The switch on top of the steering column is to turn the headlights on and off. The stalk on the left side of the steering column is down for parking lights, and up for headlights. Push it in for the horn. Also, there should be a rocker switch underneath the steering column, with a center off position. This is to turn on either of the side marker lights that are on the front fenders.
I vote for a BMW boxer motorcycle engine. I remember those from when I was a kid growing up in Germany. My parents had several R4s they used as cheap transportation for their business. They lasted about four winters and then the seats fell through the floor. 😂😂
That car is certainly worth restoring. It is not even in bad shape compared to cars that are being restored. Whatever experiment you do with that car, make sure that you can restore it to its original setting. The car is worth a lot more than your typical Saturn.
This Car would be great with a perkins diesel. Perkins used to build small Diesel engines that got retrofitted into all sorts of taxies. In the topic of french Cars with Diesel engines: Citroen started building a very small truck based on the traction Avant(technically they only used the Body and mounted it on a regular Chassis) in the 30s. The second Generation had alot more similarities with a ~1950s Ford Pickup. It was available with a perkins and it had a topspeed of 45mph.
@@JuniorJunison yes they still make small Diesel engines, but chosing them as a specialised engine for a Taxi is a thing of the past. As far as i know they even still produce car engines. The "used to" was in reference to the Work vehicles with crate engines Thing.
What about something like the 1100cc flat 4 from a 1980s Honda Goldwing? Or the 1800cc flat 6 from a newer goldwing? That sounds pretty cool. Since the motorcycle engine has the gearbox in the cases, you could run the motorcycle gearbox into the Renault gearbox for many speeds
7:36 A bit about the history of the engine from the Renault 10. It's a C series Renault engine, which had engine from 1.0-1.6L. This engine family was released in 1962 and discontinued in 2004. This engine family was called because it was the third engine family made by Renault. Also these engines are known in Europe as "Cleon-Fonte". And, if you are lucky enough you can get one of these either from France, Romania, Turkey or other places where Renault spread the Renault 8,10,12. (At some point some Renault 12 were sold in USA and Canada. And if you are interested, the Renault 12 also had more powerful engines) Fun fact, the famous Renault 5 Turbo, had a C series engine which had a turbo, so yeah these engine can take turbo abuse, because the tolerances are huge and the compression is low or they can be tuned for max performance naturally aspirated, which happened on Renault 12 Gordini, at that time it made 113hp out of a 1.6L C engine. Hope these pieces of information either entertained you or actually provided some more context for this car and engine
@@victoramicci840 at some point in Romania, these engines received EFI, to be more specific OnePoint(MonoPoint) Injection and cat converter so that it would pass Euro 2 standards.
@@emrefe1342 ah yeah, the Renault 12 was made in Turkey too. Good car but at the end of its life it was completely outdated but it was cheap in those last years. And it was produced till 2006, so yeah, a 1969 car in the 2000's still in production wasn't cutting edge technology, in fact when Dacia Pickup received it's diesel variant, they didn't want to adapt anything on that car, and so the car ended up with a disfunctional hood scoop so it would fit the air filter.
An efi g13b Suzuki 1.3l would be awesome! Commonly found in Chevy Metros, this small 4 cylinder is tough as nails and produced a whopping 79hp and 79 ft.lbs of torque stock. Very light and very fun!
The two cylinder kubota diesel is a great place to start considering it has thrust bearings. I like your ethos with this car, use what's there and have fun with what it needs!
The switch on the steering column is the left and right parking sidelights, same as in a beatle. 4 disc brakes, 4 independent wheels, it is a longer Renault 8. I would suggest replacing the original fan with an electrical one. Known for overheating issues due to the radiator location. The 4 speed gearbox is strong; a lot of french folks used to bolt a R16 engine (1,6l) in this tiny car back in the 70s, doubling the torque and hp. Thanks for your interesting experimentations.
nice. i was thinking it looked like my 88 murdercedies cruse control with absolutely no labels or directions just a similar stock... but if this car predates the metric system they would have no way of knowing how fast they were going (jk). i think my 88 merc did have a label for each individual parking light but there was no actual way of turning them on independent of eachother. kinda misleading. atleast they thought to engineer the one windshield wiper to continue working at speeds over 130mph... wait a minute.....
