These end up more about the people than the cars, you've introduced us to so many cracking people over these episodes. Mega car, lovely bloke with great tales to tell. TLBS is so much better than anything that ever makes it to tv, so raw and personal, they get me in the feels every time.
This series has turned into a work of cultural anthropology, Jonny has a great way with people and these videos are becoming a body of work that is something to be really proud of.
1) this man has the best wife, full stop! an artist/car racer? be still my heart. 2) this car deserves a recommissioning. 3) that he squirrels away running shoes because he likes that style is totally valid. great episode!
Back in the 80's a neighbour across the road won a Renault 5 turbo 2 in a competition, it had a rear mounted engine and flared wings and from memory the widest tyres on the back i had ever seen. Best bit was he and his wife were comfortably over 60 years old and it was there daily.
Can we not just skip over the wonderful fact that a HUSBAND came home one day to find his WIFE had without knowledge indulged in a second hand car itch she had. Not a new car the salesmen convinced her to buy, an actual proper little used sports car. How wonderful. I would say it is a solid no secret relationship but he still had to hide trainers from her 😂. Still, where on earth are these supportive passionate car women? I'm chuffed to bits for him honestly. Thanks again for another fantastic garage find.
I spent 12 years with Renault finally somebody on TH-cam finally knows what he is talking about regarding the gordini I've heard lots of old wives tails the lads are spot on ❤
I absolutely love that he just came home and was all like oh my dream car is suddenly here and just accepted it, didn't question it, and went to go into the house, and his wife is absolutely fantastic for both the way she set that up and for doing it :D
These Barn Find videos always make me cry. My mother was always a car enthusiast. She once even picked me up from a school friend's house in a Ferrari Testarossa. A f*cking red Testarossa suddenly stood there at the bus stop, which she had borrowed from a friend. We had also taken part in vintage car races as marshals, because an old friend owned a Porsche 356 Coupé. She had a 1989 VW Golf GLI Cabrio 1.8 Sportline with the GTI engine for 17 years. I grew up in this car, which we unfortunately had to hand in because the car was a financial disaster. She has always regretted selling this car. I gave her an 1998 MX-5 NB as a 60th birthday present and she loved this car so much, she was so proud of this car. Pretty much the same car as here in the video and now I'm driving it because she died six months ago. I had my little Barn Find moment when I got the car out of the garage for the first time... I love this Barn Find series, there are always so many memories attched to those old tin cans, lovely.
Cracking content Jonny. I've been going through a rough patch recently and your content has really helpded me. Great cars and great owners. You deserve all the success you get.
Absolutely love this video! The cool rare car, the family effort to get it out of the garage, the shoe boxes that the wife didn’t know about, the wife buying an Mx5 without telling him. What amazing interesting story telling!
Surely if his wife bought an MX5 without telling him, he can come clean about the trainer hoard? I suspect all the rugs were to hide the trainers as well as the car!
I mean at first I was heartbroken the car was abandoned as it was. But as I heard the story of how the owner got the car and the obvious reignited passion the owner showed, It warmed my heart to see it start. I hope the owner sticks with it and gets it back on the road.
😮..... Talk about a trip down memory lane. In 1984 my late father sold his Lotus Elite a bought a brand new Renault 5 Gordini Turbo in red with biege seats .... Still remember the reg A207 RTW.... Thank you for showing this....♥️
I’ve only owned 25 of these beauties! I guess i am to blame on why they are so rare today, after scrapping a few 😝 Still own one and it shares the garage with my other cars. I will probably be buried in it! Nice to see another live!
Love these finds...every time I when the tyre's inflate it reminds me of "Christine" coming back to life...then when he gets under the bonnet he starts C.P.R....like some doctor..with the can of hope as some sort of blood transfusion..Its back to life with a spark.
My wife used to have a R 5 Alpine when living in Rome, totally beaten up, dented, top speed left in it about 90km/h, what a car! Loved every drive in it through the chaos of Roman traffic !!!
Another sleeping beauty kissed awake. This is a car when I did an internship as a novice car mechanic at Jansen-Ederveen, Renault garage in Nijmegen (NL), there was one customer who had a blue Alpine Turbo.
Never had one myself, but a good mate off of primary (and secondary) school that I grew up with, did own an R5 Turbo as his second ever car back 2001-2002. I think he grenaded the engine at least twice during his stewardship of the car. Luckily he was handy with a spanner so could sort out swapping in a donor from a Volvo, but I don't think he's ever owned a French car again after that. Thanks for sharing this with us, it's a rare treat! Many thanks also to Ed and his incredible wife!
Love it! She's a runner!! The way the video draws you in to want to hear the engine start is incredible. I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only one cheering when that plume of smoke came out and I'm not even a Renault fan 🤣🤣🤣🤣
always wanted one of these sporty versions of the first R5. Never found a good one. Just until right this year I found one in Spain in pretty good knick. I'm still working my magic on the owner trying to make him sell it to me. Good episode.
What a fantastic video, Jonny! I remember driving over Snake Pass from Sheffield heading over to Manchester as a student in the late 80s in my 850 Mini, going uphill behind a queue of traffic and a 5 Turbo flew past like everyone else was stationary and immediately wanted one (by the time I could afford one, I couldn't afford one 😐). Music is on point in this video as well 👊👊👊
Oooo. Got a few NOS Panels and Lights for these here. Here in Arizona and New Mexico lots of these "Le Cars".... usually found painted in Gold or White laying around in people's back yards. In work we still crush them, usually about 2/5 cars every couple months. They're still common here. I also have lots of Service Parts like Tune Up parts and Brake/Axle bits.
