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View Full Version : which williams and what to look for ??



fiveyards90right
24-04-2006, 08:57
Hi, Im new to this forum but I'm looking for a williams as an everyday car.
I'm also a complete numpty but would like to know :-

Which should I go for, 1, 2 or 3 ?

Are there fakes out there and how do I spot them ?

Major problems to look for ?

Not much really................ :lol:

katbloke
24-04-2006, 09:07
Choice is yours buy the best you can afford, some say the 1 because of the plaque, some 3 coz of the hole in the roof, i drive a 2.

Rusty rear arches are common gearbox problems ie noises jumping out of gear etc etc worn steering columns anything really on a 12 year old car.

To check originality the best thing is to get the reg number and trace via a link from here that tells you what the car was originally registered as.

Try and get one with a full service history if you can and original speedline wheels too.

And welcome to the site:)

Others will add loads more.

Daz
24-04-2006, 09:39
I've got it on good authority that 2's are the best. :lol:

Seriously tho, they're at the stage where you just have to get the best you can find :D

J o n
24-04-2006, 09:41
There's a nice looking Willy 1 on Toilet Trader, only 66k and £2999... deffo worth a look imo.

Get a 1, you'll regret it in a few months time otherwise. Better yet save yourself the hassle of owning a French rot box and go Jap/German lol

2 live
24-04-2006, 09:44
lol.........they not all as bad as urs has been mate........ur promotion of the car itself is fukkin dire.


there are some fairly trouble free ones out there.......u jus gotta look for em is all.

J o n
24-04-2006, 09:47
maybe not, but they will break, it's a matter of when and how much £££. If you can be arsed with all that fair enough, but every noise you hear will usually end up in something needing fixing... then there's the rust, they all suffer

Anders
24-04-2006, 09:51
As stated before, get the best you can afford really. Although a wicked drive, you pay for it in upkeep and maintenance.

Would seriously consider it as an everyday car....but if you are that commited then go for it...no better car in £ v's performance IMO

Hopefully you will be back soon...+ the new toy.

2 live
24-04-2006, 09:57
lol........rust is something ALL metal suffers from eventually mate. so is to be expected really. unless its been well looked after.


mechanically, they no more or less reliable han the next car really, some are pups that need a lot doin, others just keep goin after minor work.


the engines i find are pretty much bulletproof, compared to some other manufacturers

bodywork.as above.........if well looked after they can still be pretty much rust free, but what do expect from a 10-12 year old car driven on UK roads??

fasterthanjesus
24-04-2006, 11:34
from my experience look for when the following were last replaced.

clutch, cambelt, paspump. (i got stung with all 3).

look for rust under the driver and passenger doors. look also at the tailgate, underside.

ask plenty of questions before buying, and use this website as the bible!

Zollo
24-04-2006, 12:13
maybe not, but they will break, it's a matter of when and how much £££. If you can be arsed with all that fair enough, but every noise you hear will usually end up in something needing fixing... then there's the rust, they all suffer

Erm, that sounds like just about every other second hand car mate. 9 months of ownership, and mine has let me down once. And it cost 8 quid to fix that!

J o n
24-04-2006, 14:24
maybe not, but they will break, it's a matter of when and how much £££. If you can be arsed with all that fair enough, but every noise you hear will usually end up in something needing fixing... then there's the rust, they all suffer

Erm, that sounds like just about every other second hand car mate. 9 months of ownership, and mine has let me down once. And it cost 8 quid to fix that!

depends on what you view as a component failure, as most people on here seem content to have to replace things like brakes every couple of months... or when they break they upgrade to 4 pots and make out like there was never a problem... unless you uprate certain items the common things WILL break... again, most of you guys on here dont do any significant miles to have many problems, so really you need to put it in perspective. How many people do about 15k a year in their Williams? Answer is not many I bet.

Tommo
24-04-2006, 14:53
As outlined above really mate. There are still some gudduns out there. I bought a Williams 1 and it was the first one I viewed and not had any major problems as of yet 18 months down the line. Rust is the biggest problem on these cars so thoroughly check the car over. Check for play in the steering as this is another common problem but can be cheaply fixed with a simple weld. Most Williams have noisy power steering (mines been wheezing since I bought it) so shouldn't be a problem, but another thing to look out for. Make sure all gears select ok and no major whining noises as the gear box could be on the way out. I'd also recommend one with a FSH and check that the cambelt has been replaced recently.

There are only subtle differences between the 1's, 2's and 3's so my advice is to just buy the best one you can find. You could also get somebody off here to view a car with you which I would also advise.

