Giving a 172 Cup some TLC

[dave120]

Hi Folks,

Bought a 172 Cup earlier this year after taking the crazy notion that I wanted a Clio. Looked at all sorts of cars from 172s to 200s but never quite found the right car.

In the end I decided to buy what I thought was a known quantity, a 172 Cup that although being far from perfect, upon first inspection didn't need that much to bring it back to life. As I'm sure you can all guess, how wrong was I?!!


This is the car as I bought it. Looks ok from a distance but look at the terrible interior..... someone had thrown in a right mismatch of 172\182 stuff and it really let the car down.

 

[dave120]

After a little digging, I found that the car used to belong to a member on here. Unfortunately, I bought the car with no history as a previous owner had mislaid the history file......more on this later ......

 

[dave120]

As the car had no history, the first job was to get the belts done....

 

[dave120]

After this it was a case of sourcing and replacing as many parts as my pockets would allow. Needless to say some parts are easier than others to find....

 

[dave120]

As mentioned, one thing that was really letting the car down was the very tatty interior. Thankfully I did well to find a mint Cup interior(minus front seats sadly) locally. I wasn't sure what to expect when I went to pick the interior up but was very happy with what I found!

 

[dave120]

So, I had amassed a rather large pile of parts which all now needed fitting to the car. I'm no mechanic myself but thankfully I know someone who is very handy with spanner and extremely knowledgeable with Clios!

So the car sat for a wee while then went off to Stu Robertsons so he could work his magic!

 

[dave120]

Stu was tasked with giving the car a once over and replacing anything that was on its last legs. Needless to say, that ended up being quite a lot.....

New shocks all round. The Cooksports were newish and didn’t need replaced.

 

[dave120]

The main part of the puzzle was always going to be a nice Cup interior. Thankfully, I had found some front seats to go with the rest of the interior I picked up previously.

 

[dave120]

After chasing a few leaks the interior went in along with a new windscreen and all sticky plastics replaced with non sticky.

 

[dave120]

With Stu doing a first class job of the interior, a quick valet later and it looked much more like it should.

 

[Stefan.]

Awesome work 👍

 

[RustyMojo]

Top job mate, been looking forward to seeing your progress!

 

[dave120]

With the car back with me the next thing I wanted to tackle was having a look at the inner rear arches. Stu had sent me pics and we were pleasantly surprised but i still wanted to get some proper protection in there.

Bonus points if you spot the straw in the drainage hole. I didnt want the Dynax UB to block up the drains so felt this was an effective enough way of solving that issue. The straws were removed before I put everything back together again.

Thanks must go to several forum members who’s names escape me but had posted details on this whole process.

 

[dave120]

Next it was onto the wheels which were non Renault Turinis. I wanted proper Cup Turinis but was having trouble sourcing some. In the meantime I saw a set of 2118s come up locally so went for them instead.

 

[dave120]

I purchased some 5mm PMS spacers and longer bolts front and rear

 

[dave120]

Needless to say as soon as I bought the 2118s I found a set of Cup Turninis.

As I ideally want the car looking as standard as possible these will be fitted next week.

Picked up today, freshly refurbished. PS3s being fitted on Friday

 

[dave120]

So, the car sits like this for now but the Turinis will be getting fitted soon. I do like the 2118s but in all honestly I can only afford one set of wheels and tyres. Ill fire the 2118s, PMS spacers and longer bolts up on here and FB next week.

The car is booked in to a local body shop that I have used before to get the front bumper painted as whoever painted it before did a terrible job. Whlist the bumper is off, I’ll be fitting a set of OEM Headlights and washer blanks.

 

[dave120]

Awesome work 👍

Top job mate, been looking forward to seeing your progress!

Cheers Fellas. Needless to say there are so many other silly little parts that have now been changed in an effort to bring that back up to a standard that I am happy with. Its never going to be a minter but its so much better than it was when I first picked it up!

 

[dave120]

As mentioned in one of the first posts, the car came with no service history. Supposedly the huge folder of receipts that was with the car was misplaced. Of course this automatically makes me slightly suspicious but it could have been a genuine mistake.

I can find an advert for the car for sale on the forum in 2013 and it does mention a very comprehensive service history.

