My Blue Chammy & Other Ramblings.

Site Subscriber Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 1141

What a good idea - progress reports! Now I can rattle on to my hearts content!

I've never been one to spend a lot of money on cars. I like to mod, but I don't like to break the bank at the same time (In short, I'm a tight arse!!). My first car was, and still is, a 1993 Renault 19 1.4 RT. Over the last three years when something I like has come up cheap, I've bought it.

16V Alloys with Brand new tyres & Center Caps Â£ 100
16v Sideskirts ready primed and delivered Â£ 25
16v Badge Â£ 1
Full Leather Interior Â£ 80
16v Front Brake Conversion (brand new) Â£ 140

The only thing left to do to it to make it a true 16v look alike (aside from a rear brake conversion) would be spraying the bumper tops and fitting a 16v bonnet, but one has never come up at the right price. So, I've sold it for Â£700 Sad

Anway, the opportunity arose to buy a Renault 19 16v. The price was Â£400 to start with, but my lack of money due to not selling my car and the sellers urge for a sale due to loosing space for the car meant a deal at Â£250 was struck. Had the buyer not been a mate off RSC (hello Ben!), I would have not have felt a twinge of guilt for taking the car for such a low price but I hope to purchase some furhter bits off him at a fairer price when I have some more cash.

Anyway, the new car is a Blue 1993 Renault 19 16v Chamade. I've never really liked Chamades until recently, but they have grown on me. They seem a bit more executive rather then hot hatch and have the added benfit of being cheaper to buy. I had a black 3dr 16v for a month which was riddled with problems, this valver has its fair share but nothing that can't be put right.

1.) Speedo Under Reading / Trip Computer not working.

Some muppet had fitted white dials to the car before Ben, and hadn't made a particually good job either. The MPH needle was sat a good 10mph down from the 0 line and the trip only displayed the fuel level. After getting the dash out and resetting the needle, as well as replaceing the bulbs that had blown, I noticed the trip wasn't working because the sensor was not clipped into the cable correctly. Also, the cable housing was damaged as if it had been forced with a screwdriver to remove it rather then just simplying giving it a good firm tug. However, refitted it and it worked - horray! The cyrstals have fallen a bit, but they all do - if one comes along at the right price (lol!) I will replace it.

2.) Wheel noise and poo brakes...

Ben sold me the car with a noise coming from the drivers side front wheel. He thought it was a wheel bearing, I feared the worst and thought it was a driveshaft. We were both wrong, upon furhter inspection it was a worn and binding brake pad so worn that disintergrated when I removed it - refitted new pads, problem solved. Appart from the calipers were stiff.

Turned out the rubber grease seales had perished and the sliders had rusted solid. Must have gone through 2 tins of WD40 and snapped 2 draper spanners trying to get them out - but did eventually and flushed them out with WD40 and a rag. I had some new grease seales left over from my brake conversion, so lubed them up and refitted them - went for a spin and it stops a hell of a lot better now!

3.) Pealing Laqure

This was the main area of concern for the car. The roof was pretty bad, and so was the wing. The first phase was to get some rubbing compound on it, its come up quite well:

But thats only a short term fix, once the weather has been it it the paint starts to turn again so I have since feather the edges with soem P1000 paper and then reapply some laqure and go from there. Its come up quite well, still needs left to harden and rubbing down for a finial coat. I might try and spray the area blue again but I'm not too confident I could blend the area to well - we'll see, I might get a new wing and practice on the old one. I would like to have it properly resprayed, but the problem with a respray is that its somethign you will never get back fromt he car. You can sell on alloys / lowering springs / interior but you can't really scrape the paint off and flog it on! lol.

Its not a prefect car, but it was never going to be for Â£250 - and had I bought a minter for Â£1500 who is to say the gearbox / engine aint going to blow? If that happens here, I can walk away having lost not a great deal Smile

Planned Mods:

1.) CAR TAX!!!
2.) Remove the god aful twin DTM exhaust with a full S/S system

It came back on a break down truck the other day too - the top radiator hose blew up - oops. Could have been worse tho!!

I have since put the car through its MOT and it failed on Discs and a Ball Joint - will get those sorted, however, I have been offered a N reg Valver with 54k on the clock, new gearbox and clutch and one owner which I might go and see - black, 5 door hatch tho - shame its not a 3 door or a chammy. We'll see!

Forum Moderator Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 1356

Addie, nice write up. I think your on to a winner with that chamade, nice price from Ben as well. Let me know when you get rid of your S/S system, I'll be very interested in everything apart from the back box if you sell.

I was going to go down and buy it off Ben but the paint put me off, hats off though bit of elbow grease and its come up cracking! Good job!

Mr Quoter-vator Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 7405

yeah very impressive touch up on that paint....u cud get an "old" wing instead to practise on then do the wing thats on there...save swapping panels.

i gotta do some rust on my arches soon so any painting/blending tips will be good.

Forum Moderator Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 1356

I ain't even gonna attempt my rusty arch. Body shop for me

Mr Quoter-vator Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 7405

well so far mines just like paint coming off with rust underneath...hopefully just superficial...so when we get a good stint of dry warm weather i will give it a go...im just concerned about blending the new paint in with the old. sounds like a lot of rubbing and layers...

Site Subscriber Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 1141

Turns out the black PH2 hatch I was looking at has rusty sills, and talked myself out of getting another 5 door hatch and 3 doors seem to fairly expensive so I'll hang back should I happen across one or get a Golf GTI 2.0 16v MK3 at the end of summer? Am I mad?

Got quite a huge "to do" list on it now.

Got me a radiator top hose off ebay for Â£5inc postage, not a bad price.

However, I've been playing sport the water leak - and the winner is...

I'm sure this is supposed to be metal? Anyway, the bottom hose has proper perished and is weaping water out of the joint, so need to detach it from the block and put in a new T-Piece when I find one. Local scrappie have loads of water bottles, so going to get me a new one too.

Other to do job is the clutch pedal - I'm really used to it now, but I want to try and raise the biting point because as soon as it gets warm it moves to the floor. New one with new adjuster is Â£18 from renault +vat so I'll get one ordered.

Going to buy a dremil today to try and put the back panel on, and then I need to try and raise the DTM exhaust as its not straight and is annoying me. Been offered a piper full system with decat and single exit box (when i find the guys number) - but its for a Ph1 and im not sure it will fit a Ph2 with the Ph2 not having the cut out in the bumper? The DTM is growing on me now anyway. Mite get it anyway.

Not really wanting to spend a great deal of money on this car, its just a project really and will never be a "minter" - I'm a perfectionist so I'm really trying to hold back!

Btw don't ask me about paint, I have no idea!

Level 5 User Joined: 18 Mar 2004 Posts: 112

Looks like you got a bargain there!

Can I have it back please? [ Wink

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