1989 Renault 25 V6 Turbo - Le Spicey Garlic

[prab]

Afternoon all, I pinched this report from another website, I couldn't deal with typing this all again!

 

as some of you know I purchased a 25 v6 turbo a few weeks back, I was debating rehousing the engine in another 25, but i'd rather retain the original shell even though it is a bit tatty!

 

Last week I got about actually moving it out of the garage and giving it a quick clean on the interior, I don't have a wet vac so ended up cleaning it by hand with Dettol Mould/Grime remover and some 1001, came up ok! but its very very aged and the bulk of it needs replacing.

 

 

I vacumed most of the leaves and crap out of the bay

 

Dirty interior

 

 

1001, some great stuff, sadly still filty in the car but a whole lot better

 

 

During the clean:

 

 

80s/90s fox alarm, disconected what was left of it and took it out

 

carpets still dirty after a vacuum/1001, really need a vax

 

no crappy alarm!

 

 

 

The car is fairly straight, got a few dings in the rear 1/4s to sort and a bit of rust on the arches, and a little around the windscreen

 

Took it for an MOT last thursday

 

Got an advisory on the headlights and a few other niggles:

 

 

Today I set about sorting out a radio. The car had no radio present in it when I bought it, and I had an old sony unit laying spare, wiring it in wasn't too much hassle, the real hassle was trying to push the loom up and around etc while I pushed it in without damaging it! its a very tight fit behind, managed to get the bulk of the wiring to sit behind slightly above the unit, din pocket will be going in there aswell.

 

 

 

Found this in my drawer:

 

Not strictly period correct but its going to good use:

 

the to do list for the car:

 

I've sourced a donor car with a full interior, so going to get everything I need from that, my interior needs new parcel shelf supports, boot carpet and door cards, but will end up replacing it all.

 

Exterior I may replace the rear bumper and ditch the tow bar. Needs the rot attending to, will just tidy it up and rattle can here and there and give it a good polish, give the car some patina!

 

I've also sourced the correct dual beam headlamps for the car, the tester passed my car despite a minor niggle with the headlamps on the basis that I am changing these soon!

 

Prab

[prab]

Just a small update

 

Some goodies arrived:

 

Induction kit, note the rip off logo lol

 

Nice and big:

 

Alloy pipe:

 

May do some work on it a bit later today, otherwise will probably be next week, will probably fit my old boost gauge i've got laying spare

 

Prab

 

26/3/13

 

Just a small update, nothing too interesting. The blue 2.0 TXE that wil be donating an interior and other panels/odds and ends is finally being stripped, the cars up in sheffield and a mates picking up the parts from it over easter.

 

In the mean time managed to grab some new keys £11.50 for the door key and a fiver to get an ignition key cut locally

 

 

 

I needed a din pocket but there was a joblot on ebay for only £2 more then the cost of a single pocket so modified one of them to house a boost gauge I had laying spare. 

 

 

Will mount it above the radio once I run the wires and find a grommet to push the vacum pipe through

 

 

Prab

 

 

27/3/13

 

Small update, had a spare half hour earlier so fitted the din pocket and ran the vacum tube up behind the centre console and will find a gromett to feed it into the bay eventually!

 

 

illumination comes on with the lights

 

 

Prab

[prab]

01/04/13

 

Just another small update.

 

Cut the alloy pipe down to size and fitted my induction kit

 

 

 

 

Makes a lovely noise

 

 

Expect some big updates end of this month, I have allot of parts arriving from a 25 thats being broken up norf!

 

Prab

 

 

10/4/13

 

Small Update,

 

This arrives yesterday, excellent service from carpartssaver

 

 

Out with the old (varta calcium battery, calcium batterys are difficult to charge and not really the best on older cars)

 

 

 

In with the new, the car starts first click, I always thought I had a weak starter aswell as battery but this battery just makes light work of starting the car

 

 

Prab

[prab]

19/4/13

 

Small update.

 

Managed to fit the dual beam lamps I bought from a mate/25 nut, admittedly they are not in mint condition but are an improvement over the incorrect single beam units that were fitted.

 

Removing the old lamps was not too hard but getting the new ones in we're a right bastard

 

The car has also had a cooling fan failure in the past, so I only have the one instead of the two. I'll see how well it runs on just having one but will be sourcing the second one when i get a chance!

