Correctamundo.  R5 was the model designation for the rest of the world, but that was apparently not good enough for the U.S of A.  Nice little car.

Stephen 

--- On Fri, 8/15/08, Chris S <szpejankowski@gmail.com> wrote:

> From: Chris S <szpejankowski@gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: Are Today's Young People Mechanical Nitwits?
> To: "Stephen Grisanti" <bike2vcu@yahoo.com>
> Cc: vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com
> Date: Friday, August 15, 2008, 11:07 AM
> Would that be a Renault 5?  That car used to be the most
> fuel efficient
> vehicle made to date with consumption, if I remember
> correctly, of
> 4.5l/100km, which is about 52mpg.  The 800cc engine helped.
> 
> On Fri, Aug 15, 2008 at 10:11 AM, Stephen Grisanti
> <bike2vcu@yahoo.com>wrote:
> 
> > "...had a Le Car"
> >
> > Nitwitism was prevalent in the Le Car's heyday as
> well.  A friend who owned
> > one was complaining how the heater was not working in
> hers and embarked on a
> > road trip during which the car overheated.  Um...no
> water and therefore no
> > heat?  She could not be bothered to check it or let
> someone else do it.
> >  Just complained.
> >
> > Stephen
> >
> >
> > --- On Thu, 8/14/08, Jim Felder
> <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> >
> > > From: Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
> > > Subject: Re: Are Today's Young People
> Mechanical Nitwits?
> > > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> > > Date: Thursday, August 14, 2008, 2:43 PM
> > > They were 38hp if I remember correctly. And if
> you ever
> > > revive your
> > > desire for french motoring and want to hear the
> > > city-horn-country-horn
> > > sound again, let me know and I'll send you
> some of
> > > those rare renault
> > > lug nuts (if you had one you'll remember what
> I'm
> > > talking about,
> > > two-piece gadgets) and some bolt-in hubcaps in
> nice shape.
> > > Probably
> > > have some wheels under my dad's shop, too.
> > >
> > > When mine cracked a block, my dad welded up the
> crack with
> > > some steel
> > > strap and I put in a bunch of Barr's stop
> leak and
> > > drove on. I don't
> > > think we even pulled the engine to do it. Once
> the whole
> > > drive train
> > > fell out in the road an a friend of mine and I
> walked to a
> > > house and
> > > bummed a bunch of coat hangers from a woman and
> used them
> > > to strap the
> > > engine and transmission in to make it back to my
> house.
> > >
> > > I don't think my dauphine ever reached 70. I
> have owned
> > > a total of
> > > four of them, my first (first car) purchased for
> what I had
> > > in my
> > > pocket at the time: seventy-nine cents. I bought
> a pair for
> > > $500 once.
> > >
> > > But YOU... YOU had a Le Car! Hahahahahah!
> > >
> > > Jim
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > On Thu, Aug 14, 2008 at 1:34 PM, Scott Daniel  -
> Turbovans
> > > <scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:
> > > > oh you had a Duafine - I'm sorry !
> > > > lol.
> > > > Caravelle- I even have a real Renault
> factory parts
> > > book for a Carravelle,
> > > > the sproty coupe version that generation of
> Renaults.
> > > > ( I owned about 8 Renualt 16's
> .........a
> > > 'real car' that.  And some Le Cars
> > > > too. )
> > > >
> > > > I don't think washer fluid would hurt
> the coolant
> > > even slightly.  Be good
> > > > for it almost.  A tiny bit of
> detergent/cleaner is
> > > fine I think.
> > > > Daufine's can't actually sustain
> running at 70
> > > mph on a hot day with any
> > > > kind of load without overheating.
> > > > Very underbuilt for Western US conditions.
> > > > Had a freind in Colorado with one - it
> really
