Want to buy R25

Frans

Frans

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Hi All,

I am interested in a beautiful Renault 25 from 1986. It is an Auto with 108k miles on the clock. Owner is happy for me to take it on a test drive. No previous auto issues according to him. I would like to know what other questions to ask and what else to look out for when I'm going to see him over the week-end.

Regards, Frans.
 
The only problems I had with my 25 were, the clutch pipe kept blowing out of its connector. The speedo rarely worked. The seat cloth was rather loose. The starter connection from ignition key went intermittently high resistance. Other than that it was a nice car and the female voice telling me about doors not shut properly etc once saved me from overheating the motor when a small hot water hose burst. I was sorry to sell it.
 
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Speedo (I did sort mine)and dash electric problems, sometimes rust at the bottom of the A pillar. Air conditioning is generally not working. Power steering rack leaks, although not difficult to replace seals. The foam in the seats is starting to degrade by now. They do go quite well, with good economy, and ride nicely with plenty of room. The autos are probably the best of the "Renault" autos, and I believe them to be somewhat more reliable than those of the R19. I had a manual 25 as my everyday car some years ago, and only sold when a car salesman mate had traded a low Klm 405 SRI cheaply, and sold it to me at cost. Myself and Sunroof bought our 25s on the same day at the same auction in Gatton QLD, there being fourteen 25s available at the auction. We also bought a 20Ft container of spares between 3 of us. My old 25 is still on the road in Rockhampton in Queensland.
 
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alan moore said:
Speedo (I did sort mine)and dash electric problems, sometimes rust at the bottom of the A pillar. Air conditioning is generally not working. Power steering rack leaks, although not difficult to replace seals. The foam in the seats is starting to degrade by now. They do go quite well, with good economy, and ride nicely with plenty of room. The autos are probably the best of the "Renault" autos, and I believe them to be somewhat more reliable than those of the R19. I had a manual 25 as my everyday car some years ago, and only sold when a car salesman mate had traded a low Klm 405 SRI cheaply, and sold it to me at cost. Myself and Sunroof bought our 25s on the same day at the same auction in Gatton QLD, there being fourteen 25s available at the auction. We also bought a 20Ft container of spares between 3 of us. My old 25 is still on the road in Rockhampton in Queensland.
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Hi Alan :)
Now there must be a story of interest in your statement above. 14x R25s must have been the state distributor selling up or what ?? and a container of spares too ;) What year ?
Give us the goss'
Jaahn
 
alan moore said:
Speedo (I did sort mine)and dash electric problems, sometimes rust at the bottom of the A pillar. Air conditioning is generally not working. Power steering rack leaks, although not difficult to replace seals. The foam in the seats is starting to degrade by now. They do go quite well, with good economy, and ride nicely with plenty of room. The autos are probably the best of the "Renault" autos, and I believe them to be somewhat more reliable than those of the R19. I had a manual 25 as my everyday car some years ago, and only sold when a car salesman mate had traded a low Klm 405 SRI cheaply, and sold it to me at cost. Myself and Sunroof bought our 25s on the same day at the same auction in Gatton QLD, there being fourteen 25s available at the auction. We also bought a 20Ft container of spares between 3 of us. My old 25 is still on the road in Rockhampton in Queensland.
Click to expand...

Hi Alan

How did you sort your speedo? As you know, they are the same in an Alpine GTA. I bought a new instrument panel but it still has the same issue when the speedo needle goes crazy and sometimes stops altogether.
 
Had a manual R25 luckily, note the luckily bit especially, the autos, were a dud.
His auto story is a fairy tale.
Electrics were a disaster
I could pulll the instrument console out in 10 mins. I had to do it so many times. Dry solder joints everywhere.
Similarly for stereo system in console and controls elsewhere.
Outer ball joint rubbers, regular failure. The angle the wheels could turn was too great I think
Alloy wheels, bad luck, they will be out of round with flat spots. Hit a bump and the wheel rim will distort. Jack up wheel and rotate :(
Speedo going crazy is cable drive almost jamming. It will seize and strip gear teeth in gearbox drive.
Voice, start getting used to random messages.
Rear brake proportion valve is a regular leaker, made from unobtanium, check carefully.
Clearcoat on bonnet was too sensitive to heat and will craze badly. Long trips were the killer I think.
Seats were good, interior space excellent.
There are better Renaults to buy than an auto R25
Actually ask him for $100 to take it off his hands :)
 
if your emotions win and you buy the beast, I have a couple of XR25 diagnostic computers that I could be persuaded to sell.

