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how practical is an 850cc R4 ?

Cyprus Andy

Cyprus Andy

Enthusiast
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Location
Troodos Mountains Cyprus
I am looking to buy a Renault 4 ( I had the 1100cc R4 35 years ago in the UK ) and the only examples I can find here in Cyprus seem to be the 850cc engine and was wondering how practical they would be for running me about as I live in the Troodos mountains ?
The Cyprus weather has kept them rust free but I am not sure if an 850 will be able to cope with the climbs up the mountains. I assume an engine transplant to an 1100cc would be the answer if I can get one, but I notice they have liners in the block and wondered if I could replace them with a larger sleeve and new pistons to raise the cc's a bit ?
Any advice folk's ??
 
Hi Andy
I live in the Pyrenees and have an 850 and an 1100. Yes the 1100 is like a normal car but the 850 is also OK - more on the descents with the drum brakes more than the going up. My son uses the 850 all the time back and forth from Toulouse (220Km round trip) and he is off Skiing in it today in the mountains with 3 guys and all their kit.
So Cyprus is easy for the little 850 - and as you say, if you find a 1100 engine you can always swap it over. (my 1100 has slightly bigger drums on the front than my 850)
Ian
 
Can't answer for hills and mountains but I live at sea level (actually just below sea level just behind the sea wall) and my 850cc R4 likes the flat (I have to be happy to let people overtake me all the time though!)
 
Thanks for the advice guys, the roads are not as quiet here as in France, and a bit more manic...try to imagine driving around the arc de triomphe while texting a message on your phone, and you pretty much have the picture of road conditions here, well the driving anyway !
I guess I will just have to buy the 850 and try it.....the driving here in Cyprus is slightly different to the driving in the UK...in fact anywhere in the world, it seems the only thing they do here quickly is driving so will definatly spend a lot of time looking in the rear view mirror .... and might have to get the 1100 engine from the UK if its a bit sluggish if I can find one ?
PS they don't always overtake you here, sometimes they undertake you on the hard shoulder !
 
It all depends on you, and what you demand from your little R4.
If you see it more as a practical charmful little car, go for the 1100. If you see it as a classic that must be as it left the factory, it is worth keeping the 850cc engine even if it is in all aspects worse on the mountains.
The major difference in practice is engine torque-the small engine will even feel a full tank if you go uphill. With the 1100 you will find that it does not matter if you have an extra passenger or luggage, it pulls like a tractor.
In such driving conditions 850s are prone to overheating in our climates, but there are some easy ways to improve cooling system efficiency.

The "small" engines are completely different from the "large" ones, so you can't go up in size simply by replacing pistons / liners.
 
thanks angel I have never had an 850 so not at all sure what to expect although it is definatly not going to be able to cope with climbing Troodos I think :(
I have had MANY classic motors and always like to keep them original but I must be practical also.....so I will get it ant try it but will look out for a bigger engine if I can find one:rolleyes:
 
My 850 handles the hills round here in the Limousin will climb anything and go anywhere including the Forest tracks to collect wood etc. yep have to accept almost everything wants to overtake.
 
Hills? no worries. Here's me on the starting line representing our local Renault club in the Rob Roy Interclub Hillclimb Challenge in my girl Lucille.
Lucy's an 850cc.

IMGP2905.JPG

OK, so she's not quick but it's a lot of fun.
Got second in class last time. What a hoot.
 
Just make sure that you get the one with disc brakes as my old drums find it difficult to stop in a hurry with a load on board, I have done the trip up and down Troodos the thought is scarry,
 
paulf said:
Just make sure that you get the one with disc brakes as my old drums find it difficult to stop in a hurry with a load on board, I have done the trip up and down Troodos the thought is scarry,
Click to expand...
It's not the comming down Troodos in a Renault 4 that frightens me ........its the formula 1 demolition derby called Limassol at the bottom !!
 
I am used with front disc brakes on my '91 r4, but the drums on the newcome '75 do not work so bad... A friend of mine said that the brakes of his '67 parisienne are far better than the ones of his '84 r4... And both are 850 engine equipped and have 4 drums brakes.
Anyway, you can always swap front drums with disks, provided that you change your wheels too!
 
And change the handbrake to the rear - not an easy job.

Andy - you will be surprised at how an 850 can handle in traffic. We bomb around Toulouse with French city traffic, not a problem. It is just slow on the motorways.
 
Tripyrenees said:
And change the handbrake to the rear - not an easy job.

Andy - you will be surprised at how an 850 can handle in traffic. We bomb around Toulouse with French city traffic, not a problem. It is just slow on the motorways.
Click to expand...
its not the city traffic I worry about its the long climb from the city up the Troodos mountains, all of it uphill for a good 40 miles........thinking it might kill the engine especially in the summer heat ?
 
Cyprus Andy said:
all of it uphill for a good 40 miles........thinking it might kill the engine especially in the summer heat ?
Click to expand...

I do not think at least if you have the right radiator; i. e. the copper one, not the modern alu/plastic ones... It did a great difference in my case!
 
Personnaly I think the 845 cm3 (is it the same that yours ???) is the worst engine of the R4 familly, I tried almost all the engines of R4s and I really don't like this one, even the little 782 from the seventies with only 27 ch is -for me- better than the 845 cm3 which have nevertheless 34 ch...
 
Nope the worst engines put in Renaults was the one they put in the 14, the engine had the gearbox in the sump, the engine was lying down, the camshaft wore itself away and the engine had very little torque compared to the old pushrod designs!
 
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