Long overdue for an update I think!
Due to a leaking water pump the headgasket went at the new year 6 months following that picture taken above, so Pugfest 2010 was attended in my 309 Goodwood whilst progress with my ZX was continuing very slowly.
Some time in 2009 I had bought a set of Newmans PH2, which as many will know are quite close to the max lift @ TDC you can run in the RFS engine safely, so whilst the head was off....
The pistons were removed and sent to Martin (CRF_450 on the 306gti6 forum) for an extra mm of space to be added.
J4R o.e Bearings, at £25 for the set dramatically cheaper than the RS specified parts, cheaper even than aftermarket, I checked with Sandy Brown regarding their suitability and he said he has used them in a race engine without issue so its all good!
An O.E XU10J4RS MLS headgasket was used, as well as some new piston rings from an aftermarket source (South Wales Pistons, had them on the shelf!)
Goes without saying that I went to GSF for the rest as they are much much cheaper and still from an o.e manufacturer, the same one in most cases.
Also got some filters from Neat Auto's, 10 all for about £30.
At the same time the headgasket went, my Heater matrix let go in a spectacular way, on the coldest darkest night of the year!!
(a few months on I got round to changing it, having not used the car for a while)
This took a lot less time than it does in a 306!
This heater box does not weigh much whatsoever (around 4.5 kilos IIRC), so I don't get why people with track cars ditch them and have to have the hassle of steamy windows and cold cars! the dash itself only weighs 9kg!!
Some C5 wheels were sourced, with some part worn Michelin PE2's a significant weight saving was made, some 36 kilos of rotating weight!
Unfortunately I added some unsprung and rotating mass in the form of a set of 283mm brakes as used on the later Euro ZX, Xsara VTS, and the 306 gti6, but good reliable brakes are a must, I'm using o.e Citroen pads all round and cannot fault them!
Once the 309 was sold I run the engine in and used the car to drive to work and back in November and December, I happened upon these on EBAY under a totally random non suspension related title whilst browsing for a mappable ecu, so £300 cash the following evening;
Brand new unused Sportline 1 dampers specified for a 206 S1600 gravel car, some £600+ vat's worth :o they work fantastic on the ZX!
More commuting till a bus decided to pull out of its stop before I was past fully 
 
Thankfully minor damage but a write off as far as the insurance companies were concerned (this was 22nd of December, and is still ongoing!!)
Then 4th of January, 200 yards from home in the morning on the way to work;
 
I think the Micra came off worst to be honest which is highly amusing, it was left there idling whilst all the coolant from it had pissed out on the road 
 
Thankfully the shell is still straight, the suspension unaffected and the leading end of the inner wing had only dropped 25mm or so, it has now been DIY straightened, the chassis leg and front lower crossmember were unaffected, so the search for new parts was on.
A few weeks earlier I had happened upon a new front panel on ebay for £15, so that was already in stock in my bedroom!
A dealer search by the ever helpful Ed at Warners in Tewkesbury traced a Wing down to Rigbye's in Chorley, Lancashire, the system also said there was one 16v bumper in existence at the same dealer, but they couldn't find it :(
As usual a grumpy Facebook status ensued, and an old school friend piped up "what's the part number, I'll check at work..." note I hadn't seen Richard for some 12 years though I remember he had done motor mechanics at the same college I had done Art at!
Turns out he had gone on to do an apprenticeship with Citroen working on the ZX's and still worked at a small Peugeot/Citroen dealer in the small Town I went to school in in North Wales as a tech, few days later another 16v wing was found in their stores, and a short while later I figured I could use a Bumper from a Phase 2 Furio/SX model with a few small holes added for the arch trims, as it happened, they also had these and the bumper brackets on the shelf!
Now, its just paint, a VIC check and I will be back on the road :D
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never mind, will have to fit new wheels, what to fit though?!
