“Charlotte” The 182 FF

[SharpyClio]

So moving the thread on, the car is non à write off (cat N) so I can start looking at getting it back on the road.

i have sourced all the parts I need and should have them tomorrow.

Going to take the opportunity to fix some other stuff so might be off the road for a little while but I’m okay with that.

As she stands

 

[SharpyClio]

So I’ve made a very early start, I need to get the front wing off which means taking the skirt off so I’ll get on to that, in the meantime I cut the wing off with a saw to see what was going on, worst of it seems to be the bracket at the front that I’ll need to straighten out.

I’ve decided to get two new headlights as Hella units are still available, that way they’ll be nice and fresh and match as well.

I’ve got a front wing and wing mirror on the way, they’ll need painting along with the front bumper, might get the other front wing and bonnet painted as well so it matches well

 

[Mr Underhill]

Damn, I need a decent boot mat for mine and noticed yours was in really good nick 😂 Joking aside, good to see it's not mangled and should be back better than ever.

 

[SharpyClio]

Damn, I need a decent boot mat for mine and noticed yours was in really good nick 😂 Joking aside, good to see it's not mangled and should be back better than ever.

Everyone on here’s like vultures around an injured animal 🤣

just trying to decide if I make some changes on approach and make it a bit more track oriented now.

 

[Mr Underhill]

just trying to decide if I make some changes on approach and make it a bit more track oriented now.

Deep pockets eh?

 

[RustyMojo]

Everyone on here’s like vultures around an injured animal 🤣

just trying to decide if I make some changes on approach and make it a bit more track oriented now.

Mine is heading that way now mate, albeit just a mild touch. Balls to driving a stripped out track focussed car on the road.

 

[SharpyClio]

Mine is heading that way now mate, albeit just a mild touch. Balls to driving a stripped out track focussed car on the road.

Yeah, I’m kinda thinking lose the rear seats and then Chuck in the buckets.

 

[RustyMojo]

Yeah, I’m kinda thinking lose the rear seats and then Chuck in the buckets.

Mine are already gone maybe. I made a false floor and Re-trimmed the rear end. It’s in my bull thread. A half cage will be going in at some point, I’m also removing my trendlines for some pole positions.

 

[SharpyClio]

Small start but feels surprisingly positive.

i have a wing mirror and spare wheel and I’ve taken the skirt off…

Wong mirror was an easy job, the cover had embarked on a solo trip and is actually not really damaged so fitted that then gave the area a quick clean and swapped the whole unit over.

Next I drilled out the rivets and pulled the skirt off, pleasantly surprised to see it’s in great condition underneath, only a few areas that need some minor attention.

Finally picked up a spare wheel, been looking for a while and as it came with a centre cap and it was close to me I grabbed it, needs some tlc but I’ll get them all done anyway so no bother there, also means I’ll be less worried about driving further as one worry was getting a flat tyre and no way of repairing it.

the new front wing should be here Monday then I can get the fitment right before I go away for a couple of weeks, I’ll order the headlights on my return then I’ll have everything I need to get it back on the road.

 

[SharpyClio]

Days hard graft and the finishing touch… my work here is done…

 

[SharpyClio]

Sometimes to go forwards means going backwards.

I’ve been waiting on the new wing arriving so I’ve been treating rust and and fixing the front bumper and swapping my intake and steering wheel back in, the latter two I took out when CoPart were collecting the car.

Various parts for treating rust and preventing rust.

So hydrate80, primer and paint.

I thought I’d take photos of the primer phase but I have not, but pretty happy with the result is mainly to slow the corrosion as it’s all hidden so it’s far from perfect but it’s okay.

ive then also taken the wing and splitter off the passenger side to do the same treatment, to be fair there’s very little rust behind the bracket and a small amount at the jacking point so it seems pretty solid.

 

[SharpyClio]

I should add I’ve also asked my bodyshop owning friend to quote me for sorting the paintwork, looking at bumper, wings, bonnet, drivers door, skirts and rear wing also sorting the rust in the fillet cap and arch.
So it should like pretty tidy.

 

[SharpyClio]

Very excited, a mystery parcel arrived… what could it be…

after unwrapping I’d hoped for a c63 amg son image my disappointment when it was the wing I’d bought.

still fitted and more small bits of progress. Got sort out the panel gaps but it’s in good condition and much better than the old one.

Two brand new Hella headlights on order then I just need to finish off the rust work check the rest of the panel and loosely fit before trailering to the garage to be resprayed and MOTd.

Also need to take the wheels off to be refurbed, so got to fit that in as well at some point.

should be back in the road by this time next year 🤣

 

[SharpyClio]

Back from holiday and straight on with the car… new Hella headlights as you can’t match old and new despite how hard you try, also good to see both lights still work.

had to remove the offside One after fitting as I hadn’t connected the levelling servo properly but that aside it was a pretty straightforward process.

So all that’s left now is the bumper and wing repair and spray and wheel refurb to get it back on the road.

