1989 Renault Express 1.6 diesel thread - DAILY EXPRESS - UK registered, house prices rise wherever this is parked

[Lacquer Peel]

3 hours ago, Noel Tidybeard said:

wow somthing to make an LDV Cubs performance look normal!

It is much quicker than an LDV Cub on paper, around 18 seconds to 60 vs. 27 for the Vanette/Cub.

 

2 hours ago, Asimo said:

Is this identical to the Ford Courier from the doors back?

I don't think so but Ford bought in the Extra/Express rear suspension/axle assembly for compactness

[Stanky]

Re rust protection, I'd say try and get some bilt-hamber stuff on it ASAP - Dynax S50 for cavities and UB wax for everything underneath. Its not cheap, but is very well regarded. 

[Lacquer Peel]

The Express's silent partners and one of their fathers joined in for some servicing and cleaning. 

It is a little cracker and in amazing condition for a 1989 van with nearly 170 thousand miles in Kms. 

The plastic hubcaps were thrown away to reveal silver steelies and centre caps underneath. It looked 55% better already. We had a heavy shift servicing, washing, buffing and waxing it. The paint is still a bit flat in places but it is now protected and looks presentable.

 

The oil filter looked reasonably new but was torqued to 400NM or something, a ridiculous amount of effort to remove it. Heroic effort from @sdkrc and @320touring. We were worried it was cross threaded but the new one went on fine. Same oil filter as a Clio 182!

@320touring worried about the glow plugs shearing but they came out no bother. The valve cover gasket had been leaking all over them for some time, the engine was hot and penetrating spray was used with abandon. The two behind the fuel pump were awkward but it didn't take long.

BEADS.

Valve cover cleaned.

Detailing world.

So clean underneath.

 

[dikkehemaworst]

Yay!!  My first car!! 1.6D in White  ....  man i love them.   No PAS , 8 people in the back to the clubs, 

Man ...  those memories...

[320touring]

Was good to see this in real life, and it is an utterly charming old tub.

 

Mechanically it's ace, and bodily it is in pretty damn good order.

A most pleasant day, and the Express left looking and running better than when it arrived.

The lichen On the front badge is superb..

Underside it is seriously good. We got all the arches rinsed out too,  @Lacquer Peel became a detailing god - a dab hand at driving the polisher, and putting wax on.

Work carried out:

It's had 4 new glow plugs

New rocker cover gasket

New oil filter

New oil

Engine bay wash and degrease

Hubcaps removed

Full body machine polish (just a light pass cos don't know how thick the paint is)

Coat of wax

Interior all cleaned too

 

have a video of its first start on the new glow plugs/oil and filter. @Lacquer Peel is hoping to get a cold start vid tomorrow to demonstrate whether the new glow plugs have improved things

 

 

 

And some more pictures too..

Cleaning the arches

 

Before and after on the front wing

before and after on the bonnet

And a nice view of the beading on the side of the van

[Liggle]

Excellent work. Brings back memories of resurrecting my dads Extra 1.4 he’d had from new. It had been off the road for 10 years, I got it running and swapped it for a set of freshly refurbished  Renner 19 16v wheels for my Clio and £50 cash. It went on to do 3 more years service in Norfolk and was last MOT’d in 2007 so could be dead now. 

[Lacquer Peel]

Did the new glow plugs cure the cold starting problem? 

Maybe the high Km and low powered diesel is knackered and has low compression...

🥺

[Lacquer Peel]

 

[tooSavvy]

My D had two fuel pipes shear (different times) - right on the cone end/injector. Breakdown guy said it's vibration.... factory clips were still undisturbed, to hold the pipes firm....

Fortunately the 1st guy had a length of HP plastic inj pipe.... Ran OK but like it was 'on 3' 😕

[Lacquer Peel]

31 minutes ago, tooSavvy said:

My D had two fuel pipes shear (different times) - right on the cone end/injector. Breakdown guy said it's vibration.... factory clips were still undisturbed, to hold the pipes firm....

Fortunately the 1st guy had a length of HP plastic inj pipe.... Ran OK but like it was 'on 3' 😕

I'm glad we didn't touch the injector pipes to aid access to the glow plugs then!

[loserone]

I asked if LP had the address of where the car was registered to in France.  He did, but it was tricky to read.

 

I found it anyway.  Looks like it's been kept in a barn out of the sunshine as all the satellite photos show it absent at the address

 

However, it is caught on the track to the Lieu Dit on streetview from 2011

 

[AxWomble]

On 10/3/2021 at 9:18 AM, cort16 said:

Cool van. How  much of a ball ache is it to get it on UK plates? Did we get these in the UK I can't remember ever seeing them?

I've got a contact getting rid of one after Christmas (will be looking for buyers at that point) but it is the only on I've ever seen on UK soil! 

