Advice on potential R26 purchase - cost of work to be done

Discussion in 'Mechanical - Engine, Gearbox, Exhaust etc' started by William Barnett, Nov 20, 2019.

  1. So I went to view a slightly tatty R26 today, and I'm just trying to figure out what I need to do to bring it up to spec. Would love some help roughly costing it up to figure out what to offer (work would be done by my indy not Renault main dealer) Current mileage is just shy of 80k.

    • The cambelt and water pump were done around 37k but I believe this was back in 2013 so would this need to be done pretty soon? Rough cost?
    • Passenger side window will only move up or down in small increments - possible regulator replacement? Again rough cost?
    • Rear brake discs could probably do with a replacement soonish as advised on one of the more recent MOTs - fronts and pads have been done.
    • Ball joints were noted as an advisory on the most recent MOT so these will probably need replacing soonish
    • Also the chap who was showing me the car mentioned the gearbox gets a bit sticky when it gets hot - not sure what this would be? The guy thought the cables might need replacing.
    Apart from this it could do with a couple of new front tyres, alloy refurb and theres a scrape on the front bumper and a ding on the rear wheelarch which I'd get my bodyshop to look at.

    Having said all this it drove nicely and felt pretty tight despite the mileage, interior was in good nick. I think he's open to offers so I'd really appreciate any advice on pricing the main jobs that need doing. Thanks! Hopefully be an owner of one of these soon as they're great cars for the money.
     
  2. Belt and pump are about £600. Ball joints are £30 each plus fitting. Rear discs are £211 and last for ever, OE rear pads are £40. Can't help with the rest.
     
  3. Hi William
    Not sure o what the cambelt job would cost, as i do my own.

    As for the window, it may just need setting, if the battery has ever been removed then loose there position, wind fully up and when it stops hold the button in the up position for about 5 seconds, same as fully down.
    If it's the Temic unit there about £15-20, but they normally stop working all together.

    Ball joints or they could be the lower swivels, swivel bearings about £25 each, ball joints are about £15 each.

    If it's the gear cables then it a Renault part only (i have a pair i no longer need) if it's the gearbox you can get it refurbished or swap it for another.
     
  4. Thanks for the replies guys, very helpful indeed. Prices for these seem to vary quite considerably, decent ones going for around 5k. I've seen others with the cambelt done but higher mileage up for as low as 3k. Any idea what one like the above might be worth? It's black, completely standard and apart from the jobs listed needs a bit of work cosmetically but tidy otherwise.
     
  5. What colour is it? Does it have the lux pack?
     
  6. Its black and no lux pack.
     
  7. I would think about £4,500 private if it really is unmodified. They do go for a premium if they're unmodified. Black is not a popular colour (yellow and white seem to be more expensive for some reason) and the belt & pump need doing so I wouldn't pay more than that. 80k is not super high mileage.

    Edit: PS I bought an 'unmodified' one a year ago and I'm still finding modifications.
     
  8. your window problem is just the batterys been disconnected.Hold the window switch at the fully down or up position for 10 secs,and it will reset to normal operation.

    The sticky gear lever is the bush inside the selector actuator swelling up when warm,causing the mechanism to jam up.
    They all do this.
    The actuator needs refurbing...phil watkins is your man,and his exchange units have the famous. shortshift fitted as well.
     
  9. you gonna be looking at £500 for the cam belt/pump/aux belt with fitting.
    all bushing and suspension on these cars will need doing now..RPD are very good for OEM renault parts.
    rear disks can be had quite cheap these days,but they do have the bearings set into the disks..And make sure you get the correct ones for a R26..as other meganesport variants dont fit.
     
  10. make sure the steering self centers,and doesnt have any tight spots in it.If any of that is evident,the swivel bearing needs rebuilding,which can be expensive.Again..every R26 suffers from this at some point,as the bearing arrangement is a design fault.
     
  11. Thanks for all the info guys, much appreciated. Good to know about the swivel bearing!

    I'll have a chat to the the owner and see if we can strike a deal. Either way it's good to know where to come for advice if I do get myself into an R26. Hopefully won't be a long search.
     
  12. many are very tired now..especially in the suspension departments.You normally find it all needs doing at the same time..which puts people off spending the money.Steering racks can go to..but a bush is available separate,which eliminates the need for a new rack.
     
  13. There are R26 swivel bearings on ebay for £20, am I missing something?
     
  14. Steve
    the parts are cheap, its the time to take the hubs off and the strip out the bearings, then put it all back together
     
  15. its a very involved job,as everything has to be stripped down,and involves having the bearing pressed in etc.
    several hours work per side..and thats if it all goes to plan.
    driveshafts can be a bastard to remove from the hub,and the turrets that run inside the bearing can be fked as well,and are tricky to get hold of.Ask renault how much they want for a new hub if you want a laugh..
     
  16. Thanks for all this info. I've had an offer accepted so all being well I'll be picking it up next week! It drove well, felt nice and tight and seemed an honest car - needs a few jobs sorting in the next year but the price was good and I think it's been reasonably well looked after...so I'm sure I'll be back on here soon to properly introduce myself :blush:
     
  17. Unfortunately it looks a bit more serious than a reset - tried this and still only moves up and down in small increments. Would this indicate that the unit needs replacing?
     
  18. not normally..normally if they dont work..they dont do anything!Make sure you have the ignition on,and hold the button down for the full 10 secs in the fully up and fully down window positions.
     
  19. iv'e had to do it at the top and the bottom before to get it to work
     
  20. Thanks guys - pretty sure I held it down for 10s at the top and bottom with no luck but will give it another go.

    Only other thing that I think requires attention right now is that there is a quite a bit of condensation in the car when it's left standing. I was wondering if this is a sign that the scuttle drains are blocked?
     
  21. you would normally find the carpet is wet,or the door pockets have water in them if there is water getting in.
     
  22. Thanks Andrew, I haven't noticed anything like this - might need a more thorough inspection which I'll do today.
     
  23. I’ve had trouble with the foam between the dash and windscreen due to fitnent of a new windscreen. Put fresh foam in and a rubber seal off ebay an all seems well. Could literally be anything that though
     
  24. On closer inspection the carpet in the little cubby hole in the passenger footwell is damp - looks like the scuttle drain issue so will be unblocking asap.
     
  25. So I managed to access the scuttle drains thanks to the helpful guide on these forums. Passenger side was blocked up with mud and gunk - pretty easy to clear out and water flows freely through it now.

    However there was a big pool above the driver's side drain. Soaked it up and had a go at the drain with a long fleixible wire brush but I feel like there is a blockage very near the bottom now. Feels like the wire bumps up against something and it still doesn't drain very quickly. Any tips on how to sort this? Judging by the length of the wire it must be very near the bottom of the drain now.

    Also when I put everything back together this piece of rubber trim would not go back on straight:

    20191213_101748.jpg

    I think it's just old and tired but could this casue any issues? The material underneath is also old and damp so I couldn't seat the rubber on it.
     
  26. There is a non return type thing on the end of the pipe, don't know why it's there, i cut mine off.
     
  27. As for that trim/rubber seal sagging, they all do that.
    There was an extra clip you could get from renault to hold it up better but I don’t have the details unfortunately.
     

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