ClioSport.net

Register a free account today to become a member!
Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

  • When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Read more here.


  Renault Clio 172 Ph2
Hello and welcome :)

My name is Jack and welcome to my thread about my Renault Clio 172 Phase 2 in Flame red.

I have been a user of this website for quite some time now and I have finally decided to make myself a thread.
I have had this car since September 2019 and I have been using it daily. I purchased the car off eBay, the car itself was located in Long Eaton. The owner of the car was into his track days and had just purchased himself a track day kit car, hence the reason for getting rid of the Clio. Anyway, as I want to keep this part as brief but as detailed as possible, I ended buying the car and I drove it all the way back to Middlesbrough with no problems.

The reason behind purchasing the Clio was due to the fact I had previously written off my previous car (Citroen Saxo VTR) and I was due to start a new job in the next couple of days so I was kind of desperate for a new car.

I decided to purchase a Clio 172 for a number of different reasons for example, its French, cheap and relatively quick.


Modifications already done prior to my ownership (according to eBay advert and invoices) are as follows:

Power wise:

Port-matched and gas flowed upper/lower inlet manifolds (done by M.S Engineering).
Ramair induction cone filter.
AC delete.
182 manifold.
De-cat.
Powerflow back box.

Dyno print out 175.9HP & 156FT-LB, with no remap. 31-03-2018.


Engine mounts/gearbox/bushes?:

Powerflex black series upper right engine mount.
Blue Evol dogbone mount.


Brakes:

Grooved Brembo HC discs on the front.
Ferodo DS2500 pads on the front.
Goodrich braided brake lines on the front.
TYP 200 brake fluid.


Handling?:

Eibach Sportline lowering springs.
Eibach front camber bolts. Invoice present from eBay. 01-10-2018.
Clio 172/182 Stub Axle Spacer Kit (Pure Motorsport). Invoice present from Pure Motorsport. 02-10-2018.
Clio 172/182 Rear Camber/Toe Shim 60’ (one Degree) x2. Invoice present from Pure Motorsport. 02-10-2018.
18mm Slip on Hub centric Wheel spacers on the front.
Motorsport Spec bullet tipped screw in M12 stud conversion kit with steel nuts. Invoice present from Pure Motorsport. 02-10-2018.


Other Modifications etc:

Bonnet spacers/lifters.
Rear interior completely stripped.
Welded in rear strut brace/bar.
Rear full-size boot carpet/mat.
Lightweight front door cards.
LED interior bulb.
Skoda Fabia front splitter.


Some other useful bits and bobs of information (which some of you may find interesting):

Early Phase 2 model/variant: amber side indicators, no cruise control and no traction control (ESP).
Private reg.
Low mileage, under 75,000mies.
10 owners.
Engine was running on Fuchs Titan Race Pro S 5W-40 Ester Fully Synthetic Engine Oil. Service stamp in the book with date and mileage, plus oil order invoice present.
Gearbox is running Fuchs Titan Race SYN 5 75W-90 Fully Synthetic Gear Oil. No proof of change but have the invoice of the order from Opie oils etc.
Apparently had a new clutch (no proof) does go into every gear as it should and biting point is fine, no slipping etc.
Apparently belts & pulleys done at the end of 2018 (no proof). But the engine is really quiet on tick over and pulls well, does not overheat etc. I have had no issues with it so far. Car still sounds the same as the day I bought it. (y)
Very limited/no history/no invoices before the previous owner, which is a shame really. :(
Cliosport.net sticker in the back window! (Have tried searching the forum but haven't found anything yet).
Track day/lightweight door cards were purchased off here a couple of years ago?
Interior is just standard in the front (excluding the door cards), seats, steering wheel and even the radio etc are all original.
Original owners handbook/service book came with the car which is showing 7 service stamps.
Car came with the original spare wheel and jack kit.
I also got given the rear interior and various other spare parts like a pair of rear lights, wing mirrors, outside door handles and a 2 tubs full of nuts & bolts.
Front fog lights have been disconnected as the previous owner was going to make air feeds for front brakes.
New driveshaft fitted in 2017/2018 ish.
Same brand budget tyres all round with a decent amount of life left (195 45 16).
CD changer has been removed by one of the previous owners as not present under passenger seat.


