Howya Tim ? you nicked my avatar! lol

 

Deary me.....did that hit a nerve or summat!!!

I think alot of people would be surprised as to how well they do actually go - mid range on paper I believe they are actually very marginally quicker than a standard cossie!!

Unfortunately unlike a cossie they dont hold their value & you can pick them up for peanuts - but this does mean you can get alot of car for very little money. They come with a full electric pack -sunroof, mirrors, onboard computer etc etc which the cossie never did!!

Hopefully the one I'm in the process of building will surprise a few more cossie owners out there...oh & when it breaks...cos it probably will - it wont (I hope!!!) cost thousands to put right!!!

Oh & I'm pretty confident in saying that a standard 21T will out handle a standard cossie too!!!

I'll wait for the barrage of abuse that my comments will probably generate! LOL!

 

But they are ugly as fook and french! I cant think of anything worse

I will also be wearing a bullet proof vest "TAXI"

 

think this is a good thread. to be honest ive never compared the 21 turbo to a cosworth because they excel in different areas. both are very good cars. a fully tuned cosworth will always produce more power than a 21 turbo, but tbh the 21 turbo has never been developed like the cosworth.
having said that in france they had superproduction cars that run 457bhp, and Sodemo/Sytel made a 4wd 21turbo tht supposed to have 630bhp. so its possible that development these cars will get a lot quicker. as jay has said, we have just fitted megasquirt on my car, and hopefully we should see some good results. the true secret with these cars is low down grunt.
so far ive got my car to run 13.2 secs 1/4 mile without nos or slicks. so they cant be that bad so nots not argue about between ourselves, and concerntrate at beating the japs

 

ive driven craigs, and was impressed in its way it made its torque

i think with the right cam profile/timing big hp would be EASY from one of those

 

cheers gareth, now you tell me i need a cam

 

are they j7r engines craig ?

 

There was a magazine feature many moons ago about them both and IIRC even though it's French and hideous, it came out top in the test

 

as far as i know jay, the Sodemo/Sytel one was experimental though, so im not sure wether it actually raced or not.
oh yeah, 21 turbo is classed as an executive family saloon, group 13 insurance mine which has been modified quite a bit, all declared, Ł443 fully comp and cos know one knows what they are you can leave them on the street at night and they will still be there in the morning

 

thats a valid point i put a proton badge on mine to baffle the thick cunts around here

 

Whats an R21t


4x4, RWD or FWD

FWD I'm guessing..

 

Radders....there are 2 versions - the Quadra which is 4x4 - rare as rockin horse shit - bout 50 left in the country, and the standard model which is FWD!

 

i have to say the french cars have their place.as much as the 5turbo blew gaskets alot it was a chippy little car that is a nice looker and a legend now,the downside to french cars is they are made of tin!good for going quick but if you blow on it they crumble
i have a megane as my run around and i have to say it is a well equipped and nice to drive car.does the job when i dont wanna get the cossie dented or dirty

 

Performance Car magazine ( forerunner to "EVO" mag ) tested an Audi 90 quattro 20v, BMW 325 Sport, Renault 21 Turbo and 2wd Sapphire Cosworth in the Oct 1989 issue. For all round driving fun, practicality, costs etc. the Renault 21T came out top

 

bollox thatas a post that can come back and bite

 

Find a copy and have a look if you like - that was their verdict.

 

I'd have one so I could put this on my fridge.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Renault-21-GTL-G...QQcmdZViewItem

 

on google now mike

 

I'll scan it in for you if you can wait to read it?

 

ok mike when u gota min thatll be nice mate cheers

 

A mate of mine had one of these, I believe they were a fortune when new.

They are seriously ugly but well specced with toys and I believe despite the odd engine layout they are pretty decent with a strong engine and good EMS. Fwd's can struggle to get the power down.

In fact I say they are ugly but really they seem to be looking better the more I see them.

My mate found getting parts for them an expensive nightmare but that was a few years ago. His had a few niggles like boost pipes splitting and the electrics acting up. He was a member of the R21OC too who seem a nice crowd.

I don't see why people have to get all sad about it and start comparing them to cossies though.

 

Circa Ł21,000 I think!

Yes they are ugly but they grow on you.....

Odd engine layout???? Meaning North/South & FWD??? Yes they can struggle once the power is upped - torque steer city!!!

Parts arent too bad - you just need to know the right people/companies.

Thats cos we are a nice crowd!!!!

Probably because they are an 80s and early 90s 2.0ltr turbo charged saloon car!!

 

 

saying it on a forum is one thing, but getting it wrong on t.v where you get to voice things which are wrong or inaccurate and a lot of peole are watching could be a bigger problem no matter what its about

 

Can`t wait for Lee`s to be finished...

Gonna raise a few eyebrows i think....................I know.....I helped to build the motor...

 

Yeah I cant wait for Lee's to be finished either.......but I need powdercoated front hubs to be able to do that dont I mate.....how are they getting on....must be finished by now surely!!!???

 

Well its as Fast lads 150mph Topspeed certainly a match for a standard Cossie.

21 TURBO (1988 - 1992)

Want a powerful super-saloon for not much money? Fords Sierra Cosworth springs to mind; the problem is, it will cost a fortune to buy and insure, the neighbours will dismiss you as a boy racer and the local Mafia will steal the thing inside a month. So what about an alternative? What about Renaults 21 Turbo? Yes, you read that right a Renault 21. That rather frumpy-looking saloon sold here between 1986 and 1992. The Turbo version was frantically fast and later models like the rival Sierra Cosworth even had the option of four-wheel drive.

A family super saloon that can still mix it with the best of the current crop of GTi hatches - and come out top. Its fast (almost 150mph is possible), reasonably frugal (around 25mpg if you dont push it) but somewhat fragile

Early F and G-reg Phase I cars range between Ł200 and Ł400 and for that money, these can be tempting if a worryingly so. Traders know most of them will have had a hard life and high mileages take their toll. Far better to go for the Phase II or younger (late G or H-reg onwards). These start from around Ł300, going up to Ł700 for the last 92K-plate examples.

Build quality on 21 models wasnt great and this version was no exception. A service history is essential if youre to have peace of mind; many examples will have been thrashed. For this reason, look very closely for signs of accident damage and inspect for worn tyres (particularly at the front) and kerbing. Smoky, worn engines are common, as are failed electrics and suspect ABS systems.

On the rare Quadra models, have the four-wheel drive system checked over.

(approx) A clutch comes in just over Ł170 and a full exhaust system is about Ł250. Front brake pads are about Ł35 and around the same for the rear. A new alternator will be around the Ł110 mark, and a starter motor costs about Ł95. A headlight is likely to be Ł230 and a radiator can be up to Ł150.



Astonishingly quick. The 150mph top speed is impressive enough on paper but, on the road, nothing prepares you for that awesome mid-range power surge.

Fast, but fragile as we said. For the money, theres very little that can match it.

 

Never recall seeing one tested as fast as 150 in the mags at the time. About 138/139 seemed to be the norm at Millbrook tests which I guess equates to about 142/143 on a big long straight?

The 2wd 21T was priced at 19250 in Jan 92 with the Quadra about 21500. According to the mags I've got the Sapphire 4x4 was about 27k but there were big discounts on them at the end.
Whereas the Ford was Group 20 on insurance the Renault was group 14/15

 

well at least its bin pu t together right then and we now why ur escort aint finished coz u stink of garlic and frogs legs