Did the R5 live up to the dream!?

[kayzee]

Hi guys.

Once again I've found myself dreaming about your lovely machines... I joined up here as I was just about to buy a 190bhp Raider, however the owner changed his mind at the last moment as he said he couldn't bare to part with it, thus crushing my dream! Thing is I had already sold my Clio 182, so I bought something local just to tide me over... happened to be a Punto GT3.

Just had it's first MOT and it didn't do very well but I'm going to continue with it for the time being whilst I search for a new car before it's next MOT. Obviously an R5 is my first choice

So back to the topic... did your first one live up to the dream? I've wanted one for nearly ten years now, there's just something about them I can't get out my head lol. Do most people run them as their main car? Or as a second one that's usually off the road being fixed... unfortunately I'm not very technically minded so I can see one costing me a fortune which I wouldn't mind as I have the passion for them

Shall I get it out of my head that I want a Raider? I think it's just because I let the other one slip through my fingers that I'm extra annoyed and really want one now. Wouldn't mind one in grey though either...

Any extra advice for looking for my first one is much appreciated, cheers!

[Penfold aka The Dealer]

Raiders are nothing overly special, but if its that you want then go for a raider.

I love my 5's to piece's, nothing compares to them... They can be used as a daily driver, its all about the care and attention the car gets, get a few mechanical things sorted and there is no reason why they cant be used daily.

The club has loads of members who are willing to lend a hand for a few beer token's, or a few members are willing to work on your car for a few £'s.

With the boards you should able to find a well looked after car & a member who you can trust to look after your car...

[Alastair]

Yes and i still own and race it. As for every day use, they are fine so long as you service well and keep on top of any niggles that emerge. If your looking to buy a car tin worm is your enemy, look at sills, rear bumper mounts and the floor pan bung holes and where it bends up for the rear seats. Raider means coloured paint and blue fleck seats, thats all.

[philg]

loads of help and advice on here, best car forum i have been on for that.

Keep looking, it took me 12 months before i settled on a car , i now have a 12 month task of putting it back together.

phil

[Shane P]

Oh hell yes it certainly lives upto the dream and more, the sheer amount of fun you can have with one of these is Epic !

[kayzee]

Yeah I can tell this place can be really helpful, as long as I don't get to confused lol... well I think this is the best plan keeping the Punto going for now, as it gives me about a year to keep my eyes open for the perfect 5 if anyone knows one in Essex for sale that isn't on the typical forums or pistonheads let me know! Do you think £1,800 is a good enough starting budget to have? At the end of the day I wouldn't be too bothered about the bodywork as I would probably get a re-spray etc. anyway, as long as, like you say, the rust situation isn't too bad. I just have a dream of driving down to K-Tec with two grand in my pocket and making it mint(ish!)

Are K-Tec still considering one of the best Renault tuners? I spent ages looking around the site when I had my Clio...

[Mart]

16 years on, and I'm still driving one...

Mug

[Penfold aka The Dealer]

Yeah I can tell this place can be really helpful, as long as I don't get to confused lol... well I think this is the best plan keeping the Punto going for now, as it gives me about a year to keep my eyes open for the perfect 5 if anyone knows one in Essex for sale that isn't on the typical forums or pistonheads let me know! Do you think £1,800 is a good enough starting budget to have? At the end of the day I wouldn't be too bothered about the bodywork as I would probably get a re-spray etc. anyway, as long as, like you say, the rust situation isn't too bad. I just have a dream of driving down to K-Tec with two grand in my pocket and making it mint(ish!)

Are K-Tec still considering one of the best Renault tuners? I spent ages looking around the site when I had my Clio...

K-Tec are a waste of time for most 5 owners....

Dale Jarvis(Bigfoot) & Ricardo are local to Essex and both know a thing or two about 5's, Dale even has a raider or 2 himself...

If you dream is to give K-Tec 2k, then go for it... but Dale, Ricardo, Myself and a few others can help you get your dream car for a lot less and most likely be more reliable..

[newbstar*]

Give me 2k and ill do more for the money than ktec would.

[Bigfoot]

There was a few raiders on pistionheads the other week, one nice one which was local to me for reasonable money, but that got sold pretty quickily. But like Penfold said yes I have a raider, and also a black 5 which never sees the wheels moving, well the raider dont as well, only when removing the wheel to change things on there.

