Completely worthless Renner 19 - Stay shut you b@stard

[bunglebus]

I changed a track rod on my R5. It wasn't especially difficult other than I think being the sort of thread that gets tighter the more you wind it in (can't remember the correct term) so removing it felt like I was going to bend the rack. 

Still, if I can do it outside in a car park, it's a Haynes 2 spanner rating job

[BorniteIdentity]

I have to travel to the prestigious island of Jersey before Christmas. If someone wanted it, and was willing to stick a few quid into it first to make it stand half a chance of getting home, I could be persuaded.

I will be flying in, but I’m not averse to driving home. 

[mk2_craig]

I need to pull my finger out and get this old heap sorted. I should be capable of dealing with the steering issue myself, plus trying to get to the bottom of why the indicator stalk isn’t doing anything. Relatively modest old Renner issues, in the context of electric parking brakes and keycards and that. 

I have done nothing to it all winter, apart from let it sit there and flatten its decade-old battery.  In a rare episode of proactive maintenance the local authority has been tidying up all the public areas, so the R19 is less "hidden" and increasingly standing out as the token old crock around the estate (ignoring the immaculate mk1 Fiesta further up the road).

Since I am sensing my neighbours are starting to tire of its presence, I decided to at least wash several years worth of grime off it (semi-successfully carried out in last Fridays lunchtime downpour) and procure a newer type 063 battery from my favourite local supplier - the local metals yard, GR8 VALU at £12.  Fifteen seconds of cranking to draw some pez through the pipes and the 1.4 Energy fired right up, which has boosted my mood a bit.

I did attempt to obtain some parts to rectify various broken bits on the car, this popped up on Facebook a while back:

Identical (and probably in better overall condition too). But as is often the case with these types who get called by bereaved relatives to clear out Grandads garage the day after the funeral, and want to maximise their profit instead of just heading straight for the weighbridge, it wasn't entirely clear whether the car was actually ever going to yield any spares: 

Anyway I sent back some photos of what I needed to replace and that was where the trail went cold.  Maybe I should head towards the ferry and go on some mad French scrapyard run instead.  Anyway, have a crappy photo of the 19 annoying a different group of residents after I shifted it over a few spaces (making sure the battery negative lead was disconnected once parked this time).  I'll try to keep it a bit more active over the coming weeks.

[mk2_craig]

Wow, that’s another six months without the R19 having done anything. It keeps getting covered in pine needles, therefore every so often I brush them off and very occasionally I’ll wipe all the grime off the windows. 
 

Today was different, I did both of those things, then (after a quick charge in the garage) chucked the battery on and ran the engine for a bit. This required directing a bit of lubrication at the choke cable, which had become rather stiff and is also missing its knob making its shaft difficult to pull out (fnarr).

Then ran it round the block to make sure the brakes aren’t seizing on or whatever.

One of my friends has made the mistake of asking if I had an old banger in stock that he can use while on holiday here next month, so it looks like the n-n-n-n-19 is getting pressed back into service soon! I still haven’t done owt about the play in the steering rack or the non functioning indicators, hopefully the latter is something simple like a busted relay. 

[Datsuncog]

2 hours ago, mk2_craig said:

I still haven’t done owt about the play in the steering rack or the non functioning indicators

Feel free to print this out and tape it to the dash for your mate's benefit:

And that's 50% of the outstanding issues sorted...

[HMC]

1980s Highway Codes used to have a triumph 2000 on that page IIRC

[mk2_craig]

19 news. I’m sorry this hasn’t proven to be a more interesting thread so far, but I’ve now actually spent some money on this car,

Thats right I’ve sprung for some BOSCH wiper blades to replace the previous ones which were TOTALLY SHAGGED. There was a bit of dicking around swapping plastic adaptors, and I can’t say for sure that the front wiper arms aren’t actually off some other car, but managed to get them attached reasonably promptly without breaking stuff or drawing blood. 🫡

I even did the rear one. Which turned out to be pointless, as the wiper motor doesn’t work. Probably just the electrical contact plates next to the tailgate latch needing a good clean up, though the effort I was prepared to invest today didn’t extend as far as doing that.

I still haven’t fitted the new track rod this thing needs though. Will I get round to it this summer? Don’t bet on it. 