So, I decided to put my detective hat on one day and phone round all the garages that had MOT'd the car over the years.

Some places were very unhelpful, including a main Renault dealer but with a few other places I managed to strike gold! I now have a part service history with the car as a few of the garages were able to give me original service receipts for belts getting done on more than one occasion etc! of course any personal customer details were redacted from the receipts before they were sent to me.

 

[Jamess182]

Those Turini's look fantastic! Will make such a difference once they're on. Good choice with the PS3s too.

 

[Moffxx]

This looks a great start, will be following along Also I love the 2118s, surely you could justify them as a winter set 🙄

 

[RustyMojo]

I’m doing all I can to stop myself PM’ing a ‘how much for the 2118’s’.

 

[Moffxx]

I’m doing all I can to stop myself PM’ing a ‘how much for the 2118’s’.

Saaaaame!

 

[dave120]

Those Turini's look fantastic! Will make such a difference once they're on. Good choice with the PS3s too.

Thanks James. I always planned on getting the correct wheels back on the car so I’m happy I’ve managed to pick these up.

PS3s arent exactly the cheapest option type wise but I’m confident they are the best tyres for what the car will be used for.

More pics on Friday or over the weekend.

 

[dave120]

This looks a great start, will be following along Also I love the 2118s, surely you could justify them as a winter set 🙄

I’m doing all I can to stop myself PM’ing a ‘how much for the 2118’s’.

Cheers Boys!

The car won’t be getting driven much during the winter months so I’ve no need for a set of winter wheels ! Ha ha. It’s a third car for me and just a bit of a project/toy really.

The 2118s will be a decent wee deal for someone as although the Nangkangs dont have much life left, the PMS Spacers, Longer bolts and Renault Dust caps will be all be included.

 

[-Simon]

Superb progress already. Love a standard cup and seeing some nice turinis makes we want to replace my 2118’s. Well done 👍

 

[dave120]

Cheers Si. It will be a decent wee car when I’m finished. The paintwork needs some love and attention as it’s covered in a fair few scuffs etc. I think a proper machine polish would make all the difference 👍🏻

 

[IW365]

Hi Dave,

Great read and brilliant to see another 172 cup getting the treatment it deserves!

I've recently brought my 172 cup out of retirement (I've owned it from new) and have been doing a lot of the same jobs you have. Mine will also never be a minter but theres plenty of little jobs need doing.

What sort of money would I be looking at for a front bumper (and maybe bonnet) respray like yours had? The front of the car is the part which let's it down the most.

I've got my head in the sand a bit with the rear arch rust, I dont think im confident enough to do it myself so will be looking at having that done properly next year.

Anyway, good luck with the rest of the project, keep the updates coming !

Ian

 

[dave120]

On the correct wheels, quick wash then back in the garage.
Front bumper getting painted next week so hopefully some better pics then.
Cheers

 

[dave120]

Hi Dave,

Great read and brilliant to see another 172 cup getting the treatment it deserves!

I've recently brought my 172 cup out of retirement (I've owned it from new) and have been doing a lot of the same jobs you have. Mine will also never be a minter but theres plenty of little jobs need doing.

What sort of money would I be looking at for a front bumper (and maybe bonnet) respray like yours had? The front of the car is the part which let's it down the most.

I've got my head in the sand a bit with the rear arch rust, I dont think im confident enough to do it myself so will be looking at having that done properly next year.

Anyway, good luck with the rest of the project, keep the updates coming !

Ian

Hi Ian,

Thanks for the words of encouragement mate.

I think that’s very cool that you have had your Cup since new. Have you got a thread ? I’d be interested to see your car.

You should stick with it as these types of car will be a lot of fun to own in the future. Especially if the car is restored to a good standard.

What I have found is that my car had so many silly little niggles. As we all know, Clios were and still are cheap cars, the majority being owned by people with not much budget to maintain them so they just get neglected big time.

Thankfully I had the budget to resolve all of these and the right man for the job! When the car came back after getting these jobs resolved, it felt like a proper car again.

Its almost impossible to give you a price to paint a bumper as all Bodyshops are different. Id budget for at least a few hundred quid for a bumper respray and at least another hundred for the bonnet.