Plenty of members in the essex area to help you out and point you in right direction or to give you a hand and we do try and meet up now and then hopefully more soon once we can tell who is local to us to get the word out

[Brigsy]

My first gtt exceeded my expectations, loved it.

They are basic compared to 'modern' cars, no pas, slow electric windows, ropey central locking, heating etc so bare that in mind. I love the rawness of them, no abs/traction control & not a lot to break!

There all 20+ yr old cars now so dont count on 100% reliability as a daily, id still use my tungy as one if i didnt have to do moon miles a week though

[kayzee]

Thanks, I'd definitely be up for some Essex meets. I went to a few when I owned a CRX, but since then my 206/Clio/Punto haven't really filled me with enough enthusiasm to actually get out there... I haven't even modified my past two cars apart from little things like clear bulbs and euro plates etc.

It all started from me when my first girlfriend of 17 had a bigger brother with an R5... was the first turbo'd car I'd been in. He gave me a lift home and I was like... ever since then I've wanted one.

Why did you buy yours?

[Bigfoot]

since 17 searched for ages trying to find a small car which I could fit in (6ft 4) and pedals far enough apart so I can drive (size 16 hence the name bigfoot) so had the 1.1 campus and then just worked up from there until I got a student loan and bought the GT Turbo to go to uni in and not looked back since.

[J$£5GTT]

bought my first 5 back in 1998...a black f-reg...heard a lot of things about engines blowing up etc,thought i just have to have one of them!!!

[Smokey]

well iv owned mine coming up to five months and at first with all the nigely little problems i had i wished id kept my 1.0lit corsa, but all that aside im used to the problems, starting issues from cold, warming her up and cooling her down before turning her off and i wouldnt change it for the world i love my five.

[tonesGTT]

Yep Easily. But then i was 21 and came out of a Scirocco GT. That being said, everytime i drive my current 5, i feel 21 years old and grin the whole journey

[gimme5]

i agree i last had one 14yrs ago, now married with kids etc and bought another just for the fun of it all,call it mid life crisis or trying to relive my youth,(im only 34) but thier do make you smile!

[J8TRO]

Mate

Don't listen to any of the above comments, these cars are rubbish, the most unreliable rust buckets ever. People point and laugh at you when you drive past, thats if you can get it started. I'm that ashamed of mine I keep it in the garage so people don't shout nasty things to me and my wife or throw old shoes at us when we go out.

I wouldn't bother if I was you.



Oh and K-Tec = Gay-Tec

[Logg]

My first drive in a 5 was a disappointment as I had got use to being my mates 240BHP Fiesta RS.

Six months later with a new turbo, clutch and 14psi I was hooked, and 11 years on I'm still driving one and love it every time I'm behind the wheel.

[kayzee]

So it seems everyone has had more than one

First thing my mum said was... if it ain't got a airbag you're not getting it I laughed her into next week.

[scratcher]

My girlfriend asked where the airbag was, I showed her how squidgie the centre of the steering wheel is

I loved my first 5, it was a 1.4 Campus as I couldn't get insured on a GT Turbo. I had wanted one since I was 10, then at 21 I got him and it was much better than I thought it'd be. Even though it was a bigger box of crap back then

[dave r5]

WHEN MINE WORKS I SMILE AND GIGLE LIKE A CHILD

there a great toy

just dont drive it after a row with the wife/missus asit will break

but half the fun is makeing it work agen

[BriC]

Mate

Don't listen to any of the above comments, these cars are rubbish, the most unreliable rust buckets ever. People point and laugh at you when you drive past, thats if you can get it started. I'm that ashamed of mine I keep it in the garage so people don't shout nasty things to me and my wife or throw old shoes at us when we go out.

I wouldn't bother if I was you.



Oh and K-Tec = Gay-Tec

Dear god I hope that's a joke!?

Man up

[IANMM]

Mate

Don't listen to any of the above comments, these cars are rubbish, the most unreliable rust buckets ever. People point and laugh at you when you drive past, thats if you can get it started. I'm that ashamed of mine I keep it in the garage so people don't shout nasty things to me and my wife or throw old shoes at us when we go out.

I wouldn't bother if I was you.



Oh and K-Tec = Gay-Tec

People only point and laugh because its you driving it mate

[GTphil]

I had the mintest GTX I have ever layed eyes on before my Raider, black compleatly as it came from the factory one owner from new minty mint!

