4L International. A Renault 4. 1500 miles. Roadtrip!

[Mr Lobster]

To most people the idea of driving a 30 year old van 1500 miles to go to a car show seems ridiculous. Fortunately we are not most people are we.

 

Ever since 2011, when I had a flying visit to 4L International on my own I've wanted to go back. So this year, children were billeted with their grandparents for five nights whilst Mrs_Lobster and I went for a mini adventure.

 

If you are going to do a big roadtrip in an old van then you need to do a thorough check of said vehicle before you go. And I was going to, I really was but you know how it is, you just forget and anyway everything seemed to be ok so after a quick service and four new tyres we set off.  We got as far as Tesco in Burnley before the first issue (I should point out that this is about four miles) developed. 

 

Something was catching on something that rotated. So whilst Mrs_L went to buy sandwiches and provisions for the journey, I got my hands dirty. After a bit of scratching of my bald head I found that one of the handbrake cables was slightly out of position meaning it was catching on one of the balance weights on the o/s/r wheel. Expert use of cable ties rectified this issue and we left the sunshine of Burnley long behind and headed for the M6.

 

I'd like to be able to recount tales of excitement on Englands mother road but sadly I can't. M42 followed M6 then M40, A34, M3 and finally we arrived here...

 

 

Given that it was only Thursday we had an afternoon of being tourists in Portsmouth including a trip up the Spinaker Tower (this isn't a euphemism for anything in case you are wondering) which was pretty good and has some decent views from the top including of this rather nice pub.

 

The rest of the day passed wandering around before heading to possibly the worst TGI Fridays in the UK before an early start and the ferry to France.

 

 

Despite arriving in Cherbourg an hour late the sun was shining and anyway theres something pretty good about driving an old French van in France and despite having a lot of distance to cover it was a pretty nice if uneventful afternoon before we finally arrived in Thenay, met up with a few friends, settled into our B&B and then headed out for FOOD.

 

 

And there ended the first day (tbh I was too tired to take much in the way of pictures so this first bit is a bit light on pics. We'll be sorting that for Day 2)

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Looks fun so far. I wonder if the F4 will be as happy about leaving France as it was about entering?!

Random question - do you ever use the ladder rack/flap thing above the back door? A friends mum had a T plate F4 in the late eighties, and as kids we used to stand up in the back (with our heads sticking out of the flap) setting off whoopee cushions and pulling faces. May be an idea on the way back, if things get too samey.

[Mr Lobster]

So why are we in the middle of France? Because 4L International.

 

And whilst 4L International is primarily a show for Renault 4s, theres also loads of other old Renaults there too.  So on Saturday morning we hurriedly wolfed down an excellent breakfast and hopped in the van for the half km drive to the show itself.

 

And then got the camera out...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mr Lobster]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Right. More L8R. I've got loads of 'useful' things to do today..

[Cavcraft]

Those early 5s are something of a looker. Look forward to the updates. 

[Honey Badger]

The Renner 4 vans are a great looking car, not as pretty as the yellow coupe though, which model is it?

 

Good thread btw looking forward to the rest of it.

[chaseracer]

Beaucoup de Quatrelles...  

 

J'ai eu une petite crise dans mes pantalons.  Je m'excuse........

[RobT]

A proper thread, cheers. The green 5 is making me go all wobbly.

[Mr Lobster]

@wafers - Giraffe flap does get occasional use. Had a pair of 4m flagpoles in it the other week.

 

@Honey Badger - Yellow coupe is a 15 GTL.

 

Anyway, its still Saturday and it was 'cracking the flags' hot so we wandered around in the sunshine taking pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[HMC]

Great write up! I Love the 70s renault sport liveried 4- would of fitted right in at the Le Mans support vehicle paddock circa 1976.

[Mr Lobster]

For a bit of a break from car spotting, it was time to hit the trade area. Beer, big French sandwich and find some stuff to exchange for a fistful of €€€€€s

 

 

 

 

This was massively tempting. Can't remember how much it was but I spent a good while trying to justify its purchase to myself. In the end I couldn't so someone else was lucky enough to take a r/c Rancho, trailer and boat combo home with them.

 

 

These were also hugely tempting. Mega money - something like 1600€ I think but they were really, really nice. If he had a blue F6 van then I may have ended up making myself very poor and possibly entering a period of prolonged celibacy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Cheggers]

 

The Spice Island Inn...my local

[danthecapriman]

The Spice Island Inn...my local

The other pub with the red Fullers sign is 'The Still and West' which was (along with a lot on the sea front here) almost wiped out by the WW2 battleship HMS Vangaurd. It was being towed out of Portsmouth dockyard for scrap but broke free and ran aground, it turned and the ship was so big it blocked the dockyard entrance. One end was overhanging this part of Portsmouth and the other was close to Gosport on the other side of the inlet!

