michael t

On 16/12/2023 at 17:24, Marina door handles said:

Just skimmed through your latest video on the car, I cannot believe you removed the plastic sill cover, didn't you know they are structural!! Anyway I hope you are okay doing a bit of metal work or know somebody who is, good luck.

PS  Sill covers make me twitch a bit, you just know they can become rust traps and virtually every modern car has them.....

Yep I was dreading removing them. I think I'll just have to learn to weld. Been meaning to for a while. How hard can it be?

On 14/12/2023 at 08:30, AnnoyingPentium said:

Knowing that you're more active on Instagram and suchlike, you'll have spoken to a chap called Brian Frawley? Lives in Co. Clare, and also has a Streetwise.

He's been documenting the remaining ones, so may be worth getting in touch if you haven't done already.

Indeed I have, this was was unknown so the Irish population has increased. He's done great work identifying those that remain. Gotta to be a few stored away or sitting in gardens somewhere.

1. 2002 MK4/5 Fiesta: My first car. Loved it but holier than thou. Scrapped after gearbox failed.

2. 2008 Mk4 Polo: Solid little thing that was so incredibly dull but easy to drive. Part-ex'ed for my next car.

3. 2015 Mk5 Polo: which was said next car. Lovely car with the 1.0 non TSI petrol engine. Nippy and frugal. Sold to fund college course.

4. 2000 Hyundai Amica/Atoz. I still had the '15 Polo but decided to start dabbling in shiters. It was rather quirky with a nice peppy 1.0 engine. Needed belts and a few oil leaks sorted so punted it on after a few months. 

5. 2000 Volkswagen Lupo: I've always loved the shape of the Lupo but sadly this particular one was shagged. Clutch was almost shot and the gearbox whined in 5th. Add to that sagging doors and horrendous lacquer peel it to was flogged on. 

6. 1999 Renault Clio : Bought for just 250 quid off an old geezer who's wife had owned it. Fully road legal and absolutely spotless. A car I regret selling, but when a cheap Rover 600 comes along and you're thick in the head like me.... 

7. 1999 Rover 600: Mistake.... big mistake. Although thankfully I got rid before it cost me big money. Interior was absolutely minging having been smoked in for years. Front brakes were shot and it had rather advanced corrosion near the rear arch/sill area. Sold it to a mate who ended up scrapping her. Shame but the right call. 

8. 2001 Ford Focus: What a car. One of the best and most dependable I've ever owned. Needed a little bit of welding and a new brake pipe but it just ran and ran. Must've put 4/5000 miles on it in about 6 months. Sold it on to a local bloke who still uses it. 

9. 2000 Peugeot 106: I should have given this thing more love and affection but I just didn't gel with it. Finances were a little tight too which didn't help. It drove well enough but was just too small for me. Plus a bucket lister was up for sale nearby so the little 106 departed the fleet. 

10. 2001 Volvo V40: I've always loved these. They look great from every angle IMO. This one was at a decent price with a nice stretch of NCT and tax. Full leather, auto-box and service history were all big selling points. I've still got her almost a year later which is a true measure of how much I like it. 

11. 2000 Mazda Demio: These are probably perfectly good little motors but I grew to vehemently dislike mine. Nothing particularly wrong with it apart from an undiagnosed suspension/steering issue after I stupidly clonked it off a kerb. Mechanic couldn't see anything wrong but it just never felt right. Sold to a young fella despite being told about the problem. 

12. 2002 Nissan Micra K11: Picked this little shitter up for 550 of Brussell's finest Euros and it arguably my best ever purchase. I drove around 500 miles per week in it for about four months and it never missed a beat. Sadly the gearbox became incredibly stiff which is a known fault on them. Eventually 1st and 2nd were practically impossible to engage and so I scrapped it for 300 quid. Would have another! 

13. 1998 Mk1 Renault Clio: I first spotted this back in June 2017 and kept tabs on it until I popped a note under the wiper in Feb '22. October rolls around and an old lady calls offering me it. Price agreed and it was mine. It needs quite a lot of work to get it road worthy and to be honest, I'm struggling to get motivated. Currently sat in a driveway doing nothing.... 

