HISTORY

In the year 1975, driving a family-owned Renault 4S (model year 1972), I undertook two extensive road trips across Argentina. One journey was with a colleague from work; the other I made with Beatriz.

It was a deeply troubled period in Argentina. Guerrilla groups were carrying out indiscriminate terror attacks, while the military had already prepared the plan of state terrorism they would implement after the March 1976 coup. Whith this tense and volatile situation, I made this two journeys, traveling during a dangerous time. On several occasions, we were detained on the road and threatened at military checkpoints in the provinces we crossed.

In the year 2022, after the Pandemic, I had the good (?) idea of purchasing a model year 1985 Renault 4 GTL to restore. The car appeared to be in reasonably good condition, but the reality proved quite the opposite. It took me more than three years (with many setbacks) to bring it back to a proper working order and finally enjoy the results of the effort.

RECONSTRUCTION I

The model year 1985 Renault 4 GTL that I purchased in 2022, essentially had to be rebuilt from the ground up. The chassis and front suspension were heavily patched and corroded.

Fortunately, I was able to source a brand-new steering box and all four shock absorbers from a parts shop in Tigre, still in their original packaging. The only appropriate carburetter turned up in Paraná (Entre Ríos) and so on. The exhaust system was custom-built by a craftsman in San Fernando, who devised an ingenious solution for channeling freely the combustion gases.

The interior was restored piece by piece by various artisans with whom I had previously worked in other fields. The bodywork and exterior paint proved especially challenging, consuming considerable time before the final result met my expectations.

The dashboard was completely destroyed, with several missing components. As a replacement could not be found, I designed and 3D-printed the necessary plastic parts to achieve a clean and cohesive finish.

RECONSTRUCTION II

After purchasing the car and fully assessing its condition, I decided not to pursue a restoration that strictly replicated the factory-original finishes and details. Instead, I chose to preserve the essence of the model while allowing myself certain adaptations.

I removed the lower side moldings and discarded the original chrome front bumper with its distinctive “mustache” brackets, replacing it with a black-painted version. The same treatment was applied to the front grille.I also removed the lower external basket that originally held the spare tire and commissioned a carpenter to build a custom wooden box to house the spare inside the trunk.

The tires retain the original wheel size, but the hubcaps are painted black, with the lug nuts finished in the same color. The rear bumper is also black, and I added two white lights to illuminate when reverse gear is engaged. Both license plates are framed in black plastic surrounds, visually tying together the overall design.