1973 Renault 15 - I've broken my own rules.

[4wheeledstool]

Got a bit of fettling time on this today. Distributor was stripped and cleaned first - pretty good order, but the cap could do with replacing. New plugs and leads will be ordered as well. All three v belts have been ordered too as the ones on there are a bit ropey.

The valve that sits on top of the expansion jar was leaking a little, meaning that sometimes the jar filled with coolant when the engine was switched off. Sealing the joint where the pipe from the top of the radiator goes to the jar lid valve thing solved the problem, so a new one of those will be ordered too.

Interior lights now work after stripping and cleaning them, and a new bulb will see the rear ash tray light in the rear seat base operational. 

After a spirited drive up and down the farm's access road, the slightly wooly throttle response under hard acceleration gives the impression that the accelerator pump diaphragm is more than likely past its best. A carburettor rebuild kit should sort that.

Still not sorted the binding n/s/f brake yet - hopefully do that in the coming week.👍

[4wheeledstool]

Got a bit of time on it today as well. 😀 Near side front caliper was stripped and cleaned, seems to have done the trick. Also reversing lights sorted, there was a wire missing to the switch. No idea where it has gone to, but another wire has been added until the loom is out and I can sort it properly. 👍

[4wheeledstool]

Thanks to a link sent by MorrisItalSLX I now have a Dealership manual in English.

This should make things a lot easier when stripping and rebuilding the thing in the future. 👍

[motorpunk]

What a beauty. Can I ask where you’re based? I’d love to get some decent pictures of this, if you’re game*
 

*and don’t like on Rockall or Sark or something.

[TataBobu]

If the caliper strip and clean didn't do the trick, you might need a new flexi hose for that wheel. 

[4wheeledstool]

On 31/01/2025 at 21:12, motorpunk said:

What a beauty. Can I ask where you’re based? I’d love to get some decent pictures of this, if you’re game*
 

*and don’t like on Rockall or Sark or something.

I'm in Cheshire, close to M6 junction 18. The car isn't up to much aesthetically at present, but this should be remedied at some point in the future. (don't hold your breath!) 

[4wheeledstool]

On 31/01/2025 at 21:44, TataBobu said:

If the caliper strip and clean didn't do the trick, you might need a new flexi hose for that wheel. 

Brake hoses are very recent, it was the sliding mechanism that required cleaning up. 👍

I've put it back in its corner now while I wait for new discs + pads, dizzy cap + rotor arm, carburettor rebuild kit and other odds and sods to arrive from France. 

[4wheeledstool]

This year's birthday gift was a brochure from late 1972.

Theres some nice pics in there.

Something to aim for when the restoration commences.

[4wheeledstool]

Some parts have arrived from France. (and ebay)

And the body manual too.

Just need to find a bit of time to get the thing road ready now!👍

[uk_senator]

Absolutely spectacular. I`ve not seen one in the metal since.. God.. the early 90`s? One of my friends wives had one, but no pics sadly.. (I might ask if anyone remembers the reg, to see when it died..)

I had to go to pick up a Honda CRX 1991 Corolla GTi with a mate about 8 12 years ago, he`d given me the post code beforehand, & as I often do, I had a quick butchers on Google streetview to get a feel of the area & parking situ.. Amazingly, there was a 15 or 17 parked opposite, on a drive filled with other aged chod! I got very excited, but, they were all gone when we went.. I cant quite remember where it was now, I think it was outer west London Essex somewhere. 

Edited - Here it is on streetview:

[4wheeledstool]

I was hoping to get all day on this today, but unfortunately time available was short. 
I did manage to fit the new plugs, dizzy cap and rotor arm though, and it now starts a lot more readily than before.
 

The plan is to get the new belts on next, then change the discs and pads when I've got a bit more time to spend. 👍

 

[Matty]

Fabulous looking old bus that

[4wheeledstool]

Got all three belts changed this afternoon, then did something a lot easier and more satisfying. Careful poking of the part of the tailgate where the TS badge should be revealed the factory mounting holes! They were hidden by a very thin skim of filler under the orange paint (and yellow and black). Badge then put on. 😃

Hopefully ill get a decent chunk of time on it next weekend.

[Matty]

Weird question but what does it drive like compared to the mk1 Cav (vaguely similar vintage)?

[High Jetter]

1 hour ago, Matty said:

Weird question but what does it drive like compared to the mk1 Cav (vaguely similar vintage)?

