Anyone selling anything reasonably interesting?

Have you ever driven a V6 Clio? I test drove one last year and the noise inside is not something I could live with as an everyday car. Loud cars don't bother me and my Westfield was much louder but the sound inside the Clio was unbearable. It was actually okay around 6000rpm but anything lower just created an annoying drone that went right through you, even ticking over in 4th or 5th at 40mph was unbearable. It wasn't that quick either and drank around £10 of fuel within 25 miles.

Don't need to go to a specialist - any decent mechanic should be able to do it.

Budget £250-ish.

How much is a belt change on one of these Steve? Is it an Alfa specialist job or could my local indy do it ok? He's pretty good with everything I've taken to him so far:-)

Mike P

Cheers for that. I appear to have hit the BIN button. Spoke to owner, collecting Saturday. Also told him that if it's not as described he's not getting any money, which he was happy enough with.

Mike P

I've had 4 of them though, fancy a change for the time being. I've had a

Mike P

What's that, 12mpg? That's probably no worse than any other 230bhp motor when thrashed. 60 in sub 6 seconds and 150mph is fine for me :-) Also, they look cool, and are dangerous, which makes them even cooler :-p

P.s. Obviously I'd have to test one first though before I bought one, so I may well agree with you heh. It won Evo mag's £10k Heroes article tho...

It does seem strange that it should be such similar symptoms. Although I=20 never thought to check it as it was new. Will probably try Andrew Page=20 or Partco and see if they have anything as they local, if it foobared.

Funnily enough, when I serviced my 900, I put a halfords cap on it, and=20 it ran OK, but would sometimes get a little lumpy at idle.

--=20 Carl Robson Audio stream:

In news: snipped-for-privacy@news.individual.net, Elder wittered on forthwith;

I've got a brand new dizzy cap from LR in Speke if you want to try that, I've not tried it yet, still in the bag.

Don't make a special journey, but if you are passing, drop by. I'm out at a wedding all day saturday.

I'll pull the old one off first check it.

--=20 Carl Robson Audio stream:

In news: snipped-for-privacy@news.individual.net, Elder wittered on forthwith;

Mine was misbehaving in a similar style when I first changed the fuel filter on Saturday, ran for a while, misfired then died. Soon cleared up though, I was panicing thinking yours had somehow tainted the TurboBeastT

My 1991 AR 75 2.0 TS is rated at 158 HP, it has no cat. Topspeed (officially AR) 205 kph. Not one of my 75's (3 in total) had a catalyst.

The 155 TS 2.0 has 150 HP and it claims officially 210 KPH as top speed.

We did however back to back to back testing with both. The 155 2.0 TS - even with better aero- never went faster than the 75 in a straight line. Those were the times we had a fifth wheel on the car.

I still am happy however that I was too late to buy an 155 QV. Nobody I know of who bought one, still got it and all remember it in horror (one claims his 911 is super economical compared to the 155QV).

Those who bought Cosworth either crashed it or still have it. I must becoming mainstream...

Tom De Moor

You're out by 10bhp on the official figures for a 75 TSpark. They're officially 148bhp.

The same engine in the 155, complete with catalyst is 143bhp (official, again).

The 16v 155 is, as you say, 150bhp.

So my new toy had 150BHP when new. I wonder what it is now? Can't wait until Saturday.

Mike P

You get what you fancy.

I wouldn't want the VX220 if an Elise is around. Weight -and more so the lack of it- is magic. Some disagree but I do not like fat bottomed girls when cute bottomed girls are around.

MK1 Clio V6? 1400 kg... the power to weight ratio may be similar to the standard Elise S1 (120 Hp / 700 kg) but just wait when the weight catches up in a corner.

You can drive the Elise as if you stole it. It is one of the few cars who accepts it, even likes it. The VX220 doesn't.

Tom De Moor

LOL. Did the fuel filter in mine, but as it won't run on petrol or gas,=20 it won't be that.

--=20 Carl Robson Audio stream:

In news: snipped-for-privacy@news.individual.net, Elder wittered on forthwith;

Just a thought as they nearly always need to start on petrol.. You have checked that those botched in switches on the LPG changeover box are still connected I assume..

The VX is super rare though :-)

Ah be fair, they're slightly less than 1400, more like 1365 hehe :-) I want a little more sound proofing and day to day ness than a Mk1 Elise, it has to be my only car, hence VX220 or Elise S2. But my newly surgeried back might not be up to either, hence I need to consider something a little easier to get in and out of, and a Clio V6 seems to fit the bill exotica wise, and still be like a normal car to get in and out of.

Everywhere I've read said the VX220 is pretty easy to drive, also I'm coming from a 110bhp 206 heh, so I won't be pushing the limits for a good while after getting it. But again, as I say, I might not be able to realistically have a VX220 anyway cos of my back - so I might be looking at the Clio. I want something I can do the odd trackday in too hehe. And it has to be quite small, practicality from a boot space POV isn't an issue really, reliability is quite important. From reading the V6 Clio owners forums the only common problems seem to be the dreaded coils, and they're only £20 each anyway so I can live with that. As long as I find one that's had the belts done, or has £800 knocked off to get the belts done...

P.s. Also the Elise is too much to insure. £700 more than a VX220 for some reason.