0121 vibes in the areaaaaa

[BrianDamaged]

Evening all.

Some of you might know me from Retro-Rides, but maybe I'm being presumptuous. I'm Brian, I'm almost at my half-century, I live in the West Mids (between Bromsgrove and Birmingham), have owned lots of gallic tin over the years both peugeot and Citroen, and I currently drive this:
[img][/img]
'95 XRDT, been well looked-after which I'm continuing to do. Still pulls like a train despite having 145k under it's belt and does 50mpg+ on whatever you decide to put in the tank.

Have kept it standard so far, have just bought a set of 15" C5 alloy steels (you know the ones) for it in readiness for some new boots. I'm fairly heavily involved in rallying (spanner for a local team on weekends and am often out marshalling when we're not competing) so it won't be going any lower. Thos forests tend to rip bits off lowered cars!

Also enjoy watching non-League football and play bass in a rock covers band when I'm not messing about with cars.

Brian

[spike2002]

Welcome

[mcvite]

Welcome to the forum,nice looking 306 you have there,

[Bigyin306]

Welcome bud

[THE_Liam]

Welcome mate, enjoyed a few of your threads on RR

[Grant]

Welcome along mate

[zx_volcane]

Howdy!

[maxlee]

welcome to the forum

145K isn't run in yet

[Ican]

Welcome to the forum.

[Eeyore]

welcome to the club! See if you can find a front bumper with the fog lights!

[Ican]

Hi welcome to the forum.

[BrianDamaged]

welcome to the club! See if you can find a front bumper with the fog lights!

I've actually got a set of pukka rally spotlamps in the shed if I can find/make some decent spotlamp brackets to mount them on. A job for a weekend when we're not busy on the rally car (240bhp XE-powered Talbot Sunbeam) methinks.

Thanks for the welcome, guys.

[Matt]

Welcom along! Pics of the talbot?

[BrianDamaged]

Welcom along! Pics of the talbot?

Here you go:

She's done 10 years of front-line service now and is getting a bit ragged shell-wise, but she still goes well.....

[RetroPug]

Welcome, nice talbot!
I'm not too far from you, also have a ph.1.

Yours is a lovely colour, I think it would look fantastic with the sport bumper, yellow fogs and cyclones.

[BrianDamaged]

Welcome, nice talbot!
I'm not too far from you, also have a ph.1.

Yours is a lovely colour, I think it would look fantastic with the sport bumper, yellow fogs and cyclones.

I like the colour as well. There's almost a hint of green in that grey in some lights.

It's a daily driver, just commuting to work/band rehearsal's putting 200+ miles a week on it and I can often double that if I'm away rallying at weekends....so it's never going to be a showpiece. It wears the scars of 20 years of service pretty well though, the back bumper's cracked where the previous owner had a back box drop off and the tailpipe swung upwards and caught it, there's a crease in the OSR wheelarch and a scrape on the door where he also managed to hit a gatepost. Nothing that a weekend's work couldn't sort out if I was feeling that way inclined.

Mechanically it's tip top, I've got a wad of bills about an inch thick for the work it's had including a completely rebuilt rear beam about 18 months ago. I paid £350 for it in March, put a brand-new radiator in it as the old one was a bit crusty and you have to keep on top of XUD cooling systems. Had the cambelt/water pump/tensioner done at the same time and have since put 5000m on it. Took it for an MOT at the beginning of August and it had to have a side repeater bulb. That was it. Not even a single advisory.

I grew up with Peugeots, when I was a nipper we always had 504 Familiales as family cars/caravan pullers. My dad's in his 70s now but still owns an '86 505STDT (which we think is the last one left in the UK) and the 1961 403 Berline he bought when I was 17 in 1982, as well as a very early P-plated Partner van that he uses as a parts hauler. I've owned (deep breath) three 504s, four 205s, a 405, two Citroen Dyanes, two 2CVs, two Xantias and three BXs in the past, but strangely this is my first 306. Like everything else French that I've owned, it's proving to have a decent combination of insane ride comfort whilst still being fun to drive. And to my mind, the XUD is the finest diesel engine ever made.

New wheels (15" Citroen C5 alloys, the ones that look like Rallye steels) should be here this week when I've picked them up from Didcot (another roadtrip), I'll get them cleaned/repainted and shod with some 195/50s before they go on the car. Wouldn't mind a set of half-leather Meridian 5dr seats/doorcards, although the stock interior is pretty much immaculate. I've got a replacement rear shelf to go in which has some half decent JBL 6x9s fitted, might well treat it to new head unit as the Sony one that's in there now is a bit long in the tooth.

Thanks for the welcome again guys, might try and make a local meet soon.

[RetroPug]

It is possible to tidy one of these cars up while daily-driving them.
My entire project thread, for example.

I am also in the process of upgrading audio, I would highly recommend sound-proofing and deadening as Ph.1s in particular let a lot of road noise into the cabin, mine is only 3/4 done and it has made a huge difference already!

A rebuilt beam is excellent! I'd love to rebuild one soon. Sounds like a good car for the money, and has a lot of potential.

[Anton]

Ok now we need to see pics of the 505!!!

[BrianDamaged]

Ok now we need to see pics of the 505!!!

Not a great pic, and taken when it was still wearing TRXs on the back. The wheels are now in the back of his workshop somewhere....

[Kezzieboy]

If he ever fancies getting rid, gimme a shout, I'm just up the road in Longbridge! That Talbot looks sweet, too.

[DazzaHDI]

Welcome bud, not too far from! Love the sunbeam, defo the best
I know where there's 5 door meridian half leathers pretty local to us.