Big decision to make

[colm_gti]

I've had my ph1 172 clio over 4 months now, and its officially the longest i've owned a car...YAY

I've always wanted one, and although it was a little rough when i first got it, i was happy with my purchase.

I went about fixing the little bits that were wrong with it, uprating them for aftermarket parts..

Full set of group n engine and gearbox mounts
Polyurathene dogbone bushes
OEM rear discs and bearings
Rear KTR pads
Front ferodo DS2500's and brembo HC's
Motul rbf600 fluid
Brand new OEM shocks and eibach sportlines
Brand new toyo proxes

I had it out on track for 15 minutes at FCS, and was really happy with how it performed, and have it booked in for a few trackdays here in ireland over the summer break from Uni.

The only thing left bothering me is the condition of the bodywork, which is not the best to say the least. Stone chips, key scrapes, and the odd dent or 2, that came with the car when i bought it.

Now the problem is, i have just gotten a very good cash offer on it, even though it was never really properly for sale. I stand to almost break even on it, and if i go through with it could have 5000 euro cash to play with, which equates to about 4300 stg.

I have been considering my options, and i think i enjoyed my 4 moths of clio ownership so much that i wish to continue

I am left with three options...

1. Buy another ph1 172 i have spotted over here, 37k miles, registered on irish plates, full service history and belts just done

2. Head to UK shores in search of a ph2 172 cup and try to find a decent one for around 3k cash, as i will have to pay registration tax on it in order to register it on irish plates (1500 euro)

3. Look out for a clean mk1 16v, and pick up a ph1 172 i have found over here with a shagged gearbox for 1500 euro, and go about converting the mk1 to a 172, spending the change on track days. Registration on a mk1 16v is 640 euro

Has anyone owned all three? How raw is a mk1 to drive? As i will be driving it every day, 60 odd miles a day. And how big a job is the conversion, if i had a full donor car for parts?

Is a 172 cup that much better than a ph1 172? And what are the chances of getting a clean one in my budget?

 

[The Chubby Pirate]

First off mate, someone is offering you 5000 Euros for your Phase 1 172...?

Thats alot of money considering most, at very most are commanding £3200 (circa 50-60k in vgc!)

I dont understand why you would sell yours and then buy the exact same car, should it be a feasable enough venture, why dont you just get the car completley sprayed and bring the body work back to showroom conidtion? As for the Mk1 16v i reckon that could be a bit of a money pit and am pretty sure it wouldnt be as much fun, i may be wrong but imo!

The 172 engine conversion could be fun but i reckon it would be ball-ache!

There isnt much difference between the 172 Cup and the Phase 1, i reckon there as raw as each other, the Cup is only slightly lighter but even at this, it wouldnt take much to make the Phase 1 the same weight...!

Id let my Phase 1 go for £4300 in a heartbeat (again if im reading your thread properly) But the the interest of a safe bet, why get rid of it if your happy with it?

Dan

 

[Timmay]

if you love it that much keep it

 

[colm_gti]

5000 euro for a mechanically sound ph1 172 is a really good price over here, as they are as rare as hens teeth, and vehicle registration tax is 980 euro on top of the price of the car.

I would like to put the money into my own car and get it resprayed, but unfortunately summer work seems to be drying up, and i'm trying to pay off insurance and save for going back to Uni, so the guts of 1500 euro is out of reach right now.

The reason i am highly considering selling is because, for a start, as i already mentioned, i am fairly short of cash a the minute and 5000 would buy me a mint 172 over on UK shores that needs nothing, vrt it, tax it and pay for some track time, i could probably even get it for less than 5k. and the reason i was considering a mk1 16v was because i love tinkering with cars, the only thing i havnt tried doing yet is a clutch change, and its only because i havn't had to.

i have a lot of thinking/looking to do

 

[The Chubby Pirate]

If you find anyone else looking for a mint Phase 1, ill let mine go for £4500

 

[st3ve]

lolz^

I'd stick with what you've got personally as it isn't particularly fun looking for a new car especially when you've got to cross an ocean to get it.

 

[Tav]

Once you go to a few track days I doubt a few dents and dings will bother you. Doesn't make much sense selling a perfectly fine working Clio just to buy another.

 

[The Chubby Pirate]

lolz^

I'd stick with what you've got personally as it isn't particularly fun looking for a new car especially when you've got to cross an ocean to get it.

Irish Sea and the St Georges Channel? lolz, ill keep you right sir

 

[Fabian]

@Danny_172 : 5000 for a Ph1 172 is good,

it depend on in what land you live, maybe in ireland the 172 is more expansive as in england.

I often wondered how cheap modding items and complete cars are in england.

here in germany you pay for a good conditioned clio 172 ph1 about 6000 euro, for a good ph2 about 8000 euro and for a good 182 cup 10000 to 14000 euro !!!

 

[172Ben]

If you like it keep it as said.

Slightly off topic, where did you get your group n engine mounts from?

 

[st3ve]

Irish Sea and the St Georges Channel? lolz, ill keep you right sir

I was never much good at geography but you know what I mean :rasp:.

 

[TooneySonic]

Depends on how you feel about the car - is the bodywork something you are planning on spending money on to repair? if not then dont sell IMO as you seem to have gone through alot of effort to get it right for you, can you risk buying another and having to spend all over again?

Cups do look nicer though

 

[r516vt]

@Danny_172 : 5000 for a Ph1 172 is good,

it depend on in what land you live, maybe in ireland the 172 is more expansive as in england.

I often wondered how cheap modding items and complete cars are in england.

here in germany you pay for a good conditioned clio 172 ph1 about 6000 euro, for a good ph2 about 8000 euro and for a good 182 cup 10000 to 14000 euro !!!

You serious? How much do 172 Cups go for?

 

[Fabian]

its hard to buy a cup

ragnotti, racing blue´s, cup´s are very very rare here.

sometimes i thing only the english soldiers here where i live knows what car i´m driving for all others its only a normal clio...

check out www.mobile.de and check for clio sport to see yourself what i mean.

 

[The Chubby Pirate]

I was never much good at geography but you know what I mean :rasp:.

Ya x

 

[The Chubby Pirate]

Speechless...

http://suchen.mobile.de/fahrzeuge/s...ORT&customerIdsAsString=&lang=en&pageNumber=1

 

[r516vt]

its hard to buy a cup

ragnotti, racing blue´s, cup´s are very very rare here.

sometimes i thing only the english soldiers here where i live knows what car i´m driving for all others its only a normal clio...

check out www.mobile.de and check for clio sport to see yourself what i mean.

I remember this website, I used it extensively when I was looking for a Golf G60 Edition 1 to import (never happened unfortunately ).

Found 1 Cup/Ragnotti on there, Silver and selling for 12,000 euros!

 

[Fabian]

that is what i mean.

the price for renault sport models are very high...

also a fundamental for me to order my spare parts or other items in england

they are very cheap an i have a a bigger and wider range.
ordered many carbon parts from streamline and some other parts from k-tec, when my mates here the price they were very impressed

and now back to topic

 

[colm_gti]

prices for clios are a lot different overseas alright, sure check out the only clio v6 for sale over here..

http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=200840190245140

there are 4 clio 172's listed for sale over here at the minute, all over 5000 euro

the car scene is a lot different over here in ireland though, everyone is mad for honda's, toyota's and nissans, its purely japanese over here. there are very few euro enthusiasts, resulting in much fewer clio's, saxo's and 106's for sale here.