Renault 14 Madness

[25v6turbo]

I used to drive past a house in Byfleet ,Surrey that had a 14 in the driveway behind a wall,you could only see it from one direction but it was silver or light green,i THINK it was SPG on the numberplate and a picture appeared of it on the net scrapped?

This was about 2007/8 I think.

[theorganist]

I used to drive past a house in Byfleet ,Surrey that had a 14 in the driveway behind a wall,you could only see it from one direction but it was silver or light green,i THINK it was SPG on the numberplate and a picture appeared of it on the net scrapped?

This was about 2007/8 I think.

It is annoying that one survived so recently and ended up being scrapped, like that blue one in Scotland. If it had chrome bumpers and a MG badge or a Ford badge it would have survived. But a strange French car which most people have forgotten ever existed just seemingly gets scrapped with no questions asked and apparently no attempt to find out if someone wants it, yet there are a small band of enthusiasts who would have jumped at the chance! 

[Timewaster]

Would anyone shed a tear today for a scrapped Mégane?

 

Fast forward 20 years.....

[tooSavvy]

^^^ ToMM was up for washers... A short oval + razorblades

 

Talk about 'Sliding Doors'.....

[theorganist]

Would anyone shed a tear today for a scrapped Mégane?

 

Fast forward 20 years.....

True, I am sure they will have a small following. I may be one of them as I liked the original Megane, my parents had one and it was good to drive.

 

This Blue 14 was discovered only around three years ago and still no-one shed a tear for it (apart from me and one or two others).

[doubleyeller]

True, I am sure they will have a small following. I may be one of them as I liked the original Megane, my parents had one and it was good to drive.

 

This Blue 14 was discovered only around three years ago and still no-one shed a tear for it (apart from me and one or two others).

Personally I'm never pleased to see rare cars disappear, but we need to face facts - these were all clapped out by 10 years old. So were all the R20s, difference being that whereas the R20 was loved by its owners, the R14 was invariably a huge disappointment to it's purchaser. Hence a barn find 20 never gets scrapped when Granny dies nowadays, whereas a 14 does. I suppose it's the difference between having a car clogging the garage of your inherited house and having the prospect of a serious buyer with 500 quid turn up with a trailer within the week, and having a car which everyone hated back in the day anyway attracting a few aggressive hoarders offering sod all but hassle and timewasting. Hence a R20, R30, Fuego or R4 will be saved.

Paradoxically a R9, R11, R14 or Supercinq won't. Life.

[Guest MattJY]

Good question Ritz and the old adage its worth what someone is prepared to pay for it. 

 

We will make the assumption that if a UK car does come up it will be in need of restoration so that does have to come into consideration. I would suspect an average to poor car goes up for sale, the vendor will look at it as a basket case that they would be happy to see £500 for not realising its value so would expect any car that come up in this condition to be under a grand. A paint job is £2k minimum. 

 

If of course a box fresh car came up which had been fully restored I would put its value in the region of £4-5k.

 

£2k for a solid and presentable unrestored example. 

[doubleyeller]

Good question Ritz and the old adage its worth what someone is prepared to pay for it. 

 

We will make the assumption that if a UK car does come up it will be in need of restoration so that does have to come into consideration. I would suspect an average to poor car goes up for sale, the vendor will look at it as a basket case that they would be happy to see £500 for not realising its value so would expect any car that come up in this condition to be under a grand. A paint job is £2k minimum. 

 

If of course a box fresh car came up which had been fully restored I would put its value in the region of £4-5k.

 

£2k for a solid and presentable unrestored example.

 

The thing is, I personally believe that accross the country, at least half a dozen "Granny died and I want to cash in" R14s will arrive in scrapyards this year alone.

I don't think you will find one elsewhere.

Is there a national database for scrapyards you could put a wanted notice on?

Just be prepared, if they know you want it, they won't be shy asking for top dollar

[Guest MattJY]

The only thing you can do is findapart type thing. I have done this a couple of times this year looking for any parts and not one came back to me. I think that speaks volumes. If a scrappy get a 14 in I feel they will just crush it as the chance of anyone wanting spares is slim but we live in hope. 

[Spottedlaurel]

Mr Bo11ox's saving of the Mazda 929 proves that it isn't impossible to find something super obscure and almost completely forgotten. It does rely on a lot of good fortune however, and the ability to jump on it quickly (not literally). Even the friendliest scrapyard/seller isn't going to be best pleased waiting weeks for payday, arranging transport/storage etc.

 

BTW, I didn't see any 14s during my fortnight in France.

[theorganist]

The thing is, I personally believe that accross the country, at least half a dozen "Granny died and I want to cash in" R14s will arrive in scrapyards this year alone.

I don't think you will find one elsewhere.

Is there a national database for scrapyards you could put a wanted notice on?

Just be prepared, if they know you want it, they won't be shy asking for top dollar

You really think there are that many still out there? I cannot see it myself personally. That would suggest that over the last six years since I have been looking, 36 Renault 14's have been scrapped, surely one would have ended up with someone thinking it would be worth seeing if we can get any interest in Grannies on Renault!

