Big Steve's RB Clio 182 Cup Restoration

[Rojer]

When you painted the fuel filler area, did you check the inside/backside as it's probably rusty as well.

 

[Big_Steve_T]

When you painted the fuel filler area, did you check the inside/backside as it's probably rusty as well.

yea I gave it a rub down with the emery cloth, and treated it for rust 👍

 

[Rojer]

Great project, well done

 

[Big_Steve_T]

@Big_Steve_T - 1 : Poxy OE Renault Rear Axle Bushes - 0

Rear Axle going back on this weekend!!

If anyone needs this bush in the future.. HERE'S THE LINK TO THE EBAY AUCTION WHERE YOU CAN BUY A PAIR NOW

Thanks for sharing my moment in the sun!

 

[DomP182]

yea I gave it a rub down with the emery cloth, and treated it for rust 👍

That's where the worst of my rust was, it had tracked under the underseal to the point it had caused a tiny hole up high in the arch

 

[Pegasaurus Rex]

Got the rear axle back on the car today, together with the rear Bilstein Shocks and springs:
View attachment 1469211
View attachment 1469212
View attachment 1469213

Thanks for reading 😎

no pics showing mate

 

[Big_Steve_T]

no pics showing mate

🤦🏼‍♂️ #poxycs

Any better??

 

[Pegasaurus Rex]

Mint job mate, really well done

 

[Crayola]

The pics were worth the wait👌👌

 

[Big_Steve_T]

Now the rear Axle is in, It was time to get the brakes fitted. Rear Axle first:

Then finished off the front Axle, fitting the DS2500 brake pads:

Thanks for reading

 

[andy_coops]

Loving the way you’re doing the photos mate. This is going to be epic. Really proper 😍

 

[Mbeau]

Now the rear Axle is in, It was time to get the brakes fitted. Rear Axle first:
View attachment 1469511
View attachment 1469510

Then finished off the front Axle, fitting the DS2500 brake pads:
View attachment 1469509
View attachment 1469508

Thanks for reading

Did you paint the calipers? Car is going to be stunning.

 

[Big_Steve_T]

Did you paint the calipers? Car is going to be stunning.

Got the calipers refurbished by BiggRed some time ago..

If anyone reading this has a CLIP system I can get the lend of to bleed the brakes with the ABS system that would be excellent!! 🙏

 

[DomP182]

@Big_Steve_T did you have any problems aligning the rear beam brackets? I've heard there is a fair amount of play in the bolt holes or did you take reference measurements prior to removal?

 

[Big_Steve_T]

@Big_Steve_T did you have any problems aligning the rear beam brackets? I've heard there is a fair amount of play in the bolt holes or did you take reference measurements prior to removal?

Hi @DomP182 ,

Interesting you ask that question, I measured the positions bushes in the rear beam accurately before I removed them, and gave the accurate dimensions to the garage who pressed the new bushes in for reference.

When it came to fitting the rear beam back onto the car, I did all of the nuts up until there was only 2/3mm of movement and found that I couldn’t move the beam left to right across the car, but found I could move it from front to back. So I just pushed the beam towards the FRONT of the car in the centre to equalise any tolerance that might be present (and hopefully stop the beam going on skewed...

At the end of the day it’s a mass produced super mini with a bigger engine, so I don’t think it’s worth getting too hung up on it, no doubt Claude didn’t when he put it on at the factory... 😆

 

[Big_Steve_T]

Made a start in prepping the wheels for the refurbishment tonight. A few hours rubbing / wet sanding down and I went from a wheel that looked a little grotty, to a wheel that continued to look grotty 🤷🏼‍♂️??

I’m holding out hope that the filler primer should fill any more perfections...? 😬

One down, three more to do!! 🤦🏼‍♂️

Thanks for reading 😎

 

[DomP182]

Hi @DomP182 ,

Interesting you ask that question, I measured the positions bushes in the rear beam accurately before I removed them, and gave the accurate dimensions to the garage who pressed the new bushes in for reference.

When it came to fitting the rear beam back onto the car, I did all of the nuts up until there was only 2/3mm of movement and found that I couldn’t move the beam left to right across the car, but found I could move it from front to back. So I just pushed the beam towards the FRONT of the car in the centre to equalise any tolerance that might be present (and hopefully stop the beam going on skewed...

At the end of the day it’s a mass produced super mini with a bigger engine, so I don’t think it’s worth getting too hung up on it, no doubt Claude didn’t when he put it on at the factory... 😆

Was there much front to back movement?

 

[Big_Steve_T]

Was there much front to back movement?

Not really, only say 2-4mm looks more than that when you’re wiggling it..

 

[DomP182]

Theres me worrying about aligning it all back up, I should be more concerned about the rust around the brackets.