I think it is very much you get what you pay for to a certain extent but if I were you I’d look for Bodyshops that come recommended and are local to you.

With regards to the rear arches, I’d prioritise these if I were you. First thing to do is get the rear wheel off and get a good look up inside the rear arch at the petrol filler neck. I’ll bet it’s full of muck! Get this cleaned ASAP.

Im not mechanically minded at all and I managed to get the rear interior panels off no problem.

If the usual suspect areas are rot free then I’d be happy spend money on the car but if it’s too rusty then you are kind of throwing good money after bad.

Good luck!

 

[IW365]

Cheers,

I had a good look at the rear arches and have given them a really thorough clean

I'll need to get in touch with someone who can take a look and give me some advice. The car is safely tucked up in the garage now for the winter so wont be going near the mud/rain/salt again!

I'll get a thread started with some info and pics. This site has been really helpful for me so far. Good luck with the rest of your resto.

Ian

 

[dave120]

Cheers,

I had a good look at the rear arches and have given them a really thorough clean
View attachment 1507048
View attachment 1507046
View attachment 1507046
I'll need to get in touch with someone who can take a look and give me some advice. The car is safely tucked up in the garage now for the winter so wont be going near the mud/rain/salt again!

I'll get a thread started with some info and pics. This site has been really helpful for me so far. Good luck with the rest of your resto.

Ian

Just noticed this reply mate, not sure how I missed it.

Your rust doesn’t look that bad from what I can tell. Certainly doesn’t look like rot anyway so hopefully a competent body shop can repair and protect quite easily.

Im far from an expert in Clios and I am not handy with tools at all so I rely on good contacts to look after my cars.

I am new to Clios but from what I can tell Mk2s are so popular because they are pretty simple cars and can be hugely rewarding to drive. A lot of bang for your buck so to speak.

As long as the sills, back arches and petrol filler are looked after and protected then everything else seems quite straightforward and quite inexpensive to upgrade/replace or repair.

I like the idea of having a solid example of something like a Cup sitting in the garage that doest cost the earth to keep and maintain but is still a lot of fun to go out for a blast now and then.

👍🏻

 

[IW365]

Just noticed this reply mate, not sure how I missed it.

Your rust doesn’t look that bad from what I can tell. Certainly doesn’t look like rot anyway so hopefully a competent body shop can repair and protect quite easily.

Im far from an expert in Clios and I am not handy with tools at all so I rely on good contacts to look after my cars.

I am new to Clios but from what I can tell Mk2s are so popular because they are pretty simple cars and can be hugely rewarding to drive. A lot of bang for your buck so to speak.

As long as the sills, back arches and petrol filler are looked after and protected then everything else seems quite straightforward and quite inexpensive to upgrade/replace or repair.

I like the idea of having a solid example of something like a Cup sitting in the garage that doest cost the earth to keep and maintain but is still a lot of fun to go out for a blast now and then.

👍🏻

Yep totally agree. The car owes me nothing and it's a great feeling to know it's there in the garage ready for a good blast!

I'm not particularly handy with the tools, although I can do a few jobs so I'm always on the lookout for decent people to do the specialist stuff.

I'll probably get the interior bits off to check the rear arches etc this week and hopefully won't find too much to worry about 🤞

 

[dave120]

Yep totally agree. The car owes me nothing and it's a great feeling to know it's there in the garage ready for a good blast!

I'm not particularly handy with the tools, although I can do a few jobs so I'm always on the lookout for decent people to do the specialist stuff.

I'll probably get the interior bits off to check the rear arches etc this week and hopefully won't find too much to worry about 🤞

The rear interior panels aren't too difficult to remove really. You need a T34 Torx for the Front seatbelt mount which then just turns 180 degrees and pulls out and a 17mm Socket (as far as I can remember) for the Rear seatbelt mount which is accessible once you remove the lower part of the rear seat.

All of the guides I read said you had to fully remove the rear seat but I managed by only removing the lower part of the rear seats.

Once you have removed the bolts mentioned above, the rear panel actually just pulls directly outwards and it then comes right off. Be carful as the speakers will still be plugged in, remember to get your hand in behind and unplug these too.

