Newbie Looking for A610

Hi there, Iam new to Renault GTA/A610 forums. Just like to say hi.
I am hopefully going to gather some information about what to look for when buying one of these cars. I know nothing about them but I love them for the looks and rarebility.
I currently own a Lotus Esprit S4s which if I play my cards right, hope to keep. I want to sell my daily car and buy a 610.

So what tips do I need to look out for?

Can I get classic car insurance?

Where and how much is servicing in the NW?

Any help will be much appreciated

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=9861&item=4552969823&rd=1

Now this ones in a good area for some expert advice

Thanks, just found this one before your post and it's in my watch list.
Need to do homework quickly about these cars first before I buy.

Have a good root thro the forum and you'll find most of the things to look out for .Mainly it's electrical and body/paintwork problems to be aware of.As a Lotus owner I expect you will have a similar/bigger checklist

With the early ones, yes the Esprit had lots to look for. The newer S4s not so many problems. I've had mine for nearly a year now and the only thing that's gone wrong was the ABS light on. Turned out to be a bad wheel sensor which I was able to test. Sods law it was the last wheel I took off!

Quick question, where does the gearbox come from? On mine it's from a R25 or similar. Only really good for 350BHP.

These are the guys for an upgrade.

http://www.bell-performance.co.uk/gearbox%20upgrade.htm

[Alpineandy]

The blue one on ebay is in Mr Gentlemans' part of the world, so try asking him about it. I'd be gobsmacked if he didn't know the car.

Ah, I know Derek Bell, wasn't sure if there was another upgrade. You have to change your clutch for this upgrade and reverse isn't syncrod either.
I reckon nearly £3k fitted??

These are the guys for an upgrade.

http://www.bell-performance.co.uk/gearbox%20upgrade.htm

From a thread here somewhere I think


http://www.gtoengineering.co.uk/gtor/page1.htm

I dont think you'll need to worry about the gearbox only handling 350bhp unless youre planning to spend serious money modifying the thing. The paintwork seems to be the biggest gripe with the A610.....forever blowing bubbles springs to mind

Always fancied an Esprit, at least its cheaper on parts than an Alpine!

Tell me more about prices etc.

Oil Filter
Air Filter
Plugs
Basic Service
Major Service
Front Ball joint
Clutch replacement

If you take a look at this thread:

http://www.renaultalpine.co.uk/PHPBB/ph ... rices+jobs

I've listed somewhere in there the cost of having my head gaskets done recently (heaven forbid you should ever need it! ) and the cost of a replacement clutch a couple of years ago.

Just looking briefly at the replies and other links, it appears that these cars are quite expensive to run. My Esprit cost a lot less to run but I suppose Iam well in with my Lotus Specialist.
I didn't realise the Alpine was so costly but really trying to kid myself. Will have to look at finiances again to see if I can still buy one and keep the Esprit.

Does anyone use their Alpine as a daily driver?

I do, I find more problems originate if the cars are left sitting around. The problem with Alpines is also the escalating price of Renault parts. £280 for driveshafts, £300 for wishbones, thousands for body panels :shock Sometimes, luckily you can find a GTA being broken, but never an A610, and alot of the parts are now obselete for the A610, such as steering racks, PAS pumps etc...