This is the best one yet. What a beautiful story, what a hyper cool car and what a WIFE! Your content keeps getting better and better Johnny. You've struck a very nice balance between freaky details for us geeks, tinkering and the human interest side of it. Keep it coming 🎉
Remember mine well. XLN 995 X in silver. Absolute hoot to drive. Always one eye one the boost gauge. Often wondered if it's still alive somewhere. Watching this rekindled my desire for a Turbo2.
I thoroughly enjoy this show. The barn finds, the stories, the unravelling of the car, the troubleshooting of the engines, and the starting of the motor are all glorious. And of course, the way Jonny engages with everyone even with his cheesy jokes is on point. Can't wait for the next one!
In the mid to late 80s I ran a car business SE London selling predominately Renault 5s Gordinis /turbo's and VW Golf GTIs. I remember me and my partner Spencer leaving work and racing home in our respective cars, we would swap between the Renaults and Golfs to see which was quicker. There was a guy in Nunhead (I think his name was Eddie) and he had a yard which specialised in all things Renault. So much fun back then, strictly analogue with no driver aids.
Gordini Turbo, what a treasure. Had one garaged down our street, as a kid I remember three garaged cars in our street, a Hillman Imp, A rare Porsche 2000 and the Gordini. Imagine finding that lot now ..
Johnny, my first car was a Renault 5 Sport. I took my license test in it. The instructor commented that one, nobody does their test in a manual, and more importantly, he had no idea what I was driving. I was born in Ireland, but grew up in Toronto Canada. Outside of Quebec, French speaking, no one had ever heard of this car. I imagine that's where my car came from. The sport package came with a fold back roof and an all black, leather wrapped Moto Lita three spoke steering wheel. It was standard. The car was amazing... Until I blew the motor. Wish I still had it. These are so rare in North America.
I had a non-turbo Gordini back in about 1988 so this has brought back some good memories. I was young dumb and, you know the rest and it was the car I was most likely to die in. Not sure how I didn't, really. Great to see this survivor car wake up.
I had a redR5 (non turbo) in Canada i drove for a few years and it was a great car to drive on rally roads and highway. The motor would just scream at 80mph but it ran strong and fast even for a regular R5. Thanks for sharing this episode
I had a plain 1977 R5. It was never powerful, from the day I purchased it. Then I discovered that it became almost impossible to start. A compression test indicated almost zero compression on number four. Removing the Alloy Cylinder Head, I could clearly see a half-moon burn in an Exhaust Valve. I removed all valves and cleaned everything, then reground the Valves. Not being satisfied, I then polished and ported the Cylinder Head Inlet / Exhaust. When I first tried the R5 after this work, the added power was almost unbelievable, and well worth the effort. R5s are very prone to rusting at the base of the doors and also the Hatchback Base. I remember having to cut about 100mm up - then remove the whole Door Bases, and also the Hatchback Base. Replaced with new metal, and then I noticed severe 'pinholing' or rust spots underneath the paint!! Lots more repairs to do! Then it got sold! Was the R5 a good car? When it was performing right, it would definitely have the edge over the Austin Mini, on both top speed and comfort. The rust (almost) killed it.
No front struts, twin wishbone, engine and box the wrong way around (or the right way if you value weight distribution) and that combination is probably why it handles so well. My Mum & Dad had one when i was a kid and my dad made two mk1 R5's into 3 wheelers which he still has tucked away in a shed. Also have a couple of Gordini Engines and a load of spares. My Dad had this crazy idea to make Morgan Esque 3 Wheeler kit cars (as others have sort of done too). Anyway just my 10 cents ;).
@@althejazzman Yes, the first Renault 5 was an evolution of the 4 and shared its mechanical layout. These have double wishbone front suspension, gearbox in the front and engine longitudinal.
@@althejazzman Indeed it was, considering what a small car it was and what a poor use of space that layout was it really was amazing. The later Renault 5 was transverse and that car was bigger which really shows how well the mark 1 was packaged. The GT Turbo also did away with the Gordini engine and used the non Hemi renault head- never understood that. The mark 1 with that suspension and drivetrain layout/ setup was something really special. I can't think of another hot hatch that had a twin wishbone front suspension, or torsion bar front and rear springing or such amazing weight distribution- it has all 3! A bit of a concorde moment for hatches despite it being one of the first. Crazy really.
Beautiful car, congratulations to the owner, very few R5s entered Argentina, when I was little my father had one, from 78 to 80 the R12 Alpine was sold with the same engine as that R5 turbo with 110hp with natural aspiration and 106 miles of maximum speed
Another great episode Jonny and team, thank you. Side note: the music choices in these videos are great and really add to the atmosphere and pacing. Good job by the editor 👏
Renault 5 is my absolute favourite small car. My aunty in Switzerland always had them from the ones with the gearleaver through the dashboard to the latest ones. Such a brilliant wee car and this Gordini is in reality a mid-engine car. Thank you for revealing such lovely rare car.
Good to see it actually started up. Fair play to the owner for keeping it stored away in the garage which has helped it not turn into a pile of rusty scrap
Really interesting video and a great time for the owner to consider recommissioning the car as it is now 40 years old and will now be MOT free and tax free (latter subject to production date).
Definitely one of your best videos, having that in the garage is one of the coolest things I’ve seen, the owners a cool guy too, and the starting bit at the end was brilliant , I bet that’s worth a few quid
Ed is a very lucky man. I sold my R5 Gordini Turbo when my wife and I bought our first house in 1988, something I have regretted ever since. I am sure there was a trick getting the last plug out but I'm so glad he got it going😊
My favorite YT series, keep the cool cars coming. My 15 year old son picked a 1986 SAAB 900 Turbo, that had not run in 4 years or so, for his first car. We picked it up at the end of June this year, put it in a detached garage at my fathers house, and have been working on it since then on weekends. It finally ran yesterday and even though its taken much longer than I had thought, the look on my son's face when it fired up was priceless. Anyway, keep up the good work and hopefully some day I can buy you a beer as a small thank you.
