RE: Renault 5 GT Turbo: PH Heroes
Discussion
I have only driven one, that was just slightly tuned, that engine really made it feel like an event to drive 
, quite quick aswell. When I was a student I had a 60hp 1.4 renault 5, by far the best FWD car i have ever driven in the snow(live in sweden), unbeatable. High ground clearence and delicate balance, so easy to adjust with a little bit of throttle lift
, quite quick aswell. When I was a student I had a 60hp 1.4 renault 5, by far the best FWD car i have ever driven in the snow(live in sweden), unbeatable. High ground clearence and delicate balance, so easy to adjust with a little bit of throttle lift Absolutely love these. My mum had a white Ph2 version in the early to mid-nineties and I thought it was the coolest car to be dropped at school in. My lasting memory was going out with dad in it so it could be driven properly as mum tended to be in top gear before the end of the drive (still does come to that!).
Always felt very quick and actually I don't think gave much away to the Clio 172 that mum had a few cars later. Would love one in my garage today.
Always felt very quick and actually I don't think gave much away to the Clio 172 that mum had a few cars later. Would love one in my garage today.
Very happy memories.
The first proper performance car I owned (early '90s, for about three years) and an absolute hoot to drive, scaring a lot of more powerful machinery. The car I've most regretted selling. Surprisingly reliable, apart from the aforementioned weak clutch cables. Still keep my eye out for a 'forgotten' unmolested example, but prices are ridiculous.
The first proper performance car I owned (early '90s, for about three years) and an absolute hoot to drive, scaring a lot of more powerful machinery. The car I've most regretted selling. Surprisingly reliable, apart from the aforementioned weak clutch cables. Still keep my eye out for a 'forgotten' unmolested example, but prices are ridiculous.
These were my bread and butter for years (along with most other GITs) when I ran a "sports car" sales garage. I have lost count of the dozens of grubby red carpet sets I have washed and vacuumed back to life with my trusty Karcher, the pile of head gaskets and thermostats on the shelf, the rack of refurbed wheel sets and the ever present hiss of modified blow off valves and surplus coolant on "test" drives. Happy days! Popular mod was to replace the short 1.4 engine for a Monaco 1.7 unit for a bit more torque. Great fun but every extra BHP bought the flimsy construction into sharper focus. Only the Mk1 & 2 Golf felt properly "built".
I had 4 of these oevr the years. leved wthem despite their hideous reliability mainly around the electrics, and leaking, and over heating, and cables snapping.
once drove one from Reading to Henley on Thames with no clutch cable, aprekd another one in a pond when the boost kicked in mid wet corner.
once drove one from Reading to Henley on Thames with no clutch cable, aprekd another one in a pond when the boost kicked in mid wet corner.
A mate of mine had one. It was stupidly quick, when it worked, and I still think they look brilliant today. I was running a mk2 Cavalier SRi at the time, which wasn't slow in its day, but the GT Turbo used to leave it for dead. On boost, the thing was just mental. He reckoned it was running 160 bhp. It certainly felt as if it had at least that.
Unfortunately, his seemed to spend as many weekends in bits in his mum's garage as it did on the road. A combination of inherent issues, and the "tuning" that had been done, I suspect. I don't think many of these were standard.
The chipped Escort RS Turbo he replaced it with was just as quick, and far more reliable.
Unfortunately, his seemed to spend as many weekends in bits in his mum's garage as it did on the road. A combination of inherent issues, and the "tuning" that had been done, I suspect. I don't think many of these were standard.
The chipped Escort RS Turbo he replaced it with was just as quick, and far more reliable.
And they actually felt quite plush in period; I didn't own one but have driven them and recall quiet a laggy engine but a real shove when it woke up. Far more grip than the Uno Turbos I did own , which had rock hard suspension and narrow rubber but , I felt , a more sophisticated engine and just as much go. It may have been heresy but I much preferred the Uno and the R5 to my Mk Golf GTi , although in some respects the 205GTI was the best of all- even if none of them had the sublime steering and ride of the wonderful (if not especially quick ) Alfasud Tis.
I remember being well impressed seeing one of these spin the wheels when he floored it even though he was doing 20mph or so already. You had to dump the clutch from a standstill in my XR3i to burn any rubber. What I'd considered to be some French s
te was actually pretty good so i bought one, it was the most unreliable car ever-big stuff too like head gaskets, clutch, big ends but I really liked driving it. Great driving position and handled very nicely and quite fast for its time..
Was pleased to sell it though, too much aggro
te was actually pretty good so i bought one, it was the most unreliable car ever-big stuff too like head gaskets, clutch, big ends but I really liked driving it. Great driving position and handled very nicely and quite fast for its time..Was pleased to sell it though, too much aggro
Mike Duff - was this in the Lostock / Bolton area?
I own one of these. A 50k mile virgin example like the one in the article. Pics via the link below. Although safety has improved immeasurably in cars since this period, in many other respects things have not moved on much. Fiat 500 Abarth? Same formula of 3 doors, small, 1.4 turbo and nowhere near as fun.
http://s795.photobucket.com/user/s7exg/library/R5%...
