Finally lowered and engine cover respray! (no 56k)

DougClio16v · Jun 11, 2007

Saturday just gone I finally got my car lowered 35mm at Debz and Duncs house after waiting 2 weeks to get a decent quote to get them fitted! After setting to work at about half 11 in the morning we managed to get her on the axel stand and get the driver's side strut taken out after much muscle work un-doing the bugger! It's a long story why just 1 took so long, but basically it involved Debz and me running around Leatherhead and Epsom to find a car place for anything to take it off. In the mean time Dunc had got it off and was working on the spring!!

Anyway fitted that spring then onto the otherside. That was alot tighter than the drivers side and we just couldn't get it off whatsoever! We had to call the lovely Sarah, who dragged an air bottle and an impact hammer all the way from her dad's workshop to take it off. While she was getting that sorted, Dunc and I were busy fitting the rear springs. We were so shocked how easy the rear springs fell off and got replaced!! The back end of the car took no more than 30 mins to complete!

Anyway, after alot of hard work and swearing here is the finished result:

Also Middo on here (Mark) was a real nice bloke and sprayed my engine cover for me just to add a nice touch in time for FCS this year. I love the result of his work and would recommend him to everybody on here! - Great work, thanks alot Mark!!

And here are just a couple of pics for the hell of it:

So, goodbye 4x4 - Hello lowered!!!

So, things left to do in time for FCS: Take out RCA leads for rear sub, fit my carbon fibre battery cover and replace my exhaust with a standard Renault box for the time being until I can afford a stealth cat back.

Doug

Sash · Jun 11, 2007

yeh doug didnt mention i didnt get to him until gone 10pm! and after driving 30odd miles!

JD · Jun 11, 2007

really really dislike those wheels mate and it does mean that youcant tell that its been lowered, and i really dont like the writing on the cover, cheapens it IMO.

but its your car and its just an opinion

middos work is quality, picked my stuff up off him on sunday as well, top notch lad

jamie

clio_luke · Jun 11, 2007

its sitting perfect but not keen on the wheels at all

Limca · Jun 11, 2007

very nice doug

Andy1.2 · Jun 11, 2007

Cool mate, good effort! Like the engine cover, always nice to see something different!

Middo · Jun 11, 2007

I wasnt sure on the font, but actually fitted i quite like it! car looks good mate

Batman · Jun 11, 2007

good for you being different

DynamiqueDebz · Jun 11, 2007

combine04 said:
really really dislike those wheels mate and it does mean that youcant tell that its been lowered, and i really dont like the writing on the cover, cheapens it IMO.

but its your car and its just an opinion middos work is quality, picked my stuff up off him on sunday as well, top notch lad

jamie

You can't tell it's been lowered?

I think you must be the only one that can't. I'll put some pics up of the work being done ( once I have got them all sorted out), and then you will be able to spot the difference easily.

Doug; looking lovely now matey. Love the engine cover too. Good to see all those fingerprints washed off too.

Talking of fingers, 1 or 2? Fists are definitely a no! Lmao.

Christopher · Jun 11, 2007

not a fan of the wheels at all matey

the engine cover would look better with the script removed too imo

DougClio16v · Jun 11, 2007

Thanks for your positive comments!

Yea im sorry you hardcorist's but as much as id love to make my car a track monster and 'conform' to normal CS looking Clio's, it's really not worth it on my 1.2. So I just thought id try to smart it up a bit and be a little different.

Still, modding wouldn't be modding if everybody did the same mod, eh?

I will however have to agree on any negative comments regarding my exhuast. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but now I realise what a mistake I made, even if I was trying to be different! Nevermind, mod and learn I guess..

tommyboy · Jun 11, 2007

looks good mate, nice effort

tommyboy · Jun 11, 2007

your zorst is the size of the blackwall tunnel but fair play

DrR · Jun 11, 2007

I like the cliosport sticker.

Mikey · Jun 11, 2007

nice doug, how low have you gone on those mahoosive alloys?

mikey_172 · Jun 11, 2007

looks 1000000 times better mate well done

Mikey · Jun 11, 2007

mikey_16v said:
looks 1000000 times better mate well done

mikey you done your cup suspension yet? would say my front has just about settled, need to get some fat pies in the back to let that settle abit more!

2006daryla · Jun 11, 2007

yo mate where did u get your engine cover from mate as ive been after one for mine for ages

oopps just realised its a 16v and not an 8v lol i wish i could get one to fit an 8v

Duncx · Jun 11, 2007

It looks the tits now Doug

definitely dropped more since you left here! Well worth the blood (well mine anyway), sweat and tears. lol
Loving the engine cover too, and that carbon fibre battery cover will really help.

Just need some nice strut top covers now

Edit: And give it a month and the front gap should match the rear

Ali · Jun 11, 2007

I roll with 20's!

Millsy · Jun 11, 2007

very nice mate! its looks sooo much lower than it did! like the engine cover too

i meant to ask are you coming on our stand @ f&f as your name is down

its on the 23rd of this month the day b4 the bbq meet

DougClio16v · Jun 11, 2007

M!keydee said:
nice doug, how low have you gone on those mahoosive alloys?

Just 17's Mikey! A bit big, but im not planning on using it on the track, so it doesn't matter what size lol.

S22 JGS · Jun 11, 2007

Nice on Mr Bader!

DougClio16v · Jun 11, 2007

clio 1.6 16v said:
very nice mate! its looks sooo much lower than it did! like the engine cover too

i meant to ask are you coming on our stand @ f&f as your name is down its on the 23rd of this month the day b4 the bbq meet

Yea mate, Toby forced me into it lol. We will meet up for a drink soon, Nick. Give me a txt!

