Stories & Photos: Gallery 33
An R16 from Switzerland, full of holes like Swiss cheese

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This R16 TX from 1979 belongs to Roland Bächli from Switzerland. When he bought it back in 1991 from an elderly man it only had 78 000 kms on the meter. Now 12 years later it still has a mere 88 000 kms, so Roland has not been using a lot, partly because it didn't pass inspection 6 years ago. Rust of course! But he has started it up driven it around every year to prevent the mechanics to suffer from standing so long time.
Now he has decided to finally fix up the old R16. So he started dismantling the car, not expecting to find a lot of rust. Which he of course did...
Here he has found some rust when he removed the front wings.
Along the front edge of the rear wings is also a common area to find rust.
In the engine compartment, all around the ventilation slats.
But now it is defintely looking more difficult to fix.
This used to be the lower region of the front chassis member...
And here is the prize winner: The outer mounting of the rear suspension on the left side!
All I can say is: Good Luck!
Anything is possible, and I sure hope Roland will make it...

Progress has been made. Rust has been removed and new steel is in place, like here on the left rear door.
Roland has also installed a sunroof. This was obviously taken from a red car...
A sunroof is pretty easy to install since all the welds along the edges of the roof is easy to access and is covered by windshield rubber seal, bagage door and the side chrome strips.
When it's all done Roland will enjoy this view.

Roland has finished his R16TX. Here his son proudly shows us it fully restored to its former glory.
The color Roland has selected is not a standard R16 color, it is not even a Renault color, it is a Peugeot color!!
Roland selected it to match the interior and still get a better contrast to the chrome than the original silver.
Here are some more pictures from the restoration.
When the car came back from the painter everything was VERY quickly assembled to be able to go the R16 meeting in Alsace. It only took a weekend to get it ready for inspection on the Monday before the meeting.
Here you can see Rolands friend Morwan in action, he's so quick even the camera has difficulties catching him.

Magnus Bjelk (magnus@r16site.com)

Last revision 2004-09-24