Shannons Club TV hosted by Mark Oastler & John Wright talk about Australia's rich motoring history on the road and in competition. Episode 56 features the Renault 16TS.
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Comments
LFGT62
My first car, and second after the first came off second best in an altercation with a tree. I bought a cheap non-running auto for $300 and transferred over the running gear, converting to manual in the process.
Great engine, almost unburstable, and believe me I tried.
Superbly comfortable on long trips, especially with the suspension set up properly, the trade-off being body roll but maintaining heaps of grip.
These were followed by a R18GTS for which I built a Gordini-ised 16TS engine. Converted the front brakes to vented discs and four stud pattern, changed the rear end to a Fuego axle for larger rear drums and four stud pattern, and swapped the instrument panel for one out of a Fuego too. I wonder what happened to that car after I sold it to go overseas for work.
PonyRider
daviddight1 The Renault 16 is a great car, especially the 16TS. Once you get past the quirky shape they go very well and a good ride as you say.
daviddight1
drove in a Renault 16 recently - I cannot believe how well they ride/drive
PonyRider
Dave you are a Renault Convert like me, I could never get used to the shape but boy they are a nice car to drive aren't they /
The Citroen D would be a tough act to follow though, wow.......
Davethetrainer
Christchurch NZ circa 1972, parents go shopping in the familys much loved Holden Monaro V8 and return with a new Renault 16 TS 5 speed.I register my complete disgust by refusing to ride in the "van". Time and using my motorcycle as sole transport in winter means pride must be swallowed if I'm to avoid frostbite I bow to the inevitable and climb into the spacious and comfortable interior, at least you can't see the outside from in here. The car is even rather spritely and the column shift suprisingly slick and quick and my father is reveling in the grip and handling on those funny skinny tyres ( who the hell has only three wheel studs) and on one memorable occasion a well driven Torana GTR spins trying to catch us. I'm a complete convert and there's a certain smugness to traveling in the ultimate sleeper. My father owns another when they move to Australia later in the seventies, but his french period in NZ is about to ramp up a notch with the arrival of a new Citroen D super 5.
PonyRider
I see this issue popped up that I must have missed the first time, glad I saw it.
John W and Mark O thanks for that. I think Dr. John's use of the word "Quirky" was very appropriate, and that is how I I viewed the TS on appearance, but after driving one and riding passenger in another I was pleasantly surprised to find the Renault very nice to drive and nifty enough too, The owner of the White TS that I drove was chasing me down an unsealed road back in 1975 with me in my Triumph 2000 MD Spec and he in his Renault. He didn't quite have the pace to pass me but was right on my tail in the twisty road. When we got to our destination he confessed to working 'quite hard' to keep up but I praised both his driving and the car to get even close to my Triumph that had the triple Strombergs, mild cam, Overdrive, Jag double valve springs etc. when his car was stock. A real nice car to drive the 1600TS !
Viva le France
DrJohnWright
I owned a Renault 16TS in 1973-74 and three more in the early 1980s. In 1975-76 I had a Fiat 125. For many years I regarded them as very different from each other but equally good. Now I'd have the Renault in a heart beat.
HughB
I grew up in rural Lincolnshire and my Dad had a love for Renaults, I remember a couple of 16's, many 4's 8 I think, a couple of 10's and 8's, even a Fuego. My Mum loved the 4's and each of us 4 kids learned to drive in them - we thought that a gearstick coming out of the dash, connected to something under the bonnet with rubber bands was normal! Dad used to take them shooting, ploughed fields and mud all taken in stride.
The 16's were always his favorite and given the chace he'd sing their prase!
Shannons
Hi TheAxe,
If you are having issues with the Shannons Show and Shine Competition please email (Info@shannons.com.au) with your contact details, so we can contact you to sort out your issue.
Kind regards,
The Shannons Club Team.
Motown1
Great episode and what a fantastic example. The owner should be very proud.
audifan
Someone mentioned torque steer. When I got my 16TS in '73 I could't understand why, just a week later, my forearms were so sore. Then it hit me. Those big wheels and front wheel drive put one hell of a load on your arms. I'd forgotten this. Only lasted til I got used to it. Great car though.
pnabsie
I had a 1969 16 TS and after the Wolseley 24/80 , which was my first car, it felt like a sports limousine car. The engine revved freely and back in 1976 I got "goaded" in to a drag race by several fellows with eh's and a hr to a drag race at the brickies in the Sydney wharf area. They said a 4 cylinder could never beat a 6. Well after slamming through all the gears at 6000 rpm I won by a whisker but got a lot respect.
But there was a down size to the wonderful 100mph cruising armchair. Did I say the most comfortable seats at the time?
The wet sleeve design of the engine was troublesome, the alloy head would deteriorate and when you changed spark plugs the thread would come out needing helicoiling and the gearbox would have to come out to do the clutch as the engine was against the fire wall and the gearbox in front of it. Also the exhaust manifold would have to come off to do the starter motor.
I also had virtually no rear brakes due to a faulty proportioning valve which nobody at the time seem to be able to fix.
When you think about it the VW passat that followed was virtually a copy of the body design.
One more thing with the oddball design of the uneven wheelbase was that lifting off mid corner on the accelerator the tail end of the car was prone to face the way you wanted to head. Thanks for the video
Michael16v
I purchased a R16TS new in 1970 after getting a lift from NSW to SA in one - was going to buy a R10S but changed my mind!! A fantastic car in the day. I travelled Nowra - Adelaide a couple of times a year in that car. In the then "derestricted" roads I could sit at 90 - 100mph and feel quite safe and very comfortable.
I used to compete in motorkhana's in the car. I always insisted that the LHS wheelbase was measured. This made sure I was the shortest car in the "long wheelbase" class :-)
Lots of good memories.
audifan
In '73 I had a 16TS...fantastic car. I remember one day arriving at Sydney airport to pick up two wooden crates full of electronic gear. The man asked where my truck was and I motioned toward the 16. He laughed until he saw me proceed to fiddle with the seating, load the two crates, close the boot. "I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it" he said. It also had all the bells and whistles, a true limousine of its time.
LilFellaofOz
I read about the 16 and was in awe of it. Great car. But I lived in the bush and didn't have any money to buy one. I was impressed with that amazing luggage compartment, like a station wagon.
TheAxe
Hi
I'm trying to upload photos to you "send in your vehicle photo" contest, but it will not upload more than one photo. It will not allow me to move to the next section unless I upload three photos. So I cannot enter the contest. Please fix this problem soon !
Wayne
Alpinesx
Hi Mark,
The Renault 16TX 1647 cc engine and 5 speed gearbox was installed in the last evolution of the Alpine A110, the SX, which I just competed in the recent Targa Tasmania.
Cheers Mark Duder.