Buying a Trophy

[greg131187]

Hi there i am new to the site i currently own a citroen C2 and i am loving it and have done a few nice tasteul mods.

Planning on looking for a clio trophy in a couple of months time when i have more money and untill after my 20th birthday whne insurance becomes a little better.

I was wondering what should i look out for when buying a Trophy?

What are the service intervals? Also do the cambelts need to be changed evry 5 years like on the V6? I know diff engine but could be a renault thing.

Anyway i think it is a fantastic car just would like to hear if there are any known major faults with i.e suspension as that could be expensive to have to deal with.

Greg

 

[DaveTrophy]

Hello

I guess you should just look out for the usual things when buying a car, i.e. Check the panel gaps are all even, quality of paintwork, check for uneven tyre wear.

Theres a guy on this forum who sells loads of Trophy's and he seems to have built a good reputation, i'm sure he could sort you out with a good one.

As for the servicing, this is every 12,000 miles and I believe the cambelt to be due at 72,000 although to be honest most manufacturers will recommend 5 years or 72k whichever comes sooner.

Known faults...I can only think of one really, sometimes you can get a knocking when on a full lock at slow speeds. I think Renault are aware of this as there is a fix for it.

 

[Cool Hand Luke]

Hi Greg - if you buy one i'm sure you wont regret it. You should do a search on here as there are loads of people who have asked the same question before they bought a Trophy too, you'll find a lot of threads with all the info you are looking for.

Where are you based? You should maybe see if there is a chance of a test drive at a local dealers or garage to see if its the car for you - make sure the test route involves some country roads though Steve at www.allvehicles.co.uk is the guy Dave is referring too above.

Following on from what Dave has said - services every 12k but a lot of owners may have oil changes carried out between each service e.g. at 6k then 18k etc.

Off the top of my head other known faults include a rattling passenger seat - which only happens when the seat is empty so you might not spot it on a test drive and over sensitive ultrasonics on the alarm - plenty of threads on both on here.

Panel fit and paintwork might not be perfect as there are some people on here who have had defects in the paint from the factory and suchlike but basically as long as it doesnt look like the car has been in an accident etc then it should be ok.

Happy hunting

 

[g40steve]

Panel fit & paintwork thats a laugh, it's a Renault

Hpi, before you buy.

Check the register as some have been re born [-X

Peel back rubbers (also check for paint on any rubbers esp rear side windows) look for overspray, masking etc.

A long test drive should tell you a lot :wink:

 

[greg131187]

Cool thanks guys for you help see my Morego 202 Post please.

Greg

 

[Steve]

Hi Greg

Welcome to ClioTrophy, You joined on my birthday! (seeing your birth date there makes me feel old).

Glad to hear you're looking at Trophy ownership, you won't regret it, might cost an arm and a leg to insure but worth it as you're getting junior supercar pace at supermarket trolley price. For the money you won't have more fun in the front of a car!

Known faults that i can think of are;

Oncoming drivers flashing you on exits of corners, they think with the speed you're carrying you're about to fly off into the undergrowth.

Jealous scowls from Saxo drivers and general looks of disgust from old people.

It's made of Lego (actually the 1:10 scale Lego Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano that I got for my birthday is made of much better quality plastic), but it holds together OK.

It's very hard to just drive it to the shops without going on a 15 mile B-road detour like you're on a timed rally stage.

Renault have THE worst customer service record in Automotive history - FACT. Pray nothing goes wrong with yours, if it does, go to Ren-Tech/GDI/Mark Fish etc.

The tailgate doesn't open properly (but if you're 6'7" this means you can close it with your chin when carrying two armfuls of groceries).

The alarm ultrasonics are too sensitive and need turning down, easy fix.

The above is the only thing that's gone wrong with mine in 13 months of ownership, they really aren't as bad as people make out, no worse than a Ford or Vauxhall or any other car from a large manufacturer. They were hand built by Frenchmen who knew they were destined for British shores when they were getting none so it's a miracle they weren't sabotaged completely!

Good Luck with finding one (Cough, www.allvehicles.co.uk cough!)

Steve

 

[clarki]

Hi greg,

Bought my trophy just over a week ago and you do need to be careful. I was seriously looking for almost 3 months before I took the plunge. The fact that I wasnt interested in anything remotely modified did narrow the choices somewhat.

My advice is drive as many as possible, check they brake in a nice straight line and with no vibration through the steering. I went for as low mileage as possible too. I actually paid the same for an older car with less miles than a newer example.

Check the bodywork for signs of damage. Golf ball type dings on the doors seem to be a favourite as is a damages front splitter.

Good news though is that a lot of owners give their trophys much tlc and youve just got to find one of these - problem is often they dont sell :lol:

 

[Guest]

If you have trouble with insurance, give Admiral a try. I'm the same age as yourself and they let me in one.

 

[Cue]

privaledge ad greenlight will be cheap insurers for you.

re the service intervals and cam belt - get it changed when it needs it, don't rely on guides as a sure fire way of telling, they are approx. Servicing imo should be done at least once a year, preferably twice a year or every 6k. know the manuals say 12k but engine oil degrades (it's carbon based, even fully synthetic) and 6k in a hot engine doesn't help.

The purer and cleaner the blood running through the veins of your car the less long term problems you'll have and it'll run a lot smoother also