Renault R5 turbo thread

thanks, i'm wondering where it is today?

 

good vid Pat!

nice pic!!

 

ouch!
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let me ask a general question here, and no flaming please, thanks!
here in north america these are fairly rare to come by, only a very few per year come up for sale, somewhere around $40,000 up to $50,000 USD for a clean & straight T2
for collectors they seem well priced, and sell well, from what i've seen
for some though that seems like a lot (i don't think so, if a collector i wouldn't balk)
i've access to a few lecar (which as we all know the body work comes from), complete and not to rusty, m seriously considering building a clone, using an alternate drivetrain, still a I4 turbo + 5 spd, about 350 hp / 350 tq ....not meant to be an exact replica, but looking oem outside and inside....all my car builds have been pretty exacting, i'm really picky that they be well done and strong!
i know there are some kits out there, but that's not what i mean, my own personal design uses a more modern drivetrain, suspension/steering and brakes/wheels/tires, and a fabricated full tubular chassis and cage, the body shell grafted onto that, and composite fenders/hood used
my question is: would there be a market for say 1-2 'clones' like this to sell per year, say for around $20K?

 

well it would look oem R5 turbo outside and inside, i've a line on a full set fenders/hood, which i will definitely be refining to better quality anyways, then from those i can make my own molds for more
the basic body shell, trimmed, from the steel donor lecar, but underneath a rather simple but strong tube frame (same as we build our super stock circle track cars to) which then to graft the steel skin onto, and then new panels for floor/firewall/footwell
the drivetrain is a domestic block (2.5L DOHC) with forged pistons and con rods, i've owned/run same setup in personal FWD cars and known can take/make much more power than the 350 planned, and proven strong 5 spd trans/clutch, but transverse instead of longitudinal
i'm certain we can make as light, or lighter than the T2, but as robust
remember i'm only aiming at an authentic exterior & interior look, under the hood i'm not trying to replicate that, nor fool anyone with it ...i like the team black/yellow/white scheme for the body

 

perhaps, at this point i'm just planning one for myself, and floating the idea of maybe making 1-2 per year
my own will be the testbed, because i'm not looking to put forth anything that wasn't proved, so in that regard well tested
for my own self, the suspension i want with at least 2 way adjustables, and the spindles/hubs/brakes are all domestic OEM items, because i want to have as much OEM service parts available, and as few custom parts (besides chassis, fglass panels) as possible, for cost and availablity reasons
using the donor lecar, means it will have about 50% of the original steel chassis/bodywork, many interior items, plus a registration tag to work from
the tube frame is designed to fit within the donor shell, aligned to key load points, and pickup points, but is integral to itself
the entire idea came from my own plans worked up to build a budget clone/replica of my own, so the under $20K, so just floating the idea out there to get a sense of "if" response


edit: drop us here some pics of your T2!

 

thanks Greg
definitely, i've been working up the parts & drawings for past year or so already, my whole plan is based on not trying to make an exact clone mechanically, but completely authentic exterior and cabin interior
the drivetrain is indeed domestic Canada & US, iron block, forged crank, forged pistons, DOHC aluminum head, inconel exhaust valves, stainless intake valves, all OEM parts which can be bought at dealer or parts stores
the trans is same, already used/proven in many cars for beyond the power i'm looking at, and in car nearly twice the weight
the suspension is basically too, OEM parts, for servicability, i've got some help in the design department though from a racing builder who has the better experience and geometry program, and designed for track, but street usable, zero-toe, minimal scrub, etc.
one of my donor lecars brought up from the US, the other from here, so i know could be sourced & good for either country, registration-wise

so that's my plan in a nut shell
i just was curious to know others thoughts to such a car, and if a selling/making a few per year was of potential interest? though i wouldn't pre-sell any, i'd build one at a time then sell once completed
thanks

 

once i get building then for sure, in a seperate thread though, as i said, it won't be original or recreating the R5-T chassis/drivetrain, but the exterior & interior will look/be
thanks for the feedback guys i appreciate it & won't hijack the thread more

certainly please post some pics here for the thread! sounds like fun!

 

ok ya a mr2 drivetrain could work too!

(the drivetrain i have planned has renault corporate connection, i forgot to say before)

 

found these pics online, apparently exists still & has undergone a full restoration within the last 2-3 years
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nice!
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correct, i meant to edit that actually, i still am looking to find out the current where abouts of the GTU car
you have more to share that would help?
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a few are yes, in Europe mostly i see, many converting their T2s to look like Maxi, with bodywork and sometimes drivetrain changes ...i've seen a few FWD R5s done with the fenders + fat wheels, but not very good looking finish IMO
finding good OEM T1/2 fenders is actually kind of tricky i've found, but can be done ...true, i'm not looking at the project idea for any sort of value other than driving pleasure ...authentic T2s and T1s are becoming harder to find in good condition, as mentioned before, many are being bought in the US and shipped to Europe, many there have been thrashed and worn right out, or modified and cut into quite a lot
to me that means they will only rise in value more yet still, the ones like yours and pats, which are in excellent conditon
but for a car around $20K that looks correct outside+interior, using domestic model parts that are cheap to maintain, is a winner for me, besides i'm not the kind of person who wants to try and pass it off for something it's not!