Making a shopping list for 123

[Smokey McPot]

I was talking to a mate on another forum and realised I made my first proper list of things to have done on 123....


Needs some TLC. Its been garaged for nearly 18months

Rear arches are rusting so they need cutting, replacing, welding etc.

Engine needs some love, rocker gasket is fecked and leaking oil to number one spark plug. TBH I want the whole thing out, every seal, gasket and sundry replacing.

Suspension inc bushes, track rod end things and whatnot wants replacing with new stuff.

Need to buy some new wheels as the current ones aren't the right colour and the lacquer is peeling. I'd refurb the current ones also.

Needs a new exhaust system from Renault.

Rear bench seat needs replacing because of a fag burn.

Paint needs a lot of love, too many swirls and stone chips.

I must point out that most of the stuff is me being anal about the condition and despite the list its in decent nick. Its just not perfect

Oh, and 8 new tyres, presuming I get new wheels also....

so with that in mind, would anyone like to help me compile a price list for new parts?

[Smokey McPot]

Damn edit button.

Also, fog lights, heater issue and oil pressure sender are on the list too.

[talkingfish]

Having done most of that lot of 0425, I'll give a rough estimate of what to pay....

New suspension from Renault - parts circa £500 + fitting
Wheels - £50 a corner for a refurb, £200 each brand new
Arches - around £400 depending how bad the rust is...
Renault Exhaust - circa £200 excluding downpipe & manifold + fitting
rear bench - need to find one from a dead Willy somewhere
respray - minimum £2,000 for a top job.... get the arches done at the same time...
tyres - depends on the size - allow £60 each for 185's, £40 for 195's
Engine out - god knows... not done that bit yet.... depends if your doing it yourself.. your looking at £300 labour to get it in and out....

So, roughly £4k..... :? :?

[Smokey McPot]

Thanks for that :)

its certainly not having a respray. Some TLC is all thats needed there I think.

I've sourced a few parts that can't be had through renault. Suspension I may consider having a crack at myself, or with the assistance of someone with some knowledge. Doesn't strike me as overly complicated replacing like for like parts.

Exhaust will be the same I think.

The engine is probably going to be the biggest issue. I'll talk to my local garage and see what they think it's going to be and then get them to do it cheaper. Its not currently on the road at the moment, so theres no major rush.

[J o n]

lot of work... imo it's not worth it, I'd move on.

[Smokey McPot]

If I wanted to take the easy route I would have kept my Cup and sold my Williams. However, I didn't. Thanks for your input though.

[J o n]

Fair play, I just think it's a lot of money to spend on an old car that you wont see any of it back from if/when you come to sell... been there done that, am a little wiser to spending good after bad money. I suppose it's like modifying though, some of us will spent a lot uprating parts, others spend a lot keeping it minty fresh but standard...

If the market hadn't bombed out I'd have said go for it, just my take on it.

[Coops]

kind of thinking of it as an investment is missing the point jon mate, i think he wants to carry out the work for the love of a willy :wink: :lol:

[Smokey McPot]

It doesn't cost me anything to keep anymore. And I have never intended to part with it. Its like old friend, sometimes you wonder why you bother trying but then there are moments when he'll buy you a pint or a ticket to Oasis.

Anyhoo. Being that I dont plan on selling it, and I'm not driving it too much, the work that I want to do can be carried out with little urgency (which I dare say is counterproductive, but meh). I can do things as I can afford to have them done.

Its cost me very little in servicing in the 2.5 years I had it on the road, and nothing for the 1.5 its been locked away. Now my degrees done and my job pays me decent money its all bit more obtainable. And yes, I do love Willy.

[Smokey McPot]

And also, the sooner its done the sooner I can go 350z shopping.

