Clementine's Words of Wisdom

7th March 2004 - Rosalie made it to Chamonix

Rosalie made it to Chamonix and back without incident. The engine even started at -15C, although it took the finely tuned technique of new owner Robert.

Find out how we managed to fit four people with skis in a Renault 4 in Rosalie goes to Chamonix.

Ermintrude the had been due to join Rosalie on the trip, but a number of travelers had second thoughts and took the aeroplane, so the French were deprived of a R4 convoy.

22nd February 2004 - Ermintrude has a New Engine

Ermintrude the Renault 4 started to run on 3 cylinders after her return from Europe. One cylinder had lost compression, presumably due to a burnt valve.

Robert came over for the weekend and helped change the engine - this will also be sure to sort out the starting problem that I have never managed to trace.*

Ermintrude is due to have an MOT this week. Hopefully she will pass as she is due to accompany Rosalie the Renault 4 on a trip to Chamonix for some more skiing next week.

*Update - The same ignition system works with the new engine, so the carb must have been at fault. A blocked choke jet would fit the symptoms.

30th January 2004 - Ermintrude Goes to Monte Carlo

The insurance company sent me a cheque for £800 to repair Ermintrude the Renault 4's crash damage, so I made a temporary repair and spent the money on a holiday.

Ermintrude (pictured on an Austrian pass) managed a 4500 mile (7000km) trip around Europe including snowboarding and skiing in Germany, Austria, Italy and Spain.

She was completely reliable apart from a reluctance to start from cold. The ignition system is in excellent condition so I now suspect the fuel supply.

Ermintrude's adventure is detailed in Ermintrude goes to Monte Carlo.

Just 3 days after Ermintrude returned to the road she was hit by a car at a roundabout. The damage isn't too bad and she was able to complete a 1200 mile round trip to Scotland for New Year.

I visited a repair company this morning and unsurprisingly the car will be written off. This isn't as bad as it sounds - I will be able to buy the car back from the insurance company and carry out the necessary repairs.

Many thanks to everyone who responded to my appeal for information on R4 values. Ermintrude wasn't insured on a classic car policy so there is no agreed value. I'll have to prove the value to the insurance company.

At last, following three months of restoration, Ermintrude the R4 is back on the road.

Ermintrude's first run was on Saturday, and much of Sunday and Monday were spent correcting small problems. On Tuesday Ermintrude will start a 1000 mile round trip which will include a visit home to Scotland for New Year celebrations.

More on the "back on the road" page