Floride/Caravelle Register

[vivid]

VEHICLE DETAILS of interest...

Model: (1092/1131/1133) (Floride,Floride/Caravelle, Caravelle) (Top number on the oval plate)
Chassis No.
Diamond plate No.
Fabrication No: (Bottom number on the oval plate)
Engine type:
Engine No.
Transmission:
Year:
Colour:
Owner:
Status: Full registration; Historic Registration; good unregistered; restorable; parts only
Condition: Good original; restored; modified; being restored/modified; to be restored; parts car
History: (eg any special fittings or features, details of modifications, history, etc
Going Concern: Yes/No.
Email address: An contactable email address so all cars/people on the register can be circulated the list and any newsletters/parts/tool requests etc. (optional of course, can be privately shared with existing registers)

....and of course Photos!

I'll eventually turn this first post into an index with links to each car within the thread.

David.

 

[63-1092]

Model: 1092 Floride, coupe
Chassis No.
Diamond plate No.
Fabrication No:
Engine type: Was 1251cc
Engine No. Was 842/01
Transmission: 4 speed
Year: 1960
Colour: Red
Owner: Me
Status: F-ed
Condition: Fair
History: Upgraded to disc brakes, R12 fuel tank in front boot, six inch rims with caravelle inserts chromed, extractors, 40 DOHC webber,
Going Concern: Waiting for new engine
Email address:

 

[63-1092]

Model: 1092 Floride, convertable
Chassis No.
Diamond plate No.
Fabrication No:
Engine type: 1397cc
Engine No.
Transmission: 4 speed
Year: 1960
Colour: Red was white
Owner: Me
Status: Really F-ed
Condition: As above
History: This is 63-1092
Going Concern:
Email address:

 

[Sunroof]

Floride S.

Model: R1131 Floride S
Chassis No. Same as diamond plate No.
Diamond plate No.100008
Fabrication No:26,784
Engine type: 689
Engine No.
Transmission: 4 speed
Year: April 1963 build,delivery Oct 1963
Colour: Corfue Blue No.490
Owner:Sunroof
Status: Full registration
Condition: Good original
History: Third owner, 64,000 miles
Going Concern:Yes
Email address:

 

[Sunroof]

Floride R1092

Model: R1092 Floride
Chassis No.
Diamond plate No.24,396
Fabrication No: 19,822
Engine type:
Engine No.
Transmission:
Year:April 1960
Colour:Original colour Missippi Green Metalic, Black Roof
Owner:Sunroof
Status: May be restorable; or parts only
Condition: May be restorable; or parts only. Some parts missing. Right hand door, bumpers, wind screen, soft top.
History: Has had an R10 engine and gearbox fitted but cooling incorrectly done.
Going Concern: No.
Email address:

 

[56 Fregate]

Model: 1959 R1092 Floride, convertible
Chassis No.
Diamond plate No.
Fabrication No:
Engine type: 847-05 1397cc
Engine No.
Transmission: 330 4 speed
Year:1959
Colour: dark blue
Owner: 59 Floride
Status: Fully registered
Condition: Fully restored with engineering upgrades.
History: Fully restored by present owner and upgrades as follows: 'Caravelle' conversion, 1397 sierra motor, alternator conversion, 4 wheel disc brake conversion, R10 suspension, non standard instrumentation.
Going Concern: Yes
Email address: P.M. through AF

 

[HBBW]

Gidday everyone
I joined here a few weeks ago but am only now starting to see what I can do with my Floride. I love the look of the car, which was bought on a whim. I was looking at a Mercedes SL from the 1970-1980's but then saw this online and fel in love !!!!
I don't think there is many here in NZ. Its amazing its about 52 years old !
I will get some details of my Floride from the VIN plates and post them here. In the meantime read on.......
I have a 1961 Floride in Christchurch.
Bought as partly renovated and probably not much work to get back on the road. I'm working through that now.
I currently have crossply tyres on it being marked as 5.00/5.25/5.60 - 15 @ 4 ply rating on original rims.
A local tyre fitter says that the best Radial I can fit is a 145. Also the gear speed, fuel consumption, acceleration and speedo reading will be markedly different. I don't know that I agree.
Does anyone know what sizes of Radial tyres will fit it ?
Appreciate any suggestions from this forum.