Things done/sorted in my ownership so far:

Numerous fuel treatments (Redex). 07-09-2019 & 26-09-2019.
RAM air cone filter rotated and more securely attached. September/October 2019.
Fixed cigarette lighter. October 2019.
Rubber bungs near the boot sealed up to stop water leaking in. November 2019.
Winter protection detail – machine polish + layer of wax/sealant + front headlights polish. 09-11-2019.
Oil and filter service using genuine OEM Renault parts. 18-11-2019.
New set of plates from fancy plates. 02-12-2019.
Inner sills rust treated (not the best of jobs but needed doing). 04-12-2019.
Upper dash removed and flocked @ Facelift Autos in Bishop Auckland. 18-12-2019.
A-pillars, dash insert trims and gear knob insert piece all painted matt black. 24-12-2019.
Drivers side front wheel bearing. 04-01-2020.
New alternator fitted. 10-01-2020.
New key battery. 19-01-2020.
New rear number plate light (genuine Renault). 27-01-2020.
New metal footrest cover. 27-01-2020.
New pollen filter. 27-01-2020.
Headlining removed. 27-01-2020.
Spare wheel well rust treatment/paint. 27-01-2020 & 28-01-2020.
Silicone/stick down windscreen seal as was coming loose at top of passenger side. January/February 2020.
Painted inside of the rear interior/boot etc and small visible section above door cards. 04-02-2020.

I have only ever run the car on Shell V-Power, apart from maybe twice if that haha.
Numerous washes using highly rated products such as Bilthhamber & autofinesse etc.


Things which I plan on doing/need fixing/sorting out (problems):

New injectors/spark plugs/ignition leads/coil pack (was going to do all this anyway due to the limited history but the car has developed misfire recently so needs doing as soon as possible really).
New smaller ariel (delivered today 13-02-2020, just needs fitting).
Various small dents/dings round the car.
Paint touch up all round.
Bonnet needs a respray.
Very small amount of lacquer peel on the rear spoiler. Respray/replace with larger cup type?
Electric windows only work now and again.
Auto wipers don’t work.
Central locking needs fixing.
Windscreen washers don’t work (have tried fixing them but can’t figure it out).
New wipers front + rear.
Side light bulb.
Interior light only works half of the time.
Missing bit of interior trim below clock/screen in upper centre console.
Right hand Indicator bulb for dash clocks.
Interior rattles/tidy up.
Upgrade sound system.
Sun strip.
Re-paint dash trims and gear knob insert.
Steering wheel repair/replacement.
Floor mats (OEM Clio ones) (just need fitting).
Paint rear strut brace/welded bar.
Another oil change/service.
Gearbox oil change.
Another Redex fuel treatment.
Drivers seat replacement/repair as not best of condition and would like to sit lower.
15inch lightweight alloys with good track/fast road tyres (Team Dynamics Pro Race 1.2).
Paint callipers.
Foglight delete/air ducts.
Sill covers off so can treat/repair any rust present etc. (spring/summer 2020).
Underside refurbishment/respray/underseal (spring/summer 2020)
I am also looking at doing some track days this year as this is something which I have always wanted to try out.
Engine bay tidy up.
New oil cap.
New coolant bottle + cap.
Fatty induction pipe.
New 063 battery as mine has the larger type fitted.
Gearbox refurb/replacement (2nd to 3rd isn't the best & bearings are quite loud i think).
Front strut brace PMS.
Cup shocks front + rear.
CAT for next MOT.
Powerflex/stiffer bushes all round.
Yanoo shifter/BMS.
Re-fit all of the interior.
Remap? 197 cams? Belts? 2021?
And more...


Conclusion:

Overall, I am very pleased with the car, so far it has been reliable in the fact that it hasn’t broke down. I have done over 3000 miles since buying the car and it hasn’t really let me down. The only thing what has needed to be replaced is the alternator as it stopped charging/working properly. I have quite a number of different things which I would like to do with the car. My overall plan is too just enjoy it, improve upon what's already been done and just tidy it up really. Finally, this is my first time making a thread/posting on a forum so sorry in advance for any mistakes. I have probably missed some bits & bobs by accident. Sorry for lack of photos, accidently deleted a whole folder of them a couple of weeks ago. Gutted. Finally, I just want to say thank you if you have made it this far and I hope you enjoy the future updates as much as I do.

Positives:
  • Fast
  • Loud
  • Nice colour
  • French
  • cool
  • Boot space.