Those Saab 900 turbos were very cool. Great lag on the Turbo. Plus i am not sure how true this is, but i am lead to believe the windscreen is based on the fighter Jet so that it deflects rain. Well done
Lovely, lovely cars - a friend of my dad had one, and once took me out in it. He was a former rally driver, and drove the wheels off it. A great little French rocket! He replaced it with a GT Turbo.
Another great episode and what a remarkable story. Being a Renault fan, in 1989 I went to view a lovely example of these - it was in black with red decals. However I spotted a red 1985 Phase 1 R11 Turbo on the same forecourt and bought that instead. Over the years I owned three 11 Turbos , a 21Turbo , a 5 GT Turbo, 19 16v etc and always enjoyed my driving. All were reliable too if serviced regularly and loved. Renault with their strong competition background knew how to set up a performance car and that 5 Gordini effectively started it. Despite its tender looks it was a mightily impressive car and a rally winner too. Pure nostalgia!
Another brilliant Episode and so glad the owner managed to get it started. I used to get picked up in a Mark 2 5 Turbo in my last job about 23 years ago... So i always appreciate a sweet little hot hatch.
I have only been in a 5 a few times when I was 18 in the late 90’s - regular one not a turbo - but the guy who owned it drove it like he stole it. Engine braking into every corner, I thought I was going to die every time we had to drive with James… happy days 😊
Always had a soft spot for these, was a bit of a french car fan when i was a kid because we holiday'd in France every year. I still have a black R5 Gordini toy car stashed away somewhere, exactly like the one pictured at 1:38. Just seeing that pic instantly brought back memories of France in the early 80's.
Thanks for the video Jonny, cracking little car, didn't realise there was so few left,i think i saw a black one restored on salvage hunters some time ago,was lovely also. Wished you'd got it to run as seemed it didnt need much more. Hopefully now Ed can restore it and start enjoying his dream car❤👍
His wife is on the Morgan Racing Team an drifts MX-5’s. How cool is that. Also, hiding the trainers from the wife was pretty funny. Hiding things from the spouse in the garage was a trick I learned from my Dad…
I remember seeing one of these in Ashton court Bristol that is a huge park estate that. it turned into an impromptu car show every weekend back when “summertime* by will Smith was blasting from alpine ice cube radios...anyway it had been fully repainted metaiic blue including its bumpers obviously slammed and had highly polished wheels and a black tint windscreen 😂 it was just incredible for the time.
My mum’s family in Ireland owned the Renault distribution business in late 70 early 90 s ,all my aunts and uncles drove Renaults ,18 turbos ,fuego turbos , my grandfather had a Renault 30 and one of uncle’s got a 5 turbo 1 in blue with crazy red interior,loved being driving in it ,dream car is a 5 turbo
I had a silver A reg Gordini turbo back in the early 90's, it was the 3rd car I owned and the first with any performance, out of all the car's that I have owned since its the one I look back on most fondly. The interior was a bit rough, but it was mechanically sound, the previous owner had done a few mod's bleed value, up rated fuel pump, exhaust and air filter and had it rolling road tuned. It has 145 BHP and felt proper rapid! The acceleration from 30 in 2nd or 40 in 3rd was really impressive and perfect for B roads blasting (before speeding became an issue) and quite often saw 16-18 MPG after a good evening. But if I drove it sensible and changed up early it was capable of 35MPG. Insurance prices really started to rise for younger drivers the year after I got it, with it being modified it got very expensive to run. Then the clutch went so decided to sell and get something more affordable and ended up with a 1.4 Ford Fiesta. I still regret it!
Best graduation present ever. What a great story. I knew little about the gordini but the 5 gt turbo was a car of my dreams in the late 80s early 90s. Great design.
Very enjoyable episode of the barn finds series Jonny. A treat to see a real classic & the owner seemed a nice guy too. Brought back good memories of owning a B-reg mk1 Renault 11 turbo. Loved that car & it was fast for the time. Shame it caught fire on the M3 back in 1998. Would love to have that stashed in a barn/garage now as there's not many of those around now either.
I had a G5 like the one pictured at the beginning ( the Black one with the alloys to Die for ! ❤️ ) in Gold it was Brilliant you could Blow Off GTI’s when the Webber was screaming !! What a driver it was MAGICAL one car I wish I’d kept 😢😢 The rust destroyed many as the shells were shipped to Gordini’s in primer 😡😡😡 Great channel 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Hey Johnny. There is a special spanner for the spark plugs. It is a hollow tube like a plumbers tap spanner. It goes over the whole plug set up. Peugeot's had the same thing.
Back in the day, l learned to drive in a 5ts. Not quite a Gordini but it did have the twin choke Webber. Great car. My first car was a Renault 4. My father had the 5ts and my sister had a 6tl. All great cars in their own right. 🏴
Brilliant video - loved the '...next day' update! Never seen a R5 Gordini Turbo on the road - to have owned two is 👌... my ex and I had a R5 GT Turbo back in the mid 00s - still the most adrenaline spikimg car Ive ever driven! BTW, I think Ed's secret trainer stash is matched by the 'undisclosed MX5 purchase' so would just call it quits! ❤
In my memory of working on these cars is that there's a service tool/ plug socket for these engines with extension on the spark plugs, re special long tapered plug socket, which I think I still have in my toolbox, after all this time, Regards Stuart
Brilliant! This reminds me of the limited choice of hot hatches that there was in 1983. We had Astra and Nova, Escort and Fiesta, no Pug 205 yet, Golf, Manta and this. I wanted an XR3i personally. Nice to see it got running.
