All the small details count. So a clock that didn’t work and blisters on the (fake) chrome strip on the wheel annoyed me. Both are due to the bad plastics I mentioned in an earlier post. Fixing these 2 minor details took quite some time. … Read moreBad plastics 2 – Wheels of time
During the first drive of the year the 5th gear was a bit noisy. Also the back end of the gearbox was leaking oil. Thanks to the Renault Oldtimers Club I found someone in The Hague with experience with these old Renaults. Luckily nothing major is wrong with the gearbox. … Read moreleaky gearbox seal
What kind of weird Renault is this? It’s the Renault Eve concept car from 1981. And it wasn’t just a concept meant to be pretty. It actually drove. And pretty well! … Read moreThis is no Renault 18… or is it?
In the Netherlands a car over 40 years old is considered an old timer. If you own a car that’s over 40 years old you don’t have to pay road tax. If a car was put on the road before January 1st 1988 tax is only 1/4th. But there are provisions. … Read morehibernation
One of the main reasons why my first Renault 18 is stored: rust. A lot of welding will be needed to get this car in acceptable condition again. As I mentioned in earlier post, my second Renault 18 is almost rust free. When I bought … Read moreDinitrol rust protection
When I bought my 2nd Renault 18 I thoroughly inspected it for rust. To my amazement the car was close to rust free. I want to keep the car in this pristine condition. So this week a specialized company is giving it a treatment with … Read moreNo rust would have been too utopian
One of the snags with cars from the 70s and 80s is the plastics that were used. Some of the plastic parts were not ment to last more than 10 years. So when the car ages some parts become brittle. In both of my R18s … Read moreThrowback thursday: Bad plastics
It’s hard to believe these day’s, but 30+ years ago safety belts in the backseat weren’t mandatory. As a kid I sat in the backseat with my sister and 2 brothers without any protection. And the Renault 18 also came with just belts for the … Read moreSafety first
In Dutch we have a saying “oude liefde roest niet”. Translated: “old love doesn’t rust”. But old car love unfortunately does :-/ Rust is one of the reasons my first Renault 18 is still is storage. There is a lot of welding needed on this … Read moreRust
The joy of starting a Renault 18 after installing the overhauled starter engine.