Living with an 80's French car

[Station]

I've been driving my Fuego turbo for the past month or so, doing the trip to work and generally using it to go to the shop* now and then.

I've only ever owned one French car before (a Peugeot), and I was really hoping a French car from the 80's wasn't going to live up to the reputation they have received, but found it:

 

a) ridiculously comfy seats,

super soft ride,

c) super reliable.

 

The seats are padded with at least five inches of spongey foam - easily the best car chair I've sat in.

I've found someone who wants to buy my Fuego (or at least she found me), and wants to give it a good home (she had one in the 80's), and I'm thinking about having a 1980's French car again. The Fuego exceeded my expectations, but having one two door, a kei car and a couple doesn't really contribute when I need to transport anything bigger than a box of cornflakes.

 

I've been thinking about:

 

 

or  Renault 25, or an early Renault 19???

 

 

[skattrd]

I was just wondering if you still had your Fuego, as I've still to scratch my fuego itch, but I'm glad to see you've found a new home for it so the temptation for me should be removed for now.

 

R25 is a good choice, has simple mechanicals and loads of room in the engine bay to get at things. The 2.0 carb is quite slow, but can do motorway speeds comfortably. Personally I'd look for a 2.2inj with a few toys (TXE?) some may even still be working.

Didn't Kinkersaab have an R25 for sale a while back?

 

How about an R21 turbo? I've seen some of those sell cheaply, and they can be made to go quite quickly as well.

[dollywobbler]

My Renault 21 Monaco was a thoroughly pleasant thing for tooling about in, if a little dull. A Renault 9/11 might be fun, and a 1.4 would be cheaper road tax. I'm quite keen to try a Supercinq.

[Mr Lobster]

80's French stuff was pretty good really, I've had loads and never had much in the way of issues aside from the standard wear and tear stuff.

 

Supercinqs are starting to go up in price - good ones especially. I'd really like a 5 GTX or Monaco as they are surprisingly entertaining. They can rot though but theres still plenty of decent ones about.

[stilo_active]

I've run a 1987 suitcase engined 205 for just about 12 months. It's been brilliant so far, bought for 400 quid and other than a dizzy cap and a minor engine service, all I have done is replace a brake pipe and wheel bearing for its MoT. That's it. It's been left out out in all weathers and, except for when I replaced the dizzy cap, has started every time. As said, French stuff isn't bad at all.

 

The Supercinqs are pretty good fun. I'd certainly have one.

[Junkman]

I can vouch for Pig-O 405s, if you can find a decent one.

 

My father had two Fuegos in the day and thus they were among the first cars I ever drove. The seats are indeed the most comfy thing outside a bed.

[Volksy]

I'm pretty happy with my new 205, great fun to drive. SuperCinqs are good, I had considered a 1.7 GTX or Monaco as Mr Lobster recommends. I had an early 850cc TC which I wrote off in spectacular fashion in my youth. Considering what happened, and I survived, i think they're a pretty strong little car.

[phil_lihp]

Does it have to be a Renault?  I'd go for a Citroen AX, GT/GTi if possible but the basic models are quite charmingly french - I am biased as I had one for my first car but it's one of the better superminis of the eighties in my uninformed opinion.  They're uber-cheap to run and fix and cheap to buy still, seem to be devoid of scene tax.

 

http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/citroen-ax-1988-10-litre-1988-retro-classic-car-only-56000-miles-1-years-mot-and-6-months-tax/1003675716

 

They do (or at least, mine did) have spongy seats and a squidgy ride quality too, lots of body roll but quite comfortable considering.

[e287yba]

I've had a 1987 309SR (1600 engine) as my daily driver for the last 4 years, and I love it (and I can't fault the 3 points made in the original post either)!

 

 

[Junkman]

It's interesting how the French-old-car-community is divided into three.

I seem to be a Peugeot man, myself. Could see certain specific Renaults in my -cough...- fleet, but not so much another Citroen.

Then you got the ones who prefer Citroens like Citroen prefers Total. Then you got the ones who prefer Renaults over the other two.

 

Until not unrecently, each of the French big three apparently knew exactly who their clientele was, and they catered to them without getting too much into the way of each other. I wonder why they now all build Nissans, with the 'I told you so' consequences.

 

If Panhard still built cars, I wonder what those cars would be like.

[Spiny Norman]

Get a CX before they all hit silly money.

[beko1987]

CX's are silly money. Still would though, and I've never seen an SM until now, but mmmmmmm hubba hubba wink wink nudge nudge breakaway breakaway

[Mr Lobster]

How about an R19? Not especially exciting (actually not at all exciting) but they are still cheap, comfy enough and a 16v or cabrio would be fun. Otherwise get a diesel for OMGFUELSAVING.

[babydriver]

Go whole hog and try and find a Renault 20 2.2L Fantastic car, I Think small Renaults are too wallowy, Hate to death the evil one's Clio. Saffrane nice too and full of non functional toys.

Citroen xsara are good cars, does what it says on the can and if you get one without air con very economical,but  I have yet to try a pug

[Station]

I've found French cars to go for the most realistic money - you can get a nearly 30 year old 205 with loads of life left in them for £200, they seem to always be really cheap, rarely going for silly money on non-GTi stuff.

There's Renault 5 Monaco in David Kelly's scrapyard with the brown leather interior, I'd love one of those if it came up, the goldy colour and brown interior is perfect. I'm not too fond of Peugeots, but do like the 405 a lot. The new stuff are the ufliest looking things I've seen on the roads (and I live near Birmingham).

 

I've already got a tiny 850cc car, so AX is a little bit too small, looking for something that would fit between a 5 and a BX.

[panhard65]

I just had a call from the first owner of the fuego wondering how it is getting on. If the latest owner would be interested in his details I can pass them on. It was a 1 owner car when I got it and he was quite sad to see it go. Hopefully it will find someone with deep enough pockets to sort the bodywork out

[dollywobbler]

While I'm VERY 'prefers Citroen,' I have plenty of admiration for the other two. A Peugeot 205 strikes me as one of the best cars it's possible to buy. Non-GTis are ridiculously cheap, diesels are stupidly simple and economical, they don't seem to rust and there aren't enough electrics for 'loom de la fromage' to be a problem. The 205 is a very useful size, but not so big as you'll wonder where you can park it. 

[Station]

I just had a call from the first owner of the fuego wondering how it is getting on. If the latest owner would be interested in his details I can pass them on. It was a 1 owner car when I got it and he was quite sad to see it go. Hopefully it will find someone with deep enough pockets to sort the bodywork out

 

 The new owner is keeping it and giving it a complete respray, it's for her 40 year old son for his birthday (in August). I wouldn't have attempted to sell it otherwise, but I doubt I could give it to a better home! I've checked it over myself and apart from the paintwork it's in pretty excellent condition!

[Wilko220]

I had a 309 (1400 "Trio S" spec with bright green seat belts) and it was simply fantastic in every way. Miss it like crazy.