Homegrown Garage R8 Major 1965

[Homegrown]

The Major was born under 1964 registered in 1964-09-23 in Sweden as a 1965 Renaul 1132 R8 Major. Red with black interior.
I bought it four year ago and together with Peugeot 204 Coupe. Put them in store (to much cars and to short life), anyhow I checked it out.
Some bits and pieces are missing she have some rust and previous bad repairs. Three years ago I started up the engine and it seems promessing also bought some obvious parts that was gone, like the steering wheel.
After summer of 1980 it was put aside and neglected (I guess), until previous owner started to give her some love before he passed away. Story is that he put 1300cc engine in, bought a lot of spares and did some welding repairs (not so nice but ok). So she is a bare shell with a lot of boxes with spares old and new. I think 90% of what I need he alredy bought it.
First goal is to make her driveably, pass MOT and keep her as a rolling restauration. She have been standing for 42 years so I want her on the roads soon.

 

[Homegrown]

Winter in approach!
After long an not so cold autumn winter strikes. Compared with Ukrainian population my problems are tiny but still making life harder. First time in my lifespan I have to think about electric bills. In conjunction with that I had prepared my big storage garage to manage minus degrees. Drained all water lines inside and some antifreeze in the water locks.

My big garage on my plot also been prepared for minus degrees. Everything that gets destroyed when freezing had to go into basement in my house like paint and gasketmaterial etc. That means missis R8 have to be on my small garage on my plot.
I guess you guys and girls in Europe have the same issues with crazy electric bills.
After winter prep and tidying up garages she got inside, she rolls easy after some air in the tyres but my plot is leaning so it's uphill. Some lifting with jacks and wood pieces under the wheels make it level I could push her in.
Blowed her as clean as possible from snow, then high up on jack stands demounting wheels. Leaving her with the lights on (600W as heating) over the night so hopefully she is dry tomorrow.

 

[laxeian]

Been looking at these to get round the mad price increases, look a good way round heating those winter workshops in a relatively cheap manner.

 

[Homegrown]

These Chinese copies of Webasto /Eberspacher etc are effective. But it’s embarrassing we in the developed countries need it.
Think they warm a lot of garages so we enthusiasts can keep up working.
In the video his through wall pipe is not up to spec. Should have a sleeve pipe and unburnable insulation outside sleeve pipe.

Im happy if there is some plus degrees inside garage.

 

[Homegrown]

Very happy I managed to do what was needed before first real snow came. This year I’ve been sorting, servicing, cleaning lots of my stuff.
First winter in a long time it feels I'm prepared

 

[Homegrown]

Working 12-hour night shift this weekend.
Anyhow some progress have occurred. Car is dried out and gone through with vacuum cleaner and compressed air. Wheels, fenders demounted. All open/hollow frames blown clean from dust and gravel.
Cos car is sold new in Sweden it had rustprotection since new. Most of the structural body is in good nick, there is rust that need attention but it's in some places not throughout.
Also managed to got hold of Renault workshop manual in Swedish.
Before I pick car apart more, my plan is to put in fresh starter and start up engine again.

 

[laxeian]

Oh, and there’s me thinking we were going to see a Porsche 911 engine/transaxle swap into a Renault 8 over the coming winter months

 

[Homegrown]

Oh, and there’s me thinking we were going to see a Porsche 911 engine/transaxle swap into a Renault 8 over the coming winter months

We thinking the same!
But reality making it hard, Porsche engines and gearboxes have bin rare and expensive due to car prices skyrocketed some years ago. So I actually looking for cheaper engine/transaxle combinations for the 911s to.
Audi engine on 996-gearbox is an option I think I will go with some of the 911s. Having two Honda bike engines in stock as well. 1000cc CBR with carbies and 1500cc Goldwing boxer-six engine with electric reverse.

For starters plan is to get mechanics alredy in the car in good nick. With some tweaks, handling is superb. (quick-rack, more camber in front, lowered ride hight and reduce rear axle rebound travell, move gas tank and radiator to the front)
Diskbrakes all around so the car will be fun with good handling in almost stock form. Previous ovner alredy put in R10 1300cc engine.
So I follow his idea. Weld up the root in the body, restore mekanics, get MOT and enjoy.