 

[Big_Steve_T]

Theres me worrying about aligning it all back up, I should be more concerned about the rust around the brackets.

get the car Geo checked after it’s all back together, then you can check everything is tickety-boo..? If not, they can adjust it then

 

[Coops Mk1]

Whaaaaaaat none standard caliper colour, unforgivable.... Unsubscribed

 

[Big_Steve_T]

Whaaaaaaat none standard caliper colour, unforgivable.... Unsubscribed

Im not going full bone stock on this one, but wouldn’t take much to switch back if needed sailor

 

[Big_Steve_T]

Dug out the Gay-Tec exhaust today I'm going to fit to the car. It's a used item so It needs a bit of TLC before I fit it. I got hold of a 4" Polishing wheel set some time ago, that you can use with a small grinder:

You can see that after a few minutes work, the exhaust looks a lot better for itself:

I tried to take a before & after photo to show the comparison of the complete before & after on the centre section:

Got the back-box to do tomorrow.

Thanks for reading

 

[Crayola]

Pervert!!

But we all love it! 😂

 

[Big_Steve_T]

My best man Jez bought my headlights back today after giving them the full on refurbishment, they looked bloody brand new!!!

So I could make a start in getting the front of the car back together:

Just the grille and bumper to go back on at the front of the car now...

Thanks for reading

 

[Big_Steve_T]

Been fine tuning the body gaps over recent days, chuffed with the final result:

I then ordered some new exhaust rubbers in preparation for fitting the exhaust sometime soon:

The old ones looked in good order, but when you compare them to the new ones the difference is tremendous! You can easily bend and flex the old ones, whereas the new ones are really rigid. Often overlooked on exhausts, but worth replacing.

@DaveL485 asked me recently if the car actually ran?? So with that ringing in my mind, I thought I would give the key a turn this evening, to see if there was life in the old girl.....

Well that didn’t go to plan.... I did the old dashboard trick, and unearthed a few codes:

I’ll be working thru the steps to try and understand the issue now in coming days..

 

[botfch]

Looks like you’ve got a fueling issue.

 

[Big_Steve_T]

Looks like you’ve got a fueling issue.

funnily enough, that’s the one I feel most confident IS working.. before I connected the fuel line to the rail I checked the fuel was coming from the tank on a crank and put the pipe into a little pot... sure enough the fuel came thru..

However who’s to say the Injectors are working ..?

 

[DomP182]

@Big_Steve_T when you were doing the underside restoration how solid you clean the corrosion out in the deep recesses by the rear spring mounts?

 

[DomP182]

@Big_Steve_T when you were doing the underside restoration how solid you clean the corrosion out in the deep recesses by the rear spring mounts?

That should say how DID you clean out the corrosion in the deep recesses!

I'm coating the cleaned up areas in hydrate 80.

 

[Big_Steve_T]

That should say how DID you clean out the corrosion in the deep recesses!

I'm coating the cleaned up areas in hydrate 80.

I scraped all round the area until I got to solid non rusty metal, then coated it with my chosen rust converter, then zinc primer, then underseal 👍

 

[DomP182]

I scraped all round the area until I got to solid non rusty metal, then coated it with my chosen rust converter, then zinc primer, then underseal 👍

I'm using a knotted wheel in a grinder but some of the rust glazes over after a while

 

[Big_Steve_T]

I'm using a knotted wheel in a grinder but some of the rust glazes over after a while

The rust converter I’ve got wants some light surface rust there to key to, it’s works better that way rather than wire wheeling all the old Rust off.

Either way, as long as it’s getting looked after, it’s better than leaving it!! 👍

 

[DomP182]

That's my thinking, I'm shocked how much rust I've uncovered too. I think I'll need to tackle the fuel tank bolts because there is some rust tracking under it.

 

[Big_Steve_T]

I’ll be working thru the steps to try and understand the issue now in coming days..

Well that didn’t take a lot of work...

Removed the passenger side headlight, pulled the 4 small relays out and checked the connections all looked clean.. and then put them back in, and it bloody started first time!! 🙄

So now the engine’s running, I had a very successful evening bleeding the brakes, and then fitting the exhaust:

Don’t think I’ve ever had an exhaust go on a car so easily and so tightly (fitting!)

Thanks for reading 🙂

 

[Pegasaurus Rex]

So jealous of your exhaust hear shields!! Most of mine are missing and finding them is proving tough

 

[Coops Mk1]

Janspeed @Big_Steve_T best fitting exhaust

 

[frayz]

Massive congratulations on hearing it fire up Steve. Huge achievement hearing that. Well done.

 

[Big_Steve_T]

Janspeed @Big_Steve_T best fitting exhaust

Oh wow was it @Coops Mk1 ?? Old Gay-Tec got Janspeed to make them did they..?? I’ve never had an exhaust fit so well..?

Massive congratulations on hearing it fire up Steve. Huge achievement hearing that. Well done.

Thanks very much sir!! There was a sign of relief when it spluttered into life!!

Now to figure out getting it mapped by the old Scoff-meister!!

 

[Coops Mk1]

Yes mate it's Janspeed made for ktec, ran same on mine years and yes best fitting 182 exhaust and very oe sound, cracking things