are there any old renaults out there
Discussion
Sir Bagalot said:
According to practical classics they say DVLA told them there were on 15 Renault 30's left on the UK roads
30s were nice cars in their time and the 20s were not bad either. Had a snowy January trip back to the midlands from Newcastle in the late 70s where we had travelled up in a 20TS to collect a brand new Porsche 928. I took over the 928 for part of the run back and foind it interesting. Never did work out how to get the aircon on and demisting or how to de-freeze the screen wash. I swapped back to the Renault when we left the A1 and decided it was a far better prospect than the Porsche for the conditions that day.Actually for normal travel it was plenty fast enough and a lot more comfortable. I'm not sure I would have wanted to take over the 928 again even if the drive had been offered.
I had a 12 as a company car for a while back in the mid 70s. Interesting thing to have and had a lot more going for it than people might have imagined. Later I had a 14 for a while - really enjoyed that one at the time - and then an 1.4 18 which could be wound up to shift rather well. 5's were interesting as well. What else .... - a 6 for a while which required some expertise for re-fitting the gear change mechanisim since it frequently fell apart. Probably why they put it on top of the engine. And a 4 van which was an interesting device.
Heres some pics I took at Silverstone earlier this summer
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=274760&i...
There were some really nice examples of R17, R5, Fuego, GTA, R11, R9. Shame I couldn't take more pics but I had my two young sons with me, kicking off...
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=274760&i...
There were some really nice examples of R17, R5, Fuego, GTA, R11, R9. Shame I couldn't take more pics but I had my two young sons with me, kicking off...
I had a 16 as company car , I was hoping to get a Fiat 124 sport coupe but the guys I were working for did not warm to that ! However the 16 it was a TS, went like the clappers even with the column gear change .Loads of space in the back as the sets folded down to make a double size bed which had a lot of attractions for a 22 y/o living at home. Later on a got a 15ts which was quite interesting although the water would not drain away from below the front windscreen and would pour through into the cabin when going round corners
Needless to say neither would start in the wet.
Rower
Needless to say neither would start in the wet.
Rower
I have just had a look at your profile/garage are they still running or just piles of rust? Gaspode said:
We've got a 1957 Renault 4CV, of all the million or so built, there are only about 40 roadworthy examples left in the UK.
how are you finding it? i fancy a 4cv for puttering about in.have got a thing for dauphines too. saw a fantastic gordini dauphine for a sale a few weeks back, lovely looking thing.
shirt said:
Gaspode said:
We've got a 1957 Renault 4CV, of all the million or so built, there are only about 40 roadworthy examples left in the UK.
how are you finding it? i fancy a 4cv for puttering about in.have got a thing for dauphines too. saw a fantastic gordini dauphine for a sale a few weeks back, lovely looking thing.
It's well sound, nicely patinated rather than concours, I've put a new petrol tanks, new fuel lines, rebuilt the fuel pump and had a load of welding done to it this year. It comes with a spare engine and a load of other spares (radiator, brake shoes, track rod ends, etc).
PM me for more details.
We had a couple of Renaults years ago (handily, I worked for a Renault dealership at the time...)
First was a 16GL with the 1470 engine. Owner traded it in when the cooling system went awry - cooked the head gasket. Got the car from the dealer for £25. Had the head skimmed, & while I was at it, hired a tool and removed the wear ridges in the liners. Went great, even hired a caravan and had a good holiday with that. Later the timing chain had worn and jumped a couple of teeth when the tensioner failed. The chain was the same as the spare primary chain left over from my Vincent days - all it cost me was a timing cover gasket and a new Reynolds tensioner (same as Morris Oxford etc) Cut an H slot in the bulkhead from inside with an angle grinder (same as I did on a friend's R6 earlier that year to do the same job) and did it in less than 4 hours including reducing the length of the chain. Joined the chain with a spare joint link from the chain; and with a tyre lever behind and against the block peened them over. Oh happy days... It went on to do well over 5k miles until I sold it then went on many more. Lovely car.
Sorry if the accounts of my mechanical practices have upset the purists - but in those days, money was tight and needs must and all that!! Amazing how resourceful one can be...
Then we had a 20TS also from the dealer - was our Sales Manager's demo and boy did it go well. Also towed with it - towing mpg was impressive, about 27-30. Where are all these cars now? Never see any of them except in adverts. My faves were the 30TX and the 16TX.
Pete
First was a 16GL with the 1470 engine. Owner traded it in when the cooling system went awry - cooked the head gasket. Got the car from the dealer for £25. Had the head skimmed, & while I was at it, hired a tool and removed the wear ridges in the liners. Went great, even hired a caravan and had a good holiday with that. Later the timing chain had worn and jumped a couple of teeth when the tensioner failed. The chain was the same as the spare primary chain left over from my Vincent days - all it cost me was a timing cover gasket and a new Reynolds tensioner (same as Morris Oxford etc) Cut an H slot in the bulkhead from inside with an angle grinder (same as I did on a friend's R6 earlier that year to do the same job) and did it in less than 4 hours including reducing the length of the chain. Joined the chain with a spare joint link from the chain; and with a tyre lever behind and against the block peened them over. Oh happy days... It went on to do well over 5k miles until I sold it then went on many more. Lovely car.
