172 Cup Track/Fast Road car.

[Cup_Phil]

Since I've had the car a year now I thought I'd better get a bit of a progress blog up

The car was owned by Sir_Dave and another lad on here (sorry if you're reading - forgot your username ) - and I picked it up January last year

It's high mileage but has been thoroughly loved all it's life

When I bought it it had anthracite turinis with a polished lip and a ktec stealth exhaust system

I've not done much really to it. I fitted some recaro speed seats in black leather with blue alcantara that came from my 106 Gti.
I also fitted ktec racing engine mounts, a powerflex dog bone and put the standard air box back in with an ITG panel filter

Last year I did brands hatch for an afternoon, rockingham all day at FCS and a week at the ring and it never skipped a beat - Love it to bits
Sadly though over winter I started a new job and it's become my daily commute car doing 50 miles a day - but that's finally at an end

Moving house this month to near work and the clio is being a track/weekend fun car

So yesterday I popped up to revolution in gateshead and got some new wheels



Sorry about the iPhone pic - I'll get some better ones when the weather is better

15" speedline 2118's - they're the palmer spec uprated ones (hence no center caps) and I love them to bits
205/50/15 uniroyal rainsports - it is so glued to the road now compared to before - I can't wait to get it back on track

Next on my list is track rod ends - as even though the MOT passed them the really nice guys at revolution pointed out they are completely fubar.

Then coilovers next month - it's currently sat on eibach sportlines but they are a bit harsh for my liking.
Then may I'm gonna get it caged - white safety devices cage I think just in time for FCS

Comments welcomed - good or bad

 

[Ratboyvalver]

hi mate, looking good. I ve had 2 106 gti's very fun cars. but clio's are bit more fun being more gruntier, as 106 gti's you have to ring the buts off them still had plenty of good battles with them on track. good luck with the project

 

[Sir_Dave]

Looks like a shed

Classicsheepflavour bought it off me, not the easiest name to remember lol ...

Not sure if you have any pics of it on the 'ring, so here's one i made earlier:

Loved that car :dapprove:

Was a strong one though, this is when it was standard bar a ktec exhaust (at Surrey RR):

 

[recaro182]

The car was owned by Sir_Dave

It's high mileage

Why doesn't this surprise me

Looks like a great example.

 

[Matt W]

Looks nice.

 

[Fletcher]

Looks good on the white 2118s.

 

[Silent_Scone]

nice motor

 

[oliver.james]

Love mondial on the white 2118's!

 

[Cup_Phil]

Cheers guys

Yeah Classicsheepflavour never seems to just roll of the tongue lol

The car is a brilliant example - it seems to have endless power
I know what people are saying about 106's too - you have to ring the neck of them all the time to get power
The clio seems a lot more effortless

Oh and Dave - some pics from it's 2nd ring trip attached
The old girl feels a lot more at home there than she does on UK roads

 

[7unner172]

looks spot on mate

really tidy example

 

[Cup_Phil]

Cheers dude - sorry didn't reply to your text - was driving

Hope you like your new wheels

 

[7unner172]

lol its areet

wheels have been refurbed in same colour as my 182 ones lol all fitted now

looks ideal

 

[Cup_Phil]

Been a while since I've done an update so here goes...

I've had the clio now for nearly 18 months

I bought it lowered on Eibach springs (-20mm) with a K-tec racing full stainless stealth exhaust
I've done nothing to it really except fit Vibratechnic engine mounts, Recaro leather front seats, a leather rear bench and put an ITG filter in the standard airbox

I went through a couple of years of trying to be a bit more grown up - even put a sub in the boot and commuted to work at a leisurely pace with some tunes
Well to put it bluntly - f**k that. Growing up is no fun and I've been sooo depressed for 2 years it's unreal

I did the ring for a week and 3 or 4 track days and the car was insanely good. Loved it to bits.

So I've decided - if I want something comfy with a sound system I might as well get a diesel audi as a daily run around. The clio quite clearly needs to live on track!!

So as you can see last month I got some 2118's in white with Uniroyal Rainsports in 205/50/15's

And yesterday I removed all of this s**t...

To end up with this

One of my big personal issues is I'm hugely indecisive. My old 106gti regularly swapped between stripped out track toy and leather filled road car.
I know damn well within 3 months I'll have forgotten why I'm doing this and put the leather back in. So I decided to stop myself from having that option this time!!

I turned my attention to the brackets that hold the rear seats in with my dremel!

That's what I like to call the "Point of no return"
They still need some tidying up around the edges with a sander - but got 10 days off work so I'll sort it

All that's left is to get a spot weld drill and remove these gits...