We Miss The 80s “Please Come Back” Jonny these 80s Cars are just superb fella,I’m definitely gonna watch “Never Say Never Again” Later ,thanks guys 👍😉💪
Brilliant. The original R5 was such a good looking car, my elder brother had an orange(ish) basic R5. It was such a shame Renault then made the car so much bigger as time went on.
always wanted a R5 turbo...esp the last of them, the Raider in blue :) but a Gordini, rarer than a unicorns codpiece! ive only ever seen red ones (Gordinis that is!), and aftermarket sunroof hahah how 80s :D
Laughing, great video. My brother had an original Gordini back in the day, great fun car. We even had a car chase with the local constabulary and ended up putting it in a ditch.
Definitely passed the emissions test for the 1970s!! 😲😳😁 Lovely car, happy memories of my dads renault 5 he also had a brand new renault 4 before that.👍
Wow love this. been many years since seen one of these in day light.what a lovely bloke and love his Renault 5 gordini.well done guys would love to see this back on road and update on it.👍🏽👍🏽
Awesome video as always, I love the camera sat right above the engine bay. Feel like I’m right there getting in the way. 😅 I bet Ed has some right stories to tell.
I bought one in 1995 for £700, sold it for £600 a year later. It was originally red but a previous owner resprayed it metallic purple. Drove it to Le Mans in 1996. What a car. A395 MKN
Cool as a cucumber. Fantastic Jonny. This is what happens when a real journalist (and not an influencer) makes films on TH-cam. Keep them coming mate, you are smashing it.
This is a great find! Between the Alpine/Gordini and the R5 Turbo/Turbo 2, Renault built some cracking hot hatched in the early '80s. Also, I love guys who hide their shopping sprees from their significant other.
I was lucky enough to own both a 5 gordini then a gordini turbo. Mine was the same colour red as that one too. . It was the last of them on an A reg. Was one of my favourite cars that I owned. My brother was a mechanic at a Renault dealership in Swansea and we were a Renault loving family. Loved seeing this video. A few years later my brother had a series one Clio Williams. Another awesome car. 👌🏽👌🏽
Absolutely fascinating. I had two of the second gen 5 Turbos, a blue '86 5 GT Turbo and then a grey '87 5 GT Turbo (Facelift). They were both an absolute hoot to drive (not least because of the torque steer)! The '86 model had to be modified with an anti-percolation kit because it got so hot under the bonnet, the fuel would evaporate out of the carbs and the car wouldn't start! ...and yes, they still had yellow fog lights. I was aware of the wide-bodied mid-engined 5 Turbo, but the first generation car mostly escaped my attention. Still, takes me back. Thanks for the video.
![[TH] RNT vs SPG - VCT Ascension Pacific - Day 1](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/RUTkf8Detj8/mqdefault.jpg)
These end up more about the people than the cars, you've introduced us to so many cracking people over these episodes. Mega car, lovely bloke with great tales to tell.
TLBS is so much better than anything that ever makes it to tv, so raw and personal, they get me in the feels every time.
The people with the cars indeed seem to be the real stars of the show.
@@Cloxxki - Fully agree, Ed seems like a top fella. Wish my wife would buy me a motor!
@@stevemurphy8090 😊
This series has turned into a work of cultural anthropology, Jonny has a great way with people and these videos are becoming a body of work that is something to be really proud of.
Why wasn't this video titled "GORDINI'S ALIVE?????" (in the voice of Brian Blessed)
“Bring back Ajax and Meguiars for it’s body!”
@pionirish you win the internet today. Had me chuckling for a good couple of minutes.
I watched Flash Gordon last week 😂😂😂
@Invisibleman7 my favorite film . Seen it so often I know the lines before they are said
@@A.C.P1969 👍👊🏻
1) this man has the best wife, full stop! an artist/car racer? be still my heart.
2) this car deserves a recommissioning.
3) that he squirrels away running shoes because he likes that style is totally valid.
great episode!
😊
Definitely. Running shoe companies will insist on "updating" their models with "pieces of crap". Wish I had the foresight to do what he has done.
I wonder if her father owned a pub ?
@@joffey1212no ... he was a headmaster 🙂
@@samfennerart well 9 out of 10 is still good
You do meet some lovely and genuine people along your barn-find journeys, and Ed is definitely one of those people 👌
Ed is a dude.
well said
hes boring af
@@AndyPipkin-dj8syjust like your comment 🥱
@@AndyPipkin-dj8sy Bet you're fun at parties....
Back in the 80's a neighbour across the road won a Renault 5 turbo 2 in a competition, it had a rear mounted engine and flared wings and from memory the widest tyres on the back i had ever seen.
Best bit was he and his wife were comfortably over 60 years old and it was there daily.
I want to know more about this. What an amazing prize, and the fact they kept it!
Can we not just skip over the wonderful fact that a HUSBAND came home one day to find his WIFE had without knowledge indulged in a second hand car itch she had. Not a new car the salesmen convinced her to buy, an actual proper little used sports car. How wonderful. I would say it is a solid no secret relationship but he still had to hide trainers from her 😂.
Still, where on earth are these supportive passionate car women? I'm chuffed to bits for him honestly.
Thanks again for another fantastic garage find.
❤
I spent 12 years with Renault finally somebody on TH-cam finally knows what he is talking about regarding the gordini I've heard lots of old wives tails the lads are spot on ❤
I absolutely love that he just came home and was all like oh my dream car is suddenly here and just accepted it, didn't question it, and went to go into the house, and his wife is absolutely fantastic for both the way she set that up and for doing it :D
I feel better about the world after watching the Barn Find series. Thank you Jonny for taking us along, always! 🍻
These Barn Find videos always make me cry. My mother was always a car enthusiast. She once even picked me up from a school friend's house in a Ferrari Testarossa. A f*cking red Testarossa suddenly stood there at the bus stop, which she had borrowed from a friend. We had also taken part in vintage car races as marshals, because an old friend owned a Porsche 356 Coupé.
