LCBL - Renault Avantime

[Patent]

I've been a long time lurker here, with some occasional posting. I decided to take a step last year and picked up a bubble Rover that had been one owner from new:

After a lesson in how much can go wrong with a car in a year (none of them the head gasket), I decided I'd cut my teeth and after a couple of wines on holiday, a bid was duly placed on a Renault that was also one-owner car.

It's been a London car all it's life and was used to transport the Austrian owner and his wife back to Austria each summer. I made a short train journey into London to collect and had a pitstop for some executive petrol to get me home:

I've wanted one of these since I sat in one as a teenager at the Ulster Motor Show in 2002/2003. Im hoping it's not a case of never meet your hero!

[Kiltox]

Oooofffffffffff

[Patent]

Unfortunately the owner took ill and the car has been stored in his garage for ten years; clearly I hadn't learned a lesson about a car that has been off the road for a decade.

It's has been furnished with a new (strangely throaty) stainless steel exhaust and a years MOT.

Advisories for rubbish tyres, some subframe corrosion and a power steering leak which thankfully just looks like a loose pipe on the reservoir. 

It's a 3.0 manual, with cream leather and a delightful two-tone steering wheel. It's got 100k miles and thankfully a new clutch in the last 1k miles, however it does need a timing belt which I now know is an engine-out job 🥹

Celebratory stops on collection day:

[rantingYoof]

I say this with an equal measure of respect and outright awe; you must ask a mod to put this in the main 'Shite' section of the forum, because this needs all of the attention. A 23 year old V6-powered totally unappreciated French barge belongs in the main forum because it basically epitomises the entire ethos of the forum. 

I'm so jealous. What a purchase!

 

[Cookiesouwest]

Well bought.

Lovely

[Patent]

7 minutes ago, rantingYoof said:

I say this with an equal measure of respect and outright awe; you must ask a mod to put this in the main 'Shite' section of the forum, because this needs all of the attention. A 23 year old V6-powered totally unappreciated French barge belongs in the main forum because it basically epitomises the entire ethos of the forum. 

I'm so jealous. What a purchase!

 

I look at it each morning with joy and fear!

[Patent]

This is the final post to bring the last 4 weeks up-to-date, then I'll add updates as and when something interesting happens. 

Despite playing cambelt roulette, I've taken it on a few trips, mainly to the gym or to catch up with other owners of other french curios:

A common failure on these is the backlight of the separate rev-counter. I'd found driving it somewhat difficult because I couldn't tell if it was a lazy V6 or I just wasn't pushing it hard enough. With the windows up you can't really hear the exhaust or engine. On Friday afternoon I look into some surgery:

Disassembly and reassembly of the dash were easy compared to how hard it was to contort my hands to reach the bulbs to unscrew and replace them. But service was eventually restored and no plastic was broken:

Being able to see what the engine is doing just confirmed that it is actually just a very lazy V6. It's not a slouch, but the relaxed nature probably suits the car. Congratulating myself, I stopped for a quick pint whilst admiring the view:

Joy was short lived. After a short trip to the co-op it decided not to restart. It seemed to be the starter but helpfully the fuse box for that circuit requires the battery to be removed to take the cover off.  I decided to wait for the man as he was only an hour away and I didn't know if I needed a new radio code once the battery was disconnected. I considered smashing the starter with the wheel brace of persuasion, but it's nowhere to be seen in the spacious engine bay:

A push start confirmed it's only the starter, so I drove it back home where it's now parked. I'll probably get the starter done with the timing belt, and possibly the alternator too just in case.

That brings the story up to date. To end on a high note, look at that lovely Bridge of Weir leather:

 

 

[cort16]

Lovely car the v6 manual is the one I always wanted. I had one of the Taylor Made  (the company that bought a fleet of 9 Avantimes ) 2.0 turbo Avantimes a few years ago and really like it despite some of it's weird dynamics and interior quirks.

[Patent]

That's interesting I had wondered whether the 2.0 was a better one to have given there's just a bit more access to the engine bay!

I think I'm happier with a manual given there's slightly less to go wrong now it's had a clutch, but here's hoping the rest of the experience is okay.

Agree with the interior quirks! Part of the charm I guess. Ive seen someone has made cupholders for their drawer so I'm going to look into that 

[brownnova]

Moving this to the main board as that’s where it belongs. 
 

Love an Avantime! 

[stuboy]

well done 

[Matty]

Such a strangely good looking car

[High Jetter]

Brave man, well played!

[cort16]

13 hours ago, Patent said:

That's interesting I had wondered whether the 2.0 was a better one to have given there's just a bit more access to the engine bay!

I think I'm happier with a manual given there's slightly less to go wrong now it's had a clutch, but here's hoping the rest of the experience is okay.

Agree with the interior quirks! Part of the charm I guess. Ive seen someone has made cupholders for their drawer so I'm going to look into that 

It's still quite tight there's not a ton of space under the bonnet on the 2.0 either. It goes okay and is probably better for every day use as I got decent mpg but if you're not using it as your daily car I'd want the v6.

It was the upright driving position that gave me a bad back and crap access to the rear seats when we just had a baby that made me sell it. I still love them though especially when you press that button that does all the roof and windows at once, it's just so weird. 

 

[IronStar]

Ex-owner of my 155 has one of these now in Kermit neon green, and he let me drive it when we met. What an absolutely magnificent vehicle, peak odd mould on a fromage engineering. I don't know how it was ever allowed into production, but I'm so glad it was. Magnificent. What a buy!

