For Sale Probably dead 2000 Renault Megane 1.6 16v - scrap value (or advise me to fix it...)

[Rave]

EDIT: Bumping this rather than starting a new thread as the car seems to have died, see new post below

 

Morning all,

 

For sale, my Father-In-Law's 1.6 Megane. He bought it about 6 years ago from his older brother and since then he's used it for little more than his weekly shop at Sainsburys. I've probably put about half the 8000-odd miles it's done on it in that time, taking them out for day trips to Hastings, and borrowing it when my own shite's been off the road for various reasons. They've now decided, IMO sensibly enough, that £600-odd a year for tax, insurance, servicing and MOT is more than can really be justified for a shopping trolley, so I've been tasked with moving it on.

 

It claims to be something called an Alize, which in practice seems to mean reasonably plush velour seats, A/C (which I couldn't call "ice cold" under the Trade Decsriptions Act, but which does knock a few degrees off ambient), a sunroof, leccy front windows, and steering wheel controls for the tape/radio (which isn't all that great for my favoured soundtrack of local house music pirate radio, but works as intended). Oh, and a trip computer, which I discovered for the first time a couple of months ago while waiting for them to load the shopping in the boot.

 

The 1.6 16V engine keeps up with traffic effortlessly, without ever feeling quick. Not the most relaxed motorway cruiser, 3000RPM's about 62 mph. It is frugal though, 35mpg round town and 50 on a gentle run 4-up. Handling wise it goes round corners absolutely fine without ever feeling sporty- the ride is comfortably bouncy in that typical French-Car-Before-They-Got-Shit way. The four noname tyres fitted have plenty of tread left, and I've never caused them to lose traction, albeit that I've not tried too hard.

 

FIL isn't ancient (70 this year) but this is basically a giffer car; despite (or more likely because of) his knowledge of my own shite credentials he insisted on his local mechanic servicing it every year or two before its MOT so it's had a couple of oil changes in the time he's had it, and had any problems with it fixed...not that that was a lot, off the top of my head I think it's only needed a crank sensor and a new boot lock mechanism, apart from the usual bulbs etc., and a calcium battery a few years ago. So, basically, everything works as it should, apart from the boot lock which is still a bit temperamental; be gentle with it and it's fine; clumsily jab it and it can get stuck in and refuse to open the boot; it pops itself back out after a few jolts from being driven around. The suspension creaks and pops a bit over bumps, but it just sounds like it needs greasing or something, there's no play that I know of or untoward effects on the handling or steering. I tried adjusting the N/S mirror yesterday and nothing seemed to happen. I'm 5'11 and it was just a smidge too low for me. Talking of which, you wouldn't want to be much taller than 6' I'd say, the sunroof takes some headroom out.

 

The bodywork is basically straight apart from some lacquer peel on the NSF wing and various scuffs down the offside. I actually have a little pot of touch up paint here which I was going to have a go with, but never got round to- will include that, obviously. Sadly, the original trimz are fucked, largely because of my terrible parallel parking  . Apparently these are prone to the sills rusting up at the back where a drain hole gets blocked- I'm pretty sure this one's completely solid, but if anyone wants to come and see it I'll pop round and poke them beforehand, just to be sure.

 

So...for an honest car with 102k, MOT till October 23rd, and no reason I know of why it won't sail through another, £300? Being a 1.6 it gets clobbered with tax at the full rate, unfortunately. 3 ton seems reasonable to be, but I'm just waving my finger in the air, so I won't be insulted if you've got a sensibly argued lower offer. The plan is that I'll buy something smaller, cheaper to tax and hopefully even more frugal with the proceeds, so a swap for a serviceable mk4/5 1.25 Fiesta, any flavour of 1.4 or smaller Saxo/106, a K11 Micra or something similar would be good too. I'm currently self employed* so I could even deliver it were sufficient incentives like pies/ tea/ coach ticket home on offer. There's a quarter of a tank in it, and the insurance runs out on Wednesday, so any test drives need to be done before then. Would be nice if we could bang it in for the tax refund before the end of the month too, obviously. It's in Catford, SE London.

 

Took these pics down at MIL's sister's house in Kent yesterday before it delivered us home again in relaxed style.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TL/DR? Megane, £300, MOT till October 23rd, TAXED 2 GET U HOME M8

[eddyramrod]

That looks like it should do someone a good turn for a while to come!  GLWTS

[vaughant]

Bought and sold a couple of these years ago and they were really good cars, always walked the MOT, didn't seem to rust or fail on anything other than bulbs etc.

 

Very boring but very solid cars, 300 sovs for a trouble free motoring experience, unbelievable really.

