Renault Dauphine 1957 “The Dope”
Circumstances have dictated that I really need to sell one of my cars, I’m very much torn as to which one as they are both epic and cool in their own way, the Twingo is more viable to keep as it is a daily already and the Dope is an as and when car. Either way I am writing an advert for both. Please don't be too annoyed if I get cold feet and you see this advert disappear.
So you want to be super cool, yet unique and different, look no further than here! For sale is my 1957 Renault Dauphine, affectionately known as The Dope. The coolest and most unique car I have ever owned/built, I very much doubt I will be able to replace her in the future and I'm actually very sad to be writing this. Originally brought over to the UK about 6 years ago I registered her through the DVLA with the help of the Renault Classic Car Club. After a few months of back and forth with them she was issued an age related plate. I got her to run and drive and sorted some of the electrics and then sold her to an absolute gent called Simon, he replaced loads of metal and got her up to a road worthy standard. After 3 years he decided to sell her on and gave me first dibs, I promptly brought her home. Since then I have completed more work on her, majorly the old 845cc and 3 speed gearbox were removed and replaced with a much more user friendly and safer to drive 1108cc engine and 4 speed gearbox, giving more hp and torque than the original Gordini (hot) version. This along with a 12v conversion, variable speed wipers, some rewiring and the addition of a diesel heater has made her a very useable running resto retro/classic. She’s looks very low though rarely catches anything and actually drives very well and smoothly. Suspension is basic with chopped rear springs and the front running on conical/tapered bump stops, good enough for the wife to get in and not complain too much so I take that as a pass for comfort. She’s rough and ready but perfect in my eyes, full of charm and covered in natural patina. Solid underneath and can be used almost any time you choose. I’ve even taken her for a run in the snow! I’m not sure what else to say about her, some of you will just get it, this is your type of car, some of you won’t. Tax and MOT exempt, insurance for myself is around £100 for the year including commuting (yes I use her for the 35+mile commute with no issues). This is a car you can use and enjoy not constantly fix and have to repair. The only things I would change going forward would be to add a carb with a choke so cold starting is a little better and I would definitely band the rear wheels to fill the arches a touch, door seals to help with water ingress would also be a good addition. The steering is a little noisy after being sat but his is an old school setup and has a service schedule for greasing all the components every few hundred miles. These are/were on my to-do list for the future. I am located near Gloucester and looking for offers around £7000. If you are genuinely interested drop me a pm and we can discuss things further.
Circumstances have dictated that I really need to sell one of my cars, I’m very much torn as to which one as they are both epic and cool in their own way, the Twingo is more viable to keep as it is a daily already and the Dope is an as and when car. Either way I am writing an advert for both. Please don't be too annoyed if I get cold feet and you see this advert disappear.
So you want to be super cool, yet unique and different, look no further than here! For sale is my 1957 Renault Dauphine, affectionately known as The Dope. The coolest and most unique car I have ever owned/built, I very much doubt I will be able to replace her in the future and I'm actually very sad to be writing this. Originally brought over to the UK about 6 years ago I registered her through the DVLA with the help of the Renault Classic Car Club. After a few months of back and forth with them she was issued an age related plate. I got her to run and drive and sorted some of the electrics and then sold her to an absolute gent called Simon, he replaced loads of metal and got her up to a road worthy standard. After 3 years he decided to sell her on and gave me first dibs, I promptly brought her home. Since then I have completed more work on her, majorly the old 845cc and 3 speed gearbox were removed and replaced with a much more user friendly and safer to drive 1108cc engine and 4 speed gearbox, giving more hp and torque than the original Gordini (hot) version. This along with a 12v conversion, variable speed wipers, some rewiring and the addition of a diesel heater has made her a very useable running resto retro/classic. She’s looks very low though rarely catches anything and actually drives very well and smoothly. Suspension is basic with chopped rear springs and the front running on conical/tapered bump stops, good enough for the wife to get in and not complain too much so I take that as a pass for comfort. She’s rough and ready but perfect in my eyes, full of charm and covered in natural patina. Solid underneath and can be used almost any time you choose. I’ve even taken her for a run in the snow! I’m not sure what else to say about her, some of you will just get it, this is your type of car, some of you won’t. Tax and MOT exempt, insurance for myself is around £100 for the year including commuting (yes I use her for the 35+mile commute with no issues). This is a car you can use and enjoy not constantly fix and have to repair. The only things I would change going forward would be to add a carb with a choke so cold starting is a little better and I would definitely band the rear wheels to fill the arches a touch, door seals to help with water ingress would also be a good addition. The steering is a little noisy after being sat but his is an old school setup and has a service schedule for greasing all the components every few hundred miles. These are/were on my to-do list for the future. I am located near Gloucester and looking for offers around £7000. If you are genuinely interested drop me a pm and we can discuss things further.
