Clio MK1 1.2 - boring very low budget build.

[Adamowsky]

Hey everyone! Let me introduce myself, my name's Adam. I moved to the UK 7 years ago, without knowing the language at all. I have always been around cars, my dad's been a mechanic/ paint sprayer for 20+ years now. I waited unpatiently to the day when I can get my driving license. So at 17, I got my driving licensed. Went to look at some insurance prices, got slapped in the face with 5k+ quotes. Gave up for a few months, then a offer popped up. My mates's mate was selling his clio for 200 pounds. I was really interested in it, went to look at it and got it off him for 180. Managed to get it insured for the lowest quote I got yet. 1900 pounds a year.

Some pictures of when i first got it, it was very dirty. :/ Washed it and hoovered inside. :





Before cleaning, LOL bits of chesse under the seat. ewwwwww



After






I have then serviced the car, that included oil, oil filter, fuel filter, spark plugs. I also put in some new batteries in the key. And got a new washer for the sump plug since it was drippin oil a tiny bit.



I then spray painted the steelies to freshen them up, I was gonna go for Gun metal grey but thought I want something different.
While flicking through the old paints that I used for customer's cars, I found this gold. Thought why not haha. Here is the result.






Btw let me say now, that I get inspired by all the cultures of the car scene. I don't stick with one style and go with it,
whatever appeals to me at the current time I tend to go for it.

I always liked custom roof linings so I headed to a nearby shop with materials and picked up about 5metres of material of my choice.










Other things I'v done where stuff like polished my wheel bolts, shaved screw's and polished my throttle body.
Btw, I wasn't expecting any performance gains from this mod, I just wanted to have a go at it, since I'v seen it done
plenty of times. (Y)



Other thing I'v done is I put on my Nardi Torino I had laying around in my room.



I'v also fabricated a custom twin cold air intake.

other thing I'v done is sprayed my headlights inside black and then decided to put yellow vinyl on top. I think it
gives it that nice retro look.

Let me fast forward a bit, don't wanna bomb the thread with pictures.
Other stuff I'v done is:
Fitted 120Watt kenwood speakers in the rear OEM speaker mounts.
Binned the mahoosive exhaust that last owner installed and fitted a 3" straight pipe.
Tinted side indicators
Fixed rear right brake light.
Stripped most of the rear, included removed sound deadening. (Saved approximately 35kg).
Put a cone filter on for some more induction sound.

Some random off topic pictures that I like:

How the car sits now:

My future plans are:

F4R Swap
Wide track Conversion
Color code side trim, mirrors.
reclining bucket seats.
Fabricate seat rail extenders to provide more legroom. ( Im 6 foot 5-6 and weight about 20 stone).
Relocate battery to rear.
Color code and lacquer the rear of interior where sound deadening was removed.

Also I'v got a question for you guys. Iv got the center dash gauges that show oil temperature, pressure etc. and I took the top part of dashboard off and I noticed the plugs are already there
and when plugged in the gauges light up. What would I have to do to make them function? Are there pre made holes in the engine for the temperature sensors to go in etc. And also If I sourced a Cluster with a RPM Display, and I would plug it in. Would it work straight away or do I need to do something else to make it function?

Thank you for reading !
Adam​

 

[Ben .]

Looks great mate! Any more plans for it?

 

[Final Maxim]

i thought it looked a cool little car until you started f**king with it, i dont like any of the mods youve done. COF is ok i guess, but i dont get the others?

should have kept the black steelies and just done engine swap = sleeper. done.

​another mk1 owner though, always good to see

 

[Final Maxim]

this is your new "To - Do " list

- remove roof lining cloth
- remove door lining cloth
- remove gear knob surround cloth
- put headlights back to standard
- buy williams discs/hangars
- buy williams engine
- delock doors

​sorted

 

[Billy.]

Would make a perfect sleeper

 

[.LiamC.]

I love all of that apart from the wheel colour

 

[Adamowsky]

Looks great mate! Any more plans for it?