Jo
 
My auto in my R25 was bulletproof... One episode of dry joints o the instruments and it was fine for ever after that.

there is no speedo cable - it’s electric. The electrics in general are fine, it’s fragile old 80s plastics that can be tricky.

They’re better as an auto - they're a city cruiser.
 
Frans said:
Hi All,

I am interested in a beautiful Renault 25 from 1986. It is an Auto with 108k miles on the clock. Owner is happy for me to take it on a test drive. No previous auto issues according to him. I would like to know what other questions to ask and what else to look out for when I'm going to see him over the week-end.

Regards, Frans.
Click to expand...

Where is it? Can I buy it?
 
alan moore said:
Speedo (I did sort mine)and dash electric problems, sometimes rust at the bottom of the A pillar. Air conditioning is generally not working. Power steering rack leaks, although not difficult to replace seals. The foam in the seats is starting to degrade by now. They do go quite well, with good economy, and ride nicely with plenty of room. The autos are probably the best of the "Renault" autos, and I believe them to be somewhat more reliable than those of the R19. I had a manual 25 as my everyday car some years ago, and only sold when a car salesman mate had traded a low Klm 405 SRI cheaply, and sold it to me at cost. Myself and Sunroof bought our 25s on the same day at the same auction in Gatton QLD, there being fourteen 25s available at the auction. We also bought a 20Ft container of spares between 3 of us. My old 25 is still on the road in Rockhampton in Queensland.
Click to expand...
Fourteen!!!!!!!!!!!
 
driven said:
Had a manual R25 luckily, note the luckily bit especially, the autos, were a dud.
His auto story is a fairy tale.
Electrics were a disaster
I could pulll the instrument console out in 10 mins. I had to do it so many times. Dry solder joints everywhere.
Similarly for stereo system in console and controls elsewhere.
Outer ball joint rubbers, regular failure. The angle the wheels could turn was too great I think
Alloy wheels, bad luck, they will be out of round with flat spots. Hit a bump and the wheel rim will distort. Jack up wheel and rotate :(
Speedo going crazy is cable drive almost jamming. It will seize and strip gear teeth in gearbox drive.
Voice, start getting used to random messages.
Rear brake proportion valve is a regular leaker, made from unobtanium, check carefully.
Clearcoat on bonnet was too sensitive to heat and will craze badly. Long trips were the killer I think.
Seats were good, interior space excellent.
There are better Renaults to buy than an auto R25
Actually ask him for $100 to take it off his hands :)
Click to expand...
Not a fan then.... :)
 
Hello Frans,

The best mechanic I've known in Perth reckoned that the R25 was the last good Renault made before they lost the plot. A friend here has three of them. Gorgeous cars and so practical.

I'm no expert and their electrical issues are well-known. The only detailed thing I recall (with amusement) was a guy on this forum years ago trying to get his to speak in English not French... I remember them new with this amazing electronic system.

I'm not surprised that the responses vary from encouragement to the opposite!

Good luck.
 
we had a couple.
Fuel gauge never worked on one so if you ran out of petrol it was very hard to bleed get started.
The other car was different.
Never broke down even on some very remote roads, although i did worry.
On one car i put new rings in it and it went so well!
Fabulous touring car!
 
JohnW said:
Fourteen!!!!!!!!!!!
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It was a meatworks outside of Gatton. 12 of them were goers. Used by the reps. Mine had a car phone installed. No idea why the company chose 25s. The auction was to wind up the company. I don’t believe it was the 25s that sent them broke.
 
From memory one R25 car had soft rear springs.
I put R20 springs in and it sorted the handling out.
 
I was lucky and got the last car auctioned and it was probably the worst in appearance but I was talking to the company mechanic before the auction and he said that was the car to buy because the motor, clutch and gearbox had all be overhauled just recently. It was of course the cheapest because all the better looking cars had gone and there wasn't a lot of people left interested in Renault 25's by then.
 
Sunroof said:
I was lucky and got the last car auctioned and it was probably the worst in appearance but I was talking to the company mechanic before the auction and he said that was the car to buy because the motor, clutch and gearbox had all be overhauled just recently. It was of course the cheapest because all the better looking cars had gone and there wasn't a lot of people left interested in Renault 25's by then.
Click to expand...
You did? Where is it now....
 
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