Not your usual PH classic car!
Discussion
This story begins back when the world was black & white & I 'bought' a rusty old heap of a 1974 Renault 4 as my first car that needed loads of welding (bought from welder who worked for my Dad for £110) & various mechanical fettling to get through MOT - 845cc of thrusting freedom horsepowers!
Anyhoo, I've casually been on the lookout for a solid example to play with for a couple of years, but most UK cars have melted away or are mint show cars with increasing prices, whereas I wanted a solid but patina'd car that I could sort mechanically & enjoy as an honest thing.
So, after a few glasses of red wine the other week, I woke up on a Sunday morning to find that I was the winning bidder on something, erm wtf have I done etc!
I'd 'won' a LHD french registered 1983 R4 TL in hearing aid beige with a reasonable 140k kilometres on the clock which was allegedly virtually rust free.
Bought from a lovely guy, as it turned out, who had retired to France & had accumulated 10 old french cars in his barn over the last few years when carrying out building jobs for les frenchies in La Belle France.
He had driven the thing 700 miles from the SW of France to his daughter's in Suffolk, so I just need to to pick it up, MOT it & register it in the UK - simples!
Anyway, few pics from original ad...
Not really had much time to play with it as yet, but have cleaned underneath & undersealed it & apart from small piece of welding that mate has sorted for me, rest of car is clean, dry & dusty, as befits something that has spent most of its life on a farm in the south of France.
Plenty of characterful french parking dents, but they're staying as all part of the car's story!
Right, time to don the flameproof suit & await the howls of derision!
Anyhoo, I've casually been on the lookout for a solid example to play with for a couple of years, but most UK cars have melted away or are mint show cars with increasing prices, whereas I wanted a solid but patina'd car that I could sort mechanically & enjoy as an honest thing.
So, after a few glasses of red wine the other week, I woke up on a Sunday morning to find that I was the winning bidder on something, erm wtf have I done etc!
I'd 'won' a LHD french registered 1983 R4 TL in hearing aid beige with a reasonable 140k kilometres on the clock which was allegedly virtually rust free.
Bought from a lovely guy, as it turned out, who had retired to France & had accumulated 10 old french cars in his barn over the last few years when carrying out building jobs for les frenchies in La Belle France.
He had driven the thing 700 miles from the SW of France to his daughter's in Suffolk, so I just need to to pick it up, MOT it & register it in the UK - simples!
Anyway, few pics from original ad...
Not really had much time to play with it as yet, but have cleaned underneath & undersealed it & apart from small piece of welding that mate has sorted for me, rest of car is clean, dry & dusty, as befits something that has spent most of its life on a farm in the south of France.
Plenty of characterful french parking dents, but they're staying as all part of the car's story!
Right, time to don the flameproof suit & await the howls of derision!
Edited by appletonn on Friday 25th September 14:57
Cheers guys, unexpected love in the room!
I also love the meccano simplicity of these things & the ride quality is Jag XJ comfortable, although the noise levels do differ slightly!
Have only driven it once thus far, from mates place after welding to home. Had a huge grin all the way. Also forgotten the epic levels of body roll in corners but equally high levels of grip on the skinny tyres, so can basically drive them flat out all the time. Lots of fun at legal speeds.
Few bits to sort including cleaning out carb & jets (car was stood for a couple of years in France & carb is full of crud), stripping out interior, cleaning out the contents of half a wheat field (definitely used as intended by stereotypical french farmer type!) from interior & cleaning seats, trim etc.
Already found empty packet of Gauloise fags & Kronenberg 1664 bottle top under the seats! Cars really don't get much more french than this!
I also love the meccano simplicity of these things & the ride quality is Jag XJ comfortable, although the noise levels do differ slightly!
Have only driven it once thus far, from mates place after welding to home. Had a huge grin all the way. Also forgotten the epic levels of body roll in corners but equally high levels of grip on the skinny tyres, so can basically drive them flat out all the time. Lots of fun at legal speeds.
Few bits to sort including cleaning out carb & jets (car was stood for a couple of years in France & carb is full of crud), stripping out interior, cleaning out the contents of half a wheat field (definitely used as intended by stereotypical french farmer type!) from interior & cleaning seats, trim etc.
Already found empty packet of Gauloise fags & Kronenberg 1664 bottle top under the seats! Cars really don't get much more french than this!
A couple of pics from last week - I've had wheels shot blasted (£20 mates rates) & primed with red oxide, but I'm now thinking of painting them burgundy over the top to set off the lovely beige body work.
Edited by appletonn on Friday 25th September 09:32
Edited by appletonn on Friday 25th September 14:54
fireturk said:
dad had 4 of these in a row , last one being brand new, as well as a Renault6. remember as a child going on holiday to Robin Hoods Bay. Mum, brother and I had to get out of the car when leaving the bay as the 4 wouldn't go up the steep hill with all of us in the car!! 
Excellent story!I had two in a row & the second yellow one went to Germany & then to France for a year, whilst I was working/teaching out there...
rovermorris999 said:
I love these too. The ride is brilliant, I'd love to find one like yours.
