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renault 4 Tl Handling

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chrisandrewc

Well-Known Member
Messages
48
Location
spain
Hello I have just been too look at a Renault 4 tl ,I have my heart set on owning one,I had my friend come with me who drives a pajero jeep ,when he tested the car he said he felt unsafe over 60km and hour as the handling felt very light ,and also the brake seemed very hard to push down.The man selling it then took the wheel and drove it no problems and broke suddenly to show the brakes were good.the car is in fantastic condition and is very well looked after and has just passed itv ,im unsure what to do,do u think he may just find driving a Renault 4 very different to what he is use too or may it be problems with steering,which I cannot see as it just passed itv and man drove it fast around the country lanes no problems,he has put doubt in my mind,and I must give an answer to buyer in a few days,if its the Renault 4 for me I don't think ill find a better condition one than this.any help would be great
chris
 
Hi and welcome here ;)

driving a Renault 4 is very pleasant, because, contrary to new cars, you "feel" the driving, no stupid assistances or helps in the driving, just the engine/gearbox and you ! Naturally R4 doesn't run as faster as every modern car, I usually drives mine at about 100 km/h and I feel myself in security, the brakes are maybe not effective like a 2014 car but if you get used to anticipate it won't be a problem for you quickly. The only thing which can be unpleasant, and seems dangerous (in some cases) is the roll, for example when you're in a traffic circle the car tilts and I can be surprising when you are not used to it, but if you stay at reasonable speed it's absolutly not dangerous !

And finally I'm not sure that comparing the driving of a Pajero with the driving of a lovely R4 is very "intelligent", it's normal your friend feels unsafe in a R4 after his 2T four wheels drive car...

And don't forget when you own a R4, everybody looks at you with a smile because this car is naturally friendly for the majority of people :D :D
 
Exactly, you can't compare the R4 to a modern car. If the owner drives it well then it should be fine. Driving any old cars needs a bit more thinking and anticipation. Also patience when you are the one creating the que of traffic..... Not so bad in an R4 but try a '49 Simca that struggle up the tiniest of inclines.

Buy it and drive it :)
 
thankyou I feel the same,I think he is being too one sided in his view ,he tells me it wouldn't be safe on the motorway and he would be fighting against the wheel if he went to fast. I have read about taking this car all around the world, so long distances wouldn't be a problem,
 
My son uses our 4TL to travel to Toulouse and back on the Autoroute (about 120km there). I changed out the steering rod ends, ball joints and a drive shaft. It pasted its CT and everything is fine. It can do 110Km on the flat and there is no problem at all.

My 4GTL does 130 km on the flat and is the same - perfect. But compare that to the brand new Mini I had (gave it back to the lease company yesterday) then they drive like crap...... there is no comparison.... as snoopy above says, it is going back to real driving and it so much more fun.
 
I was thinking I may need to use it too travel back and forth to Denmark ,from spain once a year,will it do the job if I give it a break along the way
thanks for all your help
 
It will do it, but at an average of 90kph it may take a while. I am assuming it is the 870 engine.

We think nothing of 120km and back to town but 2000 km is a different story altogether.
 
yes it is ,I will take my time spead it over a few days maybe 500km a day ,would it kill the car ,? think I might call the man today seems like the car for me
 
So a 1.1 engine - should be good then but still a long drive. We do the Pyrenees to Holland quite often and even in a modern car it is a bind. But a good adventure in a 4L.

What money are you talking about for the purchase - i.e. is it worth taking the risk for money and where are you in Spain (we live 12km from the border)
 
the man wants 1200 euro wont budge on price ,wants to buy himself a 4x4 and trailer ,ive spent many hours reading here and learning what too look for when I viewed it ,And it was in fantastic condition and you just tell he looked at it well,i got the carpets up and checked all the floor ,wheel arches,under boot carpet,engine as in lovely condition, The chances of me buying a car that would do that long journey for that money here in spain may be a problem,i live in lugo ,Galicia ,The main thing for me is a realiable cheap car to run around here ,something I can trust and wont let me down,and is cheap to fix and I can get parts for which I can here.
 
Regarding how different an R4 feels to a modern, about ten years ago I drove to work in my R4 GTL. I then spent the day driving around sites in the company Peugeot 306, and at the end of the day I got back in my R4 and went to reverse out of the parking space. The steering felt so heavy when I went to turn out of the space that I actually got out of the car and walked round the front to check that a tyre wasn't flat! It wasn't, and the car felt normal again by the time I was home.

Regarding reliability of old cars, I have used Citroen 2cv's as daily cars for the best part of the last ten years. All of them have had near military precision maintenance during that time and have been driven on plenty of long distance trips. That said, even with a full maintenance regime and an innate understanding of the car, they still occasionally just break down. Sometimes it's something obvious and simple and you get away with a roadside fix, but sometimes you just have to call the breakdown truck as you rarely have the right tools with you anyway.

My best advice is buy the car and also get membership to a breakdown firm (the AA or RAC in the UK, I've no idea what the Spanish equivalent is) for the piece of mind.
 
Hi
I agree with snoopy ,I own an r4 tl ,I love driving it I use it daily and I'm back and do 100 mile a week ,up and down the hills of the Yorkshire dales ,people stand and stare with smiles on there faces ,you can see the kids pointing and smiling ,as for driving on the motorway ,it's "you get there when you get there ".i wouldn't swap my r4 for anything
Buy it ,buy it ,buy it ,you won't regret it .
Mark
 
Throw caution to the wind, buy it. Chances are, if it's in Spain there will be no rust. Mechanically it will be easy to fix if there are any problems. If you want this car and it feels right, get it, or you will be kicking yourself for a long time afterwards. Like the guys say, it's not modern and will be completely alien to your friend and his big 4x4.
It always takes me a few miles to adapt to our R4 after driving a modern car, but having driven them for over twenty years it soon becomes familiar again, heavy clutch, heavy steering, body roll, wind noise, pinking, lots and lots of fun.
Buy it, now.
 
;) will be calling the man in the morning found a cheaper one for 800 bloke seems a bit iffy thought says he has 3 cars that's why he's selling could see rust in front wheel arch when I zoomed in closemuerto68 156 (1024x576).jpg
 
Go for the first one you mentioned if it seems to be a better one. Go with your instincts' even if it costs a bit more.
 
Thankyou for the advice its very confusing making a choice ,friend keeps telling me to buy a corsa but I don't feel like its that way for me, maybe need to think a little more,Whats the TL like on bumpy ground my drive is terrible would I need to park on road above house instead ,?
 
The R4 will soak up the bumps as if they weren't there (lovely soft torsion bar suspension), a Corsa won't.
R4s do the desert every year in the Renault 4 Marrakech rally. Corsas don't. Google Renault 4 Marrakech rally.
Cheers.
 
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