IIRC Renault did not offer an automatic trans when they made these, but they did offer an electric clutch setup to make it semi-automatic. This might make it easier to get around the thrust bearing issue. I had a ’71 R10 project as an EV. Never finished.
@@robotcantina8957 the transmission was operated using a set of buttons on the dash. According to Wikipedia: "In 1963, Renault switched from the automated clutch to a fully-automatic 3-speed Jaeger transmission, which consisted of an electro-mechanical control unit that operated both the clutch and shifting, effectively making it one of the earliest automated manual transmissions. The Jaeger transmission was controlled via dash-mounted electronic push-buttons." This text applies to the Dauphine, but R8 & R10 were developed from that. I remember seeing a video of someone driving one herw on RU-vid. Looked really strange.
I think the 670cc would work well in that car. It makes a good amount of horsepower already, but it is so easy to mod for more! They also sound really cool with upgraded exhausts.
What a find! It's in an almost new condition (the Renault cars of that age could be delivered pre-rusted at no extra charge). The left stick on the steering column in the light switch (off-parking light-low beam). The day you drive this car remember to add some weight (at least 100 lbs) in the front to prevent losing control. The Renault 8 and 10, as well as the Dauphine (same car, different shapes) were famous for flipping over during acceleration, even with the anemic engine... I lived that experience and luck was on our side that day, nobody got hurt. As for the engine, any lawnmower engine should do the job better than the original "Cléon" engine 😉
There is a Chinese company that makes a 35hp v twin diesel 1300 and some odd cc's, lawn mower engine basically so it probably doesn't have much thrust support. It seems the only way to order it is directly from the manufacturer but I've been thinking of putting one in a zero turn mower.
I just bought a 2023 Honda rebel 500 and that engine has a linear twin with about 47 hp. It’s amazing. Tons of torque. The bike weighs around 400 lbs. even though it’s not a car engine you could probably adapt it to fit. Superfastmatt put a bike engine in a tiny Honda like your Renault and he says it’s the most fun he’s had. The mpg isn’t that bad either. I’ve been getting around 44 mpg. Just a thought. And it’s an Interesting project. Plus it’s a Honda motor so it will last forever. They have made these bikes for years so I bet you could find a 2017-18 or whatever for cheap and rip out the motor. Or just the motor itself. At least think about it….
A 525hp screaming 9000rpm NA 4.0l flat six out of a Porsche 911 992 GT3 RS would be pretty cool too, I'm sure Jimbo could source one from the local wreckers. 🙂
A nice little Corsair 140 would be fun with little cam and intake you can have a easy 200+ hp or the 180 Turbo for fun. But be careful this could make it unsafe at any speed.
@@802Garage All true have a Subaru but the Corvair is air cooled, carbureted (single four barrel on a tarantula intake), point’s ignition and nostalgia. Sure you could build a K-series or a LS and fit it in, but that flat six would be a swap that would have happened in that time period.
I think a first gen yamaha vmax engine would be cool. A lot of power for the displacement and weight, and they sound cool. They were also torque monsters as far as motorcycles go. It'd also be cool to see how you go about making a motorcycle engine work in a car.
I really like the honda magna V4 engines. They're not too rare, make good power. Plus it's a motorcycle engine, so I guess you could make it have 2 transmissions
On French plates, the last two digits are the area code. 01 is "Ain" (Central eastern France, just above Lyon), she is a country girl! The original engine is a "Cléon Fonte" and was implanted into every Renault from the 60's to the end of the 90's, that's why parts are readily available. These cars are very light but also very dangerous if you drive them a bit too hard, because there's absolutely no weight on the front wheels. I strongly recommend you place a bag of sand in the front boot.
