One of the best and most rewards part of what we do here at Barn Finds is hearing that we helped someone save a classic car, especially one that the new owner is truly passionate about. So when we heard from Readers Christian and Philip about the Renault R10 that they purchased after finding it here on Barn Finds, we knew we just had to post their story!

From Christian & Philip – Here are some pictures and the story of the 1967 Renault R10 we purchased off of a Barn Finds posting. Here’s the link to the post that started it all – 32,000 Mile R-10: 1967 Renault 10

So, first of all, let’s be clear. I’m a French car fiend – I’ve owned Citroen DS’ since I graduated college in 2004 and drive a Peugeot 505 turbodiesel wagon every day to work. With that said I was shocked to find out my husband has always wanted a Renault R10. Turns out he had wonderful childhood memories of his friend’s mom driving them around in one in the mid-1970’s and he loved how quirky and small they were. So when this little gem came up on Barn Finds (with original Michelin tires no less!) he was ready to pull the trigger. The seller was great, he was totally open that the car had been sitting for a long time and there were no brakes but, per your own write-up, it was clearly a very nice original car with (verified on PPI) NO RUST!!

So it seemed like it was meant to be! We bought Louis (his official name) and shipped him from Pennsylvania to Seattle. When he arrived he was exactly as I expected to find. A nice, unmolested, but needing help – original. We drove him off the truck and up our driveway for an assessment. First off…as promised…no brakes. No pedal even. But the handbrake worked so there was that! All the rubber was original. The coolant hoses were solid rubber with no reinforcing cords and the original twist type clamps. The toolkit was there, so was the owners manual and registration from 1970. I noticed a howl from the water pump so it was time to source some parts.

Working the internet, and the fact we also have a Renault 4CV…different story…we were able to source a master cylinder from Argentina, a water pump from France, a water pump housing from Seattle (!!), new brake pads and caliper rebuild kits from California, and new brake hoses from France. We also sourced four new rims to put Firestone tires on so we could save the original wheels and Michelin tires.

First I went to work on the brakes – I did all the work myself. The master cylinder was quite difficult to extract from the car. I felt like they started with a master cylinder and built a whole car around it! The sub-frame and front suspension made it REALLY hard to get out. Patience paid off and, after reinstalling the new master, I went to work on the calipers. They were VERY cruddy. I disassembled, wire brushed, honed, baked (a toaster oven is really useful in the garage), honed again, and rebuilt all four calipers. They are an interesting floating design with one piston per caliper and cast in aluminum. With the brakes going we were feeling bold so we decided to take a chance and drive him about 15 miles (plus a ferry crossing) to see some other French car friends.

All was going well…we zoomed down the highway, boarded the ferry, and just after disembarking – nearing the crest of a hill….Louis died. Quick roadside diagnosis and it was clear there was no fuel being delivered. A call to AAA got it to our friend’s house where, after ordering an electric low-pressure fuel pump, we were able to get him off Vashon Island and back home to Seattle. That’s when things really fell apart. All the original coolant hoses just split and started leaking like crazy! It was at that point where he was taken off the road until everything could be gone thru.

So…after replacing the fuel pump, all the coolant hoses, the water pump, housing, belts, and doing some cosmetic work at the radiator so it didn’t look so rusty it was time for a road test! Except for the puddle of brake fluid coming out the left rear. Ahhh..c’est la vie…I happen to have another rebuild kit. Now that I’d done it four times it was quick and easy to rebuild and seat the gaskets again and guess what?! It stops really well! Four-wheel disc brakes are a bit overkill on a car this size but it does inspire confidence now!

I’m happy to report that there are no electrical issues at all. The car has all functioning lights and works as designed. All that needed to be done was to freshen up the brakes and coolant system. Then it was time to work on the paint.

You guys called it when you said it was too good to repaint. Fortunately, we live not far from Griotts headquarters where they are happy to have you bring a car down and give their opinion of the paint. They thought it would be easy to bring back and so, after some purchases I went to work. With the help of a friend and over the course of a weekend we went to work cleaning, polishing, waxing, and buffing all the paint, chrome, aluminum trim, and glass. The results speak for themselves. The car looks amazing and has so far taken us all over town – zipping in and out of traffic, dealing with traffic jams, and buzzing along happily down the freeway! Now that everything is sorted I’ve learned they are quite simple and robust machines and I dare say I don’t expect any trouble from little Louis for a long, long time!

Thanks, Barn Finds! You’ve saved another!

Kind Regards,
Christian & Philip

Our thanks to these two for sharing this Success Story with us! It looks like this little Renault cleaned up nicely and should proved them with lots of fun memories. If you have purchased a classic car as a result of seeing it here on Barn Finds, we sure would love to hear about it. You can send your story to [email protected]!