R9UKE's French Car Blog...

[KP]

Well the bids have started on it already!

How about this Luke

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Renault-Clio- ... 4170ee4605" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[R9UKE]

That would be far too much of a shock after my 1.9 diseasal haha. However I have recently "discovered" a yobbo Clio that I would really like. It's called the RenaultSport Clio 172 Exclusive Edition. I didn't know of their existance until I was behind one a few weeks back. Basically they've got the mad engine from the 172, but with full beige leather, unique alloy wheels and they only come in the awesome Scarab Green. They're all numbered as well, up to 172. Here's one complete with a great reg for me

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Renault-Clio- ... 4170eb4813" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[KP]

There isn't many of them around thats for sure

Strong money though for what is a copy of the Willy slightly safer and cheaper to run mind!

Once you get behind one of them you will realise why i associate the diamond with something able to nip round a corner at silly speeds and get upto a decent speed quickly in small spaces. Its not an activa but they dont half make a car that can get into and out of a corner and be chucked about!!

im surprised you haven't had an R5 GTT or R19 16v! I loved the ones i had, the R5 was a Rat look one

I do keep my eye out for a chamade but they are all in crushers now im sure

[KP]

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Thought you might like to see the demise of another DCi unit Luke

[Citroenmad]

Luke, you need to update your thread with many pictures of your new hearing aid, I mean brick ... no thats not it, car!

It looks straight out of an America movie!

[R9UKE]

That was painful to watch, KP!

Well since you asked, Chris! Here it is, the latest toy. A 1979 Volvo 244 DL. Traded into the leading dealership group here and sent to auction. I used to see the car driving around the university area, old woman looked like Hyacinth Bouquet! It was owned by her from new, and maintained not as a showroom model, but given what it needed for each MOT. It's not perfect but certainly a serviceable, usable everyday classic. It is taxed and MOTd and has 130k miles. I've been driving it for the past few days - the attention it attracts is outstanding, the Avantime will feel like blending in from now on! I had to learn how to use a choke, and have built up significantly more upper body strength given the lack of PAS. Love it, absolutely love it.... can't beat a Swedish tank!







One Vel Satis has left, leaving a dV6 and a 3.5 V6. Lots of not-so-great parts on the car that left were swapped with those on the 3.5 V6 - leaving me with a car that's now tatty as well as electrically past-it's-best. It's also going to be robbed of it's electric window motors and interior fan for my dV6. So, I could potentially be placing a post about breaking a Vel Satis soon.... though it may only be of interest to Lexi! A few snaps of the trio before HJZ parted for Wales







The demise of the V6:




This slight scale-down in numbers feels nice and manageable. I've thus come to decision that the C5 V6 will be broken for parts if the starter motor isn't the issue (will be looked at tomorrow). Full unmarked leather, Monza alloy wheels, sat nav kit, xenon headlights may all be up for grabs. I'll post an ad depending on the outcome.

[Citroenmad]

You can really see the effort the designers went through to develop that Volvo, its just something else!

Different though and it'll no doubt outlive most cars

What did Hyacinth Bouquet trade it in for?

[CitroJim]

You can really see the effort the designers went through to develop that Volvo, its just something else!

Shame the stylists were not in any way involved with its development though It's not hard to style a beige housebrick...

I jest. I really do. I had an example of its predecessor for a couple of years in Cyprus, a 144. Bloody excellent cars. Very near turned me over to being a Volvo enthusiast but I was too young, didn't have a dog, had perfect eyesight and was utterly unable to sew leather elbow patches onto a tweed jacket so my application to become one was refused on that occasion and I was so dejected I never tried again.

A short spell with a Volvo 340 kind of killed any residual feelings really... That was not an excellent car. Good but it was no Volvo. Looked better than a real Volvo though...

[R9UKE]

Yes, certainly a car you could draw with a ruler!

I was hoping she'd bought the new S60 which she'd have for another 35 years - unfortunately she bought an Audi A1

Jim I'm glad to hear of someone else with a bit of a soft spot for the Swedes. Volvo have always been my next stop after the French. There's something about them, plus the fact that elbow patches are now back in fashion so the timing has never been better! I'll never forget the first Volvo I got. A 1993 940SE Auto which was sent straight to auction after the owner died, wasn;t even cleared out. The headlining had enough tobacco in it to start a factory, there were a few pipes in the glove compartment as well. A big 3D compass on the dash and a CD changer full of French/Spanish 70s and 80s classical music. Wish I'd kept it!

[DHallworth]

That thing is probably built like a tank and will run on forever... But Oh My God it's ugly!

[R9UKE]

It certainly feels like a tank! And the looks.... I'd agree, but I've been driving it over the past few days and it gets more admiring glances, smiles and comments than the Avantime!!

[CitroJim]

Saw an Avantime in our local Tesco this evening. Robyn wondered what I was getting all excited about

She thought it was cool when I pointed it out

[R9UKE]

Great! It's one of those designs that looks particularly great in the mundane setting of a car park. She was probably thinking there was a C6 behind it

[Citroenmad]

How do you go from a brick like Volvo to a sardine tin like Audi, very odd. Its not as if they even come in beige!

[CitroJim]

I discovered something the Aventime and V6 XM have in common yesterday; they both have unobtainable exhausts