Maybe this tekst may help (with thanks to Roberto
http://renault4.weebly.com/belangrijk-bij-aankoop.html)
For a layman is a purchase of an R4 often difficult because you do not know what issues are important and what is yet to come for problems, and pictures I try to explain what you see and what you can encounter and do not forget to look at the bottom wedged under the pedals as holes here than are usually the front jacking points also affected, take a look at the attachment of the rear check all around the 12 mounting screws (6 left + 6 right) is here fresh kit installed, it is wise to look even better.
In all, the four can be repaired but it's nice if you already know what to expect when buying.
There are four types of fours for sale:
*The honest poor here you can clearly see what is bad is often not as expensive but a good base for restoration.
* The not fair bad in this car are the bad points smeared course is expensive and needs to be restored in the short term, often these are the cars where the buyer is disappointed to come off cost him where they had not counted on.
* Good these are not cheap, but you also have a good, there is something wrong but that is usually overlooked.
* The four competition, this is often not for sale or for money.
Watch as the engine is warm and your gas indicates that not all is too much blue smoke from the exhaust, it may indicate some oil consumption but do not have to be this very serious they may just oil indeed consume the engine is not made in the computer era, when the engine is idling must crankcase reasonable lie still when he shakes too much can mean that loss of compression in one or more cylinders, but it could be another cause may include contact points spark or adjustment is not good and that the carburettor.
The gearbox should go smoothly when it switch to turn back but the latter also has to do with the year of the first were not so smooth (synchronized), look no further if oil leakage under the engine gearbox oil has a different smell than engine oil.
The brakes are important look under any wheel or it leaks also check the brake distributor mounted against the left rear beam which is a cylinder where three or four brake lines come together, put your fingers on top and let someone hard braking here have a slight movement be felt, because it only has much work to do when the car is loaded, it distributes the braking may be that he is stuck, respect, not a very big safety problem but at the MOT he has to work.
Check the color of the brake fluid must clear (natural) are often forgot to renew it, the hygroscopic action of the brake fluid can later go down the brake cylinders and clutches are Often the engine, gearbox and brakes no insoluble problems, this is almost always easy to overcome, but there are wear items such as linking this can be checked by the 3rd gear trying to drive away when he is good he will turn and he can not usually slip when worn clutch pedal very high so he sits up in a good link you should be able to kick half without him does his work.
The photos on this site are extreme cases and have also seen that the problems can be solved, but it also indicates that a good R4 also is not cheap.
Many R4's are offered with a new MOT which is good but it does not mean that the car is really good, here are some examples of cars that several months after the MOT of the road are met, this is not a good thing, after all it is you and perhaps the safety of your children, I ask myself still wondering how this is possible!
Example 1 Example 2 Example 3