Saying hello for the first time... and a question

[Tamas Kovacs]

Dear All,

I live in Hungary, and bought an R4 in 2010. Actually I have been stalking this forum since 2012. Running through the topics always helped me over the years. Thank you! I didnt have to ask anything, but... I did a lot of research on the r4s with dashboard mounted handbrake, and mine seems interesting. So, according to its papers it was manufactured in 1982, its a GTL (VIN:VF1128), with the cast iron rear swing arms, LHD of course. My car got disc breaks on the front, but here comes the thing I couldnt find any info about. So I have no handbrake between the two front seats, the pull type handle is mounted under the dashbord, but to the right side of the steering wheel, and it operates on the rear drum brakes. It all seems original, the hole on the bulkhead, the mechanism, it even has a tiny switch and when I pull the handle the brake warning indicator lights up on the panel. There is a very short discussion on this forum about a similar car, but it wasn't convincing so I want to ask you directly, what car am I driving?
Thank you!
Tamas

 

[jcarruthers2]

Hi Tamas

I have come across this brake set up on a Spanish manufactured (Fasa) Renault 4.

Best Regards

 

[malcolm]

It"s a crossover car with the disc brakes but early dash and handbrake. Quite rare now. The French built them for a short time aroud 1981. Spanish built cars used the handbrake arrangement at least to 1984. I'm not sure of the exact dates.

 

[Tamas Kovacs]

thank you for the fast answers!
this is the thread i was referring to : https://www.renault4.co.uk/forum/threads/chassis-parts-id-two-queries.3352/#post-18042

"It's interesting to note that the system in Spain is slightly different to the system in France. The French system uses a single cable from the
handbrake lever, and then two further cables running from the lever system to either brake drum. My Spanish F6, however has the single cable
pulling on a pulley, with a single cable running between both drums."

Mine matches the French type, so in my opinion the explanation must be the following. The engineers had to use what they found in the warehouse.
During the early 80's, even among cheap and small cars like the r4 , due to competitve reasons, putting disk breaks on the front axle was a must so
they had to come up with an idea to maintain production during the times the floor mounted levers still havent arrivied. Although
the Spanish version for sorting out the described problem seems simplier.
Good night!
Tamas

 

[angel]

Spanish built cars have single circuit master cylinders and manually adjusted rear drum brakes. Yours should be as Malcolm said: a French built crossover car, but I guess it has the late dashboard. One of the first batch of 1983 model year cars, maybe July to October 1982.

 

[ecurb.renots]

My 1982 French built GTL is exactly the same as Tamas describes with new R5 type dashboard and bulkhead mounted handbrake, with discs up front. Not sure about the handbrake cables though as although my memory says a single cable splitting into two underneath i cannot be certain and the car is not handy to take a look.