Clio 182 Turbo

[Yarp]

Aye, the cars that would’ve been scrapped - pre covid - are now selling for upwards of a grand. Still, like everybody else who’s sold up during the new car shortage, you’ve struck the jackpot. Sadly there’s no such thing as a bargain right now. Mad times indeed.

Yep. There really are some absolute piles of s**t about. The pre covid 800 quid jobs that were more than good enough to potter about in for a month or 2 are now all £2k+.

 

[Yarp]

I don’t feel any closer to the road 🤦. I’ve 100% decided to go epas so stripped out the pas pump (pms pulley en route) and the pas lines as much as I could. Engine doesn’t look like it’s gonna run any time soon haha!

I also managed to clean up the subframe support brackets a bit too which have come up ok for a rush job

plan for tomorrow… drop the subframe, remove all the rest of the pas stuff, swap the boxes, put it all back together. Should be a doddle 😂.

 

[Yarp]

Managed a few hours today. Started by dropping the subframe which decided to be a total dick. Every captive nut gave up and turned a simple job into a right ball ache. Then to top it off the passenger side rear disintegrated at about 80% off so was totally stuck.

It dropped enough the get the rack off. I binned all the pas pipework and looped the rack with a bit of random hose I had kicking about

The subframe had dropped almost all the way off just on the last bolt so decided to crack on swapping the box. I dumped the old box oil (it came sealed with shafts in) and the oil was black and nasty. No floaters or anything but a million miles from my nice golden oil that came out when I emptied the current one. I had a think and decided not to swap them just now. I know my box works and has no crunches so just isn’t worth the potential trouble. Plus the dci box has a circlip diff which will last about 4 minutes too.

With that decided I put the rack back on, joined the exhaust back up (significantly easier with the subframe dropped!) and then put the subframe back up. I then chopped the arsehole bolt in half with the grinder so will have to order a new one of those at some point.

With that done I started putting it all back together. Got the shafts in, brakes/suspension all on, wiring done, most the coolant pipes on and most the boost pipes back in place. This is how it was left tonight. No point putting any more on because it’ll just make access more awkward when I come to fit the PMS pulley

 

[Yarp]

The PMS pas pulley and the aux belt kit arrived earlier this week to complete the last bits of my jigsaw.

Box baffled me mind, never quite seen anything like it for an aux belt kit and a bottle of coolant 😂

The PMS pulley seems lovely, really well made bit of kit. Fit was perfect. I also decided to sort the subframe bolts out too. I’d already angle grinder the back one in half and these 2 chunks of shite were in the front

Swapped them for some bolts you’d actually use to hold the front of your car on rather than something found in a box of spares

It’s now pretty much all back together. Just needs a final nut and bolt go over and it’s good to go. Almost looks like a real life car again! It all needs a good clean but the biggest waste of time of my life is almost over 🙃

 

[Mr Underhill]

7/10 for replacing those subframe bolts. I’d give you 10/10 if you used the proper captive bolts 😅

 

[Yarp]

7/10 for replacing those subframe bolts. I’d give you 10/10 if you used the proper captive bolts 😅

😂😂. I got a quote off Renault for the proper ones and nearly shat my pants. Set of 4 bolts and nuts was £101.04 + vat 🤦‍♂️.

 

[Krarl]

I used MK3 Clio rear axle bolts to hold my subframe on

My gearbox is held to the engine using MK1 Seat Leon gearbox bolts 😂 Zinc coated from factory, no rust on them badboys

 

[Mr Underhill]

😂😂. I got a quote off Renault for the proper ones and nearly shat my pants. Set of 4 bolts and nuts was £101.04 + vat 🤦‍♂️.

Aye they’re a bit expensive but think of how easy it’ll be to take off for you or the next owner 😊

 

[Mr Underhill]

I used MK3 Clio rear axle bolts to hold my subframe on

My gearbox is held to the engine using MK1 Seat Leon gearbox bolts 😂 Zinc coated from factory, no rust on them badboys

Bodger 😂

 

[Yarp]

I used MK3 Clio rear axle bolts to hold my subframe on

My gearbox is held to the engine using MK1 Seat Leon gearbox bolts 😂 Zinc coated from factory, no rust on them badboys

Love a good parts bin raid. Most the engine bay bolts are fine. The never ending gearbox oil leak does a great job of protecting them 😂

Aye they’re a bit expensive but think of how easy it’ll be to take off for you or the next owner 😊

Limited risk of that happening. If I ever sell it they’ll be a puddle of rust again by then! I’ve got a specialist tool for the new ones too (a 18mm spanner cut in half that wedges perfectly in the cutouts)

 

[Yarp]

The little french shite is running again. Couple of slight hiccups along the way. I’d cocked up the gear linkage so only had 4th, easy fix. I’d also forgot to reconnect the clutch cable, again, easy fix.

