Paul
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,014
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May 12, 2019 19:49:31 GMT
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Oh dear. Oh dear oh dear. So I have no space, no time and v little energy but when the opportunity arises to purchase a motor that created a little trouser tent in pubescent Paul there was only one thing to do. With a little cash burning a hole in my pocket (read - I'd just cleared a credit card) what should appear in this very parish but this...  Now, I remember being utterly mesmerised by these when they first appeared. The shape might not look amazing now, but at the time they were utterly revolutionary. The fact that you couldn't get one in RHD UK flavour made them even more desirable. Hell, even Mrs Paul had mentioned that she'd like to have a go in one. A recent visit to Spain reignited the affection as they're 10 a Euro on the continent. LHD, panoramic roof, digital dash in km/h and a plethora of ways to arrange the back seats... it's even practical. This one is a couple of steps up from poverty spec, with optional electric mirrors and windows that all seem to work. Most importantly, it's an absolute bloody hoot to drive. Don't expect to have much fun on the motorway, but take it back road cruising and it's skinny little 13" tyres make cornering an adventure in itself... First job was installing these awesome retro wheel trims...natch. So the plan as it stands is... Try to tidy up and restore/repaint interior plastics that have badly faded.  Rims and lowering springs are a must And I'm going to attempt a Rustoleum roller paint job...gulp! |
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Last Edit: Jul 16, 2020 17:21:48 GMT by Paul
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May 12, 2019 22:36:58 GMT
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I like that a lot.
My wife and I even rented one for a weekend when they just came out. We loved it so much but I could not get comfortable in it.
The seat did not offer enough support. But I still love them and agree they were a bit special.
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May 13, 2019 19:55:47 GMT
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And I have ALWAYS loved these.
Well done.
You win.
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May 13, 2019 20:08:34 GMT
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never driven one but always make me smile when i see one. fortunately there are still a few knocking around in lanzarote when we are out there. some very "pre-loved" and one very nice one.   |
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'80 s1 924 turbo..hibernating
'80 golf gli cabriolet...doing impression of a skip
'97 pug 106 commuter...continuing cheapness making me smile!
firm believer in the k.i.s.s and f.i.s.h principles.
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May 13, 2019 20:15:23 GMT
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I really like these, like a mini Espace. They used to stick out like a sore thumb, but time has served it well. I can imagine it responding well to the JDM touch, debadged just to confuse people.
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Paul
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,014
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May 13, 2019 20:56:36 GMT
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I like that a lot. My wife and I even rented one for a weekend when they just came out. We loved it so much but I could not get comfortable in it. The seat did not offer enough support. But I still love them and agree they were a bit special. The pedals aren't in the right place. I don't mean on the wrong side, I mean that they don't quite line up with the seat (for me anyway). It means I don't sit in the middle of the seat, I'm leaning off to the left a bit. It's really, really odd... |
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As you say, these are a dime a dozen in France. They even play "Twingo" a punch buggy, yellow car, Smashqai type driving game.
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luckyseven
Posted a lot
Owning sneering dismissive pedantry since 1970
Posts: 3,839
Club RR Member Number: 45
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May 14, 2019 10:16:32 GMT
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We had one of these as a grocery-getter when I was working in Madeira because it was much more economical to get down the mountain into Funchal than the LWB Landrover that had a nasty habit of dropping its propshaft. I remember it being terrifying to drive on Maderia mountain roads ...but then most things were, given the locals' tendency to treat any vehicle they're in as a suit of body armour with which to gain advantage over other road users. I also remember it being a lot easier to get down the mountain (even with the brake fade) than back up it. Becos not much power  Still, it was quite fun thing when the roads were flatter and less likely to kill you with a 1000-metre drop if you misjudged it by six inches. I often thought the fleets of the damn things that filled the island very analogous to the original Nuova Cinquecento in Italy; nippy, reasonably predictable handling (and considering they are French, after all) most un-Renault like in shrugging off abuse. But what you really need in Madeira is headlight bulbs that never burn out no matter how often you flash them and a really loud horn! |
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Paul
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,014
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May 15, 2019 18:59:05 GMT
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Well, first change made...swapped out the cracked and skinny 13s for 14" alloys and spacers to fit over the hubs...got 5 in total, local fleabay bargain with nearly new tyres  Happy with how they've spaced out the rear, although a good thwack with the lowering stick couldn't hurt...   |
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benzine
Part of things
Posts: 344
Club RR Member Number: 87
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May 15, 2019 23:22:14 GMT
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Very nice! Whenever I go on a WW1 battlefield tour (every few years) we play Twingo Bingo. 10 points per Twingo spotted, but if someone spots a gold/yellow Twingo then they win and it's game over. A couple from Portugal a couple of weeks ago:   |
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Paul