14. 1996 Peugeot 306: I saw this for sale locally and really fancied it. Managed to get a decent chunk off the price due to a grumbling front wheel and oil leak. It drives wonderfully and has clearly been looked after despite the last service stamp being from 1998. Think this will be a keeper. Getting it inusred on a classic policy was a different level of PITA but got there eventually. Oh and the rear seatblet mount seems fine which is a known grot spot on these. 

2 minutes ago, loserone said:

BHA!

 

What's the nearside rear seat belt mount like?

[GULP] I haven't actually checked properly yet. I had a quick look under the rear arch and it looked clean but I'll need to peel off the rear trim to check properly

Phase 1 Peugeot 306's are, in my opinion, exceedingly attractive little machines. The facelift in '97 modernised the looks but killed a little of the style and individuality. Still would obvs...

So when a late phase 1 appeared for sale in my locality I knew I wanted it. Add in the fact it had been owned by a (presumably elderly) lady since 2001 and looked rather fresh in the pictures I thought it was worth an inspection. The test drive showed a hefty oil leak, grumbling front wheel and squidgy brakes. 'Want' levels exceeded the maximum mark. A deal was done and cash exchanged. This little beauty was mine....

I spent a little more on it than I usually would on an old car but this is only the second  Irish Ph1 306 I've seen in years. Sadly there's no service history (apart from a stamp or two about 25 years ago) but it seems well cared for with no visible rust and no dents or scrapes. It's the 'Genoa' model which as far as I can tell must be a Peugeot byword for 'fuck all' as it does not have a passenger airbag, or front foglights or rear headrests. It also has keep-fit windows all around and plastic trims. I love a bit of poverty.

It drives fantastically and sits at 70 without any hassle at all. The oil leak will need attention as will the groaning front passenger wheel. Just a wheel bearing I'm sure......

Anyway, what do you all think?

Ooops! Almost forgot. Here's the collection video 

This crunchy CX needs binning.. Citroen CX22TRS for sale in Wicklow for €650 on DoneDeal

Still a few of these knocking around Dublin. The price reflects the current absurd used car market. 18 months ago this was a €500 car tops.

1997 Opel Corsa for sale in Dublin for €980 on DoneDeal

17 hours ago, hairnet said:

might be in clogher a week on sat

 

Give me a shout! If i'm not working I might be around

I owned a Mazda Demio which is fairly similar to an Agila. I initially loved it and then grew to hate the heap of shite. So naturally, I'd love one of these.. Opel Agila 2002 for sale in Limerick for €900 on DoneDeal

This looks like decent value considering it's low mileage and has a ticket until December '23. 

I've always fancied one too... Ford KA 2003 for sale in Cork for €1,100 on DoneDeal

I've serious wantage for this little sweety... 1996 Peugeot 306 1 owner since 2001 for sale in Dublin for €1,995 on DoneDeal

Few from the emerald isle...

Price is a little steep although due to huge NCT (MOT) waiting lists anything with any ticket has shot up in price..

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/nct-today1-24-tax-8-23-only-45k/32790967?campaign=3

and for the same money...

2003 Audi A3 1.6 Petrol for sale in Wicklow for €1,400 on DoneDeal

Calamitous Clio update time. It's positive and negative.

The good news - I managed to bring it for a quick drive at the weekend to get its battery charged and automotive blood warm. Thankfully it drives fantastically and is extremely comfortable. You sink into the seats and they provide plenty of comfort and support. The gearbox is silky smooth although the clutch is rather high which can take a little getting used to. All the interior electronics seem to work and the heater is akin to a mini furnace. The front electric windows are pathetically slow to go back up and so perhaps the mechanisms need lubrication or the motors are knackered. It breaks well and turns tightly.

The bad news - The indicators are still dodgy. A replacement (used but identical) flasher relay hasn't fixed the issue. As some on here have suggested suspicion now falls on the hazard switch and indicators stalks/units. I'll now attempt to source and replace these. Cars eh!