Negatives:
  • Fuel economy
  • Road tax
  • Sometimes a bit too loud ha-ha
  • Freezing inside.
  • Rattles.
  • No speakers apart from tweeters built in the dash.


Just some photos:

ClioSportNet1Carmeet.JPG

Local car meet back in September/October 2019.


SaxoClioSportNet2.jpg

Old Saxo (previous car)


ClioSportNet3.JPG

Proof of oil change. 18-11-2019.



ClioSportNet_Pollen_Filter.jpg

Proof of new pollen filter. 27-02-2020.


Clio_new_key_battery.jpg

New battery for key. 19-01-2020.


Headlining_172.jpg

Old headlining ripped out as was sagging. 27-01-2020.


Painted trim.JPG

Painted trim not the best but not bad considering temperatures and no prep work done prior. 24-01-2020.


Flocked Dash.JPG

Flocked dash fitted in dirty car oops. 25-12-2019.


New_footrest.jpg

New footrest, probably one of the best things i have done to the car. 27-01-2020.



Boot_rear_number_plate_light.jpg

New bumper/rear number plate light. This is a good, easy and cheap thing to replace. 27-01-2020.


Unfortunately, it is only letting me attach 10 photos/files. So these are the only photos i am going to put on this first post sorry.
 
  Megane RS 265
Finally got a thread up! Don't forget, its that drive in this last year which inspired me to get myself one, and get rid of my golf! Still feels miles faster than mine every time we've been out in it :ROFLMAO:
 
  Renault Clio 172 Ph2
Very similar to my restoration, I should join in and back date my project flamer

Unfortunately, these cars are sadly coming to that age/stage now were they require a good looking over in all areas. Definitely, you can't beat a good flamer! 🤟
 
  Renault Clio 172 Ph2
Finally got a thread up! Don't forget, its that drive in this last year which inspired me to get myself one, and get rid of my golf! Still feels miles faster than mine every time we've been out in it :ROFLMAO:

It's been a long time coming aha. You can't beat the old cars ;). My example definitely feels more lively and raw than yours, it's probably due to the stripped out interior etc etc.
 

DomP182

ClioSport Club Member
  ph1 172, Arctic182
Unfortunately, these cars are sadly coming to that age/stage now were they require a good looking over in all areas. Definitely, you can't beat a good flamer! 🤟
It amazes me how much flamers have faded, quite a surprise when I open my bonnet
 
  Renault Clio 172 Ph2
Firstly, I just want to say thank you for the great response so far.

Received a couple of things in the post today, nothing major but i thought i'd make a post anyway :).

ClioSportNetdeliverytest.jpg

Big.JPG

Small.JPG

Clio ariel comparison.JPG


All off eBay and cheap. The smaller aerial should help improve the fuel economy by reducing drag :LOL:. My brother got one of these smaller aerials for his so i thought i'd go and copy him plus the old one is showing signs of wear.

Clio sport brochure was bought as it was the cheapest one of eBay due to the small piece of writing on the front cover. Only cost me £5.10 including postage which is decent as it contains the same colour & phase Clio as mine.

Magazine was purchased for the Mini Cooper S vs Renault Clio 172 test section. Surprisingly, the start of the magazine also had a small feature on the (at the time) up-and-coming Clio 172 Cup!
IMG_1644.JPG
 
  Renault Clio 172 Ph2
I have been spraying the inside of my car for past couple of weeks and it is now 95% complete (just a couple of bits need another going over/tidy up). Will finish this off in the next couple of weeks as my main priority at the moment is to resolve/fix the rather annoying misfire. Unfortunately i am just waiting on pay day.

The reason to as why i decided to spray the inside was because i just fancied giving it a go really and to prevent/stop any rust problems in the future. Plus i thought it would look better.

I wasn't exactly too sure on what colour to do the inside my ideas were either white, matt black, light grey or flame red.

I decided to kind of play it safe and just choose flame red. However, this was also the most expensive option.

What_i_started_with_Clio_172_boot.jpg

1). This is what i started with as you can see it was in a sorry state o_O. Not sure how it was this dirty as it has had a full size boot mat/carpet over it. Annoyingly someone has cut out 2 bungs in the spare wheel well, i guessing this was done due to water sitting in it?


Quick_clean_Clio_boot.jpg

2). 5 minutes later. Gave it a quick clean/hoover. Used some diluted Bilt Hamber Surfex HD. Big improvement already.


