Renault 16 Appreciation Thread

[DStragic]

Hi All,
Taking inspiration from a very popular thread on the Citroen Forum regarding the DS, I thought it was time to start a R16 thread for all to submit photos and celebrate this wonderful car. So start trolling the web, or your old photos and take snaps of your own wonderful 16's.

Happy 50th anniversary Renault 16!

Here is my beauty - 1976 16ts 4spd manual . Changed the front to chrome (I like it better than the black plastic). Currently in the workshop getting the bodywork fixed and resprayed in the same colour Avocado Green. Watch this space

 

[DStragic]

 

[DStragic]

http://www.motorstown.com/images/renault-16-tl-05.jpg

 

[Kim Luck]

Cherry Red R16 1968

 

[Kim Luck]

Not my car but me driving.....

 

[schlitzaugen]

You lucky bastard.

One of the most beautiful cars Reno has come up with.

Tell me, back then, did you feel like you had a better car than the opposition, or did you feel somewhat of an unlucky outsider hoping that one of the "big" guys would spot you and offer you a job?

 

[Sunroof]

http://www.motorstown.com/images/renault-16-tl-05.jpg

An interesting site with a whole raft of R16 photos for all versions TL, TS, TX etc. One way to get paid for advertising hits. Put up pictures of cars and they will come. In fact a lot of other interesting car photos on there as well.

 

[JohnW]

Good idea!

Here are three of mine:

1. Easter camping in South Australia in about 1982, ours being the dark green 16TS Special
2. Early 16TS at Collingrove Hillclimb (NOT an ideal hillclimb car)
3. 16TS in the first London-Sydney Marathon, in the Flinders Ranges - being 1967 this was the first 16 I ever saw.

Wonderful cars.

 

[JohnW]

And a one of the original cutaway drawings from the UK Autocar and Motor magazines. I bought two of them on an internet auction years ago and they are sensational in detail.

 

[Kim Luck]

You lucky bastard.

One of the most beautiful cars Reno has come up with.

Tell me, back then, did you feel like you had a better car than the opposition, or did you feel somewhat of an unlucky outsider hoping that one of the "big" guys would spot you and offer you a job?

Of course one had an air of superiority driving a Renault back then. I rallied the R16 absolutely stock, yet could still match Reg Mort's times in the ex Zasada London-Sydney Porsche 911 on some sections.

 

[Kim Luck]

The nominated driver is F. Reust, a Swiss,

entered by the Blick Racing Team. The sole Renault, they finished 43rd.

 

[JohnW]

View attachment 70433

The nominated driver is F. Reust, a Swiss,

entered by the Blick Racing Team. The sole Renault, they finished 43rd.

It was very exciting to see it as an 18-year old, camped on the Blinman road, I can tell you!

I thought there had been an all-woman team from Ireland too, in a 16. Must dig out a book.

Thanks for that information. I wonder how his front wishbones survived....

 

[schlitzaugen]

If course one had an air of superiority driving a Renault back then. I rallied the R16 absolutely stock, yet could still match Reg Mort's times in the ex Zasada London-Sydney Porsche 911 on some sections.

I am just trying to understand what was the "feeling" around these cars which must have been somewhat exotic at the time around here, in the world of english cars and Holdens/Fords. I am sure as an insider you knew better, but I assume one might still have a certain feeling of - I don't know - insecurity? After all the R16 was not back then a proven quantity.

Looking at your picture, it gives a feeling the car was very easy to drive.

 

[Kim Luck]

I'd already owned an R10 when I got the R16 new, and it was much easier to drive, although it could suffer from terminal understeer and terminal oversteer in one corner! Something you could put to good use when you got it all worked out! The best part was the suspension and the seats, you hardly felt a bump unless you had been airborne for some time. Funnily enough they were a very fast cruiser......

 

[JohnW]

I am just trying to understand what was the "feeling" around these cars which must have been somewhat exotic at the time around here, in the world of english cars and Holdens/Fords. I am sure as an insider you knew better, but I assume one might still have a certain feeling of - I don't know - insecurity? After all the R16 was not back then a proven quantity.

Looking at your picture, it gives a feeling the car was very easy to drive.

My clear recollection at the time was huge satisfaction bordering on smugness, with 16 owners flashing their lights at each other (unlike Holdens, a quick flash was easy!) and a sense of great pleasure at just how well they drove. The only issue sometimes was French nuclear testing, which did generate a bit of heat sometimes, at least for my father.

 

[boleropilot]

testing

testing

 

[Sunroof]

testing

Don't just test go for it boleropilot. We need photos and story about your 16.

 

[kiwia110]

Here is a pic from a couple of years back

 

[boleropilot]

this is one of the reasons I love 16s - this was taken in the early '80s
we had quite a few 16s, the first one was light brown, bought on the Magic Mile - they were desperate to sell it, they gave us twice as much as we expected for old 1200 beetle...
on the way home we had to park at the side of the road and flag down the first Renault that came along so the driver could show us how to turn the lights on!!!
we had a white one and the lovely yellow one in the pic - the boat trailed beautifully behind the 16
many wonderful weekends spent running about the northern section of Moreton Bay, me, the missus, and two corgis...

 

[boleropilot]

the Boss was not happy about me hill-climbing our 16TS at Echo Valley in Toowoomba - went up the hill as quiet as a mouse, but when they called out the time, everybody looked at each other and said "what"????
won my class (1600-2000cc every time - anybody who knows Echo Valley will know that my PB of 52.62 seconds is VB fast...
and now to my recent purchase, the 1976 TS purchased recently from a little old lady in Toowoomba
broke every rule in the book, I did - talk about rose coloured glasses...
trailered the lil' baby home thanks to the loan of a great trailer from Sunroof - thanks mate!
got home and then (finally) started looking a lot closer - here we go:
dimples on the outside of the frond guards aligned with the front axle points line up perfectly with cracks in the inner guards
starter motor makes 'buggered ring gear/starter gear noises' but after inspection, they are fine
some damage to underneath, looks like it may have been bush-bashed at some time
slight rust in lower doors and sills - dints on roof look like some big hail hits, but they are not
bonnet has some paint missing that may be indicative of a fire under the bonnet - two of the spark plug extensions appear fire damaged
big bullseyes in the windscreen that will necessitate a new windscreen for roadworthy pass
rust in behind the left headlight, bog filler obvious on metal behind grille, probably connected with front end hit that cracked inner guards and dimpled mudguards
good news -
engine starts and runs, no smoke, a little rough running but it's been sitting for 8 years
I work at a shop that has an automotive workshop, so I have access to cheap parts/oil/hoist/labour
interior is virtually spotless and everything works
I have driven it for about 2km (to the local panel-beater, quote forthcoming)
bottom line:
I will end up being the custodian of a wonderful little car that I adore (that I have paid twice as much as it is worth) and I am comfortable with that
sorry about the length of the post, red wine tends to make one a little chatty...
BP