Bramz fleet. The ever changing procession of mediocrity. Disaster time....

[bramz7]

It feels a bit weedy and tiny on the roads but any auto of this age will. It has a weird blend of old car interior but with newer feeling driving characteristics. The suspension set up was apparently used for ages after, so clearly they hit it right with the 9/11.

The seats are so good. Who needs bolster adjustment when the bolsters are this good to begin with?

[egg]

Looks peng

 

Is that the first use of peng on AS?

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Ha!!!!! 9 years ago!!!

[Jon]

I think this is your best car yet bramz (in a vicarious, looking at photos on the internet way), so I hope you keep a hold of it for a while. Can't remember seeing any Renault in this shade but early 11s came in some sort of 'windscreen disabled pass' orangey yellow (not the official name), which was ace. D reg seems a bit late for a first series one, too - that colour looks a bit incongruous on an 86/87 registered car also - maybe it took a while to shift it.

 

Anyway, it's a thumbs up from me. A local Renault licker had at least 3 of these a while back and I know he broke one up for spares, so although it's a long way to send, if there are any bits of postable unobtanium you might need, send me a message and I'll ask what he has.

[Jim Bell]

so clearly they hit it right with the 9/11.

 

Too soon man. Too soon.

[ChinaTom]

Odd spec with Leccy windows but no central locking button (always has a red dot on it). Always thought it was both or none when it came to options. The auto was a GTL spec IIRC but this one has TSE wheels.

 

Cracking colour.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ProgRocker]

As others said: what a fantastic colour! Looks extremely good for £750.

 

My sister had a facelifted 1987 (D) 1.4 GTL in white with grey bumpers. I was frequently a front seat passenger in it and the front seat felt like it was 'suspended' like a hammock. Brother-in-law had to patch up the petrol tank was one repair it had to have.

[bramz7]

Took the other half out in the R11 the other day and she actually liked it, and said 'it's fun because it looks really silly'. I guess that's a good thing....

 

 

Anyway today (oh wait, yesterday as its 5 past midnight) I went and got this:

 

2018-08-12_11-58-00 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

Got the train to Gloucester and spaffed a while £35 on a taxi for the 10 miles to the sellers house. I knew it would cost a fair bit, but ouch. They lived in a really nice house in the middle of nowhere, and had a lovely Maine Coon too. Oddly they used to live in the same village in Hampshire as I did, at the same time too. Peculiar. 

The car is a LX (base or near enough) C5 HDI 90. Now my only experience with that engine was with my other halfs dads old 307, which was baggier than santas sack on boxing day, so I was expecting acceleration like a glacier. I was surprised to find it's quicker (or quicker feeling) than my 605, and it rides amazingly well, despite the nearing the edge of legal front tyres. Comfy too, the seats are well padded (as they should be) and the handling is pretty good, despite the lack of weight in the steering. I have been throwing it a bit to see how well it performs, despite the marked understeer (probably tyres) it doesn't mind it.

The interior plastics are horrible, as 00s Citroen, but everything works, even the air con. Pretty pleased with it for £540. Only done 108k too. It's nice to drive a car with a gearbox that isn't notchy and a light clutch too, and a working clock...

 

Puts me in a bit of a dilemma though, as it's more practical to run (and easier to find bits for) than the 605, which is becoming a problem child with it's niggles. So long story short, I am having a think about what to do with it, and it may become available soon. The R11 won't be going anywhere. 

 

I keep forgetting I have that sheddy Olds to collect this coming week too. I am not sure what to expect from a FWD 2.8 V6 Yank from the emission conscious era, but I am hoping it cruises as well as the movies told me.

 

I also fancy a HGT Punto or Cinq sporting, so if anyone has one and really, really wants a huge barge of a Peugeot, PM ME UP

[barrett]

Barrett: "C5s are so lame, I hate driving them"

 

Bramz: "just bought a C5 lolz"

 

FFS man!

[bramz7]

To be fair I had already planted this one in my watch list to snipe on before you told me you hated them. I really only wanted it for the working AC, and now the weather has turned....

 

It is like driving a hallway on wheels though. 

[Jim Bell]

The better choice in C5s. Well done.

 

#penglyf

[Ghosty]

Wait, you bought the scrapyard Olds diesel?!

[bramz7]

No I didn't. I bought a 2.8 V6 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme...

[Shonky]

I also fancy a HGT Punto or Cinq sporting, so if anyone has one and really, really wants a huge barge of a Peugeot, PM ME UP

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1997-Fiat-Cinquecento-Sporting-black-Will-be-scrapped-10-September/202393044704?hash=item2f1f90c6e0:g:aQAAAOSwrh5bZu1B

 

It's shouting "Aiutatemi, Bramz! Per favore!" and it's also the shittiest one I could find.

 

--

 

I adore that 11. Cannot be topped.

[bramz7]

I'd rather a working Cinquecento if any! A 1.9 JTD HGT Punto would be a laugh I reckon...although I've also seen a 156 locally which has got 0 bids, despite the absolute fortune the owner has spent on it, and it's the 'fabled' 2.4 5 cylinder diesel.

 

Temptation never quits eh?

[bramz7]

Yo.

 

So today, as documented else where, I went to Bexhill to get a slice of Americana, for the first time ever. I used to watch tons of American stuff when I was a little kid so winning this on eBay kind of took me back blah blah. I also had a sinking feeling it would be utterly cacked. Turns out, it isn't!