[J o n]

kind of thinking of it as an investment is missing the point jon mate, i think he wants to carry out the work for the love of a willy :wink: :lol:

Oh I know no one thinks of these cars as an investment... apart from Stromba, but then he is a bit 'special' (olympics). To be fair my view of them is probably a little jaded from past experience of anything and everything that can go wrong with them lol


It doesn't cost me anything to keep anymore. And I have never intended to part with it. Its like old friend, sometimes you wonder why you bother trying but then there are moments when he'll buy you a pint or a ticket to Oasis.

Anyhoo. Being that I dont plan on selling it, and I'm not driving it too much, the work that I want to do can be carried out with little urgency (which I dare say is counterproductive, but meh). I can do things as I can afford to have them done.

Its cost me very little in servicing in the 2.5 years I had it on the road, and nothing for the 1.5 its been locked away. Now my degrees done and my job pays me decent money its all bit more obtainable. And yes, I do love Willy.

If it's not a daily car and used infrequently and money's no object then go for it... half the problem with them being such a good drivers car is that if I ever owned another I'd pick up the keys for that over the 172 anyday of the week... even though my 172 is better in every possible way these days... having said that there's a mint shell with nothing in it I've been toying with the idea of making the owner an offer on... then putting my engine and other bits in it.

[talkingfish]

0425 was restored for the love of the car - financial reasoning went out of the window ages ago.... I've no intention of selling so not getting the money back isn't a problem... but it still frastrates and annoys even now, but that's part of the fun... :D

[franksvalver]

Williams exhaust cost me 170 pound iirc. Including all bolts, brackets and mounts needed

[Daz.]

0425 was restored for the love of the car - financial reasoning went out of the window ages ago.... I've no intention of selling so not getting the money back isn't a problem... but it still frastrates and annoys even now, but that's part of the fun... :D

Put it this way the bill thats coming my way next week is easily enough to buy another one!

And its nowhere near finished :roll:

[white16valver]

But without people like us who are willing to pay more than is economically sensible to keep an older car going there would be no older classic cars as people would just bin them!

I look at it as doing the world a favour :P lol

[Daz.]

^^^ agree - athough not in the same league as some exotica many now classic cars that are worth something must have gone though the same process as what we are doing...

There must have been a few turbo 2 owners going "**** this!"

[white16valver]

I picked up a copy of Retro Cars magazine this month - was refreshing to see so many mint older motors that you just don't see anymore! :)

[Tommo]

I saw a B reg Capri a few weeks back, looked concours, had lots of money spent on it and prob worth naff all in the current market! I love seeing mint retro cars around, it's refreshing in the sea of oversized overweight run off the mill newer cars...

I'd go for it mate, it's not easy keeping on top of the Williams, I try and buy bits that are worn or need replacing each month, and then take it to my local garage to have them fitted, done this for ages, it isn't a cheap hobby! There's always stuff to do tho....my mates and family think I'm nuts, they can't see the point of spending so much on a 14 year old Clio!!

[titcharoony]

to some extent i see williams as an semi-investment. u will lose money, but to wha extent will u lose money? my sister bought an 06 172 i think, around £6500 couple years ago, now its worth about 4500 i reckon.
williams? unless ur spending seeeeerrrrrious money on it, any new brakes, oil, servicing, parts etc, u cud expect to do with any car, and u wont be losing thousands and thousands. i cant see any williams that was worth 3000 now worth 1000..... although they have dropped in price. im waiting for the rest of u to smash yours up so mine becomes truely rare :)

[Smokey McPot]

Well there are increasingly less on the road now, proper Williams anyway. The market for them has depreciated significantly, what with current economic shenanigans and dilution from hybrids and the like. I'm under no illusion that spending thousands will increase its value in any great way. Its a special car, it deserves some loving :D

My plan like yours, Tommo. Going to approach it piece by piece, do some work myself but anything too complicated to scary I'll take it to the garage. I may even see if they'll show me what they do as they do it :)

[white16valver]

I'd like a proper williams but I'd feel bad about modifying it.

At least with the valver it's nice to know that it's fairly 'disposable' and I can play with it if I want to!