Hello and welcome to my web site. My name is Derek Flavell and I run a small business primarily involved in servicing, repairing and restoring Renault 4s'. My aim is to keep as many R4s' on the road as possible, provided the dreaded "tin worm" has not taken too much of a hold.
I am interested in all older Renaults' and have built some interesting cars in my time, some of which can be seen in the gallery.
Modern cars seem to be getting bigger and heavier each year and, as technology grows, the average person will not be able to touch their cars any more. R4s' come from a different era and are not disposable or wasteful like their modern counterparts. They are typically French and have a character all their own. As time goes by I am sure they will become a genuine practical classic, and will be much appreciated by owners and passers by alike.
Around town is where the R4 really excels. It is a willing little work horse and is nippy and nimble on the school run, or the supermarket trip, swallowing most loads with ease. The steering and clutch are light, and visibility and economy are excellent. Motorway journeys can be harder work, and I can fit some different engine options that can give your R4 a new level of performance-from extra torque and top speed right up to a fire-breathing monster, the ultimate wolf in sheep's clothing!
I am hoping to show you some pictures of the various projects that I have been involved with. First is my trusty old F6 van. Members of the Renault Owners Club may remember the article I wrote about it in approximately 1999 , but for those who aren't, here's a short history. I got the van in a dilapidated state, the rear chassis legs required major surgery and the bodywork was dreadful. I fabricated repair sections for the chassis and replaced the bonnet and both the front wings. I repainted the entire vehicle, and applied the sign writing.
I was using it on a daily basis to commute from Kent to London, but life in the slow lane was becoming hard work . I acquired a R5 automatic engine of 1397cc, rebuilt it, modified the camshaft, made up an exhaust system and mated it to an R4 GTL gearbox. The result was excellent, power was doubled at about 75 horsepower, and torque was much improved. This meant that I no longer had to grind up big hills behind lorries and coaches, instead I could sit in the outside lane like all the other boy racers. So successful was this conversion that I drove the van for the next five years. I reluctantly sold it back to its original owner last year, primarily because I had become a father and needed an extra seat, and secondly to partly fund the building of an R4 saloon. The van, to date, has covered over 275,000 miles and is still going strong. After owning this vehicle and living with it on a daily basis, I cannot understand why Renault never built a 1.4ltr R4, it really is a good combination.