buying a french car CLIO WILLIAMS

[smokeybone]

Hi everyone, going to pick a new car up the weekend as a run about just woundered if anyone knew of any known faults, The car is a 1995 Clio Williams 3. I know this is a Vauxhall site but most of you will have had other experience with other cars. Picking the car up friday afternoon so if there is anything i should know could you let me know by then please.

 

[Rusty]

Great cars

 

[djwilde69]

cant remember how they look altho you better be putting a LET in it

 

[justg]

The Williams is a good car but, gearboxes can be weak on higher mileage ones, arches rot, they tend to eat drop links once a year and the electrics can be problematic.

Also if it still has the factor remote fob and it hasn‘t been bypassed, its worth checking the base of the aerial, as it’s a known failing point as they aren’t watertight and the remote sensor is directly underneath it get soaked.

Also if it’s the early type fob (infrared) that sensor that gets wet also deactivates the immobiliser, silicone sealant around the base of the aerial on the inside of the car cures this.

 

[Kev_mk3]

airel on the roof leak aswell

 

[turbojay]

kev im sure J already pointed that out

to early for you eh???

 

[corsa_evn]

as above rear arches rot sometimes badly soo look out for bodged repairs there are a quick car tho also doors tend to sag and drop when you open them ! don't know if that was a common fault but it happend to my mates, other than that check for basic leaks and tyers ect,
we want pic's if you get it

 

[sirusmk3]

oh another problem its French they do look nice and are nippy. Only renault iv ever wanted is a Renault 5 GT

 

[smokeybone]

i have had a couple 5gt and didnt like how unreliable they were, Only reason i fancy a williams is its not something you see everyday now and its not a boy racer car either.lol

 

[wayne1]

o well if you must

 

[micky]

the rear plastic door strips tend to fall off or get pinched

 

[reno]

great cars these and cracking engines, i used to have a R19 16v, go well, mine kept up with redtops too i know its not a clio but only problems i had with mine were rott.

 

[corsa_evn]

i like some french cars R5 GTT's are reliable if you know how to build the right for example here is my mates R5 thred take a peak its not what you expect
http://retrorides.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=readersrides&action=print&thread=43427
only problems he's had is clutch going due to a few strip runs oh and its a extra van lol,

 

[si89 mk3ph2]

holy crap that van is amazing,that would suprise some chavs lol
si

 

[smokeybone]

well managed to pick the car up tonight, very please with it i must say, apart from two big faults. That being that someone has slapped 2 patches on the sill and they look terrible, so going to my local painter tomoz to see what he can do for me after i cut it out and weld it tidy. Must say im surprised how well they pull. Will get picks up tomoz when its light

 

[astranaut]

love clio williams, but all the ones i've seen are chav specials, with rotten arches and sills.

 

[smokeybone]

this one has had two patches done but not done very well at all. Apart from that it has full service history and totally standard, even down to the dealer floor mats

 

[astranaut]

Sounds like a good buy, cheaper the better!

 

[smokeybone]

it was a steal for what it is. Be glad to sort the dodgy sill out tho. Will post pics of the welding tomoz. Just found the bill for the welding last year, £240. The robbing *******s, how do they sleep at night charging that sort of money for something my nephew could have done better

 

[astranaut]

i've seen some very dodgy sill repairs, a mechanic i used to know FILLED what he was supposed to be welding once, covered it in Auto-schultz and it passed an mot!! I've seen quarter inch plate, not cut to size or anything, just whacked on to cover a hole. Some are just robbing *******s like you say. Thats why i want to learn to weld, if i do it myself i know its done!!