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

[Dan302]

Saw this beauty today 

[Frogchod]

Spotted this yesterday... 

[Peter C]

@4wheeledstool

Saw this on Facebook.

[Christine]

I had one exactly like that yellow one too.. full fabric leccy roof under the fibreglass cover.. The engines were peppy too.. inclined valves,  hemi head  and twin choke carb... 

[4wheeledstool]

This thing conked out on me a couple of weeks ago. Fuel pump borkage was responsible. 

I've not had the time to do anything with the car due to a customer deadline, but parts have been procured.

New fuel pump has arrived. 

As has a fuel sender that isn't terminally rusty.

Also a new coolant jar valve. My bodged one seemed to function well, but it was only ever to be temporary.  New fuel hose, filter and jubilee clips arrived this morning, and hopefully I'll get the time to fling all this stuff on some time soon.

[4wheeledstool]

All necessary bits ready to go.

It was pretty fiddly and awkward, but it's off now.

Stripping down, cleaning and putting it all back together will hopefully happen tomorrow. 🤔

[4wheeledstool]

Old bits out.

Back together and running again.

Drove it around the farm for a bit, then left it running for an hour or so. When switched off, the coolant jar filled up - the faff of bleeding the air out of  the system will commence next time. It now has a full compliment of bleed nips, so hopefully it won't be the pain in the arse that it's been in the past. 🤔

[4wheeledstool]

This is the bleed nip that wasn't there before - it was donated by the bloke in the next door unit.😀

Heater pipe clamped as per workshop manual procedure.

Expansion jar cable tied to bonnet catch to elevate it to aid bleeding. (Also as per workshop manual procedure)

The first time the bleeding operation took place, the jar filled half way after switching the engine off. The procedure was performed a second time, and only a tiny bit more air came out. It seems to have done the trick though, and the coolant stayed in the engine after it was switched off this time. 👍

[Matty]

Lovely bit of "we didn't design this cooling system very well so here's a massively convoluted bleeding proceedure as a work around". Puts me in mind of BMW ownership 👍😄

[4wheeledstool]

Black vinyl interiors never were a pleasant place to be in warm weather. Until a ride out this afternoon, I'd forgotten just how unpleasant they can be.
 

Should have taken a scooter instead. 🤔

[4wheeledstool]

New thermostat fitted today. Bleeding the cooling system was a bit of a pain in the arse, this time requiring the procedure to be performed 3 times. 🤪

Got out and about in it for an hour or so, then put it away so I could go and cool off a bit (30 degrees again today).

Mileage since the speedo cable was replaced is just shy of 300 now.

Bit by bit I'm hoping to make the thing reliable enough to use without worry. At the moment I'm still not trusting it!

[4wheeledstool]

After more cooling system bleeding shenanigans, I noticed that the rear ash tray light randomly illuminated, and couldn't be switched off.

It only went out when the battery was disconnected, and after re connecting it stayed off. It wouldn't come back on when the lights were switched on as it should - the bulb tested ok, so I can only assume it to be a random French electrical "quirk". 🤔

[Matty]

On 13/07/2025 at 15:01, 4wheeledstool said:

Bit by bit I'm hoping to make the thing reliable enough to use without worry. At the moment I'm still not trusting it!

My experience is that i get to total trust then I break something else and start all over with the paranoia. But then I can be a right fanny 😆

[4wheeledstool]

Got a bit more time on this today - the pile of junk that came with the car yielded some of the parts that are missing from the car. Now I know the thing a little better, I'm more aware of the missing pieces.

A fuse board cover was the first piece I recognised in a box of bolts and general crap, then one of the two brackets that attach the top of the bumper to the radiator support panel. Both missing brace bars that attach the sides of the bumper to the inner wings were identified and put to one side, then the selection of screen wash bottles and pumps were looked at. None of them were the correct parts, this car has its original pump (seized) and its original bottle bracket, but no bottle. A similar looking bottle with an internal pump from a later model was selected for installation. With the original bracket removed, the later set up was cable tied to the inner wing. Just electricity was required now, and after stripping and cleaning up the original switch as well as the fuse terminals, it now squirts as it should.

The bodgery doesn't look too horrendous, and it can always be swapped back to the original set up if the correct bottle and pump can be found at a later date. 👍

[4wheeledstool]

Found some pics of a yellow 15 with those Renault Boutique stripes that I still haven't bought yet.

