Car collection dilemma! A310 on the horizon?

[r5gordini]

OK, here goes... I am sharing this so I can get my thoughts straight, and maybe get some other perspectives...

My dilemma is that for the first time ever, I may start to rationalise my car collection. I have the ambition of owning an A610 Turbo at some point but I can't justify yet another car at the moment. So... Do I consider parting with cars that I have had forever? I have never sold a cherished car. Not in 21 years of driving!

Do I just wait until I can afford more storage/more cars and keep them all? Trouble is looking after them all! That doesn't feel sensible.

I have been offered a hibernating A310 at (what I believe will be) a very advantageous price. I have silly plans to buy it, recommission it, enjoy it for a bit and sell it on (as a stepping stone to the A610).

My current collection of cars that I really care about is (and I am not going to put their values here, for privacy reasons):

1. 1984 Renault 5 TL - owned since 1992 - NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, selling this one. My first car!
2. 1984 Renault 5 Gordini Turbo - owned since 1998
3. 1992 Renault 21 Turbo Quadra - owned since 2014
4. 1986 Renault 5 Turbo 2 - owned since 2002. My dad's but we have discussed him selling it to me, so that will probably be coming my way at some point too
5. 1989 Renault 5 GT Turbo EBS Cabriolet - owned since 2010

Now, I am maybe a bit bored with the Gordini Turbo. It's been off the road a few years. It would be easy to get roadworthy again in standard trim. Currently about to convert to modern electronic ignition. Can I/should I contemplate selling it, considering I have spent a lot of time and effort on it, including fitting power steering, etc...?

Should I part with the Quadra? I have invested a lot of cash in it (which I will never, ever recoup) and it's the quietest of my classics - that's a good thing now I am approaching my 40's! It's nice to have a more refined classic that doesn't bash my ears in every time I drive it!

I don't think I should consider parting with the Turbo 2 or the EBS - they are so unique.

Does anyone here have experience with A310s? What are they like to drive?

I have two other classics I am definitely going to sell:

1. (Another) Renault 5 TL
2. Renault 21 1.9 Diesel

Given the list of cars, would you rationalise it?

 

[Adey]

I wish i just had the space to be in this situation lol.

the collection you have is impressive, if it was me id only be adding to it if possible. The ones you have are the rarest of the models to start with tbh, a 310 and 610 would compliment it.

If you like i can keep some warm for you ;-p

In all honesty im not sure i could choose what to loose from the list

 

[jamesc]

Tough choices there fella, very easy for me to offer decisions without having sentimental attachment to the cars, here goes..

#1 TL - if you like it, keep it
#2 Gordini - why not sell this one & let someone on the forum have a go. Personally I would get more enjoyment out of seeing someone make a project thread out of a car like this, as owning it & not having the time to make progress.
#3 Quadra - rare & useable if in good nick. I would.
#4 T2 - guess what I think about this one.....no sale
#5 Cabbie - sell. Get a Volvo C70 convertible. Sorry.

A310 - I would pass on this & save up for the car I wanted (assuming this car would need large investment which could be better spent IMHO on an A610)

2nd TL - keep for parts if you have space?
21 - sell & use the Quadra day to day, improving it even more, slowly.

That would leave you with:

TL to play with & maintain. Quadra to use. T2 or A610 on the horizon. I believe my choices are fair & maximise both your cash & forum enjoyment

On the same subject.....these are my cars and I also would like to reduce them down a little

#1 Volvo 480 - owes me nothing
#2 Volvo S70 - reliable daily
#3 R5 T2 - dream car for many years
#4 Mazda RX-7 - got it just to see what they were like, pretty good actually

The space I have is OK for 2 maybe 3 cars at a squeeze. I need a reliable daily due to my son now goes to school in Newcastle whereas I stay in Durham, so the S70 just about fits that bill - 150k miles up & I drove it to Paris & back earlier in the year without fault. But....handling is OK, if a little flabby. Thinking maybe I should change it out for a more modern S40 (the one with Ford Focus chassis)..I do like the S70 though due to cheap classic insurance & seems to be unburstable.

Thoughts pls! (sorry for thread hijack Andy )

 

[DaveL485]

I have been there and done it- I was up to 14 cars at one point. The more you have, the further your time and budget gets stretched and it all starts to stagnate.
Four is a good level, I cut right back to:
Frank the Tank (Volvo S60 D5) - Great motorway cruiser, epic for towing, everyday work car, safe for the kids, creature comforts.
ClioSport 172 - Backup for the Volvo, but also backup performance car if the 21 is in for work. Great all rounder that covers a lot of bases. Huge fun.
Quadra - Say no more. My project, passion, where I can tweak and try and exercise my brain.
9 Turbo - Old Skool classic, uber-rare, emotional attachment, character, doesn't cost me anything while its sat waiting, and I have the space for it.

