Renault 1929 RY1 Monasix

3 minute(s) of a 217 minute read

Digressing for just a moment, I came across this one while going through photographs of some of my earlier restorations. This one was my Daily Driver for a while in the late 1950s. "Le Mans" green with Sand coloured top and London Tan InteriorTrim. Can anyone recognise it? It was quite rare at the time especially Drop Head Coupes like this one. I have not seen it since the day I sold it and have never seen another one the same.

Bj.

10-5-2015

Despite todays temperature reaching 35 Degrees Centigrade this afternoon I have "roughed out" the sheet metal for one seat back. As you may see I am currently working outside in the full sun not the most condusive for a lot of work but at least I am not welding.

Tomorrow morning my first task is to go and buy another pop rivet gun to replace the one I lent to someone. My second string "old one" has decided that it does not want to work any more. Obviously being thrown into the bottom of a box of other "old" tools has had a bad effect on it. Pulling it apart and re-assembling it has not worked  this time, it may be just worn out after several thousand pop rivets.

Bj

I think I know just how that poor old Pop Rivet gun feels, after so many restorations and rebuilds I could do with a rest at the bottom of a box. But somehow I don't think I am really ready. Not while I can still draw breath. While the Renault is sitting there, it at least deserves another chance. Having gone this far and if there is no one else prepared to take it on, having started I guess that I may as well keep going. The "purists" may hate it but then I have never let the thoughts or ideals of a "purist" prevent me from "doing my own thing". 

Going back to #264 The car is/was a 1945 Sunbeam Talbot 10Hp. a glorified Hillman Minx but still a very pleasant little semi-sporting car. It had two problems, Dreadful Bendix mechanical brakes that did not work at all in reverse. I remember quite vividly, going backward down any sort of a  a hill was extremely challenging. The other problem, It developed VALVE BOUNCE at about 65 mph in top gear. Perhaps it was never meant to be a "Highway Car"........ more suited to tottering gently around the English country side.

Bj

Sorry Craig

You are correct that it is British but in some ways much more humble in it's origions than Rileys. I certainly have owned between 15 and 20 Rileys during the earlier part of my motoring life. I also had a period when I was a great fan of Rootes Group cars and Sunbean-Talbots in particular. As mentioned above this one was basically an up-market Hillman Minx. Again as I said previously I have never seen it since I sold it and have only seen one other D H Coupe that one was the two Litre which used Humber Hawk engine gearbox etc. Every so often a saloon pops up but they do not have the appeal of the Drop Head.

Bj