Clementine's Garage
Clementine the Cat
 
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Yellow R4
 
Réparateur d'automobiles

Perhaps I've found the car for me?

Paul Narramore

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Messages
840
Location
Aylesford, Kent
I great big thanks to Paul Cunningham who recently put me in touch with an owner who had decided to part with his 1986 'C'-reg Renault 4GTL. I had asked that it was MoT'd and she duly failed on five or six faults, although nothing major. Paul invited me to come down to the South Coast as he would be having the car in to have these faults rectified.

So yesterday I took advantage of the decent spring weather and rode my motorbike down to his workshop to take a look at her. Well what can I say? Lots of bird droppings, the matt red paintwork was 'interesting'. It would be wrong of me to be over critical as I have still to discuss her sale with the owner who is away on holiday for a week, but it was great to have a closer look at a Renault 4, thirty years after owning mine. I took a number of images but not only can't I put them on here (technical reasons) but it would be wrong without the owners say-so.

As I said, the dull dull paintwork is more or less sound and may well respond to a few hours with T-Cut and red ColorBack. Every panel was specked with rust spots but with very little actual corrosion. The leading edge of the nearside front wing was holed but has passed, and the rear lower offside wing had a few crumples but nothing major.

The most important area was of course the chassis which passed her examination. There was a some corrosion - I could insert my hand - in the chassis side, close to the front NS jacking point which apparently passed because it wasn't a structural failure. You could have fooled me. The hole is partly shielded by the lower edge of the bodywork so may proved awkward to weld.

Paul replaced one of the front shockers as the lower bush was loose and the hole has worn oval. Seized nuts, an air 'spanner' and an angle grinder solved that. The flexible brake hoses has seriously corroded ferrules and these were replaced. Fan belts adjusted, oil topped up (it was very low and black as the ace of spades) and then we went for a short drive around Worthing. Well in just one mile, I managed to stall her twice and pull away twice in 3rd gear! The gearchange is similar to my 2CV but in reverse. 1st being left then forward.

I just have to wait until the owner returns from his holiday so we can discuss money. The car needs a thorough clean inside and out (it stinks) , and a lot of cosmetic prettying up, but she's a decent basis for a useable old car. I hope we can sort something out.
 
Looking forward to seeing pictures - there is an upload a photo button beside the post reply button, or just drag and drop photos on the box where you type the reply.

It's worth taking Paul's advice on the car about whether it is worth buying or not. My preference is for original cars that haven't been messed around with or repaired too much as it is more work to undo a repair than it is to do it properly in the first place.

The red paint tends to fade quickly after polishing. It makes it difficult to match new panels.
 
Since moving from Windows 8 to 10, I seem unable to move pictures from my phone. When I look at options, I can go to Facebook or emails, but not anywhere I can store images. These are all stored on my phone with nowhere to go.
 
Since moving from Windows 8 to 10, I seem unable to move pictures from my phone. When I look at options, I can go to Facebook or emails, but not anywhere I can store images. These are all stored on my phone with nowhere to go.

In a world without walls and fences, who needs windows and gates?
 
Fortunately Bob with no accident damage but eminently tidy up-able. A thorough wash inside and out and a small list of things to do - no rear hatch lock, sliding window catches unglued, another roof aerial, plus a gallon of T-Cut or Farecla, which evers better and a bucket of elbow grease.
 
Glad you enjoyed your visit the weather was nice and I always enjoy chatting about R4
More importantly I still enjoy working on them as they are a reminder to me of the days when cars where actually fixable
Back to the car in question
I was surprised when the owner mentioned he w
as thinking of selling as I have worked on it for 20 years
Not immaculate by any stretch of the imagination but sound on rear suspension fixing points
The days of cheap usable cars turning up for sale are gone now so choice is limited if you are on a budget
Pics I took at mot station 20160512_144427.jpg20160512_144446.jpg20160512_144142.jpg20160512_143834.jpg20160512_144413.jpg
 
Did the front discs raise any eyebrows at the MOT?

Claude Van Rouge the F4 van would love to have paint in that condition, and I'm arguing a high agreed value based on what people are advertising tatty card on Leboncoin for now.
 
Rusty discs what are you on about malcolm
Unless cracked or broken rusty discs are advise only according to mot guidelines
I suspect paul will be changing them as a matter of course
 
Naturellement mon ami. What is surprising for me is how the pads have cleared such a thin strip of the discs rather than most of the surface as I would have expected. With new discs being both available and cheap, I would be a fool not to replace them and the pads..
 
Congratulations! Keep us posted.

It looks like a decent one from the photos than can be enjoyed for a few years before any pulling apart is needed. Worth a good pressure wash underneath and sorting out the sealant underneath the rear wings if they have been replaced - the body above the wings looks good at the moment, but where wings have been replaced that doesn't last for long, and it's one of the most fiddly jobs to fix.
 
Welcome to the gang !, and another 4 in kent , must have a meet up soon !:clapping:
 
Well the cheque is in the post so I should take possession of her in a weeks time or so. My wife's not at all happy that the 2CV has to be sold as I'd rebuilt her for our daughter's wedding but hey ho, life moves on. I shall miss her be-stickered rear boot lid so am looking into getting some Renault 4-based stickers made. A thoroughly good clean followed by a modicum of T-Cut (I have a cordless orbital polishing device) and a fair bit of TLC. The gear knob spins around for a start. A good service as the oil is as black as the ace of spades. I'm looking forward to having her back here. And Kent owners, how about a get-together in the autumn?
 
Well I took the train yesterday down to Lancing on the South Coast to collect my car. A steady 65mph all the way home, even a quick burst to 70. She goes pretty well. Perhaps that's down to the missing air filter? Gave the car a wash, still very Matt, then T-Cut the rear door and near side. Used a heat gun to remove what was left of an old GB sticker. In need of a rear door catch and key please. Today I am off to Halfords in search of filters, plugs and stuff. I even have factory handbook now so can work out the mysteries of the heating and ventilation system.
 
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looking good from behind...
little bit care and he/she is ready for enjoyment
 
Being retired, Petak, and having three cars in total on the road, there is no urgency so I can take my time and enjoy getting her right. I have a well equipped workshop which is a dream to work in. Getting her clean and shiny is the first step as it is so much nicer working on a clean car, then I can sort out the small amount of corrosion in her bodyshell and chassis. Sound deadening I will need to consider. I was at the Bromley Pageant show last weekend and came across a stall selling sound deadening material. I already have some high density foam but the chap showed me some foil back, self adhesive material which looked the bee's knees. Interestingly the car has 145x13 tyres on the front and the correct 135x13 tyres on the rear. One of the window catches has become unglued, something to sort out, and the roof aerial had broken off but I have a spare. So some more polishing and titivating today.
 
Slowly T-Cutting the body's hell. Just the roof and bonnet to go. When I lifted the front rubber mat, guess what I found. A lot of water, a hole beneath the clutch pedal and a missing plastic bung. Plus lots of rust. ust.
 
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well that's the fun of having these older cars :laughing: there's always something that needs doing, she looks quite good so good luck it :clapping:
 
She is Bobbie, although the paintwork looks as if it ha been blasted by a shotgun. Not a single panel is without its blemishes and small dents. Part of its charm I think. Scrubbed the roof lining pwhich had speckles of Mould and a popper flew off and disappeared. The expansion tank and washer bottle were black inside but slowly, slowly I am tidying things up.
 
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