Hey all

[Matti]

Found this site a couple of days ago, looks great.

We used to run a phase 1 16v hatch for 18 months, about 10 years ago in Spain. Fab car, I had a mk1 M5 and an early 16v integrale at the time and our 'lil red Renault still got used a lot and never felt inferior, less special, or less fun than either the other two.
Never let me down either, despite putting around 60k km on it throughout Spain (up to 40 degrees in the summer and dreadful roads) and ski trips to Andorra with feet of snow and 15 below. Apart from routine servicing all I changed was a wheel bearing and the battery in the whole time we had it. So they really CAN be very reliable.
In fact the only time it stopped on me was on the autopista, at around 200kmh and it started losing power and then cut out altogether. Turned out it had simply run out of gas (Despite the guage reading half and the range showing a few hundred kms to go)

Paint quality was laughable mind you, faded like nothing I've seen on any car. But hey, it was the only bad point to a fantastic fast and fun car that just made me smile every day.

So now, after 10 years of secretly pining for another, I just bought a phase 2 16v cabriolet. Been looking for the right car for a while, hard to find a nice standard example... but this one IS.
75k, full history, pretty close to mint considering 17 years vintage, and all totally as factory as far as I can tell. No tax or MOT but only due to no use the last 8 months. Fingers crossed for when she gets trailered to me on Tuesday, and then to the local test garage.
Very excited.
Will get some pics up when she arrives. Can't wait.

Cheers
M

[bidderman1969]

good stuff, welcome along! good to see the 19 left a lasting impression on ya!

[bncrew]

hello and welcome along, looking forward to seeing the pics, cabbys are awesome

[Matti]

Thanks guys.
Does anyone have any production/UK sales figures for the cabrios?

Bidderman, you're in this neck of the woods, any good events or track days round here ...

[JR]

hi Matti. The phase 1 red is the worst colour for fade, probably. Looking forward to pics of the cabby. I am a cabriolet fan myself. Roughly where in Hampshire are you?

[bidderman1969]

red eh? i may have a knack for bringing back red, lol

dont think there are around here matey, i would love to do Goodwood, not sure they do track days anymore though, or if they do, i reckon they wont be cheap!

[bncrew]

Baz (bidderman) will have that colour gleaming again in mere seconds

[Matti]

Hey JR, we're south side of the Island.
Nice pics of your cabrios.

[bidderman1969]

Originally Posted by bncrew

Baz (bidderman) will have that colour gleaming again in mere seconds

i wouldnt go that far,

[Matti]

Well the little beauty arrived today. Stoked.
Mint eh...hmmm... covered in grime and moss with no air in the sodding tyres, about 100ml of petrol, and the air filter in the passenger footwell. Thanks a lot Miss Caring Seller.

Bidderman, you really work the magic with paint? Glacier white looks more like glacial grey right now. But underneath the months worth of crap I reckon it'll clean up nice.
No sign of leaks at all inside and the hood and lining is great nick apart from the back outer seam has worn and split. Interior is in need of a good clean but looks almost like new under the grime. Nice black leather. Comfiest seats of any car I swear.
Did take a flier on it and absolutely not disappointed, she's lovely and seemed to drive real good on the 15 miles off the ferry, all nice and tight, sounded sweet, revved real free - I'd forgotten just how great these engines are - though didn't take it above 5k as hasn't been driven for 8 months and wanna get it to the local garage first for service and a general going over. Not to mention an MOT.
Will get pics up tmrrw.
JR, from your experience with yours, any specific areas on the cabs that I should check out?

[bncrew]

here's some of baz's handy work Persil

glad to hear youre not disappointed, and the seats, hell yeah although both of my cabbys are cloth theyre awsome, and the seats i sit on at home are out of my first cabby

[bidderman1969]

well, i can only try! lol, most of the stuff i use isnt off the shelf at Halfords, so its a bit more expensive, but i can take a look at it if you like

[Matti]

gwan Baz.
And gwan bncrew, car seats in the sitting room lol
Top Gear style.
Awesome.

Here's a couple of pics of the new arrival.

Er... how you put pics up here?? About to throw the laptop through the window

[bncrew]

if you have a photobucket account you can put them up through that, if you dont have one pm me and ill mail you my mail address you can mail them to me and ill put them up for you...

not stopping at the seats in the sittingroom, whole house is being refurbished, the new sitting room will be entirely renault themed with colour scheme and some form of engine block table

[bncrew]

Looks sweet if you ask me...

[Matti]

Nice BN. Thanks, I owe you one.
Wow the pics dont show just how long term ingrained dirty the car really is. Major clean up job starts tmrrw. Yes Baz love to have some product tips on what best to use to get her looking A1 and gleaming again

[The T.I.B.]

Looks great!

[bncrew]

no prob mate, the roof looks to be in surprisingly good nick

[bidderman1969]

Originally Posted by Matti

Nice BN. Thanks, I owe you one.
Wow the pics dont show just how long term ingrained dirty the car really is. Major clean up job starts tmrrw. Yes Baz love to have some product tips on what best to use to get her looking A1 and gleaming again

Well to be honest, if it's as bad as you say, it'll need machine polishing, then I can show you how to keep her in tip top knick, we could always do a test patch on it and see what you think. Where in Hants are you? A few people have seen the results of my work on here

[Matti]

Yes the roof is amazing seeing as it's the original, very good and the inside lining is perfect too. Only repair to do is the back outside seam needs re(hand?)stitching where it's worn and perished and split at the point that rubs against the back of the hood compartment as it folds down.

Baz, thanks. We're on the Isle of Wight. Gonna scrub it down tmrrw and see how bad it really is underneath the water stains. Too damn cold today for any handwashing business. Our first winter in UK for 11 years - Brrr... feeling it I tell you