Clio Grande 1.2 Mk2 Ph1 upgrade project

[Ra661t]

I'm new to the forums but have been a Clio owner for 2yrs now. My 'Adam' as I like to call him has proven to be a reliable cheap car and I've developed a deep attachment to him.

Unfortunately (due to expecting a baby and being off work) money ran pretty short last November just before MOT was due. I had to prioritise and subsequently 'Adam' was sorned.

He developed a leaky sunroof over the winter months and flooded with water! With being so tied up with a new baby and juggling work commitments (I'm self employed btw) the leak got neglected and the car filled with mould.

I have now throughly cleaned him .. wet/dry vax and taking out uch and relays to dry indoors worked a treat .. upon reconnecting the battery he started first time after four months of sitting around. I've now resealed the sunroof and fixed the leak but the whole experience has left me wanting to do more!! I must say my car has become my new obsession haha ..

I bought him for £350 two years ago and he's only just hit 100k .. obviously I don't want to go too crazy being a non sport model but it's about asthetics and practicality for me.

I've recently ordered new plates, ph2 rear lights and some fogs which I'm waiting on. I'd also like to do a double optic conversion in the near future but that's pretty much it. I have no desire to be racing around, just want my car to look the part.

Anyone think I crazy and wasting my time?!

 

[Ra661t]

Sunroof off (all the dirt is from the tarp covering it) .. note the heater drying the interior! It really was a mess, so much so I didn't take photos of it haha

Stripping relays to remove water (resealed with epoxy resin before refitting) ..

Remounting electrics ..

Clean dry carpet and underlay re-fitted ..

All clean .. only part damaged was the steering wheel airbag which is now mottled ..

Clean dash ..

Current exterior ..

I've ordered new plates (current ones are marked with age), ph2 rear lights (including bulb holders) and some fogs (including holders and wiring) to start. All for a grand total of £49!

I'm hunting for a decent set of alloys, don't want to spend much though until it's been through an MOT and had a good service .. I've got some new trims enroute for now and see where we go from there!

 

[Scrooge]

Make sure it's cleans and don't go too mad as you say

Ph2 172 wheels £100-£150 with tyres
Sport interior £100
Lowering springs £100-£150
Colour coded bumpers and strips £100-150

 

[Ra661t]

Cheers for your advice @Scrooge :blush:

He's definitely clean! I've basically stripped him inside .. cleaned, scrubbed and reassembled.

I'm thinking of doing a custom interior, I'm quite the creative perfectionist and wanted to give it my own stamp but will use sport features such as gear knob and door handles.

I also don't think I want to colour cod everything, I quite like how the black breaks it up but will be restoring the finish on the trim and possibly just colour coding the mirrors and boot latch. I worry about getting a good match as newer paint (even paint coded and properly primed) could look a bit different against a paint job this old!

What would you recommend for lowering? 60mm all round or 60/40? Bearing in mind that this car will be used for my kids so there will be a good weight in the back most of the time with pushchair etc.

 

[Ra661t]

Look what arrived this afternoon!! .. first mod installed and working!

Why is it though that these Ph1's only have a live feed to the driver side fog light?! The wires are there passenger side but they're dead .. I'd quite like them both working. Best dig out the soldering iron I guess ..

 

[Ra661t]

^^^^ Before & after shot ^^^^
Another update .. New plates arrived today, also got rid of the sun baked vinyl sticker on the passenger side.

 

[Impuzzable]

wow! what a difference a few little mods and a good clean make! Super!

 

[Ra661t]

Should see him now! .. and this was before a T cut, polish, bumper restorer and tyre spray!

 

[Ra661t]

Now the MOT is done I'm gonna give him a damn good service and start work on the interior .. I've only got ring fit trims on at mo too but eventually I'll get some proper alloys.

Really wanted to upgrade to dual optics but I don't have fuse connections .. want to try and avoid aftermarket mods for insurance reasons.

 

[massiveCoRbyn]

Personally I'm not a fan of Ph.2 lights on a Ph.1, I think it looks better with the standard lights, but it's a nice colour and looks in good shape.

A set of wheels from a Sport of some kind, coupled with a slight drop and it would look a lot better without breaking the bank.

 

[bb55am]

I had one of these for a year it was a cracking runabout, bought for £350 and had no problems whatsoever apart from the footwells started filling with water, i should have kept it for another year and sorted the leak becuase it was soo cheap but i had my heart set on a 182 and after 2 weeks i ended up scrapping it, poor thing.

 

[Ra661t]

Noooo .. poor Clio!
My foot wells were about 5 inches deep over Xmas, it was the sunroof. Few days drying it and some silicone sorted it right out!
182 though .. *drool*

 

[Ra661t]

Personally I'm not a fan of Ph.2 lights on a Ph.1, I think it looks better with the standard lights, but it's a nice colour and looks in good shape.

A set of wheels from a Sport of some kind, coupled with a slight drop and it would look a lot better without breaking the bank.

I was looking for a replacement cluster for the passenger side but a single light was nearly as costly as a set of the ph2 ones .. it was a financial decision but I'd like to get a new ph1 to keep should I ever want to restore it back to originals.

Car itself is in pretty good shape, I colour coded the wing mirrors today and have a few scratches and stone chips to sort but yes sport wheels and suspension are on the list. I use it daily for running around with my kids so not sure on the best set up. Fully loaded with car seats, kids and pushchair I'm thinking 40mm would be enough?

 

[Ra661t]

Started some colour coding .. just sprayed these after having grey wings since last week!

Just a clear coat to go, hoping they don't look that dark in the sunlight though. It is late and the lights in my studio are pretty dim! Pretty chuffed with the finish so far though .. can't wait to see them on!!

 

[105e]

I think the non sport phase 1 is the best looking clio, just needs a set of decent sized rims to make it look a bit more beefy, i like the phase 2 rear lights, and dual optics always look better.

 

[Ra661t]

I think the non sport phase 1 is the best looking clio, just needs a set of decent sized rims to make it look a bit more beefy, i like the phase 2 rear lights, and dual optics always look better.

Yes! The Mk2 Ph1 definitely has the better shape! Nothing like the brand new ones they're throwing out now, too over styled in my opinion.

I'm desperate for some dual optics but my Grande doesn't have the fuse connections .. haven't wired up the fogs yet either as there's no loom connection either! I'm trying to avoid aftermarket mods as don't want to bump up my insurance but I may have to suck it up soon and just do it!

I'm saving for some decent wheels, new shocks and springs .. going for 15" as with the loads I carry anything bigger will be an issue I think.

I love my 'Adam'

Sporting his new colour coded wing mirrors!