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Renault 14 Madness


Guest MattJY

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I posted on DW's facebook it's the only suitcase powered car I've not driven before. Be interesting to see how it compares to a Visa, 104/LN/Samba or a 205.

 

I predict a lot softer springing.

They are a lot more refined than a Visa or 104/LN/Samba, being a size class up. 205, being a generation newer, is somewhere in the middle depending on trim level and hence whether there’s any soundproofing. Engine noise lets the 14 down a bit.

 

If you like softer springs, you are definitely in the right part of town.

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They are a lot more refined than a Visa or 104/LN/Samba, being a size class up. 205, being a generation newer, is somewhere in the middle depending on trim level and hence whether there’s any soundproofing. Engine noise lets the 14 down a bit.

 

If you like softer springs, you are definitely in the right part of town.

 

Having driven a series 1 R5, an R4 and an R18, I found them a little too soft & rolly for my tastes. First time I drove the R5 (1.4 auto) i thought it had a broken spring it lurched round corners so much!

 

Engine noise doesn't bother me too much, but being a bit of a suitcase engine dribbler, I could put up with the whines and tappet rattle

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  • 3 weeks later...

I have made tentative enquiries about this 14, he doesn't have any paperwork so not sure how easy it will be to register a French import in the UK without paperwork, also it is completely the wrong time as I am still recovering from open wallet surgery from getting the Maxi on the road. Typical as I have been waiting for one of these to turn up for sale on these shores! Also at £1,000 I realise the cost of getting it over here has been covered but it seems a lot for a very niche car which has been stood for ten years and has no paperwork, then again they rarely come up.

 

I had the 1.2 suitcase engine in my 14 and found it a very nippy car and thought the engine was very smooth and refined, you could barely hear it at tickover. It got a bit noisy above 60 but how many 70's car with a small engine and a 4 speed box weren't? Even at those speeds it was quite bearable certainly more so than my Allegro 1300 was.

 

They are very soft and body roll is a feature of these, but it is part of the charm and character of these cars.

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I'd ask him to get it registered for you at your expense - he imports loads of cars from France so should be totally comfortable with the process now. Registering a car with no paperwork is a little more difficult, but with an official dating letter from the Renault club, or a build sheet from Renault itself (if they do that - it has to be written in English, too) it should be fine, but the vendor should be making the effort and will have a much more saleable car afterwards.

 

Mental edit - I just realised it probably needs an MoT to be registered, which is probably why he hasn't bothered

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I'd ask him to get it registered for you at your expense - he imports loads of cars from France so should be totally comfortable with the process now. Registering a car with no paperwork is a little more difficult, but with an official dating letter from the Renault club, or a build sheet from Renault itself (if they do that - it has to be written in English, too) it should be fine, but the vendor should be making the effort and will have a much more saleable car afterwards.

 

Mental edit - I just realised it probably needs an MoT to be registered, which is probably why he hasn't bothered

 

Thanks Barrett. I think I will go and look at it first. He said it isn't rusty apart from a hole in one sill and the seat covers are shot. I had heard from another Facebook contact that a trader friend of his had come across a Renault 14 which had been found somewhere, I assumed it was a UK car in an OAP's garage or something, despite trying several times I have found no-more information out and he thinks his trader friend got cold feet over it.

 

However, I wonder if this was the one and this has been over here for ten years as I would imagine he would be more likely to do it properly and ensure the paperwork was all there!

 

He does seem like a good contact.

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I guess it says something about their popularity/value over here that's it's not worth his time getting it MOT'd and registered. You may be able to 'bid him' (Brewer speak) a bit more - tbh - looks like he seems he wants shot of it - was £1250, then a grand as part of the Renner 5 he had deal, now £975....

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I guess it says something about their popularity/value over here that's it's not worth his time getting it MOT'd and registered. You may be able to 'bid him' (Brewer speak) a bit more - tbh - looks like he seems he wants shot of it - was £1250, then a grand as part of the Renner 5 he had deal, now £975....

 

Yes I will see what I can do about that. He does seem keen to get it moved on. I certainly couldn't afford the £1,250.

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  • 1 month later...

Well, what a start to 2019.....like buses, nothing then 4 come along at once!

 

I will only be requiring one of them so PM me and Ill take your details then pass on the ones I don't want to you when I have made a decision:

 

All RHD UK cars:

 

1. 1981 White 1.2 TL perfect 28k miles

2. 1981 Blue 1.2 TL dry stored for decades but the cleanest shell I have ever seen, except the door bottoms that have gone. 26k miles

3. 1982 1.4 TS White with red interior, goosed I think

4. 1983 1.4 TS Burgundy Regency (Sunroof) with Tan interior, rust free but someone else's mothballed restoration, requires putting back to work and a full respray

 

Sorry to bump up an old thread. Despite having a keen interest in this thread I completely missed this post (I saw it linked on a Facebook page)! 

 

Did anyone ever find out where these four R14's were (if they even existed) from MattJY, who seems to now have been banned or left I don't know? If I had seen this post at the time I would have been very interested.

 

I did enquire about the burgundy LHD one a few posts above but never got any further as sadly my mum passed away early last month and obviously I had other priorities. Although I think the seller was looking for rather more than I could afford for it, especially for an imported car with no paperwork.

 

It would be great to have been able to have contacted Matt, I don't know if anyone here might have any contact details, or could pass mine on to him?

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I had a brief PM conversation with "Matt" :

 

attachicon.gifIMG_0718.PNG

 

Sadly no phone number or owt. Wonder why he's no longer about?

Okay thanks for that. I too wonder what happened to him. I was speaking to someone from one of the Renault pages on FB whose friend a dealer knew about a R14 for sale but that too turned to nothing. I am sure someone somewhere must know something they aren't the most common cars around!

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Now £750....(or near offer...). Same seller.

If it came down by another couple of hundred I might take the risk but there is no paperwork at all and I suspect trying to register and imported car with no receipt or log book or anything could be a pain in the rear end, certainly not something I have the time or energy for at the moment.

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

Happy to see you managed to finally find an elusive RHD Renault 14 :) if its from Dublin does that mean its on ROI plates and will be issued fresh UK ones or?

 

9 minutes ago, Mut said:

Yes I am MattJY and yes I got banned and no I don't know why. I contacted admin several times but nothing.

 

pretty sure this was down to a server issue, a couple other users also got "banned" accidently like @Conan at the same time your account was nuked

(technically you where made a guest rather then banned, they show up differently to us users)

so I would not worry about anything :)

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