[Low Horatio gearbox]

Superb buy. I was a hanger on at my local bike shop in my youth  and the owners had one of there in "extra" flavour and a previous R4 with the gear stick sticking out if the dash. Their then 18 year old used to drive it within and inch of its poor life and wring every last  cheval out of it. A set of pads lasted 3 months and tyres barely 6 and yet it never went that fast. Truly a slow low powered car at 10/10ths is more fun then a fast powerful car at 4/10ths.

 

Re the rust: Bilt Hamber kept the worst of it at bay on my Rover for 2 years with scant other help. I've  gone over it with Vactan and will thrown more of the same at it. That and as said Bar and chain oil (we know what you took channel you watch!) in cavities and  the underside really seems to cling relentlessly.

[juular]

This thing is way better than a VW.

Proof:

It's such an amazing wee thing.

 

[DoctorRetro]

On 10/9/2021 at 11:39 PM, Lacquer Peel said:

The plastic hubcaps were thrown away

Nooooooo 

[Sigmund Fraud]

This is glorious !!! Is it SVO/WVO friendly ?

[Saabnut]

Guys, just a heads up. It is illegal for a UK resident to drive a foreign registered vehicle in the UK. Insurance can also be dodgy. Post Brexit, you will be a magnet for plod. Not saying don't do it, but be careful. Punishments can be severe.

[LightBulbFun]

4 hours ago, loserone said:

I like this last shot quite a bit

for some reason to me at least, it looks a lot like a miniature railway scene

[loserone]

6 minutes ago, Saabnut said:

Guys, just a heads up. It is illegal for a UK resident to drive a foreign registered vehicle in the UK. Insurance can also be dodgy. Post Brexit, you will be a magnet for plod. Not saying don't do it, but be careful. Punishments can be severe.

Pardon Monsieur, Je suis en mes vacances.  Qu'es ce que le problème ? Je suis désolé, je ne comprends pas !

 

 

Pretty sure that'll work even with the strongest of Scottish accent.

[Saabnut]

1 minute ago, loserone said:

Pardon Monsieur, Je suis en mes vacances.  Qu'es ce que le problème ? Je suis désolé, je ne comprends pas !

 

 

Pretty sure that'll work even with the strongest of Scottish accent.

Unless they ask for your licence it will work fine  

[loserone]

26 minutes ago, Saabnut said:

Unless they ask for your licence it will work fine  

 

[barrett]

1 hour ago, loserone said:

Pardon Monsieur, Je suis en mes vacances.  Qu'es ce que le problème ? Je suis désolé, je ne comprends pas !

 

 

Pretty sure that'll work even with the strongest of Scottish accent.

Yeah, exactly. My own pro tip when driving a French-registered car is always to keep your indicator flashing whilst overtaking, comme les français.

And does anyone actually carry their driving licence with them when they're driving anyway? I never have

[Talbot]

2 hours ago, Sigmund Fraud said:

This is glorious !!! Is it SVO/WVO friendly ?

The underbonnet view looks to be rather Lucas/DPC rather than Bosch... so yes, but only with a pre-heat and/or twin-tank system.

[LightBulbFun]

42 minutes ago, Talbot said:

so yes, but only with a pre-heat and/or twin-tank system.

"Oooh is that a sous vide heater, making me something fancy for tonight?"

"errr..."

[Split_Pin]

That looks like a super wee van. I have nothing to add except ownership of a Majorette toy version.

I hope to see it about.

[Lacquer Peel]

Yes I am going to avoid driving it til the registration is sorted out. Could driving it to a  garage be justified? 

[Talbot]

10 hours ago, Lacquer Peel said:

Yes I am going to avoid driving it til the registration is sorted out. Could driving it to a  garage be justified? 

I think any UK citizen driving it in the UK cannot be justified..  it would theoretically need to be driven either by a non-UK resident (and hence also then be fully legal in france) or trailered.  That's going to the letter of the law.

Given the number of RHD UK-spec vehicles with UK dealer stickers in the window, being driven on Romanian plates... well, make your own mind up on that one.

[DoctorRetro]

I drove my Hungarian registered Lada 1200s to and from the MOT garage, because you needed an MOT to get it registered. Insurance was under the Hungarian reg, so I can't see the issue really. Obviously like anything, all you need is the wrong plod on the wrong day and almost anything is illegal if they want it to be. (#1312).

I won't mention how it got back from Southampton to Essex... 😳

 

[anonymous user]

There's something nice about that. I like it. There was a blue 'popemobile' wheelchair one that used to go to bootsales around here, but haven't seen it for a while.

[Talbot]

3 hours ago, DoctorRetro said:

I can't see the issue really.

It's specifically against the law to do so.