Not really renault related but you might be interested

[DaveP]

I've just been offered a 5 door Peugeot 104 (has the same engine as a renault 14 or I wouldn't have mentioned it) 5 door lhd with a new CT and fully serviced, new tyres, oil/fuel/leads replaced for 1500 euros. This sounds like a reasonable deal, until I find out that it has 290km on the clock. It's genuinely showroom condition, smells like a new car and you could eat your dinner off the engine.

Question is, do you drive it or stick it in a museum? I feel like I have to buy it, but I honestly don't think I could bring myself to use it, Imagine the counter clicking over to 4 then 5 figure mileages.

What to do?

 

[pepper]

WOW!

thats seriously low mileage!

There's a chap on UK ebay who specialises in low mileage cars, he lives near Witney if my memory hasn't gone too awry!

Perhaps there's someone doing similar on the Franch ebay?

 

[DaveP]

The guys in the garage said they've put 70km on it servicing it and giving it a run to shake it down after servicing. It should be very valuable, but somehow it can't be can it? I'm tempted to buy it and pay the garage to look after it for another 22 years.

 

[paulandpat]

Buy it, put it in La Vie de L'Auto for twice or three times the money, then buy something you would be happy to use. Unless you have got loads of room you will probably get fed up with falling over it if you are not using it.

 

[DaveP]

I've decided to buy it. Pictures coming soon. I'll probably follow your suggestion P and P. In the meantime, it'll be my first ever brand new car.

 

[paulandpat]

I must confess I cannot see the point of owning something you cannot bring yourself to use, classic car and bike shows seem to be stuffed with cars and bikes that never actually go anywhere under their own steam. I must admit to finding old cars in everyday use much more interesting and worthy of the prizes handed out at these events. I was walking round a bike show in England with a friend who looked at one of the prizewinners and remarked 'you would not get very far on that - I know the bloke who rebuilt it, its only got half an engine!'
Good luck with the new car, how did it come to have so little mileage on it?

 

[DaveP]

I'm in total agreement, the best car I've ever seen was alan clarks battered D Type. Going to see the car I'd expected a nice useable little motor for myself and my girlfriend to use (she can't get her head round the tl's gearshift) and I really don't want a show car, I've always been a MK1 escort nut and I love the dents and bangs that go with 35 years of use. HOWEVER, I can spot a ridiculous bargain when I see one (I have been quoted 2500 euros for 75000km cars in good condition) and I'm considering the caddish route of cashing in, buying a daily driver and sticking a few quid into the tl's bodywork. Seems like cheating somehow. I'm almost tempted to contact Peugeot to see if they're interested in it. It's so ridiculous, the service book/free 1988 road map/jack are all brand new.

I understand an old boy bought it new and it somehow never got used. I believe he died some years ago and it took a while to track down his son who just needs to get rid of the car. The south of france being as warm and dry as it is the car just hasn't aged, it's just sat there for 20 years. It's not been clocked or anything sinister, you'd have to see it (and smell it) to believe me. It transpires the son has put more than half the kms on it in the last few months and the garage added about 50 so making sure it's ok and driving to the CT centre.

Just writing this has got me thinking about driving it, maybe sticking to the dry days and keeping below 2000km a year, it'll still be special in 5 years time.

 

[paulandpat]

Sounds like a good idea, take it round the local shows with a discreet AV sticker and see who bites.
Sounds as if the people administering the estate might have had trouble tracking down one of the family, if they all need to agree it can tie things up for years.
Before we moved here we came over once with a ferry full of people going to Le Mans, we finished up in the queue next to a bloke with a late fifties Aston Martin (forget which model), which was rather battered and half of it was in a dull pinkish colour. We got talking and I asked him about the colour scheme, he said he was too busy enjoying it to take it off the road to respray it, its been like it over a decade, when it breaks down I'll think about repainting it, meanwhile I've scraped the birdshit off (it lives under a tree) and here we are again. The car was in excellent mechanical order and the bloke just loved using it. Probably put the polishers noses out of joint!
My tin of car polish has a price label in pounds, shilling and pence on it, and its still half full - it will probably see me out!

 

[DaveP]

Exactly how the car should be IMO. Everything working and a smile on your face as you pass a smoking, polished tart of a show car.

My first escort had 3 engine transplants, about 5 gearboxes in the five years I had it, the only 2 cleans it got was when the bodywork got done and when I sold it. I'm happy to say it wasn't me wielding the sponge.

Am I really the kind of person who should own a 290km car? Might put it in the girlfriend's name

 

[Chunkysid]

haha i love driving my old renault past all these new shitty astras and that old = simple and strong and in my oppinion more Reliable!

 

[alewis]

I half agree, Im aiming to do a reasonable respray of the R4 im repairing. Normally I wouldnt bother but its worn thu to primer and bare metal in places !