R9UKE's French Car Blog...

[CitroJim]

Here here Jim now we can work on the other thing he really needs to migrate to

I think that might be just a bit harder Will. We've done the impossible but the miracle is going to take just a little longer...

[KP]

Just like Guinness Jim, it takes time for the best things

[R9UKE]

I'll drink to that Jim!

And you better not mean diesel!

[KP]

All the black stuff is good oui Luke

[R9UKE]

Hope everyone is well, sorry I haven't been as active as I normally am, uni came to one hell of an end but I'm pleased to say I'm graduating with a 2:1 so it has all been worth it! Now it's the big bad world

Just a quick one to prove that the Xantia V6 has done its job with me in teaching me that one Citroen isn't enough..... I now have a CX!!



It finally annoyed Robert enough for him to give up on it. Thankfully the bodywork isn't a sign of what the rest of the car is about, in fact I think it gives it a pretty aggressive beat up old Frenchy look

It's early days but its settling in very well, and I haven't had a sense of occasion quite like it in a car before now - watching the dash working as the car drives is enough to make anyone crash

[Citroening]

Congrats with the 2:1 Luke!

I'd heard about the Athena from Robert and wondered how you were finding it - sounds like you're enjoying it...

[Fake Concern]

Congratulations on the degree


And the CX!

[ragger]

Congratulations all round.

Rob

[CitroJim]

Bloody marvellous on both counts Luke Well done!

[R9UKE]

Thanks very much guys

[Citroenmad]

Well done with your degree Luke

I thought you might venture into more Citroens following on from the Xantia, I think that CX looks great just as it is!

[bxzx16v]

Congratulations Luke . Loving the Cx .

Mark

[lexi]

Can you check your inbox Luke.

[miked]

Calling R9UKE, Your tales of Auctions, Renault's, and other interesting french cars needs to be updated.

[R9UKE]

Nice to have a request, thanks Mike

I have neglected this, apologies. Life has been rather hectic, despite not having a job yet and no uni to go back to (hooray!), the summer has just zoomed by. It was a pretty tough few months for selling the cars on the side, I didn't build the empire quite as much as I wanted to but hopefully things will improve now that the summer is over and people stop spending money on their kids! Despite this, I have managed to add a few lovelies to the fleet and am pretty pleased with my little collection........ where to start?!

This is going to be VERY pic heavy, apologies. I'll start off with an update on the cars you already know about. The red 2.2 dCi Vel Satis has been in daily service since I got it at the start of April. It's since racked up 5k very pleasurable miles without a single dCi meltdown or violent explosion. The leak from the inlet manifold has got progressively worse, and the patch where it sits overnight is a definite health hazard with the amount of oil that's been lost As much as I love jumping into a Vel Satis every morning, I just feel violated driving a diesel everyday so it's being retired within the next few weeks in favour of my latest purchase which will take over daily service until it inevitably breaks.



The V6 silver sisters are all faring well....





I've had the Laguna II Dynamique V6 for a year and half now, in which time it's done 3000 miles. This is one of those cars that just reeks of having been pampered all it's life, and doesn't have a single one of the common Laguna niggles they all get. It drives like the day it left the factory, no rattling trim or clunky suspension (as normal on the Laguna II) and puts a huge smile on my face every time I drive it, it just likes to spend a lot of time here



I treated it to an oil change last week, along with the Avantime, which is living an equally leisurely life at the moment - It's been out only 3 times over summer.





The SLY Xantia V6 has settled in well. It brought back to me how quirky a Citroen can be - keypad immobiliser, the suspension adjustments, and of course a big V6 to surprise everybody! The smell of petrol in the car with the climate control on is becoming a bit of a concern, if anyone has any ideas I'd appreciate it. No visible leaks, but the smell is strong! The cooling fans are now on constantly as well, so I need to replace that sensor at some point.

