So this starts way back in April 2012 when I picked up my first car, a 1.2 mk2 phase 2 Dynamique (52 reg). The car had 94,000 miles on the clock and slight hazing on the front headlights, the car had a full service history with receipts to prove so I wasn’t put off by the mileage it had on it.
This is the car as I bought it
So first things first there was no record of a belt change so I got it straight off to the garage to get a major service done; full timing kit, oil, spark plugs, filters the works. After this I fitted a new head unit and added a 12” sub. I then decided I was done, however after living with the car it went from just a first car to my pride and joy, I replaced the fogged headlights (they were to bad to restore, I tried) and fitted a sport upper grille. The car then stayed much the same for a while.
Attempt at restoring the headlights
The car during the headlight and grille replacement
I then decided to tint the back windows myself this went ok however the rear window was a fail hence it is no longer tinted J, I also fitted new bulbs all round inc. Silver visions, and some CS stickers.
Window tint
Later on came the edition of a black front badge cover and a sh*t chrome sport badge (which was later removed.) there was then a bit of a holt to proceedings as I headed off to oxford to begin my degree in motorsport technology.
Sh*t sport badge and number plate surround
Next the tired red painted drums and callipers got a lick of orange paint. (The orange and black theme was born)
Front calliper
Dangerous but I had no axel stands at the time
The next round of improvements started with the removal of the sh*t chrome rear number plate surround. The broken number plate light unit was then replaced with an LED upgrade, and finally I had my new private reg plates fitted
At the start of 2013 I decided to slowly make further improvements, this started with getting a sportex exhaust system fitted (3” tail pipe & 2.5” large bore straight through centre section) I then had the car lowered 40mm on Apex springs. I went on to fit a skoda front splitter, a K&N 57i induction kit and team heko wind deflectors. The all important 25KW MCM sticker was also fitted.
Exhaust
Springs
K&N 57i kit
Heko’s
MCM 25KW sticker !!
Just before CSS13 I fitted an orange TRS tow strap and tinted the fogs yellow. At the same time I decided it would be “easy” to spray my black plastic dynamique spoiler pearl black, this went badly but john the Scotland area rep came to the rescue, he had a PB 172 spoiler up for sale the only problem was it was now 2 days before CSS13 I had no idea how I was going to get it sorted in time, luckily john was making the massive journey from Scotland to duxford a day early and I arranged to meet him just off the closest motorway junction to me.(Thanks Djw John) phew I was going to make it to my first clio sport event
Tow strap and fog tint (you can also see the skoda splitter as I forgot to take a pic just after I fitted it)
New colour coded spoiler big thanks to Djw John
This is where the project gathers pace I had been speaking to spray shack about some custom bullet’s I wanted making up, simon made them up and at CSS13 I picked up my custom bullets. In the weeks to follow I took delivery of colour coded side strips, exterior handles and aluminium interior ones.
Thanks to simon at spray shack
Exterior
Interior (featuring some old carbon wrapped door pulls)
I then had a ¾ front plate made up by fancy plates and had new rear one made up at halfrauds, these were then both stuck on rather than bolted to give it a cleaner look.
¾ front plate
New Rear plate
Later when looking for more to do to the car I removed the center diamonds from the standard alloys and sprayed them PB, as well as removing the front diamond and the rear clio badge to spray them Ford electric orange, I also made a custom orange engine cover with some left over orange paint and an extra MCM sticker I had. I then declared when posting on the media section I was done with the car and was saving for a 182....
However after looking around it became apparent a good 182 was going to cost. so with 4 years of university left my economical all be it slow 1.2 was here to stay.
I started off by giving it a good detail inside and out including a machine polish and a good coat of wax.
Beading after the detail (used srp polish and G3 paste wax)
I then began to look for ideas on what to do next...
Top of my list had always been better alloys, I soon found a set of dark anthracite 16” turini’s local to me which had been refurbed back in april 2013. A price was agreed and I collected them Saturday the 24[SUP]th[/SUP] (thanks to jaavacakes). Anyway I’m getting a bit ahead of myself I HATED the rear bumper on my non-sport I rapidly tracked down a 172 replacement in PB and in mint condition so Thursday the 22[SUP]nd[/SUP] me and friend made a 140 mile round trip to derby to pick it up. (thanks to -Fiona-)
The wheels got cleaned and sealed with wonder wheels product before fitting.
Fiona’s perfect bumper got the chop.
As the car sits now.
All this then got fitted and there is more to come....
