Wrapping up 2015 - A surprisingly fast Espace.

[R9UKE]

Happy Christmas Eve you lot, I hope it's a quiet and enjoyable week ahead for you and the families.

 

I've just made what is hopefully my last purchase of 2015 after a pretty colourful year of shite beginning with a French registered 306 that somehow ended up at my local auction house as a main dealer trade in.

 

 

1/4 mil km on the clock, Paris spec bodywork and poverty spec everywhere else. Naturally I had to have it. The heater matrix has since shat out everything into the passenger footwell and the bastard certainly won't be seeing Toulouse again.

 

Thankfully the year is ending on a better note, or maybe it's just an even bigger opportunity for complete disaster.

 

 

I first spotted this Grand Espace about 5/6 years ago. And anyone who knows my particular perversions will know the mess left when I first did see it....

 

 

An Espace that means business. The first and only of its kind that I've ever come across in NI. Add to that the perfect spec otherwise, black heated leather, panoramic roof and a colour that blends suitably in to the background. It's pretty much exactly how I'd have ordered one from the factory.

 

Anyway, I saw it a few times and left some notes on the windscreen, no response. That was until the start of this year when a guy not much older that me called to say it had been his parents from new and he had inherited it when they replaced it with a Murano.

 

He seemed pretty miffed that anyone would want it but explained that he is a cameraman for a local TV station and the Espace does a great job as a van, he therefore wouldn't be replacing it anytime soon but will keep my number.

 

I then got a call last week to say the Espace has to go as he has a job in Boston and will most likely be leaving at the end of January. The Espace had suffered a broken front spring and the drivers wing mirror has been knocked off so he isn't driving it at the moment.

 

He said the car was at his garage and they've quoted £1k for everything it needs, he'd therefore want £2k in total.

 

I expressed much interest at getting it how it is and not lining that particularly garages pocket. We were down to £1k. He then asked if I had anything roadworthy that we could perhaps do a deal on for him to take and be able to drive until he leaves. Luckily I had just picked up this Mégane.

 

 

.... Which he came yesterday and was over the moon to do a straight swap for. The Meg cost me £260.

 

Result - I have a massive gap in the Renault collection filled with a very shite Espace.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The bodywork leaves a lot to be desired but to be honest I think it adds to the OMGVEEEEEEEEEE6 surprise that the car is all about.

 

The heart monitor warning light is in relation to a VIAS control solenoid valve - apparently a common and minor issue with this Nissan engine. Doesn't put the car into limp mode so it still moves stupidly quick.

 

A spring is £60, I need to find a silver drivers side mirror with blue tinted glass and electric folding operation. The fan belt is. Bit squeaky on start up so will get that looked at along with a full service.

 

I can just see it towing all sorts of shite throughout 2016 averaging 9mpg as it does so!

 

So come on, first and last purchases of 2016, if there's no pics it didn't happen.

[dave21478]

That engine bay shot gives me The Fear. You are going to have to hire a gynocologist to do anything more complex than changing the battery.

[Craig the Princess]

That Espace looks mega tasty

 

The only fleet movement of the year was the Saab swap for the Vectra that I then gave away. So the Vectra was the last one.

 

[They_all_do_that_sir]

This makes me shudder. We had a 1.9 tdi version of this for about six months and it was the worst car of ever.

 

EVERYTHING failed

[Bucketeer]

Excellent work and an utter bargain at effectively £260.

 

I didn't know you could get the late Espaces with the 3.5 engine. Is it identical to the 350z installation or was there some factory de-tuneage and such like? Either way I bet that's one rapid wardrobe.

[dollywobbler]

Fantastic.

[Peter C]

Bloody hell you're a brave man buying that Espace.

 

I'm guessing it has a cambelt rather than a timing chain? Not a job I'd like to skin a knuckle doing!

 

This time last year I bought my 1990 500SL but due to Christmas and weather conditions I didn't take it out for a proper drive until January.