 

[Simon]

A local tyre fitter says that the best Radial I can fit is a 145. Also the gear speed, fuel consumption, acceleration and speedo reading will be markedly different. I don't know that I agree.
Does anyone know what sizes of Radial tyres will fit it ?

Welcome aboard AF's. You need not really worry, as 145/80 x 15 was the original fitting on the 4" rims of the Floride. So the speedo error from the tyres alone will be minimal, component age of the speedo will likely be the only cause of error if any. It can always be checked with a GPS or similar.

 

[Sunroof]

This will tell you how to adjust your speedo. Written by a French man but in English. RCC Queensland Forum.
Floride S in Renaults in Australia Forum

 

[HBBW]

Thanks to all for the responses, I have more confidence now that i will be able to get the car back on the road.
I will keep using and referring to this forum with maybe the odd question thrown in.

 

[Carakeith]

Floride/Caravelle Register

VEHICLE DETAILS of interest...

Model: R1133
Chassis No. R1133 0123863
Diamond plate No. R1133 0123863
Fabrication No: 80 19183
Engine type: 847 / 705
Engine No. 050002744
Transmission: 4sp manual
Year: 1965
Colour: Gold
Owner: Robert Holmes
Status: Being rebuilt
Condition: Being restored/modified.
History: Fitted with a 1400 cc motor & 13” wheels. I am doing this car up as a favour for a friend whose grandfather bought it from the French Ambassador in 1965/66 & it has been in the family ever since. It had deteriorated due to the ravages of age, abuse & rust to he extent that it had to be completely rebuilt with the monocoque rails and sill panels with their internal bracing renewed, floor pans replaced, windscreen pillars rebuilt & much more. I never should have started it but after nearly 10 years on a spit we are nearly there. Currently back on it's wheels & going together well.
Going Concern: It will be.
Email address: keithkeating2@gmail.com


I am happy to post some before & during, pics when I can find out how to. & I am currently searching for a speedo/instrument panel assembly for it if anyone can help
​

 

[FloridePilot]

G’day Froggers,
first time poster, I found my Floride last year in a place called Yowah in Southwest Queensland. She came with 2 extra steering racks 2 spade radiators, 4:crazy: engines (2 are gordinis) and heaps of other bits and pieces. She is currently undergoing the beginnngs of her restoration. Might need some help from you guys for parts and tech avice along the way. I currently live in Charleville Queensland.
cheers
Shane

Model: 1092 Floride
Chassis No.
Diamond plate No. 004 1069
Fabrication No: 35521
Engine type: 670-05
Engine No. 35419
Transmission: 4 Spd manual
Year: 1960
Colour: Greenish rustish maybe
Owner: Yes
Status: restoring atm
Condition: restorable
History: Found in Yowah SW Queensland
Going Concern: Yes
Email address: pls PM via AF

 

[Stew H]

G’day Froggers,
first time poster, I found my Floride last year in a place called Yowah in Southwest Queensland. She came with 2 extra steering racks 2 spade radiators, 4:crazy: engines (2 are gordinis) and heaps of other bits and pieces. She is currently undergoing the beginnngs of her restoration. Might need some help from you guys for parts and tech avice along the way. I currently live in Charleville Queensland.
cheers
Shane

Model: 1092 Floride
Chassis No.
Diamond plate No. 004 1069
Fabrication No: 35521
Engine type: 670-05
Engine No. 35419
Transmission: 4 Spd manual
Year: 1960
Colour: Greenish rustish maybe
Owner: Yes
Status: restoring atm
Condition: restorable
History: Found in Yowah SW Queensland
Going Concern: Yes
Email address: pls PM via AF