[BorniteIdentity]

I'm becoming very fond of these. Always nice to see the old Charles Wright font on cars around this age - a lot of places had started using the new font by 2000. [/ZipsAnorak]

 

GLWS.

[Cavcraft]

Ace cars these, very underrated.

[The Moog]

Go round Knockhill quite tidily as well

[fraser.innes.3]

Galvanized, so no major rust worries. I have owned over 10 of these. That model, is basically a Renault 19 underneath.

 

Sent from my HUAWEI M2-A01W using Tapatalk

[Split_Pin]

I bought my Y Reg 1.4 Authentique example last August on the back of a tip off from our own 320touring.

 

Like yours it was a bargain and apart from the front brakes binding a little (was cheap to get fixed) it has not put a foot wrong. Even though it's only a 1.4, the short gearing makes it super nippy around town and A roads. No major rust on mine either.

 

I have spent a bit on a timing belt and oil service but that was entirely discretionary.

 

Shite credentials too for being an R 19 with 16v engines fitted and then licked smooth by Patrick LeQuement.

 

Can't understand how these have bypassed shitedom, a very worthy car and despite being a Vauxhall apologist, I've really gelled with mine.

[Hendry]

The coupe ones still look really smart even now too, and like all Meganes, infact all Renaults, they are usually really well equipped. 

[Lord Sterling]

That is a really tidy little motor. Starting to get more noticed on my watch.

 

Good luck with sale, I hope it can stay within the fold.

[KruJoe]

Would you consider a deal involving a pink Daihatsu? It's a 1.3, I think it's one of these:

 

(Library picture)

 

If so, I'll ask my niece, see if she likes the look of the Megane.

She wants something a bit quicker, and comfier on all the cobbled roads around her way.

[Rave]

I certainly would consider that, yes. It looks great!

 

I suspect my father in law will be mortified at the idea of driving a pink car, so that's a bonus too. Let me know what she says.

 

Edit: though if it's a 1.3 it's probably not one of those, I think they only came with a 1.0. Still interested obv.

[KruJoe]

Grand!

That was an interweb pic, I don't have one of her car, but I think it's a Charade like that. It may have trims not alloys, can't remember for sure...

Anyway, I'll send her a message with some of your pics. She hated the look of an Autoshite Puma, so we'll see.

[KruJoe]

PS, I'm not sure, it may be a Sirion a bit like this:

 

 

I can't believe I never gave it any more attention, I'm ashamed of myself!

 

Anyway, I've asked her for its reg number, then we can read up on it.

[KruJoe]

PPS, I just hit Wikipedia. Of those two, only the Sirion was available as a 1.3, so it must be that. The shape of the second one looks more familiar somehow, also.

Sorry about this, normally I'm more sure of my facts* before I post them!

[Rave]

No probs at all. A funny looking Yaris sounds ideal to me, though if it looks like that it'll be a 2005 model at the earliest, so might be worth a fair bit more than an old Megane. Anyway I'll check back tomorrow to see if she's got back to you. Cheers!

[KruJoe]

Rosie's up!

Her car:
 

2007 Daihatsu Sirion

 

MOT valid until

2nd September 2017

September 2016

  MOT Test | 49,246 miles

Pass  

Advisories

 

Offside Front wiper split

 

Number plate light loose

 

 

CE07 ZVR Car information
This 2007 Daihatsu Sirion SE on numberplate CE07 ZVR was first registered on Friday 23rd of March 2007 near Cardiff. At an estimated 55,048 miles, this car has done a lower than average number of miles for it's age. This car had 3 previous owners before the current keeper acquired it.

[KruJoe]

She says she quite likes the look of the Megane, but is considering a new car on finance(!). She's gone quiet after I told her that's perhaps not a great idea...

Leave it with me.

 

Also, she's in West Yorks, so not local, that's a slight hurdle.

[Rave]

Nah that's no bother, I can drive up there and back in a day easily. Clearly a 10 year old Sirion with 55k miles is going to be worth more than a 17 year old Megane though. I took the liberty of banging it into WBAC.com and they reckon it's worth £735 with 55k, no service history and an indeterminate number of previous owners. I suppose if it's covered in dents...

 

Edit: I'm not ruling out the possibility of some cash her way. Will get an insurance quote etc. tomorrow, going to bed now!

[KruJoe]

 I can drive up there and back in a day easily... some cash her way.

 

That is all good news, I've sent her all the pics and told her that ^^.

I'll talk to her later, I feel at this time of her life, I need to show her she can have a good car for the price of a just a few months finance on a bloody Corsa or summert. 

