Renault 25 - One of Your Better Decisions

[RobT]

So said Renault UK back in 1984, and hell yeah I'd agree with that.

 

Today was collection day of the big Renno I won on Monday. An easy trip up to Clacton this morning and I was greeted with this:

 

 

I chatted to the seller for a bit and he was selling it on behalf of a giffer, the latter sounding an interesting bloke who used to be a Reuters journo and took the 25 over to France where he lived mostly for the last 20 years, hence the French reg. He also runs an XJ40 so is a giffer of the highest calibre. The seller owns a garage and has maintained the car for ages, so was entrusted with the sale. Although showing its age in places, for an old Renault with 212k on the clock mechanically it's pretty good, not the shonky old crate I was half expecting. Just goes to show what regular and preventative maintenance can do for a car. It runs 'sweet as', starts and idles perfectly and the auto gearbox works fine (for now...) Will have to wait six weeks or so for a proper run out after I've got all the re-reg palaver sorted. It was originally a UK car so I'm hoping DVLA will re-issue it with the old registration number, which comes with all the history.

 

Anyway, enough waffle, MOAR pics. None of it being loaded onto the trailer I'm afraid, just safely back home.

 

SEXY. I was gonna have a rest this afternoon, but spent the time fapping all over it and cleaning instead.

 

 

Sunroof works

 

 

Dollywobbler has his XM dream, and this is mine as I've wanted a phase 1 25 4EVAH. Maybe not as hot and exotic as a CX, but this is it for me!

[DSdriver]

They are ace - I had one as a hire car for a day in France (years ago now) and loved it.

[danthecapriman]

Very nice. I love the dash, futuristic, in an 80's French kind of way! Looks good.

[anonymous user]

Very 1980's yuppie, next thing you'll be telling us that you're going it alone and it might affect the kids, the house, etc.

[RobT]

I love the down on its haunches look of these

 

 

Coir matting for mats!

 

 

Its full of giffer trinkets this thing. How cool are these sunvisors. I managed to break the driver's side one within minutes of owning it, twat

 

 

Homebrew wiring for high level brake light

 

 

Worrying find in the boot

 

 

This dude even put carpet underlay in the boot floor, fastidious!

 

 

Sexy curves

 

 

All fapped out, time to put it away

 

[cort16]

Looks great do you need to re register it for the uk?

[RobT]

Yep, got all that to look forward to. But Nigel B has given me lots of info on that, so has been a great help.

[HMC]

That does look lovely! The glassy rear hatches on these and the chunky c pillars remind me of Jensen Interceptors.

 

How does it compare to your old 25?

[doobietoo]

love the giffer carpet on the garage wall......

[HMC]

Sort of looks like what a slightly less successful baddy in ronin would of given chase with, must be the french reg. Love these.

[trigger]

That's a beauty, I love the styling of the R25 especially the dashes. I reckon you've bagged to right Bobby Dazzler there.

[Alexg]

That's one champion barge you have there. Great work, and those sun visors are brilliant!

[mouseflakes]

Chuffin' ace! I passed up a few of these in the past and deeply regret it now.

 

EDIT: just checked back through your posts about this - you mentioned concern about possible fragility of the gearbox. I'm not 100% sure, but I reckon the phase 1 cars will have the 4141 (3-speed) gearbox, same as the old R30. These are mechanically pretty tough (I believe they are based on an American 'box?). The weakness on the R30 (so maybe the 25 too?) is the control computer* which can suffer from failed capacitors and such. Nothing that can't be fixed with a soldering iron and visit to Radio Shack for parts (is there such a thing now?). I think it was only the later, 4-speed boxes that suffer all the cooler issues an stuff.

 

Anyway - hope it all goes well Rob. I R Jelly.

 

*small plastic box with a handful of electrical components soldered together (or not) inside it. Plenty of handy info about this and the gearbox itself on several DeLorean forums.

[stripped fred]

Looks a nice car. Good luck with it. Look forward to more updates! What engine is it?

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Ronnie Barky!!!

[forddeliveryboy]

Hope it goes as well as it sounds as if it will - well bought! If it's MoTd and insured, why not use it while waiting for UK paperpushers to work out how much to pay them?

[D Spares & Tyres]

Nice car!

 

I had a manual 2.2 GTX one of these when I was about 20. Fantastic car, one of the few I regret getting rid of

 

Best interior of any car I have ever had either, and I`ve had loads

 

The dashboard won a design award if I remember correctly

 

The voice synthesiser was fun too, mine had a speech impediment. There was a test button and it would try to say `electrical systems working correctly` but it couldn`t say `systems` it had a lisp. Also had a problem with saying `boot not shut`

 

It also used to lie to me and tell me the bonnet was open

 

I loved that car

[RobT]

That does look lovely! The glassy rear hatches on these and the chunky c pillars remind me of Jensen Interceptors.

 

How does it compare to your old 25?

That's partly why I like them, never going to own an Interceptor so this is best I can get, but it'll more than do of course!

 

Looks better than phase 2s IMO but drives similar, direct steering and quite chuckable for a barge. Just been out for a late night blezz round the block and the 2.2 engine haz torque (gr9 for towing the caravan to the Dordogne for the summer) but being auto is smoother to drive. My other one was a manual and clutch was heavy and springy with a long travel which ruined it for me a bit.

 

The ATF cooler is the sod on these apparently, not the box, coolers had a tendency to fuck up and then cook the gearbox by which time it was too late. The internet told me that so it must be true.

