1993 Renault 19 16V review from Poland

Really nothing unexpected, the previous owner didn't invest much into it, so all the typical stuff that wears needed attention.

Oh, the car has Bendix ABS, which is really unreliable (the power assist sometimes works, sometimes doesn't) in which case the red handbrake control lamp lights up as well as the ABS lamp.

Due to this the car is currently is having the brakes converted to a normal servo-assisted system.

Also the head gasket was leaking some compression gases into the cooling system, so it's being replaced also. Not really a surprise considering the car is 15 years old.

Other minor cosmetic details both inside and out.

Well I wanted one of these for a long time and I wasn't disappointed. The car is really fast, the suspension is adequately stiff to handle it (but not too stiff), and the entire car has a unique feel to it, to me anyway.

Engine surprisingly runs really smooth; doesn't take oil and emissions are OK, gearbox works properly and is quiet.

Performance? It smokes almost anything that out on the roads even today with ease, handles like a dream and attracts attention. Really cool, classy looks and straightforward design makes it cheap to fix if something eventually breaks. I don't mind putting some money into it as the pleasure you get from driving compensates for it all.

I'm thinking of restoring it a little bit in the future (respray, new interior etc). You gotta try it to understand it. The downside? It provokes you to drive fast and do stupid things, so it's not for everyone...