197 buyer's guide?

[M444TTB]

Hi. Is there a 197 buyer's guide at all? I'm using Tapatalk to browse the forum and searching isn't its strong point at times!

If not is there anything to look out for with them? I'm going to take a look at my first 197 today. I think it's fairly basic spec wise. This is what the dealer lists:

3 Doors, Manual, Hatchback, Petrol, 38,000 miles, Metallic Red. keyless start and go.Taxed till 31/12/2011. Full Service History, ABS, Air conditioning, Alloy wheels, Cruise control, Folding rear seats, Lumbar support, Immobiliser, Passenger airbag, Radio/CD, Rear headrests, Sports seats, Side airbags, Traction control, Front fog lights, Electric door mirrors, Trip computer, Drivers airbag, Front electric windows, PAS, Rear wiper, Remote central locking, Steering wheel rake adjustment, 3x3 point rear seat belts, Audio remote control, Body coloured bumpers, Cloth seat trim, Front head restraints, Height adjustable drivers seat, Isofix child seat anchor points, Service indicator, Solid Paint, Steering wheel reach adjustment, Heated door mirrors, Rear electric windows.

 

[CabinFever]

Welcome.

Have you any pics of the car?

Also, there is no such colour as Metallic Red on the 197's.

 

[CabinFever]

Don't worry, I found it.

It's Ultra Red, no cup chassis, no Recaro seats, ditch finder tyres, and its an 06 so will have the older gearbox.

Looks clean enough and is a nice colour, but for near on 7k I'd be looking at a higher spec'd one IMO.

 

[Damo_Sport]

7k? Some people are dreamers

 

[M444TTB]

I wasn't going to buy it, but cheers for the heads up! The but that has interested me there is about the gearboxes. When did they change? What were the issues?

 

[M444TTB]

Oh and metallic red with solid paint did make me laugh!

 

[adam1942]

R27 comes with recaros. Last on registered in early 08.

Recaros are very hard and wear on the bolsters but when flying down a twisty road they are worth it.

You have mentioned the gearbox already.

The cup chassis can be very hard if you are not uesd to hard suspension/stiff chassic.

Its not really a motorway barge. If you want to overtake someone you will need to drop it down about 37 gears.

Make sure you get one with decent tyres as the chassis is very capable.

the car is very capable and easy to drive at high speed. THe limit of the car is much higher then most drivers and is so high i wouldnt try to get to the limit on the road...

The mpg can be as low as 7-8 if you are on track. Driving in the city is around 18-20mpg and on the tmoroway if the engine is run in you can get 35mpg or so. Ive the old gearbox and thats what i get.

Also dont forget the cambelt is at 72000 mile and costs around 700 from the stealers.

Over all though i love mine. Eerytime i drive it i smile.

 

[CabinFever]

All 197's built after October 07 will have the newer revised gearbox.

 

[M444TTB]

What's the difference in the gearbox? Do the older boxes have issues?

My wife's 106 is on GrpN Bilsteins with a PeugeotSport exhaust and GrpN hard rubber engine mounts. A Clio Cup is probably going to feel more like a 7-series in terms of noise and refinement. We took the 106 400 miles to Cornwall the other year and my ears had that feeling you get after being in a nightclub :-/

 

[CabinFever]

Longer gear ratio in the newer box. Makes for an easier drive on motorways.

Iirc, 70 mph in 6th is about 3.5k?

 

[FlashBastd]

All the gearboxes have issues, even those being fitted to 200's, only differences are the ratios. Early cars very short, 08 on longer 5th & 6th, 200's have different 1-4 I think.

Look out for interior wear (seat bolsters, steering wheel in particular)
Front ball joints can be expensive to replace
Tie rods are prone to wear (common Ren issue I think)
Standard car is a bit basic, i.e. silver headlights, no auto lights/wipers, A/C not climate
Standard seats are remarkably comfortable but don't have the same pose factor; still prone to wear but not too the same extent
Gearboxes and slave cylinders can be prone to failure
Exhaust manifolds crack at the flange and at the flexis, this is an awkward repair as the subframe needs to be dropped
Lots of cars have cracked/split seals at the B pillar, cheap to replace

Many of the above mechanical issues seem to affect many early cars, regardless of mileage, so seems reasonable to assume they will affect most eventually.

 

[M444TTB]

Very helpful!

Went to test drive a car and when I got there the salesman said I couldn't unless I was leaving a deposit as someone else was coming to buy it later that day. He could have told me on the phone really! I got to sit in it at least. Standard seats are very comfy! Cheap feeling though.

 

[Damo_Sport]

Very helpful!

Went to test drive a car and when I got there the salesman said I couldn't unless I was leaving a deposit as someone else was coming to buy it later that day. He could have told me on the phone really! I got to sit in it at least. Standard seats are very comfy! Cheap feeling though.

LoL!! So he wants you to buy it before you drive it? I would of just walked out there LOLING

 

[M444TTB]

I pretty much did beyond having a sit in there. Apparently 197's are very rare too. Never mind not much lost and I know what the interior is like at least!

 

[CabinFever]

To be fair, you don't see many 197/200's about.

 

[FlashBastd]

Plenty on PH / Autotrader; like most things you notice a lot more when you have one.

 

[M444TTB]

Never thought buying a new car would be so difficult! In some ways it would be easier of she was the sort of girl that would be happy with a 1.1 Polo or [insert mundane hatch here].

 

[lemonnobby]

early ones need cambelts

 

[M444TTB]

What's the usual age and/or mileage for a cambelt change? While we looked at Megane's a lot were being sold with a few k miles left before a new belt was required. Having found out the general price being charged I can see why!

 

[FlashBastd]

5 yrs / 72k miles. A lot of '06 plates look cheap because they are due that expensive belt change.

 

[R-Sport.]

I would offer this same advise every time a thread like this comes up

If you have 6k then wait- either buy a trophy & savea bit of money OR
save up another couple of months & try & get into the mid 7's-

Another month or 2 & you will be seeing prices on a good R27 for 7750/ 8k
Thats the car you should go for

Look for the above faults- especially any cruching gears & try to find spec like climate & Xenons
budget £200 for recaro seat trim bolsters
S

 

[Polish86]

197 Buyers Guide.......Buy a 200 instead!!!!!