 

I wonder with the Blue one if it wasnt its appearance on the photo site which caused it to be scrapped as it seems strange that it happened soon after, in which case people might have seen there was some interest. I do see what you are saying but I doubt that many more people would remember a R20 to a 14 as I don't think they were much more popular at the time and are rare now and only have a smallish following, probably more than a 14 though.

[theorganist]

I have just tried that find a part thing and selected the 'complete car' option, will see if anything happens but I am certainly not holding my breath!

[Lacquer Peel]

 

 

I wonder with the Blue one if it wasnt its appearance on the photo site which caused it to be scrapped as it seems strange that it happened soon after, in which case people might have seen there was some interest.

I took the photo of the blue one and didn't tell anyone where it was except for you if I remember correctly, it wouldn't have been easy to find. I hope it wasn't fragged.

[theorganist]

Ah okay I couldn't rember which member it was. I hadn't got round to making any enquiries as I hadn't worked out how I was going to find out exactly who owned it as it was a garage which seemed a bit isolated if I recall. I was going to write a letter to a nearby cottage but never got round to it and then I am sure someone said on Flickr/Photobucket that it was gone. However I have put the reg number in the DVLA and it still shows up so maybe it hasn't been scrapped just moved!

 

This was an earlier thread about it http://autoshite.com/topic/19206-mystery-scottish-renault-14/

[theorganist]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/lost-fragments/7902459336/

[theorganist]

I wonder if anyone in the area would be able to shed any light on it? It sounds like it was on an old farm so maybe it was cleared and the car with it!

[doubleyeller]

Come to think of it there was another one spotted derelict in Hitchin, Hertfordshire and posted on here yonks and bonks since. Beige and exposed to the elements I do believe.....

[theorganist]

Come to think of it there was another one spotted derelict in Hitchin, Hertfordshire and posted on here yonks and bonks since. Beige and exposed to the elements I do believe.....

Oh interesting, I missed that one too! Must have been when I was off here for a while.

[mk2_craig]

Just back from ten days in France and didn't see a 14 anywhere either, nearest I managed was a beige 16TX and a 9 or two. In terms of active 14s I reckon that even there they must be probably down to the last couple hundred cars clinging on to a valid CT. To be fair I wasn't hunting round the back of rural garages though so there's probably still plenty "pour pieces ou resto" examples in the country it was made.

[theorganist]

Well there are certainly less than half the number on Leboncoin than back in 2010 when I bought mine across. I still think France will be the only way I am going to get another 14 or maybe Germany as someone suggested they would be easier to deal with.

[doubleyeller]

I'm trying to think of any unusual features the 14 had to set it apart from other cars......

 

Well, my old TL had a clock mounted in the centre console behind the gear lever base. Brilliant for causing crash inducing distraction whilst driving! Second only to the Marina radio which pointed AWAY from the driver!

 

Think that subject merits a new thread!

[theorganist]

I'm trying to think of any unusual features the 14 had to set it apart from other cars......

 

Well, my old TL had a clock mounted in the centre console behind the gear lever base. Brilliant for causing crash inducing distraction whilst driving! Second only to the Marina radio which pointed AWAY from the driver!

 

Think that subject merits a new thread!

I don't think the TL had a clock as standard, certainly mine didn't. Could it have been retro fitted from a GTL or TS?

[Spottedlaurel]

This is the last one I saw in the wild in France, back in 2016:

 

Renault 14 GTL by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

I went through the same town the following year, sadly it wasn't there then. It doesn't come up on a French online database I use so I fear it may have been scrapped since.

[adw1977]

I don't think the TL had a clock as standard, certainly mine didn't. Could it have been retro fitted from a GTL or TS?

I've got several brochures for the 14 between 1977 and 1982 and none show a clock in the TL.

[sierraman]

If I’m right in thinking the CT isn’t as thorough as the MOT so stuff can slip through on corrosion that would fail here?

[doubleyeller]

I don't think the TL had a clock as standard, certainly mine didn't. Could it have been retro fitted from a GTL or TS?

Oh god knows after so many years I could have got the spec wrong.

 

Incidentally

 

TS - Tourisme Sport

TL - Tourisme Luxe

TX - what?

[bramz7]

If I’m right in thinking the CT isn’t as thorough as the MOT so stuff can slip through on corrosion that would fail here?

It was...but I'm 99% certain recent rule changes have now meant any poorly repaired or obviously rotten stuff is now a fail there too. Hence why a lot of the older stuff is vanishing in France.

 

As it's fucked.

[Guest benno]

Rich may sell you his. It's absolutely rotten as a pear but it's rhd and the last surviving regency. When I last spoke to him he'd given up on it pretty much and he may move it on knowing its to be restored.

[doubleyeller]

Rich may sell you his. It's absolutely rotten as a pear but it's rhd and the last surviving regency. When I last spoke to him he'd given up on it pretty much and he may move it on knowing its to be restored.

I think if you offer him £500 for that old heap and he doesn't snap your hand off, then we've found someone as bonkers as the OP!

 

Entertaining as this thread has been, I remain convinced that the OP is a troll username of an established member on here

[Guest benno]

Ah ok, if it’s nothing more than trolling I won’t bother poking rich