Refitting is pretty much the same job but in reverse, just be conscious of where the actual clips are and be sure to give them a good whack to seat them properly!

 

[IW365]

The rear interior panels aren't too difficult to remove really. You need a T34 Torx for the Front seatbelt mount which then just turns 180 degrees and pulls out and a 17mm Socket (as far as I can remember) for the Rear seatbelt mount which is accessible once you remove the lower part of the rear seat.

All of the guides I read said you had to fully remove the rear seat but I managed by only removing the lower part of the rear seats.

Once you have removed the bolts mentioned above, the rear panel actually just pulls directly outwards and it then comes right off. Be carful as the speakers will still be plugged in, remember to get your hand in behind and unplug these too.

Refitting is pretty much the same job but in reverse, just be conscious of where the actual clips are and be sure to give them a good whack to seat them properly!

Here's a couple of snaps from under the rear panel...

It doesn't look hugely rusty to me so maybe I've caught it just in time? Any thoughts what my next steps could be?

Cheers

 

[IW365]

Here's a couple of snaps from under the rear panel...

View attachment 1507526View attachment 1507527View attachment 1507528

It doesn't look hugely rusty to me so maybe I've caught it just in time? Any thoughts what my next steps could be?

Cheers

And heres the other side...

 

[Darren S]

Owning a 172 Cup and living in Central Scotland with those types of roads around you? Pretty much a perfect combination!

Great thread!

 

[dave120]

And heres the other side...View attachment 1507532View attachment 1507534

So you managed to get the rear panels off?! Well done mate.

They dont look too bad at all but you definitely want to get a hoover in there and get rid of all the rubbish sitting in the bottom corners. There is a tiny drain hole hiding down there so make sure its clear!

What I would then do is get some rust converter in there then once it has done its job id spray in some anti corrosion wax.

I copied the steps in post 29 of this thread https://cliosport.net/threads/matts-racing-blue-182.834168/#post-11965491 This guys car is pretty amazing so if it was good enough for him, it was good enough for me.

One thing you will notice as soon as you start brushing on the rust converter is that it seeps out of your newly cleared drain holes, out of the sill and right on to the garage floor. This was fine when it was rust converter but when the Spray wax did the same thing I became concerned that the spray wax would block up the drains when it cured. So, I put a drinking straw in the drainage hole to try and stop this. Maybe worrying about nothing as the arches are now properly protected but I still want the drainage holes to do their job for any water that does find its way in.


Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[dave120]

Owning a 172 Cup and living in Central Scotland with those types of roads around you? Pretty much a perfect combination!

Great thread!

Thanks mate, the car should be a lot of fun when its complete.

Yes, Central Scotland has some decent driving roads that is for sure.

I do a lot of Trail and Hill Running so it means a lot of early morning drives up North on quiet roads I've not had the chance to take the Cup yet but when I do it will be a lot more fun than the current "running" car, my Panda 100Hp ;-)

 

[IW365]

So you managed to get the rear panels off?! Well done mate.

They dont look too bad at all but you definitely want to get a hoover in there and get rid of all the rubbish sitting in the bottom corners. There is a tiny drain hole hiding down there so make sure its clear!

What I would then do is get some rust converter in there then once it has done its job id spray in some anti corrosion wax.

I copied the steps in post 29 of this thread https://cliosport.net/threads/matts-racing-blue-182.834168/#post-11965491 This guys car is pretty amazing so if it was good enough for him, it was good enough for me.

One thing you will notice as soon as you start brushing on the rust converter is that it seeps out of your newly cleared drain holes, out of the sill and right on to the garage floor. This was fine when it was rust converter but when the Spray wax did the same thing I became concerned that the spray wax would block up the drains when it cured. So, I put a drinking straw in the drainage hole to try and stop this. Maybe worrying about nothing as the arches are now properly protected but I still want the drainage holes to do their job for any water that does find its way in.


Good luck and keep us posted.

Now I've removed the crap it appears that one side had the drain hole blocked by a fallen sticker so it's a bit worse on one side but still not awful I dont think...

Does that look too far gone for your method?

Is there any particular rust converter that's best? I've heard of bilt hamber

Cheers again Dave I really appreciate your help 👍