21 Turbo 30th Anniversary jaunt to Pouilly en Auxois (Pic heavy)

[DaveL485]

Last weekend we popped across the water for a three day jaunt to the Club 21 Turbo 30th anniversary event. There was me in my Quadra, @dip21 in his Quadra, @johnspin in his Quadra, @am21t in the Red rocket, @la21t in his black Phase 1 and @phil21turbo in his BMW M3 (tsk!)

I left Coventry at 02:40 in the morning (ick!) and boosted down the M1 to meet Amrit and Dips, then round the M25 and met Lee on the M20. We hit the Eurotunnel on time and then met up with Phil and Johnspin who crossed over the night before for a private evening of poppers and hide-the-sausage.

My first picture of the trip, which sets us up for the journey ahead in typical Renault trip fashion, is Dip on my (now legendary) stiff bar.



The car overheated in heavy traffic and brutal heat and sicked a load of water out of the expansion tank, we worried about head gasket while it cooled off but once we got it to a service area and refilled/bled it it was OK....I guess the tank cap blowoff valve was faulty or something. I dunno. Once we were rolling it didnt do it again. We lost about an hour while it cooled off and we recovered it and filled it back up again.

Our planned route took us right past Riems, so we thought it'd be rude not to visit the old F1 circuit.

 

[DaveL485]

 

[DaveL485]

 

[DaveL485]

So, we lurked around here for an hour or so and then set off for the hotel. We were a little behind cos of the overheating but nothing massive we were still on for a 5pm arrival.

OR SO WE THOUGHT.

Literally half a mile from Riems Dip pulled us over as he had no boost. He found a split pipe on his actuator line, and set about a cut and shut job in the scalding engine bay (I did think "surely that would overboost then...") which proved right when we pulled off 15min later and he still had no boost. We carried on regardless. For about five miles. Then poor Dips car cut out completely, and rolled to a stop dead as a doornail. I had a quick look and when it turned over there was nothing, no attempt to fire and not even a fuel pump so I got the laptop out and plugged in to the ECU. Nothing. Wouldnt load the map file, no lights on the ECU. I unplugged it from the loom and noted that it was VERY hot indeed having been mounted in the glove box, and plugged it into my own car which exhibited the same symptoms... so the ECU was dead. Out came the stiff bar....again. While we were examining it btw, we checked the actuator rod and that had fallen off too, which is why there was no boost. What a mess!



I dragged him about 30km to the next big service station where we had to wait for 40mins for the recovery people in the UK to call him back, to tell him that they needed to send a french recovery firm to recover him off the motorway (despite it being a massive service station) to then get it on to THEIR recovery lot for repatriation. 30 mins later the froggy recovery showed up and loaded up so we then had to follow them to their base.

Then we waited for the car to be unloaded and Dip to confirm we could leave the car there and bugger off. It was, by now, 5pm and we were supposed to be at the hotel by now...and we had 200 miles left to go!
As we blasted off on to the motorway again we made about five more miles and Johnspin pulled us over....by now we were all pretty frustrated. It was just a boost hose had come off, so five mins of naughty words and we were back on it. We managed a few miles this time, until we spotted something flapping from the bottom of the M3.... so yep...we had to stop again, go through toll exit into a service area etc etc. Give us a break! A bolt had fallen off a panel under the car Phil reckoned and a bit of trim was flapping. We couldnt do anything so it continued to flap and we cracked on. Foot down, got the rest of the miles done and arrived at the hotel at half eight which was about 4 hours later than planned lol

 

[DaveL485]

Renault dealer next to our digs.


And on Saturday we went to the event, which was basically a field full of Renault 21's

 

[DaveL485]

 

[DaveL485]

 

[DaveL485]

 

[DaveL485]

We happened upon a lesser spotted Lyndon and had a bit of a catch up too which was nice.

Sunday we made tracks for home. Fingers were crossed for the red rocket, that was now carrying an alternator issue with the charge light coming on at low rpm. We hoped it would last, although we did have a spare. Its about the only thing that wasnt new new so typically, it decided to give up halfway across the world! It did make it home though so no complaints. We had a bit of fun and games on the way back, few D-roads (at sensible speeds obviously *cough cough*). Stopped at a nice little town for a coffee and a cake, and my passenger took some rolling snaps .

 

[DaveL485]

When we stopped for second break, Lee spotted an oil drip under his car. On investigation it turned out the vibration from an improperly secured oil cooler has ruined the seal on the pivot on the AN10 union to the cooler and it was pissing oil out! FFS. Fortunately with the tools we had available he managed to remove the whole setup and just spin the filter on to the block, and it made for interesting radio chatter on comparable oil temps for the rest of the journey.

 

[DaveL485]

We got to the tunnel in good time and went with our assigned crossings. Of course the terror attach on London bridge had just happened so the queues at passport control were horrific and there were frenchmen with guns EVERYWHERE. We got our crossing OK though and said our farewells on the train. I stopped for fuel outside the tunnel port and the others legged it off as I was going to other way around the M25 and up the M40 this time.

I absolutely hammered it home for the 180 miles I had left aside from the M25 traffic as per usual. I put the car away in the garage with a loving pat on the wing mirror, slightly smug that the beat up old heap was the only car that didnt stop us once on the whole trip. Didn't miss a beat. I'm going to miss it while it's away, because its time for body resto now and when the MOT expires on June 23rd i'll take it to bits and ship it up to Haz for the work it so truly needs and deserves

 

[am21t]

Already looking forward to our next trip.......

 

[Big Steve - Raider]

Great little write up @DaveL485 !! So what become of the Dip's 21? Still lounging somewhere in France with a Dead ECU?

I shuddered when I read you commenting about your legendary stiff bar..?! :ap:

 

[Neal R19]

All this almost makes me want a 21T. Almost.

 

[andybond]

Some good pics there Dave.

One question ; at the park in a field event I noticed a lot of cars had tarp. or plastic under the car. Are they trying to prove it doesn't leak , or conversely that it is leaking and trying not to polluate

 

[DaveL485]

Some good pics there Dave.

One question ; at the park in a field event I noticed a lot of cars had tarp. or plastic under the car. Are they trying to prove it doesn't leak , or conversely that it is leaking and trying not to polluate

No clue. Odd isnt it.

 

[DaveL485]

All this almost makes me want a 21T. Almost.

*like*

Do it!

 

[DaveL485]

Still lounging somewhere in France with a Dead ECU?

Yep.

 

[Turbjj]

Great Pic's!
Mine was not ready as planed, but finally is in the Bodyshop (today) so i'll be there for th 35th B-day

 

[BIG MVS]

Nice one lads! Shame about the brake downs inc my old Blue Quadra, hope the ECU is repairable.