Spare_wheel_well_1.jpg

3). Closer look at spare wheel well.


Spare_wheel_well_wire_brush.jpg

4). 5-10 minutes later. Gave it a good going over with a brand new wire brush. Seems to have done a very good job. Rust appears just to have been surface. Caught it just in time.


Spare_wheel_well_treatment_(1).jpg

5). After using a cheap rust remover (Rustins), i decided to use some of my brothers Bilt Hamber Hydrate 80. Used a little bit too much so i tried to spread it out as much as i could. At Least i know everything was covered and as you can see from the above image, it worked as it should have.


Clio_Spare_wheel_Zinc.jpg

6). 2 coats of Bilt Hamber Electrox later. As you can already see, i didn't wait long enough for the Hydrate 80 to fully cure/dry (stupid winter). So as you can expect the finish isn't the best and as this is my only car i had to drive it while doing all of these different treatments. Anyway, i aren't really fussed about the finish as it will be covered by the spare wheel and boot mat/carpet etc.


SWW_Paint.jpg

7). 2-3 coats of paint later. No more rust and dirt. A lot better.


Interior_Primer_Process.jpg

8). Decided to go for it and paint the rest of it. Primer used was Bilt Hamber Electrox. Just used some old tape i found in the kitchen drawer to keep costs down. Don't worry about the masking i tidied it up and added more the next day. Track car anyway :cool:.


90_95 done.JPG

9). This is where i am up to now. Decided to get a photo from a different view for use lot on here. Cheeky Cliosport.net and Cadwell park sticker making an appearance on rear windscreen, might remove these to tidy the back end up? I am undecided on the bar/brace so i've just left it for now. Will most likely be getting painted silver or black?


Clio Boot yep.JPG

10). These last 2 photos were both took at 4:45PM today (14-02-2020) and as you can see the car is in need of a good wash/clean. In my opinion the overall finish is okay, i'd give it a 7/10. It has no lacquer hence the dullish finish. I probably won't be adding any lacquer as it's not a show car and i dont want to blinded by the sun. Furthermore, the majority of it will be covered by the mat anyway.

Once i am happy enough with the overall paint job i am going to add a light coat of XCP Rust Blocker all round and the spare wheel/mat will be going back in.
I dont really want to be spending any more money/time on this particular job as the list of things which need fixing on this car is growing :cry:.

Thanks for looking.
 
  Clio 172 Cup
Lovely car and very detailed and interesting build and thread congrats on all your hard work the car needs centre caps tho looks so incomplete without them 👍
 
  Renault Clio 172 Ph2
Update time!

First of all sorry for the lack of posts i have been trying to take a break from the car stuff and i have recently had an operation on my toe.


20-02-2020: stickers removed from rear windscreen. I am glad i did this as, in my opinion it looks a lot better now.
IMG_1731.JPG

IMG_1736.JPG



Painting:
Since my last update, i have continued with the painting of the inside and made a little more progress (rear still needs completing but i am just taking my time with it now/waiting for better weather). The front section of the interior has also had some paint work done, the roof section has been painted matt black along with all the surrounding areas i.e sun visors so it all blends in nicely.

However, after painting the roof and other sections within the cockpit area of the car, it made me wish that i painted the rear section in matt black also.


Misfire problem:

The misfire problem on my car decided to get worse and it got quite bad. MPG dropped slightly and i could barely accelerate without my car constantly misfiring, it was popping and spluttering a crazy amount so i had to drive the car really, really steady. It was also beginning to get hard to actually leave junctions/traffic lights as the car seemed to drop revs easy and it had less power than normal. Also on a few occasions i could put my foot all the way down to the floor and the car was just unresponsive, it lost all of its power, this was really dangerous.

At the time I was thinking it's probably an injector, the coil pack or the ignition leads but...

I'm going to skip most of the fault finding process as its quite long winded and boring.

Anyway my dad checked my spark plugs and leads for me. Leads were squashed and 1 spark plug was rusty and another was quite oily. So my dad resolved this by cleaning everything up and putting the leads back in properly. This seemed to have fixed the issues i was having with the car. However, i still had the issue of the fault code P0130 which we found and i know that the car can still run better.

So after a quick look on various forums, i have decided to order a Bosch Lambda Oxygen Sensor 0258006046. I am now just waiting to get this part fitted and hopefully it will sort everything out. If not i'll change the spark plugs then take it from there etc.


