Early-mid 90s Clio

[rocker]

Anyone had any experience with any Clios 92-95 stylee? Petrol or diesel, I'm looking at a few on eBay, want something small to rip out the back seats and use as a workhorse, but unfortunately I'm a size 13 footed freak and small cars don't always fit - had a test drive of a citroen saxo the other day and when my foot was on the break the steering knuckle literally knocked my foot off the pedal!! So, is the clio as 'designed for ladies' as the name suggests, or what? Any tips would be appreciated.

 

[Spudnik]

Not many about but you can get a Clio van, plus i think Ford did a fiesta van too.

Not sure about pedal positions though.

 

[rocker]

Nice one. I'm not in the market for a van though, for reasons three:

1. Vans are a magnet for theft around here. Hopefully, when they see I havent left any tools in, they wont bother breaking my car
2. I go over the bridge to bristol and back quite a bit, and the toll rate for cars with windows in the back, while extortionate, is a lot less than for 'commercial' vehicles.
3. insurance.

 

[lockhes]

all small french cars have pedlas close together i had a saxo in my younger years was hard at first toget to used to it but got there im size 11

how about a fiesta

 

[Guest123]

Corsa's have the same issue.....need the feet of a 4 yr old to drive em!!!!

 

[rocker]

Wicked guys I got outbid on all of 'em anyway.

Driving a Fiesta at the moment and once I get over the kneeroom in it it's lovely to drive, however it's the missuses and she's getting fed up with talking the train.

Looking at a few fiestas at the moment, did have an Astra estate which was OK as a workhorse, wonder if a little Corsa would be any good. Anyone know?

I know these are all sort of ladies cars, but to be honest the prohibitive cost of insurance on a larger car, plus extra fuel etc it just doesn't add up for me. (I haven't been driving that long). With the seat down in the front I can get my day-to-day ladders in the fiesta, but would put roof bars on whatever I get, and there's still more than enough room for the tools I carry (which are like 3 times what I ever need!) So, may as well make a saving I think.....

EDIT just saw Lennys post, I guess a corsa's out then.....

 

[SirKit Breaker]

All renaults should be burned, the wife has got a megane and its total french *****. Bad electrics, crap engines, dodgy transmissions, ugly body, plastic interior, noisy suspension, expensive to fix, other than that its not too bad. Clio's are even worse.

 

[garyinderby]

can we fill them with french people first before burning?

 

[monkeyelectric]

Hey rocker, i buy and sell a few cars and the best i've found are rover 214 bubble shape or 25's 1.4, the got loads of extra's for little money, plenty of room for big hoofs and very good on fuel and insurance, and one extremely good point is that they don't usually rust at all, unlike fiesta's,ka's, clio's, saxo's and corsa's, how much are you looking to spend?

 

[rocker]

Monkeyman you're breaking my balls here, I literally just turned down an exceedingly cheap 214 which needed nothing but a tiny bit of welding (my lil brother's a mechanic and would have done it for twenty-five pence). Passed it up literally because it's a Rover. Would have had it if I'd seen your post earlier!

Dudes, I'm sorry, but I have taken a Clio. I know you gave me good advice, and I ignored it for the sake of profit (it was soooo damn cheap). It's a 1.9 diesel and it sounds like a tractor!

I think I'm in love with it already.

Thanks for everyones advice, not that I was smart enough to take it. Broom broom!



EDIT: for anyone who may be interested - the clio (1994) has a massive amount of knee-room compared to a Fiesta. If you're a lanky sod it will suit you well.

 

[monkeyelectric]

Monkeyman you're breaking my balls here, I literally just turned down an exceedingly cheap 214 which needed nothing but a tiny bit of welding (my lil brother's a mechanic and would have done it for twenty-five pence). Passed it up literally because it's a Rover. Would have had it if I'd seen your post earlier!

Dudes, I'm sorry, but I have taken a Clio. I know you gave me good advice, and I ignored it for the sake of profit (it was soooo damn cheap). It's a 1.9 diesel and it sounds like a tractor!

I think I'm in love with it already.

Thanks for everyones advice, not that I was smart enough to take it. Broom broom!



EDIT: for anyone who may be interested - the clio (1994) has a massive amount of knee-room compared to a Fiesta. If you're a lanky sod it will suit you well.

No worries man, the diesel engine in those is a very good engine, i had a renault van with the same engine and it just kept going, if it has power steering and its stops working take the pump off and there is an electric motor on the bottom, clean it all up inside and it'll go for another couple of years, other than that it never went wrong in the 5 years i had it

 

[rocker]

whoa how the hell did you know that!? Reading your post I assumed I had mentioned that the power steering had gone, but on re reading my post I see that I did not! You, sir, are a genius or psychic or both! The power steering has indeed gone, and confused me because loking at it it doesn't seem to have a belt but wires al-la electric motor.

 

[monkeyelectric]

whoa how the hell did you know that!? Reading your post I assumed I had mentioned that the power steering had gone, but on re reading my post I see that I did not! You, sir, are a genius or psychic or both! The power steering has indeed gone, and confused me because loking at it it doesn't seem to have a belt but wires al-la electric motor.

Damn i'm good!

 

[Phil C]

Only thing with DIY on a mk1 Clio is that the engine bay is so tightly packed in that you need hands the size of a pygmies doodah to do anything in there and with the size of your feet, I doubt that's the case!

Anyway hope it works out well for you, I wish I was around when the thread began so I could recommend an old 1993 ish vw polo. I used to have one, great little workhorse, never breaks down, plenty of room for my size 12 hoofs and would definately have fit all your tools in. Remember that when your Clio dies a very French death

 

[sparkdog]

Best to make sure the cam belt on diesel Clios is changed at the correct intervals,if it breaks the engine may be reduced to a heap of scrap metal.....as I found out.