Right. Held my tongue long enough. 7 months on from having my Megane engine "finished" by Rentec, I've decided to put up a proper review of my experience of their work.
- Took the car to them in July after several email, telephone and face-to-face conversations with them. They seemed very knowledgeable and professional, and couldn't have done enough to help. Agreed on a timescale (1-2 weeks start-to-finish) and left the car with them on 20th July.
- Bought a 250 engine had it delivered to them on 8th July , two weeks before I dropped the car off. 4 weeks later and I'm 'phoning and exchanging emails regarding an expected completion date. I'm told they're having to finish another customer's megane 225 before they can properly work on mine. Meanwhile I'm being asked to provide info on how the intercooler pipes are routed, and also to provide wiring diagrams.
- Received an email on 24th August asking me to call them. Call them, and I'm told the engine is basically scrap. This is the first time they're looking at the engine, despite it arriving 6 weeks previously. I now have to find a new engine.
- Find a new engine, have it delivered on 1st September. Receive an email on 6th September saying they've looked at the engine (5 days later!) and it's fine.
- Receive an email 6th September saying the Clio exhaust plus sports cat won't fit onto the Milltek Megane downpipe (no shit, I'd already explained what needed done and that a reducer needed ordered). Explained what needed done again and ordered the reducer myself.
- Received an email on 20th September saying the engine was in but the standard intercooler and pipework can't be used, so I need to order universal pipes from ebay. So I did.
- 23rd September, receive an email saying the intercooler-to-throttle body pipe is missing. I send them one, next-day delivery.
- 29th September, receive an email saying one of the driveshafts I'd supplied was wrong. I buy a new one and have it sent straight to them.
- 3rd October - get an email saying the driveshaft is correct but the guy working on my car is off sick, and they're not sure when he'll be back.
- 'Phone them and email them on 6th October stating I'm not happy with things taking so long and I want my car back, even if I have to trailer it home and finish it myself. Receive a reply apologising, but stating there was no drive on the O/S shaft. Turns out there is a difference between early and late 225 shafts (you'd think a RenaultSport specialist would know that?) I tell them this, and the end of my Clio shaft is fitted onto the new Megane 225 shaft.
- 7th October - car drives but cooling fan is not cutting in. Email later that day saying it now works but wipers don't work. Faulty UPC unit is detected and new one ordered.
- 11th October - 'phoned them to ask if the car is finished, told it's now ready to collect.
- 12th October - collect the car!!11!!1!!one11!!1
Get home, discover oil leaking from the car. Gearbox oil. Contacted them, and was given a price of £170 to fit a new driveshaft seal. I asked why this wasn't checked when the car was handed over to me and was told "we don't provide warranty as you provided the gearbox". This is true, but surely it was leaking when you filled it? I mean it wasn't leaking, but pissing out!
Forward to February and remap at RS Tuning. Paul got the car up in the air only to find the undertray and rear of the engine covered in engine oil. Turns out the turbo oil pipe had cracked and was steadily pissing oil out. Paul said he was surprised it hadn't caught fire. It's not a part which usually fails, so the conclusion was that the car had the leak when handed back to me.
So, overall:
Brian and Barrie at Rentec are really nice guys, and also seemed to be knowledgeable regarding standard RenaultSport stuff.
However, they clearly took the job on when a) they had no idea what it involved, and b) they were far too busy to concentrate on the job full-time, rather doing it piecemeal. I also found their communication shocking.
All this resulted in me having to constantly chase them for updates, and also constantly provide advice regarding parts and their fitment.
7 months on, the car is now running how it should have been when it left Rentec, having cost me another £200-odd on top of what I paid them - which in case you're still interested, was £1500 (from an original quote of "10-15 hours, £540-£810 inc. vat).
Would never use them again.
