RE: SOTW: Renault 5 GT Turbo
Discussion
Garlick said:
BriC175 said:
Loving the stereotypical reliability comments 
I don't disagree with you, but I wrote the piece from memory of my mates cars back in the 90's. They must have been unlucky (or mechanically insensitive) as they were always breaking down.....apart from a chap with a late Raider, that was reliable. I'll never forget pulling away from my mates only for the revs to hit the roof and the car go no where. The rear engine mount had broken (common fault) and the drive shafts popped out knackering. £750 repair bill on YTS money £35 a week isn't easy! It was hard enough to buy the car for £1500 in the first place.
Stupidly bought a Renault 5 Gordini and a Gordini Turbo afterwards.
Stopped short of one of these 5 Turbos. A couple of friends had them though and borrowed one for a week or two. Great, great fun. Literally like a go kart with comical torque steer.
Still remember my mates 5 GT Turbo letting us down on a night out with two girls. Ended up with me borrowing the company Montego Estate then jumping it twisting the chassis, splitting the gearbox... Well you get the picture.
So Renault 5s.... They will let you down - it's just a case of when but the fun in the GT Turbo while it lasts is immense.
Edited by Agent Orange on Friday 19th November 12:53
marcosgt said:
y2blade said:
BriC175 said:
Marf said:
Gazzab said:
Lots of my friends also had them with lots of remaps
Love it when people talk about 'chipped' Renault 5's. 
There were plenty of people who used to adjust the turbo accuator rod (or something like that, it was a long time ago) and claim more power - No idea if it worked, MORE power in a 5GTT was a bit pointless, you'd not get from A to B any quicker because you'd go via F, K and Z on the way!
M
A few friends ran 205 GTi's back-in-the-day - but only 1 ran an R5GT and it was a superior drive by far...
Not to knock the 205, but the 5 was more fun to drive, could be pushed a little harder, was a little lighter to steer (but then buses are lighter to steer than 1.9 205 GTis!!) etc. etc.
They are prone to gremlins, electrical troubles and overheating/fuel evaporation tho - expect to spend as much time under as in it!!
Not to knock the 205, but the 5 was more fun to drive, could be pushed a little harder, was a little lighter to steer (but then buses are lighter to steer than 1.9 205 GTis!!) etc. etc.
They are prone to gremlins, electrical troubles and overheating/fuel evaporation tho - expect to spend as much time under as in it!!
Back in the early nineties, my father ordered a Renault 19 16v chamade. A massive delay in delivery ensued (the first one arrived with a rippled roof and the second one was stolen on its way in to the country).
My father not being one to mince his words, was on the verge of cancelling the order when the dealership manager gave him a set of keys and said "Take the Renault 5 outside and keep until your car arrives". Expecting it to be a 'campus' model, imagine our delight when the 5 was in fact a turbo exactly the same as the one in the article!
Subsequently, eleven weeks of hooning was enjoyed. Oh and my father never got a 19 16v after, he was so impressed by the 5 that he switched the order to its replacement, the (then) newly released Clio 16v.
My father not being one to mince his words, was on the verge of cancelling the order when the dealership manager gave him a set of keys and said "Take the Renault 5 outside and keep until your car arrives". Expecting it to be a 'campus' model, imagine our delight when the 5 was in fact a turbo exactly the same as the one in the article!
Subsequently, eleven weeks of hooning was enjoyed. Oh and my father never got a 19 16v after, he was so impressed by the 5 that he switched the order to its replacement, the (then) newly released Clio 16v.
The Donster said:
DaveL485 said:
BriC175 said:
Marf said:
Gazzab said:
Lots of my friends also had them with lots of remaps
Love it when people talk about 'chipped' Renault 5's. Ive had one or two of these but only to sell on. I do still have a 9Turbo though and i'd never part with it, ever.
Great little motors save for the flimsy build and the fact you have to dislocate your hips to drive it if you're over 5'6"
I rapidly discovered that the 21 Turbo gave the same experience as the GTT but everything was magnified about three times over. Much much better cars.
Anyone who does a HG on one of these engines though deserves it. You look after it right (and yes, I understand that requires a bit of specialist knowledge) and they are absolutely rock solid engines....same goes for the 21 Turbo.
Stick a bit of boost up a 2wd and it turns into a frantic, lunatic experience of torque steering lunacy. Brilliant!
exgtt said:
Where have all the 21's gone? Were they not that popular new or have they all been cannibalised?
1650-ish made in RHD. Still a few about. Only ever made 146 quadra though, est about 30-40 left 
One of the most underrated cars ever I think, with a massive and successful racing portfolio and two world records too!
S3_Graham said:
Garlick said:
exgtt said:
Where have all the 21's gone? Were they not that popular new or have they all been cannibalised?
Spotted when doing my SOTW search http://www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk/classic-car-pa...Owners club still going. Come say hello!!!
I had a gordini turbo as an early car.Guy who sold it to me said it had been chipped.At 18 that sounded great.I now know you cant chip a turbo car sucking through a carb.WHAT HE DIDNT TELL ME WAS THE OIL PRESSURE WAS LOW AND THE BOTTOM END LET GO!Nice looking car and with badges like alpine,gordini and turbo all over it i sank my soul and cash into it!Happy days!
I think they're great little motors,i've had 4 of them in the past.Last year they popped into my head again and i thought maybe i'd try and advertise locally see if anyone had one for sale.Guy called me saying he had a Renault 5 LeCar turbo for sale if i wanted it,i said a what??I'd never heard of one,seemingly they were only made for one year between the end of the run of the 5 Gordini turbos and the Phase 1 GT turbos.I've got it prepped just now ready to paint including a bodykit i imported from France for it,this is making me want to get my finger out and get it finished,i keep getting distracted by this that and the other.I was really lucky with the gt turbos i had,never had any problems with them.I remember a mate of mine who had one used to keep the local Renault dealer in business buying clutch cables off them!!
