This site might come handy (
https://renault4.weebly.com/belangrijk-bij-aankoop.html)
Important points when you buy an R4
For a layman, buying an R4 is often difficult because you don't know which points are important and what kind of problems can still come, and with pictures I try to explain what you see and what you can still encounter , and don't forget to look at the bottom under the pedals if there are holes here then the front jacking points are usually also affected, also look at the mounting of the rear axle check everything around the 12 mounting bolts (6 left + 6 right) is fresh here kit, then it is wise to take a closer look.
Everything in the four can be repaired, but it is nice if you already know what to expect when purchasing.
There are 4 types of fours for sale:
* The honest bad here you can clearly see what is bad often not that expensive but a good base to restore.
* The unfair bad with this car, the bad points have been sealed, is of course more expensive and will have to be restored in the short term, often these are the cars that the buyer is disappointed in because they will incur costs that they had not counted on.
* The good ones are not cheap, but you also have a good one, there may be something wrong with it, but that is usually manageable.
* The four in concours condition, these are often not for sale or for a lot of money.
Check when the engine is warm and you accelerate that there is not too much blue smoke coming out of the exhaust, this may indicate some oil consumption, but this does not have to be very serious, they may consume some oil, after all, the engine was not made in the computer age, when the engine is idling, the engine must be fairly still if it shakes too much, it could mean that there is compression loss in one or more cylinders, but it could also be another cause, for example contact points spark plugs or the adjustment is not good and or the adjustment of the carburetor.
The gearbox should go smoothly when shifting, also when shifting back, but the latter also has to do with the year of manufacture, the first were not so smooth (synchronised), look further for whether there is oil leakage under the engine, the gearbox oil has a different smell than the engine oil.
The brakes are important look under each wheel for leaks also check the brake pressure distributor that is mounted against the left rear beam that is a cylinder where three or four brake lines come together, put your fingers on top and have someone brake hard here needs a slight movement can be felt, because it only has a lot of work to do when the car is loaded, then it distributes the brake pressure, it may get stuck, not a very big safety problem, but it must work during the MOT inspection.
Check the color of the brake oil, it must be clear (natural), it is often forgotten to renew it, due to the moisture-attracting effect of the brake oil, the brake cylinders and calipers can get stuck at a later stage. The engine, gearbox and brakes often
have no unsolvable problems, this is almost always easy to fix, but of course there are wear points such as the clutch, you can check this by trying to drive away in 3rd gear if it is good, it will stall and it should not slip, it is usually with a worn clutch, the pedal is very high so it is at the top, a good clutch should be able to be half pressed without it doing its job
