I've been lurking on this forum for at least a year, and I think it's time to introduce my '02 Xsara 2.0 16V and myself.

My name is Jaime and I live in Almería, located in the south of Spain. A year ago, I decided it was time to look for a Citroën Xsara or Megane Coupé 2.0 16V, since they both are quite cheap here, but finally I decided to go for a Xsara since their condition was fairly better than most Meganes out there.



Car wasn't mint condition but honestly it was worth the money, brake discs and pads were new, as well as the exhaust centre section. 105.300km on the clock (65430 miles)



These are the very first pics I took before picking the car. As you can see the engine bay was seriously neglected but the oil filter was brand new, so at least oil had been changed.



Another pic before going back home, 470 miles to go!


The next day I used some degreaser to clean the engine bay. I also changed the oil dipstick o-rings since one of them wasn't sealing properly.



Wheels and arches needed a clean, so a few days later I got back to work.









Got some white LEDs to do an interior lighting refurb + number plate light







Interior was filthy, so I started cleaning, I wasn't looking for a spot on finish at the moment but the car definitely needed to be looked after.







One of the first pics after some B-road blast, getting used to it since I drive a Clio 2 1.5dCi 65hp as a daily and I needed some time to get used to the difference of HP.



Air filter needed a replacement so I went straight to a Pipercross filter (PX1431)



Next step was to change engine oil (Motul Xcess 5W40), since I didn't know which one was running. I replaced the gearbox oil and fuel filter too. A few weeks later cambelt + water pump + aux belt was done too.



Engine idling became jumpy so I took the ICV and cleaned it with some WD40. To be honest the engine idle kept doing the same thing, the issue was fixed after disconnecting the battery



Pic of the engine bay, I bought a 45º/76mm ID silicone hose from ASH to fit the standard airbox.



I got a Xsara 2.0HDI back box off a friend, which is around 5-6kg lighter and exhaust note is a little bit raspier: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BACy_1CaALw

Before the end of summer, I also purchased a set of lightweight C5 steelies, wrapped in 4 x 205/50/15 Kumho KU36





I noticed the rear quarter windows were full of s**te, so I gave it a clean with some degreaser + water.







Gear knob started almost falling apart, so I replaced it and also fitted a boot net.







I ordered some Motul RBF600, HEL braided lines, inlet + throttle body PTFE gaskets, Powerflex lower engine mount + black ARB bushes, Febi P bushes, tie rod ends, drop links and a CV boot.



Here's a pic of the car with steelies on. Colour choice was certainly a massive fail, my bad lol.



I removed the standard airbox and fitted a Ramair filter. Haven't gone back to standard airbox since the induction roar is awesome: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgCPiu3h3ps

I also ordered and fitted Citroën C5 brake air deflectors.



Gearbox mount, shock boots + bump stops. I also got a pair of 306 GTI Eibachs on eBay.



I changed the steering fluid too.



First plan was to mount the 306 Eibachs on standard shocks. However, when we took out the OEM spring, the front shocks turned out to be in a really bad condition.

My very first trackday was in 3 weeks, and I had 2 choices: mounting the Eibachs on standard shocks, and get some Bilsteins in a few months, or making an €ffort, get the Billys and avoid mounting/dismounting everything twice.

Finally I ordered a pair of 306 GTI front B8s, SKF top mount bearings, and Xsara B6 rears.



This is the only pic I have of the process, I thought I wouldn't make it to the track day but luckily everything went spot on.



The track day took place in Guadix Circuit, and I couldn't be happier with the car, oil temp can be an issue if you drive for several laps without cooling down, so actually that isn't a problem at least for me.





Here you have the on board video of my fastest lap: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSEjYVXX2sY

3 months ago, I ordered a 2.0 HDI exhaust centre section. Price was just ridiculous, 18€ brand new.



I had the opportunity to get the car on a rolling road with some impressive results, I was expecting under 165cv due to the Ramair setup.





I ordered 4x OEM Spark Plugs at a near Citroën dealer



Removed the old ones, turned out to be Bosch FR6DC+



And a month ago I replaced the O2 sensor that's situated after the cat, since check engine light came on.

I fitted the PTFE inlet gasket just a few days ago, it's been sitting at home since last summer so it was time to install it. OEM gasket + PTFE + OEM gasket btw. I also replaced the injectors O-rings.



And that's pretty much everything I've done. Been gathering pics for some hours so it's time to sleep now

I will try to keep this updated, I'll be getting a front set of Ferodo DS3000 tomorrow so I'll upload some (more ) pics

Welcome Jamie ...Brilliant read and something a little different

Thanks mate. I've seen your project and it's absolutely stunning

Yes mate I find it such a fun car to drive. Phase 1 prices here are slightly higher than PH2s, but still affordable enough.




Little update, I received the DS3000 set yesterday. I couldn't wait to mount them and remove the Bosch standard pads I was running.

Before replacing the pads, I cleaned the brake calipers and put some silver paint layers on them.



Pic of the FCP406R pads



Hope I can test them on the weekend, really looking forward to it.

I've also ordered a 306 GTI OMP lower strut brace, I want to test if it fits Xsaras since subframes are exactly the same (at least that's what Peugeot/Citroen Service Box claims)

Very nice that.......looks very familiar

Every decide to get rid of the passenger seat, let me know ;D

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Cherry Red Rallye .... On going OEM spec resto

China Blue GTi6 .... Weekend toy

Black 208 GTi .... Wife's car now

Silver BMW 550i.... The executive missile

Little update... I just bought one of these



Pic is taken from Google, it's a 320mm OMP Velocita Superleggero. Can't wait to mount it

Looks beautiful. My GTI-6 is also silver. Never was my favourite colour but once properly cleaned up and polished it really shines and wows.

195-45-15 is a huge difference compared to the original rolling circumference. I bet you feel a difference. I'm running 195-45-16 on my summer wheel but I don't really like the reduced final drive ratio in everyday driving. It's a different case on the VTS though with its 5-speed box. My next set will probably be 205/50/16. A bit longer than original and hopefully a better driving experience. Especially with the coming s/c conversion.

Happy driving in sunny Spain and keep it up.

Few pics from yesterday

Few bits ordered... Febi rear beam bushes + Powerflex Black Series tensioning kit. As for the alloy crank pulley, I finally decided to send an email to Rich W and it should be here in a few days