Renault 6TL "Crapaud"

[vulgalour]

It does! Luxury.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

It's looking gr9! But imagine what it's gonna look like with this Mutha hanging off its arse end!

 

[martc]

Agreed, they look like genuine Renault parts.

 

If they fall off,

 EFA

[DodgeRover]

Whereabouts is SOC's testing station?

[vulgalour]

Actually yes... I even Fav'd his post earlier about that.  He's pretty local to me as it happens.  Why didn't that click in my head?

[scaryoldcortina]

I didn't mention it because you said you wanted it to be less than 10 miles and I'm more like 30 odd from you.

 

It's an easy enough run though, take the A177 out of stockton, follow it to durham then A691 brings you to me.

[vulgalour]

I trust you because I know where you live :B  You up for MoTing this wee beastie next year?

 

EDIT:  I said no more than 20 miles or so each way.  Finding somewhere reasonable within ten miles of me is a fairly tall order, even from me.

[scaryoldcortina]

Yeah, MoT not a problem.

 

Distance was a guess. It's not like I'm going to go back through the thread to fact check something I read a week ago..

 

[vulgalour]

Right well, that's that sorted then.  I'll hit you up for more details when everything else is sorted out on it hopefully in January sometime.  Might get you to do the Princess too since nowhere seems to like tackling that one either because it's got "that funny suspension".

[loserone]

EDIT:  I said no more than 20 miles or so each way.  Finding somewhere reasonable within ten miles of me is a fairly tall order, even from me.

 

For something a little more modern, I'd have suggested A&K on Mary Street for convenience.  Not sure how they'd be with something like this though, I'd imagine Andy would be more suitable even given a 37 mile drive.

[oldcars]

That guttering looks like the stuff i should have on my Reliant. Where did you get it, the Reliant stuff is a fortune and i really should get some.

[vulgalour]

I'm pretty sure it's just a universal thing rather than Reliant specific, there must be a supplier for it out there other than the guy I found selling some on eBay.  It's just generic J trim in plastic with super sticky tape on the back, I'm guessing caravan people stock it too.  I found it by searching 'reliant stick on gutter' through eBay when Amazon was proving far too expensive.

[oldcars]

Cheers, just noticed an earlier post with the MK3 robin. Must be the same stuff, i would need about £40 worth. Should really get some, i keep putting it off as there always seems to be something else needing the £40 

[Eddie Honda]

Thing is the stuff I saw on Car Builder Solutions looked too rigid. At least with the Reliant stuff it can be bent enough to do the turn at the windscreen corner.

 

The Italian caravan stuff was only in white or grey.

[vulgalour]

This stuff is sort of flexible plastic, it doesn't seem to do that thing where plastic stretches and then won't go back to the original shape.  In fact, I found the listing for it: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Reliant-Robin-Rialto-Models-Gutter-Trim-92-Inches-Long-One-Side-Only-/172440139162?hash=item28263bb59a:g:GZ8AAOSwUdlWe~Sc

[plasticvandan]

Reliant were using that stuff from c.1978 onwards,the original Robin was designed with a lip on the roof to act as gutters(supposedly the first car not to have traditional rain gutters*) but ultimately Reliants door sealing abilities meant that it wasnt that effective.in the late 70s early 80s it also had a plastic chrome effect to it as well)

[oldcars]

Reliant were using that stuff from c.1978 onwards,the original Robin was designed with a lip on the roof to act as gutters(supposedly the first car not to have traditional rain gutters*) but ultimately Reliants door sealing abilities meant that it wasnt that effective.in the late 70s early 80s it also had a plastic chrome effect to it as well)

Mine had the chrome plastic on it. Previous owner had brush painted large parts of the Rialto and got it all over. I used some panel wipe to try and get the paint off when the strips were removed to paint the car and it melted all the chrome off. Might see what i can do with them as they are still in the shed.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I reckon 80+% of Reliants get/got brush painted on the driveway by their old beardy bastard owners. My dad's certainly did anyway.

[plasticvandan]

i used plumbers lagging tape on mine to make them chrome again

[oldcars]

Good thinking, like that. I will dig mine out at the weekend and see what i can do.

[Eddie Honda]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261016934133

 

[TonyHadley]

 

GOLD!

 

[/TonyHadley]

[vulgalour]

Mike found that the carb has two issues, in addition to the bent choke stop arm.  The jet that gets the fuel out of the float chamber and into the throttle body was blocked, so that's been cleaned out.  The other issue is an historically broken emulsion tube, which explains why the part that should unscrew wasn't.  Just need to replace the emulsion tube and fit the new gaskets and whatnot now that Mike has cleaned the components up and it should work fine, it looks to be a fairly simple carburettor.