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,014
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 Cheeky little mod - small car deserves a smaller steering wheel... |
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May 23, 2019 11:15:05 GMT
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We had one of these as a grocery-getter when I was working in Madeira because it was much more economical to get down the mountain into Funchal than the LWB Landrover that had a nasty habit of dropping its propshaft. I remember it being terrifying to drive on Maderia mountain roads ...but then most things were, given the locals' tendency to treat any vehicle they're in as a suit of body armour with which to gain advantage over other road users. I also remember it being a lot easier to get down the mountain (even with the brake fade) than back up it. Becos not much power Still, it was quite fun thing when the roads were flatter and less likely to kill you with a 1000-metre drop if you misjudged it by six inches. I often thought the fleets of the damn things that filled the island very analogous to the original Nuova Cinquecento in Italy; nippy, reasonably predictable handling (and considering they are French, after all) most un-Renault like in shrugging off abuse. But what you really need in Madeira is headlight bulbs that never burn out no matter how often you flash them and a really loud horn! I owe my life to a Renault Twingo for not being utterly rubbish after foolishly agreeing, whilst drunk, to climb into one being driven by an INSANELY drunk Greek bloke in Kephalonia in the middle of the night. I was really too drunk to weigh it all up and I just thought "YEAH! GREAT! LETS DO THIS". My girlfriend at the time therefore had no choice but to climb into the back. We were being invited to a secret after hours unofficial "night club in a cave" where all the Kepha kids go to escape the tourists after the bars and clubs have shut. Sounded like a once in a lifetime opportunity. He drove it full speed, whilst rolling joints and drinking neat vodka, along coastal tracks at the top of cliffs, and turning around to chat to us. if you haven't been to Kephalonia, the coastal roads are often perched along the tops of sheer cliff drops. Frequently there are no barriers and the road surface is largely gravel. The roads seem to have kind of wilted in the sun, meaning they angle towards the drop on bends. So we drove those, rally style, at full clip, and it was only the car's ability to cope with very sudden hard cornering that kept us out of the sea. One of the most terrifying experiences of my life. So I love Twingos. We'd have died for sure in many other cars. |
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Paul
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,014
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Jun 15, 2019 21:46:37 GMT
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So I agreed to go to the Retro Show at Santa Pod a couple of weeks ago, safe in the knowledge that I had plenty of time to get the motor ready... Roll around 7pm TONIGHT and work finally begins to fit the lowering springs and new wheels. Sadly because of the need for speed but within 2 1/2 hours all 4 springs had been changed out for -40mm ones and some Borbet As I picked up a few weeks ago... The front is sitting lovely (bit lower but still practical) but the rear still looks a little too high...so I'll be lopping a coil off them ASAP  Hopefully more shots tomorrow at the show! |
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I really like that. These wheels look great.
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Ritchie
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 771 
Club RR Member Number: 12
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Are these based on a Clio floorpan?
A hot Clio lump shoved in would be fun, or even an R5T one if you can find one.
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Are these based on a Clio floorpan? A hot Clio lump shoved in would be fun, or even an R5T one if you can find one. I don't think they are, but F4R swap has been done, and more than once at that. 130+hp in this is gonna be a lot of fun. |
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Paul
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,014
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A lot of the parts are interchangeable with a Mk1 Clio but I don't know that the floor pan is the same...
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Paul
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,014
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Jul 16, 2020 20:50:31 GMT
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Well THAT was unexpected...   Chucked a fiver's worth of fresh petrol in the tank last week, gave it a quick wash, put air in the tyres, changed a bulb...fully expecting it to fail...but she's back! The exhaust is held on with cable ties BUT I promised the garage I'd ordered the proper exhaust rubbers (which I have) and I'm just waiting on them to arrive. So, plans are... MOAR lower (tangential springs FTW) Swap out the big 15s for diddy 13s (tuck tuck) Sort out the death wobble that occurs around 55-60 (I never got to the bottom of this so I'm thinking belt-and-braces front suspension refurb...ball joints, track rods, I think driveshafts can be had for a tenner) and get it tracked Some interior trim bits (seat handles and the like) are missing or damaged - I'll be looking to replace these Budget allowing I think I might put a full set of tyres on the original Renault 13" steelies (they're badly cracked and perished) and roll those awesome OEM wheel trims. Service Apologies to the purists, but there will also be SOUNDZ #bringbackneons Most importantly, the paint will be staying as is. |
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shin2chin
Part of things
Making curse word cars slightly better
Posts: 820
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I remember first seeing a Twingo in Tenerife, got to be 10 years ago and thinking how much potential they had. Good buy.
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1977 PORSCHE 2.0na 924
1974 VW Beetle 1600
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Paul
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,014
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Jul 17, 2020 14:50:42 GMT
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And that's the advisory sorted...cable ties replaced with exhaust rubbers.  Broom broom! |
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