 

The seller had to jump start it to get it going, but the more he talked about it, and the more he told about how much he'd sunk into it actually going to get it (turns out it owed him £600 in delivery costs alone from Scotland FFS) the more I thought it might not be a bad old bus.

 

Lets see some photos then.

 

P1040224 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

P1040228 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

P1040232 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

Those decals aren't that bad then. I guess it lets everyone know what it is, which must help as I had about a million WTF IS THAT looks on the drive back.

 

P1040225 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

The interior is alright but some of it is so tacky. The checkerplate lookalike plastic surrounds are naff as hell. The seats are decent enough but got my butt a bit on the slog back. Not uncomfy though.

The dials are digital. The rev counter and temperature gauge doesn't work though.

 

P1040231 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

This is for luggage. Nope

 

P1040230 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

Tiny wheels. Wheeltrims are cool though.

 

P1040229 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

This obviously belonged to 'one of them' at some point. I will take great glee from tearing this absolute crap off.

 

P1040227 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

Crispy. A fair few rust blebs on it but nothing has broken through. It does have two patches on the outer sill needing welding though. 

 

P1040226 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

These are weird. 

 

Every one of the seat belt buckles has GM planted on it too, nice cost effective parts program. 

 

it sounds phenomenal. It's only a 2.8 V6 but give it some beans and by god, it is joy to the ears. Gearbox is fine, engine is fine, fuel economy was oddly good....but I don't know how much I trust an 80s American made digital gauge.

The dash controls are a bit weird, and it has a foot brake for the handbrake.

 

Overall, a good impulse buy. No mention of the k word, but I will see how bad the MOT is before I decide it's fate. It doesn't expire until November anyway.

 

I now have 5 cars at my address. I seriously need the 164 gone. And the 605 really.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

horrendous!!!

[Kringle]

Sweet Jesus my eyes. Interesting design idea of seat belts on the doors though. Reminds me of Captain Blues SPV. I'm disappointed that the chair isn't also attached to the door.

 

And I am shocked and appalled that you still have that 164! Have you had many viewings?

[holbeck]

horrendous!!!

 

^^ what he said

[bramz7]

Yes it is a product of 80s GM sadly so there is some odd clashes with the design, why have wraparound glass, fancy door handles, and a non column mounted shifter and then put some crud 70s luggage rack on it?! May as well have had white wall tyres too.

 

 

Sweet Jesus my eyes. Interesting design idea of seat belts on the doors though. Reminds me of Captain Blues SPV. I'm disappointed that the chair isn't also attached to the door.

And I am shocked and appalled that you still have that 164! Have you had many viewings?

 

 

The bastard thing just won;t go. I have had a few interested parties but I took a deposit on it about 4 weeks ago. Sadly in that time it has had TWO further breakdowns meaning the amount I eventually get is about 35% what it cost me. Ouch. But it's been 5 days now since the deposit chap last called me about collecting it....

[Supernaut]

I got excited for a second, then realised those aren't automatic seat belts. Aaw.

[bramz7]

I got excited for a second, then realised those aren't automatic seat belts. Aaw.

 

According to the internet, between '87 and '90 they were not required, and neither were air bags. But between '81 and '87 any car sold in the USA had to have one of them. Makes perfect sense.

 

 

Also, the steering is incredibly light. And the ride quality is ABYSMAL over bumps. Turning and hitting a pot hole causes it to bounce and understeer. GOOD

[Kringle]

The bastard thing just won;t go. I have had a few interested parties but I took a deposit on it about 4 weeks ago. Sadly in that time it has had TWO further breakdowns meaning the amount I eventually get is about 35% what it cost me. Ouch. But it's been 5 days now since the deposit chap last called me about collecting it....

I've must have missed those updates,what happened to it?

[Jim Bergerac]

... turns out it owed him £600 in delivery costs alone from Scotland FFS...

Thought it looked familiar, here it is in 2016:

[bramz7]

Brake light switch had been bodged, fell out of holder when I parked it up at work, didn't see the lights on so forgot about it, came back 10 hours later and it was dead. Boot lock missing, no power so boot release doesn't work. Call out AA the next morning, they get it going with a jump but it stops the boot release working. Take it to my local garage who sort out the switch (they bodge it properly in a way it won't break) and sort out the boot release button. I then have a front caliper jam on whilst driving, which is diagnosed as a worn piston, so new caliper needed. There is a lot of calipers for 164s, and most are the wrong side!

 

And the clutch fluid reservoir is leaking. 

 

 

Thought it looked familiar, here it is in 2016:

 

Nice one! That wing has got crispy in a short while then....anyone got a spare?!

[Lacquer Peel]

I quite like the styling but the driving experience sounds awful.

[bramz7]

Thing is, over smooth roads (like in US of A) it's wonderful. It glides. But then hit a bump....

 

It's worth it for the sound it makes. Trust me.

[Lacquer Peel]

Video with sound pls.

[Lacquer Peel]

It sounds pretty good in carburetted form, not much like a European V6 at all.

 

https://youtu.be/hFd62NMtRLc

[bramz7]

That's kind of like it, but the Olds has more insulation, plus bits of the exhaust that uploader tore out!