It also seems to have a swing axle like a VW Beetle. This can cause the car to roll over if you corner too fast because you can get negative camber if the suspension decompresses.
I vote either the 670cc (which I've asked for on a few vijeos) or a 440cc 2 stroke out of an old snowmobile. I have a 1989 Artic Cat Phantom with a liquid cooled 440cc that makes 65 rated horsepower. I'd donate it to the project if you wanted it or if you lived in Michigan.
@@robotcantina8957 I remember, I'm a long time subscriber as your content is tops in my book. Its still in the sled, but it's yours if you arrange pickup, for real. I live near Grand Rapids in Wyoming
@@ProlificInvention put the call out,there must be a subscriber that is passing through to deliver the engine for robot. Make a video of the delivery he can be a star
my vote would be to install a small motor that gets really good fuel economy but is still powerful enough to be fun to drive like the engine out of a crotch rocket or possibly a snowmobile. If you use a bike powerplant with the transmission you can use that clutch rather than the Renault one so the thrust bearing wouldn't matter.
It would be damn near impossible to find in Kansas but a Sachs rotary would be fun and wierd to match the car. Also about the floor mounted headlight switch trucks used them for quite a while. I believe ford had them all the way up until the aeronose was discontinued. My bullnose has one and it actually has a very nice positive feedback to stomp on it.
I had a 99 Jetta Diesel that was turned up just a little. I have seen these "rolling coal". Not a big fan of that, but they may be tough enough for some power adder modifications and have thrust bearings.
I like the idea of the predator 670, but I'll be quite content to continue watching regardless of what gets shoehorned into the space at the rear of the vehicle.
I think the diesel swap will be interesting. Maybe see if you can find the engine for / from an 1100 side-by-side. I think they're around 30 hp to start with. Then add the turbo.. Would make an interesting build and it might actually be functionally (and legally) driveable on the highway. It's old enough that it won't have to meet any emission requirements.
I agree. the 1105 kubota 4 cyl only weighs 222 lbs, similar to the 1108 renault gas engine. puts out 26 hp, and properle boosted and intercooled this should achieve about 42 hp. this would top out at over 80 mph, 0- 60 in 22 secs, and do over 75mpg. and the renault rides very well! I loved these in my youth, as I was 16 in 1969 and learnig to drive, and these were my favorite cars, getting 35 mpg city and 50 mpg at a steady 50 mph!
I’m with the electric transmission people. Put any engine in that turns a generator. Output from the generator turns an electric motor hooked up to that existing differential/transmission. Infinite gear ratios, massive low end torque, lots of fun. It’ll be heavy though.
These handle beautifully, my brother and I had a couple and built one for our dad. Watch out for the engine shrouding and radiator panel, people messing with those found the airflow through the radiator compromised. If you can find an R16 drivetrain it'll drop into the R10 quite easily and turn it into a rocket. They were hilarious to drift at low speed on the skinny tires.
It has been over 40yrs since I've seen a Renault of any kind. I'm looking forward to whatever you decide to do with it. I love your content. Many of us think "wouldn't it be neat if we could...." but you bring ideas to life Thanks for sharing. Phil
You’ve done the diesel. You’ve done the cheap harbor freight engine. Time for something different. I do like the two stroke snow mobile engine idea. Might make this car quite fun to drive.
I like the idea of a diesel since it’s a European car however building a homemade hybrid (perhaps a diesel hybrid) would pose some interesting challenges that I would be very interested in seeing you navigate.
A single or two cylinder diesel could be a cool bet. Maybe you get get some old air cooled Deutz Diesel from some old construction equipment. They have some more capacity than the Kubota so a single cylinder already makes descend power. And if you get the old ones, but not the ancient ones, so that they are direct injection and not precombustion chamber, they also take boost. I mean, a huge single cylinder diesel engine with a turbo. Or maybe you could find some antiquated and weird hit and miss engine or any other old stationary engine that would be totally out of place.