 

[laxeian]

The Subaru flat 4 seems to be the ‘in’ on the air-cooled performance V-dub swap nowadays, whereas it used to be the type 4 dub/914 Porsche motors with bigger barrels etc., but 4cyl instead of 6cyl makes a 911 a 912.
Good luck on the 8, sure when its finished it will be something to put a smile on your face.

 

[Homegrown]

Yes Subaru engines are excellent for conversion. Problem is sweden in no big subaru country and the subarus sold here is often the plain Jane version without turbo so we can’t find these engines easy. Most of the hot subarus are mail delivery cars.
Right hand drives from UK or japan.

 

[angel]

Renault 5GT engine has the same ancillaries layout as the R8 and would make an easy swap.

 

[Homegrown]

Cold and lots of snow made garage day shorter. -17*C and 12"(30cm) snow and windy day starts moving snow a couple of hour, then my father calls and says he need snowchains on his farm tractor. So we put on a 50kg snowchain on each rear wheel. He makes a test drive and everything is fine.
When at his place I check what spares I have at his place, think I found six front seats and one rear, some bumpers and fenders so it seems most parts are in stock.
Start checking the electric and also that looks promising, body wise she also looking good, floor, sills ,doors, bonnet ,lid, fenders, boot and engine room looking great.
Front to innerfenders needs some attention, same with rear innerfenders and the lower C-post. Under the floor one crossmember is parscially rusted.
Engine startup is next goal.

 

[Homegrown]

To get engine started a few year ago I used the handcrank, cut it of and put it in an terrible strong drilling machine we call "the arm breaker" to start her up.
Not so practical, so I have to check what's the issue.
Start checking wire loom and fuse box (only two fuses) cleaned them and most of electric working or semiworking so it should be fine. Put a starter cable as extra ground directly from batterie negative to the engine block. Turn the key and starter don't click click, nothing. Test to bridge plus on starte to solenoid with a screwdriver, some sparks but starter completely quiet.
Unhook batterie and start demounting starter, the day before I already took of exhaust and undertray. Easy to bolt it down until I realised it's three bolt holding the starte not two. Third one nut is easy to see and reach but the bolt I tucked away between solenoid and engine block. Have no purposed tooling (C-shaped startermotor spanners) but my very versatile cut and 90 degree bent 13mm managed to hold the bolt.
Starter out so try feed it directly from batterie, still no reaction. Hit it in the flor some whacks and lot of black dust comes out I guess carcon and rust mixture. Test again, still no reaction.
Having a wood burner as main heater in my house makes lunch break is effective, every now and then I put some wood in and when I'm hungry there is a nice glowbed redy to BBQ.
Two year ago I had time to sort all R8 parts a bit, remember it was at least one extra starter motor in the boxes.
Down to the big garage and pull down all R8 gear from the pallet rack. As mentioned before, previous owner had bought new and old parts to restore the Major.
Find two starters in the boxes, one very similar one a bit bigger. Hook up the smaller of the two to a batterie. Solenoid clicks and startermotor spins YES!

 

[Homegrown]

Still terrible cold here! Sunday it seem to be nicer temperatures.
Some progress have been achieved, starter I found that was working hade guide pin on one mounting point, gearbox wasn't prepared for this, angle grinder have to sort this. Very keen to check if starter works on engine, I put it in with the two easy reach screws, hooked up the batterie and turned the key. Click Click only solenoid moving but not power enough to turn the engine. Put second batterie in parallel to the first and tested Click wjuuw wjuuw wjuuw. Better but still low voltage to the starter. Put a direct ground from batteries to engine block and tested Click wjuwjuwjuwju much better.
Some breakclean in the carb (as fuel) test Click wjuwju BRAPaPaAP. Yes!
Disconnect power, put on exhaust, extending it with flex pipe and some 2" piping to be able to get exhaust out of the garage when starting up on petrol.
Put a tiny glass jar with petrol in the right hand side for fuel pump line, hooked up batteries, a snaps in the carb and turn the key. To early ignition so engine will not start, back of some timing, snaps, turn key and she starts up and sound great, put timing by ear revs her a few times YES she seems ok.
First time she start with the key in many many years, and she really sounds great. No cooling system, not working gas tank I'm happy to reach the goal I had for the day.
Lots of the exhaust system disintegrated to a pool of rust flakes on the garage floor.

