25th Sep 2008, 16:29

Had a 67 Renault 10 new, sold it around 1970 - fabulous car, took me from England to Romania and Bulgaria on the Black Sea and back. Fancied a Renault Caravelle, which is why I sold it, but the R10 was better.

Peter.

3rd Oct 2008, 05:16

I had 2 R10s and 1 R8. Kept cobbling them together from scrap yards in the case of the R10s. Effectively having the same car for 15 years.

'It' was incredibly reliable and only let me down if the battery earth was poor given the run of the cable to the starter. Eventually had to go as the sub frame rotted, but realised afterwards could have been relatively easily sorted.

Parts were relatively cheap and discs all round. Ahead of its time in many ways. The car was based in Wales so inevitably got wet and had to keep the rust down, but never a major problem in terms of the visible body work.

Yes it wallowed a bit (must have been a run on cement bags given other comments on the site), but just kept going and easy to repair - Good memories.

Cheers, Hugh.

29th Oct 2008, 18:56

I live in Ireland and have a 1971 1300 R10 with 40K miles from new, in exceptional condition. They are extremely rare now but I must admit they are a head-turner - most of the folk below 30 years old have never seen one!

I really enjoy taking it out, but only do so in dry weather, which can be rare in Ireland.

I agree with most of the earlier comments about under-steer, but I think the trick is to treat it with respect in corners and open it up on good roads - the 5 bearing "Sierra" (not Ford) type engine thrives on being driven on, and they can motor along at 60 mph without being under duress.

A good classic car if you want something different.

12th Nov 2008, 14:53

I live in Spain. My family owned a R10 from 1968 to 1981. It was a very reliable car, comfortable enough in those times.

The car was made by a Renault local factory in Valladolid. There were some differences with the French model, but the production was stopped because it was more expensive than the R8, and people prefer this one. Because of its endurance and the extreme weather conditions of Spain, it was chosen to be the car of GUARDIA CIVIL DE TRAFICO (NATIONAL TRAFFIC POLICE PATROL). If someone is interested in more information, go to Google Spain (google.es) and type Renault 10 España.

26th Dec 2008, 19:31

12-26-2008

I live in Texas USA, bought a 1969 R10 automatic with bad engine from a neighbor in 1971. The car had 23K miles on it, but the poor thing had been tortured. Automatic and AC, a bit much for it, but driving at 80mph with the red light on killed it.

So $175 later I had a very nice looking R10, rebuilt the engine, hated the automatic so converted it to 4speed, Type 330 trans-axle. Removed the AC, and drove the car for a total 135K miles. It was very comfortable, extremely reliable, handled very good but not quite as good my R8's.

After a 6 years, and 135K miles it finally blew a head gasket. My fault, I forgot to re-torque it about every 50K miles. I rebuilt the 1108cc engine, and installed it in a 1959 4CV along with the 4 speed trans-axle, disc brakes, and 12V electrical. Talk about fast, acceleration anyway, the 4CV doesn't like going over 80mph. I never clocked it, but guess it got to 60mph in around 10 - 11 seconds, averaged 38 miles per gallon gas, and was very reliable.

I'm now rebuilding it after driving it 80k miles, rust damage from sitting since 1983. Mechanically engine is still very strong and transmission shifts great, but all rubber parts are dry rotted including tires. I belong to the Renault Club of North America, based in California, and have no problems getting parts, but they are expensive. Repair manuals are available, but the clubs Renault Cd's, 3 of them, 4CV, Dauphine, and Caravelle have all the info you need plus 100's of pictures. The R8 and R10 are on the Dauphine Cd. The set costs $15. I hope this helps those with questions.

By the way, Renault cars are rare to see here too, especially the old rear engine type.

John.

30th Jan 2009, 20:49

I purchased my 1971 Renault 10 for $1,100 in 1975 after driving an R8 into the ground for 2 years that I bought for $150. I really loved my R10 and miss it to this day. I had to sell it in my senior year in college to pay my tuition. I have been looking for a fully restored R10, 1967 to 1971, to by. I am located in Massachusetts (USA). If anyone knows of one in the US that is for sale please contact me. my e-mail address is kg1148@aol.com. Besure to put Renault in the subject line. thanks.

30th Apr 2009, 21:41

The R10 was my first car in 1977. I think it was a 1969 with automatic tranny. I'm here in the states in New York, and I think the car was a serious thorn in my sex life since it wasn't as serious as the Chevy's or the Fords my buds were driving. I will say it was pretty reliable, and I had some pretty high times with it.

The one annoying thing it seemed to do was explode the glass overflow jug, and blow head gaskets.

12th Jun 2009, 22:55

I bought a new R10 in 1967 and foolishly traded it two years later. I just bought a 1969 R10 on EBay and am really excited about it. It has 66K miles on it and was not driven in the wet Ohio winters. It is amazingly rust free and original... looks like it spent its life here in Texas. Original blue paint is badly weathered and is thin in spots, yet it is polishing out surprisingly well. I am on my third bottle of Turtle Wax polishing compound. R10s are cool!!

10th Oct 2010, 07:36

I bought a new R10 Alconi (South African modified car) in 1969, and drove it for 10 years and 200000km. It was an amazing car, perfect seats, 40 miles per gallon at 80 mph. It was red with a white side flash, and later I fitted Delta Mics. It was great to drive, and it was very fast being modified, need I say more.

31st Oct 2010, 16:45

Need a bit more dash? Swap out the bellhousing, spigot shaft and engine with that of a 16TS Renault (clutch lever needs to be turned around. Tank moved to the "boot" up front and radiator in the spare-wheel well also helps) and enjoy. 80's student days mega fun. 65 killer watts on an 1100's gear ratio! Many a GTi and 4AGE conquest came a very surprised 2nd on the ol' traffic light dash!!