She had a 1989 VW Golf GLI Cabrio 1.8 Sportline with the GTI engine for 17 years. I grew up in this car, which we unfortunately had to hand in because the car was a financial disaster. She has always regretted selling this car. I gave her an 1998 MX-5 NB as a 60th birthday present and she loved this car so much, she was so proud of this car. Pretty much the same car as here in the video and now I'm driving it because she died six months ago.
I had my little Barn Find moment when I got the car out of the garage for the first time... I love this Barn Find series, there are always so many memories attched to those old tin cans, lovely.
Cracking content Jonny. I've been going through a rough patch recently and your content has really helpded me. Great cars and great owners. You deserve all the success you get.
Steve, really chuffed that these videos have helped. ✊🏽
Absolutely love this video! The cool rare car, the family effort to get it out of the garage, the shoe boxes that the wife didn’t know about, the wife buying an Mx5 without telling him. What amazing interesting story telling!
😀
It'a Le Car!! It's natural habitat is a junkyard. Why would anyone spend any time on it, or want it?
Surely if his wife bought an MX5 without telling him, he can come clean about the trainer hoard? I suspect all the rugs were to hide the trainers as well as the car!
I mean at first I was heartbroken the car was abandoned as it was. But as I heard the story of how the owner got the car and the obvious reignited passion the owner showed, It warmed my heart to see it start. I hope the owner sticks with it and gets it back on the road.
😮..... Talk about a trip down memory lane. In 1984 my late father sold his Lotus Elite a bought a brand new Renault 5 Gordini Turbo in red with biege seats .... Still remember the reg
A207 RTW....
Thank you for showing this....♥️
I’ve only owned 25 of these beauties! I guess i am to blame on why they are so rare today, after scrapping a few 😝 Still own one and it shares the garage with my other cars. I will probably be buried in it! Nice to see another live!
25?! Blimey
@@TheLateBrakeShow Hence my nickname 😜
My son has an Alpine rocker cover on his, bought from you Phil, hope life has been kind since we spoke.
Love these finds...every time I when the tyre's inflate it reminds me of "Christine" coming back to life...then when he gets under the bonnet he starts C.P.R....like some doctor..with the can of hope as some sort of blood transfusion..Its back to life with a spark.
My wife used to have a R 5 Alpine when living in Rome, totally beaten up, dented, top speed left in it about 90km/h, what a car! Loved every drive in it through the chaos of Roman traffic !!!
Another sleeping beauty kissed awake.
This is a car when I did an internship as a novice car mechanic at Jansen-Ederveen, Renault garage in Nijmegen (NL), there was one customer who had a blue Alpine Turbo.
Why was this so pleasant to watch. As genuine as a pound coin. You did it again Jonny
Never had one myself, but a good mate off of primary (and secondary) school that I grew up with, did own an R5 Turbo as his second ever car back 2001-2002. I think he grenaded the engine at least twice during his stewardship of the car. Luckily he was handy with a spanner so could sort out swapping in a donor from a Volvo, but I don't think he's ever owned a French car again after that.
Thanks for sharing this with us, it's a rare treat! Many thanks also to Ed and his incredible wife!
Many thanks for watching
Love it! She's a runner!! The way the video draws you in to want to hear the engine start is incredible. I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only one cheering when that plume of smoke came out and I'm not even a Renault fan 🤣🤣🤣🤣
always wanted one of these sporty versions of the first R5.
Never found a good one. Just until right this year I found one in Spain in pretty good knick.
I'm still working my magic on the owner trying to make him sell it to me.
Good episode.
What a fantastic video, Jonny! I remember driving over Snake Pass from Sheffield heading over to Manchester as a student in the late 80s in my 850 Mini, going uphill behind a queue of traffic and a 5 Turbo flew past like everyone else was stationary and immediately wanted one (by the time I could afford one, I couldn't afford one 😐). Music is on point in this video as well 👊👊👊
I think I may have chased that GT turbo in my MR2. I ended upside down on the bends just before the Ladybower bridge
@@peterthomasonthings that never happened
@@TBATTIECYCLINGindeed. Clue is in the word ‘chased’.
@@johnnunn8688 Oh yes i forgot, the Renault was 0.7 second quicker 0-60 on a clear road from standing start
"by the time i could afford one, i couldn't afford one"
The story of so many of the cars I wanted growing up.
Oooo. Got a few NOS Panels and Lights for these here. Here in Arizona and New Mexico lots of these "Le Cars".... usually found painted in Gold or White laying around in people's back yards. In work we still crush them, usually about 2/5 cars every couple months. They're still common here. I also have lots of Service Parts like Tune Up parts and Brake/Axle bits.
This is the best one yet. What a beautiful story, what a hyper cool car and what a WIFE! Your content keeps getting better and better Johnny. You've struck a very nice balance between freaky details for us geeks, tinkering and the human interest side of it. Keep it coming 🎉
This comment has made my week. Thank you. 👍🏽
@@TheLateBrakeShow cheers, thanks for taking the time!
It makes me have excellent memories of when I had my Renault 5. Look why I kept it stored exactly the same for a long time until I recycled it.
Remember mine well. XLN 995 X in silver. Absolute hoot to drive. Always one eye one the boost gauge. Often wondered if it's still alive somewhere. Watching this rekindled my desire for a Turbo2.
Hasn't been taxed since 94
I cheered at the end 😂.
The Gordini man is good to watch, he'd make a good presenter.
I thoroughly enjoy this show. The barn finds, the stories, the unravelling of the car, the troubleshooting of the engines, and the starting of the motor are all glorious. And of course, the way Jonny engages with everyone even with his cheesy jokes is on point. Can't wait for the next one!
