Getting Music In

I won an ebay auction to buy an original Renault 4L auto radio console allowing us to put in a entertainment system. This will be the project to start with after I come back from holidays. I plan to put in a descent CD, MP3, USB capable auto radio (50 euro for an LG at Norauto.fr), 1 to 4 speakers depending on space allowed by the consol and easiness of putting wires. And also I need a Cigar lighter to be able to power my TomTom. So This will be the first project. Left is an image of the auto radio console bought today.

Fun has started

Last Saturday I thought of getting the 4L out for a tour as it has been a week since I last drove it. I tried to start it but in vain. So I pushed it out of the house (easy job) and as I live ont he top of a hill I wanted to start it as I go down the hill, I tried a couple of times and still no success. My wife and aneighbour helped push me to the next down hill and this time it worked but as i stopped near a junction the engine stalled again. So Next down hill until I found myself some 5 Km far from the house and no more downhills :). I figured out by remembering some old experience on my father old car (a descent Renault 18) that playing with the starter button in and out could have different impact on the amount of air you inject to the engine and therefore you could make it start faster but you need to cancel that so you get better power from the engine to go up hill. This tickled my mind as I was rememebering this old outdated knowledge. Last time I used my father previous car was 10 years ago. 

So I fiddled with the starter and was succesful on starting it and arrive back home finding my wife starting her car to get out and search for me :) The neighbour was worried too.

on Sunday, I decided to take out again and go for a shopping trip to Decathlon. No issue this time and the car started in 1st go. Arriving to Decathlon, I could not lock my door with a key. I discovered that I broke the only key I have for this monster. I belive it happened due to the excessive force on it while I was trying to start it the day before. I rushed to a Key maker but he said he had no similar key in house and he will need to order it and it will take 10 days. The trouble is the car is stuck in a Casino Geant parking, unlocked and I go in holidays in 5 days :(. the last thing I needed. So i called a taxi, got all of us home and got my car. I headed to Anthy sur Lemans but I found the key maker closed there. In the night I searched some horror stories on Auto forums and some people talked of 300+ euros to change everything... So I decided that if tomorrow, I do not find a solution I will call the assistance and bring it home before I go on holidays. I called the assistance and they quoted me 100 euro as the distance is small and they do not apply Km price.

On Monday, I headed again to Anthy sur Leman and managed to get the key maker to copy a new key from the broken one. Super job done and i was able to start it and took it home. so No big deal this time except the taxi fair and two 70 km trips to Anthy but Fun has definitely started

Finally We Got It

Hi, 

We finally got one, after few weeks of research, contacts and negotiations, we are the proud owners of a Renault 4L. We went yesterday to close the deal and bring it back home.

After arranging the garage in the morning to accommodate the new comer, we drove on Mouna's car to Lyon suburbs, met the seller, signed all the paper work & got it.

Coming back home was fun, a mixture of fear, adventure, happiness...everything really. I was afraid the 4L will not make it home. Given that it dates from 1981 and to arrive home we need to pass by some steep hills through the Alps and I was afraid that it will heat, catch fire...

The trip was great. After stopping at Mcdo for a quick lunch, Hiba joined me on the 4L and as we had no entertainment system we had to find a way to kill time. from I spy with my little eye something starting with X, to I spy with my little eye 4 words starting with M, I, N, B (Mummy Is Not Behind - When we lost trace of Mouna behind us  :)) we managed to fill the lack of entertainment system. Hiba enjoyed changing gears in this car.

After a steep hill (First really steep one), I stopped to check if everything is OK and it was the case. No serious heating, water is still there... It was also a chance to get Nada with me instead of Hiba. She also enjoyed it and we played her special way of I spy with my little eye...She also put her hand on the gears.

We arrived home at 7:30 after a good 3 hours and a half (Usually we make 2 hours using the highway)

It looks like the 4L is a good one, we did not have a single problem on this first long trip (200 Km) and we hope that it will remain like this.

We will post some photos later.