Dauphine Gordini restoration

jjperko said:
Well the starter is in at an auto elec. Looks like its given up the ghost. I gave him the spare I had in pieces to see what he can make out of them. Does anyone have any experience/solutions if I can't get it rebuilt locally? Obviously can buy a new unit from OS but if something else 12v bolts in it might be a shove in that direction.
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12V or 6V??

These starters are bog standard simple devices and usually pretty reliable.

Post what you actually need and see what emerges.... I imagine quite a few people in our Register have spares, for example...
 
JohnW said:
12V or 6V??

These starters are bog standard simple devices and usually pretty reliable.

Post what you actually need and see what emerges.... I imagine quite a few people in our Register have spares, for example...
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6v starter on 6v system. Thanks will see what the sparky comes back with. Was just interested to see whether all those with 12v converted 4cv's or Dauphine's were running original 6v starters or whether there's something equivalent and 12v out there that fits in the space. Don't want to spend a lot on my 6v starter that might not equate to better cranking performance.
 
There are some running 6V starters on 12V systems - boy, they spin fast! My experience is that the 6V ones are perfectly adequate. I've just repaired my manual one (no electric solenoid) to clean up the terminals. The local auto-electrician reckoned it was perfectly OK, and this was 51 years after its last overhaul....

These cars are generally good starting cars anyway, so if it turns at a reasonable speed - doesn't have to be very fast - they'll start if everything is OK.
 
Getting closer to roadworthy time and trying out some wider wheels I picked up recently. Noticing during wheel changes the rears tuck right in under positive camber when jacked up then return to slight negative once on the ground and rolled. How much negative travel/slack in droop straps is optimal?
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JohnW said:
There are some running 6V starters on 12V systems - boy, they spin fast! My experience is that the 6V ones are perfectly adequate. I've just repaired my manual one (no electric solenoid) to clean up the terminals. The local auto-electrician reckoned it was perfectly OK, and this was 51 years after its last overhaul....

These cars are generally good starting cars anyway, so if it turns at a reasonable speed - doesn't have to be very fast - they'll start if everything is OK.
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A rebuild from the auto elec has solved my problems. Easy starting now, just need to get all my lighting earths tip top.
 
Yep look like custom steels. Not sure of who made them but 1kg lighter at each corner than the originals. I'll swap between depending on aesthetics and what handles better.

Went with Leds for the lights for 6v performance. Not cheap for a globe but very impressive beam even by a modern standard
 
Those lights are really impressive. There's an LED bulb in 6V that fits the standard Cibie headlamps??

I have 6V QI with relays near the lamps.
 
Sorry standard headlights are led. Had to find some 6v h1 halogen globes for the Cibies from the US, they run off a relay and throw good light all things considered.
Can't really a difference in brightness between the 6 and 12v lighting I have on other cars (which if wired adequately makes sense). Not planning on doing any long drives at night but its nice to see/be seen
 
jjperko said:
Sorry standard headlights are led. Had to find some 6v h1 halogen globes for the Cibies from the US, they run off a relay and throw good light all things considered.
Can't really a difference in brightness between the 6 and 12v lighting I have on other cars (which if wired adequately makes sense). Not planning on doing any long drives at night but its nice to see/be seen
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Thanks - yes, with proper wiring etc you get good light with 6V, just have a higher current demand to get the wattage. People don't always understand Ohm's Law I guess.

I don't understand "Sorry standard headlamps are LED". Have you found 6V LEDs for the Cibie headlamps that are standard on the Dauphines (and 4CV and R8/10)? My question was maybe confusing given the Cibie Oscars on the car.

Thanks
 
Yes, although my lenses are reproduction from bretagne auto-retro so clip a globe straight in the back rather than the bayonet holder style. Classic car leds in SA do a kit for p45t that fits but does delete the parker
 
jjperko said:
Yes, although my lenses are reproduction from bretagne auto-retro so clip a globe straight in the back rather than the bayonet holder style. Classic car leds in SA do a kit for p45t that fits but does delete the parker
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Thanks. I have later lenses myself which accomodate a p45t if I get the designation right. Back to Anthony Pearson then.... Amazing that we can do this! The original Cibie lamps are very, very good for the day.
 
Surely there's 3 inch or 75mm flexible hose or ducting available I can repurpose for the main heater tube from the engine bay? Has anyone replaced one without ordering from overseas? Thinking caravan places maybe but gets quite expensive by the metre...
 
what about some polly agg drain pipe suitably rapped in insulation and canvas covering .pugs
 
You can find Aluminium flexible ducting in car parts stores, even the likes of supercheap. Not always perhaps, but they do have it. I know because I bought some a while back for the same purpose.
 
Close to roadworthy now. Seemed to have ironed out some small running issues.

I've been searching the forum for rear axle alignment and trunnion bearing discussion. My LHS rear is slightly toed in which leads me to believe I need to replace bearings or made up some bushes to get everything straight.

Both my cars have this identical symptom, as well as other 4cv and dauphines I've read about online. Always LHS and toed in. Cant feel any play with wheel jacked up but will have to disassemble more to be sure.
 
Hmm. Out of curiosity, have you had a professional alignment check? By coincidence I'm doing exactly this with the R8 tomorrow! String line work this week suggested to me a wee bit of... Guess what, toe-in on LHS!! Before I rebuilt the front end this last few weeks, the car drove dead straight, as it always has, and has no undue wear patterns except the usual greater wear on the inside of the rear tyres.

I've absolutely no idea how you'd have toe-in on one side without toe-out on the other if there's nothing worn. I guess that is partly your dilemma too.

There's a fair bit of comment around trunnions and trailing arms that I personally don't quite agree with. What I can say with confidence is that I fixed my 4CV worn trunnion pin issue 30 years ago with specially-made bronze bushes that are a slight press fit on the pins and rotate snugly in the hardened steel cups. Molygrease was used inside the cups and they were pretty much as installed when I had a look 25 years later. The other approach, now that they are available, is to get bushes machined to bring the trunnion pin diameter to exactly the size needed to fit new needle roller sets (20 mm if I recall).

You might try posting this question on the Renault 4CV Register Facebook page. Not all our members use Aussiefrogs and quite a few people out there know far more than I do!!

Cheers,
 
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