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Renault 4 vans...

Anonymous

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Hi all,

Chris here.

Thanks for all the advice about the R4 I went to see with a view to buying.
It was in really good condition and we agreed a price. Alas, I've just found out that prior to collection, it's been involved in an accident and is now in a bad way.... Therefore, deal off.

Never mind, because I've already found a possible replacement!! It's a Renault 4 van. Now I need some more advice!! Basically, do I have to look at the same potential problem areas as the 'normal' R4, or are there any particular things to look out for on a van???

Also, it's French registered, so how do I go about re-registering it, and do I have to do that first before sorting out tax/insurance/MOT???

Any help/advice will be really appreciated. Come on chaps, help me - I want to join your club!!!!!!!!


Cheers,



Chris
 
That's a bit of bad luck. How bad was the damage to the GTL? Hope it's not going to be scrapped.

I'm not a big fan of the F6 van personally. I owned one once and found it much noisier than the GTL. Also accessibility to the rear seats I installed was pretty poor. And the tailgate leaked... The chassis on the F6 is slightly longer than the GTL, but is much the same, so expect the same potential problems. If anything the rear end of the van is simpler than the GTL, so there are less bodywork rust issues.

My limited understanding on registering the car in the UK is that it's not too much hassle. There is no SVA test for cars more than 10 years old and no import tax. The car needs a UK MOT first, so you'll need to change the headlamps to RHD (covered on the tech tips section), fit a speedo that shows miles (cheap secondhand), and fit a foglamp. Then contact the Local Vehicle Licencing Office (or whatever they call themselves these days). They will inspect the car and organise a UK registration, and sell you some tax.

I might be wrong. Give these guys a call to make sure:
www.dvla.gov.uk/contact/local_offices.htm
They have some info on http://www.dvla.gov.uk/vehicles/exptimpt.htm although there is a lot of new car stuff there that doesn't apply.

For insurance - it's worth getting a quote. A lot of companies won't insure the F6 because it's a van. I think direct line are OK. Expect to pay maybe 20% more because it's a van. I wouldn't expect the LHD to be an issue on the R4 as it's only a worry when overtaking. :D
 
r4 vans and in need of advice

Hi, I've just passed my driving licence and I've allways wanted a r4 van. I know nothing, where to look, what to ask, what problems to look out for, what sort of price is reasonable, etc etc etc. Please can someone honest just come sell me a perfect van with a reasonable price and guide me through the process, or can someone please just advise me on any of the above. My email address is jude.singleton@btinternet.com and desperate for help, thanks, Jude
 
Hi Jude, welcome to the forum.

Renault 4 vans are pretty rare in the UK. I think the best way to find a good one would be to go for a holiday in Portugal and drive one back. The climate is much better over there so the body and chassis would probably be in better condition.

In the UK there are often vans and other Renault 4s advertised on www.renault4.plus.com/classifieds/classifieds.htm

The vans suffer from the same chassis rust as the cars. The restoration section of this site shows the typical areas where you would find rust. The biggest problem with the Renault 4 is rust in the rear chassis area. Once the car has failed the MOT in this area it is pretty well a write off. Maybe half the cars for sale in the UK will have this problem.

Over in the UK a decent van would probably sell for £500 to £1000. I'd expect them to be much cheaper abroad which should offset the cost of coffee in the pavement cafes.
 
Go and buy a copy of 'Classics' magazine.One of the advertisers is Loughborough 2CV Centre, as well as Citroen things they also sell R4's including vans. I'm thinking of seeing if I can get a decent F4 van to keep my R5 mk1 and R11 Electronic company !
 
Hello,
You will get ripped off trying to insure a left-hand drive. If you can't find a good right-hand drive one though it may be your best choice.

Check this one out in Galway, west of Ireland

Renault 4 Van '85.Needs good home, ex post van, good cond, €200, Galway county. Contact: +353 95-44355.
 
You don't neccesarily pay more to insure a LHD vehicle - depends on your insurer. I used to have a Twingo and paid no more to insure that than a similar Clio.
 
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