In my garage – Each week, motorists or bikers present their exceptional vehicles in Le Figaro. Today, a cook from Nogent-sur-Marne tells us about the transformation of its 4CV.
When he leaves his school restaurant in a college in Nogent-sur-Marne, Grégory cherishes his afternoon of freedom, in particular to roll and maintain his Renault 4CV. This legendary French automobile, produced between 1947 and 1961, has become a bit of the center of his social life. “I use it every day except when it rains, because it takes the water”he says. It’s a car from another time. In the passenger compartment, it is cold when it is cold, hot when it is hot. In other words, there is no air conditioning system or heating: it dates well from the 1950s. This is what makes its charm.
A love born thirty years ago, in front of a film with Jane Birkin and Pierre Richard: “Mustard goes up to me». “At one point, we see this car”he recalls. Family influence is not foreign to this love of beautiful mechanics either: “My father was a rally pilot in R5 he even made the Paris-Dakar With Stephanie Fugain “. But paradoxically, this paternal passionate “Has always prohibited” To touch his cars, creating a frustration that will only feed his future passion for the jewelry of the automobile.
His license and a 4CV
In 1991, Grégory was 19 years old. He has just had his license. Neither one nor two, he buys a 4CV, but a few months later, he was stolen from his box. He bought another model, cheaper, the R5, and will make a cross on the 4CV 27 years.
Here we are in 2018. With word of mouth, the chef finds a 4CV model in an individual. “She was very beautiful but had mechanical and electrical problems. I did 5 km and broke down. I realized that there were big oil and petrol leaks. When I warned the seller, he wanted to know nothing ”he says. Without much knowledge of mechanics, Grégory tries to change the carburetor, but nothing does it, he sells the car and loses 2000 euros in the case. An adventure.
An overhaul of the engine and the bodywork
“Six months later, I bought the one I have now, found on Leboncoin 3 km from my home, for 9000 euros. In very good condition and everything worked ”recalls the chef. A few weeks later, he met with a mechanic specializing in this type of model. “I open the hood to him, and the guy tells me” it would be good to transform it “. The idea of the latter, modify the vehicle with the more efficient engine of a Gordini Dauphine. Result: its 4 CV has a 4 -speed gearbox (instead of 3), can go up to 120 km/h.
Beyond the mechanics, Grégory has redone a large part of the basic carcass. He changed a 6 -volt battery for a 12, added motorcycle indicators in front and behind, adapted the seats into thicker adjustable files. “I also added a petrol pressure gauge, a wooden steering wheel, repins the engine in blue. I even put a Vespa scooter gallery at the back ”he lists. Amenities that give great originality to its model, and allow it to stand out during automobile gatherings between enthusiasts.
Meet in auto clubs
Gatherings in which he participated fifty times a year. “I am fully in it”he enthuses. From Sucy-en-Brie to Ozoir-la-Ferrière, passing through the big annual meeting of Chelles on May 1 (1,600 cars from the 1950s), his agenda is full. It must be said that Grégory frequents several auto clubs and has even created his on Facebook. “I am part of the classic club, and Ozoir as a former, and am president of a club of friends, that we baptized Olds Cars Saint-Maur 94”. This allows him to meet with friends, while the opportunities are lacking, and simply to speak mechanical.
The fact remains that at the wheel of his 4CV, the chef never goes unnoticed. “People stop me, especially those aged 70-80”he says. If the car arouses nostalgia for the ancients, it is not uncommon that it also attracts the curiosity of the youngest. Everything is a question of transmission.