Ordering bilstein b14 coilovers on Thursday so they should be fitted in next 2 weeks - then I need to find a cage I like and get that ordered. At the moment the Safety Devices 6 point one is looking like my favourite as the door bars unbolt and the back has a cross with harness bars

I've gotten rid of those horrid mounts for my harnesses you can see in the 2nd pic - and I've put proper eye bolts in the old rear seat belt points - but I'll be a lot happier with a cage with a harness bar!

Also big thanks to AdamR who posted the pics of his cut out brackets and Safety Devices cage as it helped loads

 

[AdamR]

Ah good man! That's exactly what I was saying to myself as I was cutting the seat mounts out - 'point of no return here we come..!' - haha. You did a nice job, better than me actually Excuse for me to buy a Dremel...

Look forward to more pics dude!

 

[Cup_Phil]

Yeah I just want to round the other corner off too make it look a bit more factory - but I can't get to it

I think i'll be able to when the shocks are out though so I'll have a go then

 

[Cup_Phil]

Cleaned it to within an inch of it's life yesterday - thought I'd take some proper photos with the new wheels and stance since it got stripped

My xenons are supposed to be arriving via courier today - so I'm gonna get them machine polished and fitted at the weekend.
Tomorrow I'm ringing Kam Racing and ordering B14 Bilstein coilovers, camber adjustment bolts and top mounts - hopefully get all them fitted next weekend if they arrive in time

Can't wait for PPC at Mallory Park

 

[maynard]

You'll love the B14's with camber bolts - and combined with that ARB I can see. Same set up as mine - you're gonna love it

 

[chris_p]

How much weight has been shed?
I always wonder if it's worth stripping a car like a Clio as things aren't very heavy!

Looking good anyway mate, the wheels suit it down to the ground.

 

[AdamR]

Looks so clean and tidy! Mine is a right scruffbag

*goes and researches into camber bolts...*

 

[AdamR]

How much weight has been shed?

Got over 25kg out of the front of mine (trim, carpets, sound deadening, door cards, radio, etc) - that's without taking into account rear seats and rear trim/carpets - plus a bit more for changing to front buckets.

 

[Sir_Dave]

*goes and researches into camber bolts...*

Get them from Venom, or Kam, not Ktec at twice the price ...

 

[maynard]

Looks so clean and tidy! Mine is a right scruffbag

*goes and researches into camber bolts...*

All you need are the Eibach ones.

http://www.kamracing.co.uk/renault/...k2-eibach-pro-alignment-kit-front-camber.html

 

[jack_kemp]

How much weight has been shed?
I always wonder if it's worth stripping a car like a Clio as things aren't very heavy!

Looking good anyway mate, the wheels suit it down to the ground.

You can lose about 80kg without getting silly. Definitely worthwhile.

 

[Cup_Phil]

You'll love the B14's with camber bolts - and combined with that ARB I can see. Same set up as mine - you're gonna love it

I'm hoping so!
Doing a quick 15minute session at mallory park in 3 weeks just to see how it behaves. Then booked the 3hr open pit session at rockingham for FCS.
Want to get back to brands hatch asap too - did that last year and loved it

How much weight has been shed?
I always wonder if it's worth stripping a car like a Clio as things aren't very heavy!

Looking good anyway mate, the wheels suit it down to the ground.

Well I had leather rear bench - which weighed a ton when I removed it. And the plastics and sound deadening all add up. I'd guess about 20kg gone
I've still got leather recaros in the front which eventually later in the year are getting swapped for some fixed back fiberglass or carbon fibre buckets
The back end's gone up about 15mm so I guess there must have been quite a bit of weight dissapear

A lot of it will go back in when I get a cage though as they aren't light

Looks so clean and tidy! Mine is a right scruffbag

*goes and researches into camber bolts...*

Hahaha it looks tidy - but close up it's got quite a few stone chips and scratches. It's done 115k!!!

 

[Jimbo_M]

Should feel the benefits from the weight saving mate, loving the 2118's and the plans sounds great too!

 

[Cup_Phil]

Had another busy weekend on the car

First of all I stumbled upon some Xenons on eBay at £140 with a few minutes remaining. I chucked a cheeky last minute bid in and won them for £140
They had all bulbs/ballasts etc.. and all clips were intact - just the usual corrosion - so bit of a bargain

Thursday was payday so I went out buying some bits to start correcting and fitting the lights

They had the usual 7 years of corrosion on

So following the cliosport guide - I wet sanded them with 1200 grit wet and dry paper

I also took the front bumper off the car

I then sanded the lights with 2000 and 2500 wet and dry before attacking them with the polisher/drill
I bought a bargain little kit for £8 from toolstation which gave me a polishing sponge on my dewalt drill - so I used some meguiars scratchx 2.0 on that at a low speed for a few minutes
Quite pleased with the results for my first ever headlight correction

I just need to find some more appropriate side light bulbs now lol

 

[Cup_Phil]

Back to the stripping..

