Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[62rebel]

A Dauphine has come up for sale locally; quite odd for this area to say the least. it is a 1957 model and quite complete with the exception of several square feet of lacey bottom metal.... enough to scare an experienced Ford Falcon enthusiast like myself. how difficult would this car be in comparison to any other, notwithstanding the local rarity, in sourcing repair panels, or am i relegated to fabricating them on my own?

she really is quite attractive from twenty feet away.... lovely wool interior and even a sliding roof insert.

assuming i buy this car, are engine and drivetrain parts still obtainable?
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nothing is ever so far gone as to be unsalvageable. see this bolt?.....

[Scotty]

Perhaps worth a visit if you haven't already done so - Renault Owners Club of North America

This is a copy of a post from the 'Rear Engined' forum, dated 07.23.11 -

Hi , We got a big lot of parts for these models, while available.
Reach me at (786)546-4552 Eastern Daytime from 9:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. EASTERN. for quotes.
Thanks;
RENAULT SOURCE

Came across this link on the same forum about a member there who has a Renault Dauphine. Funnily enough if memory serves me correctly I believe he's a member here as well as his Mini pick-up rings a bell.

Scotty.

[62rebel]

well; lucky for me i didn't make a deal for it, as Monday i was made "redundant" by our recently arrived General Manager... then again, now i have lots of free time while i collect unemployment. i might call the seller and see what offer he will entertain.
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nothing is ever so far gone as to be unsalvageable. see this bolt?.....

[Roger-hatchy]

Sorry to hear you are out of work Rebel, not too long we hope.

As to the Dauphine, not had personal experience but a friend had one in the early 70's.
If I remember right it was a reliable little car, he also had a Caravelle convertible.

Both susceptible to the tin worm, as were most cars of that era.

Roger

[62rebel]

my manager was more upset with the decision than i am. it means he has to return to the counter and do without a third person and still keep sales up.... i can collect UI for up to a year if needed.

in the dealership world, we have a motto; General Managers are like diapers... often full of ....... and about to be changed. they come onboard and bring their own cronies along, replacing established personnel whom they can't cow with their attitude. karma will make itself known soon.

back on topic; i was charmed by the little car and still might inquire as to what the seller will take for it. any car with the radiator behind the rear seat, the spare tire under the boot, and virtually no mod-cons of any kind is just begging to take a place on my drive.
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nothing is ever so far gone as to be unsalvageable. see this bolt?.....

[smiffy220]

Hope you find a job soon mate. My cousin was not long ago made redundant as service manager at a Chevrolet dealership in Louisiana that he had worked at since leaving school. He's 48 now!!

As for the Dauphine, I don't know anything about them either. I just remember my father in law telling me quite often that one of his brothers used to have one, and what a hateful thing it was. He never had one good word to say about it. He said it was poorly built and always going wrong. Must admit, I'm not a French car fan myself, they always seem too complicated, cheaply made and over engineered to me, so do check it all out thoroughly before you buy it mate.

Good luck,

Dave
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Born to rally, forced to work!

1980 Opel Manta 2.0 SR Berlinetta
1934 Morris Cowley Four (my late fathers)

[peter scott]

Back in the 1960s they used to be quite a common sight in the UK but they have a very light weight construction and little corrosion resistance so they are an extremely rare sight here today. With the engine in the rear I remember them as being quite quiet and comfortable relative to cars like the Morris Minor.

The mechanicals start out from the little Renault 750 and continue after the Dauphine in various more boxy saloons with larger, 1100 cc engines. There is probably a rather higher survival rate in the rather pretty soft top Fourides and Caravelles that used the same series of rear engined mechanicals.

Peter

p.s. I hope things pickup for you on the job scene.
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https://www.nostalgiatech.co.uk
1939 SS Jaguar 2 1/2 litre saloon

[62rebel]

many thanks for the encouraging words, mates; well appreciated. had a lengthy text conversation with my manager last night; he was apologetic to a fault and i assured him i felt no ill towards him, or the dealership itself for that matter.
regarding the Renault, i could see where the search for economy made itself an enemy to the car and therefore the owner. no rustproofing at all, very light gauge metal, primitive plastics and dozens if not hundreds of damp-traps and mud-traps built into the bodywork.
i think i shall pass on this particular car, not because of the situation or my skill level concerning how much it needs; but because i hope someone with more Renault experience will take her in. IMHO she deserves better than i can give her.
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nothing is ever so far gone as to be unsalvageable. see this bolt?.....

[Jim.Walker]

Even new, the torsional rigidity of the Dauphine body was questionable.
So thin was the metal that it could actually be dented in places with your thumb. There was always a constant flow of Dauphines with cracked windscreens returning to the agents next to where I work. I think the winscreen added a lot to the rigidity of the car - until it broke!
Around the 1950s they were a very popular car, but only I think because the Dauphine had no waiting list and most (British) cars had a waiting list of months or even years.
Even so. I used to lust for the Floride which I thought the prettiest car I had ever seen.
Jim.
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Quote from my late Dad:- You only need a woman and a car and you have all the problems you
are ever likely to want". Computers had not been invented then!

[Kelsham]

I can confirm they were made of Baco foil. I had one nice and quiet to ride in, poor handling due to rear engine and swing arm suspension.

Needed good tyres, Known at the time as the Roll over Renault.
I spun mine in the road, three spins for luck. You had to keep your foot on the accelerator when cornering.
When the car started to slide on me I kept my foot down until the large hoarding I was facing became too intimidating.

I went to buy some secondhand spares for mine. The advertiser had turned his car over on a roundabout.

Disposed of it and went to the predictable handling of a mini.


Regards Kels.

[Jim.Walker]

[Scotty]

[Churchill Johnson]

Some other's come to mind with the same trait VW beetle,Triumph Herald,M/B pre-war the VW i did the same, lethal in wet condition's,mind you did the same with my present Citreon zx estate on a roundabout not going fast but with weight in the back and to much throttle, other motorist's must have thought mad grey haired idiot!.

[Kelsham]

Yes you are right I was going round a gentle left hand bend at the time, I kept the power on as she began to slide, unfortunately the slide went too far and I was pointing directly at a large hoarding. Seemed pointless to power through it.

In defence of the Dauphine which i had just bought, someone had replaced one rear tyre with a crossply to match the three Michelin x tyres.

It was rusting away underneath at an incredible rate. My friend was dating a French girl at the time and when I complained about French cars she told me that the French would spray old engine oil on the undersides once a year.

My comment that there was enough lack of grip without adding oil, was met with a gallic shrug which indicated a Frenchman would have no problem.

Regards Kels.

[peter scott]