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197 F1 on PistonHeads Carpool



Gally

Formerly Mashed up egg in a cup
ClioSport Club Member
Do love an F1, always fancied an Albi Blue one, sadly the mpg and chocolate gearboxes!
 

Chrisgti6

ClioSport Club Member
  MR2,TT V6,Swift,Mini
Mentions our very own Steve @R-Sport Cars LTD.

Do love an F1, always fancied an Albi Blue one, sadly the mpg and chocolate gearboxes!

Whilst I agree on the MPG, I never got much more than 25mpg out of mine. I'm not so convinced RE the gearboxes, I think they are no worse than any other car really, they just get abused a lot (plus you only ever hear from people with a problem, not the 1,000's with fully functioning gearboxes). Mine was on 70k+ and was nice and smooth.
 

Gus

ClioSport Moderator
  182Turbo,DCi90
Mentions our very own Steve @R-Sport Cars LTD.



Whilst I agree on the MPG, I never got much more than 25mpg out of mine. I'm not so convinced RE the gearboxes, I think they are no worse than any other car really, they just get abused a lot (plus you only ever hear from people with a problem, not the 1,000's with fully functioning gearboxes). Mine was on 70k+ and was nice and smooth.
Saw this poll the other day http://www.clio197.net/threads/has-your-gearbox-been-replaced-yes-or-no.15851/
Im sure it does come down to how sympathetic the driver is to the gearbox.
 

Stay Puft

ClioSport Club Member
  Clio 172
1 in 4 of those who have replied. I'm not sure that's really representative of the whole customer base.

Bloody hell, you could say that about all studies.. you have to start somewhere and that's not a bad sample size, probably a large range of mileage, age, service history etc, so probably actually quite representative.
 

Gally

Formerly Mashed up egg in a cup
ClioSport Club Member
No way! Those cars had shocking boxes mate. Nearly all 200 owners on here had issues here or there. It was very very common.
 
  Clio F1 197 Cup
As I daily my 182 and not the 197 I guess I don't really notice the MPG that everyone goes on about. I just think to myself, I am not sure what you were expecting, its a highly tuned NA engine that needs revs to go anywhere, of course its going to go through fuel!! Saying that, I managed 33/34mpg in the 197 on the way up to Scotland and then my record was down to 13mpg one day whilst on the North Coast 500 route.

With regards to the gearboxes, it seems 1*2s and 197/200s are prone, 500 odd people filling in a survey is an average sample size but not really representative enough to draw meaningful conclusions- thats the trouble with trying to report these things, its almost like folklore, everyone thinks the 197s have weak gearboxes, 996 911s have weak engines... and no more come to mind of present, but you get my drift.

I will admit however, that I have been slightly put off buying a higher mileage 197 based on the gearbox concerns...
 
  Mini GP2
I got my 197 on 46k, it had a replacement with Renault at 37k miles. Sold the car at 74k miles, no issues with it at all. Swapped the gear oil at 15k mile intervals and the secret is probably to rev match your down shifts and how much you abuse your downshifts.
 
  Clio F1 197 Cup
I got my 197 on 46k, it had a replacement with Renault at 37k miles. Sold the car at 74k miles, no issues with it at all. Swapped the gear oil at 15k mile intervals and the secret is probably to rev match your down shifts and how much you abuse your downshifts.
I think it comes down to usage too. Much like clutches.
 

Gally

Formerly Mashed up egg in a cup
ClioSport Club Member
Just like 1*2 gearbox failures are very very common?
Are they? I know the standard gearbox had issues overy the years... met quite a few 1.2s that were in for a rebuild which was cheap at the time.

Can't say I actually noticed that many 1*2 ones but then again most were aged by the time I would notice. The 197/200 had a genuine problem. Not even counting the kangaroo effect that everyone seemed to experience.

Anyone claiming there wasn't an issue with those boxes is blind surely! We're talking about when the cars were early in their lives.
 


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