RE: SOTW: Renault Fuego GTX

[TIPPER]

I had a white 2.0L Fuego as a company car back in the day. At the time they looked pretty cool. Was never going to set the world alight as a driver's car then though so must feel awful today.

[328]

MarJay said:

That's the decal that I was talking about! Paint that Maroon and that's a dead ringer for my dad's old car!

My Dad had a maroon one just like that also. My over-riding memory is of it constantly breaking down from day 1. This included during a family holiday in France; none of the Renault dealers seemed to have seen one before.

The other thing I remember is that random strangers used to come up and ask what it was like.

[radlet6]

Elles est tres belle mais:

Elles ont été fabriqués en France dans le 80's - et elles ont cassé
Elle est français maintenant - elle sera toujours cassé

Alors - Non!

Merci et Bon Nuit

Edited by radlet6 on Sunday 15th November 10:22

[radlet6]

Someone mentioned it has been reduced to £450 on a classic car website. However found this on the same site (£600 offers invited):



http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C118952/

Surely this has to be a far better buy?

Edited by radlet6 on Sunday 15th November 10:22

[skwdenyer]

Gizmo! said:

What's next week - a Matra Rancho?

Why, do you know where there's a roadworthy one? I'm genuinely interested!

[DaveL485]

Negative Creep said:

DaveL485 said:

I have a Fuego GTX.

Well, it used to be a GTX.

Featured in Retro Cars a while back wasn't it? Remember it from the frnech Car Show a few years ago as well

Sure was. Me and my Daughters godfather have co-owned it for a few years now. It's sporting a red bonnet atm, after the one in the pic came off @ 120mph lol....the air got under it and ripped the pin anchors out!!

[DaveL485]

johnf2020 said:

Hi Guys,
I'm new here and all this Renault Talk has finally made me join up. I have been surrounded by Renaults my entire life, and indeed now I work in a Renault Dealership. I had a rather large collection of Classic Renaults including a Fuego a couple of years ago, but I ended selling them after I lost my previous job. I do have my pride and joy left though.
A 1982 R18 Turbo with only 42000 genuine miles. Here is a pic--enjoy--I certainly do.

John

Ooooohhhh, thats soooooooooo cool. So very cool. Succinct to pornography in fact. Your 18 need to meet my boys- there's a mag feature in there somewhere!!

21 Quadra-



Fuego shown previously-



Phase 1 9 Turbo-



...and i'm sure I can persuade my old Phase 1 11 Turbo and Phase 1 21 Turbo and new owners to join in too





Heaven

[Dagnut]

skwdenyer said:

Gizmo! said:

What's next week - a Matra Rancho?

Why, do you know where there's a roadworthy one? I'm genuinely interested!

They were barely road worthy when new..Honestly people just get nostalgic over cars and lose sight of the simple facts. OK all older cars are comprised against modern ones but the Fuego was never any good, it handled like a pig - big high rear,shabby build,muck brakes, not that quick, looks terrible...it has no redeemable qualities.

[skwdenyer]

Dagnut said:

skwdenyer said:

Gizmo! said:

What's next week - a Matra Rancho?

Why, do you know where there's a roadworthy one? I'm genuinely interested!

They were barely road worthy when new..Honestly people just get nostalgic over cars and lose sight of the simple facts. OK all older cars are comprised against modern ones but the Fuego was never any good, it handled like a pig - big high rear,shabby build,muck brakes, not that quick, looks terrible...it has no redeemable qualities.

I know exactly what a Rancho is like; a friend of mine had two of them. From a practical perspective, there is very little - short of a van - which will carry as much volume as a Rancho in a car-like package, and especially nothing as narrow for fitting down country lanes. Sometimes the dynamics are second to the practical considerations.

I'm quite prepared to rebuild an old car to make it more durable for the modern world if there is no useful modern alternative. And, TBH, I just like the Rancho aesthetic. But, no, I don't much like the steering or gearbox

[Dagnut]

skwdenyer said:

Dagnut said:

skwdenyer said:

Gizmo! said:

What's next week - a Matra Rancho?

Why, do you know where there's a roadworthy one? I'm genuinely interested!

They were barely road worthy when new..Honestly people just get nostalgic over cars and lose sight of the simple facts. OK all older cars are comprised against modern ones but the Fuego was never any good, it handled like a pig - big high rear,shabby build,muck brakes, not that quick, looks terrible...it has no redeemable qualities.

I know exactly what a Rancho is like; a friend of mine had two of them. From a practical perspective, there is very little - short of a van - which will carry as much volume as a Rancho in a car-like package, and especially nothing as narrow for fitting down country lanes. Sometimes the dynamics are second to the practical considerations.

I'm quite prepared to rebuild an old car to make it more durable for the modern world if there is no useful modern alternative. And, TBH, I just like the Rancho aesthetic. But, no, I don't much like the steering or gearbox

Sincere apologies I didn't read that correctly I thought you were looking for a Fuego, I have no knowledge of the Rancho.

[Jessop]

The era of renault turbo's never fails to put a smile on my face - almost regardless of the car in question.

I was out in my frends Renault 5 GT Turbo on Friday [which is immaculate and almost 100% original, besides the wheels] and had about 4 people comment at service stations & when we had parked up saying how much they love the cars lol. Never fails to put a smile on your face =]

[The Wookie]

I think we need to have a separate article to SOTW for ultra rubbish machinery, given the last couple of weeks. I think POSOTW would fit this vehicle perfectly.

Irredeemable.

[countvonc]

Hugo a Gogo said:

I always remember a car wash with a sign saying 'no renault fuegos' - did that back screen break easily or something?

Yes, I broke my old man's screen when I was about 17 years old.

I swear to God, all I did was shut it normally, but he never believed me.

[Gridl0k]

GregE240 said:

I remember lots of different places with car washes said "No Renault Fuegos allowed" so I asked one garage owner why not. Basically, as hugo alluded to, its the huge rear window, and also the wiper - there were a number of instances of the big brush lifting the wiper and smashing it back on to the rear screen, breaking it, or the big brush pressure could break it.

When you have a car wash whose brush height is controlled by an IR beam that detects where the car's roof stops, and you take through it a car that has a wraparound rear window which you can see straight through, side-to-side...

Maybe this is a good way of guessing people's ages, but when I was a nipper I remember seeing the same sign in reference to Volvo T5 Estates with the roof-level spoiler..

Edited by Gridl0k on Monday 16th November 14:04

[TTwiggy]

My dad had a dark blue GTX as a company car in the 80s - actually, he may have had two...

When he took it in for its first service, Renault didn't re-attach the rear brakes as they didn't have the service manual!

[cramorra]

..I loved the seats back then - best mates mother drove one - looked like out of a starship....(the seats not the mother)

[johnf2020]

Here is the Fuego GTX that I sold . It was a 1985 Phase 2 Auto and was an excellent car in every way.It was the first car to sell when I advertised the lot----I really miss it

[Caruso]

johnf2020 said:

Here is the Fuego GTX that I sold . It was a 1985 Phase 2 Auto and was an excellent car in every way.It was the first car to sell when I advertised the lot----I really miss it

What's the other car to the left?

Edited by Caruso on Monday 16th November 22:24

[LuS1fer]

Caruso said:

johnf2020 said:

Here is the Fuego GTX that I sold . It was a 1985 Phase 2 Auto and was an excellent car in every way.It was the first car to sell when I advertised the lot----I really miss it

What's the other car to the left?

Edited by Caruso on Monday 16th November 22:24

Renault 15 facelift version I believe.

[Gridl0k]

LuS1fer said:

Renault 15 facelift version I believe.