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The 1957 Dope Dauphine
- Thread starter Adey
- Start date
No it is still lockdown - nowt to do
@Turbell @Steve Swan any guess on the cause of this new noise. I heard an odd knock/creak last time I drove it so took it out today and heard this when you turn a fair amount. Steering rack issue?
nowt wrong with moving a bushing to get rid of play 
Turbell
Well-Known Member
Why service intervals are so short, change oil like your pants, check reset/points, grease everything, adjust brakes.
They probably felt like a different car when you collected them, whereas now with modern stuff you've just got a full screen wash Res and a sore botty where the service manager has pulled his hand out
They probably felt like a different car when you collected them, whereas now with modern stuff you've just got a full screen wash Res and a sore botty where the service manager has pulled his hand out
Steve Swan
Well-Known Member
What he said... That creaking noise is a lubrication issue. I keep forgetting that Dauph's are normally maintenance intensive. Fit an R8 front end and go maintenance free !!!!
Just dug out the maintenance schedule for the dope 
wow yeah its intensive. I'm guessing with modern lubricants I don't have to do an oil service every 1500 miles? that said its a later cleon engine and not a ventoux anymore and its an R8 gearbox too so I'm not sure what the service on that should be? The r8 front end might be good in the future especially if it has disks on there.
wow yeah its intensive. I'm guessing with modern lubricants I don't have to do an oil service every 1500 miles? that said its a later cleon engine and not a ventoux anymore and its an R8 gearbox too so I'm not sure what the service on that should be? The r8 front end might be good in the future especially if it has disks on there.
Turbell
Well-Known Member
If you're running a filter and with a modern spec 20/50 I'd say you're safe at 6k or yearly, gearbox oil? Double that?
Greasing front end is messy, never found a grease gun that I didn't hate using , I struggle getting a seal on the nipple.....which is odd...I don't usually struggle...
Greasing front end is messy, never found a grease gun that I didn't hate using , I struggle getting a seal on the nipple.....which is odd...I don't usually struggle...
Yeah modern oil filter and modern but classic specific 20/50 from opie oils and a modern equivalent gearbox oil. Will get it all checked and greased up in the next few days and see how it is. The Twingo is stuck on the drive at the moment I cant go whole hog and do all the wheel bearings at the same time, though I replaced the fronts all year so should still be pretty greased up.
DaveL485
Staff member
Well thats been a year since paying the funds to buy it back already! Since then its had an engine thrown together and slapped in along with a 4 speed gearbox swap, a 12v conversion plus plenty of little bits and probably more miles put on it than its previous 25 years 
. Long time for me to own a car tbh 
. Long time for me to own a car tbh
@Turbell good shout on the grease..... did everything I could get too without whipping the wheels off (that left the 2 inner track rod ends) and all the noise has gone! squirted grease in till it came out good and proper. The rack itself took a fair amount too.... Borrowed the gun to get it done but will defo get one ordered sharpish now and add it to a very regular service schedule. Didn't feel any excessive play in anything but the boots are starting to look abit worn out now and the whole front end probably could do with refresh of all the joints and bushes.
@Steve Swan what's the score with an r8 front end swap, just so I have an idea
@Steve Swan what's the score with an r8 front end swap, just so I have an idea
Steve Swan
Well-Known Member
The score is probably 3 - Nil to the Dauphine
There are 3 basic options 4 if you include a VW pan, but we'll scrub round that one
1. Don't. Use the bits from a Dauph G. This would give better brake options and that's about it.
2. Fit a complete R8 front end (this is what I did ) It is not as difficult as you might think, but it does require some cutting and welding, as the complete R8 crossmember will be needed.
3. Make up a sort of Dauph / R8 Hybrid
Your Dauph is a '57, so it rolled off the line when the R8 wasn't even an itch in it's Daddy's pants, so it has a Dauph crossmember. Later Dauphs have a sort of dual crossmember and are easy to convert, but that is not an option
The R8 bottom arms and front uprights would be a straight nuts and bolts job to your existing crossmember. It is the top arms that cause problems.
