In his latest blog post, our resident road tripper Ben Coombs returns to Colombia with his mind on all things Renault.
Time certainly flies.
As I walked out of Bogota Airport into the tropical sun, it was hard to believe that over four months had passed since the last time I was there. On that occasion, my time here had very much been a learning experience. The goal was to purchase a Renault 4, and in doing so, test the viability of setting up a whole new branch of Pub2Pub, running self-drive tours in Colombia’s coffee district.
We learned a lot in that visit. We confirmed that a rally around this stunning part of South America was viable, and we even managed to buy the Renault, too – by the skin of our teeth, that is, completing the paperwork and taking ownership of the cherry-red ‘El Tomatito’ the evening before we flew home.
But this time, we’d done it all before. We knew the procedures better, and so naturally, our goals were rather more ambitious. In the ten days I was to be there, we aimed to purchase another two classic Renaults for the fleet, and start researching the routes the rally will be following around Colombia’s coffee region.
Can’t be too difficult, can it? Of course not. And so, off shopping we went.
Unfortunately, the first Renault we checked out wasn’t up to scratch. A recently resprayed white example, with a very smart interior, the more we looked it over the more it seemed to represent style over substance. Rust was already bubbling through the fresh paint, panel alignments were approximate at best, and the engine didn’t run too well, cutting out repeatedly on the test drive around the hectic streets of Periera.
However, car number two caught our imagination somewhat more. And while it could be argued that it also represented style over substance, the test drive showed there was enough substance there to work with. But what of the style? Well, there’s the red-and-white, two tone paint job, for starters, which was delightfully matched to an all-white leatherette interior, giving it a vibe all of its own. And we haven’t even got to the best bit – the defiantly lowered suspension and the chunky exhaust. This particular Renault had previously been used as a wedding car, and had sufficient gravitas in its appearance that we were happy to overlook the issues we found, such as the sloppy gearchange, exhaust leak and a few areas which needed welding underneath. Oh, and the fact that its lowered suspension made us doubt whether we could get it down the rough track to the finca where we were keeping the cars – an unfounded worry, as it turned out.
A deal done, the paperwork was mailed off to the capital for processing and a few days later I was nervously coaxing ‘El Llanerito’ (The Little Cowboy) along the track to the finca, trying not to remove any of the underside in the process.
Car number three initially seemed to be a far more rational bet.
Owned by an older guy who’d been sympathetically improving it over the years, is looked marvellous, and seemed to be a solid example in good original condition – exactly what we were after, in fact. So, a deal was done and we spent an afternoon chasing around the hillside town of Manizales getting the paperwork signed and stamped (and fingerprinted – because Colombia). This enabled us to leave town with our newly bought motor as darkness descended.
However, it wasn’t all plain sailing.
The first issue occurred about a mile up the road, when having pulled over for fuel, the car wouldn’t start. A jump start solved this, and set us rolling on towards a coffee plantation we wanted to check out, about half an hour away. But the fun wasn’t over yet. On the steep rocky hill down to the farm, the brakes decided to play the same trick that the electrics had thirty minutes earlier, and jump ship.
Fortunately, I managed to pull the car off without plunging over a cliff edge, and the next morning discovered that one of the rear brake drums was almost seized, overheating the brake line, boiling the fluid and sending the brake pedal straight to the floor.
So, an inauspicious start for this particular Renault, which the previous owner had named ‘Billy el Rojo’, and we’ve taken to calling Billy the Kid. However, there’s a happy ending to this one – a new battery, vacuum advance line, HT electrical overhaul and some tinkering with a brake cylinder later, and we have a car which we’re sure we could drive anywhere.
That brings our Colombian Renault fleet to three, which is halfway to the six we we’re aiming for to launch the driving tours with. And the route research is going well, too. From the tallest palm trees in the world, to scenic tracks through epic scenery; from towering volcanoes to the dreamy hotel which provided the inspiration for the Disney film Encanto, it’s coming together brilliantly.
We’re going to be opening Pub2Pub Colombia for entries this summer, with trips starting early next year. So, if our growing fleet of red Renaults has got you intrigued, then watch this space, and if you’re feeling adventurous, maybe come and join us on the roads of Colombia’s coffee district next year for an adventure like no other, behind the wheel of a quirky classic.
