1976 Renault 12

Summary:

A great first car

Faults:

Faulty Radio- Only one station works.

Problems with starter motor.

Door handles wouldn't work from outside.

Oil leak.

Seats starting to wear.

General Comments:

I inherited this car from my mother, who had it for almost twenty years. It is beginning to show it's age, with a few problems, but considering it's age it is still going strong.

The cabin is very roomy, at least in the front, and the boot is huge. The car is also built like a tank, and feels very safe on the road, although there is some under-steering.

The interior is starting to look a little worn, particularly due to sun damage, although it is not too bad considering that it has spent most of it's life in the Australian sun.

The car has been very cheap to run, with very few problems and those that did occur were quite easily and cheaply fixed. Fuel consumption is also good, which is particularly important due to rising oil prices and my being a broke university student.

Although this is an old car it has been a great first car, being economical and simple to drive.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 20th November, 2006

1974 Renault 12

Summary:

The best present ever

Faults:

The head gasket blew twice.

The brakes went.

General Comments:

This car was a 21st birthday present from my family from then on I have gained everything I wanted in life. I have been involved in The Renault Car Club of Victoria and made friends with other people that also love Renaults.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 13th July, 2004

25th Feb 2006, 19:00

Have a '74 myself here in Colombia. AWESOME CAR!!! Robust, trouble free daily driver. Well, yes some drops of oil from the gearbox evey now and then.

1974 Renault 12 Virage 1.4

Summary:

Excellent

Faults:

Most incredible car I have owned. Had trouble with front brake pads. and hand brake. Other than that, what a car! Used to pull out to a red line at 7000 rpm and still want more. handled like it was on rails, as long as you knew about body roll. What a car.

General Comments:

Love the car, but, a more powerful engine would be good.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 4th June, 2003

14th Dec 2003, 16:16

I'm really happy to read this about the red-lining! Almost all of the reviews I've read of these cars comment on the bad acceleration. I remember though, learning to drive in one of these in the late 70s, and I still remember that it would do 50 km/h in 1st, 80 in 2nd, 125 in 3rd. That was pretty amazing for a family 1300 built in 1971. Compare that to, say, a 1969 Ford Cortina (utterly dreadful car). It would reach those speeds at 7400 rpm. I know, because we gave it a rev-counter for Christmas in about 1982, after my father had been caning it for 11 years already. He really drove it like a maniac, and despite that it survived until 1989. My sister had it parked under a tarpaulin out front of her house, and when she took the tarpaulin away, it had basically dissolved. A sad end for a much loved car. My rather overweight and grumpy mother still moans about how no other car has ever been as comfortable.

1974 Renault 12 TL 1.3 litre

Summary:

Long in tooth, but quirky and interesting

Faults:

Brake master cylinder (twice).

Rusty fuel tank.

New drum brakes.

Motor (original) badly needed rebuilding towards the end.

Rear springs replaced.

Entire front suspension needed overhauling.

C/V joints worn.

A lot of other things. $500 per year in repairs just to keep it on the road (ignoring the bigger problems)

General Comments:

Overall an interesting, individual, and practical car. It had a lot of problems which I think were partly age related and partly due to poor build quality or bad design.

This car was very comfortable for a small car. It had a superb ride and excellent seats. Virtually everyone who went in it commented on the comfort.

Despite the soft, long travel suspension, it was quite a good car to drive. It had good road holding, and excellent on the limit handling. These things are first rate handlers in the dirt and in the wet. I always used to enjoy putting it fast enough into a corner to get a bit of roll-oversteer happening, and then correcting with a bit of opposite lock. Scared the hell out of passengers though.

Unfortunately the 12s are totally underpowered. I suppose it was probably acceptable in the 70's, but anyone use to driving a modern car would find the lack of power very frustrating. It had to be driven pretty hard just to keep up with city traffic, and hills were a real chore. Get a few mates in the car and things just get worse.

When I got it, the car felt a bit loose. A lot of things needed work, and there were a few interior fittings either missing or broken. I don't think they were really up to Australian conditions. However, I did enjoy owning my Renault.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 14th June, 2001