A little late to the party but this looks like an awesome project! For an engine suggestion, if you're still taking them, how about a 1.0L turbo 3 cylinder from a wrecked Ford Fiesta or Ecosport (if you can find one in good shape)? 123hp and great fuel economy. If not that then Kubota turbo 3 all the way!
How about a Toyota forklift engine? The most common one, called the 4Y, was actually a derivative of a passenger van/pickup truck engine so it should play nice with the transmission. It's a 2.2 OHV 4cylinder that makes about 90hp on gasoline. It would be interesting for experiments because you could bring over the propane or CNG fuel system that most forklifts have.
I'll tell you something I'd love to see. one of the old yamaha vmax motorcycle V4's powering a small car. because with the right exhaust they sound just like a V8, and it would be hilarious to see a car screaming down the road like a NASCAR but it's barely moving!
I would like to see a hybrid setup, but use a group 35 supercapacitor battery to power it, and then an alternator(or similar) converted to a motor. Use a lever on the shifter to manually add EV power to the internal combustion(probably only a couple seconds worth) , and if your using a motor controller that has regenerative braking, using it while stopping could recharge the caps. My second choice would be a snowmobile engine. Both an old 2 stroke, and a modern 4 stroke.
I'm inclined to go with the Predator, you have it, it can be hopped up and it will fit better in the Renault than the Insight. A second possibility is that the supercharged 425 cc hemi BIG BLOCK from the Insight would be an interesting starting point for some baseline data, then swap in the 670 for comparison.
Jimbo, another Kubota is a great idea IMO. It's a known quantity, you already have a tuning regime figured out (more or less) and they're just nice little engines!
I’m German but a huge fan of French cars. My car is a Citroën C1, in fact a Toyota Aygo, built in the Czech Republic. So I’m very happy that you’re working on a Renault 10. This car is based on the Renault 8 but has a longer body. Your example was registered in the department «Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes» which is located in the middle east of France or the south west of Switzerland. See you next time; I’m curious what will happen next… Cheers - Martin
Transplanting the turboed diesel from the Saturn to this LeCar would be awesome! As mentioned, you guys wouldn't have to worry that much about the clutch. I'll be waiting until the next episode
THE BEST ENGINE SWAP IDEA YET!!........ ANY Lycoming or Continental aircraft engine super simple, cheap since you don't care about logs there everywhere 🤔 your welcome 😉
I was surprised this particular car was made in France. As it happens, Renault 10, as well as R8, R12, and R16 models for North America were manufactured in Canada near Montréal into the early 70s. Those Canadian-made Renaults would have had imperial instruments since Canada only switched to the metric system in 1976.
I vote 3 cyl diesel turbo.I thought a Brit invented both units of measurements but Napoleon spread the metric system because it made more sense and everyone kept it after his downfall. Love these things, my grandpa drove a heap of old Renaults and Citroens back in his day. Went from a 2cv then full Renault until retirement.
Careful, using an outboard powerhead could be a cooling nightmare. The water used to cool the engine is also used in the mid section cavity for exhaust cooling. May create a loss coolant condition
I liked the Wisconsin V4 idea but whatever you use you should consider running it on propanes since it's cheaper than gas and propane mixers can be used in blow thew applications as well (TURBO). Btw Wisconsin made many sizes of v4s I think the common ones are around 300lbs
Just an idea. How about you put a diesel generator in the back. Something bigger, like a small marine generator. Then in the front, a battery pack and an electric motor to drive the gearbox. Snowmobile engine would also be cool.
: Considering that it is a rear engine car, I think the most suitable engine swap is an air-cooled gasoline engine so you will get an easy solution to the cooling system problem. Another option is to get a little turbocharged Kubota diesel since diesel can tolerate more of insufficient cooling system. I suggest you to get a Kubota D1105-T. It's already turbocharged, makes 32.8 hp, about 90 Nm of torque, and pretty efficient. It's 3-cylinder 1123 cc.