 

[SharpyClio]

A bit of a half arsed update tbh. 🤣 had a couple of hours after work and my painter was coming round to take a photo with his magic paint camera to do a card to see the match as that will decide how much blending (if any) is needed.

It turns out the front of the car was a little more bent than I’d appreciated and needed some gentle realignment so I grabbed the bottle jack that I’ve had for most of my life and the trusty device served me well again and straightened the panel out, basically the lugs on the headlight wouldn’t line up so it didn’t sit quite right, that’s now sorted.

Honestly had that jack so long now, it was my dads before mine and a Halfords special. Seals are a hit leaky but still just about works.

Next I set about the rust around the fuel cap, immediately rounding off the bolts and needing the drill them out.

after making a good start my Amazon special drill bit snapped… oh the joys…

however on this occasion I was saved by a magnetic screwdriver, how rare is that! Normally it’s impossible to do anything about that situation.

and then, as I didn’t have enough jobs on the go I decided on a whim to start spraying the bullets… primer done, top coat tomorrow.

So hopefully the wing and bumper will go in this week and I’ll get them back over the next week or so and can start getting it back together.

 

[SharpyClio]

My friend came over and scanned the paint to get a good match but interestingly it matched best to GNE and not 267. We are going with 267 on a spray out card. Still hoping to just be able to paint the bumper and the wing and it not look terrible, I do intend to get some other work done in due course but just can't merit the spend right now so trying to keep the cost under control a bit!

 

[SharpyClio]

Something resembling progress has been made although the car looks less complete than ever.

I finished painting a few things and sorted some of the rusty areas.

finished bullets, pretty happy with how they turned out, against the black they look really nice.

next up was the wheel caps, following the information on the forum I went for rover stone grey as a “good match”, turns out it want a good match at all so ended up taking the paint off and starting again, using the Halfords “anthracite” I got to a reasonable match and should be okay vs the wheels when I get them back.

Rover paint

how they are now

two of them have an restore under the paint, I wonder if it’s a reaction so they’ll need doing again. Fml. But happy with the overall colour.

I’ve also bought a plastic welding / rivet gun and repaired the arch liners, it’s not pretty on the back but should be effective, I’ve stapled them together, added sikaflex and then added inner tubes from a bike with more sikaflex, overall it’s very strong and should be just fine.

 

[Louis]

Something resembling progress has been made although the car looks less complete than ever.

I finished painting a few things and sorted some of the rusty areas.

finished bullets, pretty happy with how they turned out, against the black they look really nice.

View attachment 1612038
View attachment 1612039
View attachment 1612040

next up was the wheel caps, following the information on the forum I went for rover stone grey as a “good match”, turns out it want a good match at all so ended up taking the paint off and starting again, using the Halfords “anthracite” I got to a reasonable match and should be okay vs the wheels when I get them back.

Rover paint
View attachment 1612041
View attachment 1612042

how they are now
View attachment 1612043

two of them have an restore under the paint, I wonder if it’s a reaction so they’ll need doing again. Fml. But happy with the overall colour.

I’ve also bought a plastic welding / rivet gun and repaired the arch liners, it’s not pretty on the back but should be effective, I’ve stapled them together, added sikaflex and then added inner tubes from a bike with more sikaflex, overall it’s very strong and should be just fine.

View attachment 1612044
View attachment 1612045View attachment 1612046

Looking good. With those tools it's good practice to out the staple in then rotate about 25deg.

 

[Mr Underhill]

Can you still buy genuine arch liners?

I bought some eBay specials once and they didn't fit, so I ended up forking out for genuine.

 

[SharpyClio]

Looking good. With those tools it's good practice to out the staple in then rotate about 25deg.

Thanks, yes I did find that just pressing them in wasn't really good enough and I got better the more I did.

Can you still buy genuine arch liners?

I bought some eBay specials once and they didn't fit, so I ended up forking out for genuine.

Im not sure, I was told they were NLA but might be worth a look!!

 

[SharpyClio]

Next up I repaired the front wing I bought as while the loop on the crashed panel was okay the new panel was broken, again the plastics welder did a grand job.

With that the bumper and the wing have gone for painting, as have the wheels so the car is now looking quite sorry for itself.

Finally I’ve removed the rear trim panels to see the carnage but it’s pretty good, I’ll get the rust sorted out and then spray some protectant in for good measure.

driver side

Passenger side

and that’s where I find myself. Wing and bumper could be back tomorrow, wheels next week then it’s time to put it back together and get an MOT.

Oh and I found some more rust I want to treat in the front wheel arches where the line plugs go in. So I will be on with that this weekend as well. Its not going to be mint but it should be better than most and have a good few years of life left!!

 

[SharpyClio]

Can you still buy genuine arch liners?

I bought some eBay specials once and they didn't fit, so I ended up forking out for genuine.

