Discussion
I have my heart set on one of these now and have spent the last week or so scouring the classifieds.
My budget is £1400ish (maybe a stretch more for the right car) and for this money I realise I have to be very careful. I am looking for cars which have plenty of MOT, service history and have had the cambelt and dephaser done at the right time.
One car in particular came up at the right price, however I wasn't convinced with his responses. He said the cambelt was done 46,000 miles ago and then again 1000 miles ago. Then he went on to say "well it wasn't changed, I adjusted it and changed the dephaser and auxilllary belts". IMO this doesn't stop the belt snapping as it will have weathered in that time so it would be likely to still snap! Am I right here?
Also, I have found one or two high milers (130ish) with good service history. a 130K high performance Renault on that mileage scares me a bit but surely if looked after it is a better punt than a low miler with a a sketchy past.
I will only be doing around 100 miles a week so it won't be going up a great deal. Also other than the looks what are the differences between a phase 1 and 2? Sorry for the messy post, my heads a shed after all this classified scouring
My budget is £1400ish (maybe a stretch more for the right car) and for this money I realise I have to be very careful. I am looking for cars which have plenty of MOT, service history and have had the cambelt and dephaser done at the right time.
One car in particular came up at the right price, however I wasn't convinced with his responses. He said the cambelt was done 46,000 miles ago and then again 1000 miles ago. Then he went on to say "well it wasn't changed, I adjusted it and changed the dephaser and auxilllary belts". IMO this doesn't stop the belt snapping as it will have weathered in that time so it would be likely to still snap! Am I right here?
Also, I have found one or two high milers (130ish) with good service history. a 130K high performance Renault on that mileage scares me a bit but surely if looked after it is a better punt than a low miler with a a sketchy past.
I will only be doing around 100 miles a week so it won't be going up a great deal. Also other than the looks what are the differences between a phase 1 and 2? Sorry for the messy post, my heads a shed after all this classified scouring
Adjusting the belt is absolute nonsense. And even if it were to be true, under no circumstances do you re-tention a belt, you would simply replace the bloody thing! I'd take what this guy is saying with a pinch of salt. Inspection of engine mounts and exhaust back boxes is something you also want to hone in on on these.
A friend of mine bought a very respectable looking 02 model in Flame red last year for £1500. Only the belt needed doing, he was happy with this as it meant he could oversea the necessary job being done properly, with no short cuts taken. The car was 100% after that and stood him a smidge over £2000.
Besides the obvious (early model), the mk1 172 is lighter so a touch faster (I'm happy to be corrected if that's not the case).
A friend of mine bought a very respectable looking 02 model in Flame red last year for £1500. Only the belt needed doing, he was happy with this as it meant he could oversea the necessary job being done properly, with no short cuts taken. The car was 100% after that and stood him a smidge over £2000.
Besides the obvious (early model), the mk1 172 is lighter so a touch faster (I'm happy to be corrected if that's not the case).
I had a cambelt done on one of these by Grantham Renault. It took them over a week. They rang me on 3 occasions to tell me the car would be ready to collect at the end of the day. The first time they took me into the workshop to show me how they were getting on and i was presented with my car, with the engine half out!
They finally finished it, but put the bumper back on incorrectly, and it sounded like a jet turbine going down the road so i think they got the tension wrong.
They're great cars, but try to get one that's been looked after and budget for things going wrong.
Well worth going for one with a stainless exhaust, nothing to worry about in terms of it being boy-raced, but the standard exhaust is rubbish, and kwik-fit replacement backboxes are made out of baked bean cans, only with thinner material.
If £1400 is really all you can afford then you might come unstuck TBH as you then won't have the money to fix it WHEN (not if) things need doing.
They finally finished it, but put the bumper back on incorrectly, and it sounded like a jet turbine going down the road so i think they got the tension wrong.
They're great cars, but try to get one that's been looked after and budget for things going wrong.
Well worth going for one with a stainless exhaust, nothing to worry about in terms of it being boy-raced, but the standard exhaust is rubbish, and kwik-fit replacement backboxes are made out of baked bean cans, only with thinner material.
If £1400 is really all you can afford then you might come unstuck TBH as you then won't have the money to fix it WHEN (not if) things need doing.
Thanks for responses so far. I have a bad feeling about the 'cambelt adjusting guy' so have decided not to bother. He only wants £1150 for the car which seems a bargain on the face of it but not if presented with an £800 bill 2 months down the line!
I have £1400 to buy the car in the next couple of weeks, it doesn't mean I won't be able to fix things after then. This is simply my available budgeted money for the car. I heard mixed views on reliability, and I have a couple of friends who have owned them with no problems so I take it all with a pinch of salt. It could bite me on the arse but I'm willing to take the risk.