[cort16]

The guy I bought mine off was selling it as he'd just bought one from Dr who adjacent now cancelled for allegedly getting his bobbie out actor John Barrowmen.

It was an absolute mega spec v6 in dark purple.  A really nice car. When I went to his house he had 2  other on the drive including a Kermit green one. 

[chodweaver]

Very well bought, sir!

I've no experience of the V6, but had a manual Vel Satis with the 2.0t engine and I have to say that it didn't really suit it. I imagine that the Avantime is a similar beast in weight and size so I think you have the best engine and transmission.

And no, the 2.0t didn't make for much easier access under the bonnet of the VS.

[Patent]

3 hours ago, cort16 said:

It's still quite tight there's not a ton of space under the bonnet on the 2.0 either. It goes okay and is probably better for every day use as I got decent mpg but if you're not using it as your daily car I'd want the v6.

It was the upright driving position that gave me a bad back and crap access to the rear seats when we just had a baby that made me sell it. I still love them though especially when you press that button that does all the roof and windows at once, it's just so weird. 

 

This is one thing I haven't done yet! I was warned that he never used the sunroof and whilst it does work, I should not open it until I was ready to clean and service the rails.

There's a a loose guide on removing the glass panels and apparently the rails are shared with the espace in the event they're corroded. That'll be a project for when it's stored over winter.

You're right about the strange upright driving position. I like a vertical seat but find the pedals are kinda like playing an organ in that you have to push them down almost vertically instead of diagonally 

[Patent]

1 hour ago, chodweaver said:

Very well bought, sir!

I've no experience of the V6, but had a manual Vel Satis with the 2.0t engine and I have to say that it didn't really suit it. I imagine that the Avantime is a similar beast in weight and size so I think you have the best engine and transmission.

And no, the 2.0t didn't make for much easier access under the bonnet of the VS.

I can confirm from helping the AA man to push it that it's not a lightweight thing!

[philibusmo]

22 hours ago, Patent said:

however it does need a timing belt which I now know is an engine-out job

Firstly can I congratulate you on your car choice, they are the best worst idea from a mainstream manufacturer ever.

The timing belt is not necessarily an engine out job. I did the timing belt on my V6 Manual on the drive with the engine very much in place, you just need a very good range of tiny sockets and be careful where you use a ratchet spanner. Removing the scuttle panel, the wiper motor and the massive engine mount gives much better access. than it initially appears you have.

It took 3 days and I can't say it was an easy or fun experience - it was also the first timing belt I'd ever changed so really was a baptism of fire. I think I've still go the locking kit for it around somewhere.

[doug]

This place! Went on ebay to see if there are any for sale (dreaming as usual). There is only one but in the video it looks like an Ambassador in the garage.  @vulgalour ?

 

[Patent]

3 hours ago, philibusmo said:

Firstly can I congratulate you on your car choice, they are the best worst idea from a mainstream manufacturer ever.

The timing belt is not necessarily an engine out job. I did the timing belt on my V6 Manual on the drive with the engine very much in place, you just need a very good range of tiny sockets and be careful where you use a ratchet spanner. Removing the scuttle panel, the wiper motor and the massive engine mount gives much better access. than it initially appears you have.

It took 3 days and I can't say it was an easy or fun experience - it was also the first timing belt I'd ever changed so really was a baptism of fire. I think I've still go the locking kit for it around somewhere.

I'm going to keep looking at these photos until I summon enough courage 🤣

[Patent]

2 hours ago, doug said:

This place! Went on ebay to see if there are any for sale (dreaming as usual). There is only one but in the video it looks like an Ambassador in the garage.  @vulgalour ?

 

That's the third time this year that person has tried to sell that one. It's been up for various prices but looks like he's dropped it now

[GeordieInExile]

Did Renault actually expect to make money selling these, or did they know going in that it was going to involve losing large amounts of money but did it anyway?

[chodweaver]

16 minutes ago, GeordieInExile said:

Did Renault actually expect to make money selling these, or did they know going in that it was going to involve losing large amounts of money but did it anyway?

I can't help thinking that the decision makers had a very large pile of coke on the boardroom table when they green lighted it.

See? Drugs can do good things!

(Credit: Bill Hicks)

[angle]

18 hours ago, doug said:

This place! Went on ebay to see if there are any for sale (dreaming as usual). There is only one but in the video it looks like an Ambassador in the garage.  @vulgalour ?

 

Think that might be @richykitchy?

[vulgalour]

22 hours ago, doug said:

This place! Went on ebay to see if there are any for sale (dreaming as usual). There is only one but in the video it looks like an Ambassador in the garage.  @vulgalour ?

 

Well spotted, I do believe you're correct.  I haven't found anything in the Wedgister images that matches what little I can see of it so it might be a new one not yet documented.  Seems a lot of Ambassadors in that colour survived too.

[Landy Mann]

I like an avantine, but a love an early turquoise bubble shaped rover. If only I'd had welding skills mine may have lasted a few more years.

[Landy Mann]

I think I still have the a thule a foot pack for the rover that can be yours foc  if interested.

[Patent]

11 hours ago, Landy Mann said:

I like an avantine, but a love an early turquoise bubble shaped rover. If only I'd had welding skills mine may have lasted a few more years.

Part of the appeal of the Rover  was the colour and the fact that it was a 200, which all seem to have vanished. It was loved by its first owner and all the maladies suffered were really just as a result of it being laid up for 16 years.

It was running extremely well by the end, I took it on a week long camping trip to Devon and Dorset in August:

Now I have the Avantime, it's been sold unfortunately. I delivered it to its new owner in Norfolk last weekend.