RE: SOTW: Renault 19 16v Chamade

[QuartQubit]

If you still had it I'd have it off you no probs. Currently got an 207 Gti Turbo had Nova Gtes Astra Mk1 GTE always liked Renault 19 small chance but if you had get in touch

[Cfnteabag]

I had a 1.4 as my first and third cars and managed to get a 16v hatchback and convertible which I managed to combine into one working car.

I friend of mine at the time was also heavily into Renault 19's and had a diesel version that had no suspension travel but seemed quicker than it should do!

He also had a 16v that he eventually gave up on but before he scrapped it I stripped the interior and other parts for my 1.4, including the rear spoiler which was so well designed it made it extremely arkward to change the rear wiper as you couldn't lift it off the screen!

We also ran them with no centre caps on the wheels as they were always getting stolen!

[Civpilot]

QuartQubit said:

If you still had it I'd have it off you no probs. Currently got an 207 Gti Turbo had Nova Gtes Astra Mk1 GTE always liked Renault 19 small chance but if you had get in touch

The thread your replying to is 10yrs old now.

[Smiljan]

I got all excited thinking there was still one in good condition on the road now in 2021!

I had the 3 door version bought just under 3 years old when I was in my early 20's. Quite possibly the most unreliable poorly made car I've ever owned and had a really love for snap oversteer.

It's an old thread but brought back some memories at least

[Jonny TVR]

are there any for sale at all?! seems incredible that they have just disappeared

[Countdown]

I used to love these.

I was learning to drive in a Renault 18 at the time so I was very keen on all the hot Renaults (5 Turbo, 9/11 Turbo, 21 Turbo, 25 V6, Safrane) so the 19 16v was something I dreamt about

........Along with the actress from the R25 advert



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUpS1W2BIz4

[Jonny TVR]

It was my first company car and loved it

[exelero]

My dad used to have one of these. Hateful things

[p4cks]

I’ve probably commented already on this thread ten years ago when the topic started but I’d most likely have said that these are absolute ste and quite easily the most unreliable car I’ve ever had.

There won’t be many left largely due to the gearboxes being made of French cheese, amongst other things

[gaseous clay]

No record of it taking an MOT after 2010, wonder what happened to it?

[Civpilot]

p4cks said:

I’ve probably commented already on this thread ten years ago when the topic started but I’d most likely have said that these are absolute ste and quite easily the most unreliable car I’ve ever had.

There won’t be many left largely due to the gearboxes being made of French cheese, amongst other things

I also commented back in 2011 and in my experience it was a great car apart from it's hunger for Clutch cables which others have echoed. Clutch cables aside I had zero mechanical issues and not a single electrical gremlin. Sailed through every MOT and was a really comfortable place to be with the leather interior. For it's time it was also nicely brisk and pretty handy on twisty roads.

I think with a lot of French cars of that era you either got a total lemon, or an absolute gem, with seemingly no middle ground. I was lucky I had a gem with nothing but fond memories overall (Just don't mention bloody clutch cables!)

[cerb4.5lee]

Nealio said:

Let's not forget either, that yer man Nige had one too... Just look at his face, he's chuffed to bits with it, bless.

Edited by Nealio on Saturday 8th October 18:41

Edited by Nealio on Saturday 8th October 18:47

One of my mates had one exactly the same as that(same year) but in grey. I remember getting a rollicking off the salesman on the test drive because I was driving it too fast! I loved that car, and it gave me an appreciation of performance Renaults for sure.

[S54B32]

can't be the only one who got excited at this, hat tip to carandclassic too for still hosting the advert and pics 10yrs later.

I was about to start making some phone calls

[loudlashadjuster]

Jonny TVR said:

are there any for sale at all?! seems incredible that they have just disappeared

The fact they seem to have been made from Kit-Kat wrappers might have something to do with this.

[robdcfc]

Smiljan said:

I got all excited thinking there was still one in good condition on the road now in 2021!

I had the 3 door version bought just under 3 years old when I was in my early 20's. Quite possibly the most unreliable poorly made car I've ever owned and had a really love for snap oversteer.

It's an old thread but brought back some memories at least

Theres one on ebay at the minute

[Smiljan]

So there is! £3100 is a bit steep for it though. It’s also making me feel extremely old, a car I had nearly new being described as a barn find

From the MOT history it looks to have rotten sills but not much else wrong too.

[p4cks]

Civpilot said:

p4cks said:

I’ve probably commented already on this thread ten years ago when the topic started but I’d most likely have said that these are absolute ste and quite easily the most unreliable car I’ve ever had.

There won’t be many left largely due to the gearboxes being made of French cheese, amongst other things

I also commented back in 2011 and in my experience it was a great car apart from it's hunger for Clutch cables which others have echoed. Clutch cables aside I had zero mechanical issues and not a single electrical gremlin. Sailed through every MOT and was a really comfortable place to be with the leather interior. For it's time it was also nicely brisk and pretty handy on twisty roads.

I think with a lot of French cars of that era you either got a total lemon, or an absolute gem, with seemingly no middle ground. I was lucky I had a gem with nothing but fond memories overall (Just don't mention bloody clutch cables!)

The 3 clutch cables in 12 months were the least of my woes. Couldn't wait to get shot of it!

ETA I did comment. Knew I would have. Sheight cars.

p4cks on Friday 7th October 2011 said:

I can vouch for that. In my 12 month ownership I had;
3 clutch cables
2 throttle cables
1 radiator
3 gearboxes
all go wrong. At 21 years old I could barely afford to run it. Especially as I was at college.

The shocking reliability aside, I found the handling (particularly in the wet) simply dangerous. I've never ever driven another car with that much understeer in my life, and will probably never will.

For £1195 I'd avoid. For £500 I'd avoid. I wouldn't thank you if you gave me one.

Edited by p4cks on Wednesday 10th February 16:41

[Civpilot]

p4cks said:

The 3 clutch cables in 12 months were the least of my woes. Couldn't wait to get shot of it!

ETA I did comment. Knew I would have. Sheight cars.

p4cks on Friday 7th October 2011 said:

I can vouch for that. In my 12 month ownership I had;
3 clutch cables
2 throttle cables
1 radiator
3 gearboxes
all go wrong. At 21 years old I could barely afford to run it. Especially as I was at college.

The shocking reliability aside, I found the handling (particularly in the wet) simply dangerous. I've never ever driven another car with that much understeer in my life, and will probably never will.

For £1195 I'd avoid. For £500 I'd avoid. I wouldn't thank you if you gave me one.

Edited by p4cks on Wednesday 10th February 16:41

And yet strangely my experience with the cars handling was completely the opposite. It hung on in corners extremely well and was really friendly in the wet. Never heard anyone critic its wet handling before? In fact the touring car was actually st in the dry and really quick in the wet (yes I know they are very different to the road versions but back then the gulf was much smaller than today).
All in it was one of the better handling road saloons at the time. Not hot hatch chuckable, but grippy and friendly. I genuinely cannot remember understeer but remember limpet like turn in. I even remember the back could be made to 'play' mid corner if you wanted too. I would use the word 'benign' for the handling.

Like I said, as with most French cars of that era you either got a complete Lemon or a total gem. I was lucky with a gem and 2 friends of mine who owned them (one before me and one based on going out in mine) had almost identical experiences (Including the clutch cable issues). They both loved them and one kept his for about 7years.

It's pretty obvious you had the complete lemon but it doesn't mean all of them were st or that it was overall a st car

Owned mine for 4 years and had I been able to afford 2 cars I would have probably kept hold for longer and not traded it in. Not many of my past cars I would say that about.