Untill I put some huge alloys on it then a doctor drove straight into it whilst I was stopped at a crossing

Got it re-paried then sold it to some stupid "bint" who ruined it just so I could buy some coilivers for the Raider.

I remember when I went to see my Raider for the first time, it looked yummy in the summer sun with over 10k in recipts from k-tec and bbt someone had spent some wonga on it too. Then I test drove it and I litterally couldn't belive how quick it was the boost guage flew round to 1.5 bar in second gear and it took off! That was me well and truly SOLD!!

And hear I am almost 6 years on still spending money on it. Love it and unless Ihave some major financial disaster I will never sell.

[markey b]

i've got 2 if that counts, drive my raider every day and its cheaper to run than my old 19 16v in every way!

if a picture paints a thousand words... here is my drive

[kayzee]

Nice, I thnk I want more than one god damn it really makes me want to stick with looking for a Raider though...

[Gttnutter]

I've come close to selling my current raider a few times now, something just stops me from letting it go

I'm on my 5th or 6th in the last 6 or 7 years, once you're hooked thats it!

[J8TRO]

Dear god I hope that's a joke!?

Man up

Have you never had old shoes thrown at you.................they hurt!

People only point and laugh because its you driving it mate

[sphinX]

So it seems everyone has had more than one

First thing my mum said was... if it ain't got a airbag you're not getting it I laughed her into next week.

HAHAHAHAH!!!!!

My first GT when i was 17 and had to get rid of it because i didnt have the money to run it! gutted! Anyway, got my second when I was 21 and I got a pretty quick one so to say it was a shock was a bit of an understatement! Love it! Although the head gasket went on sunday haha but that is the only thing that has gone majorly wrong since owning it and with the help of members on here it will be back in no time

[kayzee]

It's really frustrating because I want one nooow

But I know I shouldn't rush and wait until the right one appears. There's a totally standard Raider on PH that sold for £1,600 and it was only 50 miles from me, so gutted I missed that one

[raj]

Did the R5 live up to the dream.?

after owning a fair few r5's from leaving school up until now i would have to say a big NO.!
i cannot wait to sell up.
maybe i was expecting more,i dont know. but i know i wont have the same admiration for r5's like i first did all them years ago.

[firstchoicegary]

they do they do ive owned a five, and clio williams, bmw sports , honda vtecs, a maserati and plenty superbikes, my five was awsome and only had 160-180bhp but the most fun ever. if i could own any car again it would be the five.

[paul b]

Did the R5 live up to the dream!?

Yes..

[dangerous dave]

i bought mine because i loved the styling, handling, 14psi performance.. it was no more than a strapped and flowed cooler, extra boost and running well.. no real quest for power, i was happy with what i had.. some people buy cars to impress others, or be faster than others etc.. my mates think my cars sh1t and they often have rapid cars that could see it of in its current state.............but do i care

[dave j gtt]

Windy A and B roads in the dry is cool the gtt feels very nice controled and direct.

on long journeys they get a abit boring, but very useable for traveling if one desires, regualar servicing will help no ene. Also a daily check will help keep the dream alive.

R5 gtt = very very super car.

[Thundercat]

Well my 5 have emptied my bank account many a time and could of owned a skyline by now but one thing keeps me with the 5s and that the joy of repairing and modifying them. Theres nowt better than having a race against a newer car and wiping the the smile of the opposition . The only downside is where do you stop!

[dave j gtt]

gtt affordable dream

[kayzee]

How far did you guys go to get yours? Don't really wanna travel too far but looking like I might have to someone in Essex sell me one now!

[dave r5]

I have a red 1 thats up for sale, if u wnt to come veiw. Fuly built standard enginge not run in yet. Cars striped out with 1 bucke seat and harnes. But no fuel tank fited yet.
07725236846 if u fancy it mate.

[kayzee]

Bloody fuel tanks I'm literally just having one fitted to my Punto to get it through the MOT lol. Do you have any pictures? Thanks...

[d6n]

how many people use their 5's as daily drivers?

[Smokey]

i do, wen its working.lol.

[firstchoicegary]

mine never broke once not got it now but i had it two years and only broke once when i broke driveshaft after an arguement with the ex missus. . dont up boost until all rest is sorted in my opinion, copper rad uprated intercooloer, low temp fen switch etc etc