Yes ride is brilliant, in fact far better than my two old ones as this one is in far better mechanical shape with lowish miles (85k) & the body roll is epic around roundabouts at even low speed - huge fun!Escort3500 said:
No derision from me either 
I just love the simplicity of these cars (and others of this era such as the 2CV) in an age where complex electronic under-bonnet jiggery-pokery is the norm. I used a mate's one at college during the late 70s sometimes and it was such an entertaining drive, hugely practical and ridiculously cheap to run. Happy days
Hope you enjoy it
Yep, huge meccano kit where spanners, screwdrivers & hammers will see you through!I just love the simplicity of these cars (and others of this era such as the 2CV) in an age where complex electronic under-bonnet jiggery-pokery is the norm. I used a mate's one at college during the late 70s sometimes and it was such an entertaining drive, hugely practical and ridiculously cheap to run. Happy days
Hope you enjoy it
Mattlan said:
lovely of motors in the pictures if they are all yours!! Is that a cheeky MX5 RS Ltd I spy?
The Eunos is an 1.6 S-Special that I've just sold (by way of contrast!) to make way for the R4.Eunos has been developed into trackday/ fun road car but after 3 yrs, it's had to make room for the quirky frog!
Over the weekend I made a tentative start on stripping & cleaning out the interior. True to the backstory, this is definitely a car that has spent its working life on or around a farm as I must have brushed & hoovered out half of a field from the rear of the car!
Good news is that under the soil & straw, the interior is clean & shiny with only normal wear & tear evident.
Got to jet wash the rubber matting before putting it back in, but otherwise quite happy with what I've found thus far!
Got to strip the front seats & matting out next, clean the seats & door cards etc, but here's a couple of pics of the compost heap that was the interior!
And then the rear compartment after a quick brushing & hoovering, along with the wheel colour that I'm thinking of to contrast with the bodywork...
Before anyone comments on the lack of masking of the tyres before spraying the wheels, all the tyres are fubar to a greater or lesser extent so will be replaced in due course before MOT time!
Good news is that under the soil & straw, the interior is clean & shiny with only normal wear & tear evident.
Got to jet wash the rubber matting before putting it back in, but otherwise quite happy with what I've found thus far!
Got to strip the front seats & matting out next, clean the seats & door cards etc, but here's a couple of pics of the compost heap that was the interior!
And then the rear compartment after a quick brushing & hoovering, along with the wheel colour that I'm thinking of to contrast with the bodywork...
Before anyone comments on the lack of masking of the tyres before spraying the wheels, all the tyres are fubar to a greater or lesser extent so will be replaced in due course before MOT time!
Bizarre I know, but just had to share the fact that last night for the first time in about 20 years, I dug out my feeler gauges & set the points gap on the old R4!
I am on the look out for an electronic ignition kit for it, but in the meantime it's another step along the new car bonding path!
Also oil & filter change after some flushing oil was poured in for 30 minutes running.
Tonight is tappet setting Thursday!
Simple pleasures!
I am on the look out for an electronic ignition kit for it, but in the meantime it's another step along the new car bonding path!
Also oil & filter change after some flushing oil was poured in for 30 minutes running.
Tonight is tappet setting Thursday!
Simple pleasures!
Edited by appletonn on Thursday 1st October 15:38
OK, so I've given up on trying to clean & refurb the old Zenith carb & gone & splurged £150 on a brand new (old stock) one from la belle France.
Should be here tomorrow & now that I've set the static timing, hopefully can just bolt new carb on & she'll idle properly.
Have started cleaning & undersealing the underside & also have found the live feed under the rear corner for the foglight that I'll need to fit for the MOT, which I've ambitiously booked for a week on Saturday!
To do:
New tyres on all 4 corners
Fit carb
Fit & wire in new foglight & s/h o.e switch, wiring already in to dash & rear quarter
Convert headlights to rhd
Check & clean all drum brakes
Adjust handbrake
Cross fingers & pray!
Should be here tomorrow & now that I've set the static timing, hopefully can just bolt new carb on & she'll idle properly.
Have started cleaning & undersealing the underside & also have found the live feed under the rear corner for the foglight that I'll need to fit for the MOT, which I've ambitiously booked for a week on Saturday!
To do:
New tyres on all 4 corners
Fit carb
Fit & wire in new foglight & s/h o.e switch, wiring already in to dash & rear quarter
Convert headlights to rhd
Check & clean all drum brakes
Adjust handbrake
Cross fingers & pray!
Edited by appletonn on Thursday 8th October 09:54
XOcette said:
Looks like a good buy, and should prove to be a lot of fun.
Got to drive in one in NL fitted with a 5 Turbo engine. It was a little quicker than the 845cc version
Eventually the plan is to drop something a little pokier into it, upgrade the brakes but otherwise leave it as a sleeper externallyGot to drive in one in NL fitted with a 5 Turbo engine. It was a little quicker than the 845cc version
lowdrag said:
I saw three yesterday parked outside of I assume the owners' homes. One sage green and two red, plus this morning the local garage man turned up in his beautifully rebuilt one. They are very common here of course, and many seem to have been in the same ownership since practically new.
