Ownership Verified: Another French thing on wheels

villej

villej

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 30, 2005
Messages
658
Location
Finland
Car(s)
'03 and '06 Renault Megane
So, we have a another Finn who has just bought a used French car. :|

I wanted to replace my '97 Megane with something little less noisy but still cheap. I was pondering between various french cars, mainly Citroen C5s. Then I went to check out this car:

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An another Megane. Precisely a 2003 model, has been driven 250k kilometres. The car is a 1.4 litre model. I wanted a car with this engine, because it does not have a VVT wheel, that causes problems in models with bigger engines.
I thought the car was a fairly solid and clean inside out for the price and considering the kilometres. Interior was in good condition. During the past year or so the windshield, alternator, battery and a few door hinges have been replaced. As is inevitable to a car that is 11 years old and has been driven fairly much, it has a few minor things to be picky of:

-Plastic lock cover on drivers door is missing (I already ordered a new one for ?5)
-Rubber coating peels off on the inside door handles (I need to recoat them or buy replacements)
-Seatbelts are lazy to retract (probably worn springs, don't know if fixable)
-The drivers door is a few millimetres too low, and also makes a loud rattle-like noise if shut even at a little excess force. I have no idea what causes the rattle, but would be nice to get it sorted somehow.

So, I offered the seller a bit under 1900 euros, and we got a deal.

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Now I need to find smaller winter tires. The current ones are a little too wide and noisy for my taste. They are 205/55R16. I am trying to find smaller ones, preferably withoud studs. Even with these tires this car is a noticiably quieter than my older Megane though.
 
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Welcome to the club :)
 
I had some reservations about the high mileage, but because the car felt and looked good and was well serviced I went for it. The car has been with the first owner till 2012, and she has always serviced it in Bilia (Finnish Renault dealer).
 
Pfft, 250k is nothing for a Renault. I hope :D
villej said:
-Rubber coating peels off on the inside door handles (I need to recoat them or buy replacements)
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Actually I had this very same thing in my Laguna. It is just way too soft material to last years of nailscrubbing. I never bothered to do anything about it, and I'm not sure how it should be repaired... I guess all junkyard parts have the same problem.
 
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Try giving the seatbelts a good wash, steam clean, something strong. You'll be suprised at how much human slime gathers on the belts and slows them down.
 
villej said:
Thanks for the tips! :) I'll try the silicone spray at first, if it works, it would be an easy fix.
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I'll need to do that with the Xantia's left rear seatbelt. It'll make it more likely to pass MOT.
 
Sacre bleu! Another Frenchie! :lol:

Love the quirky looks with that strange vertical rear window.
If it's a 1.4, is it the 82hp or the 98hp version?

About Renaults: I'm still toying with the idea of replacing the Laguna at the end of the year with a 3.5 litre Renault Vel Satis barge instead of going mental into another direction.
 
Ooh, Vel Satis... One of the cars I'd so very much would like to have. Always turns my head and causes sounds like *gasp*, mainly because they were never imported officially and are therefore as rare as those famous hens teeth.
 
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Avantime would be even greater. Big, MPV-look Hardtop for four persons.
 
Avantime for 13.000?

The guy says it is as immaculate it can be, special copper metallic paint, he take it to "Avantime concours" meets and never drives it in the winter.

He's a new level of mad.
 
Meh, the Avantime has the same 207hp engine as I have in my Laguna, but weighs about 350kg more. - Don't want a slower car. - Sure the Vel Satis is as heavy as the Avantime, but at least it has 241hp. And further more, every Avantime on the market is simply overpriced. Vel Satis are dead cheap in comparison, even some decent low km/milage ones.

And now back to Villej's car: Because the Megane's design was ahead of it's time it doesn't look very dated. Good choice.
 
I have always had a soft spot for both Avantime and Vel Satis too. Would love to import either one. Just need to get my studies done and find a full time job, so I'll be able to afford them.

I think it is amazing by the way, how fast all these Renaults lose their value compared to most other makes. Here for under 2000 euros you can get either a modern 5 star safety rating Megane with no rust and with cruise control and all, or late 90s Japanese or other non French car with airbag for driver and ABS.

Also my brother just said me that he would never buy a French car. I said to him that it's good, then I can get them cheaper.
 
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lip, it's the 98 hp version. I am not sure if the other version was even imported here.
 
The Megane Mk. II aged surprisingly well, I have to say. At it's time, like the Vel Satis, I found them quite hideous, but today...they still look modern.
 
I was just looking at one today. The first thought that popped up in my head was the same as countless times before: EURGH, DAT ASS! :yucky: :p

But kudos to Renault for trying something different, anyway. It stood out when it was new and it still does, 12 years later. Personally I still prefer the estate though.
 
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When you compare this car to the older 5 door Megane, it quicly becomes obivious, that someone at Renault has just decided that the car must look like this, and then everything is built around that desing. For example, I would guess that this car has about 100 litres smaller boot than its predecessor.
 
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