> > > couldn't do the freeway for
> > > > long periods on a hot day.
> > > > what are those, like 45 hp ?
> > > >
> > > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jim
> > > Felder" <jim.felder@gmail.com>
> > > > To: "Scott Daniel - Turbovans"
> > > <scottdaniel@turbovans.com>
> > > > Cc: <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
> > > > Sent: Thursday, August 14, 2008 11:19 AM
> > > > Subject: Re: Are Today's Young People
> Mechanical
> > > Nitwits?
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >> Back when almost all gas stations were
> full serve,
> > > I had an attendant
> > > >> attempt to fill up the radiator of my
> Renault
> > > Dauphine with gas. I had
> > > >> another guy at an oil change place put
> washer
> > > fluid in the coolant
> > > >> overflow behind the license plate door
> on my
> > > vanagon. Good thing I was
> > > >> watching. Can you imagine the head
> corrosion?
> > > >>
> > > >> Jim
> > > >>
> > > >> On Thu, Aug 14, 2008 at 1:05 PM, Scott
> Daniel -
> > > Turbovans
> > > >> <scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:
> > > >>>
> > > >>> you might also appreciate that when
> vanagons
> > > first came out,
> > > >>> a few gas station attendants flipped
> open the
> > > license plate door at the
> > > >>> back.........
> > > >>> ( since many cars of the era had
> their gas cap
> > > back there )
> > > >>> And when they saw a cap and filler
> neck, they
> > > put gasoline into engine .
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>> ----- Original Message -----
> > > >>> From: "John Rodgers"
> > > <inua@CHARTER.NET>
> > > >>> To:
> <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> > > >>> Sent: Thursday, August 14, 2008
> 10:07 AM
> > > >>> Subject: Re: Are Today's Young
> People
> > > Mechanical Nitwits?
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>>> Congrats on your daughter's
> derring-do
> > > in the mechanical world!
> > > >>>>
> > > >>>> I can't tell you how many
> times the
> > > guys at the various auto
> > > >>>> quick-service places have asked
> me where
> > > the engine was in my van.
> > > >>>>
> > > >>>> I never ceased to be amazed.
> > > >>>>
> > > >>>> John Rodgers
> > > >>>> 88 GL Driver
> > > >>>>
> > > >>>> Jim Arnott wrote:
> > > >>>>>
> > > >>>>> Warning!!! Proud papa
> alert.... and
> > > NVC
> > > >>>>>
> > > >>>>> My eldest dau, 27, came home
> from
> > > visiting friends the other night.
> > > >>>>> Walks
> > > >>>>> into the house and asks me,
> "Do
> > > you ALWAYS get hurt when you're
> > > >>>>> working on
> > > >>>>> cars?" I respond that
> mechanical
> > > things frequently demand blood
> > > >>>>> sacrifice.
> > > >>>>> She goes on to comment that
> when she
> > > was putting the front suspension
> > > >>>>> back
> > > >>>>> together on her friend's
> Mitsu,
> > > she pinched her hand. Did papa proud!
> > > >>>>>
> > > >>>>> Want to give your kids a
> clue?  Make
> > > their first car a Beetle. Give
> > > >>>>> them a
> > > >>>>> Muir Bible. Help them
> maintain it but
> > > don't do it FOR them. Worked for
> > > >>>>> me.
> > > >>>>>
> > > >>>>> So no, they're not all
> clueless.
> > > But the vast majority are. Of the
> > > >>>>> 20-30
> > > >>>>> kids that float through my
> home, there
> > > are about three that could show
> > > >>>>> me
> > > >>>>> where to check the oil on
> their rig.
> > > Those three could also change
> > > >>>>> said
> > > >>>>> oil. The rest? I'd have
> to show
> > > them not just how, but THAT the hood
> > > >>>>> opened.
> > > >>>>> Id10ts.
> > > >>>>>
> > > >>>>> Jim
> > > >>>>>
> > > >>>>>
> > > >>>
> > > >
> > > >
> >
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Chris S.
> "Jeszcze Polska Nie Zginęła"