Millsy · Jun 11, 2007

ok matey will do, im at le mans though from wednesday until monday, so just check out the club for times etc, think were getting to eastbourne around half 7 on the saturday to leave for brighton, something like that

Clio Adz · Jun 11, 2007

love ur wheels! wat are they and how much u buy them for?
17" right?

lee_cup · Jun 11, 2007

Ali said:
I roll with 20's!

well done Ali

looks good mate, but have to agree on the alloys.
IMO i think 16's are the biggest you can go, as the clio is quite a small car. But as long as you like them, then fair play matey. Oh and i like your engine cover, good job!

Lee.

GarethM · Jun 12, 2007

not keen on the wheels mate

the rest looks good

cat171 · Jun 12, 2007

I was going to ask if the alloys are the right offset ? As they seem to stick out quite a bit, they seem almost level with the arch to me (maybe it's me)

It looks better lowered, but i'm not a fan of the wheels, they seem to show off how small the brakes are etc.

Each to their own & all that though.

Rob · Jun 12, 2007

Like it, nice to see something different, how big was the drop? Need mine doing and want it looking similar!

Clio_Craig · Jun 12, 2007

looks good m8

DougClio16v · Jun 12, 2007

Clio Adz said:
love ur wheels! wat are they and how much u buy them for?
17" right?

The wheels are Wolfrace Suzuka's 17" and I think I got them with tyres for just under 700 quid.

Robbos said:
Like it, nice to see something different, how big was the drop? Need mine doing and want it looking similar!

The drop is only 35mm as well, but hopefully once it's fully bedded in, it should be around the 40-ish mark.

cat171 said:
I was going to ask if the alloys are the right offset ? As they seem to stick out quite a bit, they seem almost level with the arch to me (maybe it's me)

It looks better lowered, but i'm not a fan of the wheels, they seem to show off how small the brakes are etc.

Yea, unfortunately being a 1.2 they have pathetic small brakes, but IMO any aftermarket wheel you get for the car will show to some degree how small they really are. I think the ET on these is 48mm as well, the spokes poke out upto the wheel arch, but the actually wheel itself still sits deep into the arch.

james1988 · Jun 12, 2007

chavvy wheels. but looks good lowered and nice colour.

Giles · Jun 12, 2007

very nice

is that the same colour Adamhodg clio??

mikey_172 · Jun 12, 2007

M!keydee said:
mikey_16v said:

looks 1000000 times better mate well done

Click to expand...

mikey you done your cup suspension yet? would say my front has just about settled, need to get some fat pies in the back to let that settle abit more!

yup ive done mine mate i made a thread with pictures handles alot better and the rides not to stiff either nice idea you had there mate

Rhino172 · Jun 12, 2007

mikey_16v said:
M!keydee said:

mikey you done your cup suspension yet? would say my front has just about settled, need to get some fat pies in the back to let that settle abit more!

Click to expand...

yup ive done mine mate i made a thread with pictures handles alot better and the rides not to stiff either nice idea you had there mate

this is a good corner to test them on.....whhhooooooooaaaaa!

looks loads better Doug matey! sounds like you had a right mission of a day just to lower it tho!

mikey_172 · Jun 12, 2007

Rhino172 said:
this is a good corner to test them on.....whhhooooooooaaaaa!

!

lol i dont do setterling in we had it flat out straight away love it lol

mikey_172 · Jun 12, 2007

threads here mikey http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?t=233620

DynamiqueDebz · Jun 13, 2007

I've finally got some pics sorted out of the saga of Dougs springs.

As Doug says , it was a bugger of a job getting the nut undone but finally Dunc managed it and got the strut out.

Dunc set about compressing the new spring when all of a sudden it slipped. The compressor flew off and hit Dunc in the mouth! There was quite abit of blood from his lip for a while, but it settled down. The other darn compressor then slipped as Doug was undoing it. Doug manged to dive out of the way but Dunc however ended up with the spring landing on his big toe! Poor Dunc.

The result of the compressor slipping took some paint off of the spring.

Dunc and Doug then decided it would be safer if they did the compressing together. They were doing 8 turns of the ratchet each. (Better safe than sorry). With the spring compressed it was put onto the shock.

With spring and shock put together it then went onto the car.

Do up the top nut.

Then the bottom.

Doug puts the wheel back on.

Then he measures the gap with his fist. Nope, not gonna fit. Yaaaaay!

Oh look, he can fist the other side . Best get cracking on that then!

Here's where we hit big time trouble. No matter how many times , or how many ways we tried, none of us could get the darn top nut undone. What an absolute nightmare!! We rang about for some advice, did alot of cursing and trying different things and decided we needed some help. Doug rang Sarah to see if she could help, and she very nicely said she would come over with an air impact driver. Sorted. Nice on Sarah!

In the meantime, whilst Sarah was getting things sorted her end, Dunc and Doug decided to do the rear springs. I was amazed at how easy it was and how quickly they did it.

Two nice new rear springs.

Wheel back on with a nice new yellow spring.

Looking good now.

Definitely not a 4x4 anymore.

Doug was smiling big time and decided to show his car some luuuuuv.

With Dougs car loving session over , the guys wait for Sarah.

I went off and took a few other pics.

Mini Clio meet. lol

A while later Sarah calls and I go off to guide her to our house.

Yaaaaaay, here she is. Sarah to the rescue.

Armed with her trusty impact driver. Woohoo!

In no time at all the nut was undone. The strut was removed. Spring was replaced and all put back on the car in about 45 minutes. The wheel went back on and sarah does up the bolts.