Six Cylinders Motoring Notes

[Zelandeth]

Is that the same rear window glass as they used on the 25?

[EyesWeldedShut]

7 minutes ago, Zelandeth said:

Is that the same rear window glass as they used on the 25?

Used to be a lot of claims that it was the same glass as a 924 - no idea if that's bollocks though

[NorfolkNWeigh]

1 hour ago, dozeydustman said:

The only thing I recall about the Fuego is some automatic car washes having signs saying “No Renault Fuegos”.

I imagine the rear window was quite vulnerable to breaking when the top brush moved along the car.

Yes, my stupid Father-in-law broke two on his. One in a car wash . The second time was when a Calor Gas bottle in the boot rolled back. To be honest, it must have been a tough car to last the almost 10 years he had his, a fairly basic silver 1600, from memory. 

[grogee]

I thought they were cool but have since learned they were a bit 'soft' and body could go out of alignment if badly jacked or pranged etc. As well as usual rust issues but that applies to just about everything from back then. 

I think what annoyed me a bit is discovering the majority of them were cooking 1.6s and were challenged by towing congealed dessert layers. 

Hats off though, a cool and unique design that still looks fresh today. 

Side note: "Fuego Turbo" was our slang for asking each other for a match/light back in our smoking days. 

[Talbot]

1 hour ago, Dobloseven said:

Didn't they share a lot of parts with the 18?

They were to a R18 what a Calibra is to a Cavalier.

Side-note.. Fuego was the first car ever to have remote central locking.  I think they look superb, but unfortunately don't have the interior/performance/handling/power/anything else to back it up.

[ETCHY]

1 hour ago, Dick Longbridge said:

I always thought they looked like the French effort at designing a 924. 

Edit: Looks like I'm not the only one.

Oh wow I'd never even thought of that, but yeah they are !

[catsinthewelder]

I've always liked them but would rather have a 15 or 17.

[wuvvum]

2 hours ago, Talbot said:

I think they look superb, but unfortunately don't have the interior/performance/handling/power/anything else to back it up.

Turbos don't hang about for an early '80s car.  Turbo diesels are nippy too, although we never got those here.

[Asimo]

Fuego should have had the V6 / auto from the Renault 30.

[EyesWeldedShut]

16 minutes ago, Asimo said:

Fuego should have had the V6 / auto from the Renault 30.

Bit of a squeeze but ooooh

[wuvvum]

5 hours ago, Asimo said:

Fuego should have had the V6 / auto from the Renault 30.

No 1980s Renault should ever have been fitted with an automatic gearbox.

[Snake Charmer]

Always liked the styling but never felt the need to own one but did have two written off ones in my life.

First one (not sure of the model) was a girlfriends fathers car, he was on the way home from a gig early hours of 31st January 1983 when he met a drunk driver on his side of the road. He swerved right and the other car (l think a Victor) hit him pushing the engine and gearbox into the bulkhead and drivers footwell breaking the dashboard in half. He was not wearing a seatbelt and ended up in the passenger footwell and seat, the police told him he would probably be dead if he had been wearing one. Ironically, the seat belt law was due to come in to force at midnight that day, the officer joked he would have been fined for surviving! I saw the car and it was a frightening mess drivers side. 

The other was a GTS around1989, another girlfriends fathers car (!!) passed to his son that was hit whilst parked well and truly off the road by a vehicle from another accident. I may have owned it briefly or just beaten the damage out as my lodger had it, a car he thoroughly enjoyed.

[hairnet]

Got reminders of stony stratford today

Was it on today @Six-cylinder

 

[Six-cylinder]

16 minutes ago, hairnet said:

Got reminders of stony stratford today

Was it on today @Six-cylinder

 

Yes, I went and got there at 9:40am but there was no parking left in the town and walking in was not going to work so I gave up.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

20 minutes ago, hairnet said:

Got reminders of stony stratford today

Was it on today @Six-cylinder

 

Bollocks !  Forgot all about that !
On my way now, will look out for 6Cs, almost certain I’ll see The Silver’s Maxi in Budgens carpark . It has been for the last few years.

Edit:  Should have read @Six-cylinder’sreply first😊

[Mrs6C]

1 minute ago, NorfolkNWeigh said:

On my way now, will look out for 6Cs

Too late! He gave up and came home and is now cooking bacon rolls for breakfast...

[Slowsilver]

18 minutes ago, NorfolkNWeigh said:

Bollocks !  Forgot all about that !
On my way now, will look out for 6Cs, almost certain I’ll see The Silver’s Maxi in Budgens carpark . It has been for the last few years.

Edit:  Should have read @Six-cylinder’sreply first😊

Sorry, no Maxi this year. I feel that this event has now got too big for its own good. Despite the advertised start time being 9:30 we arrived at 9:00 last year and just managed to squeeze into the last parking space. By lunchtime every space on the roads (and pavements) around the centre were filled and there were so many people walking around that it was a fight to navigate the pavements and very difficult to get to see the cars. It's a shame because it is a very good show and free to enter unlike lots of shows nowadays, but I now find it is not worth the effort.
On the subject of charging classic cars entry to shows, why had this suddenly become the done thing. Up until a few years ago entry was free. I have no problem with visitors in modern cars being charged, but surely the classic cars ARE the show. If none turned up there would be no show, and the owners do not charge the organisers to attend. Surely this is the equivalent of each footballer being charged to play in a match, or members of a band being expected to pay to perform. I appreciate that these events cost money to stage but this should be recoverable from the paying spectators. I understand that entry to this year's FotU will be £40 per car for both classics and public, which I think is excessive and gives the classic car owners no incentive to attend.
 