Here's the latest update video... 

On 11/16/2022 at 4:33 PM, Dirk Diggler said:

Co. Wicklow; near Laragh but I travel this side of the country daily; was that parked Newcourt Rd. Bray lately?

ahh! Not that I'm aware of. It lived on Quinsborough Road in Bray since about 2013/14

2 hours ago, mitsisigma01 said:

I expect you have encountered the melting headlight bulb multi plug , I have just found some replacement kits, chinesesium specials on eBay 

🤞

No. I've actually never heard of it, please elaborate before I panic!!

26 minutes ago, mitsisigma01 said:

I to have a mediocre Micra k11 1.0 .... it does what it does boringly reliably well ... It was cheap , to buy and so far to run , the most annoying thing is that the wiper squeaks , not from the blade but from a bush on the wiper mechanism 🤔 so I have to turn the standard fitment stereo up , the LCD display has failed so mystery radio stations are heard , the cassette player works but the heads need cleaning... I think I threw away my head cleaning kit in about 1987 ... Oh well I'll just have to put up with it 👍

Oh, so that INCREDIBLY annoying wiper squeak is actually a worn bush. Mine does exactly the same thing and it's infuriating. I'd assumed it was the shit Hellfrauds wiper blades I'd bought

Following on from my Clio thread I thought I'd update all you wonderful people on the other shitters on the fleet.

First up is my wonderfully mediocre K11 Micra. I started a new job back in the summer which involved a significantly longer commute than my previous place of employment. At the time I was dailying a 2001 Volvo V40 1.8 (auto, petrol. More on this later) which was rather thirsty on fuel and therefore crippling me financially. To try and preserve my monies I decided to invest in a smaller, more economical motor. I perused the small ads and online cesspit sites and came across this rather clean (from a distance, of about 13 miles) K11 Micra. The reassuring online reviews that promised OMGLOTSRELIABLES & OMGLOWPETTYCOSTS convinced me to take a trip to Greystones in Co. Wicklow, about 30 mins from Dublin.

On arrival I realised it was a little less clean than I had originally believed but seemed ok in all the right places. The brief test drive did nothing to disparage such thoughts and after handing over just €550 it was mine. It's NCT'd/MOT'd until next May and was taxed for another two weeks. Serious bargain territory considering used cars now usually command one of any body part you have two of. The drive home was uneventful, as was the next few weeks of 90 miles per day motoring. Its relatively comfortable, reasonably roomy and the visibility is excellent. Despite only being a 1L petrol it's pretty nippy and stops on a sixpence. It sips fuel like Bear Grylls conserving his own piss and being absolutely vry smoll means I can park it almost anywhere.

Now this is usually where such threads take a turn for the worse, and this thread is no excep/ actually it is because thankfully it's been absolutely faultless. Apart from needing (rather desperately) a service, new auxiliary belts and a cabin filter it has handled 500 miles per week impeccably. The gearbox is gradually dying and gets stiffer the longer the journey. Especially in low gears. It needs a new front driver's side tyre and the tracking is a little off. The radiator has a very slow leak and so an occasional topping up of coolant is required. But hey for €550 I ain't complaining.

More mediocre Micra content shall follow in due course.

19 hours ago, matto said:

On the Mk2 Clios the hazard light switch does all kind of funky stuff with electricity, maybe try disconnecting yours.

Yeah I've heard that's a common fault. It's my next port of call once I've re-tried the relay. Thanks for the heads up

5 hours ago, Dirk Diggler said:

You must be local to me; I've seen that car around for years

I'm Louth. Where abouts are you?

Thanks everyone for the helpful comments. It turns out it was a flat battery. I really should've guessed so beforehand but it drove a good 60 miles home and didn't miss a beat so presumed the battery was fully charged. 

Anyhow I jump started it and BINGO! The Clio lives. The indicators still don't work and I've been chatting naff French via Google Translate on FB Marketplace to try and secure a replacement hazard relay. This is currently a 'work in progress'.

Here's a quick update on the state of Clio play...

