R30 body repairs - slow progress

[mouseflakes]

Slow progress on the Big ol' Renner.

 

 

Last summer my (limited) spare time was taken up sorting the subframe on the XM. The Citroen's gone now, and the poor Renault really needs some attention.

 

The A post was looking like this...

 

Now like this (wing still to be changed and the parcel tape is there to stop rain water getting into the trim holes on the sill!)

 

Rear of both sills needed work...

 

Front wing repairs progressing slowly.

 

I had to repair the lower edges of both inner wings, where the outers bolt on. That was okay 'cos they can't be seen. I'm a bit more nervous with the wings themselves, but quite pleased with the results so far....

 

 

Spare wing kindly donated by mr-reno-139 provided a rough template...

 

Tidying up a bit now (first trial fit to get the curve right)...

 

 

All done using everyday tools. For a cobbler.

[trigger]

Great work!, Nice to see a progress report, I bet you can't wait to get it back on the road now! + V6 =

[Minimad5]

Wow nice work !Thanks for sharing it with us.Like seing other peoples work Well done, and good luck

[mouseflakes]

Thanks chaps - not sure that the work is that great though , but it is progress and should keep the car sound for while now.I would like to get to some meets this summer. Unfortunately, V6 = , but 1970's V6 + todays petrol prices = I did think about a diesel transplant - but the wobbly old odd-fire V6 and autobox are a big part of the car's charm. They'll have to stay.

[nigel bickle]

Nice one MF. Looks a good job-look forward to seeing it back 'on the road'.

[HillmanImp]

Thanks chaps - not sure that the work is that great though , but it is progress and should keep the car sound for while now.

 

Looks fine to me, and its obviously much better than it was. Plus if you had taken it to a garage to get welded up they would have probably just bodged it anyhow. As always a light skim of filler hides your sins.

 

On that basis I will be spending quite quite a lot of time in confession regarding my Imp.

[Ratdat]

Kudos for doing it outside! I have to say almost every rust repair I've seen done by a garage has been ultra shoddy. You do at least chop the rot out and make repair sections the fit which most garages don't bother with. Funnily enough I was reading a book last night that was published but the American 'Hot Rod' magazine publishers in the 80's about body repairs and paint. In one of the articles, they do a repair on the bottom of a front wing reearward of the wheel arch. They get a proper repair section then proceed to fill the rust hole with bog and pop rivet the repair section over the top before welding it and bogging over it! Nice job!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I was a mechanic for a while some years ago, and a Mk2 festa came in for MOT. It failed on rusty sills, so I waded in and chopped the old ones off and started tidying it all up. The boss told me I was doing it all wrong and that I should have lashed the new sills on top of the old ones! To be fair the car was a pile of shit, with hindsight he was probably right to attempt to accelerate its demise. He knew how to do sills properly, but judged that this old crate did not justify it.

[Father Ted]

Brilliant.I am always in awe of other peoples metal working skillorz as my own welding & fabrication sills are frankly gash.

[Minimad5]

I am always in awe of other peoples metal working skillorz as my own welding & fabrication sills are frankly gash.

+1

[ashmicro]

Nice Work, MF. That looks like a GR16 old barge.

[dieselnutjob]

Thanks chaps - not sure that the work is that great though , but it is progress and should keep the car sound for while now.I would like to get to some meets this summer. Unfortunately, V6 = , but 1970's V6 + todays petrol prices = I did think about a diesel transplant - but the wobbly old odd-fire V6 and autobox are a big part of the car's charm. They'll have to stay.

I have similar issues with my 604. With 604s it's a bit easier to convert to diesel because 505 bits fit so easily, but if you want to keep the V6 character then the other option is LPG. Apparently the PRV engine runs particularly well on LPG and because it's a simple carby engine with no cat or anything they aren't so expensive or complex to do.

[Mr Lobster]

Looks good that! Keep up the good work.

[VWPowered]

looking good spa

[HillmanImp]

The boss told me I was doing it all wrong and that I should have lashed the new sills on top of the old ones!

Someone had done this to my Imp. Was a right mess underneath. But at one point it was just someones car to get around in and they just wanted it to pass the MOT. Either that or they were ripped off horrifically.Anyhow back to topic. I do really like these Renaults. I seem to remember my mums friend Hazel having one of them in Gretna when I was a bairn. They do look like proper class.

[mouseflakes]

Mr. HImp - they really are lovely old beasts. It never occurred to me to get one until I missed one in Bristol a few years back. It was an R-reg, silver with blue interior. I wimped out as I was short of space and it had no test. And I didn't know what to make of it. I saw my one by chance on a visit to my folks - bought it on the spot for £200. Ever since it has been growing on me, to the point where it is quite simply my favourite car of evar. It kind of crept up on me, snuggled down in my lap, and now it feels like it's here to stay. Quite unique driving experience. Big, soft and comfy, but feels quite light and sprightly. Sounds lovely too. And they just look like a big slab of the 70's on wheels.My repairs aren't that pretty, but they're solid, so it should be good for a few more winters when I'm done. Worst of it will be the rear valence and under both rear 3/4 windows - the glass will have to come out. None of that is needed for a test though, so I'll do it after it's back on the road.Worst case I saw of a garage covering up rot was on an old R8. It had four new wings, engine lid, bonnet, shiny paint, but also cover sills tacked over rust and a big hole under the rear seat where the rear cross-member should have been. I bet the old couple that owned it paid a fortune for the work that was done - but the car was still worthless.