Mating an old Mercury outboard engine would be cool. A small 2 stroke V6 suits a French car. Can scoop them for cheap and parts availability is reasonable.
I think it would be interesting to see a miniaturized version of a locomotive setup. Railroads must seek efficiency, and if I'm not mistaken, Mazda is looking to try this out with a new rotary platform. Curious to see what you would come up with.
I also like this idea! You already have 2 diesel projects Jimbo, time to bring it all full-circle with a gas turbo v2 hybrid! p.s. Could you use a double shaft DC motor as a power adder / jackshaft? Also used to go by Doc whon2know but last acct broken
I don't know if I'm too late to make a suggestion that anyone will read, but I was thinking about using a drive system kind of like the old hydrostatic drives on old Cub Cadet lawn mowers. Essentially engine drives hydraulic pump, which drives a hydraulic motor, which attaches to the car transmission. The interesting thing about this drive system is that since the engine power is transferred through hoses, the engine could be place anywhere that's convenient
The Renault is a great find . I'd stick to whichever of your existing engines has some adapter plates you can reuse to give you a headstart on installation on the transaxle... and keep the accountant 😊
The engine bay and transmission are perfect for a swap with the new 999cc Duromax V-twin. It comes stock rated at 35 hp and 58 lbs/ft of torque. there are off the shelf adapters for performance carburetors already, and a turbo would work nicely with them. Red Beard's Garage RU-vid channel is already using them for projects. It would be an excellent candidate, for the adaptability, power output and sheer cool factor. There are several videos showing the output shaft adapted to a hub for a flywheel and clutch combo online, much like you did the kubota.
my vote goes to kubota D722 turbo charged As a little boy, in the early seventies, I was driven to kindergarten every day in an identical R10... but manufactured in Yugoslavia (now Slovenia)... Later, my father bought Renault 4TL, then R4 TL Special, then R4 GTL, then R5 Campus.... Greetings from Serbia🇷🇸
Detroit 2-53 diesel might fit (someone did fit one in an Accord wagon).. Subaru EA series would fit nicely and hooks up to a similar bellhousing pattern. Corvair flat 6 looks like it would fit. Another option would be a Mazda 12A or 13B rotary. 12A engines are still fairly cheap in junkyards. A small V8 like a Rover/olds/Buick aluminum v8 would fit. An olds 4.3 diesel would be super cool, although somewhat difficult to find.
I took this same model car in the 70s, built a 370hp 327, with a 10bolt posi rear end, had a moch-up with a 283 sitting in the chassis, and the rear engine/trans-axle removed, converted the 3 bolt front wheels to 6 bolt. started on the transmission & then got a 68 Camaro with the l78 396, one drive in the Camaro convinced me this would be a total death trap so I shelved the project. It was going to be My sisters daily driver.
Predator 670 with a supercharger on it (see redbeard's garage) with a series 40 torque converter. You have said you would use one but didn't have the room, now you do...
As to the intercooler location, my JDM Jimny has it mounted on top of the cam cover with a hood scoop right over it. That would be a great engine, turbo, fuel injected 3 cylinder to put into the "Ren oh" .
This may not be a super popular opinion here... I'd vote for a VW ALH or BRM diesel in this gem, personally. Not a weird plant, but would make a fantastic driver! Also, lol @ the English lesson 😉
original engine, but with EFI instead of carb, garnished with a small turbo would be a nice option. Or a small 4 cylinger subaru boxer (maybe with turbo) would also be nice option.
I'd like to see the 670 predator V-Twin put in there. See if it could be made outperform the factory motor. As far as 0 to 60 times and possibly fuel mileage.
Id love to see a modern CR diesel engine in this old one, something like a 1.6Diesel with around ~100 horses. Typical euro engines for an euro car. A 1.6 DV6 would be amazing, or even a 1.9TDI first gen
