I piece i did for a Member of the month earlier this year
Well the car that got me into Renaults was a Mk1 Ph1 2.0 Yellow Coupe. I was at school playing footie when one drove past. I stared at it all the way past on the road past the school. It looked amazing and from then on I saved every bit of money i got so i could get a car when i was old enough.
Unfortunately the Megane coupe was out of my price range as it was barely 3 years old then. So i started to look at other Renault's. 19 16v's i liked but was also expensive and so was the 5 GT Turbo not to mention insurance costs at my age. My driving instructor at the time had an old R5 that use to be a learner car, so we went to look at it, but he wanted too much for it and no doubt clutch and stuff took an hammering. Also went to a few car auctions but only one we saw was a tatty 5 door R5. But it got me hooked on the idea of an R5 3 door as a 1st, so out came the Auto Trader and came across a special edtion 1.4 GTS Panache (1987) for £600 in Pontefract. It was perfect and far from bog standard. Semi Bucket seats, Electric windows, Central locking, Twin choke carbs which gave it 72bhp rather then the standard 60bhp. It did cost m3 £999.99 to insure but i didnt care i thought it was amazing. Dad said we'd keep it a year and then scrap it............. 5 years later it was still going and was loving it and it didnt owe me anything.
That all came to an end one January when it snowed. Was on my way to grandparents to take them shopping when I slipped off the road and into a tree and a tight bend, I was heart broken i loved that car. Fortunately it wasnt a big a job to repair as i 1st thought but not knowing that at the time i went out and got my 2nd car a 1993 Mk1 Ph1 Clio 1.8 RSi thinking the worst. My R5 was Repaired weeks after that and then a mate bought it off me and ran it for 2 years before he flogged it on. (So much for scrapping after a year Dad)
Now for some reason i just couldn't love the Mk1 Clio like my R5 and i did all sorts to it to try and make me like it. I got a full leather interior for it and a valver bonnet and a few other bits and bobs but it just didnt feel right. Dont get me wrong the car was great. Great 110bhp engine pulled like a train and great brakes and in corners but just couldnt love it. So a year and a bit later i started looking at cars.
I took a fancy to a Flame Red Mk2 Ph2 172 but could never find one cheap enough. But then stumbled across an iceberg 2002 one which was very cheap at 10k and only had 6k miles on it at Derbyshire Motorpoint. Went for a look and a drive and put a deposit on it. It was a right car, It wasn't Flame Red but i couldn't say no to the price it was and it was immaculate inside and out.
I owned the 172 for 4 years in which time id joined Cliosport.net which i organised a few meets for and became a moderator and also made some friends in the yorkshire group and further a field of which many im still close friends with today. The gatherings, drives out and shows made owning the R.S. even more special. Being able to share the experience with others and not be considered boring was what made it so good.
2 Years into owning the 172 I binned it on a roundabout ripping off the front left suspension and still to this day i've no idea how I managed it as I wasn't going that fast and it was dry. Was pissed off with myself for that for some time as it was a great car. It was fixed no problem back to full health but you know you never feel the same for a car after an accident. 6 Months later i changed the tyres to the 182 cup spec Michelins PE2's tyres and i could not believe the difference in grip levels to the Conti Sports i had on before. Was loads better and i slowly began to love it again as the handling on runs out had never been so good.
After 4 years of owning the 172 i started to get itchy feet to change it. But didn't no what. Mazda RX8's looked cheap and in my price range but wasn't somet i really liked that much to own one. Then a mate pointed me in the direction of a 225 Megane id discounted these as they were miles out of my price bracket when I 1st looked, but he showed me a few online and some weren't too badly priced. So i was on a mission then to find one cause I always liked them from the moment i saw one on a billboard plus they had been at a stunt show at the NEC Motorshow a couple of years earlier. And i found one at a place called DS cars. 10k 2.5 years old couldnt believe it. I wasted no time, I rung to book an appointment went down had a look around it, test drove it and i was instantly hooked i wanted it, It was also the colour i wanted one in too. Ex RUK car so had most of the toys. So i couldn't pay the deposit quick enough and he gave me 4k for my 172 as well which i thought was really good.
1 week later I was the proud owner of a car id never thought id be able to own and to this day i still have her and still love her to bits. Nearly 9 years old and still puts a smile on my face every time i drive her. About 6 months after owning her I signed up to this forum as CS members we being a bit bitchy about a Megane being on Clio runs out despite i organised runs out myself for the Yorkshire area and was a moderator, so it was time to move on. The Guys and Gals of the Yorkshire Area were very friendly and welcoming at the very 1st meet i attended in August 2008 and its just taken off from there really to what we have today were all great friends and ive even been designated the official Yorkshire photographer. Its something i really enjoy and make great friends with like minded folk. Not just in the Yorkshire Area but further a field as well. Here's to plenty more R.S.ing to come
