Valver Running Costs

[Swervin_Mervin]

Ill ask in here then. Before I go out and buy one, Id like to know what Im letting myself in for when it comes to what its going to be vosting me to run.

So some advice on whats likely to need replacing and when would be really helpful guys.

Are gearboxs a weak link? Steering columns? Power steering pumps?

Ive heard that the 16v can be very expensive to run, and if so I may have to knock the idea on the head.

I would be expecting to save about £120/month in just lower finance and insurance payments so is this going to have to be ringfenced for maintenance/repairs?

 

[ak16v]

MUHAHAHA!!!



BRING ON THE PAIN













hehehe!!

 

[king.stromba]

So far on my Williams

rear shocks

top mounts

front shocks

front springs

cam belt / alternator belt

steering problem

track rod end

wheel wobbling

new tyres

suspension bushes

body work

spark plugs

leads

dissi cap

rotor arm

Front discs

front pads

drive shaft seal leak

exhaust blowing

The cost comes from previous neglect. Once these cars are sorted they are not expensive to run. But youll have to sort out all the rpoblems everyone else has ignored. Id budget 1000 to straighten out a higher milage car. But having said that they are fantastic cars.

 

[steve a]

Not to bad just like any other older car.

 

[Swervin_Mervin]

Well the one Im looking at is a good £500-750 below what I think itd fetch so I may just factor that in to my loan.

Cheers Stromba

 

[TheJesus]

only had my car a short time, but main cost appears to be PETROL!!! Dont buy one without a FSH and the price usually seems a good indicator as to the quality (although not always, just usually in my experience!). I seem to have a good example and managed to get a 6 month warranty, so they must be confident that the car aint a sh*tter.

 

[riplash]

They drink a lot of money in petrol and oil, but its a sacrifice you make for fun!

 

[Swervin_Mervin]

Dont care about petrol costs. But out od interest what kind of mpg do you get when not thrashing them?

 

[myky16]

depends, i have learnt alot from owning 1:

1.) I have learnt how to fix a lot of problems,

2.) I have learnt how to log onto cliosport and post problems in record breaking time

3.) I have learnt never to buy another renault

as for running cost i clocked 400miles on bout 50quids worth of petrol the other week, but half was motorway

 

[cliosportcraig]

Dont buy one !!end of.

 

[u33db]

Quote: Originally posted by mike8579 on 12 January 2004


Ive heard that the 16v can be very expensive to run, and if so I may have to knock the idea on the head.

The nightmare is just beginning m8!

Nah, seriously - like any car, if its a good example then youll be ok but if not then its going to be a bottomless pit. Thats just the chance you take so buy with your head not your heart!

Unfortunately i bought a cheap one (with no SH either) from the local auction and its cost soooo much - i now have a pile of reciepts an inch thick (and thats just from febuary!) so be warned.....

 

[peter182]

so far ive spent about £1500-2000

 

[funkimic]

had mine 10months. bought it with 85000k on clock and its upto 94 now. no probs really apart from a broken fan switch wire and a screechy noise from the power steering pulley when cold which has been there since i bought the car. apart fromt aht jsut oil, filter, service stuff (which is a must to keep em going) and a new set of rear pads. they only fall apart if you abuse em.

mine is still on orig clutch and gbox and although it does feel a bit loose if you drive it right they go on for ever.

 

[cliosportcraig]

There is no point getting a car a lot older than the one u have !! Stick wiv the dci or wait and get a mk1 172 !!

 

[lofty]

Get a late one 1995 - 1996 and like with any car the problems are largely ironed out by then, the thing is with a valver is it might suffer from problems (as all cars) but it does have massive parts compatibity for everthing, i could buy a gear box or a cylinder head or a bottom end etc each for less then £150 which certainly isnt true for the alternative 106GTi etc.

Wearing parts like Breakes and clutchs etc are mega cheap but consider the labour,

They are great fairly unique cars, cheap to run IMO and very fuel effcient give the performance etc etc

Choice is your but budget the fun factor of owning one over a DCi

 

[glenn]

JUST MAKE SURE U BUY A SOUND ONE MAYBE AA CHECK? WORTH IT THO WHEN LEAVE SAXOS ETC AT LIGHTS OR PASS EM!!!!

 

[Swervin_Mervin]

Owning a new car isnt as cheap as you think yknow. Its got 4yrs left on my loan and when you get loans over that period the car can depreciate faster than youre paying it off.

Should have learnt that lesson with my Xsara that I had before. Plus the dcis got too much crap in it. (auto wipers (grrr) and auto lights) that I really wish wasnt there now. And its frustratingly slow. I really need to show my mate and his new Cooper S a quick car.

Theres no way Ill be buying one on the spur either as I know that older cars can be rotters so Ill be biding my time til the perfect one comes along. Im in no rush.

Just researching every angle I can think of before taking the plunge. Ive never bought an older car before, and want to be able to tinker a little from time to time, and do some maintenance myself.

Although it would be nice if the one Im going to look at on Sat fits the bill.

