More parts arrive

Over the past week I have been busy stripping and pressure washing the car in out and under. It now sits on a purpose made dolly which makes it easier to move around. I have carried out repairs to the back of the car including  re manufacturing some small sections which were rusted. I tried the old 2 cent coin trick behind some holes which needed welding and that worked a treat.
I brought home more parts today including the engine and lights etc. I will need a new rear panel and if I can find one a bonnet and oil cooler, so if you have one lying around leave me a message.

Stripping parts to evaluate the shell.

I have stripped all of the body panels and the interior so that I can evaluate the shell. Pretty much as I expected. 

 Bits for the container

Stripped.

The Gordini has arrived.

I bought the body home today and I just need to pick up the engine and some other parts during the week. It came with a lot of paperwork including 2  letters from Renault in 1969. One is an answer to the original owner John Sever of Hunters Hill NSW. He was complaining about the noisy gearbox. I also have the glove box handbook and maintenance schedule which shows the car was built in 1968. The first service stamp is dated 22/07/1968 at- 1,631miles. So with this in mind I am assuming the car was built in May or June 1968.

R1135 5266 now in my shed.

Letter re- gearbox.

The new addition to the stable.

I purchased this car from John Kitchen on 16 March 2012. It is in a very poor state and as you can see from the photos it needs a lot of work and will take some time. The first photos were taken by myself in 2010 when I first looked at the car but I wasn't able to purchase it at the time. Forward 2 years and a deal is struck. The car was manufactured in May or June 1968.
The car has had several owners as follows- John Sever 69-73, John Spry 73-77, Ben Emmelkamp 1978, Andrew Kubienski 78-82, Ara Vartoukian 82-2006 and John Kitchen 2006-2012. The first 3 photos show the cars condition now and the last 2 show what it looked like in the 1980's

Outside for years.

Unmistakably a Gordini.

The engine saw use in Johns R10 for a while.

The car in the 80's.

Where it began

It was about 1975 when I first saw an R8 Renault. My first impression wasn't favorable to its shape but it began to grow on me. Some years later, about 1979 I bought my first Renault. It was a round light R10 about a 67 model I think. A few years later I bought  my first R8 and built it into a rally car which I campaigned for a couple of years in Rally's, Hill Climbs and Super-sprints etc. I changed to a Mazda RX2 in about 1982. In 1986 I bought my first R1135 from David Long near Palm Beach. The car was in dry storage under his house since 1973 and was in many pieces as a non completed restoration. I got about 3/4 of the way through the restoration when we decided to move to Bathurst and needed some extra cash so the car was sold to Steve Kozacs who completed the restoration and still owns the car today some 22 years later. The picture below shows the car at the Renault Car Club of Australia's 60th anniversary in Sydney and is a credit to Steve for the condition he keeps it in. (Photo c/- RCCA.) The next photo was taken in the Royal National Park with my R10 in about 1980 and the final photo is me at the wheel of my R8 rally car during a VW Club Khanacrosse at the Plumpton grounds in about '85. (Most likely a housing estate now).

My First Gordini, now owned by Steve Kozacs for over 20 years.(Photo C/-RCCA).

Circa 1980 with my R10.

My R8 Rally car circa 1985.