I cabbed a 1.3 Mk1 Cav. Drove dads R12 and R14. Renners were more engaging, Cav was solid. Not driven a 15 or 17 but loved the 16 & 18 I had. Sorry, carry on

[Christine]

Just parking  this here 

[4wheeledstool]

On 23/02/2025 at 21:38, Matty said:

Weird question but what does it drive like compared to the mk1 Cav (vaguely similar vintage)?

Cavalier feels more "planted" on the road. Renault feels more modern in many respects, and goes like a stabbed rat with a bee in its arse compared to the Cav. (Both 1600s, but Renault has 30% more horsepowers)

20 hours ago, Christine said:

Just parking  this here 

If I was in the market for an electrical conveyance, I could do a lot worse. The glass and roof line look very like the original - smart! 

[uk_senator]

On 05/12/2024 at 20:40, 4wheeledstool said:

I'll get one tomorrow chief.👍

Some more pieces arrived today - a fuel cap, its the same as the one thats on there but this one has keys!

 

I`ve got this in my stash of shite, should you even need another one, for any reason.. I cant see why you would now, but whatever. (Hope its going well!) 

[4wheeledstool]

A good sized parcel of parts is on its way to me from France. Included are front and rear screen seals (!) Brake hoses, plug leads, hazard lights kit, rubber gaskets for the lights, brake compensator valve, door glass rubbers, under bonnet decals, and other odds and ends that I can't recall right now. 

I've found a company in France that makes copies of the Renault Boutique stripes, so will definitely be ordering a set of those at some point.

Hopefully I'll get a bit of time to fit the new discs and pads some time soon, I'll be getting it out of the corner of the shed in preparation tomorrow. 👍 

[urpert]

On 10/11/2024 at 19:37, Daniel R25 said:

Now you need to ask one of our frog members to make contact on leboncoin. I think it is still Impossible without a French Sim...

Dan

I know this was a while ago, but I have a working leboncoin account if it helps.

[4wheeledstool]

Not had a right lot of time for this for a while. Its had a few trips around the farm over the last couple of weeks, and seems to start and run better the more it gets used. Should hopefully get the front brakes sorted in the next week or so, then I'll get some insurance sorted and get it out and about.👍

Here it is next to a bigger pile of shite.

[Surface Rust]

Looking forward to seeing it with those black stripes you found, it'll look great!

[Tayne]

On 03/03/2025 at 20:32, 4wheeledstool said:

 

If I was in the market for an electrical conveyance, I could do a lot worse. The glass and roof line look very like the original - smart! 

 

I saw it at Retromobile, it was gorgeous. 

They had an original 17 on the stand as well.

Renault 17 by Tayne, on Flickr

Renault r17 EV Concept by Tayne, on Flickr

Renault r17 EV Concept by Tayne, on Flickr

Renault r17 EV Concept by Tayne, on Flickr

Renault r17 EV Concept by Tayne, on Flickr

Renault r17 EV Concept by Tayne, on Flickr

 

[4wheeledstool]

Finally got round to changing the discs and pads today. Clearly been sat around for a while.

All came to bits easily enough. 

And back together with  similar ease.

The other side was a bit more of a faff as the hub was a very tight fit on the spline, but perseverance saw the job completed.  Just a few odd jobs to do now before I can get some use out of it 👍

[Snipes]

Such a funky chassis/steering arrangement. Not like anything I've seen before.

[4wheeledstool]

Had a good look about the car yesterday.

Today, insurance and tax were sorted. I then had a tentative ride out  on the lanes surrounding the farm. 

First impressions are - the brakes are actually surprisingly decent. The idle on the other hand has become a tad unpredictable. Sometimes it idles at 12-1300rpm,  sometimes an ideal 1000rpm, and every now and then it conks out instead.  

I haven't yet stripped, cleaned and rebuilt the carburettor yet - so that has become the next job on the list.

[4wheeledstool]

Oil, oil filter and air filter changed today.

Not been changed in a good while methinks. 🤔

[4wheeledstool]

50 odd miles done this morning,  still anticipating catastrophic borkage, but so far so good.

Gonna put it away now before I push my luck.

[Matty]

1 hour ago, 4wheeledstool said:

Gonna put it away now

And have a run out in either of the Cavs. Or Polo. Or Lambrettas. Not that I'm in any way jealous (much) 😄

[4wheeledstool]

On 04/05/2025 at 15:32, Matty said:

And have a run out in either of the Cavs. Or Polo. Or Lambrettas. Not that I'm in any way jealous (much) 😄

Millstones one and all! 🤣

Luck pushed on several occasions, and it's still going.

Just over 200 miles covered, and nothing appears to have been jettisoned yet. Hopefully I'll get the carburettor stripped, cleaned and serviced soon, and it'll be a little better to drive.