 

The voice synth is ACE, Nicholas Parsons in Stephen Hawkin's voicebox. Told me a door was open in a plummy voice earlier, and also that the side lights aren't working but they are. You is wrong Nick. Fuel gauge keeps having a spazz attack too so it has enough foibles to keep me on my toes. Speedo works though which didn't on my phase 2.

 

Time will tell if it is a good 'un, but gut feeling says yes. Sill ends and jacking points are a bit questionable but nowt that can't be fixed.

[RobT]

Hope it goes as well as it sounds as if it will - well bought! If it's MoTd and insured, why not use it while waiting for UK paperpushers to work out how much to pay them?

Cheers! Not taxable without a UK reg no, I think. The MoT place used the French one, but as its not on the DVLA database it can't be taxed. Brookjm told me he insured his old Pug 504 on the VIN before he got a UK plate so I'll get that sorted tomorrow.

[Lord Sterling]

Sweet looker there Rob. What are your plans for the French plates once thier off?

 

Lower spec car with cloth seats or a higher spec car with cloth instead of leather. I got a brochure for one of these (don't know of its the earlier or later facelift 25) from Stondon.

[hairnet]

Cheers! Not taxable without a UK reg no, I think. The MoT place used the French one, but as its not on the DVLA database it can't be taxed. Brookjm told me he insured his old Pug 504 on the VIN before he got a UK plate so I'll get that sorted tomorrow.

do dis

 

didnt they change it again and you have to reg within 3 months now?

 

used to be 12??

[wuvvum]

Nice!  Haven't seen a Series 1 on the road for ages (this side of the Channel at least).  I had one once - bought from the auction for 30 quid about 12 years ago.  It was a 2-litre GTS on an E plate, not fast but a lovely car to drive.  Would defo have another.

[RobT]

Sweet looker there Rob. What are your plans for the French plates once thier off?

Lower spec car with cloth seats or a higher spec car with cloth instead of leather. I got a brochure for one of these (don't know of its the earlier or later facelift 25) from Stondon.

Keep them for ornamental purposes! Shame they can't stay on the car really as they look the biz.

 

I always prefer cloth over leather, but I do like the steering wheel you got on the higher spec Baccara and V6.

 

[RobT]

Nice!  Haven't seen a Series 1 on the road for ages (this side of the Channel at least).  I had one once - bought from the auction for 30 quid about 12 years ago.  It was a 2-litre GTS on an E plate, not fast but a lovely car to drive.  Would defo have another.

I paid £610 for this which I'm happy with, seeing as I've wanted one for so long. And if it does blow up or whatever then it's not toooo much money to have spunked on a short-lived dream! It'll be fine though, just want to use the fugger now.

[xtriple]

Good buy that. Always wanted a Monaco but had to settle for a variety of GTX models and others. Started off with 25s when they were quite new and had a couple that I bought for a couple of grand and they were great. Reliable, comfortable, spacious and quiet. Really good cars.

 

As I got poorer, they got cheaper and more and more shonky. The last one I had I bought at Exeter auctions (the final trip before the bridge for most cars) was three tone (two tone beige and brown with a different coloured bonnet!) auto and was an tragically low spec. As I drove it out of the auction it refused to change out of second gear and I had dark and ominous thoughts...

 

A few moments later, it changed up and was fine from then on. Every morning though, it was the same; wouldn't change out of second for a good thirty seconds and then was fine for the rest of the day. As it cost me £220 with loads of tax and test, I wasn't tooooooo bothered!

 

I ran it for ages and used the towbar lots and sold it for £300 when it was due a new MOT.

 

Had one (highish spec bugger) that was a pathological liar. It used to tell me that the lights were out, the engine was overheating, doors were open, it was running out of fuel and that I really should have bought a different car! I got so frustrated with the bloody thing one day while stuck in traffic in Plymouth that I spent a happy red light delay kicking shit out of the dashboard until it shut the fuck up!

 

I'd have another like a shot!

 

Oh, I'm 'fairly' sure that the rear window in the 25s was used as the front screen in something else... kitcar or maybe a Noble?

[vulgalour]

Can't decide if my favourite bit of design on this is the dashboard or the wheels.

[RobT]

Dash is great with that hooded bit, but wheels win for me. These will need a refurb at some point

 

 

Door pocket incorperated into the arm rest is a nice touch, the rest flips lengthways

 

[Lord Sterling]

Many years ago when I teenager and living with Pa_Sterling in Brussels, we had a neighbour who had one of these in Gold with a Caramac leather interior, it was pretty high spec exactly the same as your Rob butdifferent colour, he ran it for years. When he came to sell, a mate of fathers suggested he buy it for me, old Pa wasn't having any if it

 

Neighbour replaced it with a phase 2 facelift!

 

Maybe one day eh? Then again I say that about a lot of cars but it doesn't seem to be happening

[nigel bickle]

Hadn't realised its rhd, Rob!

 

Just mot it , on Vin or French reg, insure then drive it.

 

I run around in foreign reg cars all the time. I do hold a French & Belgian licence ( grandfather rights, before we all amalgamated) but never ever get stopped and asked.

 

It can be re registered easily, but I wouldn't be waiting for DVLA to sort the paperwork.

If you prefer to wait, delay insuring it. You can re register without now, and it'll be cheaper on a UK plate.

[stuboy]

oh la la