I've gone completely mad!

[malcolm]

That's the only explanation

I know how much hassle car restoration projects can be and how long they can take. But at the end of last year I picked up a '68 Renault 4 for restoration.

Having decided the car was completely unrestorable due to rust in all the seams I decided to buy a Renault 5 Gorgini engine for it (93hp instead of 34hp). Of course I need some late Renault 4 bits to fit the Gordini engine so I'm planning to pick up an '84 car on Sunday.

So while I've got the trailer I thought why not pick up a second R4 for a friend, and a Renault 5 Gordini just in case I need any of the extra bits.

That's 3 new scrappers over a single weekend. Does this sort of thing happen to anyone else?

 

[Hitch]

Not a chance of me doing it Malc!

I despise rusty cars and refuse to weld them up for people anymore!

 

[wicamron]

hello malcom
i am the same ,i have a passion for triumph spitfires, 2 yrs ago started restoration number 1 , last year bought another one for driving and inspiration, lol. and i have just purchased another , friends think i must be nuts, but heh, i don't care, you are not alone malcom.
regards wicamron

 

[Highway_Star]

Nah it's one of those things.

Currently we have one Range Rover in varying states of dissasembly, a greenhouse full of wheels, body panels and bikes (what the wife calls junk, I call assets and future projects), and a conservatory that's being used for storing one or two small items, such as engines.

Then there's the boilerhouse/workshop/radio shack. There is one key, I have it, thankfully my dearly beloved other half has no interest in going in there.

 

[malcolm]

I'm glad it's not just me. The barn is now full. Seems I have 7 cars at the moment. Not as bad as it sounds as it's part of a cunning plan to cut down. Two will be dismantled, two restored and three sold which should leave me with two.

One of them I picked up from a railway arch in Westminster. I think I managed to annoy quite a lot of other motorists while driving through central London with a trailer.

 

[lexi]

I remember reading your Renault 4 pages a while ago . Cracking wee car! It just looks brill with four or five Baguettes sticking out of it! We`re all mad mate! I started a Locost 7 4 yrs ago and 6months into it I went out and bought a 109 Landy and spent the next 3yrs working on that. The seven is still there cos I got a Big Patrol now and guess what.......it has needed a bit of welding!
Alex

 

[malcolm]

I posted some photos of the cars on the Renault 4 forum - http://www.renault4.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=546 Amazingly the R5 started and ran. It even had oil pressure! Not going to mess around taking that engine apart then...

The Locost sounds like fun. A friend of a friend built one of those to race. Here are some photos from Brands Hatch from last year: http://www.slowcarclub.com/gallery/album03

 

[darren]

Not me, as i dont have the space, but i know a man that has a landrover that was a project, two years later, its still a project, a speed boat, still a project, an MG midget, still a project, a honda 400 bros, that works

 

[nellway]

Car collections

Many people I know who have an old or classic car of any marque tend to have a 'spare' car or two. Even driving around one sees two Landrovers in a driveway, or two Morris Minors.

In my case my spare cars are all in bits in boxes. I started off with enough parts to make two and a half good cars, but have been selling off obviously surplus parts to fund the rebuild of one.

I was just lucky to find someone (ie Malcolm) with the storage and workshop space for my project - definitely NOT a back garage operation.

I still haven't tried out my auto darkening helmet yet - lots of other jobs to do before I need to get the welding torch out.

Nigel

 

[malcolm]

definitely NOT a back garage operation.

That's right - we put Nigel in the garage at the front.

I'm already managing to cut down. I accepted an offer for the MGB V8 today. Whoopee. 6 cars and counting (down).

 

[MrFluffy]

Its got to be done, otherwise nothing gets finished.
I just broke down and admitted to the mrs we have too many vehicles and Ill put my shogun for auction for spares and finish cutting up an espace thats inhabited the garden for a year now. Thatll just leave us with her mondy estate, my rangey, the vw camper, a renault master, the kit car and a citroen H van. Bikes dont count as they dont take up much storage space.. She asked me if I was feeling ok and if I wanted to go the doctors. Especially when I told her Id offered the kawa turbo to someone along with another bike in pieces...
What she doesnt know yet is Ive just bought a huge 3 phase milling machine, and have to pay for it out my workshop budget

 

[migmag]

Woh you have a budget??

I just sold a 91 saab 2.3 turbo and told the missus thats it I'm gona take up gardening,
She said but we aint got a garden..........

So I bought a 82 mercedes 380 sec and started taking it to bits.
As well as a 91 carlton estate on air(whitch died a viscous death) a corsa an escort estate and a KTM duke.
I fancy a quad on the road but still fuguring out how to justify it...........

Its all good stuff and keeps us busy.
The misus says as long as your messin with cars your not messin with other woman so thats that........

 

[malcolm]

Damn, I'm up to 7 again. Couldn't resist an early Renault 4 on eBay. I did toss a coin first to decide whether I should buy it or not. Unfortunately it came up tails......

Still, it was cheap and at worst will save me more than the purchase price in parts.

 

[migmag]

I just got me self a set of R1 carbs for 20 quid!!!!

Good job I was the only bidder.
Now I need another four and I can put my merc on carbs and get shot of that crappy motronic injection.

 

[Gabriel]

Congratulations for these cars you've saved, Malcolm!
Are you sure you will use the Renault 5 Gordini for spare parts, and especially the motor?
The 5 Gordini has never been sold over here, and the equivalent I think was the Renault 5 Alpine. The last Renault sold under the name " Gordini " was the Renault 17, not actually a true Amedee Gordini car...

But anyway, this 5G must be a rare car, no??

Have you seen any Renault 12 or Dacia Denem during your trip ?


Cheers!
Gabriel.

 

[malcolm]

It's sad, but I'd need a new bodyshell to save the R5 Gordini. I've never seen a car with so much rust. It is rare in the UK. The ordinary Mk1 Renault 5 is rare too.

The R5 Gordini is exactly the same as the R5 Alpine sold in France. They couldn't call them Alpine in the UK as Sunbeam owned the name.

I've only seen one Renault 12 in the UK in the last 5 years. It belonged to an enthusiast. All old Renaults are rare in the UK. They have no value here, so people throw them away when they need work.

 

[Fiji]

Current stocklist -
Honda VF1000, bought couple of years ago. Usual list of half baked bodges and cack handed owners. Worked round most of stuff while riding. Bodged up water pump gasket let go so is now sitting in boxes in shed undergoing full rebuild. Just got frame back from powder coaters last week. Going to pop top off motor and give it a check over as it's such a pain in the a#se to take out, don't want to do again.

Yamaha DT100 trailey, part way through full restoration. Building this as wifes first bike.

The planets crappiest Suzuki TF100. Should really be buried BUT it was cheap. This is getting rebuilt (eventually)
to use for a bit of trail riding.

Suzuki FR80 step thru. Bought this for engine to build a go kart for daughter but not really anywhere to ride round here so may look round and see if I can find a little quad that needs a motor.

Frame off Suzi GS750 and Thundercat motor. These MAY fit together. Needs a bit of frame surgery to get carbs and airbox to fit.

 

[Paul.]

 

[brightspark]

the oldies are the best

 

[Neilios]

Yes but did the Renault’s ever get finished? I love a project or 10 it’s a bit problem, 110, E30, 86 S1 and more bikes that I can shake a stick at!!!