The 406 V6 Estate, I hate to say, may be in limbo. I need to be realistic (and we know I don't do that very often!) and weigh up whether it's worth ever MOTing again. It will need quite a lot of exhaust and some front suspension work at the very least. It;s then got a pretty violent battery drain to diagnose and has been resprayed pretty horribly up one side. It's never a car that will be worth very much and I'm reluctant to spend proper money on it. It is rare though, and when I do take it out for a cheeky run it does make me smile. It is, however, currently sitting packed with tools and parts and has sat unstarted in the corner of the yard since those photos were taken. Still - not very many can say their garden shed is a 3 litre V6

I finally got round to picking up a panel donor car for my black Mégane Convertible 1.6 Auto. which I bought last October covered in marks, scratches and dents. The worst parts on it are the bonnet, two front wings and bumper. I figured picking up a black coupé for next to nothing, swapping panels and stocking up on parts would be much more sensible than paying to get it resprayed etc. The convertible also needed a suspension strut and few other interior bits, my Super Luxe coupé has benefited from the project as well, getting a few parts it needed to be almost completely mint. Here's the three together.



The stripping of the black coupé....



It getting picked up for scrap when I'd got everything I needed - along with my old Clio with the dead auto box, hence the 406 becoming the shed!



The Convertible should be presentable and ready for MOT just in time for winter

Thought I'd share a few of these pics as well, taken by a friend who's pretty into photography and has produced some pretty cool shots of my fleet













The CX looks particularly cool in those pictures. It's been a really enjoyable car to get to know, especially seeing how differently Volvo and Citroen were thinking at the time, my 1979 244DL just feels the total opposite of the CX! It has sh*t on me already though, leaving a nice green puddle underneath itself after a run, dripping out right below the LHM tank, it has since emptied itself and has been parked in a corner on low. Bad Citroen!



Now onto the new additions....

One sunny evening in May I logged on for my daily flick through Gumtree.... well if you'd have seen my reaction at seeing an ad posted just five minutes earlier for a 1987 Phase 1 Volvo 760 GLE with the PRV 2849cc V6 petrol! Last on the road in 2009 and requiring a bit of love, it was home that same evening. A remarkably fresh and original car, it had been in the one family from new. Power steering and alternator belts being tightened cured the original hiccups we had.....



....and now it's cruising around faultlessly showing off it's 80s chrome wheels and throwing two fingers up at modern emission controls while it drinks it's way through petrol at a scary rate. Just need to secure a front indictor/DRL cluster and it's ready for MOT!










This came along at the end of June. Not a car that was on my list, but I do love an uber rare special edition with a "love it or hate it" interior











It's a 2000 Renault Mégane Coupé 1.6 16v "Super Luxe". I have to say, even being the Renault nut I am, it's a special edition I had never heard of and was slightly weary of it's originality. Thankfully it turned up at auction (after being traded in to Renault) complete with a handbook pack full of history, including the original factory order form spec sheet confirming it as a "Série Limitée Luxe". A bit more digging and it seems it was exclusive to the Irish market. Basically the highest spec completely smothered in BROWN. It had two owners from new and has worn it's 131k miles extremely well indeed - even the drivers seat is only very lightly worn. The AC is ice cold, the sound system is brilliant and everything electrical works, including the rear windows which electrically "pop" out. It's been sharing the "daily" title with the diesel Vel Satis over summer and has been a joy to live with so far, it's earned it's place in the permanent collection - especially since it only cost £290 with four months tax and MOT

And finally, my latest find, purchased just two days ago and intended to be the next daily, a 1995 Peugeot 306 Convertible 2.0 AUTO Roland Garros











What a car. So tacky in a way only a 90s French car can be, and yet SO cool at the same time. Green paintwork, white/green seats, RED seatbelts, and a dash caked in "walnut effect" - it's just brilliant! It's also had a very easy life, just 71k miles, one owner since it arrived on this side of the water in 2010, two in England before that where it has Full Peugeot Service History. The paintwork gleams, the roof is in brilliant condition and the interior even boasts the original Roland Garros mats. We've had glorious sun here for the past two days so I've been topless and loving it, it's just SUCH a good looking car, I've already had people purposely come over to ask me about it. The gearbox changes beautifully, the 2.0 engine is nice and nippy and I'm pretty sure we're going to have a very happy relationship. It has a few little 306 niggles - the central locking doing the "bounce back" carry on that they do, and the roof sometimes requires a helping hand - worn elastics apparently, but nothing major enough to take away from the love I'm feeling for this very special little car. If it's still behaving just as well next week it'll be the new daily (along with the Super Luxe), and my private plate will be put on it to let the Vel Satis retire properly.

So yes, I'm a very happy boy indeed. Now I need to spend a few hours reading up on what I've missed with you lot