So I sat down and rationalised each car, basically. Everything else went.

• 1984 Renault 5 TL - owned since 1992 - NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, selling this one. My first car! -Emotional attachment. Keep it.

• 1984 Renault 5 Gordini Turbo - owned since 1998 -Sell it, it's surplus to requirements, it doesnt tick any boxes that the others dont.

• 1992 Renault 21 Turbo Quadra - owned since 2014 -Steady, reliable performance car, good for fun while other stuff is being worked on, and, the work is all done, it's good for a long time.

• 1986 Renault 5 Turbo 2 - owned since 2002. My dad's but we have discussed him selling it to me, so that will probably be coming my way at some point too -Not yours (yet) but this would be investment. Values are skyrocketing. Buy it if you think it will appreciate.

• 1989 Renault 5 GT Turbo EBS Cabriolet - owned since 2010 -I'd sell it while values are high. Take some money back.

• (Another) Renault 5 TL -Sell it, you have another

• Renault 21 1.9 Diesel -Sell it, totally surplus to requirements.

Maybe let yourself keep one or the other of the Gordy or EBS, whichever is the easiest to get working/on the road again, for now. Once you have "cleansed" and realise how much time, money and work you have taken of the required tally, you'll be surprised what a relief it is.

 

[jamesc]

Quadra - Say no more. My project, passion, where I can tweak and try and exercise my brain.

I think you should cut down further & sell me your 21

 

[BIG MVS]

As said above sell the Gordini and 5 Convertible as well as the 21 Diesel and other 5.

The 21 as you say has had a ton spent on it so why let someone else benefit?

Have you thought about the GTA Turbo at all as a stepping stone rather than the 310?

A610's are not coming onto the market very often so with the GTA you would probably have more choice.

If you don't go ahead with the 310 let me know if you don't mind as I know someone after one.

 

[DaveL485]

I think you should cut down further & sell me your 21

Everything is for sale at the right price (for the vendor). I suspect your idea of "right price" wouldn't meet mine, though

 

[Big Steve - Raider]

Just sell me the EBS Cabbie, I'll gladly throw a Cup Car into the deal...

 

[Ash Robinson]

Cant get over the collection you have Andrew and you're literally 4minutes walk from me haha very jealous, I dream of owning a turbo 2, my GTTurbo has me occupied for now but one day!!

 

[jamesc]

Everything is for sale at the right price (for the vendor). I suspect your idea of "right price" wouldn't meet mine, though

Probably not mate I am a tight bastard. But patient also

 

[r5gordini]

Thanks all! An interesting and illuminating discussion. It's good to discuss with so many other car obsessed people! No-one in my daily life can understand the motives of a Renault obsessed geek such as me!
I always thought the optimum number of cars was n+1, where n is the current number I own! I just love collecting them and am always on the lookout for interesting cars.
So... there are cars to sell definitely:

1. Renault 21 Diesel - I will use it as my winter runaround
2. Renault 5 TL banger

I also forgot to mention that my modern is a 2012 Disco 4 - superb car! I hardly drive it from week to week but when I get in it I am reminded of how good it is. I also forgot to mention that I sort of have another 5 TL tucked away. It's not been on the road in 10+ years and is owned by my dad. It just got left in the corner of our storage unit and forgotten about as we couldn't make our minds up as to what to do with it. I might recommend to him that we get rid. I do have all the parts to make a cabrio one of those too, but, maybe that is a project for when the kids fly the nest!
As for the other discussions, surprisingly the consensus of opinion is that I should not part with the Quadra. It's certainly the one car I have that generates the least interest amongst the general public, but the odd person does spot it and say something. The EBS definitely gets the most looks.

So it seems that either the EBS or the Gordini might be the ones to part with. I am emotionally more attached to the Gordini but it was also acquired at a difficult time in my life and, as I said, I might be a bit bored with it. I really enjoy the EBS because it's so nice to have a cabriolet and it also garners so much interest. People just know it's special.

The EBS is entirely roadworthy too - I have just put it away for the winter.

So here's the plan: I am now going to focus on getting the Gordini roadworthy. I will make it my winter project. When it's up and running I will drive it in the early part of the year and see whether I truly enjoy it or not. That will then crystalise my thoughts and enable me to make a decision.

The A310? It's in France and was owned by a friend's father, who recently passed away. He asked me if I wanted it, so we shall see...

 

[matt track]

Hi guys and a quick hello. I'm not sure how I've ended up on here as I knew I was a member of the Renault Sport forum when having issues with the wife's Clio 182, is this all one and the same now?

