Paul Narramore
pre-moderated
- 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.
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.