With it back together it started straight away. It now idles at between 2k and 3k and whistles like a boiling kettle 😂. It only boosts to 6psi too so I must have a vacuum leak somewhere or the inlet manifold isn’t sealed properly. Either way it runs. It just needs a wash

I did spot the front tyres are a bit baldy. They’ve only done 800 miles or so 🤦‍♂️. They are now on the back and the RS3s that were on the back are on the front. They should last a bit better and stand some chance of gripping a bit better in the wet

It doesn’t have pas at the min. I don’t have the space to open both doors wide enough in the garage to get the dash out. I was going to do that next weekend but on a quick drive tonight it didn’t seem too bad without it. It’s a bit heavy sat still but on the move it’s not too bad at all. I might just be a man and live with it but I’ll see.

 

[Krarl]

Grow some b****cks and leave it with no PAS. Driven mine for over 2 years without it, I prefer it tbh, gives a really good feel when you're ragging it's c**t off😂

 

[Yarp]

Grow some b****cks and leave it with no PAS. Driven mine for over 2 years without it, I prefer it tbh, gives a really good feel when you're ragging it's c**t off😂

That was my my initial review. I nipped straight to Mexico to test it and coming off a Mexican roundabout that isn’t on the A195c the first thing I thought was f**k me that’s good. The feedback is amazing and it doesn’t seem to drag about as much as it did. Very tempted to just grow some big hairy old b****cks and leave it. It’s daily driver until the wife’s new car turns up though so depends on how the commute goes

 

[Yarp]

Idle issue is sorted. Not sure if it was the breather or the gasket between the manifolds. Either way, I covered the whole lot in a s**t load of gasket maker and it’s fine. I think one/both may have been leaky for a while cos it’s never idled this well. On the downside it now sometimes cuts out when slowing down. Fix one thing and the next thing breaks. Love french cars me. More investigation required there.

 

[Yarp]

After 3 days of daily driver it’s already covered in salt and bird shite. Bit of a shame really given it’s only seen a wet road twice in 5 years

It still cleans lovey though 😍

Verdict from last 3 days:

• I’m now 99% settled on no power steering. It’s not too heavy at all and feels brilliant.
• The rainsport 3s are s**t. The side walls are too soft and they are sloppy and nasty. They grip worse than the R888rs in the wet so are a waste of time and going in the bin
• The drive to work is now an adventure
• You get funny looks driving a little old Clio and jumping out in a suit
• There’s very little in life more satisfying than blowing some absolute mongs doors off when they try to race you in their generic leased 420d

 

[Fishfire]

After 3 days of daily driver it’s already covered in salt and bird shite. Bit of a shame really given it’s only seen a wet road twice in 5 years
View attachment 1578543

It still cleans lovey though 😍
View attachment 1578544

Verdict from last 3 days:

• I’m now 99% settled on no power steering. It’s not too heavy at all and feels brilliant.
• The rainsport 3s are s**t. The side walls are too soft and they are sloppy and nasty. They grip worse than the R888rs in the wet so are a waste of time and going in the bin
• The drive to work is now an adventure
• You get funny looks driving a little old Clio and jumping out in a suit
• There’s very little in life more satisfying than blowing some absolute mongs doors off when they try to race you in their generic leased 420d

I've just got Rainsport 5s on my 2118s, and I I kinda agree with you.
I'd read some good reviews but grip on damp roads is dicey at best and as you say, the tyre walls do flex a fair bit and give a bit of a pogo effect when really pushing on in the corners. I'm quite disappointed in them tbh

 

[Turbo steve]

Bloody hope not just ordered a set for the track car

 

[Fishfire]

Bloody hope not just ordered a set for the track car

Genuinely felt very dicey on damp/greasy roads.