Cheers
Col

Zollo
24-04-2006, 15:53
depends on what you view as a component failure, as most people on here seem content to have to replace things like brakes every couple of months... or when they break they upgrade to 4 pots and make out like there was never a problem... unless you uprate certain items the common things WILL break... again, most of you guys on here dont do any significant miles to have many problems, so really you need to put it in perspective. How many people do about 15k a year in their Williams? Answer is not many I bet.

Brakes wearing because of hard use on a track day can't be classed as a component failure. It's a consumable component. Or should we be classing the rear tyres on a big heavy M3 as component failure? Nope, but Vanos units and weak 6-speed boxes should be. We'll give BMW the benefit of the doubt and class trailing arm bushes as a consumable. Weak brakes are neither, they're just general under-engineering on behalf of BMW. Jesh, these BMWs...

But on the other hand, lots M3 owners are more than happy. It's down to luck and just because you've been unlucky with your Williams, it doesn't mean every one of them is a lemon.

wavy
24-04-2006, 18:15
How many people do about 15k a year in their Williams? Answer is not many I bet.
iv had mine about 8 or 9 weeks and done over 3k so far
just failed mot on balljoint + flexi hoses + and a bulb
so not to bad so far

had to replace gearbox it poped out of 5th when i bought it (seems common)
cambelt changed + clutch + other bits
rust as in any 13 year old car
they are dear to repair but worth it
IMO unmodded engines are best

BigBoreBri
24-04-2006, 19:15
I bought mine back in mid 2003... and its done approx 40k now, i think the main things you will be hard pushed to escape is the perish of age; wheels and bodywork will most likely be subject to some corrosion and depending on its condition and how its been looked after bushes/ bearings/ brakes/ suspension etc. will be something to take into account.

I think in most case's if you dont mind looking after her you will be ok! 8)

General/Service parts are reasonable, its only the few odd bits that seem to cost the earth!


In all fairness be warned tho, if you buy one thats a dog it will cost you a fortune to keep her going, the williams is an awsome car but like most french cars only when it works... sloopy steering, fooked ancilleries, shafted brakes and rust is enough to put you on 1st name terms with your local reanult dealership... ](*,)

katbloke
25-04-2006, 00:02
ran mine for 12 months not a single problem, at the mo the brakes are gone, awaiting braided hoses, but ive done about 3.5 k in 12 months thats all

craig100
25-04-2006, 06:40
took me ages to find my williams,
be aware,u will get people sayin its mint and travel for miles,u will get to it n it will be a right bag of shite.
took me about 6 months for a good one,but defo worth the wait.


good luck mate

bill.
25-04-2006, 08:41
took me ages to find my williams,
be aware,u will get people sayin its mint and travel for miles,u will get to it n it will be a right bag of shite.
took me about 6 months for a good one,but defo worth the wait.


good luck mate

well i'm only on 2 weeks and 2 cars so far, hope i dont have another5 months and 2 weeks to wait till i find a good un :(

katbloke
25-04-2006, 12:16
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RENAULT-CLIO-WILLIAMS-1994_W0QQitemZ4634449539QQcategoryZ9861QQrdZ1QQcmd ZViewItem

a tidy looking williams 1 but without seeing it its hard to tell

bill.
25-04-2006, 14:35
does look nice, but i'm after a 3, cheers for the link though :)

mozzawily
25-04-2006, 19:43
Anything with dodgey breaks i.e no brakes budget to fix, i bought a willy 2 with no brakes and got £200 off but in reality it cost me atleast thripple that to have them perfect!

Martin
25-04-2006, 19:50
does look nice, but i'm after a 3, cheers for the link though :)

I'd take the first clean willy you see..... 3's are the most diluted anyway.. having a sunroof and more electric gubbins

bill.
26-04-2006, 18:27
does look nice, but i'm after a 3, cheers for the link though :)

I'd take the first clean willy you see..... 3's are the most diluted anyway.. having a sunroof and more electric gubbins

thats why i want one lol :oops:

Jamie.
26-04-2006, 18:29
just buy best you can imo. malbons one is mint, was kendos old one iirc.

bill.
27-04-2006, 16:03
just buy best you can imo. malbons one is mint, was kendos old one iirc.

veiwing it on saturday :D

fiveyards90right
28-04-2006, 13:40
Thanks guys for all your advice......

Going to look at a williams 2 tonite

but would like to find a williams 1 I think...

How much approx to sort rear wings if bubbling.....are replacement wings available ??