Car People Are the Best

"Jonee" (Jonee) 09/07/2016 at 19:38 • Filed to: None

13

26

So, the engine in my Le Car demolished itself which bummed me out. And, I’m thinking, “where the fuck am I going to find another Renault Le Car engine?” Well, one Facebook post later, and the fine folks from the Renault Club have found me 5. Now I want four more Le Car bodies. Thank you car guys.

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > Jonee 09/07/2016 at 19:44

3

I have this weird love for LeCar. Probably driven by its name being LeCar.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Jonee 09/07/2016 at 19:47

1

you’re not going to turn it into a turbo?

Jonee > OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars 09/07/2016 at 19:47

3

As grammatically dubious as it is, the name don’t lie. Can’t say that about a lot of cars.

Jonee > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 09/07/2016 at 19:48

0

I wish. I don’t possess that kind of magic.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Jonee 09/07/2016 at 19:52

0

You just need about $93,000...

Alex Zapata > Jonee 09/07/2016 at 20:05

0

If you ever struggle for Renault resources I’m pretty sure in Mexico there are plenty, they were made here for a while when this car was going on.

Jonee > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 09/07/2016 at 20:06

1

Exactly

LongbowMkII > Jonee 09/07/2016 at 20:27

0

Interested in a 1.6l Renault?

LongbowMkII > Jonee 09/07/2016 at 20:28

1

I have a Fuego motor....

Jonee > LongbowMkII 09/07/2016 at 20:44

0

That’s interesting. I’ll have to research what I’d need to do to make it work. Where are you? It would certainly give me a little more punch.

LongbowMkII > Jonee 09/07/2016 at 21:06

0

Central KY. They’re 843's. Keeping the Gordini for the time being haha. One's carbed one's FI. Both need rebuilding I'd assume, haven't really messed with them.

Jonee > LongbowMkII 09/07/2016 at 21:21

1

I’m in L.A. If I start feeling really ambitious, I’ll let you know. Actually, there’s a guy out here with a 5 speed and transaxle out of an R17 Gordini on Craigslist. My car already has this paint job if you do want to part with your Gordini...

Jobjoris > Jonee 09/09/2016 at 03:40

1

Oh no!!! Well, I’m glad you seem to be working it out. Swapping that engine will exceed your 10 minute time-frame though, how are you gonna manage that?

Jonee > Jobjoris 09/11/2016 at 02:58

1

I know. It’s going to require me digging deep. But, it’ll be a lot quicker and easier than rebuilding the motor that’s in there. That potentially could have turned into years. I’ve lifted the motor out before, so I’m kind of familiar with the process.

Jobjoris > Jonee 09/11/2016 at 07:21

1

Haha, I took out the 02's enging by lifting it out. Afterwards I heard dropping it would have been so much easier...

What happened to the old engine?

Jonee > Jobjoris 09/11/2016 at 19:35

1

Ah, yeah. It looks tricky getting it out that way. That’s quite an angle. There’s too much under the Le Car’s motor to drop it. And it’s small enough that lifting it out is pretty easy. The hardest thing is putting all the smog hoses back in the right place.

It overheated and blew the head gasket and I’m afraid that there’s more than the just the gasket that got f’d up since it won’t stay cool now and sounds a little noisy.

Jobjoris > Jonee 09/12/2016 at 03:11

1

We did have to cut up the anti-roll bar in the process. We should have known better...

Doesn’t any car that blew the headgasket have issues staying cool? Shouldn’t make much more noise though...

Jonee > Jobjoris 09/12/2016 at 03:24

1

Whoa. Yeah, cutting up suspension pieces doesn’t seem like the right way to remove an engine. I doubt that’s how the shop manual tells you to do it.

Yes, the head gasket will prevent it from circulating water. I just didn’t want to replace the head gasket only to then find out I had to rebuild the whole thing, or have it fall apart in a month. So, I figured this was easiest.

Jobjoris > Jonee 09/12/2016 at 05:01

1

The only manual I read is that 5-speed! I’m a man, I’ll figure it out!

I still don’t get it. Just take of the head, have it flattened and get another gasket? Why is there an entire rebuild needed?

Jonee > Jobjoris 09/13/2016 at 00:24

1

And like a man, you did figure it out. In the most ass backward, awkward way possible.

Because the noise is coming from the bottom end. It may have bent a rod.

Jobjoris > Jonee 09/13/2016 at 03:48

1

Ouch. On both.

Jonee > Jobjoris 09/14/2016 at 01:17

0

Depending on how you read that, it does sound painful.

Spridget > Jonee 09/18/2016 at 21:09

1

Dudddddeeee. That totally sucks, especially considering how much work you’ve put into it already. How did it gernade?

Jonee > Spridget 09/18/2016 at 22:21

0

I know. I’ll have pretty much replaced everything when this is done. I even have some body panels, so it’s really going to be a Le Frankenstein Car. It overheated, blew the head gasket and bent a rod. At least, that’s what I’m guessing. It’s gotten pretty noisy.

Spridget > Jonee 09/18/2016 at 22:45

0

Are you going to do a full repaint? If you do, you’d better keep it in the same colors, because the black with red is really a great look. I think some people swap hopped-up R17(?) engines into these for a faster car; maybe you should go that route and build Le Hot Rod. Or find a wrecked Tesla and turn it into a modern Lectric Leopard . . . .

Ouch; are these prone to overheating, or was this just a climate/old engine/seals thing? My understanding is that these things are really hard to kill.

Jonee > Spridget 09/18/2016 at 23:01

0

I’m putting a 1.4 in. The dead engine is a 1.3, so that’ll be good for 3 or 4 horsepower.

I lost the water pump belt and things dominoed from there. It doesn’t have a gauge, just an idiot light that I guess doesn’t work. They are pretty durable for such a cheap car. This is my fourth and my others were all reliable as anything else I’ve ever owned. This one just sat for 15 years and that kills a car. You bet it’s staying that color combo. That was called the Black Beauty Edition. I can’t change that.