Bauke Yntema exchanged a sailing boat for a lifting bridge: “Eight weeks to South America; Childhood dream “

The Renault 16 and Bauke Yntema are inextricably linked, like Heerenveen and the famous skating palace. It’s his love for the brand and genre since his father bought the R16. “Love has always existed. I was working at Seedorf. Then I went back and forth with my Renault 16 TX Gas. It’s a party. “Bauke and Sandri also got married at Renault 16. Frankly, we would say.

There was constant itching

“Once the kids arrived, it got a little harder. Then you didn’t get around to maintenance and tinkering. But it continued to erode. Until I bought the car in France ten years ago.” He drove in Tahiti for 25 years. Never seen rain. This is important because Renault wants to rust. In the first years we adapted it to our liking. New upholstery, five-speed gearbox, more luxurious edges, repainted levels and travel control. But that was just before China. This is because travel control can be effective when you have to travel long distances.

From pillar to post

On a trip to China, Bauke accompanied his eldest son Weeker and last son Hemmo to Iran. Looking back on that trip, he says: “Awesome, especially since you do it with your kids. You get used to each other seriously and talk about something along the way. Valuable. There were about 65 of us. Mostly elderly. I was amazed at how my kids moved between them. The culture you meet along the way, the nations, the people, admire your car and have tea at a gas station in the middle of Iran. That alone was complete happiness.

But what I remember most are the special border crossings. How that process goes with those officers. The members of the group think they can arrange it. Entertainment. Those Chinese customs officers, you really don’t have to arrange anything with them. We only brought chairs. We always have. They came in handy. Sit back and watch the whole thing. It took almost three days to cross the Chinese border. Really getting stamps from the cupboard to the wall.

Sixteen thousand km in eight weeks

The trip to China went very well and is on the agenda for South America next year. Re-arranged. “Not by the same club, but by interested people who have traveled to China and traveled to South America in the past. They wanted it back, but in a small group, with fifteen cars. The beginning is in Buenos Aires, from there it goes to Cartagena via Chile, Peru and Ecuador.

Terminus in Colombia. About fifteen or sixteen thousand kilometers. In eight weeks. Childhood dream.

“So Sandri is not coming back,” Bauke Yntema laughs. This time his traveling companion was Martin Smith, whom he had known for many years and was about to board the boat. “Remember you’re been in the car together for eight weeks. You have to click on it.

Northern Cape

But before that happens, the Yntema couple will be heading to Scotland first this summer. With R16. “We found Scotland so beautiful and would love to do it again. We book the first hotel and see the rest. From bed and breakfast to the hotel, stay a few days and travel around the country. With our little Renault. We do it in Germany, France, Denmark. , It doesn’t matter where we go.We want to do it again in Norway and Finland, North Cape.

கிழித்தெறி

Bauke Yntema is actually a water sports enthusiast. With his Zestienkwadraat, he is a regular participant in Sneekweek. And by his cabin sailing boat he took part in races on IJsselmeer like a 24-hour race from his home port of Worcester, and he made beautiful voyages. Really past, because he sold his winner at 9.50. Because Chandry enjoyed a week in Tershelling so much and enjoyed it so much when he went to and from the island. He already had a shed next to his body shop in Heeranween where he lives. For the storage of his boats and two cars. “The maintenance of those boats started to bother me a little. I am also very accurate. The trip to China is already over

Planned. Before that we had a nice vacation in the car and took trips like the rally. My wife thought it was wonderful. Long story summary: Bauke was able to sell the boat and repurchase a lift bridge for that amount. It seems insensitive, it is not. “I shed a tear.”

Confusion around

Meanwhile, there was already a second old timer: a BMW. “In the end, I love tinkering, maintaining and fiddling with those cars. I love making the cars more beautiful, upgrading and touring with them. In the evening, when nothing else is planned, upstairs on the bike, two hours. Time is a mess. Upgrade here, focus on it a little bit. Beauty. Then do it one way on Sunday. Then we take one of the cars. They were all cars behind me. ” Business has changed for BMW because of the bad experience. ”I had a Renault saffron so it cost me a lot of money. I have been driving a BMW ever since but my love for Renault has remained the same.

Tough choice

The Renault 16 was a pretty middle class. The car you wanted to see. In the current Series: The middle-class car of the day was as big as the average Renault Cleo today. Definitely not big and relatively short. Upstairs, as he himself says, are his five beauties. Because they are like that. Piece by piece in showroom condition. Tight in the paint, no matter how close you look, you will not find the rusty spot. A BMW 3.0 L, the extended version, the dual headlights and the forerunner of the BMW 7 Series, but

A 530, small V8 produced by BMW. “I keep it as a hobby, but it’s less interesting in terms of consumption”, refers to the Yntema V8 engine.

Then there is the white R16, discussed earlier, with yellow lights, of course, just like the other two Renaults. Originally it was the TS version. However, Yntema has turned it into a TX with more luxurious upholstery, headrests and a five-speed gearbox. Also, the R30 and wife Chandry’s R5 who drove straight from the factory. “When I was younger, we always had to go to De Vries Garage in the sneakers for parts. That’s where I first saw the R30. It has always been my dream. An R25 is still on the wishlist. But a car or his cum must get out. Rough choice

Bauke Yntema Between His Loves: “In the evening, when nothing else is planned, upstairs on the bike, two hours of chaos. Improve here, pay a little attention to it. Beauty. ”

Text: Richard de Jonge

Photos: Richard de Jonge and Bauke Yntema