I have £1400 to buy the car in the next couple of weeks, it doesn't mean I won't be able to fix things after then. This is simply my available budgeted money for the car. I heard mixed views on reliability, and I have a couple of friends who have owned them with no problems so I take it all with a pinch of salt. It could bite me on the arse but I'm willing to take the risk.
I've had two.
First was at 6 months old back in 2001. Did 15k miles in 6 months and had niggles - cd changer and exhaust rattling.
Second was in 2006 at about 5 yrs old - it was this that had the cambelt done. The window mechanism failed and the exhaust fell off.
Both were "reliable" - i.e. never left me stranded. Both were a giggle, and both did 38 mpg seemingly everywhere.
I'd have another in a heartbeat. I'm actually considering another as my winter commuter next winter for when i can't use a motorbike.
You just need assume that it'll need something replacing every now and then - exhaust, shock, etc.
First was at 6 months old back in 2001. Did 15k miles in 6 months and had niggles - cd changer and exhaust rattling.
Second was in 2006 at about 5 yrs old - it was this that had the cambelt done. The window mechanism failed and the exhaust fell off.
Both were "reliable" - i.e. never left me stranded. Both were a giggle, and both did 38 mpg seemingly everywhere.
I'd have another in a heartbeat. I'm actually considering another as my winter commuter next winter for when i can't use a motorbike.
You just need assume that it'll need something replacing every now and then - exhaust, shock, etc.
Based on my experience of a £1400 Clio 172 with a "recent cambelt" and "lots of history", I'd run for the hills. Total money pit. Didn't even drive well enough to justify the expense either. My old Primera GT was a better steer (albeit a touch slower), cost half the price, and wouldn't have constantly raped my wallet.
I had a new 182 and that thing was never out of the garage for various niggles either.
Overrated French crap.
ETA: If you do get one, don't bother spending too much fixing it, just get rid if it starts looking dodgy. Because there seems to be 2 types of Clios out there. Reliable ones (which I was never lucky enough to find) and total dogs. There is no middle ground.
I had a new 182 and that thing was never out of the garage for various niggles either.
Overrated French crap.
ETA: If you do get one, don't bother spending too much fixing it, just get rid if it starts looking dodgy. Because there seems to be 2 types of Clios out there. Reliable ones (which I was never lucky enough to find) and total dogs. There is no middle ground.
Edited by TameRacingDriver on Tuesday 12th March 12:01
I've had mine for 7 years and over 100,000 miles. Mine is on 122k now and is looked after by a local specialist.
Even though it's lead a fairly pampered life things are now starting to fail. Although the engine still pulls like a train.
In the last year its had:
Dephaser/cam/aux belts
Bottom ball joint
Handbrake cable
New cat
New exhaust centre section
New battery
Full geometry setup
New steering wheel
New engine mounts
Plus the usual 10k fluids/filter service and silly things like bulbs. I need to do the rear discs and pads soon.
I expect the power steering pump is on its way out (that's a new aux belt too) and the clutch has a limited life.
They are excellent fun but I wouldn't buy a £1400 172 unless you are handy with the spanners or are prepared to spend some money.
Have you looked into insurance? If you are on a tight budget you might want to sort that before buying. I pay £194 per year for my fully loaded policy some kiddy winks on cliosport pay twice that a month!
Even though it's lead a fairly pampered life things are now starting to fail. Although the engine still pulls like a train.
In the last year its had:
Dephaser/cam/aux belts
Bottom ball joint
Handbrake cable
New cat
New exhaust centre section
New battery
Full geometry setup
New steering wheel
New engine mounts
Plus the usual 10k fluids/filter service and silly things like bulbs. I need to do the rear discs and pads soon.
I expect the power steering pump is on its way out (that's a new aux belt too) and the clutch has a limited life.
They are excellent fun but I wouldn't buy a £1400 172 unless you are handy with the spanners or are prepared to spend some money.
Have you looked into insurance? If you are on a tight budget you might want to sort that before buying. I pay £194 per year for my fully loaded policy some kiddy winks on cliosport pay twice that a month!
There's plenty out there to choose from at that price so easy to walk away from real rough ones. I've never had a problem with the 2 1*2s I've had. Cambelt cost £400 from a main dealer with a bit of haggling on my Ph1 172.
As with any car buy, have a look at the history, condition etc before committing. The Ph1 I had had no evidence of a cambelt in 10 yrs, but as long as it doesn't snap it's not really an issue. So haggled down and got it to the dealers for a cambelt - all in cost about £1700 for a nice example
As with any car buy, have a look at the history, condition etc before committing. The Ph1 I had had no evidence of a cambelt in 10 yrs, but as long as it doesn't snap it's not really an issue. So haggled down and got it to the dealers for a cambelt - all in cost about £1700 for a nice example
dapearson said:
I had a cambelt done on one of these by Grantham Renault. It took them over a week. They rang me on 3 occasions to tell me the car would be ready to collect at the end of the day. The first time they took me into the workshop to show me how they were getting on and i was presented with my car, with the engine half out!