In the mid to late 80s I ran a car business SE London selling predominately Renault 5s Gordinis /turbo's and VW Golf GTIs. I remember me and my partner Spencer leaving work and racing home in our respective cars, we would swap between the Renaults and Golfs to see which was quicker. There was a guy in Nunhead (I think his name was Eddie) and he had a yard which specialised in all things Renault. So much fun back then, strictly analogue with no driver aids.
Would love to see a Gordini owners club meet arranged at Gordano services on the M5
That'd be top notch, although a small meeting...
And it's an awful services!
That's an inspired idea......
@@teaboyukused to be a wimpy, not even a Burger King.
@@Cous1nJack I like a wimpy can't be many or any left now though
Gordini Turbo, what a treasure. Had one garaged down our street, as a kid I remember three garaged cars in our street, a Hillman Imp, A rare Porsche 2000 and the Gordini. Imagine finding that lot now ..
Johnny, my first car was a Renault 5 Sport. I took my license test in it. The instructor commented that one, nobody does their test in a manual, and more importantly, he had no idea what I was driving. I was born in Ireland, but grew up in Toronto Canada. Outside of Quebec, French speaking, no one had ever heard of this car. I imagine that's where my car came from. The sport package came with a fold back roof and an all black, leather wrapped Moto Lita three spoke steering wheel. It was standard. The car was amazing... Until I blew the motor. Wish I still had it. These are so rare in North America.
The roof on your car is called a webasto roof, I know of another Renault 5 Gordini with a webasto roof an X reg which in the UK is 1/8/82 to 31/7/83.
Renault 5 Wikipedia page shows a Canadian Renault 5 with a black webasto roof open.
Love it when you find a character of a person who owns a characterful car and wants to be on camera
100% the best thing on TH-cam for car nuts! The cars, the people, the stories, the hope that they fire up! Just fantastic!
I had a non-turbo Gordini back in about 1988 so this has brought back some good memories. I was young dumb and, you know the rest and it was the car I was most likely to die in. Not sure how I didn't, really. Great to see this survivor car wake up.
The owner is as cool as the car, what a nice guy. Loved this.
Thanks for the compliment
I had a redR5 (non turbo) in Canada i drove for a few years and it was a great car to drive on rally roads and highway. The motor would just scream at 80mph but it ran strong and fast even for a regular R5. Thanks for sharing this episode
I had a plain 1977 R5. It was never powerful, from the day I purchased it. Then I discovered that it became almost impossible to start. A compression test indicated almost zero compression on number four. Removing the Alloy Cylinder Head, I could clearly see a half-moon burn in an Exhaust Valve. I removed all valves and cleaned everything, then reground the Valves. Not being satisfied, I then polished and ported the Cylinder Head Inlet / Exhaust. When I first tried the R5 after this work, the added power was almost unbelievable, and well worth the effort. R5s are very prone to rusting at the base of the doors and also the Hatchback Base. I remember having to cut about 100mm up - then remove the whole Door Bases, and also the Hatchback Base. Replaced with new metal, and then I noticed severe 'pinholing' or rust spots underneath the paint!! Lots more repairs to do! Then it got sold! Was the R5 a good car? When it was performing right, it would definitely have the edge over the Austin Mini, on both top speed and comfort. The rust (almost) killed it.
Love this, brings back some great memories.
No front struts, twin wishbone, engine and box the wrong way around (or the right way if you value weight distribution) and that combination is probably why it handles so well. My Mum & Dad had one when i was a kid and my dad made two mk1 R5's into 3 wheelers which he still has tucked away in a shed. Also have a couple of Gordini Engines and a load of spares. My Dad had this crazy idea to make Morgan Esque 3 Wheeler kit cars (as others have sort of done too). Anyway just my 10 cents ;).
Is the gearbox in front of the engine then?
@@althejazzman Yes, the first Renault 5 was an evolution of the 4 and shared its mechanical layout. These have double wishbone front suspension, gearbox in the front and engine longitudinal.
@@aDaWaN Fascinating bit of engineering, back when French cars were really innovative.
@@althejazzman Indeed it was, considering what a small car it was and what a poor use of space that layout was it really was amazing. The later Renault 5 was transverse and that car was bigger which really shows how well the mark 1 was packaged. The GT Turbo also did away with the Gordini engine and used the non Hemi renault head- never understood that. The mark 1 with that suspension and drivetrain layout/ setup was something really special. I can't think of another hot hatch that had a twin wishbone front suspension, or torsion bar front and rear springing or such amazing weight distribution- it has all 3! A bit of a concorde moment for hatches despite it being one of the first. Crazy really.
I love that he’s a Bowie fan. A man of taste.
OMG ❤❤❤❤❤❤ My favourite little car of all time. I’m sorry I get stupidly excited when I see these cars. Thank you Jonathan xxx
What an absolute gem!
Ahhh man, what a car!!! One of my all time favourites ❤. Loving the soundtrack as well guys
Beautiful car, congratulations to the owner, very few R5s entered Argentina, when I was little my father had one, from 78 to 80 the R12 Alpine was sold with the same engine as that R5 turbo with 110hp with natural aspiration and 106 miles of maximum speed
Another great episode Jonny and team, thank you. Side note: the music choices in these videos are great and really add to the atmosphere and pacing. Good job by the editor 👏
Renault 5 is my absolute favourite small car. My aunty in Switzerland always had them from the ones with the gearleaver through the dashboard to the latest ones. Such a brilliant wee car and this Gordini is in reality a mid-engine car. Thank you for revealing such lovely rare car.
My teacher got the black Gordini, sounded great, ten of us round it first day he got it checking it out, happy days.
Good to see it actually started up. Fair play to the owner for keeping it stored away in the garage which has helped it not turn into a pile of rusty scrap
Had a red phase 1 R5 Turbo on a C plate in 1995. Always breaking down and Overheating but loved it
Phase 1,s were nicer than the 2. Black plastic bumpers and arches.
