matthewsons

[Nick Lettington]

Just a fraction over 2 pages before the Deux Chevaux took took over... awful shame.

My made Dave had a Renault 4. From what I remember (from 30+ years ago) the body developed a crack in front of the  rear wheel where the rear suspension attached? Other than starting to split in half, it was... well... very much a French car.

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On that note, do you think the one in the photo has an inkling that it is towing its replacement?

[Duncan Grimmond]

Sorry about this but I had too, a big boy made me do it and ran away

[Nick Lettington]

Doubting myself, I had to ask Google if the Renault chassis cracking thing was a regular problem, or if the grey matter was a little tired.

Apparently it is a thing

https://f1lead.com/2020/08/01/renault-cr...o-chassis/

[Duncan Grimmond]

My 4Ls always went there. A stress point of the torsion bar suspension combined with salt on our roads in the winter. It doesn't seem to happen to the native beast I gather from French friends.

[Reckless Rat]

Depends where it lives. Been out for a run in my Shed and a half today just to give it an airing. The trailer is a bit down at heel because there are three bags of cement in it, and I didn't push them to the front.

[Mike Costigan]

We had a Shed and a Half, just like that; ours was a petrol version on 3-stud wheels, so much nearer the Seven concept! Unfortunately I don't have a photo of the Half.


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[Stuart Giles]

My 4Ls always went there. A stress point of the torsion bar suspension combined with salt on our roads in the winter. It doesn't seem to happen to the native beast I gather from French friends.

Yes, I've had the pleasant job of welding up a Renault 4 chassis where the rear torsion bar mounting parted company while the owner was doing a three point turn; apparently it's a well known fault, although I and the car's owner hadn't heard of it at the time. Sorry to be a dissenting voice (again), but I've always thought that the best thing about these cars were the conrods, I have a set of these, and the pistons in one of my A7 motors. These came from one of the 6 port "Billancourt" Renault motors, not the bigger 8 port motor used in the later TL models.

[Tony Griffiths]

More digression: a close-by Austin 7 owner once had a Renault 16 with the softest, most luxurious suspension imaginable. The reason became clear when, after an 800 mile run back from Germany, he looked underneath and discovered that, yes, it was broken in half. Straight to the scrap yard.

[Malcolm Parker]

When I was a trainee Surveyor in Otley back in the mid 1970's the lads in the drawing office, of which I was one, used to have our own 'special stage' which ran from the railway bridge at the end of the old station yard, up West Chevin to a junction at the top above Menston.
We had access to a large pool of cars, from a Mini Clubman Estate, various Fords (Escort Sport, Cortina GT, Consul Estate), Hillman Avenger (good car!), Triumph Toledo, 1500TC, to Jag XJ6 and even one of the first Range Rovers (V8, lethal!).  When we were out on a job we used to time each other over the special stage.  The other lads favoured the boy racer cars like the Ford Escort or Cortina GT.  Suffice to say I held the record in guess what, a Renault 16TS which belonged to the wife of one of the partners. It was the sporty version and had a column change 5 speed box.  The most comfortable car imaginable, like sitting in an armchair and the supple suspension soaked up the bumps and camber changes that left the Fords etc bouncing about like bucking broncos.  I also had it at 115mph on the Stanningly bypass which was quite fast in those days.
We had a longer special stage from Otley to Pateley Bridge, about 15 miles over country roads.  I used to love taking the Hillman Avenger which was a basic 1300 model, it ran out of breath at about 80mph but the handling was so forgiving I could average almost 60mph. I was a bit of a tearaway in those days.  I only got told off once by the police when a motorcycle patrol officer was following me as I drifted the Triumph 1500TC round the long bend below Harewood Castle.  He drew alongside at the top and bellowed at me to slow down!
I have slowed down a great deal since.

[robert regan]

if you cant beat them join them, my one and only close encounter with a Renault 2cv was on the George Simpson Rally in Scotland in 1978 , along with my young wife Jenny and our two boys Robbie was nine and Shaine was Seven , we strapped a tent and two cases to the spare wheel of our 1934 opal two seater and of we went. A week was spent meandering through Wales and England taking in the lake district then the big climb north from there and on to Scotland for the Rally. at this point I had better say that our boys were quite small for their age and the way we travelled was with both seats as far forward as possible and they could drop off to sleep in the space in the back with a couple of blankets any way I digress from the 2cv story . We were on a campsite and there was a lot of interest in our car and in the next tent to us were two lads over from France in a brand new Citroen 2cv and when we were on the campsite it rained every day and things were getting very damp ,and one morning the 2cv would not start so we promptly tied a rope to the2cv and there we were in the rain the old towing the new around the campsite and we got it started , we did go on and won a cup for the best in every day transport section its the only one we ever had and its still here with us now I think I might go and give it a quick polish going out in the cabriolet latter so best all and keep going for as long as you can Rob and jenny both still kicking.

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Just realised I did not explain what the George Simpson rally was all about it was the fiftieth anniversary Rally for when they took a 1928 chummy to the top of Ben Nevis , If anyone involved in the archive is interested we still have a booklet signed by George Simpson at the event we would gladly donate please let me know , and by the way there is photo of George in the gallery section and he is sitting in the chummy they took to the top of Ben Nevis it had been fitted with a special set of gears for the attempt although it was so rough up there they carried it over the big stuff with a small team of men thanks again Rob.