[Stanky]

This is the only other R19 1.4 'Energy' I've ever seen. The mother of twin girls in my school year (who were horrible cow bags, incidentally) has a flat red one in the mid-late 90s and I don't recall ever seeing another with the 'Energy' silver badge on before or since.

Would be good to hear more about this fine slice of automotive engineering!

[RobT]

The essence of autoshite.  Keep up the good work, even if that just entails using the thing.

[mk2_craig]

EXCITING NEWS. I fixed something on the 19, though in fairness it probably only went wrong through extended lack of use. 

Context - I moved house last March and now the Renault is pissing off a whole new bunch of neighbours by not moving very much. It is now at the point where some of the tyres are not really wanting to hold air any longer (the OSR at least is almost 15 years old) so I shall have to resolve that soon. 

Anyway I went to give the engine a run earlier this month and afterwards the drivers door didn’t want to stay closed. I luzzed a bit of Muc-off branded WD40 type fluid into the latch and worked it about with a screwdriver, and that seemed to sort it which was great.

Went back to it yesterday and same problem 🙄 repeating the previous “repair” didn’t work. Like an idiot I opened the passenger front door to compare how worn the striker plate looked and that also failed to stay shut afterwards! 😑  Ok nothing for it but to strip down the driver side and get a look at the latch. 

All came apart quite easily, though there were about four different types of bolt/screw holding various bits of trim on. Nothing looked obviously wrong but one bit of the mechanism operated by the interior pull handle seemed a bit tight/not springing back so I gave it a good (half-arsed) clean and lube with the MO spray. Seemed to work better so bolted it back in and no fault found. 😋

Unfortunately, it was a shitty wet day and I had run out of fucks so the passenger front door received a temporary and not entirely competent fix:

I will deal with that presently*.  In typical fashion I have also created another issue while attempting to resolve this one, in that I somehow managed to headbutt the rear view mirror clean off the nearly 37 year old windscreen. 

FFS. 

 

[mk2_craig]

19 newsflash.  Done some minor fiddling around with it.

The front plate was loose because rusting screws so I removed it, I had always known it was attached to a second plate underneath which I had assumed belonged to another 19 that donated the front bumper.

The number is still "live" and relates to a slightly older Renault:-

My guess would be R5 - but maybe you could also get the 1108 engine in low spec R9 or R11?  I like the idea that this car might be hiding in the back of a dusty barn somewhere.

The rear plate was loose too (one screw, one rivet).  I was surprised to find this sticker of great wisdom underneath.

While tidying up other crap in the house I came across the Haynes manual for the car, which contained the "service history" this being two or three receipts for visits to the supplying dealer in the early 1990s, random other expenditure including a worrying number of clutch cable replacements, and lots of hand written notes from when previous owner carried out his own maintenance.  Going on the current odometer reading, the oil and filters are less than 200 miles (and over a decade) old.

Car needed a wash and some air in the tyres, both of those tasks were carried out ultra quickly and half heartedly.  Incidentally, the sticking passenger door latch fixed itself after I pulled the exterior handle a couple of times, which is great (the indicators also came back to life by the time we moved house last March) so I've reclaimed my stock of bungee cords!

[loserone]

Love this car ♥️♥️

[alcyonecorporation]

I have a bloke who can make new style dealer plates if you either wanted to send him pics or post an original over

[alcyonecorporation]

Craig I am well tempted by this. 

It is in such Jersey condition. 

[alcyonecorporation]

Bleugh, outdoor storage has gone cattywampus. 

 

[adw1977]

4 hours ago, mk2_craig said:

maybe you could also get the 1108 engine in low spec R9 or R11? 

Yes, C and TC trim levels had the 1108cc engine.

 

[Datsuncog]

20 hours ago, mk2_craig said:

random other expenditure including a worrying number of clutch cable replacements

As far as I recall the original R19 was notorious for eating clutch cables - something about the way the cable was re-routed for RHD controls made it prone to snapping. 

A friend owned a white 5dr (some sort of 'Sportif' dealer edition) and clutch cables seemed to be almost a service item on it. 

Its replacement, a facelifted Biarritz model in funky metallic purple, seemed a lot better in that regard. 

Great to see this one getting some love! 

[Somerset Suffolk]

Back end of Dad's Chamade - the last Renault in a long list of Reggies that he owned - great car