[vulgalour]

Radiator is still proving a problem.  After returning the incorrect one to Autodoc and finding they had the correct one listed, I attempted to buy it.  Unfortunately, just like when I first placed the order that led to the incorrect replacement, I was told they had no stock.  A refund was eventually got and I've been checking numerous online sites.  Real world suppliers are unable to provide the radiator required, often they're unable to even find the car on the system.  I have found one new (to me) supplier that list what appears to be the correct radiator for £93 +postage so I'll be calling them tomorrow to likely be told that they have no stock.  If that happens then I'm going to bite the bullet and get mine repaired as it'll be a comparable cost to trying to bodge a radiator in from a different car and at least I'll know it's sorted.  Cheers Renault.

 

The other problem is the carburetor, a Solex EISA-32.  It has the screw-in rather than push-fit emulsion tube which Mike removed when he dismantled and cleaned the carburettor.  It had been broken previously and the screw thread in the carburetor body as damaged and needs re-tapping (that bit isn't a problem).  However, I cannot find any emulsion tube that matches this one, Solex or otherwise, and neither can Mike.  Without it, I expect the carburetor will not work.  It looks like this:

 

 

 

Can anyone help?

[nigel bickle]

Try the Carburetor Hospital, in Rockford, Essex

 

0845 061 4477 or on't web.

 

Epic levels of knowledge and parts....

[vulgalour]

Right, another little update on the emulsion tube. Having seen the cleaned carb in person today it's clear that the thread for the tube hasn't stripped, it just wasn't ever there. That means this is the earlier type with a push fit emulsion tube that shouldn't be removed, but has before I got the car. It looks like the old air jet has been removed previously - the head of it is quite mangled - and a newer, potentially incorrect one fitted.

 

The bit I need is the air jet, a size 170 apparently, and that is supposedly a generic component shared with Weber and Solex so it should be easier to resolve now. It should be, as far as I can tell, a push-fit type rather than a screw fit type and I have been able to find both of these components in various locations. Should be okay. Links like the one from Mr Bickle above are on my list of places to check too so I can see what I can find.

 

Oh, and a Renault Clio radiator *might* be a close enough size and shape to fit, which makes sense since it's the natural successor of the 6 et al.

 

Now, I'm just waiting on some invoices being paid and I can think about the next stage of spending.

[Braddon81]

Oh, and a Renault Clio radiator *might* be a close enough size and shape to fit.

Take a look at the Fiat Cinquecento radiators if you have to go non factory spec. Their compact in size and more importantly very cheap!

[vulgalour]

aaaand, that's an air jet found and ordered for £4 that should be the correct part. I hope.

[Uncle Jimmy]

Can't you get your rad recored? May not be as much dough as you think, my Saab rad is going to be about £125 and that's three core rather than two.

[vulgalour]

It needs more than a recore, that's the problem, replacement would be the better option.  It's also a plastic and aluminium rad rather than an all metal one so repairs are more expensive rather than less (or so I've been told when asking for prices) as plastic is more difficult to put right.  The folks I've asked about repairing it have all recommended replacement as the more affordable and sensible option and given the quotes I've been getting back I'm inclined to agree!  The difficulty has been finding a reliable parts listing for the correct rad.

 

Jobs to pay for:

Tank clean out - ?  Depends what it needs, but it does need cleaning out and potentially resealing.

Tyre fitting - x5 at about £5 per rim

Radiator - £100+ for new or repair

 

After that, there shouldn't be anything to spend, my list is very short:

- Finish fitting exhaust

- Fit radiator (once sorted)

- Fit carburettor (once sorted)

- Fit choke cable

- Couple of new connectors to fit for the front light wiring, some more old ones broke

- Sort out the comedy passenger seatbelt holder that fires the button off when pressed

 

Then a test run or two to check it's running as it ought and off to an MoT most likely by scaryoldcortina.  I expect it will fail its first MoT, not sure what on, but there's bound to be something.  I'm realistic about these things.  Some of the dash switches are a bit... fussy... about working, for example.

[Uncle Jimmy]

Need a similar sized copper/brass one off the bay, a bit of modding to the brackets should do the trick, they're usually held on with rubber washers to help with vibration/expansion.

Might get lucky and get an MG/Triumph rad where there's been an upgrade.