ReneH

Hi together,

so after some month, I have found some time to create my profile here as I have had done after joining.
But as a lack of time and a bunch of problems...it takes a while. After reading Bill's and Gary's Profile, I have seen that I seem to be more a youngster here...

Ok, but now some things regarding myself:

My Name is René, I was born and also still live in Germany in a region called "Odenwald". I'm 40 years old and I grew up in the car workshop of my grandfather. He sold Opel and repaired all brands of cars and trucks. He also repaired and painted the vehicles of the german Bundeswehr. So I have had a lot of impressions in my youth. I was allowed a lot, so I played as a kid with the parts of our junkyard and also with nitro dilution and other chemicals I found. Nobody cares about safety this time. So maybe not so free as I was in my own youth, but my daughter (gets seven years this year) and my son (gets two years this year) also allowed to play in my workshop. Both have their own tools (real, no plastic).

I'm self-employed since over 20 years. First with digital soulotions like building websites and repairing computers. Since 2004 I'm one of two managing directors of silence lights. A company that builds LED luminaires for commercial, industrial and also private usage. We produce everything in our own company. Starting with the cases up to our own PCB assebly lane. So, as some of you self-employed know...time is a very rare good...

Also my father and my mother worked in my grandfathers car workshop. Beginning in 1970 my father build up a Buggy (Some of you will know). After his death, I got this car. Over one million kilometers got this car up today. three engines, two rear and two front axles. Painted in 6 different colors since build. This car is unique. It was a HAZ kit in basic, but my father modified nearly everything on it. The VW beetle chassis was shortened about 30cm. I will post photos afterwards...
As my grandfather sold Opel, I have had early contact with GM-Cars. My first favourite was a 1972 Corvette Stingray. I also have had contact to american brands like Buick and others the most German don't know this time. In the early 90th we startet to visit the Hockenheim Nitrolympix...Impressive...only impressive! As a kid of eight years I got a real fan of US-cars and V8-engines...(funny to say that my first own US-Cars has an inline-six...)

So by now my profession in cars is to ask and learn. I do the most things on my own, but I like to learn and I love to understand how things work. No matter if we talk about cars, phisics or nature...

Currently I own three cars.

1972 Buggy, owned since 2017
With Ford Cologne V6 2.0l engine with Weber 38 (Something about 90PS), 4-speed original VW beetle gearbox

1986 Jeep CJ-7, owned since 2019
With inline six 4.2l engine and Weber 32/36. T5 gearbox and much modifications. Also technical completly re-build. Exchange engine, all new wiring harness, parking heater...nearly everything new exept the gearbox...but I already have a replacement with all parts new...I only have to get all gears and bearings together...

1986 Ford Bronco, owned since 2022
I have bought this car, cause I need a family-car. For dayli use and also for driving in holidays. It seems in very good condition. No rust at all. Nice interior and the engine runs. Nothing to hear or feel that seems suspicious. After bringing it home, I only wanted to replace the exhaust system at first and add new shorty exhaust mainfolds. Hmm..some outlets of the heads are wet...so I took the intake mainfold off...now the complete takedown has begun. I never ever have seen so much deposits inside an engine...in the end I have taken out more than 6 lbs of deposits. Two connection-rods were bend, also these two cylinders has a piston tipper...so...engine out...all connecting rod bearings and also the main bearings are over the limits. Before I have joined the fullsizebronco forum to get advice what to do. In germany you don't have much expertise for US-cars and especially Ford. So after getting some advice, I decided to upgrade the engine with a 347 stroker-kit from summit. Also one reason for this was that some original parts were not available at this time. But after a long time of reassembling, also with a new 351W cam and nearly all new sensors, new 1989 351W ECU, I still have had the problem that all 8 injectors firing two times per revolution. My current status is that I have build up a complete new engine wiring harness. Now, the next days will show if now everything works, when I start the engine again...

So, that's my story...and also my cars. Here are some images now...