There's a pic of it here.

http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/webimage/1.6091903.1401477385!/image/2840604871.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_620/2840604871.jpg

The Still and West has an old picture inside of the ship overhanging the pub.

 

Sorry for the thread hijack!

Great road trip btw! Some great cars there. I like the yellow 15.

[Felly Magic]

You could have bought that RC Rancho then done an Autoshite Roffle Raffle for it

[hairnet]

1600??!?!?! was that for all of them

 

oxide red 4 and the kroenenbourg van please

[outlaw118]

To paraphrase Dudley Moore on "Ad Nauseum".....I appear to have wanked myself to death.

 

RENO 4s R WINNARZ.

[chaseracer]

Il like the blue 2CV4L...

 

 

[NorfolkNWeigh]

The Spice Island Inn...my local

About 5 years ago I was having lunch in that pub ,when about 30 women climbed on those stone things and all got naked for a photo shoot, I didn't know where to look- well, I did obviously,but didn't want to look like a perv.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

,.

It only seems like yesterday that these were the weapon of choice for Les Flics, is it my dodgy memory or were they still using them well into the 90's- even on the Autoroutes

[stormee]

That R14TL is sexy!

[Mr Lobster]

,.image.jpg

It only seems like yesterday that these were the weapon of choice for Les Flics, is it my dodgy memory or were they still using them well into the 90's- even on the Autoroutes

 

They probably were - R4 production finished in '92 so the Gendarmes would probably be running around in them until late 1990's at a guess. Can't imagine an r4 to make a great autoroute patrol car mind.

 

But anyway, I digress. Back to Saturday.

 

Mildly pineappled R4

 

 

Swamp find. Actually started and drove about too. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mr Lobster]

For Saturday evening there was a selection of singists singing some songs. Sadly it rained so we headed back before them although in fairness we could stilln here the French band singing assorted Clash tracks at half a km away pretty clearly anyway so all wasn't lost. 

 

But before that - food (again).  The food here really impressed me - not because of the quality (although it was great) but because of the very organisedness and Frenchness of it all.

 

Y'see at shows over here you get a selection of food stands all selling massively expensive burgers, 'authentic' cuisine or whatever. The portions are generally too small and you feel a bit hard done too. And thats really what I expected here so the reality was a pretty nice surprise.

 

You went to the organisers stand and bought a ticket for €4. Then you wandered to the one, big food stand and told them which of the three things you wanted, they then filled a box with it, gave you some bread and you walked away happy. Good stuff.  Then, whilst we were sat down enjoying a massive portion of chickeny casserole and couscous the organisers came round with a couple of bottles of red and topped up everybodies drinks. Awesomes!

 

At the same time as all this was going on, there were various presentations of various awards presented by the delightful 'Miss You' (possibly not her real name). With all that out of the way, it was time for bed.

 

 

 

[strangeangel]

I have to say this does look like the best car show ever.

[trigger]

I do have a soft spot for the R4, my uncle Eric had two gold ones when i was a kid, one of them spent a long while in our front garden as a breaker for the other before the scrap man took it away, I would sit in it and play brum brums. I think it was after that he *upgraded to a Morris Ital.

 

Anyway digressing that looks like a excellent show, I'd love to do a little adventure like that in one of my cars. Great thread BTW!

[wuvvum]

Loving the shorty Estafette - almost completely useless and probably horrific to drive, but brilliant nonetheless.

[Eddie Honda]

That R14TL is sexy!

Let's have another look at that prime shite again: 

Sexy? Non. Fruit shaped? Oui. Forget all the R4s and 5s, the 14 is the WINNAH!

[Junkman]

...not because of the quality (although it was great) but because of the very organisedness and Frenchness of it all.

I had the same experience in practically every aspect of French life on my last holiday there.

No matter where you go or what you do, it's organised, the quality is good and the prices OK.

Pissed me off no end, since there was nothing to complain or moan about.

[sporty-shite]

I'm getting the right horn for Estafettes just lately. Damn my poorness. With my luck, by the time I can afford one, they'll all be hipster croissant vans.

[Junkman]

You might be lucky if you hurry. Next in line for selling coffee a cat shat is the J7.

The Estafette is still an 'also ran'.

[mouseflakes]

Chocadooby!