Potential purchase...

S

skullyjo

Hey everyone!

I've just been browsing through the forum, very nice and active site btw! Anyway, I'm looking at purchasing a 197 *hopefully*
My first car was a DS3 (god that sounds SO daddy's girl, I apologise and it's very much not like that haha) so I'm used to French cars, the usual clunks etc but I am still very much a fan. I currently have a Golf and it's just been problem after problem after problem... Hence looking at French again.

I've been made aware of the "chocolate gearbox" that some have had issues with, with the 197. But is there any other key points to assess/look out for with purchasing one?

Any advice is much appreciated! Many thanks :smile:
 
Welcome along.

Check the manifold isn't blowing as that's a costly fix. Ball joints can be an issue, should be no squeals from the suspension, harder to actually check though.
 
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Welcome! There's a buyers guide that can be found here.

The formatting is a bit off because of the recent forum update, but the information is still there.
 
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Welcome to the forum! Good luck for the search - its worth viewing a few to get a good idea of a good car and a bad car. The buyers guide is great and has everything you need to know in there.

Anything specific you need to know, just ask.
 
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Took me 3 years to find the right 197 for me! Read up as much info as you can on these cars as knowledge is power when money is changing hands. If you know you want to go down the modding route it will be cheaper to look for a car with these mods already done. If you want a standard car be prepared for the long haul.
 
Overall they're cracking cars to drive the Clio 197 but there are quite a few issues to be aware of, some more expensive to put right than others.

Service wise the cam belt service is VERY important on these so check there is proof of it being done, if not budget about £500-£600 for the job lot (Cam, Aux, Water Pump and Dephaser pulley). The spark plugs want changing every 2-3 years or 36k also. If there is no written history that you can enquire about with a garage take it as given that it's not been done.

Issue wise you have, going off what's gone or going on mine for a rough idea:
-Notchy gearbox that sometimes crunches in 3rd - often points to worn syncros, people have reported that dropping the gearbox oil and putting fresh in there can help but it won't fix the problem. Driving with a bit of mechanical sympathy will also help.
-Hub carrier ball joints, I wouldn't be surprised if most 197s have worn ones as it seems to be common now they're getting on a bit. My cars went on 58k, both sides!
-Rough running and kangarooing when cold, some cars do it worse than others and it seems to be worse if you mess with the exhaust and/or air intake. A remap can help flatten it out.
-Indicator and wiper stalks can start to play up, you can take them to bits to give them a clean out and it sometimes solves the issue, on mine two wires had come loose from the loom so I had to mess about bodging them back into the plug lol.
-Blocked scuttle drains, this is a fairly easy DIY fix but hard to spot on a test drive. Can wreck havoc with the electrics if they get badly blocked so worth checking once you get the car.
-The brembo pins getting jammed on the front calipers, budget for new ones when changing the front pads as you'll likely have to cut them out if they've been neglected.
-Rear calipers seizing up but this can be fixed if caught early enough and cleaned up. Also bear in mind that the rear discs when they need changing are rather expensive as they come as a complete unit with abs ring and wheel bearing. So they're actually more expensive than the fronts!
-Melting steering wheel, literally the leather or what ever it is starts to come off in bits in your hand.
-Thermostat getting stuck open, on mine it wasn't warming up properly struggling to get past the 1st marker on the dash. Changed the stat and it fixed the issue.

Hopefully that helps show some of the possible issues buying one of these might bring, you might get lucky and get one that's had a lot of the above changed but it's always good to know what your letting yourself in for sometimes.
 
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What model are you looking for? bare in mind that if you look at the F1 model that are full spec they are getting on and most will on 80k miles plus, not a problem if it's been serviced properly though. A lot of people are really hung up on the mileage but it really is just a number, in some cases I've seen Clios with low mileage that are wrecked, and vice versa. Don't buy one without cam belt change unless you are fully prepared to do this yourself, and personally I wouldn't buy a heavy modified one, the insurance is already pretty high on the standard car.
 
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KYFO.CO.UK said:
What model are you looking for? bare in mind that if you look at the F1 model that are full spec they are getting on and most will on 80k miles plus, not a problem if it's been serviced properly though. A lot of people are really hung up on the mileage but it really is just a number, in some cases I've seen Clios with low mileage that are wrecked, and vice versa. Don't buy one without cam belt change unless you are fully prepared to do this yourself, and personally I wouldn't buy a heavy modified one, the insurance is already pretty high on the standard car.
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Alot of good advice here - but i don't entirely agree with the mileage part per-se.

While mileage is only a number as you say (And while the Renault or ANY other engine may be good for XXXXXX miles): its every part of the car thats done that many miles.

I ran a modded Saxo which was also running 100hp of NOS for 10 (?) years and from 4000 to just shy of 100'000 miles. The engine was and always ran faultlessly. But toward the end it was the smaller things like wheel-bearings, bushes, driveshafts, trackrod-ends, various sensors etc it was needing on like a monthly or shorter basis.

And just thinking aloud - these days (Unless a replacement lump is mega-bucks) its the body work thats a fortune to sort. Couple of small dints, bumper respray etc can easily run into nearly 4 figures.

Great post by @Mattb_197 above :smile:
 
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Sorry to have run off topic skully!

197's in general are great cars but do produce minor niggles all the time as they get older. Most are fairly inexpensive to repair once diagnosed but the 2 biggies that do pop up regular are the manifold blowing and a crunching gearbox! Hope that doesn't put you off
 
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