Thanks mate! My plans are at the end of the post.

i thought it looked a cool little car until you started f**king with it, i dont like any of the mods youve done. COF is ok i guess, but i dont get the others?

should have kept the black steelies and just done engine swap = sleeper. done.

​another mk1 owner though, always good to see

this is your new "To - Do " list

- remove roof lining cloth
- remove door lining cloth
- remove gear knob surround cloth
- put headlights back to standard
- buy williams discs/hangars
- buy williams engine
- delock doors

​sorted

I like the roof, door lining cloth for now. When I get bored of it I will probably cover them in suede. Standard look headlights look boring imo, always liked yellow tint being used on headlights.
Btw right now I'm running EBC Brake discs and green stuff brake pads. Better brakes will come at the same time as the engine swap. And I don't wanna delock my doors. The Clio key works a bit
dodgy at times even with brand new batteries. I wanna have the ability to open the car manually just in case.

Would make a perfect sleeper

That's the plan. More or less.

I love all of that apart from the wheel colour

Thanks, wheel color was actually chosen 5 minutes before spraying. Just picked out the leftover paints that I had laying around in the garage. I will get new wheels anyway, so not really bothered with how these look for now.

 

[Final Maxim]

climb through the boot if the key fails, like every other delocked mk1 owner

 

[dani182]

super nice roof, I like!

:cheers:

 

[Ben .]

Thanks mate! My plans are at the end

Ah yeah missed that bit lol keep up the good work!

 

[BkS]

Looking great man! That interior is awesome! Reminds me of the old MK1/MK2 Golf GTI's. Should get some bad boy Recaro's for it!

 

[McGherkin]

Looks great, wasn't expecting to do so but it does! Secret Mk.1 fetish though.


Please tell me that exhaust isn't as loud as I think it will be though.

 

[Adamowsky]

Looks great, wasn't expecting to do so but it does! Secret Mk.1 fetish though.


Please tell me that exhaust isn't as loud as I think it will be though.

Errmmm... hmmm... well, its a full straight pipe. But, once I collect all the parts for F4R swap, and I'll do the swap. I'll probably get a Electronic exhaust valve for full sleeper effect

 

[Emblem]

I like it,

Black wheels would look better imo..

​Cool tho

 

[LB197]

personally i love every mod you've done, down to the white lettering on the tyres. If you like something stick with it, never do your car on what everyone else likes.

only mods id do is colour code side strips and debadge the back

 

[Adamowsky]

I'm going to get some paint later on. I wanna color code the side strips, mirrors. And I have to respray side of front bumper and wing since last owner scratched it. And I also want to remove the center brake light and maybe wiper. And then straighten the boot lock area because it looks like someone tried prying it with a bar in the past. I was thinking of color code-ing rear and front bumper trim as well but, I think that would be too much red then. So probably gonna end up just lacquering those parts so they stay shiny. Thanks for the comments guys, btw any answers regarding my questions I asked before.


Will a cluster with RPM display work plug & play?
And is there a way to make gauges work with a 1.2 engine that I got now.

​Thank you

 

[bionic]

nice car mate im not really a fan of mk1's but i like what you have done

 

[Adamowsky]

Thanks bionic!

Guys I need some of your help, would this cluster work plug & play on my model MK1?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RENAULT-C...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item3a82d5ad28

 

[rctempire]

Yes. Plug and play. Mk1 stuff come speak to me I love them all.

Any mark one, I love. Naturally. Basically you have started exactly what I did. Apart from that cold air feed, talk to me, im after one.
Just to let you know, your model looks like a Biarritz

 

[Adamowsky]

Thanks for the answer rctempire (Y) ! Here are some current photos of the clio. I had it on the road for 3-4 weeks, and I'v done roughly 1500 miles. I'm liking it, faultless.

All I'v done since last update is probably black vinyl on door pillars. With the vinyl, the red part of door pillar isnt all in your face. Don't know how to explain it, just looks smoother I guess.

