Cheap ZX - urgent! - David Moore
J reg Citroen ZX 1.4i Advantage
59000 miles
No history
£750
Drove well enough and bodywork, clutch and gearbox are excellent. But would need a service, the tracking is quite bad, and there's a squeaking noise from the brake pedal. Would also need aerial fitting. I've since found out that on J reg ZX's the front callipers can be sticky. Is this serious (from a safety point) or expensive to fix?
Should I offer £550 or look further and spend £1000 on a better one?
Re: Cheap ZX - urgent! - David W
Anything can happen at this age/price so you have to be the judge. Early petrol ZXs are in the auctions for under £500. The K-reg 1.4i I look after is getting problematical now.

Starter motor, head gasket, heater coolant hose leaks (heater matrix failure also likely soon), brake caliper seizing, rear wheel cylinder failure, rear suspension arm bushes (or the whole axle tube if you're unlucky).

I'll stop there, good luck.

David
Re: Cheap ZX - urgent! - gazza
I used to own a 1994 ZX from '97 to '98 with FSH, warranty, etc. and I have driven several other new and new-ish examples. They are excellent to drive from new, but they are made of tin foil and meccano bits and deteriorate very quickly so I wouldn't recommend an old one.

Be warned, the 1.4i has a 0-60 of about 15 seconds and can be burnt off by your average Nova 1.2, lack of pull means changing into 2nd for the very slightest incline, and they gulp the petrol (expect around 27mpg with combined city/motorway use)