BX16V.com Forum

I had yesterday off work due to a funeral so thought I would cheer myself up by getting the BX out and give it a good wash and polish!

Ive known this car for nearly 9 years yet it still makes me turn round and look at it as I walk away, i went over to my mates in lougborough afterwards and as it was a nice evening I used the valver! Enroute some bloke in a 54 plate Vectra tailgated me (complete with blue neons fitted underneath I kid yee not ) so thought I would give him some mi power and leave him behind!

I was a little disappointed when on a long straight I couldnt shake him, ok he couldnt get past me but I was using all 7000rpm! even worse when I finally backed off and he went past to see its say Vectra, and 1.9CDTi on the otherside!

I know modern diesels are quick as I have one but even so!

diesel torque for you! all low down and plenty of it

Some of those Vectra 1.9 diesels have 150bhp! But they're all kitted up normally, so it was probably the 130bhp odd version. They're slow overall, because diesel power comes at you in lumps and flat spots and the gear ratios are uber tall, but in any single gear they're very quick. I had a Vivaro van for a week which had the 120bhp version, and that sat at 110mph for a good 10mins up and down hills, so the engine must be a good one

Long and short of it is either:

1) You don't know how to hammer a valver properly
2) His car was tuned
3) Your valver is down on performance

We'll have to organise a club RR day....I'd like to know if mines running right or not.

His was a SRI and the TI bit of the CDTI was in red which means its a 150bhp.

Kitch I had my foot planted!

You can plant your foot all you want, if you're not in the power band properly a BX 16v would get munched by a Rover 100 Kensington, in Tahiti Blue.

With a guy in a flat cap driving it.

You said you thought it felt a bit flat, maybe its down on grunt slightly?

A Superchip could easily see that Vectra to 180bhp, coupled with humoungous torque which would make it a good match for a 16v I reckon.

modern diesels are very underestimated some will wipe the floor with a bx especialy big cc ones

Indeed. I want a 407 Coupe with the twin turbo v6 diesel. Looks like an awesome bit of kit! I'd definately choose it over the petrol alternative.

Mind you. I wouldn't pay £30k for the pleasure of owning one!! I'll give it 5 years or so before I get my wallet out!!

Dont worry about it Tim, modern deisels are very different to drive to older ones! a chipped Fabia vrs will smoke a 16v! youhave to think the torque on them is close to 100lbft more than ours! esp when chipped! i would have thought!
oinfact a quick google comes up with this!
1.9CDTi 150PS 1,910cc Turbo diesel: 110kW (150PS) at 4,000 rpm; 315Nm (232 lb ft) torque at 2,000 – 2,750 rpm.

so in effect its 90lbft up on ours! yet one good thing matey, the cheapest sri cdti is £17k!

Kitch, the van you had will more than likely have the renault engine matey! we used them as parts vans at the renault and nissan garage (renault, nissan and Vaux. share the same design ont he van, )they are nice motors as vans but the same engine in the cars is dramtically different! so not really comparible!

What you have to look at is that Your motor is 15 years old, yet matey in his new vectra couldnt pass you as easily as he thought! so has car design and tech really come that far in the time!!!

very well put timmo. wish i could have explained it as well as you

Modern cars have come along way, and your right kitch unless the revs are up on the 16v (mine especially) its not fast at all, I drove that F reg Mk1 and it did seem to have alot more grunt. Maybe someone can have a look at it sometime this year at a meeting to see if its performing as it should.

Besides the one noisy tappet the engine is sweet and idles lovely.

Any suggestions to look for or anything that may help? I put some injector cleaner through it when I bought it and run it on super plus.

Tim, best advice, Stop being so paranoid about it! lol!
until you can run a side by side test on them then dont worry about it!

Tim its an old engine now and if it hasnt been rebuilt you may have lost a few bhp through wear. my original engine was dyno,d at 156.2 bhp then it was rebuilt with fresh parts, a power chip,cone filter,and a few other mods and was then put back on the dyno and produced 169.9 bhp. most mi,s rarely make 160 most are around 155

Apparently it was rebuilt about 2000 miles age by the former owner who worked at a Citroen specialists (the garage comfirms this), and in its defense it doesnt use any oil, BUT judging by how tired and bodged the rest of the car was when I got it I wouldnt be so sure of the standrad if workmanship

The gearbox however is so sweet and light as is the clutch since I greased its mechanism and clutch cable.