December 5, 2024
I have been looking for a suitable Renault 5 for my project for a few weeks now. On YouTube, an Englishman has posted a number of videos about the construction of his Renault 5 Turbo. He has obtained a Renault 5 from southern Spain. And that seems to be working out very well; because this car has hardly seen any rain and no salt on the road at all, the car is in remarkably good condition. A friend tells me about a company that imports vintage cars from southern Spain to the Netherlands. Apparently more people have come up with this idea?
I contact this company and explain what I am looking for. If they come across something, they will contact me. I also keep looking around myself. Every now and then something comes up on Marktplaats or Facebook, usually way too expensive or way too rotten. On December 5, I come across an advertisement on www.leboncoin.fr, the French version of Marktplaats. A bright red Renault 5 from 1974. According to the advertisement, it is in a very good condition. The car is located in a small village 150 km southwest of Lyon. It is a Spanish car, from Murcia. The Spanish license plate is still on it and all the papers required for import are included. That doesn’t immediately give me a good feeling, why didn’t the current owner register the car in France?? And the price is also non-negotiable….
December 8, 2024
I thought about it for a few more days. Could that Spanish car be something for me after all? I create an account on LeBonCoin so that I can contact the seller. I ask about the Spanish papers, we have to resolve that uncertainty first. I find a website that explains what papers should be included with a car for every country in the world. It seems to be correct.
December 11, 2024
Today I receive a series of photos of the cars paperwork, and a video on which the car can be seen a little better than in the few photos within the advertisement. I also find the chassis number on the registration papers. I try to check the chassis number, but I can’t. In 1974, the current standard for chassis numbers did not yet exist, it only came into being in 1981.
December 12, 2024
Based on some photos of the type plate and some of my own imagination, I fabricate a chassis number for the Renault 5 of 17 characters. CarVertical now accepts it, and reports no problems.
Well, now what? It is the right car, but to view it I would have to drive 2500 km. Is that worth it? Or should I just take the gamble? I decide to do the latter. A large part of the bodywork will be replaced anyway, but I do need the load-bearing part. Furthermore, I don’t use a lot of parts of the car, so if the engine or the interior are a bit disappointing, that is not a problem.
December 13, 2024
I agree with the seller that I will pay 1/3 of the purchase price in advance. Today I transfer the money and I am stuck with the car! Now I have to figure out how to get the car home. Do I go to the South of France with a car transporter? Or are there other options?
December 20, 2024
After asking around, I find a transporter who can pick up my car in France for me. The transporter can offer the transport at a price that I cannot drive back and forth for myself. The car will be picked up within a period of 14 working days and then delivered to my home. Only the seller is on vacation now. So I have to be patient for a while.