Clio 172 Project

Unique visitors to post: 0

No not that Season Affective Disorder thing, just sad.

I got home to find that the postie had brought me lots and lots of wonderful parcels, well ok three.  One isn’t important as it’s just something to let me try out a camera mount…but the other two.  WOW!

Ok I’m concerned, I’m actually excited about this shit and can’t wait to try it out lol.

Yup more cleaning products!  PMSL

What you see is a Meguiars Smooth Surface Clay Kit, from eBay £20 delivered which is the cheapest I could find it anywhere for brand new.  Clearkote Vanilla Moose Wax Hand Glaze, oddly it’s actually polish.  Poorboy’s White Diamond Glaze.  Poorboy’s EX-P Sealant.  Annnnnnnnnnnnnd the thing I can’t wait to try out as I’ve never used the real stuff before, Victoria Collectors Wax.  Oh and for the eagle eyed I’ve got some OEM side repeaters from a Ph2, not all that sure on them tbh but figured for the price and as I’ve already got some silver bulbs for them I’ll give them a whirl.

All of the detailing stuff was from DetailedObsession.co.uk and I can’t recommend Gareth’s services enough.  He spent a long, LONG, time going through the options for my paint with me and explained what each thing would do and which would work the best, not which was the most expensive/fashionable.  Really friendly guy, a good price and really fast delivery.   Oooh and he included full instructions on how to use each individual product and in what order.  I don’t know many other companies out there that offer such a personal service, not for a reasonable price.

So now all I need is some spare time and some half decent weather.  Ideally I’d prefer to of been able to machine polish the car, but as I don’t have a DA that’s impossible lol so it will have to wait till later in the year for that but hopefully it will correct the scratch I found on the rear n/s quarter when I do.  Saturday is out of the question for this big detail as the cars in at Renault to have the bonnet catch recall work carried out and then I’m off, unless it get cancelled due to lack of interest, to meet some of the ClioSport lot from my area. So Sunday, weather permitting will be the big day!

In other Clio news there has been a creaking noise coming from the front suspension which I put down to the common turret nut problem, which I ordered some washers from a “company” (which will for now remain nameless) to fix it with nearly a month ago and they still haven’t arrived…worst service EVER, but I noticed some play in the steering, a wobble at errm “speed” and the odd knock.  Guessed it would be a balljoint gone so I ran it into the garage again, I swear to god they sees more of my car than I do atm lol, and confirmed that “both the balljoints are fucked” which is the technical term IIRC.  So it’s booked in there for the 3rd April to have them replaced ahead of ISTS/MOT.

Speaking of MOT it’s booked in on 17th April.

Unique visitors to post: 0

Ok I’ve been lazy.  Meant to update this but well things have gotten in the way, such as drinking.

Ran the car back down to the garage again last Friday for both bottom balljoints to be replaced and I’m amazed at the difference.  Turn in is better, it corners harder, it feels stiffer and the fucking annoying creaking has gone.  YEY!  Once again fantastic work and a good price.

The next morning I was down to get two new tyres thrown on the back.  Went with Black Circles for a pair of Toyo Proxie T1-Rs in 195/50/15 as they were the cheapest I could find around including fitting, balancing and valves.  Unfortunately this meant that I got introduced to quite possibly the most fucking retarded wheel changing guy (technical term) EVER.

After standing around for 15 minutes being ignored and finally going for a walk to look at a lovely matt grey, looked black to me meh, I rolled the car in.  I knew things were going to go downhill when I handed the locking wheel nut to the lad and he looked at it with a vacant, lost expression.  I explained to him what it was and how to use it, including mentioning NOT TO USE AN AIR GUN, and told him it was the back two that needed changing…he grunted and then came out with the classic line “Have you been donuting it”.  After a briefly pause to take this in I simply replied with “Yes.  I’ve been donutting my front wheel drive Clio.” he was pleased and then out came the air gun.  With locking key in hand I said to him “Use a bar with that mate”….BUZZ.  Wanker.  The next 10 minutes were spent by him attempting to remove the key from the locking nut and once done with pride in his eye and wheel removed he moved to the other side and whilst passing, mostly stood there dumbstruck, “You wanna get some new uns of these, they’re fucked”.  I bit my tongue.  Right up until he did the EXACT same fucking thing with the other wheel.  TWAT!  At this point I went mad asking him if he was deaf or just fucking stupid.  His reply?  FUCK ALL he just carried the wheels off and changed the tyres.  So I’m going for deaf.

Anyway whilst fitting my new tyres and having a cig he asked “You having 32 in these?” “No 29″.  Balanced up and put back on the car, yes tightened with a fucking air gun, I’d given up the will to live by the point, I fled.  Entered a roundabout and felt the back end go light…now I’ve read the back end on the 1*2 models is “lively” but so far I can’t say I’ve noticed.  So after a quick recovery I threw it into another roundabout and same thing.  Off to the local petrol station to check the pressure…34psi in both rears.  MORON.  Back down to 29 and all is good.

Until I washed the car, mostly to get a second layer of wax on it and get the tyre beading shit off, the next day.  Now thankfully all four wheels need a refirb, but that’s not the point, the holes on both back wheels look like they have been attacked with a fucking dril.  CUNT!

So the moral of the story is, if a tyre place looks fucking dog shit…it probably is.

Unique visitors to post: 0

Ok so I struggled with a witty title.

