Renault 14 GTL

carchaeologist

This is such a rarity i thought it deserved its own thread. Is this the only 14 in the country? It was at a local show today and its a minter! When was the last time you saw one?!

Collibosher

That's a beauty.

My father had one sometime around the early 80's. Think it was the first car he owned with electric windows, quite a novelty at the time!

His was the TS model in blue, one of the many Renaults he owned. As you say, never seen on the roads these days, much like the later 11's and 19's which seem to have vanished also.

Saab Ed

Its not the only one. There's one with a collector in Dundalk IIRC.

john reilly

god they were ugly

Renotec

Collibosher wrote: »

That's a beauty.

Certainly is a very smart R14. Peugeot engine and all!

carchaeologist

Renotec wrote: »

Certainly is a very smart R14. Peugeot engine and all!

And that engine is canted over at some angle too. No problem fit the spare wheel over it. What peugeots had that engine fitted? It's a seriously comfortable car to sit in.

unfit2006

If I remember correctly, some of the spark plugs were almost impossible to get at due to the angle that the engine was mounted.
Also seem to remember that they had a tendency to chew camshafts.
Same engine was fitted in the Peugeot 104 and also the Talbot Samba but they may have been easier to service in those cars due to the incline of the engine.
Lovely comfy car however.

Renotec

carchaeologist wrote: »

And that engine is canted over at some angle too. No problem fit the spare wheel over it. What peugeots had that engine fitted? It's a seriously comfortable car to sit in.

The engine came from the Peugeot 104 series. Renault licensed the unit so they could race ahead of time and launch the R14. In those days engine cross licensing was easy as the Peugeot 604 used the renault Z engine for many years.
The R14 was a great car to work on. Very fast and reasonably economical for its day. However not that easy to work on.
Most difficult job was the head gasket as you had to take the engine out. Also in the days before electronic ignition the points and condensor was not a job to be given on a Monday morning.
Worst warranty issues: rear boot door rust. Reverse idle gear rattle.

For me a worthwhile project would be to marry an R14 with a R19 energy engine. That is if an RHD body could be aquired in good condition.

carchaeologist

Thanks for the insight Renotec. The owner of the above had a 14 in his younger days and rated them highly, hence the purchase of the white car.
Here is a shot of the engine without the spare on top of it.


Wiki says that it was the first Renault to have a transverse engine, as previous Renaults though FWD had the engines inline.

And it also has the 1" wheelbase difference on either side similar to other Renaults with the full width torsion bar suspension.

The placement of the temperature gauge on the transmission tunnel behind the gear-lever, rather than on the instrument panel where it was directly in the driver's field of view, led to incidents of engine damage if the engine overheated and the driver failed to notice.

And the timeline according to Wiki..
1976 - The Renault 14 was launched in L and TL trim levels, both of which came with a 1.2 litre Peugeot engine.
1979 - The higher-specification R14TS was added to the lineup but still with unchanged mechanical specification.
1979 - Model name changes: the R14 L became the R14, while the R14 TL became the R14GTL.
1980 - The R14 TS gained a larger 1.4 litre engine.
1980 - The R14LS was added, featuring the 1.4 litre engine from the TS but a more basic equipment specification like the R14.
1982 - The R14 GTL got a lower-powered economy-tune version of the 1.4 litre engine from the LS and TS.
1983 - Production of the R14 ended; the car was replaced by the Renault 9 and 11.
The production run ended in 1983 with around one million units sold over a period of just under seven years

Blue850

Well done Carchaeologist, that's one off the extinct list, now how about a Renault 30 or a Talbot Solara:D

carchaeologist

Blue850 wrote: »

Well done Carchaeologist, that's one off the extinct list, now how about a Renault 30 or a Talbot Solara:D

They are surely around too, and I would say you would have more chance of finding either before an R14.

Hermy

carchaeologist wrote: »

And it also has the 1" wheelbase difference on either side similar to other Renaults with the full width torsion bar suspension.

That's odd. Why so?

macplaxton

It's a French thing

This pic of a R16 rear end might help you visualise it.

Hermy

macplaxton wrote: »

It's a French thing

Thanks Mac. Is it still common today?

BrianD3

I reckon its around 20 years since I saw a 14 on the road in this country. And they would have only have been out of production for around 10 years at that time.

Even when I was in France on a few occasions in the early-mid nineties they weren't exactly common.

carchaeologist

BrianD3 wrote: »

I reckon its around 20 years since I saw a 14 on the road in this country.

Yep, Id say the same. I wonder is there any Irish examples about.

johnf2020

I had a green 14 GTL as my second car. It was on a Waterford plate. Lovely sweet car to drive. That would have been about 1992. I exchanged it for a Fuego at a local scrappy when it overheated.

Ugly--no way. Remember they were introduced in 1976 ,so remember what other main stream manufacturers had in '76..Nothing else really like it so Different/Modern would be the appropriate description!

Here is a rather corny French Advertisment

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCP55C8rqkA

oh---and I'd love one again!

tc20

just to add to this thread (albeit on a tangent), my father worked for Aer Lingus for nigh on 40 years and the credit union ran prize draws. One such year the top prize was an R14, it must have been around 76/77. Dad won second prize which was a 3-in-1 stereo, cutting edge stuff at the time, complete with VU meters quite a difference between first & second, i'd love to what third prize was...probably a tin of biscuits

the last time i saw one on the road was around 86-87 when a friends brother had one (minty green metallic iirc)

Alfasudcrazy

A R14 was almost my second car in 1980 - except to my dismay I discovered I could not afford it - bought a Fiat 128 3p instead.

I liked the handling and they were very comfortable but most fell apart quite quickly so I considered myself quite lucky to have avoided them in the end. I am always on the lookout for a nice R30 though if anyone knows of one.

Blue850

463 GZA was the Motoring Life road test car in 1977 and 469 GZA was used in a 1979 article

Blue850

unkel

Loved the 70s Renaults. Didn't like the R14 and hated the R12. Sorry!

Cherished the R15 and R17 shiny brochures I had proudly managed to get from the main local dealer claiming my father was interested in buying one

Collibosher

unkel wrote: »

Loved the 70s Renaults. Didn't like the R14 and hated the R12. Sorry!

Cherished the R15 and R17 shiny brochures I had proudly managed to get from the main local dealer claiming my father was interested in buying one

My father went from a 1974 orange R15 to his blue 1980 R14.

He had many Renaults, and often said that the 14 was one of his favourites.

bjak

Any takers

http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/renault-14gtl-classic-car/99571105

G Luxel

There is or was one in the scrapyard in Kildare. I think someone put in pictures of those cars taken sometime last year....so the white car is not alone!...

carchaeologist

G Luxel wrote: »

There is or was one in the scrapyard in Kildare. I think someone put in pictures of those cars taken sometime last year....so the white car is not alone!...

I'd say that's crushed by now, the EPA had a field day(literally) there.

Didihno

We had a lime green one back in the late 80's early 90's.
It really did sit high on the suspension! Mental going round corners.
It was very, very quick off the line.
We called it Kermit. Obviously.
Dad got rid of it because my Mother refused point blank to be seen in a lime green motor!