Clio 172 Project

So after discovering that the SHIT tyres fitted by one of the pikies before me were bald on the inner edge I went back off to Blackcircles and ordered another two Toyo Proxes T1-Rs and this time chose a different tyre fitter, after the last fucking joke of a company.  I called down there nice and early and after just 30 minutes the tyres were fitted and balanced and I was on my way.

Still need to get the car tracked up properly, but that can now wait till next month because this month I’ve spunked  my hard earned, finally, on a new exhaust!  WOOHOO CHAV WANKFLOW BE GONE!  lol

Gone for the K-tec Racing Stealth cat back system and thanks to the people at K-tec it should be here by Friday.  So I’m booked in to a garage on Saturday morning to get it and new centre and rear exhaust hangers fitted and I can’t fucking wait!  Obviously it will take a 1000 miles or so to coke up properly but I’m off to the slums of the North on Saturday afternoon, so that will help it along the way.  Plus I’ve got the replacement bumper to fit once it’s fitted. 

Updates to come at the weekend.

XOXO

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.

Picked this up today ready for the track time at ISTS and hopefully more in the coming months, waiting to decide on FCS until after ISTS…see if I’m shit or not lol, bargain at £39.99 from J&S Accessories.  Gold A.C.U. approved and it even matches the colour of my car PMSL.

Also ordered two new Toyo Proxie T1-R tyres to replace the worn ones currently on the back, but I’m considering swapping the fronts around so I have more grip where I really need it.  Black Circles came to the rescue at just £95 fully fitted local to me, including balancing, valves and disposal.  So I’m off down there on Saturday to get them thrown on. 

Sent the car into the garage for the replacement of it’s o/s CV following it deciding that it no longer wanted to stay in place or keep the grease where it should be.

An hour and £50 later the jobs a goodun. I could of done the job myself, but for £50 why would I? I fucking HATE doing CV boots and hate even more the horrible grease.

Unfortunately though the aux belt has started making a shit load of noise and has moved over on the alternator pulley or was never fitted correctly in the first place plus it’s due to be replaced anyway. So it’s booked in on the 16th for new cam and aux belts along with all the tensioners, cam isn’t due till next year but the aux belt has to come off to do it anyway so might as well get both done at the same time. £520…but it’s better to pay that than buy/repair the whole engine.

In other news I’ve had a load of deliveries recently, nothing all that exciting. Engine cover bolts and washers, silver bulbs, engine cover replacement sticker and most of my service kit (genuine Renault pollen, oil and fuel filter).

I still need to get an ITG Profilter air errm filter, NGK PFR6E-10 spark plugs and make a decision on what 5W-40 oil I’m going to go for, currently thinking it will be Silkoline PRO S though.  Think I’ll be leaving the service until after Internatioal Styling and Tuning Show (ISTS) in April though as I’m doing a track session there so it will no doubt need it after that anyway.

However next month is MOT time.  So I’ll be getting two new Toyo T1-Rs fitted to the rears just in case the scuffing causes me any problems there and unfortunately I’ll have to put up with another month with the chav Powerflow exhaust as thanks to two companies screwing me over this month with hidden charges or fucking up my direct debit payment I’ve had to pay out a lot for stuff I wasn’t expecting.    Wank.  Just have to hope that I pass the dB tests at Donnington, it’s a loud day though so fingers cross it will be fine.

Once everything has calmed down and the exhaust has FINALLY been sorted then I’m going to uprate the brakes.  They don’t really need it as it stops on a 5p as it is, but as I’ll be doing a few track sessions this year I’d rather know they were up to the job.  Not going for anything rediculous just some Brembo High Carbon (HC) discs and Ferodo DS-2500 brake pads at the front, then standard 172 jobbies at the rear, braided hoses all round and some Castrol Responce Dot 4 brake fluid.