[Jon]

That is really nice - are those boutique alloys or whatever they're called? Either way, they're much nicer than the ones I've seen on some 30s. A bit like series 1 SD1s and 604s, it seems that the further up the range, the less stylish the wheels became IMHO.My worst experience of bad bodywork was during a 2 week work experience job I had at a garage in 1996. A market trader's Mk3 Transit had frilly doors, so sheet metal was cut loosely to shape, then pop-riveted straight on top and then undersealed on the outside. that was it! Nothing to stop water seeping in from the top to the untreated bit at the back and massive black tidelined doors on a white van. Couldn't really see the point either, as it didn't seem like an MOT failure.Still, probably cheap though and that's probably all that mattered in that situation.

[mouseflakes]

cav_estate - the wheels are Amils. I think they were an option on all the 30s. Ratdat has recently picked up a brand new set for his TX!

 

At last - I had a free day and got some more work done on the 30.

 

This wing is nearly done now. Will need a skim of filler to tidy this up - but looks okay in brown Finnegan's No. 1 for now.

 

Alignment with the front panel needs to be better - but the lower rail on the wing and the lower lip of

the inner wing where it bolts on were both gone - so no reference points when I rebuilt them - I guess it it might never be perfect.

 

Couple of patches where the trailing edge is folded back on itself.

 

 

I got this silver wing from a breakers yard in Wantage. Look at the state of it!

This is starting to look a bit 'ratty' . Still, its nice and solid now.

Same area had rotted on this as on the other side, but the lower 'rail' was intact so it was easier to repair.

 

 

I've just filled the hole under the rear quarter glass for now. When time allows I'll pop the glass out and do a proper welded repair.

 

 

Rear valence is a sack of pants - again, I think it can wait 'til after a test.

 

[Angrydicky]

Good work. I can't wait to see this beast on the road

[mouseflakes]

I can't wait to see this beast on the road

Ta! Me too!

 

TBH I think it will look like a POS - but at least it won't be dissolving.

[nigel bickle]

You're doing right MF- make it solid, then make it pretty.

 

MOT beckons?

[mouseflakes]

MOT beckons?

Hopefully not too far off - it needs a 'tune up' (ignition overhaul), brake overhaul (master cylinder is kaput) and some fettling of the autobox. Last one not essential for the MOT though - but I need to do it. I have a spare 'box - I think I need to pinch a solenoid from this and swap it over as the car never drops down to first. Also need to adjust the shift a bit - notches on the gate don't quite align with the positions in the box.

 

I was hoping to use it to pick up a tailgate from Paul Draper (RCCC R16 registrar) and drop off the R18 tail light to you - but I might have to make the trip sooner than that.

[CreepingJesus]

Congrats on that. It's so good to see a great old car like this heading back out to the road. Especially as they weren't that common in the first place, and a fair few must have been chopped up for their engine and box.

Like you say, a great big slab of pure 70's. Lovely!

[HillmanImp]

Its looking good.

 

There is no shame in driving a car that is 'ratlook' because it is just naturally ratty looking. Where you paint it matt clack with rattle cans, sand back the bonnet and put on a roof rack you need to good hiding.

[Spottedlaurel]

I think you’re taking a good approach to this, and you’re not letting it fester away (which would be a criminal act to commit on a brown Renault 30).

 

 

Saw this one outside a garage in Normandy a couple of weeks back on my holidays.

[nigel bickle]

Ta MF. Dont rush on my account.

 

I've another (early chromebumper) basic 18 that I picked up a few weeks back - now ready for an MOT (when I've time, 3rd down in the queue).

Not been out of its lockup since 1989...

[Alpineandy]

the car never drops down to first.

I can't remember if this is effective for the R25 or the R30 .... or both.

But check the gearbox fuses!

[MrRegieRitmo]

I've another (early chromebumper) basic 18 that I picked up a few weeks back - now ready for an MOT (when I've time, 3rd down in the queue).

Not been out of its lockup since 1989...

Ahh so you got it then! Can't have been too bad if it's already in line for testing!

[nigel bickle]

Yup.

 

Not too bad-needed a total rebrake,front inner/outer wings and a bit of tlc.

It will need a full paint job sometime soon- corrugated roof drip lines all along the body.

 

Unfortunately some dork has parked an unknown Focus across my 'unofficial' exit for several days -and I cant find who it is!

Had to cancel one MOT already -loathe to screw up another.

 

Its OK-nothing special

[55bloke]

they really are lovely old beasts. Quite unique driving experience. Big, soft and comfy, but feels quite light and sprightly. Sounds lovely too.

Exactly how I feel about my 25 Baccara!! I'm guessing it's the same engine/box combo? I just got it back from having new shocks fitted all round, which has transformed the driving experience! It sounds absolutely gorgeous, and is so smooth and floaty. It's very different to my TXE, which is every bit as comfy, but obviously feels to be working harder at higher speeds. You're right about the cost of fuel, but I'm not intending doing a lot of miles in it. A big part of me is telling me to get rid, coz it's never going to be in anything like as good condition as the TXE, but it's just so lush, and so rare! The deciding factor, I think, is going to be if I can get the heater to actually work! No matter how good the car is, freezing in winter and sweltering in summer is no good!