Vintage Car Thread - Discussion and Parts Requests

[LizzieMaine]

How was the Nash? My Grandpa's first car was a Nash he bought new in 1949.

It was the first car I remember -- a big white '56 sedan. Had the fold-down seat and the whole bit, although I could never understand why anybody would want a bed in their car.

It lasted quite a while until the day my father tried to start it in 10 below weather and cracked the block. He traded it in on the Renault, which was the last straw for the marriage, I think.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I think they aimed those beds toward businessmen, but something tells me that it wasn't the big draw for many.

I've yet to meet anybody who had a Renault and liked it.

It was the first car I remember -- a big white '56 sedan. Had the fold-down seat and the whole bit, although I could never understand why anybody would want a bed in their car.

It lasted quite a while until the day my father tried to start it in 10 below weather and cracked the block. He traded it in on the Renault, which was the last straw for the marriage, I think.

 

[rjb1]

I think if I were married I would divorce someone who bought a Renault. One of my cousins bought one and I couldn't dissolve the blood-relationship, but I never trusted her judgement after that.

Surprised to hear that your grandfather switched brands. Around here that's like changing religions - at least among the car enthusiasts. "My pappy drove a Chevy and what was good enough for him is good enough for me." (Mine did, and so do I...)

I think Nash's must have been somewhat regional in buying taste. I never knew anyone (or anyone's parents or grandparents) who had one. May be a partial reason they went out of business.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I always thought the Renault had a certain dopey charm, although I know my mother disagreed. "Looks like one of them things you put a dime in to ride on out in front of W. T. Grants."

We always pronounced it "Ren-awlt." To this day the French pronunciation sounds unbearably pretentious. It's a Renawlt, dammit.

 

[jamespowers]

I always thought the Renault had a certain dopey charm, although I know my mother disagreed. "Looks like one of them things you put a dime in to ride on out in front of W. T. Grants."

We always pronounced it "Ren-awlt." To this day the French pronunciation sounds unbearably pretentious. It's a Renawlt, dammit.

Your mother was right. That thing is ugly. I see Renault was making cars for circus clowns.

 

[jamespowers]

I think they aimed those beds toward businessmen, but something tells me that it wasn't the big draw for many.

I've yet to meet anybody who had a Renault and liked it.

The Makeout Nash. :eyebrows:

 

[jamespowers]

Excellent! Would love to see some pics when you get a chance.

I only have one handy:

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Well, they built them in Kenosha, and my family is from Milwaukee, so it was fairly local lol

I think Nash's must have been somewhat regional in buying taste. I never knew anyone (or anyone's parents or grandparents) who had one. May be a partial reason they went out of business.

I didn't know there was a different way to pronounce it!

We always pronounced it "Ren-awlt." To this day the French pronunciation sounds unbearably pretentious. It's a Renawlt, dammit.

 

[jamespowers]

I didn't know there was a different way to pronounce it!

You know the French pronounce everything differently.

 

[1mach1]

I only have one handy:

Very nice. The red line tires look nice!

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Redlines are always the way to go on a muscle car from that era.

 

[rjb1]

We also called it "Renawlt", except with a Southern accent. That would probably *really* annoy the French. (Good!)

 

[TheSacredFemme]

You know the French pronounce everything differently.

Haha! And Americans always insist on pronouncing everything foreign incorrectly.

 

[jamespowers]

Redlines are always the way to go on a muscle car from that era.

They make it look like a matchbox car.

 

[jamespowers]

Haha! And Americans always insist on pronouncing everything foreign incorrectly.

Because it isn't English---we make it that way.

 

[Stanley Doble]

I think they aimed those beds toward businessmen, but something tells me that it wasn't the big draw for many.

I've yet to meet anybody who had a Renault and liked it.

I had a Renault and loved it. A 1984 LeCar, I bought it off the back of a car lot for $400. It was only 4 years old. I replaced the blown head gasket and it was good as new. Then I waxed it and detailed it, and it was like a brand new car. The dealer I bought it from saw me driving it one day. He saw how beautiful it looked and how nice it ran, and after that he would never sell me a car again lol.

I drove that car for several years then traded it on another car and got $1500. A few years after that, I spotted it abandoned at a garage and bought it back for $35. It would not start, the starter was shot. I installed a used starter ($25) dried off the distributor cap and away it went.

Drove it for 2 or 3 more years, then the clutch went out. It sat in my yard for a couple of months, then a neighbor bought it for $50, did a clutch job and drove it a few more years.

The car was an absolute blast to drive. It had the big engine (1400cc vs 800cc standard). It went like hell for a small car and it got 45MPG no matter how hard I drove it. This was pretty sensational at the time, I was used to a 1600cc VW beetle that was slower, and only got 26MPG.

At the time I didn't think much of Renaults but, at $400 for a 4 year old car you can afford to be a little chancy. I must say I got more than my money's worth out of it.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

If anybody had a Renault and liked it, I would have guessed it'd be you!

 

[Peter_E]

I've yet to meet anybody who had a Renault and liked it.

We also called it "Renawlt", except with a Southern accent. That would probably *really* annoy the French. (Good!)

Because it isn't English---we make it that way.

It's reassuring to see that the good ol' US traditions of hubris and xenophobia are flourishing!

Renault makes great engines that power Fornula 1 cars: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_in_Formula_One

Oh .. sorry ... it's not NASCAR so it doesn't count ... Right!! My mistake ... Sorry, sorry - I do apologize!

 

[AtomicEraTom]

That's where my automotive dreams began.

They make it look like a matchbox car.

Good to know I'm a xenophobe because I've never met anybody (aside from Mr. Doble) who had a Renault and liked it. We had one, it was junk. It's a statement of personal experience, nothing more, nothing less.

I think perhaps some are too quick to dismiss anybody who has an opinion different from theirs as some sort of bigoted individual.

It's reassuring to see that the good ol' US traditions of hubris and xenophobia are flourishing!

Renault makes great engines that power Fornula 1 cars: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_in_Formula_One

Oh .. sorry ... it's not NASCAR so it doesn't count ... Right!! My mistake ... Sorry, sorry - I do apologize!

 

[Stearmen]

It's reassuring to see that the good ol' US traditions of hubris and xenophobia are flourishing!

Renault makes great engines that power Fornula 1 cars: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_in_Formula_One

Oh .. sorry ... it's not NASCAR so it doesn't count ... Right!! My mistake ... Sorry, sorry - I do apologize!

You must not be old enough to remember them back in the 70s! They were junk. Now Citroën, I know a lot of Americans who loved the DS. Still one of the coolest cars of all times!