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Lovehandles....

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reidalpine

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anyone out there in the know what the lovehandles (handlebars)(Bananes) chromed or painted were meant for??

I get all kind of remarks about them -and also some
unintelligent suggestions which I Totally ignores....

-In My book they look nifty-Roffen's are painted grey
I have a set of chromed ones laying around,but won't
fit them 'till I know these could be had as an option for
the Fourgonnette...

-I can see them come in handy if you're into S&M but
can't see they were Originally meant for that use ;) ???

(Up here this would mean they could only be used half
year as it's too cold keeping up Any kind of(such)activity
in wintertime -Unless ofcourse there were heated ones available too.......
-R.
 
I've always wondered what the things are for as well. I call them carry handles. They weren't considered necessary on pre-'68 cars or Spanish and some of the cheaper French variants.

They aren't any good for towing :D. I wonder if they are to hold the front wing on after the front edge has rusted away. Certainly I've used them for that.

Seems odd that an otherwise brilliantly utilitarian car could have had them added for styling. You might have something there with the S&M. :eek:
 
I'm approaching the wife re.heated ones.I mean I can't just hang on stuff not being properly tested and approved right??
think she will go for the chromed ones ,as they would perfectly match the chromed handcuffs I gave her last Christmas....

-if meant to keep wings on -why aren't there HUGE ones on my neighbours Vauxhall Victor????

PS was approached by a copper today -which made me wonder about UNIFORMED = UNINFORMED :rolleyes:
 
a) Rickshaw fittings? b) strapping bales of hay to bonnet - french farmer's favourite c) lightweight snow plough fittings d) tying helium balloons when it's your birthday.
 
To avoid any further detail of what reidalpine gets up to with his wife I'm inclined to go for the birthday helium balloons as a working hypothesis.

Though I spoke to an actual car designer this evening and he reckons they might have been added by the felt tip fairies (stylists) to differentiate the cheaper models from the expensive ones. Something a salesman could take advantage of - "if you spend an extra £50 you can have these very handy carry handles...".
 
I think you're on to somethings-Expencifiers..That's IT!
-in addition to my Rallye-stripes I think they account for At least 0.2km/h topspeed-soon as I am done with my air-foil for the skirack I have upped the actual topspeed from 127km/h (measured by GPS)and a calender
I should be approaching 130 and that's Before I get that R5Gtl-engine in...

wife's not home right now so I am banging the slippers on the table just to get some R-E-S-P-E-C-T around here!! -R.
 
'Vis a vis' my quest for a more frugal 4 - discard these handles as well.
My next cunning plan is to add some Activ8 (oil based friction reducer) - a must have product for the discerning few - transformed our guzzling family turbo-charged chariot- treatment good for 25,000 mls - £25 a bottle only £12.50 for a weedy 4!
 
hope you don't have naugahide(skaii) seats Brian-would make it darn slippery...

only kiddin' You think I'm daft??
Tried it. it said 'For external use only' on bottle so poured it all over the motor
-Didn't do a thing for me! (maybe it has to be there for a while??)
 
Hi Reidalpine , whatever you do don't put it on the bottom of your skis! - health warning. But Roffen and your Alpine GTA engine/turbo will love it - you can also put it in the gearbox. I was amazed at the improved driveability/mpg (+4 touring) of our family barge. Our little 4 is going to get the treatment and I shall faithfully report. I heard your slippers from here!:)
 
to be on the safe side i tossed my skis in the fireplace years ago..

If I use this stuff on the tyres-would I get R-E-S-P-E-C-T when
leaving the local pizza-joint?
now all I can get is a squeamish little Schrii... out of my tyres....
 
Get this stuff on your tyres and you won't leave anywhere! :eek: If you get me some tie rod bushes (eye type - they are £60 + 17.5% tax each in uk ) I'll send you enough 'supalube' for your fleet. In the old pre-tsunami days I use to strap tennis rackets on for the white stuff - now I'm thinkin about floats + outbord motor for the 4.

(Check out 'Activ8' website - they make the stuff in Dumphries, Scotland)
 
If I use this stuff on my tyres-Remember this country is going downhill -so what kind of mileage can I expect?You may actually have found the wHoly Grail of economic driving here
-Patent it Tonight!
-You'll probably be bought up by GM lock/stock&barrel but then you can invite me to your new Los Angeles-site and I can show off my Screeeeeeeeeeek at the strip yes?
 
The love-handles (what a nice nickname...) were fitted to poor road/special equipment R4s and all GTLs.
I had not thought of the uses suggested by Reidalpine :-) , I always thought they were supposed to protect the indicator lights and/or headlights-grille (and maybe add a little more rigidity to the front bumper?).
Whatever they are for, I think of them as an original R4 styling feature and I don't remove them.
Actually, one of them did its job last month, as I found it bent (but the rest of the front intact) as some fool of a driver apparently tried to park "by ear" in front of me.
 
Happy to infom that both the cat and I survived 3days when wife was on girlietrip to Copenhagen...
I am dismantling the donor-F4 to atoms-whereupon I discovered yet another 'reason de etre' for the lovehandles...
drilled the 2 poprivets for the bonnet-wires removed wireloom plus lights/blinkers from bonnet to flip bonnet all the way forward to wiggle it off the hinges on crossmember. Lovehandles are in the way-So they are clearly there to annoy me when trying to take off bonnet.

After removing them-tilting the bonnet all way forward i found La Regie mounted the hinges with pins on crossmember BOTH pointing INwards,so no matter how you try it won't come off-Why the Heck didn't they mount hinges pointing the SAME friggin'direction ????

Bonnet(hood) can't fall of as the wires has to be cut or loosened to tilt bonnet ALL the way forward to be able to wiggle it say to the left to get it to fall off,
-hit the tools-cabinet and spill the coffee all over..

Found the easiest way to remove the radiator(this is the plastic surrounded-one) As the two bolts/nuts holding it underneath is easy to get to -Only if you have two elbows each arm..but...bottom of rad. is reinforced with a metal-part same width as rad.
The two bolts/nuts is mounted on this metal-frame thingy and the rad goes down into this frame

Look closely and you'll find 4 'tabs'each side near bottom(front and rearside)removed shroud for fan (4 phillips-head screws-removed so rad came off easy-piecy.
use a Big screwdriver and pry the tabs open. 2-3mm.will do and
Hey presto! the rad can be lifted right off.
(A little care should be exersized so as not to ruin the rad-but even in a mild blood-rush it was no problem....)
When remounting the rad place rad down into frame use same screwdriver and a small hammer give the tabs a knock or two and it's back on.The straps on side/top plus rubberhoses will also help keep it in place up 'till 1 Mach or thereabouts
-Not exactly inventing the wheel-but made removing rad real easy.

Agree with you Angel-bananes Not to be removed as Very Important Bling-Bling....
 
I'm relieved to hear that you and tibs survived the night - sorry about the pizza.:( Good luck with your recycling effort. Looking out for balloon tyres - I'm fitting oars to my 4 and use the banana handles as rowlocks and then I can sit on the bonnet and go for a cruise.:)

No more posts after midnight!
 
No it means she is French-spec! (or else built to Normal road specifications).
 
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