Sorry if the accounts of my mechanical practices have upset the purists - but in those days, money was tight and needs must and all that!! Amazing how resourceful one can be...
Then we had a 20TS also from the dealer - was our Sales Manager's demo and boy did it go well. Also towed with it - towing mpg was impressive, about 27-30. Where are all these cars now? Never see any of them except in adverts. My faves were the 30TX and the 16TX.
Pete
I used to work as a car checker at Western Docks Southampton years ago for Renault UK.There's a few reasons as to why Renaults were known to rust easily. I can recollect one occasion we were instructed to go to one of the compounds and remove the stored cars as the Press were about looking for the then new 25 to get some pre release photographs.
This particular compound used to flood at some high tides as it was reclaimed land. Some cars were kept there for months and never moved and i mean they were upto the base of the seats in salt water.
They were then towed out and stripped down and rebuilt using new interiors. Amazing to think that happened for a couple of years.
Another time the QE2 was in for a refit and it blew on of its turbines and contaminated about a 1000 cars that were in store. Every single one of them had to be resprayed. Must have cost Cunard a fortune.
That was the time of Renault 5 Gordini Turbo, Fuego Turbos, Alpines, 25s.
There were a few times when we had to check that the correct drive shafts had been fitted both sides as the factory had fitted the wrong shafts.
Ahhh!! The good old days ;-)
This particular compound used to flood at some high tides as it was reclaimed land. Some cars were kept there for months and never moved and i mean they were upto the base of the seats in salt water.
They were then towed out and stripped down and rebuilt using new interiors. Amazing to think that happened for a couple of years.
Another time the QE2 was in for a refit and it blew on of its turbines and contaminated about a 1000 cars that were in store. Every single one of them had to be resprayed. Must have cost Cunard a fortune.
That was the time of Renault 5 Gordini Turbo, Fuego Turbos, Alpines, 25s.
There were a few times when we had to check that the correct drive shafts had been fitted both sides as the factory had fitted the wrong shafts.
Ahhh!! The good old days ;-)
Etonrifle said:
I used to work as a car checker at Western Docks Southampton years ago for Renault UK.There's a few reasons as to why Renaults were known to rust easily. I can recollect one occasion we were instructed to go to one of the compounds and remove the stored cars as the Press were about looking for the then new 25 to get some pre release photographs.
This particular compound used to flood at some high tides as it was reclaimed land. Some cars were kept there for months and never moved and i mean they were upto the base of the seats in salt water.
They were then towed out and stripped down and rebuilt using new interiors. Amazing to think that happened for a couple of years.
Another time the QE2 was in for a refit and it blew on of its turbines and contaminated about a 1000 cars that were in store. Every single one of them had to be resprayed. Must have cost Cunard a fortune.
That was the time of Renault 5 Gordini Turbo, Fuego Turbos, Alpines, 25s.
There were a few times when we had to check that the correct drive shafts had been fitted both sides as the factory had fitted the wrong shafts.
Ahhh!! The good old days ;-)
This particular compound used to flood at some high tides as it was reclaimed land. Some cars were kept there for months and never moved and i mean they were upto the base of the seats in salt water.
They were then towed out and stripped down and rebuilt using new interiors. Amazing to think that happened for a couple of years.
Another time the QE2 was in for a refit and it blew on of its turbines and contaminated about a 1000 cars that were in store. Every single one of them had to be resprayed. Must have cost Cunard a fortune.
That was the time of Renault 5 Gordini Turbo, Fuego Turbos, Alpines, 25s.
There were a few times when we had to check that the correct drive shafts had been fitted both sides as the factory had fitted the wrong shafts.
Ahhh!! The good old days ;-)
Who remembers the TV ad for the launch of the 30TX, (one of my all time favourite cars incidentally) with Stirling behind the wheel.
He is driving down through a small village in the early hours, pulls up at a red light, and gives the engine a rev just to listen to the exhaust note.
A copper on a bike pulls up beside him, knocks on the driver's window, Stirling lowers it and the copper says, "Who do you fink you are then? Stirling Moss?"
Stirling's expression was utterly priceless and doubtless helped to sell a few 30s.
He is driving down through a small village in the early hours, pulls up at a red light, and gives the engine a rev just to listen to the exhaust note.
A copper on a bike pulls up beside him, knocks on the driver's window, Stirling lowers it and the copper says, "Who do you fink you are then? Stirling Moss?"
Stirling's expression was utterly priceless and doubtless helped to sell a few 30s.
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