Andy’s Racing blue

RB has been resting in Espania since April and I have enjoyed many drives out since.
Since leaving the EU it’s not so easy driving around in a UK plated car so I have a decision pending in April when her MOT runs out.
I have 3 choices.
1. Pay the Matriculation fee of £1500 which puts her on Spanish plates.

2. Sell to the previous owner who has tracked her restoration and wants to buy the car back, but once factoring in the costs to repatriate his offer is not high enough.

3. Man up cut your losses, buy a historic/Classic car to take down which apart from insurance will be exempt from all the tax/bureaucracy and enjoy driving the smooth quiet roads FOC!

Your thoughts would be appreciated chaps.

The old Girl looks good considering she is approaching 20 years old!

Your RB looks immaculate inside and out! The only thing I would change are the blacked out rear windows.

What classic car are you thinking of?

marrow said:

Your RB looks immaculate inside and out! The only thing I would change are the blacked out rear windows.

What classic car are you thinking of?

Click to expand...

Really struggling as most of the cars I want are either too expensive or are rusty as hell!

An update on RB.
After my fruitless search for an interesting Classic within budget I’ve decided to get the car matriculated onto Spanish plates and rest out in the sun.

The process is incredibly difficult now we are out of the EU and the fees have gone up 3 fold.
Before you can apply for the registration security checks, ownership documents 4 photos of the vehicles need to be sent to notary along with a €200 fee.
The next step is for type approval check and the ITV which is our equivalent of an MOT for another €200.
The only thing I was concerned about was the headlight aim which I adjusted internally via the small lever.

Well bugger me she failed on 3 counts due to the items being classed as modified and not OEM!
1. Exhaust system (Scorpion cat back)
2. Front springs (Eibach)
3. Rear springs (Eibach)
I tried to explain in my broken Spanish that it’s not possible to buy these components new but they weren’t having it.
Unless I could produce evidence from the top at Renault, Eibach and Scorpion the car won’t comply.

After a rather stressful week I’ve finally collated the information required and hopefully they will except it when I go back next week.

I just want say a massive thank you to MarcB who’s help in this regarding part numbers, diagrams with my reg/Vin number attached and also an email from a Renault dealer confirming the NLA status.

Along with his help recently with the information regarding the Sachs dampers he is one valuable asset in our forum.

side thought, would it be worth getting a pair of LHD headlights to install in the car so they aim correctly and so you get proper light spread? Annoying though RE the parts too!

where.is.lee said:

side thought, would it be worth getting a pair of LHD headlights to install in the car so they aim correctly and so you get proper light spread? Annoying though RE the parts too!

Click to expand...

Thankfully the headlights passed so the legendary internal lever does work!
Going for the retest on Monday armed with my documents so fingers crossed.

Ajracer said:

Thankfully the headlights passed so the legendary internal lever does work!
Going for the retest on Monday armed with my documents so fingers crossed.

Click to expand...

Good luck Andy, hope it all works out this time.

After all the hard work trying to pacify the Spanish jobsworths it’s not happening.
Even with all my various documents providing the parts are NLA they will not matriculate unless she is fitted with new OEM Renault springs and a full exhaust system. (Just pull a unicorn out of my arse)!
Ironically once she passes and the paperwork has been stamped I can then put all my old bits back on and will pass future ITV test! You couldn’t make it up!

I will be bringing her home next month.

Really sorry Andy to here about your Racing Blue not passing it’s Spanish test - stupid legislations in my view especially on a 20yr old car

NickReilly063 said:

Really sorry Andy to here about your Racing Blue not passing it’s Spanish test - stupid legislations in my view especially on a 20yr old car

Click to expand...

Thanks Nick.
She was going to be my keeper fun car in Spain but it’s not to be.
Once she gets home next month I will put her up for sale.

RB is back and currently resting in the garage next to #151 until her next custodian takes possession.

Being a stubborn sod on a mission Im determined to have a small light car to enjoy down in Spain.

Well if the rubber stamp jobsworths want a more modern car in an OEM condition then let’s hope they can’t drum up some reason to fail this little rascal because the steering wheel is on the wrong side!
Driving down mid September.

Cool thing Andy - loving the bright yellow

That looks mega, colours like that were made for cars like that

Real pity the Spanish jobs for life, tried to put the 182 through so many hoops.

Still, every cloud has a Giallo lining and all that

Thanks guys.
Not had time to drive it much as the weather has been awful since I picked her up.
The colour definitely suits the car.

Simply French at Beaulieu today and RB was well liked in the mix.
There was a Trophy in the car park area, anyone on here?

Great looking show, some very nice cars on display.