On tight corners, if you really stuff it in, as above, it gives a weird 'pogo' effect to the point I've been round to check my suspension because I thought something was wrong with it.

I'm on cup shocks with eibach proline springs, so not a superduper set up, but competent enough for some hoonigan action.

It may be the tyre size. I've just gone from standard 16" to 2118 15" with a taller tyre wall, but still.....I won't be getting them again.

Sorry to hijack your thread there Steve!

 

[Yarp]

Genuinely felt very dicey on damp/greasy roads.

On tight corners, if you really stuff it in, as above, it gives a weird 'pogo' effect to the point I've been round to check my suspension because I thought something was wrong with it.

I'm on cup shocks with eibach proline springs, so not a superduper set up, but competent enough for some hoonigan action.

It may be the tyre size. I've just gone from standard 16" to 2118 15" with a taller tyre wall, but still.....I won't be getting them again.

Sorry to hijack your thread there Steve!

No problem at all!

I’m on the same setup with cup shocks and springs and that’s my exact thoughts. It feels disconnected slightly. And on cold/wet roads they are useless and not much better on dry.

last time I used them was in the summer though and on warm wet roads they were pretty good. I didn’t have a turbo then though which may have helped

 

[Yarp]

Idle issues are sorted, turns out I’d forgotten to plug the air intake temperature sensor back in. I didn’t think they actually did much but clearly the do!

Also the Clio may have to go…. e46 M3 is incoming…

 

[Big Toe]

Idle issues are sorted, turns out I’d forgotten to plug the air intake temperature sensor back in. I didn’t think they actually did much but clearly the do!

Also the Clio may have to go…. e46 M3 is incoming…
View attachment 1579207
View attachment 1579208

Is that the place at Foxhunters?

 

[Yarp]

Is that the place at Foxhunters?

Thats the one. Some of their stock is absolutely incredible. They’ve got some really clean examples of older cars mixed in with the boring new stuff.

There’s another couple of M3s in but they were silly cash. 2x SMGs with 56k miles for £30k each and a manual with 36k miles for £35k. I wanted one with lowish miles but that I wont feel guilty driving so this was perfect.

 

[Krarl]

Told you no power steering is fine

Other Clio owners just say different because they're little puffters😂

 

[Yarp]

Told you no power steering is fine

Other Clio owners just say different because they're little puffters😂

No power steering is the best. I don’t know why I ever listen to anyone else to be fair 😂.

The car weighs less than me, I don’t know what I was worried about haha!

 

[Big Toe]

Thats the one. Some of their stock is absolutely incredible. They’ve got some really clean examples of older cars mixed in with the boring new stuff.

There’s another couple of M3s in but they were silly cash. 2x SMGs with 56k miles for £30k each and a manual with 36k miles for £35k. I wanted one with lowish miles but that I wont feel guilty driving so this was perfect.

I was going to have a look at a car there in the summer but it sold before I was going.

 

[Mr Underhill]

Told you no power steering is fine

Other Clio owners just say different because they're little puffters😂

My mate’s going down that route for this seasons TDT. I’m sure I’ll be following him if the feedbacks good. I’ve got used to EPAS now but it’s still one more thing to go wrong

 

[Yarp]

Another week completed as a daily. It blends in so well with the various electric cars the more sensible members of the management team drive.

It’s now covered 6000 miles since being turbo’d. I had my first fault yesterday and the 8 year old battery gave up. I ended up having to pushed in greggs when it wouldn’t start again 😂. It claims 38mpg on the trip computer too. I’m not sure I believe it, but if that’s right it does 10 more mpg than my 5 series did! It’s 100% the best daily I’ve driven

 

[Big Toe]

Why has that i-Pace got 13 inch wheels

 

[Big Toe]

Idle issues are sorted, turns out I’d forgotten to plug the air intake temperature sensor back in. I didn’t think they actually did much but clearly the do!

Also the Clio may have to go…. e46 M3 is incoming…
View attachment 1579207
View attachment 1579208

What’s your opinion on the dealer?

 

[Yarp]

Why has that i-Pace got 13 inch wheels

It’s a double combo. All electric cars (bar one of the etrons we have) come with absolutely s**t wheels. Then for some reason jag also sell cars with the worst wheels ever made. Combine the 2 together and you get that.

What’s your opinion on the dealer?