A lot of the reliability stories are down to poor maintenance...when we were modifying cars back in the day we never paid as much attention to regular oil changes and general upkeep of a car.
It wasn't like it is now, where your on owners forums getting lots of advice about the correct oil and changing it every 5k, the right sparks to use, the right noises to listen for blah blah blah...there wasn't the wealth of knowledge in the general enthusiast population as there is now...
my mate ran one of these for 4 years and gave it dogs abuse never gave him major trouble, he is a mechanic and the engine ran no problem, had an engine mount go and a driveshaft and that, but that's about it.
In those days lads bought them turned the boost up drove the stones of them, never let them cool and they died. The cars back then didn't have thermostatically controlled ECU cuts, safe modes, boost cuts and safe rev limits like a modern turbo, you treat a modern turbo like that it will sh!t its self in no time.
It wasn't like it is now, where your on owners forums getting lots of advice about the correct oil and changing it every 5k, the right sparks to use, the right noises to listen for blah blah blah...there wasn't the wealth of knowledge in the general enthusiast population as there is now...
my mate ran one of these for 4 years and gave it dogs abuse never gave him major trouble, he is a mechanic and the engine ran no problem, had an engine mount go and a driveshaft and that, but that's about it.
In those days lads bought them turned the boost up drove the stones of them, never let them cool and they died. The cars back then didn't have thermostatically controlled ECU cuts, safe modes, boost cuts and safe rev limits like a modern turbo, you treat a modern turbo like that it will sh!t its self in no time.
Edited by Dagnut on Friday 19th November 14:02
As much as I love these old cars (and I do point them out to my wife before I realise what I'm doing if I ever see one on the road these days(like she gives a 5hit!)) I have to say these were delicate at the best of times.
This 20 year old lady will be akin to driving one made from the finest bone china - I just don't think you could push it much at all without something going bang.
Heat killed these little fellas, heat and trees. I had the same problem with my GTX, endless radiator hoses exploding - and it wasn't turbo charged! Sufficient cooling always seemed to pester the Renaults, my mum had a 21 - that was always overheating too no matter how many times you changed the thermostat or upgraded the fans.
However, I used to have the 1.7 GTX and it had the same, fabulous, retro steering wheel which was in the 5GTT and was the pefect size and felt great in the hands. None of this airbag rubbish getting in the way!
I loved the old dash as well with the little boost gauge. So iconic cars like this, never to be repeated, I think I grew up in the best car era personally but maybe best left as memories!
This 20 year old lady will be akin to driving one made from the finest bone china - I just don't think you could push it much at all without something going bang.
Heat killed these little fellas, heat and trees. I had the same problem with my GTX, endless radiator hoses exploding - and it wasn't turbo charged! Sufficient cooling always seemed to pester the Renaults, my mum had a 21 - that was always overheating too no matter how many times you changed the thermostat or upgraded the fans.
However, I used to have the 1.7 GTX and it had the same, fabulous, retro steering wheel which was in the 5GTT and was the pefect size and felt great in the hands. None of this airbag rubbish getting in the way!
I loved the old dash as well with the little boost gauge. So iconic cars like this, never to be repeated, I think I grew up in the best car era personally but maybe best left as memories!
I quit elike them, I remember having a 1.6 Golf GTI MK1 at the time and wondering which way the one I picked on went
Still, they were no way as reliable or solid as the Golf though I think a lot on the unreliability came from people keeping on upping the boost.
We had the 1.7 GTX as I couldnt persuade the girlfriend to go the whole Hog for a Turbo so was the nearest I could get, even that shifted, until the Gearbox went, sold it and the phone went made with young lads wanting it as it was the cheapest insurance versus the most power they could get.
Still, they were no way as reliable or solid as the Golf though I think a lot on the unreliability came from people keeping on upping the boost.
We had the 1.7 GTX as I couldnt persuade the girlfriend to go the whole Hog for a Turbo so was the nearest I could get, even that shifted, until the Gearbox went, sold it and the phone went made with young lads wanting it as it was the cheapest insurance versus the most power they could get.
I had a pearlescent (sp?) white one, in 2001-ish and it was epic!
I was 18 and I actually got laughed at on the phone trying to insure it. I would have another one in a heartbeat but it was an absolute money pit! As I was an ignorant yoof it had 15" Team Dynamics alloys, a massive stainless steel backbox and a Piper-X induction kit, and it sounded like a jet.
Also, it nearly got me in a lot of trouble...96mph in a 60 zone in Monmouth earned me 3 points and a £60 fine, I'd only been driving 18 months or so, I think I got away lightly with that one.
~ Craig
I was 18 and I actually got laughed at on the phone trying to insure it. I would have another one in a heartbeat but it was an absolute money pit! As I was an ignorant yoof it had 15" Team Dynamics alloys, a massive stainless steel backbox and a Piper-X induction kit, and it sounded like a jet.
Also, it nearly got me in a lot of trouble...96mph in a 60 zone in Monmouth earned me 3 points and a £60 fine, I'd only been driving 18 months or so, I think I got away lightly with that one.
~ Craig
I was looking for a hot hatch about 20 years ago when I had money before children came along. I really wanted a 5 GT Turbo. Only problem was the insurance cost £1500 when you were 22 years old! I had also thought about the 205 Gti, Suzuki Swift Gti and AX GT. I went a bit left field in the end and settled on a Daihatsu Charade GTti. Insurance was ONLY £1100. It was the closest in spirit and mechanical spec to the Renault but much better built. Not quite as fast but still ridiculous especially with only a one litre engine. I ended up having 4 Charades over the years. Would have another one and still would have the Renault too.
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