Future plans include: exhaust position adjustment, carbon wrap rear bumper strip, de-wiper, colour code front bumper insert, paint the sport grille satin black and possible a cup spoiler at some point.
This is the car as I bought it
So first things first there was no record of a belt change so I got it straight off to the garage to get a major service done; full timing kit, oil, spark plugs, filters the works. After this I fitted a new head unit and added a 12” sub. I then decided I was done, however after living with the car it went from just a first car to my pride and joy, I replaced the fogged headlights (they were to bad to restore, I tried) and fitted a sport upper grille. The car then stayed much the same for a while.
Attempt at restoring the headlights
The car during the headlight and grille replacement
I then decided to tint the back windows myself this went ok however the rear window was a fail hence it is no longer tinted J, I also fitted new bulbs all round inc. Silver visions, and some CS stickers.
Window tint
Later on came the edition of a black front badge cover and a sh*t chrome sport badge (which was later removed.) there was then a bit of a holt to proceedings as I headed off to oxford to begin my degree in motorsport technology.
Sh*t sport badge and number plate surround
Next the tired red painted drums and callipers got a lick of orange paint. (The orange and black theme was born)
Front calliper
Dangerous but I had no axel stands at the time
The next round of improvements started with the removal of the sh*t chrome rear number plate surround. The broken number plate light unit was then replaced with an LED upgrade, and finally I had my new private reg plates fitted
At the start of 2013 I decided to slowly make further improvements, this started with getting a sportex exhaust system fitted (3” tail pipe & 2.5” large bore straight through centre section) I then had the car lowered 40mm on Apex springs. I went on to fit a skoda front splitter, a K&N 57i induction kit and team heko wind deflectors. The all important 25KW MCM sticker was also fitted.
Exhaust
Springs
K&N 57i kit
Heko’s
MCM 25KW sticker !!
Just before CSS13 I fitted an orange TRS tow strap and tinted the fogs yellow. At the same time I decided it would be “easy” to spray my black plastic dynamique spoiler pearl black, this went badly but john the Scotland area rep came to the rescue, he had a PB 172 spoiler up for sale the only problem was it was now 2 days before CSS13 I had no idea how I was going to get it sorted in time, luckily john was making the massive journey from Scotland to duxford a day early and I arranged to meet him just off the closest motorway junction to me.(Thanks Djw John) phew I was going to make it to my first clio sport event
Tow strap and fog tint (you can also see the skoda splitter as I forgot to take a pic just after I fitted it)
New colour coded spoiler big thanks to Djw John
This is where the project gathers pace I had been speaking to spray shack about some custom bullet’s I wanted making up, simon made them up and at CSS13 I picked up my custom bullets. In the weeks to follow I took delivery of colour coded side strips, exterior handles and aluminium interior ones.
Thanks to simon at spray shack
Exterior
Interior (featuring some old carbon wrapped door pulls)
I then had a ¾ front plate made up by fancy plates and had new rear one made up at halfrauds, these were then both stuck on rather than bolted to give it a cleaner look.
¾ front plate
New Rear plate
Later when looking for more to do to the car I removed the center diamonds from the standard alloys and sprayed them PB, as well as removing the front diamond and the rear clio badge to spray them Ford electric orange, I also made a custom orange engine cover with some left over orange paint and an extra MCM sticker I had. I then declared when posting on the media section I was done with the car and was saving for a 182....
However after looking around it became apparent a good 182 was going to cost. so with 4 years of university left my economical all be it slow 1.2 was here to stay.
I started off by giving it a good detail inside and out including a machine polish and a good coat of wax.
Beading after the detail (used srp polish and G3 paste wax)
I then began to look for ideas on what to do next...
Top of my list had always been better alloys, I soon found a set of dark anthracite 16” turini’s local to me which had been refurbed back in april 2013. A price was agreed and I collected them Saturday the 24[SUP]th[/SUP] (thanks to jaavacakes). Anyway I’m getting a bit ahead of myself I HATED the rear bumper on my non-sport I rapidly tracked down a 172 replacement in PB and in mint condition so Thursday the 22[SUP]nd[/SUP] me and friend made a 140 mile round trip to derby to pick it up. (thanks to -Fiona-)
The wheels got cleaned and sealed with wonder wheels product before fitting.
Fiona’s perfect bumper got the chop.
As the car sits now.
All this then got fitted and there is more to come....
Future plans include: exhaust position adjustment, carbon wrap rear bumper strip, de-wiper, colour code front bumper insert, paint the sport grille satin black and possible a cup spoiler at some point.
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