Advice please

[robmajorca]

Hello people!
As some of you may be aware ( from the introduction section) i am on the lookout for a Ren 4.
Basically, apart from rot, which wont be a huge issue here, is there anything blindingly obvious i should be looking out for before handing over my money?
I am mechanically savvy, though i havent worked on cars for some time now, and im not, i hope, too daft to spot a dog.
Are there any specific pointers which could help me buy something that isnt going to end up causing me big problems? I intend to buy cheap so im not expecting anything other than a reasonably tidy, sound car which will start, go and stop without too much fuss.
Regards
Rob

 

[malcolm]

Having a rust free chassis is almost the whole battle with R4s. The only other annoying thing would be cooling problems, but you should be able to check if it chucks all it's water out on a 20 minute test drive.

Parts are generally cheap, but do add up. A car with a newish battery, tyres, exhaust, brakes, suspension joints, driveshaft boots, and radiator would save you spending the £400 or so it might cost to buy all these things.

Mileage might be a consideration. I'd personally avoid cars over 100,000 miles just because the trim will be worn and odd bits and pieces that don't normally fail (steering racks etc) can give up the ghost. The engines can easily cope with that mileage so long as they have been looked after.

Generally speaking it good to buy the best, as a mediocre car would cost way more to get into good condition than the good car would cost.

Probably nothing you didn't already know. Renault 4s seem to keep going for ever until they fall in half due to rust.

 

[angel]

Of course you should check chassis rust.I don't either think that it will have more than a rusty front floor section, at least this is the case in Mediterranean climates. Clementine was right, you should check that everything is OK with the cooling system.Also chances are that the car will have been driven on bumpy roads, this affects the front suspension ball joints, wheel bearings,lower wishbone bushes and tie-rod bushes. All of them are easy to replace except lower wishbone bushes,they require torsion bar removal. Rear suspension is very reliable, the bushes wear only on high mileage/old cars and can withstand abuse, but are hard to replace. If the car has been left standing for some time, brakes will need overhauling (seized cylinders) and it makes a great difference afterwards. Electrics are very simple and reliable.Rubber seals around doors and winscreen tend to perish soon on hot climates, they are cheap to replace. One minor point of attention:On instrument cpanels of 1967-77 manufacture the speedometer needle warps if the car is left standing on the hot sun for prolonged time, causing it to drag over the chrome lines,and the speedo stops working. This is definitely not a reason not to buy a good R4,I just mentioned it as it is the case on 95% of the R4s here in Greece and may be the same in your country,too.

 

[robmajorca]

Thanks for the information. The cooling situation wasnt something that i would have imediately expected to be a problem, the suspension was though as some of the roads here are appaling!!! Im also painfully aware that the standard of driving over here is disgracefully bad so i expect to see some tired cars. As yet i havent seen any with the rust problems associated with UK cars and as a cars lifespan on this island can be horrificaly low im very hopeful that those 4s that are left ploughing a daily furrow will have lead, i hope, a sympathetic life.......
Thanks Clementine and Angel!
Rob

 

[malcolm]

The cooling system isn't really a Renault 4 problem, it's just a nasty thing to put right. What is a problem (on the GTL) is the sides of the radiator are made from plastic. This cracks with age where the aluminium matrix clamps over, and all the water falls out. It's a slow process, and you should be able to see the cracks before it's too late (so long as you know to look). Even if you don't notice the cracks you'll notice the slow water loss, which only becomes big water loss when you lend your R4 van to a mate to pick his motorbike up from London.

I had a head gasket failure after this happened. You have to be really careful with those wet liners, and despite following the instructions in the book I must have dislodged a seal. Maybe the head had warped. I had all sorts of hastle and ended up selling the van for use as a wheelbarrow.

I've paid special attention to radiators since then.

 

[robmajorca]

Thanks for the pic, the advice ive recieved has been more than helpful. I knew that i was making the right choice in going for a 4 after i found this site.
Many many thanks for taking the time and trouble to reply, i feel a whole lot more confident in buying now!
Rob
PS: Just moved house today and whats around the corner parked up looking folorn? Yep a green 4. It looks quite tidy and i shall check it out in the next few days to see what the current or last ITV ( MOT ) sticker is on the windscreen. I can see me putting a little note under the wiper blade........must brush up on my Spanish/Mallorcan

 

[angel]

Clementine, on hot climates the standard 845cc small radiator and engine-driven fan seem inadequate. Perhaps not on a car with a really clean cooling system,but with most such R4s having passed the 250.000 km mark, all suffer from poor cooling. Especially when driving uphill for prolonged time, or when stuck in traffic. The large GTL radiator really does the trick, especially because it is mounted directly on the air flow. On earlier models, even changing the 4 blade sheet metal fan for a plastic 6-blade helped a lot. Many people removed the thermostat, no improvement at all, of course...On my '75 R1123 I have also tried mixing Water Wetter in the coolant,I think it worked for some time,or was it a "mid game"...?

 

[robmajorca]

Thanks for that Angel. I would guess that Mallorca has a vey similar climate to Greece so, of course, your experience in running a 4 is going to be a great help to me.
All the 4s that i have seen here have been later models, normally post 1980, so its unlikely that i will find a smaller engined model, but, of course, if there are any other pointers that i need to think about i will be grateful for the advice!
Thanks
Rob