Strange you should mention that. I gather the belts can be a tricky thing to change on these, though I don't know the specifics. There was a garage near me that used to always have 172's and 182's on it's forecourt. I was looking at a 182 one day when the wife was looking for a new car and I asked them why they always had so many Renaultsport cars in, presuming they were just easy to sell. Apparently there was a Renault specialist just down the road from them who they used to service all their Renault cars, and they had a good deal going on so they kept going back. He did mention something specifically about the belts being a specialist job, but I can't remember if it was because it needed a car-specific timing gun or whatever. Baryonyx said:
dapearson said:
I had a cambelt done on one of these by Grantham Renault. It took them over a week. They rang me on 3 occasions to tell me the car would be ready to collect at the end of the day. The first time they took me into the workshop to show me how they were getting on and i was presented with my car, with the engine half out!
Strange you should mention that. I gather the belts can be a tricky thing to change on these, though I don't know the specifics. There was a garage near me that used to always have 172's and 182's on it's forecourt. I was looking at a 182 one day when the wife was looking for a new car and I asked them why they always had so many Renaultsport cars in, presuming they were just easy to sell. Apparently there was a Renault specialist just down the road from them who they used to service all their Renault cars, and they had a good deal going on so they kept going back. He did mention something specifically about the belts being a specialist job, but I can't remember if it was because it needed a car-specific timing gun or whatever. 172ff said:
Have you looked into insurance? If you are on a tight budget you might want to sort that before buying. I pay £194 per year for my fully loaded policy some kiddy winks on cliosport pay twice that a month!
The best insurance quote I got was £460FC with me and the wife (31 & 28). Where are you insured for that price?
ktards! Don't answer phones, reply to emails, etc. Are they that easy to sell that no effort is required!?8potdave said:
172ff said:
Have you looked into insurance? If you are on a tight budget you might want to sort that before buying. I pay £194 per year for my fully loaded policy some kiddy winks on cliosport pay twice that a month!
The best insurance quote I got was £460FC with me and the wife (31 & 28). Where are you insured for that price?I echo what others have said. They are on the whole reliable, my wife had a 172 for 2 1/2 years and it was faultless, apart from the tracing paper exhaust. But, when it went the engine mounts were just starting to make the occasional clunk, and it needed the belts doing. They are very nice cars, and economical, but they are steep to run, a belt service is likely to cost £500, IIRC tyres were quite steep too due to the low profile.
I'm not saying don't do it, but do it with your eyes open. Buy badly and for £1400 you could easily spend half to all of that again!
I'm not saying don't do it, but do it with your eyes open. Buy badly and for £1400 you could easily spend half to all of that again!
I think my sister paid about £500 for a full service and belts at a specialist in or somewhere near Northampton on her 172 Cup, not sure where but to me i would be looking for one that HAS NOT had the work done and use it to bargain the seller down to peanuts... But that's just me.
OP as it goes i think she is selling hers, 172 CUP on a 53 plate, in blue, totally standard, has AC. PM me if you are still looking hers is a good'un i have driven it a fair few times.
OP as it goes i think she is selling hers, 172 CUP on a 53 plate, in blue, totally standard, has AC. PM me if you are still looking hers is a good'un i have driven it a fair few times.
Op if you look at any cars with 100k plus on do a fast change from 2nd to 3rd. 3rd gear syncro is usualy the first to go. Also do a gearbox oil change asap - its as easy as the engine oil and never gets done. Box needs 3.1 litres.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Elf-Tranself-NFP-75W-80-...
Only use the correct stuff.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Elf-Tranself-NFP-75W-80-...
Only use the correct stuff.
I have an early (phase 1) 172 and I could quite easily have ended up with a money pit, however I waited for the right car to come available and bought on instinct more than anything. The seller seemed genuine unlike the many others that were just boy racers.
There is a 172 buyers guide on Cliosport.net which is very useful but you'll have to sign up for membership to get access to it... having said that, if you're sure about buying one then paying for membership will pay dividends.
Be aware that belts should have been changed twice so far on most 172's. Purely on age alone. Doing the job would cost £400-£600 depending on who does it... a significant part of the value of the car and hence why many get sold on / scrapped when they need doing. I'd definitely want to see receipts/invoices for the work if it's claimed to have been done.
There is a 172 buyers guide on Cliosport.net which is very useful but you'll have to sign up for membership to get access to it... having said that, if you're sure about buying one then paying for membership will pay dividends.
Be aware that belts should have been changed twice so far on most 172's. Purely on age alone. Doing the job would cost £400-£600 depending on who does it... a significant part of the value of the car and hence why many get sold on / scrapped when they need doing. I'd definitely want to see receipts/invoices for the work if it's claimed to have been done.
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