So true & most of the original UK cars have long since dissolved back into the earth, hence why mine came from the south of France!Probably about time I updated this!
I converted the headlights to RHD by using the Dremel to cut a second notch in te headlamp bowl for the 'finger' on the bulb to locate into, thus rotating it slightly & changing the beam pattern. Thanks to R4 forum dudes for that tip!
Fitted the rear foglight & found the rear feed under the rear quarter so just need to run an extension across the rear of the car to the designated location for the lamp,
Sourced a second hand switch & cleanup the wiring behind the switch blank in the dash. Wired in & it works!
Soon discovered that whilst the new car had much improved the idle stability (i.e it would now idle without stalling!), it wouldn't rev properly. Aaarrrghhh
So dismantled both carbs & finally made one good one out of the two - it runs!!
Dismantled both front & rear brake drums (yes front drums, for the win!), cleaned them up, re-greased bearings & threw it all back together, apart from one seized adjuster that will need to be revisited post MOT.
Then, in a weak moment, I happened to discover that AVO did adjustable gas shocks for the R4 (R4 needs gas shocks anyway due to the rears being horizontal & the general long travel & soft suspension springing)
There's a guy on the R4 forum (yes, there is such a thing!) who had commission a set from AVO so that he could reduce the epic body roll & super soft ride slightly.
Well, would have been rude not to....
Finally a few progress pics. Need to steam clean under the arches but both the suspension components & the metal work underneath is all sound, with minimal corrosion incredibly & just mud & sand coating it, which soon comes off.
I converted the headlights to RHD by using the Dremel to cut a second notch in te headlamp bowl for the 'finger' on the bulb to locate into, thus rotating it slightly & changing the beam pattern. Thanks to R4 forum dudes for that tip!
Fitted the rear foglight & found the rear feed under the rear quarter so just need to run an extension across the rear of the car to the designated location for the lamp,
Sourced a second hand switch & cleanup the wiring behind the switch blank in the dash. Wired in & it works!
Soon discovered that whilst the new car had much improved the idle stability (i.e it would now idle without stalling!), it wouldn't rev properly. Aaarrrghhh
So dismantled both carbs & finally made one good one out of the two - it runs!!
Dismantled both front & rear brake drums (yes front drums, for the win!), cleaned them up, re-greased bearings & threw it all back together, apart from one seized adjuster that will need to be revisited post MOT.
Then, in a weak moment, I happened to discover that AVO did adjustable gas shocks for the R4 (R4 needs gas shocks anyway due to the rears being horizontal & the general long travel & soft suspension springing)
There's a guy on the R4 forum (yes, there is such a thing!) who had commission a set from AVO so that he could reduce the epic body roll & super soft ride slightly.
Well, would have been rude not to....
Finally a few progress pics. Need to steam clean under the arches but both the suspension components & the metal work underneath is all sound, with minimal corrosion incredibly & just mud & sand coating it, which soon comes off.
Edited by appletonn on Wednesday 2nd December 08:44
V8 FOU said:
Love these. Self cleaning points too! Really.
Always wanted one with a more pokey engine. The French have a special Rally Raid for these!!
Kev Leaper of PPC has/had one with a Gordini engine....
The guy who owns Renospeed also has a standard looking restored one with the Gordini motor in it.Always wanted one with a more pokey engine. The French have a special Rally Raid for these!!
Kev Leaper of PPC has/had one with a Gordini engine....
I think I'd need to swap to front disc brakes before even thinking about that upgrade though!
Got the rear dampers to swap this weekend, refit rear seatbelts & then it may well be MOT time, gulp!
dbdb said:
My mum had a grey Renault 4 TL with black vinyl seats which she bought new in 1972 - MTU978L was the registration. She bought it at Sports Motors in Hale at their little garage on the end of South Downs Road. It was one of the first garages to have a petrol pump, IIRC installed in 1904. It was knocked down and is now houses, sadly.
She really loved her little Renault and it was utterly reliable. I really liked it too as a tiny child - especially the way the bonnet hinges forward like an XJ6! She had the Renault Dinitrolled, so when she sold it in 1978, it didn't have a spec of rust. Unfortunately, the person who bought it parked it on a field and it rusted after that. She replaced it with a Mars red VW Polo, also bought new. That was a lovely car too - a zippy little thing and pretty too, but blotted its copy book by needing a rebore at 9 months old.
Great story!She really loved her little Renault and it was utterly reliable. I really liked it too as a tiny child - especially the way the bonnet hinges forward like an XJ6! She had the Renault Dinitrolled, so when she sold it in 1978, it didn't have a spec of rust. Unfortunately, the person who bought it parked it on a field and it rusted after that. She replaced it with a Mars red VW Polo, also bought new. That was a lovely car too - a zippy little thing and pretty too, but blotted its copy book by needing a rebore at 9 months old.
Both of my first two R4s succumbed to the UK weather & non existent rust proofing, travelling back to the great scrapyard in the sky.
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