 

 

I didn't get on with the SL (too heavy and not enough fun) so I ended up swapping it for a 2000 reg Porsche Boxster 2.7, which I still have now and I think it's a keeper.

 

 

My W123 230E is a keeper for life and as the estimated lifespan of a W124 E220 is approx 250-300k miles, mine has a good few years left with just under 100k on the clock.

 

I can't see myself changing any of my three cars and I don't really want to add another to my fleet, however I am dying to do a kollekzion fred so watch this space.

[brownnova]

Pulled up behind this Espace the other day why a very appropriate number plate...

[406V6]

Top purchase. Look forward to hearing more stories about it as you fix the various minor problems. Are there any modern frog V6s left that you need to complete your set ?

[rantingYoof]

I don't think any post I can make ever will top acquiring a 3.5 V6 Espace for £260 or so...

 

I moved into 2015 having owned by 9-3 Aero for around four months, and was already regretting moving the big ol' V70 on. The 9-3 Aero was fast but that was all it had over the V70, which had transported a bed (mattress, frame, head-board, the lot) in one go, amongst other things.

 

The Saab began making awful flywheel noises so I riskily whacked 12 month's MOT on it (I WAS SO NERVOUS) and then sold it for £1,100 (having bought it for £2,000 just 9 months before).

 

I knew I needed something very cheap and very sensible to chug around in while I recouped some of the money lost, so I naturally went out and got Mason the LS400 for £920.

 

He lasted until mid-November, when the leaky boot and knackered O2-sensor-elements made me regretfully decide to move him on, and so we now get to the final purchase of 2015, which is the repmobile S60 of wankerness.

 

It's not Autoshitey enough to gain any credit here, costing £2,350, although with a fully stamped service history, 8 months MOT, and a cambelt change literally just done helped make it a bargain, but I'm damned pleased with it and intend to look after it properly.

 

This website, however, will probably mean that at some point in 2016 I will own two cars at the same time for the first time in my life. Having explained what an Autoshite Raffle is to my wife, and having NOT had anything solid thrown at my face (I showed her dollywobbler's Volvo and she loved that), I think that there's scope for some kind of epic collection thread at some point in the spring or summer this year.

[bub2006]

Great looking motor with that engine. Engine bay looks bloody right though. I'm nt even going to bother writing what I started with and what happened over the year

[dollywobbler]

First purchase of 2015

 

Final 'purchase' of 2015

 

Scary thing is, the Dyane is the only other purchase of 2015. Peace and love to all this Christmas, man.

[dugong]

2015 has been fucking weird.

[JohnDeere]

Far too much other stuff has been going on in my life in 2015.  But let's just say that on Monday I'm looking at a possible new house with double garage and workshop space... so fingers crossed I'll be buying roffle tickets like they're going out of fashion in 2016...

[HMC]

First purchase of 2015 was this....

Followed by these.....

All of which have been sold, leaving me with these last 3 purchases...

[HH-R]

Does the Espace have a fibreglass tailgate? GR8 4 ROBBIN RELIANT.

[cort16]

So is the 3.5 engine fundamentally the same one as in the 350z or is that bollocks? What's it actually like on the go I can't imagine those Espaces are all that heavy for the size of the car so I guess they go okay.

[beko1987]

Owned the zx and meriva all the way through 2015. Unless the zx has a massive fail on the mot in Jan (unlikely) I'll probably own them for most of 2016.

 

The work the meriva has had this year, it's not going anywhere soon!

[D Spares & Tyres]

That Espace looks like a world of pain!

 

No idea on first car of 2015, that was ages ago, how you expect me to remember that???

 

Bought the R reg MGF off someone last week who was desperate for some Xmas cash.

[Ghosty]

This year ghost_family got rid of a dire Polo and an ok Civic, and bought these 3: 

 

First purchase of the year back in February was this:

 

 

Cost us £500 and a different Civic that needed some work that Old Man CBA'd with (impending cambelt, bushes and welding).