Hi FloridePilot
My Father and I use to own your car!! We got it during 1986 (I think) as a spares car to help getting my Floride on the road. It came from a bloke at Bethania south of Brisbane and was not great back then! It really enabled my car to be returned to the road. In the next few years we followed up every Floride or Caravelle (hence the term FloCar) we heard about even if NOT for sale. Most should have been taken off the road as they were so poorly done. This lead me to comment that our Spare car (that we intened to wreck!) Was in better condition than 75% of the others we had seen, and we had seen 10 to 12! I think the thing about your and mine were they were Coupes with bolt on hardtops the same colour as the rest of the car. Most of the others were convertible with soft top and all sorts of rubbish!
So we decided to make your car complete again, which we did and sold it during 1995. Alas, it went to Nerang as that owners 5th and later around 2000ish went to Crows Nest, north of Toowoomba where at least 10 Florides were.

Before selling, it was 98% complete, missing steering wheel (a mound of dust under a wire core) and the 2 headlights.
The colour is called Borneo Green (renault paint number 911) note that these were exported fully completed and not painted in Aus like the locally assembled Dauphine, Dauphine Gordini and R8 etc which have BALM pty ltd Duco, dulon dulux paint colour. That colour was a metallic and looked stunning new. But only based from renault publicity pics.
I am so glad that the car survives and you think it restorable! The 3 tins of spray fisholene we sprayed on hopefully helped.
Good luck with the restoration and can I suggest joining the 4cv Register of Australia, JohnW is our President and some of our recent Floride Caravelle members are not active online. This is my first post and my Floride ownership goes back to 1986.
Cheers,
Stew.

 

[Stew H]

White dec1960 Floride

Hi,
I expected this to produce a 'form' to fill out to be in the register format, not sure what i have done wrong but i usually get stuff ups when computers are involved.
My Floride is oval 39403, diamond 42819 from a batch completed in dec 1960. But was sold new during 1963, i have the original documents but the delivery date is blank but the 'red book' has the original nsw rego plate as 1963, 24 months after being completed in France.
The car was registered in qld during 1975 with its current rego number. I got the car in 1986 while still at school after it had an argument with some armco at lakeside while powered by a 16TS engine (so 4cvg, a white 16 powered floride did exist, but it was not owned by any lawyer!!)
When i got it it was very damaged and incomplete, but the prior owners became very firm family friends and they even trailered the car to our home.
Where the mechanical were of no concern, the "floride" bits did, and we got a parts car to help us get it back on the road (that car i now owned by floridepilot)
I learnt to drive in it, many hours of fun driving country roads near our home, most with the roof off.
During the late 1990's, we got another Floride, this time a convertible that had a good soft top, but it was stuffed and the Floride world was better off with the car being wrecked. It's bits in3 or 4 cars at least. At one time this car had pretended to be shiny and red and likely conned a couple of buyers out of serious money until the true condition was realised.
So my coupe was then converted into a convertible. By this stage, we had learned that the quik release hardware for the hardtop was the rare stuff to find, yes coupe hardware is different, and our previous spare parts coupe had different hardware and it was10/60.
Sorry to prattle on, eng no is original 670 05 64905, although it currently has an 1100 fitted, although the current aim is to rebuild and refit the 670 05 engine.
Car is Kilamanjaro white, paint code 300. While i have known it, it has always been 12volts and fitted with disc brakes all round. Of course, was 6v with drum brakes originally.
Car has been used and enjoyed, hence milage likely over 200 000, but odo broke years.
For many many years, it was the only Floride (that we were aware of) on the road in qld, but since
2000 others have started to pop up.
Stew
PS i think i have known sunroof and many other qld renault fans since 1984.

 

[JohnW]

Great post Stewart! We're just home from 4,000 hectic km in France in a Caravelle for the Floride's 60th anniversary. What a happy coincidence with your old car's survival.

Good suggestion to join the Register too, as we can source some good people! As it happens, a man in Charleville joined the Register quite recently!! So I guess I know who FloridePilot is... He should have just received the latest Fourword. Small world eh.

