Look what I've got!

[Mike from Spain]

Remember the yellow R4 advertised in Spain a few weeks ago? Well I bought it! It'd done less than 70,000 kms when I got it and it's like brand new inside. There's a bit of rot around the rear wing and the door is dented but otherwise it's immaculate. The radiator blew on the way back so we had to tow it on the fixed dolly. Took the rad out of the purple peril so need to get to the scrappy for a replacement.
It seems to pink a bit up hills, do you think the timing is out due to it running on unleaded?
The Spanish build quality isn't as good as the French; the metal is a lot thinner. Also the exhaust exits on the drivers side just forward of the rear wheel! The silencer is inside the front wing! Must be a Spanish thing. It's got head rests and a vanity mirror, very posh!

 

[Simon.AU]

Nice colour!

The silencer is inside the front wing! Must be a Spanish thing.

I thought they were all like that. You get a nice surprise when you lean on the inner wing :-)

 

[Wingnut]

If my memory serves me well, I'd say it's a R4 TL or equivalent later model. The TL had a 845cc engine with the silencer sitting above the left tire. My parents had 2 pale yellow TL's between '77 and '83. Yours has a much nicer, richer yellow. Nice one!!

 

[malcolm]

Snap!

I picked this one up from Liam at the weekend. They are funny old things. Looks like the Spanish didn't quite have all the tooling to make GTLs so they carried on with the chrome door handles, dash handbrake (operating on the rear wheels), under wing silencer, raised boot hinges, chrome hubcaps, and a metal parcel shelf.

Build quality doesn't seem up to much. I don't think the seam sealing was applied all that carefully and this one has gone around the seams, but the chassis is just about immaculate.

 

[Wingnut]

Metal parcel shelf? I didn't know they were ever made of metal. I only remember the plastic ones. I don't think "our" first R4 had a parcel shelf, but then again I was a bit young when we had that one. My most vivid memories of that car are my mom trying to get the thing started in winter without the benefit of a charged battery and me loosing my lunch at age 5 or 6.

 

[malcolm]

They all had metal parcel shelves up until about 1972, then the UK and French ones changed over to plastic ones. Seems the Spanish forgot to make the change.

 

[Mike from Spain]

Nice one Clementine! See what I mean about the build quality? Thinner metal? Also, be sure to oil those boot hinges. The bolt in one of mine was snapped when I got it (metal bolt, aluminium hinge, osmoses etc!!) and I had to drill the old one out of both sides of the hinge.
The hand brake on mine is on the floor between the seats.
I read your article on ignition timing and it was very useful. I've backed it off a bit and the pinking has stopped but I still feel it is a little under powered compared to the one I had in England! Nice runner though!
Found an abandoned one on the next track to ours and have pilfered the radiator for the purple peril along with the water pump, distributor complete with brand new cap and leads, the alternator and many other useful bits and pieces! Thinking of going back for the cylinder head and drive shafts! Got my eye on a seemingly abandoned van so hopefully I should get some more bits!

 

[gpovanman]

I picked up a 4 Clan about 2 weeks ago. Haven't got round to taking any photos of it yet, but it has 57000 kms (40 000miles) on the clock, and you are right, the metal is really thin. The handbrake on mine is on the fllor between the front seats.

 

[Mike from Spain]

Nice one Gpo, not even run in yet! Can't wait to see the pics!

 

[gpovanman]

I get my didital camera back off my mate tomorrow, so I can get some photos taken and posted. BTW what are the general price for spares like over here? I need to get a silencer for it, and after some experiences that I have had in the past, I am going to ad with a bit opf trepidation!

 

[malcolm]

I've been playing around with my Spanish built car. They've made no effort with seam sealing at all - that's why they rot. The chassis don't seem any worse than the French ones (chassis were never seam sealed).

I think the metal thickness might actually be a grade thicker than the French built cars. Open and shut the doors of the two - the Spanish car clearly has heavier doors. And as you say they are slower (but apart from the weight have you seen the exhaust pipe diameter?)

How are you getting on in the hot climate Mike?

 

[Mike from Spain]

Hi Clementine, just got back from shopping and the temp is 39'c in the shade!!! So consequently I'm melting but after typing this (whilst drinking a cold beer) I'm straight in the pool to reduce my core temp!
BeBe is still running well but with the ambient temp increasing she's bubbling away when we get to the top of the track. When I got her, if you remember, the rad blew due to a corroded thermostat and the expansion bottle was full of silt. Well I think the bottom of the water jacket may be silted up leading to her running hot so I'm going to give her a good flushing out shortly and hopefully she'll run a little cooler. Fitting air con would be good too!!!
I was in Cumbria this time last week and the weather was roasting but it's great to be back even after only 5 days!
Oh, stopped at a crossing in Nerja a couple of weeks ago and some idiot ran up my back. The boot's ok but the bumper is history and I'll have to hammer the rear valance back as the boot won't shut and I can't remove the spare! Luckily that abandoned one was still there with a good chrome bumper!

 

[malcolm]

When mine was rammed in the rear I straightened it by a jack and a bit of wood under the bent bit of the boot floor. Still haven't got around to welding in a new rear section, but it's functional so long as I don't carry anything small in the boot.

It's a shame the Spanish cars don't have the cooling vents in the bonnet where the number plate is mounted. Those made a big difference to cooling on my car (It was winter and the heater didn't work until I blocked the vents off).

A good hose through should help. Do they do the magic stuff over there that breaks up the scum? Pour it into the cooling system, drive around a bit, then hose out.

 

[Mike from Spain]

Yep, they do radflush here and I'm gonna use some!