I'll chase her up later today.

[sierraman]

My dad had one of these, the first new car we had. In fact I learned to drive in it!

 

He had a 1.4 Authentique, went really well for a 1.4, did loads to the gallon, the radio was excellent and the seats were soft. Being 17 at the time I thought it was fucking shit but in hindsight it was a nice little car, better inside than the Focus, the engine was certainly a lot quicker than a 1.4 had any right to be. Handling was OK, probably not going to set anyone's trousers alight but it was perfectly acceptable, my only real gripe was the clutch was very light and the seats didn't offer a lot of support under the knees.

 

The coils used to go frequently bringing on the STOP light and the crank sensor gave up an FTP once. Other than that it was a good egg. It was fairly easy to work on as well with the exception of the timing belt which I think he farmed out to a Renault specialist. The oil change was an absolute doddle.

 

Even when they were new though, Renault cocked up with the rear bungs that sat in the sill, they are sort of oblong grommets with a hinged bit in them that lets water out. Anyway at the factory they managed to Shutz over the top of them, the one we had used to collect the rainwater in the sills, we discovered what it was and jabbed the bung with a screwdriver and all this rusty water ran out...

[KruJoe]

Grr, my niece has gone quiet, I got distracted by BXes tonight and forgot to chase her up. Hopefully tomorrow.

[Rave]

Bumping this as Joe's niece is still quiet, AFAIK . Anyone else interested? Or is it off to Scumtree for me?

[Rave]

Bumped with price cut. Come on folks save me from braving ebay or scumtree please!

 

Or if there's interest, £4.50 a ticket and I'll donate the £15.50 balance over what I'm asking to the forum?

[blakey79]

I'll take 2 tickets please.

[egg]

2 tickets please - I'd add a 'roffle' label to the initial post.

[KruJoe]

So sorry Rave, I was just in the middle of a text conversation with her, and she just vanished off the face of the earth. Uncontactable in any way. For days. V,V annoying. Young-uns, eh?

I was going to call my sister (her mum) about it, but then Shitefest got in the way. But it's two weeks later now, and I don't think I'd be doing myself any favours by trying to chase her up now. I'll leave it. Until she comes back asking for help or advice...

Apologies once again.

[Rave]

Don't worry about it at all Joe, I didn't turn any other offers down while I was waiting on her, so absolutely no harm done!

 

I'll edit the thread title to a potential roffle, though for ease I'd still just rather flog it for cash (wouldn't we all, I guess). I'm off out for the day in a couple of hours, if there are more requests for tix when I get home this evening then we'll do it, cheapo roffle action has been a bit quiet on here lately so why not!

[Split_Pin]

Smashing cars these, whoever gets it will not be disappointed. Do everything you ask of them and pedals along quick as you like. Cable clutch so no expensive slave cylinder to pop.

[Rave]

In the end this car got sold (for 50 quid) to my wife's best friend who had just passed her test. It's done about 10 months and 5000-odd miles in her ownership, and she's dinged it up something rotten. I posted about replacing the CV boot in my other thread about my various shitters.

 

However, it seems to have died now- she informed me that it had been using coolant, and that she'd been topping it up as she went. Apparently it overheated badly on the A2 the other day and she attempted to limp it home, which she did more or less manage. The AA man told her the water pump was kaput. So I went down today and we chucked a load of water in the header tank, which promptly came pissing out of the side of the engine, dripping off the aux belt pulley onto the floor. I couldn't see any coolant pipes in the area, so I assume it is indeed the pump. The engine still starts and seems to run OK (for a couple of seconds at least, we didn't leave it on) just with a low frequency knocking noise which could be the water pump further shaking itself to bits, but you have to wonder what sort of mischief was done to it by running it till it died, waiting for it to cool, and then starting it up again for another go. There's no mayo in the oil, but then you wouldn't expect there to be if there was no coolant circulating to get past the HG....

 

So, I'm thinking that, as a man who has never attempted a cambelt and waterpump change before, this battered and demonstrably almost completely valueless car with that end of the engine right hard up against the suspension strut isn't going to be the one I break my duck with, unless someone can persuade me that it'll be a piece of piss to do in a lock up with just a Halfords Pro socket set?

 

And so, assuming that its time is up, does anyone want it for bits, or would they like any bits off it before we call a scrappy? I'll have the battery away at least, I've a couple of other cars that might be able to use it.

 

Are they going to get any cash at all for it... it would drive onto a beavertail alright I think? Rough value? It's in SE London, so presumably worth a bit less as scrappy operating costs will be higher here....