Anyway a THRILLING update blog fans!  I fitted my “aero” flat stylee wiper blades.  Needed to replace the old ones as they were smearing like fuck and god only knows when they were last replaced so after searching about and trying to find some Bosch Aero Twins, or whatever they are called, and then attempting to get some of the Tesco’s brand I gave in and bought some povo eBay ones lol.  £11 delivered and direct fitment for the Clio.  I fully expected them to be shit…and I was wrong.  Work perfectly, even at speed, and look a shit load better than the old crap ones I had.  Nice build quality too and really quickly delivered.  So I’ll probably grab another set for spares and add them to the pile.

Before and afters:

In other news the car is now MOT’d for another year but I’ve also discovered the water pump is leaking.    I meant to get it replaced when I had the cam and fan belts done…but forgot all about it until after I’d picked the car up.  Thought it would be alright, but obviously not so back in it goes to Mark Lightfoot.  Ah well, I’ll be able to buy my new exhaust at some point lol just means that the track session around Rockingham at FCS is out of the window as there is no way I’ll pass the noise limit of 98dB with the current chavtastic exhaust that’s on at the minute.  Gutted tbh but thems them breaks when it comes to owning a Renault PMSL.

Unique visitors to post: 0

As part of my massive monthly spending spree, more on that later, I got hold of an RS Tuner unit second hand, a licence and a new Eee PC 1000H netbook to use with it.

I’d read all of the rave reviews about how this little box of tricks changes the whole feel of the car, I was still sceptical though.  But I thought fuck it, I can always try it and sell it on if it was shit.  I’m glad to say though everything I read was true.

The car now idles a lot smoother, the rev limit has increased to 7,800 RPM and the shift light has moved up the range with it too.  But most importantly is the effect it has had on driving the car, it’s always pulled well but now WOW.  It will pull strongly all the way through the revs to redline and doesn’t feel like it’s running out of steam at any point, although a side effect of that is that the 5k “kick” has now lessened…but I can live with that for the better acceleration.

Most people that post their performance Analyzer graphs show substantial differences in the before and after…mine don’t lol.  Dunno if I did something wrong or what but quite frankly they are bullshit.  But thankfully I don’t need a graph to tell me that the car has much got more torque (no it’s not a plural Mr Clarkson you annoying cunt) and accelerates better through the range.  But just for those that want to see what they look like…

So all in all I’d highly recommend people give it a whirl, if you’re around the East Midlands way and just want to change the map on your car instead of buying your own unit drop me a comment with your email address and I’ll sort something out with you.

Anyway other things since my last update, as I’ve been really fucking lazy in keeping this upto date recently.

Brakes

The car is now running new discs and pads all round, along with braided lines and ATE Super Blue Racing brake fluid. I opted for the highly recommended Brembo High Carbon (HC) discs on the front from GSF (part number R60139), cheapest I could find them and the Super Blue, and Ferodo DS2500 racing brake pads from Fred at BTM Performance.  At the back I’m running OEM Renault discs, including bearings and ABS rings pressed, and pads from the local stealers, that did me a blinding deal on them TBH.  Lastly I got a full set of Exact braided lines from Kam Racing, not the best of fits TBH as I had to file out all the holes that the lines feed through.

Towing eye

As the OEM towing eye for my car was bent, bad tow in the past I’d assume, I decided to go down the Clio Cup Racer style and grabbed one of these from a lad on ClioSport.  The quality of it is mint and the fit perfect, just had to tap out the towing hole as it was full of nearly nine years worth of shit.  Saves me having to fuck about when I finally get back out on the track.

Carbon splitter

Spotted this K-tec carbon splitter going for cheap on ClioSport, brand new and never fitted.  So snapped it up and then quickly got it fitted.  As it’s for a Ph2 the fits not perfect and I had to fuck about with it a bit, but now it’s on it looks mint and finishes off the front end…although I now live in fear of kerbs/speedbumps/rabbits/large pebbles lol.

PTFE Gaskets

In a bid to cool down the inlet temperature I grabbed a set of PTFE gaskets from, once again, a lad on ClioSport.  The OEM gaskets, at least under the plenum, needed replacing anyway.  Until I get the inlets matched I’ve just fitted the gasket under the plenum for now, but will get the other one on when I need to swap the inlets out.

Other bits

As I’ve got an annoy knocking noise I’ve got a Powerflex polyurethane Dog Bone mount bushes kit to go on along with a set of  Compbrake Solid Top Mounts.  I’ve also just ordered a set of Eibach Sportlines which I’m waiting to take delivery of, but unfortunately Eibach are having problems manufacturing the rear springs at the minute so I’m having to wait.   Hopefully be here soon and then this little lot will go on.

So another post and the same list, just updated.

DONE – Silvervision bulbs
Pioneer DEH-P6/7000UB
Pioneer TS-SW1241D Sub, Pioneer UD-SW125S box & amp
DONE – ITG Panel Filter
DONE – Xenons
ORDERED Eibach Sportline lowering springs (-30mm)
DONE – KTR Stealth Exhaust System
DONE – Brakes
DONE RS Tuner
DONE (partially) PTFE gasket kit
Matched Inlets
Pioneer TS-Q131C uprated front speakers

Maybes
DONE KTR carbon front splitter
Oil cooler
182 Manifold & sports cat
Toad Ai606 alarm/immobiliser
172 Ph2 bump strips & bullets
172 Ph2 rear bumper
Silicone Hose kit
Recaro “Trendline” reclining bucket seats
Cat Cams 428s

Unique visitors to post: 0