 

[Bubbles]

I paid £1850 for my current valver, N reg with 120k when i bought it, but the guy who i bought it from had looked after it amazingly. FSH and such, and nothing has gona wrong with it.. if you find someone whos looked after it you should be fine. But like any car, something always goes wrong at some point.

 

[Mike Wright]

I didnt have any problems with mine...........mind you I changed the cam belt and then serviced it every 3k. Parts are expensive I think but they are fun to drive. ........You need a FSH and standard in my opinion then if your into mods its your personal choice what needs to be done....Although there are some very professional top mods done by many others here.



Fuel costs are high as said earlier.

 

[lofty]

parts are cheap and fuel economy is cheap - Fact!

Show me a similar spec and price car thats better

GSF & Euro cheap as chips - cheaper then ford main dealer

I could own a new car if i wanted but new cars are far less fun to drive and own then old cars and we can afford repais as there is no real depreciation

you can service it yourself as your not owrried about warranty or re-sale particularly

I paid £2800 for a very clean 1995 N reg Williams 3 with 108k and fastidious history. fantastic car which you would be difficult to significantly improve on for under £15k. yet a full service costs me less then £30 and it would sell for £3500 all day long in the summer.

They arent just cheap - for me its free motoring!!

 

[Andy_16v]

i had mine since july, i didnt buy the mintest example but all i had to replace is a wheel bearing, new rad fan, swivel joint. i use my car every day and its beeen reliable just likes drinking oil

 

[Mike Wright]

parts are cheap and fuel economy is cheap - Fact!





LMAO !!!!!!!!!!!!! hhahahahaahahahahaha oh really!

 

[lofty]

sorry mate, im not having a go but in my 3 years experience ive never had a real prblem getting Parts without using the renault parts counter.

35mpg and 7 second 0.60 thats not to be sniffed at. When i was commuting to Reading i was getting 40mpg consistantly on both a 16v and a modified williams engined 16v done 40k in the things now!

Trust me its cheap mototing if you approach it in the right way and dont by problem early cars

 

[Mike Wright]

Quote: Originally posted by 16v - 2.0 on 12 January 2004


sorry mate, im not having a go but in my 3 years experience ive never had a real prblem getting Parts without using the renault parts counter.

35mpg and 7 second 0.60 thats not to be sniffed at. When i was commuting to Reading i was getting 40mpg consistantly on both a 16v and a modified williams engined 16v done 40k in the things now!

Trust me its cheap mototing if you approach it in the right way and dont by problem early cars





Ok fair enough I respect your views!..........I want at least 300mpg from my vehicles and expect Renault to pay me for taking the parts !!!

 

[cliopower]

Quote: Originally posted by mike8579 on 12 January 2004


Owning a new car isnt as cheap as you think yknow. Its got 4yrs left on my loan and when you get loans over that period the car can depreciate faster than youre paying it off.

Should have learnt that lesson with my Xsara that I had before. Plus the dcis got too much crap in it. (auto wipers (grrr) and auto lights) that I really wish wasnt there now. And its frustratingly slow. I really need to show my mate and his new Cooper S a quick car.

Theres no way Ill be buying one on the spur either as I know that older cars can be rotters so Ill be biding my time til the perfect one comes along. Im in no rush.

Just researching every angle I can think of before taking the plunge. Ive never bought an older car before, and want to be able to tinker a little from time to time, and do some maintenance myself.

Although it would be nice if the one Im going to look at on Sat fits the bill.





You can turn the auto headlights off (two full turns of the stalk one after the other) you know and also you can change the sensitiveness off the wipers by changing it to 0. If i wrote mine off id just buy one for under a grand too.

 

[Swervin_Mervin]

Its the wipers that really get me. Especially in this weather. But its also not quick enough.

 

[damianshaker]

The clio costs alot to keep on the road but costs nothing in depreciation. I paid £2000 for mine over a year ago and the market value for my car is still £2000. Not bad!

 

[Swervin_Mervin]

Thats my thinking mate.



<<<This has lost nearly £2k in 12months. If I buy one at £2500 Im hardly going to lose a penny in 12months on depreciation.

 

[Paul16V]

In my experience. I used to have a lot of annoying problems with my 1.8 lump. idle problems etc, used to be kinda intermittant. and bits kept going wrong. nothin really major but usually awkward and expensive.

stuck the williams engine and box in and its been absolutely spot on for the last 6 months. only thing i had go was the alternator but i just got a new one. engines been great. Think the williams engine is just a better engine, maybe people looked after them better or somethin in general.

PMed u mate, mines for sale

 

[Alex M]

I do all my own work on my valver which has saved at least a grand, but has left me cursing away when doing the spannering, however you can find several lists on here of what goes wrong, and then make sure the one you are looking doesnt have them, or that they have already been seeing to, However fuel economy on them is fantastic if u aint thrashing them, really rather economical. Mainstream parts (ones you can get from gsf and eurocar) are dirt cheap, but labour cost in fitting them at garages are very high, cause pretty much everything is awkward on them to change, again if you or a mate can do some or allof the spannering, you will save a small fortune in labour charges