1997 1.9TD Estate - A Tyre-ing question about handling

[beko1987]

My backup plan is Mauritius blue and in Aberdeen...

If all it needs is the height correctors fettled, 2 tyres and a sphere or two then it'll probably see them. But any more a d I have to use my head. I rely on it to get me to work and back every day as a bare minimum, if it needs a fair bit of work and money, it's time with me is nearly over I fear (but I'll try and re home it, not put it down)

Ill see what Jim says, I've sent him a message about popping over one day for his experienced opinion

[Timmo]

I have to admit there is Very little out there that takes my fancy, chatting to the guys a while back, a hypothetical sum of 30K that you Had to spend on a new car, none of us could come up with anything!

[CitroJim]

Sam, with regard to Saturday, you have to take a bit of time out and enjoy yourself every now and again

I'm quite tempted by a backup plan I have forming...

I have one of those, it's called a Pug 207 I have in my possession!

May still try and see Jim though, would be good to see him again

PM replied... Next week looks potentially good...

[beko1987]

Jim - Monday booked off work! Pm me a time you want me.

But should it all be too much work to warrant doing on a rusty, tired xantia, I have the backup plan of either a 2.2dci auto phase 2 laguna 2 or a series 2 2.0hdi xantia saloon.

Choices choices

[chinkostu]

Hdi xant would be a good call. No running on veg however

[ekjdm14]

I'd go for the Xantia as well, although I would hope the autobox in a laguna "thing" would not be an issue on that model.

I think it was only a couple of years they had failing automatics, '98ish IIRC but it was bad enough at the time to put me on my guard whenever the words Automatic and Laguna are mentioned in the same breath)

[beko1987]

I'd go for the Xantia as well, although I would hope the autobox in a laguna "thing" would not be an issue on that model.

I think it was only a couple of years they had failing automatics, '98ish IIRC but it was bad enough at the time to put me on my guard whenever the words Automatic and Laguna are mentioned in the same breath)

I know! For years I've joked about laguna 2's, especially with the 2.2dci and autobox, and yet here I am seriously contemplating one! This is a phase 2 though, which apparently ironed out most of the issues with the 2.2 ejaculating the contents of the sump out of the inlet manifold and other such foibles... Initiale spec too, so would be a lovely thing to waft around in, and cheap enough that if it does break in an extraordinary way it's almost disposable... Plus I reckon that any gooner2's still running around today are possibly the survivers, any lesser ones killing themselves before now... Plus how many thousands would be running around fine? It's only the bad ones that get noticed...

But the Xantia is nice. It's the one up for sale in the for sale section. 2.0hdi so more refined than my 1.9, yes, no veg but I don't do that much anyway. It's possibly the more sensible choice, and apparently it can be relayed down from aberdeen quite easily by various autoshite members. It has had a 'brake pipe front to rear corrosion' advisory on the last few MOT's though...

I'll probably go and see Jim anyway, would be nice to see what my Xantia is really like, and TBH it has an MOT until December, and would probably do someone proud as a tip run car/run it until the MOT, and will provide a massive stash of good spares. But it has galloping arch rot, I've already sunk 2 tyres and an exhaust into it, I feel I would be throwing good money after bad doing anything more to it...

Head says Xantia 2.0HDI S2
Heart says Renault Laguna 2 phase 2 2.2dci Initiale...

And I don't know what to choose!

[Timmo]

But the laguna will have Springs! :-O
Initiele spec is nice on them, once a very expensive model! I'd probably still go with the xantia though

[Zelandeth]

Go for the Xantia I say.

We had a few Lagunas through the garage and more of them than not wound up bouncing back for at least one or two jobs under warranty. A voracious appetite for front wheel bearings being the main fault I remember, closely followed by truly exciting examples of electrical infidelity. Those usually wound up being thrown at the main dealers to sort out as we just didn't have the kit to deal with them (at our cost I might add, we had a good reputation to uphold).

Only Renault I'd really rate is the 25 (especially a Phase I in Monaco spec)...Though try to find one these days...

[CitroJim]

Jim - Monday booked off work! Pm me a time you want me.

Just after lunch will be good

How about a Pug 207 as a replacement project?

[beko1987]

What times lunch for you though! 12.30, 1,1.30,3.45? Pm me your address too, its been a few years!

Nah I'm ok for a 207 thanks! Not after a project tbh, I wont have time for it. Light fettling I can do, if I wanted a project I'd keep the xantia I have now!

[mickeymoon]

What times lunch for you though!

As Jim gets up at 4am, I'd imagine 9am is about lunchtime for him

[CitroJim]

What times lunch for you though!

As Jim gets up at 4am, I'd imagine 9am is about lunchtime for him

Yes, it is in fact at about 9:30 I do eat what most might consider lunch, having had breakfast at 5AM!!!

No, in this case Van, I was thinking around more normal lines and thinking after about 1PM or so

[ekjdm14]

Head says Xantia 2.0HDI S2
Heart says Renault Laguna 2 phase 2 2.2dci Initiale...

And I don't know what to choose!

Ahh the old heart Vs head conundrum... To be perfectly honest the heart has usually ruled with my car buying over the years, and has overall served me very well with only one real "lemon" to speak of (and I put that down to desperation and it being partly ruled by my head, which was being stupid at the time... it was a Daewoo after all!). Then again, my definition of a lemon may differ to yours since I find a car boring if I don't have things to fix on it!

What about getting the other Xantia, running the estate till the MoT like you suggested someone else could & then press the HDi into service using the estate as a parts store to keep that tip top?

(For the record, my heart says the Laguna would be a sumptuous place to spend time on the road while my head is screaming "better the Devil you know!")

[CitroJim]

What about getting the other Xantia, running the estate till the MoT like you suggested someone else could & then press the HDi into service using the estate as a parts store to keep that tip top?

Good thought