New member thinking of buying an R26

Looks good but hugely overpriced I would say, mines only got 67k miles on it and I doubt I’d get 5.5k for it.

 

£8,950?!? Jesus lol

 

Mileage is not always a good indicator of condition.

I looked at a low mileage (30ish k) R26 and it wasn’t as good an example as the one I eventually found (63k and loads cheaper).

That’s a hell of a lot when there are still plenty of good examples out there.

I’d try and find one in the middle ground (5ish k) and just enjoy it.

I don’t think I’d dare put miles on it if it owed me that much!

 

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/162908815064

They are out there!

 

the guy wants top money, for a car he hasnt even valeted for pictures.
you would have thought he could have at least bought a few quids worth of bolt covers,to hide the rust,and glossed the tires,
to give the impression its `money no object`,looked after.

Those wheels look to me as if they have just been refurbed.
Brand new wheel weights,no brake dust at all on the inside of the wheel.

Might be a trick of the light,but one of the front calipers,
looks like it has red overspray on one of the brake pad pins.

At the age of these cars now,they can be potentially cost you some big money if things havnt been maintained.
My own car has 45k on it,but i have just refreshed all the suspension,bushes,steering components.
It needs a clutch and slave.And really i should change the flywheel,which is a wear item on these cars.
Its also is due its second cambelt/waterpump.

 

https://www.pistonheads.com/classif...e/outstanding-future-classic-and-rare/8399270

Again..strong money,but about as good as it gets,and beautifully presented.
another guy on pistonheads wants 10k for a white R26 with cracked leather seats!

 

It's highly likely that it will have been mapped for 98 ron if it was done at RS Tuning. Doesn't necessarily have to be V-power though, Tesco Momentum is 99 ron I believe. I've had an RST map on mine for just over 3 years now with zero issues.

Do you have a link to the ad?

 

I dont think a remapped car is any more hit and miss than buying a car you dont know.
Like any standard car it could have spent half its life being bounced off the limiter round a track or the local mcdonalds car park or it could have been driven most of its miles gently down the motorway... its always a gamble.
I have recently picked up my R26, a handful of things wrong - none of which bother me as the price was ok and I was planning to change it all anyway, but to the general viewer they probably would not have picked up on much of it.

I dont think many people buy a R26 to drive it gently all the time so I would always expect things to need replacing with a used car of this age.
I would probably look into how many owners, its servicing and its mot certificates, they will tell you most of what you can find out about how it has been treated.
If its been mapped on 98 it would be best to only run 98, but on only a "stage 1" there is a high chance the owner did not bother running it on 98, unless its stated in the advert.

Anyway good luck on the search for a car, take your time and if you go to view make sure you go over it properly and most importantly... be prepared to walk away

 

Looks like a good car, MOT history is pretty decent and the mileage stacks up. It was also owned by a member on here as well. Do you know what the price has been reduced to?

 

looks clean.
my own car has had a rs tuning map on it for 9 years..no issues.
Just for your information,the car you are looking at, has not got xenon lights fitted.

 

if you test drive it.Make sure the steering is light and self centers.
Almost every R26 will now need/had,its swivel bearings done.
If it hasnt,they need to be checked that they are turning freely.

 

yep option...if the lights have a anthracite surround..they are xenon.
Depends on who does the bearings.
If Renault do it..they dont rebuild..they just replace the whole set-up at eye watering cost.
There are a few specialists around that do it for a few hundred.
The main needle bearing can be had for less than 20 quid.
But its a faf to take it all apart,and press in the new bearings.

You will know if they are knackered...you will be in the hedge!
Steering wont self center..and sometimes requires a bit of force to bring the steering wheel back around.

 

remeber..has it had a clutch kit.if it hasnt,it must be close.
mine is now struggling at 45k.

If they do the belt..make sure they do the water pump..and again,
the DMF should really be done now.

They wont pay for that,but bare it in mind for future costs..

 

The steering on my R26 can drift to the left or right sometimes..is that more the tracking than the hubs?

 

Mine does this too.

I thought I’d sorted it with track rod ends and steering rack bush, but although it improved quite a bit, it’s still not perfect.

I can still detect some play in the steering so no amount of tracking adjustment is going to stop it wandering.

I’ve got swivel bearings and seals that I’m hoping to fit next week. While I’m doing that I’ll check everything else for play.

 

its a minefield with R26 steering problems..could be anything.
i have done steering bush,both sets of drop links and tracking...better but not right.
I am now doing track rod ends and inner arms, as well as new shocks and springs.

 

Yep!

Have you done your swivel bearings?

I’ve read some things about the rack bolts coming loose so I’m gonna check that too.

 

yep..did the bearings..utterly fked.cars only done 40k..but the needle rollers had rusted to a solid mass.

 

That’s what I’m expecting to find.
Although, when I did the track rod ends and rack bush, I checked the movement of the swivel hub and it felt fine.

The only reason I’m doing the swivel bearings is to rule them out.
I’ve got what I think are subtle symptoms of them failing (slight self centering issue, slight notchy-ness, creaking when pulling out of a junction) so I’ll see next week.

I’m also hoping to get round to sorting the most feeble sounding horn I’ve ever heard, the low fuel warning is louder......literally!

 

I owned this car from 2011 to 2013 if you need any info/pics let me know?

 

mine actually managed to wind out the bottom main bolt out of the hub ,it was so seized.And yet the car didnt feel terrible.

biggest bastard was getting the drive shafts out.
Hub pusher wound in so hard it bent the handle of the device.
tonnes of pressure on it.
left it loaded up for hours,then in the end a sharp dap with a mallet,and it eventually let go!

 

I had read something about this happening and that’s what potentially causes the creaking.

If nothing else, I hope it sorts the creaking! that’s been driving me mad since day 1.

 

it makes more of a metallic clank when you went over bumps.

 

you sure dot61 hadnt already had it mapped?

 

My track rod ends from MR AUTO have already arrived.
Amazing really..i only ordered them yesterday late afternoon!

 

I didn’t have it mapped but I believe the owner after me did at RSTuning, so reputable at least.

I did have both window regulators replaced by Renault as they both went Caput within a couple of months of each other. I absolutely cherished that car and often spent more time cleaning and detailing it than I did driving.

The cambelt change was done by Dan at 519 (now defunct) but again reputable at the time but I would imagine it definitley needs doing if it hasn’t been done already because that was March/April 2012.

I replaced the discs and pads all round as when I got hold of it, it was still on its original R26 drilled discs which had seen better days. I also replaced the injectors (all 4) as an EMP light was showing that wouldn’t go away and they weren’t that expensive back then (I believe they are now).

It was a great car and I sold I for £7k back in 2013 on about 32k so interesting to see that prices have pretty much held. At the time they were on a real downward slump.

I was even presented with a birthday cake that (sort of) resembled the car -

 

I love this!

It’s nice to have some history of a car, good history that is.

And I especially love the cake! [emoji1303]

 

I had one of my 5.......cutting it was heartbreaking!

 

Ah thanks, he’s getting a good one as far as I can tell! Your cake looks good too, felt the same way about cutting it... but here it is anyway..

 

[emoji85]