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Alpine 1968 Renault R8

  • Thread starter Thread starter Adey
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So I usually try and document most of the builds on video, though this time I've been so busy trying to get it back on the road asap I've not had chance to get the camara out every time I'm tinkering. Ive slapped together a little bit of footage for those who like to watch on YouTube



Great video!! And I love your French music!! Really starting to look professional now mate!

Just a comment about the music, the garage radio that is. Just be careful of including the music from the radio in your videos, you could get the music companies coming after you for re-playing their content on YouTube. Simple fix, just turn the Radio down when you’re filming :grin.gif:
 
Yeah ive had a few "hits" before for background music. Live streams do the same and will cut off if they hear copywritten material!

There plenty of room for improvement on the vids, though id need to upgrade the computer. The current laptop likes to hang loads and blue screen when trying to edit. That and the effort required to actually record what you need when just cracking on mean making them is actually quite involved.

I was actually chatting with someone about it recently, 20/30min of proper good quality footage in an edited video can easily run into 6+ hours work when you add it all up, that's on top of the job you are trying to complete. I just try and get it one hit and upload it as it is.
 
Unsure about the music, it was funny at first...........................
That said I was interested in what you were up to, and would have watched it anyway.
 
So todays plan of giving it a shakedown has been hampered by SNOW! not too much out there, and I used to have fun in the Dope in the snow, but for a first ride out in the 8 ive decided to wait. Having something fail in this weather will be a pin to fix at the road side.



I did also get a headlight to replace the one that has gone dull, but it doesn't have the side light part of it. My current one has a hole through the housing that holds a bulb. Im now trying to source another. Found a gasket kit on ebay also so grabbed that just in case its needed in the future.

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So I can't help but try and make things fit. A little out of the box thinking, I drilled the headlight undersized of the bulb and then using a cap head bolt, a washer and a nut with a taper I nipped it up until the hole was the correct size for the bulb. Snug fit for maximum contact. We now have a better looking headlight 👍🏼

Whilst I was there I also had a try at rubbing the bumpers and light surrounds with coke and tin foil. Definite improvement 👌🏻

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Great dodge on the headlight. R 4/ early 8, with no sidelamp headlights are ten a penny, post 65 R8 ( lighting regulations) are more difficult with the sidelamp. I think you've cracked it. 8's look better with their bumpers, less stubby. Better to drink the coke, use the foil for a hat and some fine abrasive, autosol/ brasso on the chrome ....
 
Stubby? Not sure what you mean Steve?

I may try the car with them removed at somepoint. Also tempted to go yellow with the headlights. Unsure how I want it to look yet
 
Good day and a not so good day.

I realised I haven't changed the gearbox oil after yesterdays first test drive so that was first on the agenda for today. That was a massively slow process with it being super cold and then filling takes an age through a little tube. If I was doing it on the regs id be tempted to get a pressure filler. Any way job jobbed, no major issues there.

Onto the drive, and wow, im shocked at how smooth and compliant it is. That and it also makes me very happy to start using it. Took it for a short run and briefly stopped in to see @Jezer101. Brakes were still a little spongy and the revs were hanging high at idle. But other than that it was a great drive, 50comes up ok, didn't push it past that though.

This afternoon saw me clean the carb abit and all the linkages. Hopefully this will stop the revs hanging high. I flushed out the cooling system now its proven itself and filled back up with coolant. And this is where we got into a little bother. After the carb clean I needed to get the car going obviously to check it over, but it wouldn't catch. So kept cranking, not excessively I don't think but the "new/refurbed" starter has started going slow, got hot and now wont turn long enough to actually start the car....

I did have plans of running it to work this coming week but that'll depend on getting a new starter and getting it running sweet.

Another side thing I've noted (and now confirmed by @PaulyVenturi) the wheels were made staggard. Half inch wider on the rear. I had one on the front and kept looking at it thinking it needed a decent alignment. Looks loads better now the wider wheel is back on the rear.

Overall a good weekend on the 8 and a huge step towards getting it back in use.
 
New starter has arrived today, and has also been fitted. It spins strong and fast, is brand new, so should last a while. Its also smaller in size than the one from 50+ years ago which makes its easier to fit and work on. Car started instantly on it too so win there. I also managed to trim the battery a touch, shaved some off the plastic with a flap wheel on a drill so it clear the bonnet hinge.

Got a few more bits to do on the weekend (it never ends lol) including making some brackets to hold the fan shroud and hopefully the horn. Once I get it into use I will need to get one of the tyres looked at as it'll go down over 24 hrs.

Here's some pics, not much to show though

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And we are up and running, put about 20miles on it this morning, and bar a dicky indicator bulb, which i think its the housing/earth, all was good. I need to get a GPS speedo in there so I can correctly gauge how fast I am going against what the dash is telling me. Had it showing me 65mph at one point! It lacks top end power but that said its plenty for pottering about on all the roads near me, it'd only actually be an issue on the motorway I think. Ran a few errands and then popped to a local vineyard where i could pull over and grab a few pics. Am definitely going to enjoy using this over the coming months. Heater is high on the agenda though, gets chuffing cold in there! Side note, I've received my new log book with the historic classification on (y)

Thanks for reading

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