 

Need to adjust how they sit a bit:

 

This wind deflector is fugly and was bugging the hell out of me

 

Removed it, but when I wen't to remove the brackets (they are held in the sunroof channel, I discovered the sunroof does not work! must rectify this

 

Thats all for now, getting some more bits to get on with next weekend!

 

Prab

 

[bREAK]

 

22 April 13

 

Another small update.

 

I have a spare bumper in as new condition, and a mate of mine wanted the tow hitch, so I pulled the old bumper and tow hitch off. Next job is to repair the small bits of rot I found behind, and also order up some new brackets and bits and bobs to fit the replacement.

 

 

 

I don't think I trust this as a spare!

 

 

Prab

[prab]

23 April 13

 

Started treating the rust, found some Rust treatment Gel, Anti Rust primer and some paint and underseal in the garage, will probably finish this up tommorow.

 

Applied the gel (topping up every 30 minutes)

 

 

 

Measured some pipework and the radiator inlet/outlet, so I can order some silicone pipe to replace the bodges that are on the car:

 

Hazaa, with some persuasion the sunroof opened and I was able to finish removing the Wind deflector brackets

 

Thats all for now, no doubt more updates at the weekend

 

Prab

 

 

28/4/13

 

Quick update, on friday I treated the rear valance and primed it

 

 

Sanded back the areas surrounding the rust and also treated and primed

 

 

My bumper bolts were delivered from renault aswell:

 

And yesterday was the Annual General Meeting of the Renault Owners Club, and while I was there I took delivery of my leather interior from a mate who went to strip it off the car and deliver it!

 

Folded the seats flat and loaded up the garlic barge

 

Front seats and console

 

Box full of all sorts of interior parts

 

Popped the rear bench into the back of the v6t to save room in the garage, i'll be fitting it soon anyway

 

Sprayed up the rear valance/panel

 

 

Better picture of the front seats and cards, just need a clean

 

 

I'll be fettling and getting on with bits and pieces over the next few weeks, thank god for longer daylight hours!

 

Prab

[prab]

29 4 13

 

Another update guys, things are progressing quite well

 

Fitted my replacement rear bumper today, and had to use post 90 spec mounts (these are much better anyway)

 

 

Removed the chromes off of the old bumper

 

Bumper is on

 

Tatty broken old thing

 

Got the rear leather bench in

 

 

Removed the temporary rear view and fitted a propper one!

 

 

 

Loaded up the garlic barge with the old rear bench and bumper to take down to the tip

 

 

Will probably get on with some more work depending what time I get home tommorow!

 

Prab

[prab]

 

30th April 2013

 

Swapped out the door cards and while they were off tried to lube up and free the window runners a bit, they work now, still very slowly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The local trim shop quoted me £140 to transfer the leather covers from the exec seats onto my ergo seats, I think I will probably do that as i don't want to lose my quirky air inflation lark!

 

And finally, to sleeper or not to sleeper?

 

 

Prab

 

3rd May 2013

 

Small update.

 

Set about removing the old spoiler, what an absolute coont that was! two of the bolts plain out refused to budge and I had to use all sorts of things to get them out!

 

 

 

Drilled the holes for the new spoiler

 

 

 

Trial fitted the spoiler, need to order some JB weld and paint before I fit it properly.

 

 

 

The mismatched rear lights were bugging me, turns out the discolouration on the old light was due to water leaking in

 

 

Thats better

 

 

Cleaned the interior, did the dash headlining, windows, plastics etc etc, and then fed the leather, all that remains to do apart from replace the front seats is give the carpet a vax

 

 

Prab

[prab]

4th May 2013

 

Well I set about beginning to fill my spoiler holes, i was deliberating over using jb weld and sanding down or putting something behind and filling on top.

 

I decided to araldite some 2ps behind the holes so I have a nice solid base to filler over, gutted that I wasted 12p!

 

 

 

Voila

 

 

Prab

 

10/4/13

 

Quick update

 

Set about sorting the nasty dent in the rear 1/4

 

 

As edd china says a golf ball of filler to a pea of hardener!

 

 

Primed

 

 

Painted (not the best finish, my prep was wank but this will do till a propper respray)

 

 

Prab

[Station]

Always think tidying up a car after purchase is a nice part of buying.

[prab]

19/7/13

 

Quick update.

 

Gave it a service a few months ago, oil, filter, new thermostat, new rad fan switch, only for the old radiator to fail completely. Was a good excuse for me to change it along with all the bad bodged pipework as it was clearly the wrong rad for the car!

