I've just bought one!  Well, at the weekend.  A 1.8 RT Sport no less. 
Single cam 8v jobbie.  Gosh it aint have plush.  Luverly car to drive.  An R 
Reg (1997) 2 previous owner 63k miler in mint (and I mean mint) condition. 
Fox 17" alloys too!  Bought for a "bag a sand".

Have I made the biggest mistake of my life?  Have I been fleeced?

"gazzafield"  wrote in message 
news:uumdne4Ju_NmdgPfRVnytg@pipex.net...

> I've just bought one!  Well, at the weekend.  A 1.8 RT Sport no less. 
> Single cam 8v jobbie.  Gosh it aint have plush.  Luverly car to drive.  An 
> R

                                                       /\/\/\/\  HALF! 
Bollox.


> Reg (1997) 2 previous owner 63k miler in mint (and I mean mint) condition. 
> Fox 17" alloys too!  Bought for a "bag a sand".
>
> Have I made the biggest mistake of my life?  Have I been fleeced?
> 

gazzafield wrote:

> "gazzafield"  wrote in message 
> news:uumdne4Ju_NmdgPfRVnytg@pipex.net...
> 
>>I've just bought one!  Well, at the weekend.  A 1.8 RT Sport no less. 
>>Single cam 8v jobbie.  Gosh it aint have plush.  Luverly car to drive.  An 
>>R
> 
>                                                        /\/\/\/\  HALF! 
> Bollox.
> 
> 
>>Reg (1997) 2 previous owner 63k miler in mint (and I mean mint) condition. 
>>Fox 17" alloys too!  Bought for a "bag a sand".
>>
>>Have I made the biggest mistake of my life?  Have I been fleeced?
>>
> 
> 
> 

        Only time will tell !

"Peat"  wrote in message 
news:0mCne.5442$Mi4.4377@newsfe2-win.ntli.net...

> gazzafield wrote:
>> "gazzafield"  wrote in message 
>> news:uumdne4Ju_NmdgPfRVnytg@pipex.net...
>>
>>>I've just bought one!  Well, at the weekend.  A 1.8 RT Sport no less. 
>>>Single cam 8v jobbie.  Gosh it aint have plush.  Luverly car to drive. 
>>>An R
>>
>>                                                        /\/\/\/\  HALF! 
>> Bollox.
>>
>>
>>>Reg (1997) 2 previous owner 63k miler in mint (and I mean mint) 
>>>condition. Fox 17" alloys too!  Bought for a "bag a sand".
>>>
>>>Have I made the biggest mistake of my life?  Have I been fleeced?
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>        Only time will tell !


Indeed - on all the various reliability surveys (Driver Power 2005 for 
example), the French cars always do badly on reliability and customer 
satisfaction. I'm sure that there are plenty of satisfied owners out there - 
but the chances of problems seem higher with a Frog car than any other!

Kev

"gazzafield"  wrote in message
news:uumdne4Ju_NmdgPfRVnytg@pipex.net...

> I've just bought one!  Well, at the weekend.  A 1.8 RT Sport no less.
> Single cam 8v jobbie.  Gosh it aint have plush.  Luverly car to drive.  An
R
> Reg (1997) 2 previous owner 63k miler in mint (and I mean mint) condition.
> Fox 17" alloys too!  Bought for a "bag a sand".
>
> Have I made the biggest mistake of my life?  Have I been fleeced?


As the old adage goes, a car is worth what someone will pay for it...

My experience of Laguna ownership was that it was a nice car to drive,
comfortable and roomy inside if a little lacking in headroom. Ride and
handling were excellent and the 2.0 8v engine was very torquey - relaxed to
drive but reasonably quick when required. Could've done with a sixth gear
for motorway cruising.

But... lots of minor things went wrong with it, some of which could
potentially have turned major. The electrical system was niggly and the
cooling system weak, and in general the car felt like it was degenerating
into an old banger before its time. In the the end I got sick of it and sold
it cheap with a few (disclosed) faults outstanding - the next owner either
got a money pit or a bargain, but most likely the latter.

Service it regularly (not at a Renault dealer!), pay particular attention to
the cooling system and find a local scrapyard with a few Lagunas in and you
should be OK.

In news:d7mudv$rkf$1@newsg3.svr.pol.co.uk,
Uno Hoo!  decided to enlighten our sheltered souls 
with a rant as follows

> "Peat"  wrote in message
> news:0mCne.5442$Mi4.4377@newsfe2-win.ntli.net...
>> gazzafield wrote:
>>> "gazzafield"  wrote in
>>> message news:uumdne4Ju_NmdgPfRVnytg@pipex.net...
>>>
>>>> I've just bought one!  Well, at the weekend.  A 1.8 RT Sport no
>>>> less. Single cam 8v jobbie.  Gosh it aint have plush.  Luverly car
>>>> to drive. An R

>>        Only time will tell !
>
> Indeed - on all the various reliability surveys (Driver Power 2005 for
> example), the French cars always do badly on reliability and customer
> satisfaction. I'm sure that there are plenty of satisfied owners out
> there - but the chances of problems seem higher with a Frog car than
> any other!


Lagunas seem pretty reliable to me, apart from the gearboxes being made out 
of balsa wood / cadbury's flake composite.


-- 
Pete M

Mercedes 260E, Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2
Ford Capri (ressurection started)
VW Golf Clipper Cabriolet

COSOC #5
Scouse Git extraordinaire. Liverpool, Great Britain

"gazzafield"  wrote in message
news:uumdne4Ju_NmdgPfRVnytg@pipex.net...

> I've just bought one!  Well, at the weekend.  A 1.8 RT Sport no less.
> Single cam 8v jobbie.  Gosh it aint have plush.  Luverly car to drive.  An
R
> Reg (1997) 2 previous owner 63k miler in mint (and I mean mint) condition.
> Fox 17" alloys too!  Bought for a "bag a sand".
>
> Have I made the biggest mistake of my life?  Have I been fleeced?



Have a goood check over now doing the following:

1) change the cam belt (now!) and carefully check tensioners / idlers.
2) cooling systems weak, check everything and look especially for chaffing
hoses and dodgy jubliee clips- pipes like to burst and rub on things, or
just generally burst without warning. Radiators often leak.
3) heater cores can burst, heater controls detach themselves.
4) various small electrical problems which will irriate you as they
periodically work / dont work, esp heater fan, radio, CDL and leccie
windows.
5) gearbox linkage cables go out of adjustment / come unhooked.


With some TLC and careful preventitive maintanance they last well.

Tim..