Really interesting video and a great time for the owner to consider recommissioning the car as it is now 40 years old and will now be MOT free and tax free (latter subject to production date).
Definitely one of your best videos, having that in the garage is one of the coolest things I’ve seen, the owners a cool guy too, and the starting bit at the end was brilliant , I bet that’s worth a few quid
Ed the owner is such a dude.
@@TheLateBrakeShow i thoroughly enjoyed his stories. seems like a real good chap.
Ed is a very lucky man. I sold my R5 Gordini Turbo when my wife and I bought our first house in 1988, something I have regretted ever since. I am sure there was a trick getting the last plug out but I'm so glad he got it going😊
My favorite YT series, keep the cool cars coming. My 15 year old son picked a 1986 SAAB 900 Turbo, that had not run in 4 years or so, for his first car. We picked it up at the end of June this year, put it in a detached garage at my fathers house, and have been working on it since then on weekends. It finally ran yesterday and even though its taken much longer than I had thought, the look on my son's face when it fired up was priceless. Anyway, keep up the good work and hopefully some day I can buy you a beer as a small thank you.
Those Saab 900 turbos were very cool. Great lag on the Turbo. Plus i am not sure how true this is, but i am lead to believe the windscreen is based on the fighter Jet so that it deflects rain. Well done
Lovely, lovely cars - a friend of my dad had one, and once took me out in it. He was a former rally driver, and drove the wheels off it. A great little French rocket! He replaced it with a GT Turbo.
Another great episode and what a remarkable story. Being a Renault fan, in 1989 I went to view a lovely example of these - it was in black with red decals. However I spotted a red 1985 Phase 1 R11 Turbo on the same forecourt and bought that instead. Over the years I owned three 11 Turbos , a 21Turbo , a 5 GT Turbo, 19 16v etc and always enjoyed my driving. All were reliable too if serviced regularly and loved. Renault with their strong competition background knew how to set up a performance car and that 5 Gordini effectively started it. Despite its tender looks it was a mightily impressive car and a rally winner too. Pure nostalgia!
What an absolute beauty. Great episode and hope she’s back on the road soon, definitely an example that deserves to be back out there.
Another brilliant Episode and so glad the owner managed to get it started. I used to get picked up in a Mark 2 5 Turbo in my last job about 23 years ago... So i always appreciate a sweet little hot hatch.
I have only been in a 5 a few times when I was 18 in the late 90’s - regular one not a turbo - but the guy who owned it drove it like he stole it. Engine braking into every corner, I thought I was going to die every time we had to drive with James… happy days 😊
Sometimes, in these vids, the car is the star. Sometimes the owner is. In this case, both are brilliant. What a lovely bloke he is.
I don't know what to say. Many thanks for the compliment. PS i am on my wifes login. That's why it says Sam !!!!
This is my new binge show! I absolutely love it! Thank you Jonny!
Always had a soft spot for these, was a bit of a french car fan when i was a kid because we holiday'd in France every year. I still have a black R5 Gordini toy car stashed away somewhere, exactly like the one pictured at 1:38. Just seeing that pic instantly brought back memories of France in the early 80's.
Thanks for the video Jonny, cracking little car, didn't realise there was so few left,i think i saw a black one restored on salvage hunters some time ago,was lovely also. Wished you'd got it to run as seemed it didnt need much more. Hopefully now Ed can restore it and start enjoying his dream car❤👍
Less than 5 on the road on the UK they think!
Those portable pumps are brilliant 👍🇬🇧
Using music that is period-appropiate for the car is such a nice touch Jonny.
Don't thank us, thank our ace videographer Phil Pritchard. He loves the music aspect of edits.
@@TheLateBrakeShow It's vastly appreciated, Phil!
His wife is on the Morgan Racing Team an drifts MX-5’s. How cool is that. Also, hiding the trainers from the wife was pretty funny. Hiding things from the spouse in the garage was a trick I learned from my Dad…
I remember seeing one of these in Ashton court Bristol that is a huge park estate that.
it turned into an impromptu car show every weekend back when “summertime* by will Smith was blasting from alpine ice cube radios...anyway it had been fully repainted metaiic blue including its bumpers obviously slammed and had highly polished wheels and a black tint windscreen 😂 it was just incredible for the time.
My mum’s family in Ireland owned the Renault distribution business in late 70 early 90 s ,all my aunts and uncles drove Renaults ,18 turbos ,fuego turbos , my grandfather had a Renault 30 and one of uncle’s got a 5 turbo 1 in blue with crazy red interior,loved being driving in it ,dream car is a 5 turbo
I had a silver A reg Gordini turbo back in the early 90's, it was the 3rd car I owned and the first with any performance, out of all the car's that I have owned since its the one I look back on most fondly.
The interior was a bit rough, but it was mechanically sound, the previous owner had done a few mod's bleed value, up rated fuel pump, exhaust and air filter and had it rolling road tuned. It has 145 BHP and felt proper rapid! The acceleration from 30 in 2nd or 40 in 3rd was really impressive and perfect for B roads blasting (before speeding became an issue) and quite often saw 16-18 MPG after a good evening. But if I drove it sensible and changed up early it was capable of 35MPG.
Insurance prices really started to rise for younger drivers the year after I got it, with it being modified it got very expensive to run. Then the clutch went so decided to sell and get something more affordable and ended up with a 1.4 Ford Fiesta. I still regret it!
Best graduation present ever. What a great story. I knew little about the gordini but the 5 gt turbo was a car of my dreams in the late 80s early 90s. Great design.
Such a cool garage relic,Jonny! Side not: I think Ed and his wife are even: The Miata makes up for the hidden Saucony shoes. 😂
😅
I loved those Gordini wheels back in the day, lovely car, a guy up the road from me had a black non Turbo with the same wheels. Stanced beautifully.
