Well, this is my latest project. A 1986 AMC Renault Alliance convertible (Renault 9) with 89,000 miles, it has a 1.7L, automatic transmission (my first in a Renault). I’m one of a handful of people in Minnesota driving Renaults. (I know of 2 others) I started with an R5 in 1979 and I’ve always had at least one ever since. About 12 in all, I went through a couple 85 Alliance convertibles. The last one was only $100 but it was missing the transmission. After a summer trying to source a flywheel, (it was an automatic too) my son found me an 86 on craigslist in need of some “TLC” for $400. My wife took pity on me and said I could buy the 86 if I got rid of the 85. Done deal. I drove it home with little or no brakes, no exhaust, bad shocks, busted grille, multi colored paint (it’s amazing how many different shades of black are available). The top was in tatters, only 1 of the power window switches worked, driver’s seat frame was broken so I sit in a permanently reclined position, a bunch of other issues but, Hey, it ran and I could drive it.
That was September 2010. I’ve been plugging away at it and manage to drive it every summer. Put a couple thousand miles on it, in short trips, 100 miles round trip is as far as I’ll trust it, and only on sunny days.
Since then I’ve gone through the brakes, cobbled together the exhaust, doesn’t leak, sounds ok, (my teenage son’s friends all think it sounds awesome) $25 garage sale muffler, another $20 in clamps and hangers. Threw some old struts I had laying around into it, sanded and primed the hood (bonnet). Used a roll of black duct tape to sort of waterproof the top for those times I get trapped in the rain.
Had a bad miss or stall on hot days when starting out, I had to really baby the pedal. I pulled the distributor cap and found this.
Turns out the cam seal is shot and leaking into the distributor cap, threw on a new cap and rotor I had lying around and the stall was gone. That was just before the snow fell, a new seal will be tops on my list this spring.
As long as I leave the top down it looks ok…but, I feel it’s time to get down to some serious restoration work. I figure if PhilA can put in all that effort on an 87 GTA he has yet to put on the road, then I can get moving and start restoring this car the correct way.
Thanks Phil, you are my inspiration.
This is my first attempt at a thread, lets hope I don’t mess it up.
Steve
That was September 2010. I’ve been plugging away at it and manage to drive it every summer. Put a couple thousand miles on it, in short trips, 100 miles round trip is as far as I’ll trust it, and only on sunny days.
Since then I’ve gone through the brakes, cobbled together the exhaust, doesn’t leak, sounds ok, (my teenage son’s friends all think it sounds awesome) $25 garage sale muffler, another $20 in clamps and hangers. Threw some old struts I had laying around into it, sanded and primed the hood (bonnet). Used a roll of black duct tape to sort of waterproof the top for those times I get trapped in the rain.
Had a bad miss or stall on hot days when starting out, I had to really baby the pedal. I pulled the distributor cap and found this.
Turns out the cam seal is shot and leaking into the distributor cap, threw on a new cap and rotor I had lying around and the stall was gone. That was just before the snow fell, a new seal will be tops on my list this spring.
As long as I leave the top down it looks ok…but, I feel it’s time to get down to some serious restoration work. I figure if PhilA can put in all that effort on an 87 GTA he has yet to put on the road, then I can get moving and start restoring this car the correct way.
Thanks Phil, you are my inspiration.
This is my first attempt at a thread, lets hope I don’t mess it up.
Steve