 

[Adamowsky]

Hey guys, here's a new update on my MK1. I took out more weight out the car. :approve:

I also took out my center brake light and wiper. And I will weld and smooth those parts out soon. For now I did a lil Camo design wrap to protect
it from rain getting in. I also bought a new downpipe and gasket and fitted it. The old one was fucked at the flexible part and it was blowing hard.

Some pictures I took today

Lately I'v been looking at information on valver swap's. I'm hoping to collect all the parts I need and do valver swap, wide track conversion over the winter. While I'm at it, I will refresh engine bay, spray new layer of anti stone chip on underside of the car etc. Hopefully some powerflex bushes for the suspension as well to stiffen things up. Thanks for looking, and sorry for crazy overlarged pictures.​

 

[Craig.M]

Looks alright that. Use some white spirit and rub down with rags or blue roll to get rid of the excess tar tho buddy. Will look a lot better.

Craig

 

[Loz H]

haha this is ace!

 

[Adamowsky]

Thanks guys! Craig I'm lacquering the interior in about 2-3 weeks anyway. This is my inspiration: Going for clean, simple look. Will tuck wires and get some nice plates for the footwell's. (Y)

 

[Adamowsky]

Little update: De-camo'd boot and welded up the center brake hole and wiper. Fibre glass over and primered for now. Will start smoothing and applying normal body filler for final finish tomorrow. Also here are some pictures of how I want to mount my spoiler. I know it's probably not y'all cup of tea. But I'm quite a fan of the JDM scene too and this is done quite commonly on EK civic's. Here are some pictures just
testing with tape while the spoiler is still in primer.

Btw I don't know if I ever said what I do. But I'm currently going on the Level 3 course at Vehicle Paint Refinishing. I also started work a week ago at a supermarket
so more consistant income should come in. Allowing the progress of clio to move a loooooooooot faster. At home I do Paint & Spraying, a bit of mechanic's. Mainly
helping my dad.

Before:

After:

​Again, thanks for looking in my thread.

 

[rctempire]

Again adam, good name. Talk to me about that air feed.
I like what your doing with this. the barritz should have come with a spoiler on the back. Id check my thread for pics as its in there.
PS - valver wings allow you to drop it more and fill the arches at the front
Plus makes it easier for engine conversion.

 

[Adamowsky]

Again adam, good name. Talk to me about that air feed.
I like what your doing with this. the barritz should have come with a spoiler on the back. Id check my thread for pics as its in there.
PS - valver wings allow you to drop it more and fill the arches at the front
Plus makes it easier for engine conversion.

haha, two Adam's with red Phase 3 Clio's. What would you like to know about the air feed?
Thanks, and yeah they should. (Y) I looked at yours and it was soooooooooooooooooo clean
after the respray and then boom. 6 months of tree dirt and a hole in the rear bumper?! Damn
that was sad to look at. And thanks for the advice ! I will look at some once I'v done the wide track
conversion.

​

 

[billabongchris]

that's absolutely awesome, really nice and I love the material for the interior

 

[Adamowsky]

Thanks mate!

 

[Wee_Billy_92]

Like what you have done with the roof liner and door fabrics, Nice unique touch. How did you go about doing it, quite interested in giving it a go on my car.

 

[Adamowsky]

Like what you have done with the roof liner and door fabrics, Nice unique touch. How did you go about doing it, quite interested in giving it a go on my car.

