completely with cars and have even considered selling this one, time will tell...

Anyhow, I thought I'd better bring this up to date now I have a bit of time;

After this year's FCS, I noticed that the pheasant strike had caused a slow leak from the radiator, so that in mind, along with some fresh brakes and a bit of welding to attend to, I took the car to work, where my tame(ish) welder, John got the deal done for me:


I had to remount the rad fan as the through the fins clips were broken, luckily I joggled the mounts around a bit and mounted it to the slam panel, all I had to do was nibble a couple of slots into the grille which aren't visible with the bonnet shut:


What was the can in the last update for then? Oh yes, about bloody time!


Rubrubrubrubrub:


A bit of the local rag and some tape:


PSsssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssst!


Oh yeah, on the way home from moving my brother from his flat in central London to south Birmingham (Interestingly the Delica got 30mpg on the way down, because the middle seats that I took out weigh 36kgs EACH!) We got all of his stuff in and chucked him on the train, after unloading him in Birmingham, I stopped in on karlos5 to collect these:



They were filthy but seem to have cleaned up alright with upholstery shampoo and a blast with the steam cleaner.

They are in now, but I need to work out a door card strategy.

I'd post results, but I haven't taken any pictures of it since!

I have acquired a set of these though:


And some shorter rubber.... results to come!