Can’t comment too much yet. Service was good last week when I went and bought it. They’ve kept in touch during the week keeping me updated on progress so good on that front. It was nice not to have chase them for updates which is what everywhere else I’ve used has been like.

I’m going to collect it in an hour or so, so will have a better idea then. You never really know how good they are until something goes wrong which I’m hoping it doesn’t but so far they seem good.

 

[Yarp]

It’s 2004 again. Petrol is 80p a litre and the only worry in life is who Tony Blair will declare war on next

 

[Yarp]

What’s your opinion on the dealer?

Update on that one… the M3 shat it’s pants on Friday and started pissing oil everywhere. Took it to a local garage with the dealer’s recommendation and it’s squirting Oil out from somewhere above the AC pump. Oakwood collected it 8:45 this morning to repair. Can’t say fairer than that!

 

[Big Toe]

Update on that one… the M3 shat it’s pants on Friday and started pissing oil everywhere. Took it to a local garage with the dealer’s recommendation and it’s squirting Oil out from somewhere above the AC pump. Oakwood collected it 8:45 this morning to repair. Can’t say fairer than that!
View attachment 1581920

Fair enough then if they’re sorting it all. If they do then to me it means a lot and I’d likely return again later.

 

[LittleRed75]

The PMS pas pulley and the aux belt kit arrived earlier this week to complete the last bits of my jigsaw.

Box baffled me mind, never quite seen anything like it for an aux belt kit and a bottle of coolant 😂
View attachment 1577916

The PMS pulley seems lovely, really well made bit of kit. Fit was perfect. I also decided to sort the subframe bolts out too. I’d already angle grinder the back one in half and these 2 chunks of shite were in the front
View attachment 1577918

Swapped them for some bolts you’d actually use to hold the front of your car on rather than something found in a box of spares
View attachment 1577919

It’s now pretty much all back together. Just needs a final nut and bolt go over and it’s good to go. Almost looks like a real life car again! It all needs a good clean but the biggest waste of time of my life is almost over 🙃
View attachment 1577920

View attachment 1577921

What bolts did you use for the rear subframe?

 

[Yarp]

What bolts did you use for the rear subframe?

used these from eBay:

 

[LittleRed75]

Thank you so much 😊

 

[Yarp]

Thank you so much 😊

No worries. Just don’t use a swan neck ring spanner on the nuts or you won’t be able to get it back out once it’s tight 🤦‍♂️. There’s space to get a normal spanner in from the inside

 

[Yarp]

Had the first run out in the Clio for ages today. I had a clear out and it being the only reasonably practical car in the family (530d saloon with non folding seats and the M3), it was on tip run duties.

Having been very spoilt recently with the M3 as a daily, Clio really didn’t excite me. It’s nowhere near as quick in a straight, in the corners it’s light years behind and I was left wondering why it’s taking space up in my garage. On a track that M would lap me in the space of minutes, never mind the road, the difference is night and day.

It’s time for a think. The MOT is due in May so I’ll get it through that but it may be time to move it on. If it was absolutely wild and running 500bhp and throwing 9ft flames on every gear change it would be a different story and it would make sense as a weekend car. Im now back to why the Clio ended up in the garage in the first place when I bought a 335i. My daily is faster, more capable and more engaging. I’ve owned it for nearly 10 years so would be difficult to part ways but it might eventually be time. If I go for a weekend drive now there’s absolutely nothing that would make me pick the Clio over the M3 which basically defeats its entire existence 🤷‍♂️

 

[dann2707]

That is a shame mate. I would have thought a boosted clio would run rings around an e46 M3 but obviously not!

 

[Yarp]

That is a shame mate. I would have thought a boosted clio would run rings around an e46 M3 but obviously not!

Yeah I thought the same. I knew it would eventually lose at silly speeds because the clio stats to lose its fight with air at much more than a ton. I think the only place the Clio wins would be coming out of slow corners with the gears on the BM being so long and the power all at the top of the revs vs all the boost available low down and on short gears

Power to weight ratio of both is give or take the same but they way the M handles is incredible. It’s on shite tyres and even on those the grip is absolutely unreal. I always feel much more comfortable really pushing on in a RWD car too so that probably plays a part as well.

Might just have to stop being a pussy, fit the Meg pistons and wind the boost up to 2 bar. It’s just finding the time to do it, there genuinely aren’t enough hours in the day.