If you can get me some pics of your front crossmember towers where the top arms fit, I can have a go at some suggestions . It may be possible to make conversion parts , so that the R8 top arms can be fitted here are some pics which explain better than I can
My Dauph with its front crossmember removed, we took the opportunity to reinforce the chassis legs at this time
The NOS front crossmember I had in stock. I made up a Gordini type tower brace. The small holes with tubes fitted are the R8 top arm mounts, the bigger open holes are the Dauphine top arm pivot point, but without the tubes. Post '64 or so Renault made only one crossmember and fitted and brazed the tubes depending on which car it was for. You can see how your towers look compared to this type
Finally this is a '57 Renault 4CV front crossmember tower (this type were detachable and I wonder if yours might be) This was going to be a proto project and I fitted and welded a steel bar into the top mount hole Then drilled and tapped it to take bolts for the ally block to give the R8 mount point. It did all fit together, but tragically was scrapped (not by me ) WE might do something along these lines on your car if you don't fancy the whole crossmember route
Want your thread filled up with mindless shite?? I'm your man!
There are 3 basic options 4 if you include a VW pan, but we'll scrub round that one
1. Don't. Use the bits from a Dauph G. This would give better brake options and that's about it.
2. Fit a complete R8 front end (this is what I did ) It is not as difficult as you might think, but it does require some cutting and welding, as the complete R8 crossmember will be needed.
3. Make up a sort of Dauph / R8 Hybrid
Your Dauph is a '57, so it rolled off the line when the R8 wasn't even an itch in it's Daddy's pants, so it has a Dauph crossmember. Later Dauphs have a sort of dual crossmember and are easy to convert, but that is not an option
The R8 bottom arms and front uprights would be a straight nuts and bolts job to your existing crossmember. It is the top arms that cause problems.
If you can get me some pics of your front crossmember towers where the top arms fit, I can have a go at some suggestions . It may be possible to make conversion parts , so that the R8 top arms can be fitted here are some pics which explain better than I can
My Dauph with its front crossmember removed, we took the opportunity to reinforce the chassis legs at this time
The NOS front crossmember I had in stock. I made up a Gordini type tower brace. The small holes with tubes fitted are the R8 top arm mounts, the bigger open holes are the Dauphine top arm pivot point, but without the tubes. Post '64 or so Renault made only one crossmember and fitted and brazed the tubes depending on which car it was for. You can see how your towers look compared to this type
Finally this is a '57 Renault 4CV front crossmember tower (this type were detachable and I wonder if yours might be) This was going to be a proto project and I fitted and welded a steel bar into the top mount hole Then drilled and tapped it to take bolts for the ally block to give the R8 mount point. It did all fit together, but tragically was scrapped (not by me ) WE might do something along these lines on your car if you don't fancy the whole crossmember route
Want your thread filled up with mindless shite?? I'm your man!
interesting shite to me lol. I will get some pics sorted and go from there. It not like the parts are easy to come by anymore either.... in my head though if I was going to replace all the bushes and everything up front id like to upgrade a little at the same time if I could. Better front brakes are up there for me because I will want more power soon.....
Been smashing the miles on the dope since the schools have gone back but today I suffered a failure. Went to leave a Morrisons after the wife decided we needed some gardening stuff 
and it only just had the juice to fire. A quick check on the heater screen (which can display voltage) showed me had 10.1v..... looks like the alternator has given up. Drove 10 miles home fine and I think I have a spare in the shed so should be a quick easy fix. Still it's been great using it so much, plenty of people stopping and chatting about it and wanting pictures 
and it only just had the juice to fire. A quick check on the heater screen (which can display voltage) showed me had 10.1v..... looks like the alternator has given up. Drove 10 miles home fine and I think I have a spare in the shed so should be a quick easy fix. Still it's been great using it so much, plenty of people stopping and chatting about it and wanting pictures
Quickly replaced the alternator with a spare this morning and its also duff @jxke has boxed up a couple more spares he has that should be here Friday so fingers crossed one of those is good.
I've also sorted a long 4 branch manifold out, needs a little repair as per everything I buy on the cheap but will replace my cracked (that grows a little every time I drive it) standard exhaust manifold. Maybe release a few more horses, I wonder if I can get 45bhp out of it
.
@jxke has boxed up a couple more spares he has that should be here Friday so fingers crossed one of those is good.I've also sorted a long 4 branch manifold out, needs a little repair as per everything I buy on the cheap but will replace my cracked (that grows a little every time I drive it) standard exhaust manifold. Maybe release a few more horses, I wonder if I can get 45bhp out of it
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