Steering wheel:

I have also removed my steering wheel and replaced it with a brand new Momo boss from Kam Racing and a brand new flat faced Motamec 350mm steering wheel. The main reason for doing so was that the original wheel was quite worse for wear and i have always fancied fitting a smaller aftermarket one. Needs moving a spline over to the right as its slightly out but overall i'm happy with the change and it matches the dash nicely 😎
IMG_1862.JPG


While doing the steering wheel i decided to swap over the battery for the smaller and also lighter 063 option. This was actually a free modification as the battery is from my old Saxo VTR :) The battery has been fine so far but if it decides to fail i will probably buy a Bosch S4 063.
IMG_1845.JPG



On Tuesday 10th of March the front wipers were changed for a pair of Bosch Aerotwins as they had never yet been changed in my ownership. Oil and filter was also done using genuine renault parts etc. Coolant temp sensor was also changed with a genuine renault one, this should help improve mpg and the general running quality. Not sure if placebo or not but i think this has made a good difference.
IMG_1877.JPG



On Saturday 14th of March the rear wiper was changed for a standard Valeo unit (VM26). Original one had split and had also never yet been changed in my ownership. Only cost me £4.76 from CarParts4Less.
CLIOWIPERYEP.JPG



After fitting the rear wiper i decided to treat the car to an exterior wash which was once again well overdue. Luckily the sun came out for an hour or so. Here are the results:
IMG_1905.JPG



For anyone interested i have recently made an instagram page _clio172. I haven't really posted much yet but feel free to follow me if you want.
1584279568541.png



I also purchased a copy of the EVO magazine which user CAT171 posted on here. Good read.
ClioFRMag.JPG



In reply to user BaileyWolves I do have the centre caps. However, due to the long bolts on the rear they do not fit unfortunately.
Cliocentrecaps.JPG


Thanks for reading. I may have missed a couple of things out.
 
  Clio 172 Cup
Absolutely love following this fantastic work mate it’s looking absolutely ace. Great touch getting the magazines will make a great touch to the service file I have original cup brochures and magazines in my service file think it’s great if selling the car 👍 keep up the good work pal
 
  Renault Clio 172 Ph2
Small update this time around:

15/03/2020 - Managed to get the new Bosch lambda sensor fitted and the results have been great, the Clio is running a lot better and mpg has improved :)


Old lambda sensor:
Old clio sensor.JPG



Installation of new Lambda 🔥 (please ignore the rusty sills these will be getting sorted in the future):
IMG_1925.JPG



I also decided to purchase myself a multimeter from screwfix, i haven't used it yet but it was only £10:
IMG_1928.JPG
 
Nice update, my old boy (who also has a flamer, which he's had since almost new) called them lambada's when he replaced his, he never gets names right lol!!!

Congrats on getting the EVO mag too :cool:
 
  Renault Clio 172 Ph2
Looks very black that lambda, does it have a map or anything? Running. A bit rich looking at it.


As far as i am aware it doesn't have a map. Car does have a couple of modifications though:

Port-matched and gas flowed upper/lower inlet manifolds (done by M.S Engineering).
Ramair induction cone filter.
AC delete.
182 manifold.
De-cat.
Powerflow back box.

Car could really do with mapping though to support the above etc.

I think that the car is most likely running rich due to the fact that the standard airbox isn't present, inlets ported etc and manifold/decat. I am also thinking that the car might possibly need the map sensor cleaning/replacing maybe? Furthermore, i am thinking of replacing the plugs & leads (obviously with genuine items).
 
  Renault Clio 172 Ph2
Well...

This isn't the best of updates but here goes nothing:



I finally decided to remove the soft feel/touch on the interior plastics and it didn't go well. I think i have broke the radio and climate control panel because i am stupid. Used elbow grease and it worked quite well tbh. I mean at least it isn't sticky anymore, right?
IMG_1980.JPG

IMG_1987.JPG




I also fully topped up my screen wash with some Prestone Extreme Performance Screen Wash, annoyingly this also didn't go to plan as it turns out my washer bottle has a leak. I decided to use the Prestone screenwash as it won the Autocar 2019 best car screen wash award.
IMG_2005.JPG

IMG_2006.JPG




Car was also given a contact free wash as i couldn't be bothered doing a proper clean and i wanted to see how it would look afterwards.
ECA05CBB-345F-4E77-960E-2CBB240CE578.jpg




For anyone that is interested this is what the boot area is currently looking like, still not finished but getting there now:
IMG_1984.JPG
 
  Renault Clio 172 Ph2
New induction kit and new battery fitted yesterday (05-04-2020) (76,808 miles).