Cheers

 

[Stew H]

Model: R1092 Floride
Chassis No.
Diamond plate No.24,396
Fabrication No: 19,822
Engine type:
Engine No.
Transmission:
Year:April 1960
Colour:Original colour Missippi Green Metalic, Black Roof
Owner:Sunroof
Status: May be restorable; or parts only
Condition: May be restorable; or parts only. Some parts missing. Right hand door, bumpers, wind screen, soft top.
History: Has had an R10 engine and gearbox fitted but cooling incorrectly done.
Going Concern: No.
Email address:

Hi sunroof,
Do you mean Borneo green, which is a r1092 colour and metallic?
Missisippi green is a solid colour Used on r1131. Dad's coupe was originally this colour.

Understand how originally can be very different current status, and florides take more abuse than most other renaults, must be those curvy lines!!!

 

[EDDIE T]

Just joined this forum, see your add wondering if you still have parts for sale?
Eddie.

 

[vivid]

Hi sunroof,
Do you mean Borneo green, which is a r1092 colour and metallic?
Missisippi green is a solid colour Used on r1131. Dad's coupe was originally this colour.

Understand how originally can be very different current status, and florides take more abuse than most other renaults, must be those curvy lines!!!

I'm going to have to ask sunroof if he has a copy of some of these broken link images he's posted?

 

[Stew H]

Just joined this forum, see your add wondering if you still have parts for sale?
Eddie.

Hi Eddie, assume you targeted this to me.
The car that we wrecked in the 1990's had no special Floride bits left. Someone had robbed them long before it was turned into a 'bitser' special. The dash was plywood with R12 VDO gauges, even front seats were gone when i got it.
The chassis was obviously twisted when i first saw it in the 1980's. Despite this, the front end had not been crashed, so i took my time in dismantling the front body work. Soon after the grapevine found out i had these bits and they weresold to the most deserving person. Rather than gathering dust, they helped fix a car that had had a front end prang.
Rust was everywhere, and with a bad rear end/side impact it needed to be wrecked. So alas i do not have parts to sell.
But i see you have made contact with others via your other thread.
Regards,
Stew.

 

[FloridePilot]

Hi FloridePilot
My Father and I use to own your car!! We got it during 1986 (I think) as a spares car to help getting my Floride on the road. It came from a bloke at Bethania south of Brisbane and was not great back then! It really enabled my car to be returned to the road. In the next few years we followed up every Floride or Caravelle (hence the term FloCar) we heard about even if NOT for sale. Most should have been taken off the road as they were so poorly done. This lead me to comment that our Spare car (that we intened to wreck!) Was in better condition than 75% of the others we had seen, and we had seen 10 to 12! I think the thing about your and mine were they were Coupes with bolt on hardtops the same colour as the rest of the car. Most of the others were convertible with soft top and all sorts of rubbish!
So we decided to make your car complete again, which we did and sold it during 1995. Alas, it went to Nerang as that owners 5th and later around 2000ish went to Crows Nest, north of Toowoomba where at least 10 Florides were.

Before selling, it was 98% complete, missing steering wheel (a mound of dust under a wire core) and the 2 headlights.
The colour is called Borneo Green (renault paint number 911) note that these were exported fully completed and not painted in Aus like the locally assembled Dauphine, Dauphine Gordini and R8 etc which have BALM pty ltd Duco, dulon dulux paint colour. That colour was a metallic and looked stunning new. But only based from renault publicity pics.
I am so glad that the car survives and you think it restorable! The 3 tins of spray fisholene we sprayed on hopefully helped.
Good luck with the restoration and can I suggest joining the 4cv Register of Australia, JohnW is our President and some of our recent Floride Caravelle members are not active online. This is my first post and my Floride ownership goes back to 1986.
Cheers,
Stew.

HI Stew,

Sorry for the slow reply, life and work get in the way.

thanks for the info, very interesting indeed, I found Flo in a small town called Yowah, we moved her to Charleville and started to do some work on her, we have since moved to Rockhampton, where she now resides. Unfortunately I haven't gotten back to work on her but plans are a foot to start again early next year
She does need a FULL resto, but all signs are it can be done.
cheer
Shane