Citroën CX
Welding works are followed by a shiny new exhaust
Progress on the CX has been steady with doses of welding and revival work. It was satisfying to return it to the NEC – the spot where I saw this version of the CX making its debut in October 1984.
My aim now is to have the car ready to drive back there for the Practical Classics Restoration Show in March.
I can give this challenging, turbocharged beast my full attention now that the 2CV has been fettled for daily use, while the Sterling is Uk-registered at last and (regretfully) the
Saab 900i has been sold. The 900 sale means I can now afford to pay for a professional outfit to paint the CX, too.
Only around 160 of these
‘metal bumper’ GTI Turbos were ever sold, yet sourcing parts hasn’t actually been that difficult, as it shares most major components with other CX models. Having gathered all the required rust-free panels – bonnet, two wings, a driver’s door and bootlid – I turned my attention to the exhaust system and tyres – all of which were replaced just six months before the CX was put into storage in 1996. Unfortunately, more than two decades later, those ‘nearlynew’ tyres are cracked and unusable. They’re metric, so I can’t say I’m that excited about the prospect of finding replacements. I decided to tackle that conundrum another time and prioritise the extremely ventilated exhaust
– an item now very much unavailable for the CX. It would need to be made from scratch.
Having heard good things, my target was Vortex Exhaust Technology in Essex. Turbocharged cars of the Seventies and Eighties came with turbo lag as standard and the CX was no exception. Having slapped a whopping
great turbo onto its 2500cc lump, Citroën did little to address it back then but nowadays, it seems there are a variety of ways to not only reduce lag, but to also improve power and economy. Vortex claims to be able to achieve all of this with its bespoke system, which focuses on reducing back pressure – the result of the engine’s inability to force gases efficiently out of the combustion cylinder and away from the engine.
On arrival at Vortex HQ in Essex, a very enthusiastic Melvyn grabbed the system he’d made for the CX and revealed the mysteries of what’s inside the oddly shaped centre-box.
‘It uses exhaust pressure to accelerate gas over a profiled shape to create a vortex, which in turn creates low pressure. It’s that low pressure that allows the engine to evacuate exhaust gases efficiently in front of the vortex, and the acceleration of gas behind.’ He detects my slightly baffled look and brings it down to a level my tiny brain can more easily grasp. ‘There are no moving parts inside. It’s all done via an inner and outer cone and tubes that spin the gas inside the chamber. Basically, it means your car will be faster, more fuel efficient and furthermore, it will allow your turbo to operate to its full potential.’
The proof will, of course, be in the pudding.
But given that we’re dealing with an Eighties super saloon, I’m hoping for good things. I may even get it on a rolling road to see if it achieves Citroën’s claimed 168bhp. But before all that,
I’ve drawn up a fairly substantial list of things to do. When this project began, the plan was to take my time but – as is always the case – it has become a battle with my own impatience. I want this car back on the road more than any project I have previously owned.