Very enjoyable episode of the barn finds series Jonny. A treat to see a real classic & the owner seemed a nice guy too. Brought back good memories of owning a B-reg mk1 Renault 11 turbo. Loved that car & it was fast for the time. Shame it caught fire on the M3 back in 1998. Would love to have that stashed in a barn/garage now as there's not many of those around now either.
I had a G5 like the one pictured at the beginning ( the Black one with the alloys to Die for ! ❤️ ) in Gold it was Brilliant you could Blow Off GTI’s when the Webber was screaming !! What a driver it was MAGICAL one car I wish I’d kept 😢😢
The rust destroyed many as the shells were shipped to Gordini’s in primer 😡😡😡 Great channel 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Hey Johnny. There is a special spanner for the spark plugs. It is a hollow tube like a plumbers tap spanner. It goes over the whole plug set up. Peugeot's had the same thing.
Back in the day, l learned to drive in a 5ts. Not quite a Gordini but it did have the twin choke Webber. Great car. My first car was a Renault 4. My father had the 5ts and my sister had a 6tl. All great cars in their own right. 🏴
Brilliant video - loved the '...next day' update! Never seen a R5 Gordini Turbo on the road - to have owned two is 👌... my ex and I had a R5 GT Turbo back in the mid 00s - still the most adrenaline spikimg car Ive ever driven! BTW, I think Ed's secret trainer stash is matched by the 'undisclosed MX5 purchase' so would just call it quits! ❤
I think we are quits now.
😂
In my memory of working on these cars is that there's a service tool/ plug socket for these engines with extension on the spark plugs, re special long tapered plug socket, which I think I still have in my toolbox, after all this time,
Regards Stuart
Brilliant! This reminds me of the limited choice of hot hatches that there was in 1983. We had Astra and Nova, Escort and Fiesta, no Pug 205 yet, Golf, Manta and this. I wanted an XR3i personally. Nice to see it got running.
SPOILER ALERT 🚨
We Miss The 80s “Please Come Back” Jonny these 80s Cars are just superb fella,I’m definitely gonna watch “Never Say Never Again” Later ,thanks guys 👍😉💪
Brilliant. The original R5 was such a good looking car, my elder brother had an orange(ish) basic R5. It was such a shame Renault then made the car so much bigger as time went on.
Them sheets are amazingly clean considering they been covering a car for 20 yrs no dust amazing :)
Great episode Jonny! Ed is such a nice and genuine guy! 😀
Cool vid and cool car. I knew about the R5 Gordini but didn't know they did a Turbo. Great to see it running at then end!
always wanted a R5 turbo...esp the last of them, the Raider in blue :) but a Gordini, rarer than a unicorns codpiece! ive only ever seen red ones (Gordinis that is!), and aftermarket sunroof hahah how 80s :D
Laughing, great video. My brother had an original Gordini back in the day, great fun car. We even had a car chase with the local constabulary and ended up putting it in a ditch.
Nice chap loves little gordini
Brings back a lot of memories, I had a French girlfriend years ago that had one of these in blue, great car, always loved the interior
Definitely passed the emissions test for the 1970s!! 😲😳😁
Lovely car, happy memories of my dads renault 5 he also had a brand new renault 4 before that.👍
If you mean the ending i guess that is mostly just old fuel and lack of running.-
@@Rentta Plus oil build up squirted in the bores prior to first start, burning off⚠️😁
Wow love this. been many years since seen one of these in day light.what a lovely bloke and love his Renault 5 gordini.well done guys would love to see this back on road and update on it.👍🏽👍🏽
Awesome video as always, I love the camera sat right above the engine bay. Feel like I’m right there getting in the way. 😅 I bet Ed has some right stories to tell.
Absolutely love, this, what a gorgeous car and a cracking find and the owner is super chilled and genuinely loves it. What a guy.
Waaaaay cooler than the later GT Turbo. Great it runs.
I bought one in 1995 for £700, sold it for £600 a year later. It was originally red but a previous owner resprayed it metallic purple. Drove it to Le Mans in 1996. What a car. A395 MKN
We all need to hoard ...................... may it be trainers or bits for / whole cars ! great stuff
Cool as a cucumber. Fantastic Jonny. This is what happens when a real journalist (and not an influencer) makes films on TH-cam. Keep them coming mate, you are smashing it.
This is a great find! Between the Alpine/Gordini and the R5 Turbo/Turbo 2, Renault built some cracking hot hatched in the early '80s. Also, I love guys who hide their shopping sprees from their significant other.
Probably the coolest car on TH-cam ❤🎉
I was lucky enough to own both a 5 gordini then a gordini turbo. Mine was the same colour red as that one too. . It was the last of them on an A reg. Was one of my favourite cars that I owned. My brother was a mechanic at a Renault dealership in Swansea and we were a Renault loving family. Loved seeing this video. A few years later my brother had a series one Clio Williams. Another awesome car. 👌🏽👌🏽
Jonnys like the UK version of Derek from Vice Grip Garage 😂 #bringthethunder
What a fucking epically cool car.
Jonny just needs to use the correct terminology for engine parts... sparkolators, lightning hoses, lightning whirler, fuel make it happener, etc etc 😉
TRUE!!!! Nice one!!!
Derek is nails! 👍🏻
Absolutely fascinating. I had two of the second gen 5 Turbos, a blue '86 5 GT Turbo and then a grey '87 5 GT Turbo (Facelift). They were both an absolute hoot to drive (not least because of the torque steer)! The '86 model had to be modified with an anti-percolation kit because it got so hot under the bonnet, the fuel would evaporate out of the carbs and the car wouldn't start! ...and yes, they still had yellow fog lights. I was aware of the wide-bodied mid-engined 5 Turbo, but the first generation car mostly escaped my attention. Still, takes me back. Thanks for the video.