Well that's no family car (how do I fix these tail lights?)

"Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction" (rustholes-are-weight-reduction)
11/29/2019 at 08:15 • Filed to: None

Since we decided my girlfriend would have the “family car”, we bought her a X1 (which drives way better than I expected) . That left me with the option to get a fun daily driver as I’ve done before.

Living in France next to the German border has it’s perks. Germans tend to change their cars more often than Frenchmen, probably due to taxes and stuff.

Anyway, that means the used car market is quite interesting and abundant, any car you struggle to find in France can be found easily on the other side of the border. For some cars, this leads to little price differences, and sometimes the gap is big enough that you’d be a fool not to buy.

So last sunday morning, I found this freshly posted 1 owner, low mileage, 2010 Renault Mégane RS priced bellow the average german price that was just an hour and a half away.

I called the guy, asked for some details, and it turned out the car is accident free (reportedly), has 2 sets of wheels, was freshly inspected with new brakes, battery and timing belt and had a new TÜV . I drove there immediately to check it out and pick it up. The seller told me he ordered a SUV because his mother in law moved in with him and his wife, and that they’d need something more practical. He was quite surprised at how fast that went, and heartbroken at the idea to part with it.
I didn’t tell him I’ll probably flip it in spring.

To the car:
2010 Renault Mégane RS
2.0 turbo 4 cylinder petrol
250HP
6 speed manual
Front wheel drive
Cloth interior, sadly no recaros

I’ve had 2 Mégane 3 RS’ before (and a Mégane 2 RS), one that I had to return to the seller due to a registration issue, and one that I once chased around the Alps with some fellow Oppos.
It’s currently waiting in my front yard for french registration, which can take up to 4 weeks.

While it’s mechanically in great shape, it has a few little issues I’ll have to sort out before selling it: the sat nav screen has a lot of broken pixels, it only has a map for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, there’s a small crack in the paint on the hood next to the badge , it needs a good detailing and some new floor mats, and the tail lights are weirdly hazy.

For reference, this is what it should look like:

The other big issue that it is not y ellow, but hey, it was cheap.
I’ll post some better pics when I’ll be able to drive it.

DISCUSSION (6)

pip bip - choose Corrour > Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction
11/29/2019 at 08:37

try headlamp resto kits first perhaps?

Arrivederci > pip bip - choose Corrour
11/29/2019 at 08:41

Agreed - that’s what I’d try first to see how well they clean up.

Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction > pip bip - choose Corrour
11/29/2019 at 08:58

That’s what I’m gonna try first, but usually with headlights, the surface is quite rough to the touch. this is smooth, but opaque, so I’m not sure if it sit on top of the ta il light.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction
11/29/2019 at 11:22

“The seller told me he ordered a SUV because his mother in law moved in with him and his wife”

Poor guy... sounds like it’s just a matter of time before the divorce happens.

Living with the inlaws just adds to the usual stresses of a marriage.

Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
11/29/2019 at 12:55

He didn't seem upset about it, but having had my mother in law at my place for a week now, I wouldn't want to permanently live with her

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction
11/29/2019 at 14:23

I have a close friend whose mother-in-law stays with his family for 50% of the time... and with his sister-in-law for the other 50%.

It definitely adds stress for him... particularly when his wife enlists the help of her mother to gang up on him when they have a disagreement about something. And I’ve heard a few other similar stories.

I’ve heard of some cases where the in-law is a hugely helpful benefit... but I wouldn’t say it’s the majority of the time.

As for myself... back when I was married, I was 100% sure I wanted neither my mom nor her mom living with us... and I was very firm about that.