 

[reidalpine]

best to stay indoor at the moment in Norwayland as well. Right now its -19,5 C. Lucky to have floor-heating in the garage so Roffen the F4 is living the luxury-life
You seem to have enough on your plate to keep you busy through to spring this will keep you from general mischief so is all good! -Reid

 

[Homegrown]

best to stay indoor at the moment in Norwayland as well. Right now its -19,5 C. Lucky to have floor-heating in the garage so Roffen the F4 is living the luxury-life
You seem to have enough on your plate to keep you busy througt to spring this will keep you from general mischief so is all good! -Reid

Luckily just 24-hour left with the crazy coldness. Next week they say we have plus degrees in the area where I live.
About being busy, my oldest son (27years) says. Dad you are not going to be 300 years! Have so much to do and projects in my head is much faster then reality. I try not to think like that (life ends one day) just keep on pushing.
Priorities.
1 Wife (she is very kind and understanding)
2 Wife (she is very kind and understanding)
3 Cars, garages, house, garden
4 Getting at least 7-hours sleep
5 Have to work also
6 Training/exercise

Cos point one and two is very kind, I can do point three a lot, point fove need for getting cash, point five should do more but there is only 24-hours a day
Point number four is now very important for me, haven't listened to my body before just pushing on willpower.

 

[Homegrown]

I keep working on Miss Major!
Ordered some welding primer (Inox Förch) and rust treating primer (Brunox epoxy) from Germany two rattle cans of each 106.50€ including freight. Good price compared to buy it in Sweden. This's needed to arrive before I start welding areas that will be inclosed.
Check inventories a bit more, have a plastic box full with calipers and cool springs. Put them on the floor and in the bottom there I three more starters and an alternator.
Some Bilstein B46-592 dampers I put on the shelf when I bought the car, can't find any info on that number. Think they are for R8 (single rear damper). Maybe someone can confirm.
Plan was to take out and clean fuel tank, but I wait with that cos engine need to be removed. Have to empty tank from old petrol then I put in a big inline fuel filter that can take all gunk from fuel deposit.
Have to start her again, was so happy she sounded great so I forgot to test clutch and gearbox (previous owner also bought complete gearbox with svingarms). Maybe cos something is wrong with the one in the car. If ok, drivetrain and gas tank stays in car until MOT is ok. In Sweden we don't need to check car ever again if the car is older than 50 years and have MOT.

 

[Homegrown]

As in every project you have to dream some.
Goal is to fix all mechanics and rust get a MOT.
Still need some type of vision about end product some years ahead.
Some Keihin bike carbies and some headers maybe have lots of Porsche wheels so why not some Fuchs rims or Compomotive/Fuchs split rims.

 

[Homegrown]

We have problem with flue season so have to work extra night shifts.
Good for the wallet but time flies bye.
Some rattle cans show up today, so I can start welding when I feel for it. Took away the three undertrays from the floor. Impresses how solid the car is. Some oil and heating the bolts underneath came loose two snapped the rest in good order.
Oiling up pedal mechanism and wires I think everything will soon work again.
The hose for rear passenger heating is starting to disintegrate. Someone know where to find a replacement?
Start prepare for Christmas.

 

[Homegrown]

Have dismount the calipers from car!
Everything needs persuasion (WD-40, oil and heat) to come loose. All steel pieces in the aluminium calipers is coroded and very stuck (handbrake adjustment and bleeders). Hopefully I can take them apart without braking anything/to much.
I give them a week with daily treatment WD-40, heat and some tapping with a hammer. One piston is out and I looks great.