Found a lower offside front, so only half of it, for £130 😳

 

[SharpyClio]

Found some time today and made some more progress, I knew there was something amiss with the front suspension and had narrowed it down to the bearings in the top mounts… I think I guessed right…

It all came apart pretty easily using my clarkes uggadugga machine, given it was pretty cheap it’s served me well and breaks most things loose.

move also finished the rust treatment (for now, as it’s French so the rust will be back) and the arches look much better and tidier.

so now I’m left waiting, I have new suspension top mounts on the way as well as a service kit including new gearbox oil.

also still waiting on the bumper, wing and wheels to come back. So I’m hoping at some point next week I can actually start putting something back in the car rather than just taking more bits off.

 

[SharpyClio]

Did a bit more today, out of respect I didn’t take many photos…

Sorted the sheared bolt in the rear arch, was way enough to drill the old one out and replace. Sealed the hole with under seal and sikaflex and used an old liner clip to hold the trim securely in place, actually really pleased with the outcome.

I also removed the washer bottle as I wanted to sort the rear washer not working and as I removed the spoiler realised the issue was the hose was squashed under the spoiler hence no flow so an easy fix.

So I took some time to clean things up and put it back together including finding a new bolt to hold the washer bottle in place as there wasn’t one in there.

Im away now until Thursday when I’m hoping to pick up the wheels and panels.

I did also completely forgot that I was on axles stands and I was inside ragging the panels about trying to get them back in place and had a mild heart attack when the car shifted slightly.

 

[MRBILLYUK]

Thanks, yes I did find that just pressing them in wasn't really good enough and I got better the more I did.


Im not sure, I was told they were NLA but might be worth a look!!

They are NLA. My 182 has been in for an insurance repair recently on the front bumper and bonnet and was held up waiting for an offside arch liner after being told they were still available from Renault in France.
Eventually the information came back that they weren't available anymore.

 

[SharpyClio]

New parts were here when I got back from London and the top mounts have been replaced.

Also got the wheels back from powder coating really happy with the result and the centre caps are a pretty close match as well.

So it’s back on 4 wheels but I’m still waiting on the bumper and wing, hoping it’ll be ready next week. Could do with getting the MOT booked.

Also needs a clean, hosepipe ban isn’t helping. Although apparently you can still wash cars with a bucket and pour the water over which surely would be more wasteful than using a pressure washer?

 

[Clio_fool]

Good to see it steadily becoming whole again. Hosepipe ban is a pain, although I gave my car a quick wash yesterday and got around it by using a "water outlet extension tube" instead of a hose😉.
What happened with the insurance claim, where did they place the blame?

 

[SharpyClio]

Good to see it steadily becoming whole again. Hosepipe ban is a pain, although I gave my car a quick wash yesterday and got around it by using a "water outlet extension tube" instead of a hose😉.
What happened with the insurance claim, where did they place the blame?

Might have to do the same with the water outlet extension. Claim is ongoing which is why I’ve not updated the other thread. There’s been some back and forth but him admitting liability, speeding and overtaking on double whites at a level crossing (or would have been if he’d not hit me) si who knows. 🤷‍♂️

 

[SharpyClio]

Sometimes this cars does things deliberately to wind me up. I’ve removed the hoses for the headlight washers as I’m not keeping them, turn out you need to blank the pump as well otherwise it leaks…

so wipers and washer bottle off again. Now should be fixed…. Again.

 

[SharpyClio]

Having picked up some odds and sods in the week I spent some time getting the rear axle ready for dipping and powder coating. Wasn’t without its battles but all told not an horrendous job.

This is fine, everything’s fine….

One question I have is around the bar underneath, does that need to come out / can it come out?

Also, tell me you own an old French car without telling me you own an old french car.

 

[Krarl]

Bar needs to stay in, they're welded either side

Are you having it painted or powdercoated?

 

[SharpyClio]

Bar needs to stay in, they're welded either side

Are you having it painted or powdercoated?

Ah, glad I didn’t spend all day trying to get it out!!

It’ll be powder coated.

 

[SharpyClio]

Finally. The panels are back, it promise on the edge to edge match but I’m not too fussed as I’ll be getting some more work done anyway and we can worry about a better match then.

I’ve also removed this rubbish and tidied the cables etc away,

So got to building it back up.

so there we are, almost there.

 

[hopgop1]

The front end looks mint! The clean fogs really set it off, need to sort mine out at some point.

 

[SharpyClio]

The front end looks mint! The clean fogs really set it off, need to sort mine out at some point.

Thanks. Yeah, the new headlights and fogs make it look really fresh, the bonnet is shocking when you get close, so many stone chips, that needs painting as well.

 

[Stefan.]

Looks lovely!

 

[SharpyClio]

A small detail is the lack of washer holes… really tidies up the front end. My friend just did it as the blanks I got look crap. Really happy with it and easy enough to drill out if needed.

 

[Krarl]

Never even noticed the lack of washer jet holes, looks so much cleaner

 

[SharpyClio]

Never even noticed the lack of washer jet holes, looks so much cleaner

i hadn’t at first and spotted the blanks and asked why he hadn’t painted them. 🤣

 

[Clio_fool]

Yeah that does look smart with the holes filled. 👍