Serial Renault Owner John Turnell Restored His Dream Renault Dauphine Almost Exactly 50 Years After Buying His First

Reader’s Restoration LEFT: Dauphine was so bad it had to be hidden from neighbours. BELOW: Rebuilding the doors was a huge job. BEFORE AFTER French Polish Serial Renault owner John Turnell restored his dream Renault Dauphine almost exactly 50 years after buying his first WORDS NEIL CAMPBELL PHOTOS BOB ATKINS The restorers lmost 100 per cent of o ered a free Renault 17TL project. ‘I was wanted a 17, but when I had it on the road John Turnell, 74, is a retired engineer restorations begin with the about to retire,’ he says, ‘and I wanted to I simply didn’t bond with it.’ from Derbyshire who started the project best of intentions, but many fall keep myself occupied.’ He welded the What John really wanted was another when he stopped work. He used to help by the wayside. Fortunately for 17 up to MoT standard and got it running Dauphine – he’d bought his fi rst in 1963, a friend weld up cars at the weekends A to bring in extra cash when his kids John Turnell, his son Ryan was on call to again, with the help of his son. ‘I’m quite a move that would lead him to a lifetime lend a hand, not just with tricky jobs, but laid back and like to take my time, but of Renault ownership. ‘It all started when were growing up, but this is his fi rst in-depth restoration. He has owned with the all-important motivation. Ryan likes to tear into things — we have I was courting my now ex-wife. Her 30 Renaults over the years. His son The story starts in 1996 when John was quite di ering approaches. I’d always neighbour used to roar up the road in ➽ Ryan, 42, is an engineer for BT. 52 FEBRUARY 2015 // PRACTICAL CLASSICS www.practicalclassics.co.uk To subscribe to PC go to www.greatmagazines.co.uk PRACTICAL CLASSICS // FEBRUARY 2015 53 Reader’s Restoration John's classic CV READER’S RESTO TIP 1963—1965 I did a little at a time, 1957 Renault Dauphine keeping the car as intact This was my fi rst Dauphine. I had the as I could so if it was too choice of this or a Ford Pop, but the bad I could sell it on as a Ford was so whole, rather than agricultural by in boxes. comparison. When it rusted, LEFT: hard to I bought another believe the back end was and another… completely rotten. 1970—1970 1968 Renault 16 I’ve owned about eight R16s over the years. They were great cars and felt really advanced at the time. Shame that they rusted so badly. 1996—2008 1975 Renault 17TL This went to make room for the Dauphine. They realised that it had covered just bonnet was always attached in two places I did lots of work on it and drove 36,000 miles from new. Even though it was to maintain the factory gaps.’ it for a year. I didn’t bond with it though, John’s son Ryan (right) helped rusty and its seized and partially stripped After the hinge sections were repaired, even though I’d always wanted one. the restoration along whenever engine was in the boot, it was complete. It John tackled the rest of the inner wings. his dad started fl agging. even came with a spare engine, similarly ‘I didn’t want the car to look like a 1965 Renault seized, but perhaps it was viable after all. patchwork quilt,’ he says. ‘I wanted all of my his and it sounded beautiful. Dauphine Gordini Then this Gordini appeared. struck with the vendor for delivery. ‘It was John began to work on the car but took repairs to be invisible. It took much longer, made up new sections. The Renault Plus they’re such pretty cars.’ ENGINE 845cc/4-cyl/OHV ‘The bidding was slow on it, £550 delivered to our front door, which a very di erent approach to most. He knew but I wouldn’t have been happy otherwise.’ Dauphine features many complex curves, John’s fi rst Dauphine was POWER 40bhp@5000rpm so I basically bullied dad into wasn’t too bad.’ Then next day it arrived. the underside was rotten, but started work He would pick a section of the car to so it wasn’t easy. He made small repair a semi-automatic from the TORQUE 48lb ft@3300rpm putting a bid on.’ The pair ‘The back of the Dauphine looked like it on the top anyway, repairing the inner wings work on and focus on that exclusively. sections, refi tting the wings often to ensure Renault dealer in She eld. GEARBOX 4-speed manual decided that if they could was about to fall o . We thought “It’s and the area around the bonnet hinges. ‘Completing lots of little jobs kept my their profi le was correct. When he was ‘Nothing went wrong, 0-60MPH 22sec get it for around £500 and if broken its back,” so we quickly pushed it ‘I didn’t want to lose the panel gaps momentum up. It’s good to be able to tick happy, he’d stitch them together to form a although it did go rusty TOP SPEED 79mph the worst came to the worst, down the driveway to hide it from the around the bonnet, so I’d take o one of the something o the list, no matter how small.’ large panel, then grind the seam welds fl at. underneath.’ After a couple FUEL ECONOMY 34mpg they could always break it for neighbours. I did think, “What have I done?” three hinges, chop out the rot, weld in a new Next up were the front wings. The tops Most of the panels were fi t only for scrap, of years he bought another. WEIGHT 1433Ib (650kg) spares. ‘Ryan was restoring to start with,’ admits John. plate then re-attach the hinge. This way the were rotten where they bolted on, so John but Ryan had an ace card. He was helping ‘After that I had R8s, PRICE WHEN NEW £580.7.1d a Renault 4CV at the time,’ But then Ryan got a message from a an enthusiast with his 1948 Juvaquatre and Caravelles, 16s, 12s and 5s, AGREED VALUE £10,000 says John. ‘So if the Gordini previous owner of the car who had been ‘Completing little jobs kept my momentum was given parts and panels as payment. but I always wanted another was past restoring he could following the auction. ‘It was nice to hear ‘John Henderson had already restored Dauphine, especially a Gordini.’ have the running gear. My friend John from someone who had owned it years ago,’ up. It’s a good feeling to tick a job off the list’ a Dauphine,’ says Ryan, ‘so we were ➽ Over the years John looked at a few cars, Henderson also owned a Dauphine, so he says John. ‘Then our friend John Henderson but never took the plunge. That’s when his could have some bits from it too.’ came round and remembered seeing the car son got involved. ‘I remember looking at John won the car for £420 and a deal was driving around Stockport in the 1980s.’ them with dad when I was a teenager,’ says Ryan, ‘but it frustrated me that he never bought one. So I started to look for Dauphines on the internet for him.’ What’s it like to drive? Gordini. Now there’s a name to savour. John’s charming Dauphine is a joy to drive. The steering is light with an incredibly tight turning circle, the little engine is willing, and the ride and handling belies its years, thanks to independent suspension and all-round disc brakes. The sprung self-centring steering is deliciously Gallic, and only driver that design work on engineering and brilliant the ludicrously wide gear the Dauphine began in 1949. dynamics, the Dauphine selection gate reminds the With pretty looks, interesting Gordini really is a winner. 54 FEBRUARY 2015 // PRACTICAL CLASSICS www.practicalclassics.co.uk To subscribe to PC go to www.greatmagazines.co.uk PRACTICAL CLASSICS // FEBRUARY 2015 55 Reader’s Restoration How John managed it ENGINE This was horribly seized. The pistons and liners had to be pressed out of the block. September 2009 Front- 2 mounted engine The engine should have been in the back, but was actually disassembled and in the front 3 1 boot instead. John decided January 2010 Rusty bottom March 2009 Hidden treasure to start on the The Gordini was extensively rotten Oh dear. John hastily pushed the Dauphine out bodywork fi rst underneath. John began cutting out of sight of his neighbours, as his Renault 17TL to get the shell rot and letting in new metal. He made project was still not quite fi nished yet. into shape. repair sections from sheet steel. 36,000-mile engine Quality of the interior June 2012 only cost £25 to rebuild. matches the outside. 5 Engine work To help John concentrate on the welding – and in ‘problem halved is a problem solved’ move – his son 4 Ryan took the 6 October 2011 Underside disassembled February 2013 Nearly done engine away reconstruction The doors required serious reconstruction. and rebuilt it John skilfully reconstructed the Ryan tackled the tops of the frames, and in his kitchen. underside in his single garage. John tackled the bottom. The respray All the welds were ground fl at. was entrusted to a local professional. given all of the panels he’d rejected over the With all the top panels replaced and years.

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