Week later we got the Bini.

 

Kept blue_civic 6 months before Old Man and I agreed that it was disappointingly boring, uncomfortable and slightly odd smelling inside. Was a tidy car mind, 50k, one owner before us, fair bit of history and only a few minor scratches. Sold it for £800 on eBay. The money from which (plus £350) allowed us to buy this OMGFASTQUATTROVAGshite:

 

 

THIS R BETTER. Well, it is now we've sorted out most of the suspension-related niggles - it's fine mechanically.

And that's it. 

 

Bit boring really.

Merry thingy.

[hairnet]

im waiting for wuv to post his ins and outs

 

nov 14 bought

 

 

 

 

decided that couldnt be arsed with 150mph and 35 mpg everywhere so did this in july after 11k on the yam

 

 

lough allen in september

 

and after 9 years

 

 

did this two weeks ago

 

 

[Skizzer]

Loving the idea of an Espace 350Z.

 

In 2015 I bought these:

Land Rover Discovery 1 V8i by Skizzer, on Flickr

...from Andy18s

 

Audi 80 B3 2.0E by Skizzer, on Flickr

...from Vantman

 

1982 Jaguar XJ-S HE by Skizzer, on Flickr

...from a nice chap in Cardigan (that's the Cardigan, not any old cardigan)

 

and lastly

 

Jeep Wrangler by Skizzer, on Flickr

...unseen from a dealer in Middlesbrough.

 

And I sold this old friend:

 

Skoda Yeti by Skizzer, on Flickr

 

I am now too poor to buy any more cars so 2016 will probably be a bit quieter.

[andrew e]

I had a 3.3 Voyager and that was amusingly rapid (straight lines only obviously) so I'd imagine a light weight MPV with a bigger lump would be GR9! Top bombing!

[RoadworkUK]

I always thought the Fordwagen Sharaxy VR6 was pretty hilarious, but the 3.5 must be a whole nuther level.

 

Somebody needs to graft pop-up-headlamps onto an Espace one day.

[UltraWomble]

Hmm.

Picasso of Doom

Almera of Damp

Vespa of much Wallet Draining

[trigger]

I never knew they made a 3.5 V6 Espace, I bet that's a right nice cruiser.

 

My 2015 purchases have been surprisingly high, even for me.

 

 

My first purchase was this lovely Mk1 Cortina back in March, It was too cheap to refuse (£4000 and only 24500 miles from new) and spent a few months pottering about in it until i found that we was having a baby so decided to let it go before i got attached to it, my dad now owns it.

 

 

That was followed by this Sierra what i saved from being scrapped in June, I spent the summer getting it back on the road again.

 

 

Then in a moment of madness in August i traded in our family unreliable Focus TDCi for a newer Focus TDCi... To give it credit though, it's a billion times nicer than the car it replaced, the only fault is that the 1.6 TDCi is a bit gutless.

 

 

The next day after buying the Focus i went out and bought this Dolomite that i found on Facebook and spent the next few months getting it back up to my standard again, I'm sure you've all read the thread.

 

 

And lastly i finished the year by buying Mr_Lobster's old Toledo 20VT to replaced the Sierra from daily duties, I have to admit it's a bloody nice car, I've had to fix a couple of little faults on it and now it's great, I'm not enjoying the 28-30mpg quite as much though!

 

Leaving the fleet this year...

 

 

The Civic went in February down south.

 

[Matt]

I bought two rubbish Suzuki's. Must try harder.

 

2016: Colour.

 

[Junkman]

2015 must be my quietest year car-wise since ever, i.e. 1983.
All I did was selling a 405 and buying a 405. I think.
 

 

I CAN HAZ CURL ACTION WHIFFDRAWEL SYMPTYMZ

[warninglight]

I've only made 2 purchases in the past year, which is quite unlike me...

 

Started with this... 

 

Ended with this. I think I have a type...

[DodgyBastard]

This may take a while...