Update time, and it's not necessarily good news. Unless you hate old Clio's of course..

Before I go into any negativity here's the link to the collection calamity which actually turned out to be wonderfully straight forward and uneventful. 

Now the bad stuff. Ever since I purchased the little shitter the indicators have been faulty. They either work absolutely perfectly or not at all. Over recent weeks it's been 'not at all'. I figured it was likely a dodgy flasher relay and so I replaced it. Predictably this easy and cheap fix did nothing to solve the problem. I then disconnected the battery, reconnected it (positive first etc..) which has now rendered the car immobile. I suppose this serves me, a complete car electronics novice, right.

Does anybody have any idea what might be wrong? It tries to fire but just dies almost instantly. Hopefully the below video portrays this..

Thanks everyone for the comments. 

The weather here has been utterly appalling since I purchased it last Sunday. I've only really had an hour or two to take a better look at it. 

I briefly got the indicators/hazards working by jigging about a relay in the fuse box. They worked for about a day before dying again. I'm a complete car electrics novice but I'm pretty sure it's a dodgy relay as it ticks briefly before stopping. Does anybody know which relay controls the indicators/hazards?

The first video is also up on YouTube - 

More Clio ramblings to come over the weekend!

Hi all,

It's been quite a while since I ventured on here to post anything. Not at all a reflection of this wonderful place, more on the general busy-ness of all things life.

For anybody who follows the mundane mutterings of CrapCarCollective you'll be well accustomed to the array of old shitters I've purchased over the last couple of years. My latest purchase however is considerably shitter than most. It is the 'infamous' Bray Clio. 

This little munter is well known to any Irish old car fanatics, especially those of a Dublin/Wicklow regionality. I first spotted it back in 2017 and immediately wanted it. The lack of wheel trims, the differing shades of blue, the dents, the scratches. Perfection.

I wandered past it again in 2021 and earlier this year which is when I decided to leave a note. I heard nothing back and with its NCT (Irish MOT) having expired in May I naturally feared the worst. That was until my phone rings in early October. It was a pleasant lady offering me the shiters chance of a lifetime. A shonky Renault Clio with more battle scars than Simon Weston? Yes bloody please!

A price was agreed, and I collected it last Sunday. The weather was rather fitting for such a momentously mediocre event, lashing rain and gusty winds. The drive home was exceptionally uneventful. The 1.2 petrol powerplant under the frontally hinged bonnet ushers it along adequately and it seems well able to keep up with modern motorway traffic albeit stunted by the hideous weather conditions.

The interior is relatively clean and almost everything seems to work. The radio head unit has been nicked as has the interior light lens in an apparent attempt to disable the immobiliser. Any old Clio owner will know to run for the hills if theirs is equipped with a sunroof. The ridiculous placement of the immobiliser until directly in front of it means that when they inevitably leak it does so directly into the electronic gizmos. Thankfully this particular example is without a sunroof which should prevent any moist electricals and all the fun* that brings. 

The interior door handles are cracked and so replacements will be needed. It has front electric windows. The time in which it takes to wind them back up can only be measured accurately with a calendar. The oil level dial on the dash works fine with the ignition on but dies once on the move (videos online suggest this is actually normal). The clutch is a little high, but the gear change is smooth. The seats are wonderfully comfortable and hold you securely whilst cornerning.

It failed its NCT on an exhaust leak and the airbag warning light which is constantly on. I also suspect another lighting issue, but the previous owner has misplaced the failure sheet.. It's booked in for a retest, but I may cancel and concentrate on getting it right during the winter. I'd hate to subject it salty roads. It deserves more.

Also, whilst driving home the indicators and hazards failed. There's no ticking noise or lights on the dash so I suspect a possible relay failure? Anybody got any ideas?

I'm a little busy with work at the moment so I'll try and post updates whenever possible. Let me know what you think!!

On 8/28/2021 at 9:29 PM, pilninggas said:

23k mile 1999 Clio £875

https://www.gumtree.com/p/renault/renault-clio-only-23k-miles/1413529732

Tempted.

 

 

I can confirm these are awesome little machines