Massive thanks to a lad called Vossy on PoT for sending me a spot weld drill bit - it arrived yesterday so I got cracking

I managed to get all the old seat brackets off and only drilled through twice - the arch panels are soooo thin
But never mind I'll patch them up later

I need to sand the areas down and get some filler on them and smooth them over before paint anyway

I also re-routed all the rear wiring loom - the drivers side was easy but the passengers side was a nightmare

Took the roof lining out - then took the cup spoiler off
Ended up having to strip all the wiring out the boot to re-route it all in the rear wings and then get it all back in the boot

Lot of work but chuffed to bits with it - the inside looks properly clean now!

Hopefully my coilovers will be here this week - so next weekend they're getting fitted and the suspension setup for mallory park

After mallory I'll be getting a full set of carbon door cards and then the cage.
I think the interior is now going to get a proper respray at a body shop in mondial blue. Hopefully shouldn't be too much dosh if I do all the prepwork my self

I need to have a think about relocating the window switches and electric mirror controls from the drivers door as well... eek

 

[Cup_Phil]

Awesome day today

After trying to order Bilstein's from Kam and them not having any stock - I got a refund and ordered from K-Tec friday

Turned up at 10am today - very impressed with the service

I managed to fit the rears tonight...

At the moment I'm not sure it's low enough at the back - but it has dropped 10mm and the springs haven't had time to settle yet
Also when I get the battery moved to the boot and the roll cage fitted it'll lower it more

Bought some 2nd hand compbrake solid top mounts which are arriving tomorrow - so tomorrow night I'll fit the fronts
The quality of the billies is as expected.. amazing. They look like they'll last forever

Read some really bad stuff about the compbrake top mounts on here after buying them - but they lad has had them fitted for a year with no problems and my top mounts are shagged - so i'll see how I get on

If they are crap I'll get some AST ones and get them fitted properly by someone who can set the camber up

 

[Migi]

The height adjuster comes back in the spring and the rubber comes up

 

[Cup_Phil]

Huh??

 

[The Boosh!]

Is that correct?

I thought the adjuster went on the bottom

 

[Gray]

The adjuster platform fits on the bottom for most other sets of Clio MK2 rear coilovers...

But the Bilstein's tell you to fit the adjusting platform on the top

 

[Cup_Phil]

Yup instructions say on top and spring must have writing the right way up

Reason is - all other coilovers the adjustor thing bolts into the bottom so when you remove springs it stays in - the bilstein one doesn't bolt in - it just sits there

So I assume it's on top so that it doesn't fall out when you jack the car up

 

[daveski]

I want those coilovers!

Is there already somewhere for the wiring to go in the rear wings?

 

[Cup_Phil]

Nah - it routes through there - I'm going to put some clips in place to hold it but it'll be hidden by the carbon door cards anyway

--

I bought some 2nd hand compbrake top mounts off here for the front - but when they turned up they're not in very good condition

I decided not to risk fitting them so bought some new OEM top mounts on way home from GSF.
Fitted the front coilovers - took less than an hour. Working on the clio is sooo easy compared to the 106.

Only slight issue I had was I didn't have a 21mm swan neck spanner to do the top nuts up with so I popped over to my mates motorsport garage to tighten them up but that twatting allen key hole in the top of the struts just rounded off - the metal is sooo soft..
Meh - buzzed them on with electric impact gun - sorted

Ride height is still settling - front is actually a bit too low now LOL!

 

[Migi]

yes,the adjuster went on the bottom

 

[Sir_Dave]

Looks awesome!! Bilstein FTMFW.

 

[Cup_Phil]

yes,the adjuster went on the bottom

No it doesn't

Looks awesome!! Bilstein FTMFW.

Cheers mate. Good to see the old girl getting some money thrown at her?
I felt so guilty looking through the old receipts - decided it was time to treat her

The bilsteins are awesome on the road. Loving the handling

 

[GodSpeed]

If you feel like going for a harder setup some day let me know. Have made a kit changing rear springs to 60mm ID race springs in the rear. Standard front setup is 70Nm in front, now im running 100Nm front and rear much better but Id like 120/120 even better.

 

[Cup_Phil]

Nice bit of kit that mate - I'm happy enough with the standard Bilstein springs though