Regarding car collections, if you really want an A610, you should sell what you can and buy it while you can. You feel your attached at the moment, but when a new car comes into your ownership, you will soon move on! I did the same recently when I had a rather neat 944, but I was itching to get a GTA, ultimately the 944 had to go, not for cost or to make room, but only for time! I've tucked a classic mini away into the corner of the garage and it has not moved for 18 months!
Regarding prices for Alpines, these will be on the up and very soon. R5T1,2's are now not accessible, Clio V6's heading the same way. GTA's & A610's are the next in the line as they have the same basic formula of hand made, rear engine and sporting pedigree. It wasn't long ago that a mid 80's 911 was circa £10-12K, the same cars are now £30K+.
I've not driven an A610, but the GTA is a fabulous drive and prices are just slowly starting to appreciate, I wouldn't have wanted to have missed the boat like I did with the 80's 911's....
Hope that helps....

 

[jamesc]

Hi guys and a quick hello. I'm not sure how I've ended up on here as I knew I was a member of the Renault Sport forum when having issues with the wife's Clio 182, is this all one and the same now?

Regarding car collections, if you really want an A610, you should sell what you can and buy it while you can. You feel your attached at the moment, but when a new car comes into your ownership, you will soon move on! I did the same recently when I had a rather neat 944, but I was itching to get a GTA, ultimately the 944 had to go, not for cost or to make room, but only for time! I've tucked a classic mini away into the corner of the garage and it has not moved for 18 months!
Regarding prices for Alpines, these will be on the up and very soon. R5T1,2's are now not accessible, Clio V6's heading the same way. GTA's & A610's are the next in the line as they have the same basic formula of hand made, rear engine and sporting pedigree. It wasn't long ago that a mid 80's 911 was circa £10-12K, the same cars are now £30K+.
I've not driven an A610, but the GTA is a fabulous drive and prices are just slowly starting to appreciate, I wouldn't have wanted to have missed the boat like I did with the 80's 911's....
Hope that helps....

Interesting about the A610's...there is one for sale now at around 42k, but the site below has max value for a concours one of 15.5k

http://apps.hagerty.com/ukvaluation/index.html?showBacklink=1

Fecking questuaries

 

[r5gordini]

Very funny! I had to look up the meaning of questuaries! That one is very nice though and would go well with our T2 with its 5000km from new!

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

 

[DaveL485]

Clio V6's heading the same way

I was looking at prices for decent ones in the middle of the year and a couple of Phase 1's were lurking at £15k. Now the cheapest non-CAT one is nearly £20k.
Phase 2's were in the high teens, early 20's. Not there's a mint low mile Ph2 up for £30k, which, IIRC was the new price.

Very funny! I had to look up the meaning of questuaries! That one is very nice though and would go well with our T2 with its 5000km from new!

Blimey, I bet that would fetch a pretty penny, but it kind of makes me a bit sad that it's wasted doing that little mileage.

Fecking questuaries

...Says the man with a Turbo 2....

 

[jamesc]

...Says the man with a Turbo 2....

I ain't no speculator, got it to use

Very funny! I had to look up the meaning of questuaries! That one is very nice though and would go well with our T2 with its 5000km from new!

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

5k? Think you need to get it out in the sunshine more

 

[DaveL485]

5000 kilometers, thats only a smidge over 3000 miles!

Pass me the keys @r5gordini i'll soon put that right

 

[r5gordini]

Certainly do! But it is owned by my dad and he and I are so busy we hardly ever take it out. I think it did a total of about 10 miles this year!

 

[r5gordini]

All right - it's update time! An A610 literally landed in my lap. Good price (slightly wrong time). How could I say no?


That's a show plate, by the way...
I have someone very interested in my Gordini Turbo but I am not sure if I can bring myself to sell it?! Whatever, I would like the option to buy it back if I do sell it.
I've been very lucky and been able to pay a friend to help me get on top of my car work over the last couple of days. I have another day or two's work waiting for him to do, but so far he has swapped over the sunroofs between my Quadra and the 21 Diesel, so that means I can sell the diesel soon. Just want him to do a couple of other jobs first.

Replacing the sunroof in the Quadra has transformed it! It's loads quieter - no wind noise and many fewer rattles as some of the trim wasn't put back correctly by the previous owner. In fact, the car was full of rattles due to poorly fitted trim. Sorting each issue out one at a time.

So I am very excited to increase the collection with the A610! What a car!!!

 

[r5gordini]

Went for a drive last night. Wow! It's lairy in the wet. Foot down in second gear... Accelerating strongly. Then at about 4500rpm all hell lets loose and the rear wheels break traction! There must be a torque peak around there.

Luckily was going in a straight line at the time and backing off regained traction.
Eek!