We like forgotten cars, so we love this Renault Encore ad. The owner apparently spent a lot of time and money on this, possibly making it the nicest Encore extant. See ad text for remarkable detail.
The only downside is the automatic transmission; but, really, how fun was this to drive in any form?
Quincy, IL
$2,000 with 23 bids and no reserve. Speak, market, speak!
08/18/2013 update: SOLD for $2,000 with 23 bids. Obviously, our massive internet presence didn’t move this a bit…
08/18/2013 update: SOLD for $2,000 with 23 bids. Obviously, our massive internet presence didn’t move this a bit…
Menacing!
There’s the angle we remember,complete with the rear wheel skirt effect.
The steering wheel is just odd enough to be French, but too normal for a Citroen.
Seats look surprisingly sporty.
We’d like to see that bottom gauge in action.
1.4 litres of pure excitement!
Ad text:
For sale is a 1984 Renault Encore 5 door (4 door with hatchback). The engine is 1400 CC with throttle body fuel injection. Vehicle history: We bought the car two years old, and my wife used it for commuting to college. We kept it over the years since, but it didn’t get driven much. Ultimately we gave it to our kid, and he wound up letting it sit. Couldn’t stand that, so I got it back, and decided to restore it. Went through all the mechanicals, and it got everything it might remotely have needed, including the following: all new a/c system including brand new compressor (and charged it with the old R-12 Freon, so it works like brand new- ice cold), new steering rack and front end bushings, etc., all belts and hoses replaced, new battery and all fluids were drained and replaced including brake fluid, coolant, oil, automatic transmission. On the interior, the visors and headliner were looking pretty poor with age, so I had them replaced. Windshield had a small rock chip, so new one was installed. All parts were brand new, not used or rebuilt. The car was repainted in its original Diamond Ice Blue. Brand new Michelin tires were installed, brake system checked over 100%, with the front getting new linings. A high dollar Alpine stereo was installed with MP3 and USB inputs for iPods, iPhones, etc., and 4 Alpine speakers were added. If you know old Renaults, you know that the needles for the speedometer and tachometer eventually bent or became broken off. The entire instrument head was removed and sent to a certified instrument shop. They refinished the panel, rebuilt the speedometer and tachometer units, and fabricated a new speedometer cable. With the complete overhaul, I decided to have the speedometer set to 0. It actually had just over 100,000 miles, maybe 110,000 to 111,000. The engine had been overhauled with valve job and rings at 90,000 miles. All told with all the new parts, tires, paint, etc., etc., over the course of the overhaul I’ve spent well over $7,000.00 on it in the course of the year and a half the project took. It runs flawlessly, and still gets 35-37 mpg on the road (I drove it on and off during the restoration project). The car was rare in its day with the power windows, power locks and air conditioning, as few Renaults had those options, especially together. It has manual steering, but it feels like power steering due to the lightness of the car. The car has no rust. One item I haven’t been able to correct is the gas gauge. It doesn’t register, and I believe the sending unit in the tank is bad, but I haven’t been able to find one. It has been this way for years, and when we drove it regularly, we’d reset the trip odometer at fill-up, and when it got to 250 or more miles, we’d fill it up. It has a small tank, I think it may be 12 -14 gallons, and at 250 miles it’d take maybe half a tank or so, depending on whether it was in town or highway. The other thing I didn’t find was some of the plastic trim pieces around the headliner. Some of them have little chips or cracks, and I haven’t found replacement pieces. I would literally not be afraid to drive this car cross-country. It starts and runs perfectly. A/C is ice cold, heat works well, even the rear window defogger still works! Whether you’re a Renault or French car nut like me, or want a really cool and different car to drive around in, this car is great. I had hoped my wife would drive it again, but she is so used to her big Grand Cherokee she gets scared in little cars now. That surprised me, as she tore all over the place in this car in college! The restoration was a secret project, with me surprising her with it at Christmas. While she was definitely surprised, it just didn’t wind up with the little car being used. It sits in the garage, and I take it out once or twice a month to drive it around, then put it back. Every time I drive it people stop me and ask what the heck it is- lots of fun! So as you can see, I know this car inside and out, having had it for the past 25 years! I just can’t stand to see it sit like it does now, and frankly, I can use the garage space. With this one we have 3 cars and a two car garage. I’d love to see it go to someone who would enjoy driving it and would take care of it. There are very very few of these around anymore, and they were really great little cars. Feel free to e-mail me with any questions at all.