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Are old clio deisels any good
Lightning - 7/12/05 at 07:41 PM

I want a car for my daughter, going to look at a Clio deisel tomorrow. Are they any good and what specifically should I look for?. The car is P reg BTW. OR anyone down this way have a small hatch for sale??

zzrpowerd-locost - 7/12/05 at 07:46 PM

My Grandad had a L reg Clio 1.9d van, van (3dr rear with no windows) as a run around on the farm

Very reliable and went like the clappers!

zzrpowerd-locost - 7/12/05 at 07:48 PM

As with all renaults, check cv gators for splits, pas pump for leaks

and the heater works

[Edited on 7-12-05 by zzrpowerd-locost]

flak monkey - 7/12/05 at 07:51 PM

Dont buy it, its French...

A nightmare to work on, and parts are stupid money.

David

zzrpowerd-locost - 7/12/05 at 07:55 PM

quote:
Originally posted by flak monkey
Dont buy it, its French...

A nightmare to work on, and parts are stupid money.

David


Not if you know where to go!!!

GSF are mega cheep for parts, and they deliver

Branch in Exeter and one in Plymouth

http://www.gsfcarparts.com/

BKLOCO - 7/12/05 at 08:05 PM

quote:
Originally posted by flak monkey
Dont buy it, its French...

A nightmare to work on, and parts are stupid money.

David


Simply NOT TRUE.
One of the most reliable cars we've owned.
Nicely engineered.
Drives superbly.
Economical.
Goes like sh1t of the proverbial.
Shame it's French but rather that than over engineered German.

Mark Allanson - 7/12/05 at 08:23 PM

Before you buy, look out for accident damage, they are REALLY soft at the front, and the front subframe curls upward at the front mounts, and is really vunerable. This is not necessarily a bad thing as the car folds up and the occupants walk away to fill in the insurance forms

flak monkey - 7/12/05 at 08:34 PM

quote:
Originally posted by BKLOCO
quote:
Originally posted by flak monkey
Dont buy it, its French...

A nightmare to work on, and parts are stupid money.

David


Simply NOT TRUE.
One of the most reliable cars we've owned.
Nicely engineered.
Drives superbly.
Economical.
Goes like sh1t of the proverbial.
Shame it's French but rather that than over engineered German.


Drive down the motorway on a hot summers day and 9/10 cars you see broken down will be french....

The engineering on most french cars I have seen leaves a hell of a lot to be desired. The packaging under the bonnet never fails to amuse me. Seems like they often forget something major, then stick it somewhere stupid. Likewise the use of wheel bolts instead of studs is a rather interesting notion...

Again, having driven a few french cars, they handle about as well as a wet sponge. Except the sportier versions, which do tend to be very good.

They are highly economical I will give you that

Some are fast, again mainly the sporty ones. But I am aware that their engines have improved a little over the past few years.

David

Peteff - 7/12/05 at 09:04 PM

I had one till some b@stard nicked it. 2 door 1.9 RN, we had it for 5 years and only ever bought a battery for it. 55mpg everywhere my wife loved it. It didn't have PAS or electric anything but it didn't need it.

Lightning - 7/12/05 at 09:04 PM

cheers y'all

britishtrident - 7/12/05 at 09:39 PM

Electrics on french cars are one big problem after a few years for some reason every conector even every wire corrodes.

steve_gus - 7/12/05 at 09:55 PM

ford used wheel bolts instead of studs on the fiesta yonks ago, so thats not new or a french thing.

I have a laguna 04 reg, and i havnt had any problems in 28k miles. But if you look up the laguna its got a terrible record.

Looking under the boonet its full of plastic crap - the flexy pipe that carries the diesel to the high pressure pump looks like the bendy bit of a mcdonalds straw. The 'primer pump' for use when it runs out of diesel looks like suumat out of a xmas cracker - but you cant see it cos its under another placcy panel.

Its NO WHERE NEAR as well engineered as my beemer 320d 'over engineered' german car.

BTW - the backshell for a wing mirror (mate needed one ) is 250 quid plus paint.

French cars are plentiful, cos they are cheap and a big variety to choose from.

Your clio may be a good choice - i havnt had one - but to say a german car is over engineered compared to a french car is just daft.

atb

steve

ps - if for a teen, look up insurance. My sons 50hp 1.0 saxo cost 1300 quid to insure, the 60hp or so 1.5 diesel was 2k!!!




[Edited on 7/12/05 by steve_gus]

Kowalski - 7/12/05 at 10:51 PM

quote:
Originally posted by flak monkey
Dont buy it, its French...

A nightmare to work on, and parts are stupid money.

David


I've got two Xantias, both are French, after the first one made it to 150k miles and still drove like new, I bought a second one. The first one has done 15k miles since then, its 11 years old and has no rust whatsoever, the interior is like new, no wear visible in the carpet or the seats.

Neither one has let me down in 5 years, just maintenance, service parts, a new exhaust on both and a window winder motor needed doing on the 11 year old one. I do the servicing myself, and the parts are as cheap as any other brand you could name, e.g. as cheap as Ford and Vauxhall. Please do tell me what you are driving and how it compares on reliability and running costs, have any of the cars you've had in your household let you down in the last 5 and a half years?

steve_gus - 7/12/05 at 11:20 PM

the last car that 'let me down' was a 4 1/2 year old 100k mile beemer 318i. The rad header tank split. It still drove without losing too much water, but it didnt seem a good idea to drive it 50 miles home.

Think the last actual breakdown I had was a rover 820 that had its flywheel come loose, an austin princess that shattered the clutch pressure plate, and a hillman imp that had a chain jump a tooth.

on the other hand, my ex employer ran a lot of lagunas and had lots of problems with them - likely due to the mad ass service engineers that drove em tho!

atb

steve

BKLOCO - 7/12/05 at 11:30 PM

Maybe there are some people on here who having limited driving and life experience would be better keeping their unsubstantiated views to themselves....

Working on German equipment for a living for the last 27 years I believe qualifies me to say that: The vast majority of german equipment is over engineered with little or no thought for the service engineer.

How can anyone say that French cars are expensive for parts when you need a second mortgage to service or repair BMW, Audi and Toyota to name but 3.

I just love to be controversial and start rows...

EDIT
Oh by the way I once bought a Safrane...
Biggest pile of Sh1t it has ever been my misfortune to own.....Bloody comfy though.

[Edited on 7-12-05 by BKLOCO]

flak monkey - 8/12/05 at 09:26 AM

quote:
Originally posted by BKLOCO

I just love to be controversial and start rows...


Thought that was the point

Some of what I said was said to wind certain people up...dont take me too seriously all the time!

However I stand by the fact that the majority of cars you see broken down at the side of the road are french. And that their engineering leaves quite a lot to be desired in many cases. Though there are also good examples of french engineering out there somewhere I am sure....

David

zzrpowerd-locost - 8/12/05 at 12:05 PM

quote:
Originally posted by britishtrident
Electrics on french cars are one big problem after a few years for some reason every conector even every wire corrodes.


Never had that on a renault!

Now if we were talking citroen Ax!!!!!

Dont think mine had a single genuine plug on the front end!!! Dont you just love crimp on blue female spades!!!

Also i think the french must of brought up the worlds supply of green wire at some point!!!