[hairnet]

52 minutes ago, Mrs6C said:

 now cooking bacon rolls for breakfast...

of course that was gonna happen

 

[adw1977]

Anyone who thought the 1.6 Fuego was too much to handle could order the 1.4 with a whopping 64bhp.

[wuvvum]

Be interesting to see a drag race between a 1.4 Fuego and a 1.3 Capri.

[hairnet]

18 hours ago, catsinthewelder said:

I've always liked them but would rather have a 15 or 17.

surprise the odd looking man (kidding) would prefer the odd option

17 ftw tho

[hairnet]

1 hour ago, wuvvum said:

Be interesting to see a drag race between a 1.4 Fuego and a 1.3 Capri.

crapi would rust away first or the renault would have a fit of electrics

[Six-cylinder]

19 hours ago, catsinthewelder said:

I've always liked them but would rather have a 15 or 17.

I changed the front shocks on this 15TS once.

[Six-cylinder]

1983 Renault 4 GTL

In 2005 Mrs6C and I were driving though Aylesbury to see friends in Surrey and I told Mrs6C the Aylesbury ring road was a danger spot because there were often cars for sale! As we left Aylesbury I announced danger over, 4 miles later there it was, a white 1983 (A) Renault 4 GTL on a wide verge with a for sale sign. We turned round and returned to investigate, nice car, fair price and the seller was a friend of a friend. We had to call our dinner invite to say we were going to be half an hour late as we had bought a Renault 4!

[NorfolkNWeigh]

4 hours ago, Slowsilver said:

Sorry, no Maxi this year. I feel that this event has now got too big for its own good. Despite the advertised start time being 9:30 we arrived at 9:00 last year and just managed to squeeze into the last parking space. By lunchtime every space on the roads (and pavements) around the centre were filled and there were so many people walking around that it was a fight to navigate the pavements and very difficult to get to see the cars. It's a shame because it is a very good show and free to enter unlike lots of shows nowadays, but I now find it is not worth the effort.
On the subject of charging classic cars entry to shows, why had this suddenly become the done thing. Up until a few years ago entry was free. I have no problem with visitors in modern cars being charged, but surely the classic cars ARE the show. If none turned up there would be no show, and the owners do not charge the organisers to attend. Surely this is the equivalent of each footballer being charged to play in a match, or members of a band being expected to pay to perform. I appreciate that these events cost money to stage but this should be recoverable from the paying spectators. I understand that entry to this year's FotU will be £40 per car for both classics and public, which I think is excessive and gives the classic car owners no incentive to attend.
 

It was far busier than I ever remember, that could have been the nice weather though. Your Maxi was missed, especially as apart from the obligatory Minilited Minis and a couple of Stags and the usual P6es, it would have been the only real BL thing there. 
Me mentioning this to the Management Committee prompted the response “ If you like crappy old BL stuff so much , why don’t you buy one !” This has made me think seriously about a Marina, Princess or yes even a Maxi. Which is odd as before I went German about25 years ago, I thought of myself as a Ford Man. I’ve been looking at old heaps for my 60th and anything with a Ford badge and RWD is more expensive than a Bentley. 

Sorry only took one picture, but there was nothing new, anyway.

[brownnova]

2 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

1983 Renault 4 GTL

In 2005 Mrs6C and I were driving though Aylesbury to see friends in Surrey and I told Mrs6C the Aylesbury ring road was a danger spot because there were often cars for sale! As we left Aylesbury I announced danger over, 4 miles later there it was, a white 1983 (A) Renault 4 GTL on a wide verge with a for sale sign. We turned round and returned to investigate, nice car, fair price and the seller was a friend of a friend. We had to call our dinner invite to say we were going to be half an hour late as we had bought a Renault 4!

Warwickshire car from the reg plate I think… hasn’t even travelled far! 

Absolutely lovely. Oh to have the space and funds to buy random classic Renaults on a whim off the side of the road! 

[hairnet]

2 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

 

 

 

 

 

[hairnet]

2 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

1983 Renault 4 GTL

In 2005 Mrs6C and I were driving though Aylesbury to see friends in Surrey and I told Mrs6C the Aylesbury ring road was a danger spot because there were often cars for sale! As we left Aylesbury I announced danger over, 4 miles later there it was, a white 1983 (A) Renault 4 GTL on a wide verge with a for sale sign. We turned round and returned to investigate, nice car, fair price and the seller was a friend of a friend. We had to call our dinner invite to say we were going to be half an hour late as we had bought a Renault 4!

 

............................................................?

[Zelandeth]

It was silly busy this year.  I spent a lot of the time just hovering on the grass area behind where I was parked and having the odd chat with folks who seemed genuinely interested in the car.  Trying to even walk around was a nightmare, never mind trying to get any photos.

That Renault looks like it was a lovely example.  That must surely be quite near to the end of their run being on an A plate I'd have thought?

[Six-cylinder]

1 hour ago, Zelandeth said:

It was silly busy this year.  I spent a lot of the time just hovering on the grass area behind where I was parked and having the odd chat with folks who seemed genuinely interested in the car.  Trying to even walk around was a nightmare, never mind trying to get any photos.

That Renault looks like it was a lovely example.  That must surely be quite near to the end of their run being on an A plate I'd have thought?

Renault 4 GTL went on to 1986 in the UK. I think we borrowed a D reg one once.

Update. I have spoken to my freind who owned it and it was C reg.

Update No.2 - Steve can't find a photo of the C reg but he did have a 1989 (F) that was an import. He can't remember if it was French or Spanish.