My "Frog" - 1958 Renault 750 (4CV)

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This is my little green FROG, a Renault 750 (4CV) brought up to more modern specifications. The car was totally built and prepared by my youngest son Tim (before he had a driver's licence) and myself. We removed all of the older style suspension and breaking and replaced it with R10 running gear and disk brakes. This required a new front suspension cross member to cater for the later suspension.

There was at least one that raced at Mount Panorama, Bathurst at some stage in the 60's and several in the Sydney area. I have old 60'sracing car newspaper shots of them at Catalina Park Raceway, Katoomba. There were about 6 with the 1000cc conversions as well as a couple of the R1063 models.
The Frog's powerplant WAS an 1100cc totally worked (it has a Cosworth A6 camshaft). It was difficult to drive below about 3500RPM, and good power didn't arrive until around 5200rpm but once it gets going it really purs along. It now has a standard R8G engine with the Renault Sports cam (possibly Alpine) as the gear ratios from 3rd to 4th were too far apart for the other engine. I now find it a lot better to get away and the up hill pulls and I can change gears at 6500 rpm without dropping out of the power band. A Five speed would be great, but my one is going back into the R1135.

The following photos are of the racing career of the FROG, but there are also some photos of other 4CV's as well.

This is the engine bay with the R8G engine and additional cooling pipes to take the water to the radiator. I know, that pipe on the water pump should be done a bit neater, but it was only temporary. The tank had to be moved andI have recently put this one in the boot. It is around 50 litres to cater for a longer race in November 1998. The move to the front has removed a total of 50Kg from over the rearwheels to the front wheels reducing the oversteer tendency. The radiator and expansion bottle are also in the boot.

The original cars in Australia had a 750cc wet sleave engine that developped 20 BHP at 4200 RPM. The engine was relatively advanced for the day (1947-1962) with the aluminium head. The car has 4 wheel independant suspension and standard features such as a heater demister and "blinker" turn indicators.The car is diminutive and yet seated four adults comfortably.The rear engine allowed a clear flat front floor and plenty of leg room. The major space problem was the boot, which compared to later Renaults is as big as a glovebox. The later models sold in Australia even had Radial ply tyres fited as standard on the Deluxe model (Michellin "X" 135 x 15)

My one is a 1958 standard model (it has less aluminium body strips, no velour headlining and does not have a key starter/steering lock). Ihave added the4 wheel disc brakes from the later R8/10 model cars just for safety reasons and it stops it a bit better from 170kph on the racetrack. Now the major problem is getting good brake pads that will take the heat.I was running ordinary brake fluid until one day the oil boiled between runs and the brakes disappeared.

Racing Shots

Wakefield Park 2000
Only used the car for one event in 2000 at the LBMCCC Supersprint at Wakefield Park.

1998

Alpha Romeo Owners Club of Australia 6 Hour Relay Race

For informationon the race and more photographs I have written aboutthe race and my experiences.The Photographs are also indexed on this page.

Wakefield Park - LBMCCC

A hard brake for a slow third gear tight left hander.Note the rear camber compared to the next photo Accelerating out of the previous corner. Note the neg.camber. Adam trying a nice power slide in the rain. It did not end up successful with a quick 360 spin.

Eastern Creek - Mini Car Club

Tim underneath the Corolla, and it still beat him. An unexciting run at this great track. Turn 7 downhill and tight into third gear and pedal to the metal.

Oran Park - Hills District Car Club

Last corner into the straight at Oran Park A side on view with the front wheel just about off the ground. It does liftwith a little sideways. Woops! DON'T take your foot off even if you think that you are going too fast. It was the only time that the Pug got past that day.

Previous Years

Renault Car Club - Amaroo Park 1996

These are some shots of the car at Amaroo Park Raceway at Round 4 ofthe State Hillclimb championships run by the Renault Car Club in April 1996.

Bathurst Light Car Club hill climb Mt Panorama 1995 and 1996

Hillclimb event at Mount Panorama, Bathurst NSW in1995,with me at the wheel.My youngest son Tim, who helped me build the car,beat meby 0.4 of a second, but he does have a 7Kg. weight advantage. Hillclimb event at Mount Panorama, Bathurst NSW in 1996 justleaving the startline. This year I came third in the event beating Tim my youngest son by .01 of a second. My eldest son Adam won the class in his R8 Gordini.

Other 4CV's

A nice little French one in somewhere near Grasse in France1990. Owned by Mr. Devos and used in his Garage. There was also a niceDauphine there in the car yard. Another nice 1961 French one owned by Daniel Le Fur. They still use them in Vietnam. I was there in 1967 and there were many there then, but still today?

The R16TS and the "Frog" in the pits. Note the burn mark on the R16 bonnet where the fuel line came off and started a small fire. Typical of the old R16's. A 4X4 4CV from Wasington State (USA) owned by Ed Dupont.

This is the line up of 4CV's at the French Car day held at Canberra in 1993.
Jenny's car at the French Car Day in Sydney 1994.
George and Pauline Cooks beutiful little red "Brigitte" at Canberra 1993. George won the Renault concourse that day .

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Last Updated 15th May 2004.


This is the engine bay with the R8G engine and additional cooling pipes to take the water to the radiator. I know, that pipe on the water pump should be done a bit neater, but it was only temporary.	The tank had to be moved andI have recently put this one in the boot. It is around 50 litres to cater for a longer race in November 1998. The move to the front has removed a total of 50Kg from over the rearwheels to the front wheels reducing the oversteer tendency. The radiator and expansion bottle are also in the boot.


A hard brake for a slow third gear tight left hander.Note the rear camber compared to the next photo	Accelerating out of the previous corner. Note the neg.camber.	Adam trying a nice power slide in the rain. It did not end up successful with a quick 360 spin.


Tim underneath the Corolla, and it still beat him.	An unexciting run at this great track.	Turn 7 downhill and tight into third gear and pedal to the metal.


Last corner into the straight at Oran Park	A side on view with the front wheel just about off the ground. It does liftwith a little sideways.	Woops! DON'T take your foot off even if you think that you are going too fast. It was the only time that the Pug got past that day.


Hillclimb event at Mount Panorama, Bathurst NSW in1995,with me at the wheel.My youngest son Tim, who helped me build the car,beat meby 0.4 of a second, but he does have a 7Kg. weight advantage.	Hillclimb event at Mount Panorama, Bathurst NSW in 1996 justleaving the startline. This year I came third in the event beating Tim my youngest son by .01 of a second. My eldest son Adam won the class in his R8 Gordini.


A nice little French one in somewhere near Grasse in France1990. Owned by Mr. Devos and used in his Garage. There was also a niceDauphine there in the car yard.	Another nice 1961 French one owned by Daniel Le Fur.	They still use them in Vietnam. I was there in 1967 and there were many there then, but still today?

The R16TS and the "Frog" in the pits. Note the burn mark on the R16 bonnet where the fuel line came off and started a small fire. Typical of the old R16's.	A 4X4 4CV from Wasington State (USA) owned by Ed Dupont.

This is the line up of 4CV's at the French Car day held at Canberra in 1993.	Jenny's car at the French Car Day in Sydney 1994.	George and Pauline Cooks beutiful little red "Brigitte" at Canberra 1993. George won the Renault concourse that day .