(by David Lapidus) How do you say, “You win some, you lose some” in French? And while we’re at it, how do you say, “My loss is your gain”?
A few years ago, I acquired a 1987 Citroën CX Prestige. In spite of fulfilling all of the stereotypes about crazy French mistresses, I fell head-over-heels in love. Then I figured that if one crazy French mistress is good, two must be better, right?
So, almost two years ago, I decided to add a 1992 Citroën XM to my little collection. Though she may be French, she’s not nearly as crazy as the CX. And that’s the problem: Without the blazing originality and weirdness of the CX, I’m not inspired to put up with the XM’s fragility. And so, it’s time for her to find a new home.
How does this work? No reasonable offer will be refused. Heck, I might even accept an unreasonable offer. I just want her to go to a good home that will appreciate her and take care of her. She’s currently in Oklahoma City.
So let’s talk about this car.
It’s a 1992 XM V6 with—I think—nearly all of the gadgets. It has the 12-valve V6 engine (not the more-powerful, less-robust 24v), automatic transmission, sunroof, power seats, leather upholstery, heated seats (not working!), and automatic climate control (good a/c when parked, but no heat!). The “orga” number is 5204.
The big problem: There’s an LHM leak. My mechanic says that the leak is in the steering rack. I’ve been getting parts from suppliers in Belgium and Germany with no trouble… so it’s probably easy to get what you need, I’m just tired of dealing with it. The leak is severe. The car can be driven “yard distances,” but do not take it on the open road! I haven’t driven it in many months.
Other stuff…
Some squeaks and rattles from interior trim.
The transmission’s Park-position sensor is wonky, so sometimes the car has to be started in Neutral. Not a big deal.
There seems to be a small electrical drain. If the car is parked for a couple weeks, it may need a jump-start. After sitting for many months, the battery was totally dead. But the car fired right up with a new battery this morning.
The lock tumbler on the driver’s side spins freely, making it very hard to lock the car from the outside. Apparently this is a common problem for XMs.
The door lock plunger is missing from the driver’s door, making it hard to lock from the inside. It can be manipulated with pliers. I always park it in a secure garage, so it’s never been an issue.
The clearcoat is fading on the roof.
The rear wiper arm went missing under previous ownership. Weird.
Michelin tires, nearly new. But I wouldn’t be surprised if they developed a flat spot after months of sitting in the same position.
It may need an alignment.
Good a/c (when parked), but no heat. It uses R134a.
Heated seats don’t work
Before the steering rack leak developed, I tidied it up a little: New spheres all around, new exhaust, and a new rear suspension cylinder. And as noted above, a new battery this morning. The pump and spheres all seem fine; the car rose to normal height within several seconds of starting up.
I think that’s it. For someone who is mechanically handy (and a Citroen enthusiast), these are probably manageable issues. It’s titled, registered and insured. However, I haven’t driven it for months, so there could be surprises for the next owner. This is surely one of the rarest Citroen models in the US, so it could be a rewarding project (personally, if not financially!) if someone wants to revive it.
Sorry about the low-quality pictures. She’s parked in a dark garage, and I hesitate to bring her outside in her current state.
email inquiries to CurbsideCitroen@gmail.com
” Though she may be French, she’s not nearly as crazy as the CX. And that’s the problem: Without the blazing originality and weirdness of the CX, I’m not inspired to put up with the XM’s fragility.”
While I appreciate the honesty and transparency of this statement, I’m not sure it belongs at the beginning of the post.
Perhaps this says it better:
Though she may be French, she’s not nearly as crazy as the CX.
And that’s a plus: Without the blazing originality and weirdness of the CX, sourcing French parts may be a challenge, but once acquired, US techs can work on the car.
By the pictures the car is in a very good condition. I only fear you will have a very long marriage with it. These things are not easy to pass forward. Wish you good luck.