Nice collection sir! That AMC inline 6 is one of the better engines in a Jeep.

Wow, beautiful cars!


My neighbor is German, really nice guy.  We communicate together in English, he with his big German accent, me with my big Frenchie's one.  We sometimes have funny language misunderstandings and loudly laugh about it!


I suggest that Gary move your thread to this topic, where some members have developed about their backstage lives.

Hi Rene,

Nice collection of unique vehicles. I like them all, but I especially love that CJ-7. I've wanted a later model CJ-7 for many years. Maybe someday.

I've spent some time in Germany with my work and always enjoyed my trips there.

Yes, nice cars!  But is the buggy a Myers Manx?

Hi Gary,

and thanks for the praise of all!

No, the original kit of the buggy was from a company called HAZ.
But as I've written, my father nearly changed everything.

Also the engine is a Ford Cologne 2.0l V6. BTW if someone knows in which american cars this engine was sold, I will be thankful, cause the spare parts here in Germany are relative expensive...also like the VW parts for this car...

Wikipedia says this about the 2.0L Cologne engine:

The original displacement of the V6 was 2.0 L; 121.9 cu in (1,998 cc) with a 84 mm × 60.14 mm (3.31 in × 2.37 in) bore and stroke. Output was 85 PS (63 kW; 84 hp) and 151 N⋅m (111 lb⋅ft) or 90 PS (66 kW; 89 hp) and 158 N⋅m (117 lb⋅ft).

Applications:

1964–1967 Ford Taunus 20M (P5)
1967–1968 Ford 20M (P7.1)
1968–1971 Ford 20M (P7.2)
1969–1981 Ford Capri I – III ( Not available on UK models)
1970–1976 Ford Taunus TC
1976–1979 Ford Taunus II
1979–1982 Ford Taunus III
1975–1977 Ford Granada I (Not available on UK models)
1977–1985 Ford Granada II (Not available on UK models)
1982 Ford Sierra (Not available in UK models)

Which reminds me, I once saw a brand new Capri that said "Capri" on one side and "Crapi" on the other.  Was surprised Ford was so honest.

As for the Taunus, that must have been a European thing as I don't remember it.  But I certainly do know where the Taunus Mountains are around Frankfort.

Gary, Taunus was a German Ford. If you remember the first Pintos, the base engine was a "Kent" 1.6L pushrod engine and the optional engine was the "Cologne" 2.0L OHC engine, both 4 cyl. The first Cologne V6 in the US was the 2.6L in the US model Capri that evolved all the way to the 4.0L pushrod V6 and finally the absolute disaster 4.0L OHC engine in the Explorers.

Thanks, Bill.  I was in Europe a lot during the 80's and 90's, and especially Germany, but don't remember seeing a Taunus vehicle.  However,  I do remember the Taunus mountains as I spent considerable time in Bad Homburg and some in Wiesbaden.  In fact, IIRC, the taxi service I used when I didn't rent a car was Taunus Ring Taxi.

So I was pretty sure I knew where Ford got the name for the vehicle.

Thanks Gary...ok...Wikipedia...what a shame...

But I still don't find which American Ford have got this engine...

About the Taunus, you are right. Capri is nearly the same as it is an island...Granada is a city...so all names are geographically...

BTW...some weeks ago I have understood the first time the meaning of garysgaragemahal...I have used a translator at Frist, cause I don't know the English word "mahal"...

Also if you were in Germany in the 90th...it's no wonder that you haven't seen any of these models...also in the 90th the Germans don't drive their cars very long... this time was the beginning of the "drive 3 years and give it back" mentality...so also the cars were build since this time for a short life period...so that's my opinion...

To find out which North American vehicles used that engine you'll have to do some research.  In that Wikipedia article there are hyperlinks for the various vehicles, and you can follow those to see if and when that vehicle used that engine in North America.

It won't be easy, and I don't think Wikipedia is the best source, but it is a place to start.  Ford brochures might be a better place, once you know what vehicles to study.