Before i begin i just want to say that this was fitted on my dinner break so sorry for the lack of photos as i only had a limited amount of time. Took me about 15-25 minutes to fully fit everything.



Now, If you already have me on instagram then you may have already guessed/know what this is but...


Yes! I finally got rid of the old crappy induction set-up (if you can even call it that :rolleyes:) and i have replaced it with something much better...



1). Old set up (just an old, dirty & well used ramair cone filter. Boring, heatsoaking & ineffective etc.
IMG_2140.JPG




2.) Old battery removed. Exposing the battery tray and more filth. Whole engine bay needs a really good scrub, i've never cleaned it :cry:
IMG_2142.JPG




3). Part way through the fitting process. Pretty much done by this point, just need to connect new battery up etc. Easy :)
IMG_2143.JPG




4). Everything back together (SAS Battery Terminal Protector spray applied to help increase longevity of battery etc).
IMG_2145.JPG




5). Just a further away view of the finished product.
IMG_2147.JPG




Conclusion/review:
So i went with the fatty set-up as:
I had read nothing but positive things about it.
Cheap compared to others (was just under £45 and could of been done for a couple of quid less as well if wanted).
Easy to do.
My old filter was overdue a clean/replacement anyway.


I went with the Bosch S4 063 battery as:
lots of good reviews all over the internet.
Well known brand.
Correct size.
Relatively inexpensive.
Good specs for a battery of its size.
4 year guarantee .


I went with the larger ramair filter option as i was a little unsure on which size to get and the bigger the better, right?;)
The filter itself is slightly squashed so i might make some little/fine adjustments in the future. To help fitment, i might shave a few cm off the end of the pipe.

I haven't really drove the car much since fitting as it's only been a day etc but overall, i am happy with it. It now both looks & sounds better compared to before. The sound difference actually put a smile on my face. However, i can now see why some people prefer the original air box as it can be quite loud :LOL:

I can recommend this induction kit for a number of different reasons (y)





I also checked up on my rust treatment in the inner sills (both sides) and i decided to apply some more products, as what i had already done wasn't the best in all honesty.
IMG_2127.JPG

Inner sills are now well protected and have a generous coating,



Plus i also decided to use the poorly fitted side skirts to my advantage, i managed to kind of apply some rust treatment products down these small gaps towards the front end of my car. Both sides treated.
IMG_2107.JPG

IMG_2108.JPG



Messy but it can be cleaned up plus the side skirts will be coming off in the upcoming weeks/months anyhow but i thought i may as well do something as anything is better than nothing.

I know i am just making excuses but remember this car is used and required daily so i find it hard to do everything as good as i want to. Still we can only live and learn from our mistakes. It's all experience.



Thanks for reading
 

Eddie555

ClioSport Club Member
  Q7 2018 & 172 Cup.
Oh mate.. The side skirts are only held on by a few rivets along the bottom of the sill and 1 in the end of the front wheel arch.. The reason they are ill fitted is because your jacking point is folded under... Where you have sprayed all that stuff is in a section between the plastic skirt and the actual metal outside sill of the car.. When you do take that skirt off you're gonna be in a world of pain now cause itll be a right mess, it doesn't need protecting there cause it doesn't get rusty there and just a general wash would have sufficed..

Sent from my SM-G977B using Tapatalk
 
  Renault Clio 172 Ph2
09/04/2020


Attempted to fit new battery positive terminal cover but unfortunately the highlighted bolt was really tight and didnt want to move at all, will re-visit at later date.
IMG_2212.JPG





New gear knob insert fitted (before).
IMG_2162.JPG


After:
IMG_2163.JPG


Much cleaner looking.
IMG_2165.JPG





Gave the inside a quick hoover and gave the seats/surrounding plastics a quick wipe over with surfex HD. Also fitted some new genuine Renault Clio floor mats
IMG_2171.JPG

IMG_2172.JPG

IMG_2176.JPG





Car up in the car, all wheels taken off ready for a spring clean.
IMG_2210.JPG


Thanks for reading.
 
  Renault Clio 172 Ph2
Continuation from previous post:

With all 4 wheels removed, it was time to begin the cleaning process.


I started on the drivers side front and worked my way round.
IMG_2177.JPG

IMG_2179.JPG

IMG_2182.JPG

IMG_2183.JPG




Centre caps also cleaned:
First time trying to add a video hopefully it works okay.

























































After wheels had been cleaned and had dried, both the faces and inner barrels were given a quick polish and wax.
IMG_2190.JPG
IMG_2200.JPG




Unfortunately by the time i had finished this step and grabbed my phone, the sunlight had disappeared so you can't really see how well the wheels actually came up. They now have a lovely shine and a nice amount of gloss to them. I have tried to capture it using my flash on my phone but at the time it just looked better in person.

























































Forgot to capture a photo of the inner barrels yesterday so here is a photo of them from this morning (wheels have condensation plus very cloudy weather).
IMG_2213.JPG





Main products/items used:
Jet wash (obviously).
Bilt Hamber Auto Wheel.
Bilt Hamber Surfex HD.
Bilt Hamber Auto Foam.
Small detailing brush.
Auto Finesse Tripple.
Auto Finesse Radiance.


Conclusion considering what products i had at hand and the time i spent, i am happy with the outcome.

Obviously i could of got a better result if i used some tar/glue remover, sand paper, a wire/stiffer brush etc etc but ideally the wheels need professionally refurbing anyway. Even a quick spray of paint and the wheels would of looked 10x better. However, these wheels will hopefully be getting replaced when this Corona situation we are in ends.


Thanks for reading.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_2214.JPG
    IMG_2214.JPG
    247.7 KB · Views: 195
  Renault Clio 172 Ph2
More cleaning:

Yesterday, I took advantage of having the car in the air and gave all 4 arches, as well as the underside a good clean.


The main purpose of this clean was just to get any salt off the cars body and to see what i was working with. The car will getting a more indepth underside clean towards the end of summer/start of Autumn (August/September/October time). This is most likely when i will be removing the sill covers so i can inspect, treat & repair the sills. Plus, i will treat any other rust prone areas on the car etc. Various bolts will be replaced as well as suspension parts etc.



Cleaned out all of this dirt from behind the bottom corner of passenger side arch liner, near the sill :eek:. Drivers side had been done in the past so wasn't as bad. Both cleaned out best i could:
IMG_2232.JPG


Drivers side:
IMG_2244.JPG





Here are some before and after photos:
IMG_2178.JPG

IMG_2287.JPG

IMG_2304.JPG






IMG_2221.JPG

IMG_2291.JPG

IMG_2302.JPG





Before wash, dirty:
IMG_2225.JPG


After wash, XCP Rust Blocker applied (not the best):
IMG_2311.JPG






On the final rinse down of the car i did try to apply some Bilt Hamber Atom Mac. If i remember correctly i poured around 75-100 ml in a snow foam lance with around 300-400 ml of water. I also poured around 50 ml of Bilt Hamber Mac into a spray bottle with around 300-400 ml of water. This was then sprayed in all 4 arches, the entire underside and then left to dry naturally. I know it probably wasn't diluted at the correct ratio etc but i did it anyway.

Just before i put the car back on its wheels and the ground i decided that i may as well put a light coating of XCP Rust Blocker over some bits and bobs. I didn't do anything drastic or in depth i just simply got the can and sprayed a couple of bits on the car as i know the coating will probably only last upto 3-6 months if i am lucky. Was purely for peace of mind and i had a spare can. If i remember correctly i sprayed the springs, backside of sills, bits near the rear beam, small part of the chassis rails, shock absorbers and behind the fuel filler cap.




Further information, my dad carefully cut my rear wheel studs down to size so that the centre caps now fit :)

Car now looks really clean with the centre caps now fitted, maximum of 10 photos sorry.

Fuel filler cap area was initially that dirty i have only just noticed that there is a very small hole near the bottom of the plastic area for drainage!?!?

Photos are not the best but you get the idea.

Clips/screws put back in arch liners.

Bilt Hamber products used as they dont promote rust compared to other cleaning products on the market.

Underside of car was snow formed, but once again maximum of 10 photos allowed.




Thanks for reading (y)
 
  Renault Clio 172 Ph2
Interior & rear lights:

Yesterday my dad fitted my rear seats, rear door cards & rear seatbelts. I quickly gave the seats, seatbelts and door cards a quick clean/wipe over while he was fitting everything for me.


Fitted:
IMG_2348.JPG




After this, i removed any overspray from the rear windows, windscreen, sill covers, front door cards and any other surrounding areas. I did this by using a combination of Autosmart Jelsol & Surfex HD. The Autosmart Jelsol worked great and removed all overspray present. No photos of this unfortunately.



Later on in the day, i fitted some new Silvatec indicator bulbs in the rear headlights. While doing this, i thought it was a good opportunity to actually clean the rear side of the headlights and the body of the car which they sit against/hide.


Before :sick::
IMG_2328.JPG



After:
IMG_2332.JPG



Clean vs dirty:
IMG_2329.JPG



Silvatec indicator bulbs in. Big improvement over standard, makes the car look more modern and cleaner looking.
IMG_2333.JPG




Thanks for reading.
 
  Renault Clio 172 Ph2
11-04-2020

New thermostat, coolant expansion tank, genuine Renault expansion tank cap & of course, genuine Renault type D coolant.


IMG_2334.JPG



IMG_2336.JPG



IMG_2337.JPG



IMG_2339.JPG



IMG_2342.JPG



IMG_2343.JPG



IMG_2344.JPG

Temperature gauge needle is now sitting at the halfway mark when fully warmed up as it should. Car is also running/warming up much better.




Also started to fill the 2 holes in bottom of spare wheel well. Should slightly reduce road/exhaust noise and stop any dirt/salt getting in.
IMG_2345.JPG

I am thinking about sanding all this down and starting again as i know i could get a much better finish but it will do for the time being.


Thanks for reading.
 
  Renault Clio 172 Ph2
What were your running issues before the new thermostat?

Not exactly running issues but the car would take ages to warm up and the gauge would never actually get to the halfway mark. It was always 1, 2 or 3 segments below the halfway point and it would also slightly fluctuate. Sometimes i could go out in the car for a good 20 minutes and the car would still be hitting the 6800 rpm cold limit.

Might just be placebo but the car just seems to be running better i don't know? :confused:
 

Amos91

Honorary Member
ClioSport Club Member
Ah yes I remember you messaged me on insta regarding the coolant bottle - glad you got it sorted and fitted!

Definitely sounds like it needed the new thermostat, they are pretty much regular service items on these. Needle should gradually rise to dead on middle and stay there no matter what!

EDIT: Looks like a horrible mixture of coolant types in there before.
 
  Megane RS 265
11-04-2020

New thermostat, coolant expansion tank, genuine Renault expansion tank cap & of course, genuine Renault type D coolant.


View attachment 1466801


View attachment 1466802


View attachment 1466804


View attachment 1466806


View attachment 1466809


View attachment 1466810


View attachment 1466811
Temperature gauge needle is now sitting at the halfway mark when fully warmed up as it should. Car is also running/warming up much better.




Also started to fill the 2 holes in bottom of spare wheel well. Should slightly reduce road/exhaust noise and stop any dirt/salt getting in.
View attachment 1466812
I am thinking about sanding all this down and starting again as i know i could get a much better finish but it will do for the time being.


Thanks for reading.

The inside of the old bottle:sick:
 
  Renault Clio 172 Ph2
17-04-2020

Engine bay was given a quick clean on the Clio.

Some before & after shots:
IMG_2390.JPG


IMG_2396.JPG


IMG_2386.JPG


IMG_2394.JPG


IMG_2389.JPG


IMG_2397.JPG


IMG_2391.JPG


IMG_2401.JPG


IMG_2385.JPG


IMG_2399.JPG



Results are decent for time spent, effort used and equipment used.


I just used an old microfibre cloth, some surfex hd, a bucket and some water (y)

The engine bay has never been cleaned in my ownership and after the coolant change i felt it kinda deserved one. Furthermore, i was bored at the time so why not?

I have never cleaned the engine bay on a car before as i know that water and electrics don't like to mix. So i didn't use a jet wash/hose pipe etc. Car has been fine since so i must of been careful with my workmanship plus engine bay is rarely seen anyway.

Engine bay was very dirty, especially the strut top areas. Lots of hidden debri/dirt around them. Now that they are clean-ish, i can really see how faded the rest of the clios paint work is 😥

Engine bay Ideally needs a thorough going over, i will attempt this during the Summer time.


Thanks for reading.
 


Top