A friend of mine had one of these about fifteen years ago. He saved it from the scrapyard with some minor issue. I don’t think it gave him a lot of grief but he did not drive it much and it was, of course, a younger car back then. Best of luck with the sale.
An LHM leak? What’s LHM?
Liquide Hydraulique Minérale. It’s the fluid used in the suspension, brakes, and steering systems. It’s the reason why Citroens have such unique driving characteristics, but a few other manufacturers have borrowed it (Mercedes, Rolls-Royce, Jaguar)
I’m glad to see pictures of this car after hearing about it in some of your earlier comments. If I had the resources, time, space and knowledge (or even any one of the above) to give this car a good home, I would. I’m hopeful it’ll find an appreciative owner!
CC Staff Car right here! Paul, make an unreasonable offer and instead of driving a Taurus Eastbound, we can drive an even better treasure Westbound! There are sure to be at least a few Gauloises stuffed under the back seat cushions for authenticity too and for something to do when the car needs a break.
Absolutely- If you get it out to LA, I’ll provide the labor required to repair the leak (How hard could it be?).
Ah, Mr Skinner, the Song of the Citroen, the Citroen now spread elegantly across the backyard, resting at peace with its twin parts’ car companions in the dusk, the grass entwining, the hope eternal, the owner still singing after all these years that very song, How Hard can It Be?
You may have misread my sarcasm as misplaced confidence, but the offer is solid.
If the needed parts are available (and paid for by someone else), the car will be back on the road.
Nope, no Gauloises to be found! By some miracle, the car has never been smoked in… no weird odors of any sort, in fact.
“It has the 12-valve V6 engine (not the more-powerful, less-robust 24v)”
They managed to create a V6 that was less robust than the PRV? These cars tend to change hands in the $8K to $10K range on the enthusiast auction sites, but the ones I’ve seen have never been presented as honestly. Did you get a quote on a steering rack for it?
An orga number of 5204 corresponds to a production date of February 6, 1991. Seems improbable that this is a 1992 model.
Yes, I’ve been told that before. I’m trying to remember why I suspected it was actually a 1992 car, but my memory is failing me. As I’m sure you know, the orga is much more helpful than the nominal model year for figuring exactly which parts are needed.
I didn’t get a quote from one of my suppliers, but it doesn’t seem to be an obscure part… some quick googling turned up prices in the $400 range. That doesn’t include shipping to the US, of course. Those prices are from normal European auto parts chain stores… shipping to the US requires some extra steps to deal with customs, which is why I usually work with the smaller companies that specialize in classic Citroens–they’re used to helping out enthusiasts all over the world.
I dont need another Citroen till the current one dies but I do know where a specialist hides himself and a mountain of parts nowhere near you unfortunately, strangely enough I see Citroens in the strangest places doing stockfood deliveries today to a cattle station I saw a BX parked outside a rural school turbo diesel tidy condition and becoming rare on my fourth trip a ZX diesel was parked in the same place.
“Ooooak-la-homa where the weird comes sweeping down the plain”
It’s an awfully long way from Rennes to Okie land, and must have been quite some twister, but it seems the XM is behaving much as it does anywhere else – sulking.
I salute the bravery of the owner, pausing only for the briefest moment to ponder the gossamer line between brave and crazy, and not commenting upon it.
Good luck, sir. It will certainly need a person who is just as brave, (or indeed, perhaps, so brave the gossamer is broken through), to continue the exumation of this XM, but it deserves to rise again.
Tempting. I live in Oklahoma City. I wish I had the time and space. I wouldn’t even know what a reasonable price *is* for a Citroen.
Beside which, I currently already have a finicky older European car with a bunch of stuff that needs fixing. (Future COAL).
Well, if you’re thinking about it, why not come over and take a look? The car is in Midtown. And it might be fun to meet a fellow CC’er!
If it were older, this would be right up Scott Newstead (Cold War Motors) alley. He’s got two Citroen in various states of disassembly and restoration.
Private message sent.