I own one of these. A 50k mile virgin example like the one in the article. Pics via the link below. Although safety has improved immeasurably in cars since this period, in many other respects things have not moved on much. Fiat 500 Abarth? Same formula of 3 doors, small, 1.4 turbo and nowhere near as fun.
http://s795.photobucket.com/user/s7exg/library/R5%...
My (now) wife had one as a company car, back then.
Two clutch cables. The AA man suggested we kept a spare in the car. Never happened again.
Drove it everywhere, very quickly. Did the length of France in a day once. Lovely car.
Non existent security - it kept getting broken into when parked outside our house. One bloody thief even left a little brown present for us.
Happy days.
Two clutch cables. The AA man suggested we kept a spare in the car. Never happened again.
Drove it everywhere, very quickly. Did the length of France in a day once. Lovely car.
Non existent security - it kept getting broken into when parked outside our house. One bloody thief even left a little brown present for us.
Happy days.
I recall the 5 GT Turbo being rather more flexible than the writer makes out. I certainly don't recall having to stir the gears as long as I kept the revs over 2500 rpm. Moreover, the turbocharged Cleon engine may have been archaic in some ways, but it spun sweetly all the way up to the red line.
It may not have had the cachet of the 205 GTI, but the 5 GT Turbo had superior dynamics. The 1.9 litre incarnation of the 205 GTI had a nasty habit of trying to seek out the nearest hedge if you lifted off too sharply in mid-corner, whereas the 5 was rather more forgiving.
The 5 was also more accelerative than either 205 and, being turbocharged, could more easily and cheaply be coaxed into delivering more power. Indeed, that may have been its downfall - the ASBO candidates of the 80s and 90s knew that the 5 had the potential to give a much bigger bang for their buck than the 205, hence many fell into their clutches.
It may not have had the cachet of the 205 GTI, but the 5 GT Turbo had superior dynamics. The 1.9 litre incarnation of the 205 GTI had a nasty habit of trying to seek out the nearest hedge if you lifted off too sharply in mid-corner, whereas the 5 was rather more forgiving.
The 5 was also more accelerative than either 205 and, being turbocharged, could more easily and cheaply be coaxed into delivering more power. Indeed, that may have been its downfall - the ASBO candidates of the 80s and 90s knew that the 5 had the potential to give a much bigger bang for their buck than the 205, hence many fell into their clutches.
Kaiser_Wull said:
The 5 was also more accelerative than either 205
Not in my experience. I often 'tested' the accelerative capabilities of both my 205 GTi 1.9 and my mates P2 R5GTT and they were evenly matched until about 70-80mph, where upon the 205GTi would slowly start to creep away.I had one of these, a phase 2 in white which was set up really well by the previous owner. It was completely standard from the outside except it was lowered but it had been tuned to run 190BHP if you used the adjustable boost.
It would spin the wheels with relative ease and I remember the surprise that you were constantly having to shift up and down as it span through the revs at a rate I'd not experienced before.
Mine was 100% reliable but as has been mentioned I think this was largely due to it being set up well in the first place.
Very fond memories.
It would spin the wheels with relative ease and I remember the surprise that you were constantly having to shift up and down as it span through the revs at a rate I'd not experienced before.
Mine was 100% reliable but as has been mentioned I think this was largely due to it being set up well in the first place.
Very fond memories.
squirejo said:
Mike Duff - was this in the Lostock / Bolton area?
I own one of these. A 50k mile virgin example like the one in the article. Pics via the link below. Although safety has improved immeasurably in cars since this period, in many other respects things have not moved on much. Fiat 500 Abarth? Same formula of 3 doors, small, 1.4 turbo and nowhere near as fun.
http://s795.photobucket.com/user/s7exg/library/R5%...
hmmmm...I own one of these. A 50k mile virgin example like the one in the article. Pics via the link below. Although safety has improved immeasurably in cars since this period, in many other respects things have not moved on much. Fiat 500 Abarth? Same formula of 3 doors, small, 1.4 turbo and nowhere near as fun.
http://s795.photobucket.com/user/s7exg/library/R5%...
Saw one, in grey, on Friday evening.
On the East Lancs (A580) near Worsley - didn't quite catch the reg as I was on the bus, might have been either E or H.
Got my first one in 1991 when it was just over 3 years old with 30k on the clock... E661HCX. I paid £3300 and sold it 5 years later for £2300 with over 80k on it. Cheap motoring and other than servicing, brakes/tyres (and clutch cables!) it never missed a beat.
Dipped my toe into Golf ownership following that and was grossly disappointed with a Mk2 8v GTI. Utterly boring car in comparison... never understood why they got the hype they did.
A couple of cars later and around 2000 I managed to find an immaculate one lady owner 35k pearl white 5GT, F555GTU. Think I only paid £1700 for it. Growing family only a year or so later meant that one had to go too (for £500 more than I paid ) but it was one of those cars which even second time round was just a good as I remembered.
Dipped my toe into Golf ownership following that and was grossly disappointed with a Mk2 8v GTI. Utterly boring car in comparison... never understood why they got the hype they did.
A couple of cars later and around 2000 I managed to find an immaculate one lady owner 35k pearl white 5GT, F555GTU. Think I only paid £1700 for it. Growing family only a year or so later meant that one had to go too (for £500 more than I paid
) but it was one of those cars which even second time round was just a good as I remembered.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff