Clio 182 project

[Joshjones]

Hi just thought id say hello as a new member

Finally back in a clio sport after 12 years since owning my 172 cup 😁 forgot how much fun these little hatchbacks are! Decided to bite the bullet and buy a second car as daily driving my evo ix is no fun and costing me a fortune on v power 😆

So when this 2005 182 with 78k on the clock with some good light mods to start me off 😁 (pure motorsport cat back, decat pipe, itg carbon intake, cooksport springs, powerflex dog bone + engine mounts and some turinis) came up i had to buy it! Started out being a cheap runner with the idea of maybe an occasional track day or two.. until i started to really enjoy the car it never fails to put a smile on my face! So i started to give the old 182 some attention one thing lead to another and ive ended up putting a fair bit more time and money into the car than i ever intended too 😐

Those grills and fog light surrounds had too be sorted as they made the car look tired (also the scuttle and wiper arms) so after trying some c4 trim restorer and deciding it was too far gone decided to get them painted along with fitting a skoda splitter, a 3/4 front plate and sorting that silver intake out

 

[Joshjones]

I started onto the rear of the car as suspension wise it just felt a bit worse for wear. So i decided to remove the rear beam

While that was removed i fitted powerflex beam bushes, camber shims, and cleaned and sprayed stonechip to the rear arches and floorpan

 

[Joshjones]

Looking clean didnt remove the shocks to spray as i had new cup shocks on order 😀

 

[Joshjones]

While the beam was stripped down thought i may as well clean and paint the calipers along with fitting new, nipples, ferodo pads and a fitting kit

Didnt want to go anything too fancy with the colour so i thought black would look clean cant believe how well the caliper came up with some wheel acid and a detail brush 😮

 

[Joshjones]

Started work on the front suspension and brakes

Subframe off. Was sent to the powdercoaters along with the arms and arb. Came back looking like this 😍

With new inner and outer powerflex bushes. The inner ones were a b**ch 🤣 new lemforder ball joints, powerflex black series wishbones bushes and pms strength plates welded on. While the subframe was out seemed silly not to change the rack bushes so swapped them out for powerflex ones.

And fitted genuine renault rack arms and dust covers and some lemforder track rods

 

[Joshjones]

New cup shocks and pms solid top mounts 😁

Must say the car feels so much tighter after this. And while the brakes were off decided to rebuild and paint the front calipers with pistons seals and slides along with some ktec carbon braided lines all round

Again happy with how these turned out. While the drive shafts were out thought i may as well put new boots, clips, abs rings and regrease them as well as giving them a lick of paint 😋

Bolted them back together

Just finished off by throwing some dot 5.1 millers brake fluid in and finally getting back to being able to enjoy the clio again 🤣

 

[Joshjones]

A quick polish and colly

 

[Joshjones]

Starting to gather bits to turbo it as well so if anyones got any advice on that it would be greatly appreciated 👍

 

[HaveaCuppa]

Looks bloody brilliant that!

How much of an arse was the rear beam to drop? I plan on doing the same thing soon and have read about the bolts being a git to get out.

 

[Joshjones]

Looks bloody brilliant that!

How much of an arse was the rear beam to drop? I plan on doing the same thing soon and have read about the bolts being a git to get out.

Thanks mate 👍 not too bad i read somewhere not to touch the plates that go thru the rear floor and drop the tank a bit and take the bolts that run through the bushes out instead. All came out and back in fairly easily with a hand off my mate

 

[HaveaCuppa]

Thanks mate 👍 not too bad i read somewhere not to touch the plates that go thru the rear floor and drop the tank a bit and take the bolts that run through the bushes out instead. All came out and back in fairly easily with a hand off my mate

Good to know, thanks. I’ll try that before attacking anything with a grinder.

Looking forward to seeing the turbo build

 

[jameswrx]

Great job.

Why turbo it? Brilliantly balanced little cars IMO. I really don’t see the extra weight out front and a load of turbo mid range improving the way they drive? Even my remapped 172 with the usual breathing mods spins like mad in the damp, must be unusable power with a blower. And fwiw I’m a turbo lover as it’s pretty much all I’ve ever had (except the 172)

I reckon they’d be perfection with 190-200 bhp in N/A guise. My money would go on mods to go that way.

I also think you’re creating a special car there with that work and the future appeal of these cars will be around standard. Be worth decent money in a few years.

 

[Joshjones]

Yeah i get where your coming from they are balanced and it probably wont improve the way they drive and If it somewhat ruins the car it will be getting removed. I just think it will be a fun project to get the engine out and bolt a turbo on 😂 i havent been in a 190-200 bhp one i just think mine gets a bit bullied anywhere that isnt a turn

 

[Joshjones]

Been a while gathering all the bits for the turbo conversion but here we go

First off got stuck in removing the engine i know it can be done in place but to save hassle and to give me the chance to clean, tidy and paint parts i decided to go down that route

How it was looking before a bit tired and looking its age in my opinion

 

[Joshjones]

Engine before i got cracking with the wire wheel and paint 😂

After much messing about started to get it looking respectable

 

[Joshjones]

3/8 Oil drain tapped into the block

not going to lie i did not enjoy that part 😂

modified fuel rail to accept fuel pressure reg and return line

then got around to fitting the oil feed line i did order the engine dynamics one for 80 quid but it did not fit my turbo so tried to have a new fitting or new line made up and after much messing about with pirtek who basically just told me to go away and demon tweeks couldnt help either found a place 10 mins up the road who made a whole new line and fittings up while i waited for 20 quid M & R hydraulics in ellesmere port it was called id highly recommend them

 

[Joshjones]

then got around to bolting up the log manifold and turbo with a new gasket, studs and nuts

had to give it a lick of paint first tho as thats how it looked before hand 😂

 

[Joshjones]

modified fuel pump assembly to accept fuel return line did this bit while i was waiting for parts to turn up if anyone was wondering what the little piece of blocked hose is for 😂

I also blocked off the fpr but i dont seem to have any pics of that

 

[Joshjones]

Then i removed the sound deadening and gave the bay a bit of a jetwash

 

[Joshjones]

New plugs n oil filter fitted

engine dynamics paddle clutch kit fitted

While the gearbox was off thought it would be rude not to give it a lick of paint

heres how it was looking before

Came up looking pretty well

 

[Joshjones]

After about 3 days of prepping and painting parts the engine finally went back in onto the mounts

then got around to fitting a forge coolant hose kit in black, a new header tank and some fresh type d

Also fitted the ebay intercooler and started clamping up the pipework

ordered a 2.25" ebay kit for around 60 quid thought id rather cut and chop that than paying 300 odd quid for a engine dynamics kit although i did have to spend qbout another 50 quid on hoses to get it to work. Pic of the intercooler bolted up. Thought i had a pic with the bumper off but i cant seem to find it pretty straightforward to bolt up though bought some m8 threaded rod and drilled the crash bar. Theres already 2 holes that line up perfectly with the mounting holes on the intercooler

 

[Joshjones]

Diy turbo downpipe cost around 40 quid after buying v bands and some mild steel although it needs re-doing as for some unknown reason i thought id have enough room routing it under the subframe rather than above and its now it scrapes on the smallest of speedbumps 🙈

 

[Joshjones]

downpipe and turbo set up i did have to change that actuator too as it wasnt made for something running about 7 psi of boost 😂

few pics of the car all back together and after giving the inlet a lick of paint

 

[Joshjones]

Also had to wire in the efi forced induction module. Probably forgot loads of stuff as well but Anyone thinking of turbocharging there clio do it. I absolutely love how it drives now

Had to treat myself to a pms shifter as the sloppy gears let the car down in my opinion

 

[Joshjones]

 

[Joshjones]

Mapped by Chris at efi made just shy of 260bhp 😁

 

[SharpyClio]

I always think these things must be ridiculous with this sort of power, theyre pretty good on 180bhp! Looking good.

One question that goes back to the start of your thread, why were you advised not to drop the rear axle mounts off? Is it in case the bolts snap off?

 

[Joshjones]

It's pretty fun at this power level I wont lie and for the relatively cheap cost of doing the conversion well worth the money. Its been a while since I dropped the rear axle but yeah pretty sure I read the bolts that secure the bracket to the chassis can snap so I left them alone all came out fairly easily

 

[Mr Underhill]

It's pretty fun at this power level I wont lie and for the relatively cheap cost of doing the conversion well worth the money. Its been a while since I dropped the rear axle but yeah pretty sure I read the bolts that secure the bracket to the chassis can snap so I left them alone all came out fairly easily

But that’s where a lot of the corrosion is hiding. For a tidy up fair enough, to stop the rot setting in, brackets off.