Hey there mate, thanks! But tbf, right now I wish I chose a different material that I was thinking of using. Same style but different colors. And all I did is I went to a massive shop with fabrics that my sister showed me. I bought about 5 meters of fabric. (20 quid). I bought so much because I was thinking of doing the inside of seats too. On the way back I went to Dunelm's I picked up a can of "spray fabric adhesive" (about £6.50) ( btw I ended up having to buy a 2nd can since 1 wasnt enough for door cards, roof lining). Then at home i cut the material to the size of the part, but at the same leaving some excess. And I sprayed the adhesive on the middle of the fabric. Alligned it, and using a squegee I was removing the creases as I go along. So basically, middle attached. moving over to the left. Sprayed adhesive on part. With left hand applying pressure to material while with right removing the creases with the squegee. Then at the end I flipped the part over and pulled on the edges of material and used the same spray glue to attach them. Pretty much the same thing with roof lining. Just had to cut out some holes for the sunroof, immobiliser etc. At the end I re applied the roof lining and door cards using a bit of "SIKAFLEX". Put clamps on for a bit. Then left to dry for a few hours. Sorry for a long paragraph ! But thought I'll try give you as much details as I could!

Some pictures for ya:

 

[Adamowsky]

Did some smoothing work today. Wanna get the car looking a bit tidier again. It's been looking rough lately...

​​

 

[MicKPM]

Love it, makes me miss my old Mk1 Ph3

 

[Adamowsky]

Love it, makes me miss my old Mk1 Ph3

Thanks Mick !

Little update:
Boot nearly done, right now in primer.

Air ducts reworked a bit and in primer as well

The little hole that's in the bumper originally got fibre glassed and filled so that all the new holes match nicely and dont hurt the eye. (Not done yet)

Last shot, of my dusty ass clio. Didn't drive it for 3 days and I already kinda miss driving it. Ha!

 

[Adamowsky]

Also when body filler was drying I did some quick sketches of the induction setup I wanna make when I relocate my battery to the rear. I wanna make that induction setup with mostly glassfibre.

 

[Wee_Billy_92]

Hey there mate, thanks! But tbf, right now I wish I chose a different material that I was thinking of using. Same style but different colors. And all I did is I went to a massive shop with fabrics that my sister showed me. I bought about 5 meters of fabric. (20 quid). I bought so much because I was thinking of doing the inside of seats too. On the way back I went to Dunelm's I picked up a can of "spray fabric adhesive" (about £6.50) ( btw I ended up having to buy a 2nd can since 1 wasnt enough for door cards, roof lining). Then at home i cut the material to the size of the part, but at the same leaving some excess. And I sprayed the adhesive on the middle of the fabric. Alligned it, and using a squegee I was removing the creases as I go along. So basically, middle attached. moving over to the left. Sprayed adhesive on part. With left hand applying pressure to material while with right removing the creases with the squegee. Then at the end I flipped the part over and pulled on the edges of material and used the same spray glue to attach them. Pretty much the same thing with roof lining. Just had to cut out some holes for the sunroof, immobiliser etc. At the end I re applied the roof lining and door cards using a bit of "SIKAFLEX". Put clamps on for a bit. Then left to dry for a few hours. Sorry for a long paragraph ! But thought I'll try give you as much details as I could!

Some pictures for ya:

Thanks a lot mate, im going to give this a try at some point. Really dislike the billabong green door fabrics i have :headno: doesn't match the sport interior one bit. might just go for plain black but not too sure yet.

 

[Adamowsky]

Today's update:

Removed airbag module

Really got pissed off trying to repair last owners S*** wiring, so I just chucked it out. Can't seem to find a proper wiring diagram for this radio either...

Removed the left over tar from sound deadening.

Boot starting to look better again.

Also gave the clio a wash... It hasn't seen a sponge and soap for like a month now lmao... Going to work this weekend without front bumper. DRIFT SPEC

 

[Adamowsky]

Lol stuff you find when you lift off the top of your dash. ha

Prepping the boot for spraying and then aftermath.

​Also relocated the battery to the boot today. When i went scrappers to get a fiesta mk4 battery box. I wanted to get a laguna bumper lip too. The guy was being a d*** and he said hes only selling the bumper all together and he thought that the lip dont even come off the bumper on its own.. oh well... il go to a different one bit further away.

 

[andym123]

I like the car and amazing what you can do on a budget but having the know how. I wish you could cover the seats in the same material as the roof. It'd be like the retro Golf GTI seats!

 

[ChrisP_182]

i love this! great work