Other than the wheels and mirrors, I'm digging it - I don't think it would look as good in white.

[4wheeledstool]

My glass coolant jar mysteriously cracked this morning.

I have no idea what kind of voodoo shit has occurred, but fortunately I had a plastic bottle and valve cap off a later car to put in its place until another jar can be found.

Coolant still behaving itself with alternate expansion vessel.👍

[Dj_efk]

Renault fitted a glass coolant reservoir to this thing in the 70s?!

Defo go for it with this stripes for the sides and back - they look brilliant, although personally I’m not sure about the moustache bits on the front, as opposed to a set of straight side stripes that finish at the sides of the front grille.

[dozeydustman]

2 hours ago, Dj_efk said:

Renault fitted a glass coolant reservoir to this thing in the 70s?!

My 1984 Horizon had the gherkin jar as well. I think Solaras and Alpines also had them until the end. Certainly a French car thing.

[Brigsy]

Good to see this getting some tlc.

The boutique stripes will look spot on.

[Matty]

Plus 1 on @Brigsy. It's one of them cars that the stripes would just finish it off to a tee 👌

[junkyarddog]

I can remember the glass coolant reservoir on Dads R4 exploding one day,think it got replaced with a plastic one from a Fiat!

[4wheeledstool]

Removed all the black paint from the rear bumper this morning. 

The ruined chrome trim piece that sits on top of the bumper was made to look a little less shit with body filler and aluminium foil tape.

Just a small bit of damage on the lower edge, but it cleaned up pretty nicely.

[4wheeledstool]

This car continues to fight me. It wouldn't start today - only firing on one cylinder. Sparks were present at all four plugs, but they were yellow instead of a more desirable blue. Spark from the king lead was also yellow, so I bodged on a G40 coil, and it was running again. To be fair to the defective coil, it looks to have been fitted at the factory, its just another part of the recommissioning process. As a parting shot, once the engine was up to temperature, it sprang a leak from the top hose which didn't improve by tightening the hose clip. 🤣

[N Dentressangle]

Old cars are bloody hard work. Just the way it goes I think.

Looks amazing, mind. You're doing a fab job.

[Zelandeth]

19 hours ago, 4wheeledstool said:

This car continues to fight me. It wouldn't start today - only firing on one cylinder. Sparks were present at all four plugs, but they were yellow instead of a more desirable blue. Spark from the king lead was also yellow, so I bodged on a G40 coil, and it was running again. To be fair to the defective coil, it looks to have been fitted at the factory, its just another part of the recommissioning process. As a parting shot, once the engine was up to temperature, it sprang a leak from the top hose which didn't improve by tightening the hose clip. 🤣

Worth checking if there should be a ballast resistor in the coil feed - wouldn't be the first time I've seen one fail and be bypassed as a get you home bodge...and been the one to find said bodge 10+ years later.

[4wheeledstool]

23 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

Worth checking if there should be a ballast resistor in the coil feed - wouldn't be the first time I've seen one fail and be bypassed as a get you home bodge...and been the one to find said bodge 10+ years later.

Research suggests no ballast resistor required - I reckon the 52 year old coil just shat itself after a few hundred miles were asked of it after sitting around for a long time.

More pieces arrived today, another glass expansion jar, indicator/side light unit, boot lamp, and a decent wheel trim to replace the one that looks like it was driven over then "straightened".

New coil should be here tomorrow. 👍

[Three Speed]

I went to the French car day at Blackbushe Airport today and this arrived.

A 17 Gordoni no less, with an electric sunroof. I can really see the appeal of the 15/17s.

[N Dentressangle]

That's quite something 😎

[4wheeledstool]

New coil fitted, leaky hose fixed. 30 miles or so driven, now the radiator has a tiny leak at the top. I'm creeping towards the goal! 🤔

[4wheeledstool]

Finally got round to opening my big box of goodies from France today.

Front and rear screen seals, tail light and side light/indicator gaskets, HT leads, condenser, brake hoses, door and boot lock surrounds, load compensator valve, lower door window rubbers, all decals for engine bay, and a new old stock hazard light kit. 

Many more parts still required, including a radiator and a water pump which are the two latest means of coolant escape to address. 🤪