Clio 172 Project

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 the garage.  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.

Just don’t ask me because I sure as hell aren’t one lol.

Well I am no longer a track virgin.  YEY!  Got on at Donnington Park on Saturday whilst there for ISTS and I’m glad I did.  Not only because the show itself was fucking shit but because I now love the track.

Anyway here’s an in car video of me being crap.   With it being my first time my lines are all wrong, at times I picked the wrong gear to either enter the corner or exit with and I was just losing all my speed through the corners.  I was also paranoid about not slowing people behind me down so constantly moved over to let them pass when TBH I didn’t need to.  Pah anyway it was a lot of fun and I’ll be doing a lot more, although the next one I do I’ll be getting an instructor to come out with me and show me what I’m doing wrong lol.

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.