 

 

Sourced a new inlet hose as the old one had a split in it and was 'repaired' with duct tape.

 

 

 

 

 

Old bodged rad and rad 'hose'

 

 

 

 

New inlet

 

 

 

Had this Dump valve laying spare so I thought why not!

 

 

 

Replaced my headlight stalk, as the old one was knackered and would not select high beams, new one working a treat

 

 

 

 

A cooling fan sourced from ebay, as my car was missing one of the fans!

 

 

 

Out with the old

 

 

 

 

In with the new, along with a second hand but good condition hose

 

 

 

 

Only the best for the oul girl, not expensive either

 

 

 

 

Thats all for now folks, after pay day i'll be renewing the entire braking system

 

 

Prab

[prab]

  On 21/07/2013 at 13:58, Station said:

Always think tidying up a car after purchase is a nice part of buying.

 

Cheers dude, quite a long list of jobs I still have to do!

[purplebargeken]

Nice cars, I loved the quirky interiors. Good work by the way.

 

Ken

[dollywobbler]

Bargetastic.

[Spiny Norman]

Sexy.

Love the old R25s, quite an advanced car for its day.  Although the Audi 100 stole the limelight, didn't the Renault match (or even beat) its drag coefficient?

[Pillock]

Good work, that thing would have had loads of executive swagger in it's day so nice to see it get treated to some goodies. Glad you're keeping the fancy seats, they've got more buttons that most cars I've owned had on the dashboard.

[HillmanImp]

MOAR OF THIS SORT OF THING. GR12.8 thread. 

[RichL]

Like it. Turbocharged cars of this era always have the word 'Turbo' everywhere, not seen anymore now it's so commonplace. We have been using those Exide batteries on our fleet at work and they are proving to be very good.

[Lord Sterling]

Brilliant, nice thread! Great work on the car, must be satifying to see the changes.

[CreepingJesus]

Good to see all that you've done, wrapped up into one thread. They're a big bit special, these, so kudos to you for making it good again.

[vulgalour]

Two pence pieces instead of welding is a proper giffer repair, what a superb idea.  I'm guessing you couldn't have save money by using one pence pieces instead.

[walk]

What a great thread, thanks for posting all the parts together, great to see a 25 being saved. Not sure if yours is the norm for larger French chod but it does seem remarkably rot free.

 

Good work 

[garycox]

Is this an ex-Bickle car? Looks familiar.

[prab]

  On 21/07/2013 at 22:51, garycox said:

Is this an ex-Bickle car? Looks familiar.

 

Yes it is, paid a pretty price for it too lol

[prab]

  On 21/07/2013 at 17:44, walk said:

What a great thread, thanks for posting all the parts together, great to see a 25 being saved. Not sure if yours is the norm for larger French chod but it does seem remarkably rot free.

 

Good work 

 

It isn't rot free as such, the sills do require a bit of welding, getting that done soon

[Wilko220]

Looks like it's going to be lovely. A rare sight now, these.

[Split_Pin]

Excellent read there. As the original seats interfere with the camera I'll give them 4000 Autoshite points.

[trigger]

I do like these R25's, keep up the good work

[prab]

  On 22/07/2013 at 06:53, Wilko220 said:

Looks like it's going to be lovely. A rare sight now, these.

 

Cheers mate, I spent a chunk of money into doing some light restoration on my 2.0 12v TXI (also a very rare model as its the non exec spec. I'll upload a project rep for that )

 

  On 22/07/2013 at 07:54, IainL said:

Excellent read there. As the original seats interfere with the camera I'll give them 4000 Autoshite points.

 

Haha! If they were in better condition I would of kept the original interior but the seats and cards were fucked, as I have another 25 with velour, this one with leather will be a nice change

 

  On 22/07/2013 at 10:14, trigger said:

I do like these R25's, keep up the good work

 

Cheers mate, so do I. Almost bought a GTS the other week, that would bring my total up to three 25s, but i'm after a 19 chammade for the daily driver soon.

 

 

Prab

[R9UKE]

Nice to see you on here Prab!

 

Luke.

[prab]

Trying to organise my garage at the moment so I can put both 25s in there. Trying to fill the boot with some of the spares i've acquired.

 

Check out how retro the mintex logo is!

 

 

 

Took a little video of the beast of the engine, the Iphone camera couldn't pick up on the sound well but it does sound rather special!

 

 

 

Prab