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Fave Willy & Would you modify one
- Thread starter flykai
- Start date
But the whole point of the Williams is that it goes, stops and handles like a dream - evo called it the hot hatch king before the 182 came out. Its all about the throttle adjustability, the way the grainy detail comes through to the driver, the catchable lift-off-oversteer, the whole *feel* of the car...
If you want a rock hard riding, slammed, big-rimmed, monster power car thats lost nearly all its "subtlety" then surely youd be better to throw your cash at a Valver rather than at a rare williams? You find a modded williams a lot more difficult to sell on - I know Id be very wary, as would a lot of other people. Williams arent bought by Jo Public, theyre bought by people who know the reputation and want a piece of it in the best possible original condition!
All IMHO of course...
Mk2 Golf GTI
thats my point though, id do this then return it to standard if i sold it on. as for wheels i didnt say id put 18s on, id whack on something like a set of turinis in gold as ive seen one with these on and it looks mint. as for the suspension, i reckon it could still be improved as manufacturers still have to make cars with a compromise between handling and comfort
I agree, keep the interior and exterior standard and in good condition. And if you want to add a few engine mods to your taste.
I bought a willy 1 last year, interior and exterior and standard, has been chipped, Magnex exhaust, and a k&n altho think im going to put the original air box back on. Goes and sounds so nice. Im happy. altho have all original parts to help re-sale, but hopefully not for a long time.
Ill try and get some pics up soon.
As for the best 1/2/3 I went for a 1 original, numbered etc, but as 007 said its the condition of the ones you can find that matters there isnt much difference between the cars, unless u really want a sunroof and ABS.
Fiat Coupe 20v turbo
I have modified my williams and I dont think there is anything wrong with that. As long mods are retricted to engine/performance mods the car is only being improved. Changing the exterior of the car is a no-no in my book, maybe just lowering a touch. I am looking to make my car very fast and I think the Williams is a very good base car to improve on.
The williams III are the best.. teehee
Dont ever modify the exterior... its a classic and should always stay that way!
I personally dont mind a few subtle mods, I have a stainless exhaust but more tho cos the origonal ones just rust; also the whole rear axle needs removing to fit an origonal zorst
Id only say to do massive engine modding if the engines came to a sudden death... the engine is a very distinct charateristic of what driving a williams is all about
My Williams is the only car to which Ive actually done the reverse of modifying - Ive spent time and money getting it back to standard. Now the only thing that isnt standard on the car are some door-bottom speakers, which will go as soon as I can find some un-holed door cards.
I used to have a discreetly modified Valver and loved it to bits, but theres something really special about driving a kind of time-warp car. Its only ten years old, but feels very retro already! Moreover, most of the mods you might do anyway dont add anything more than a harsh ride and lots of noise. Dont get me wrong, as I loved those things about my Valver, but theres a lot to be said for going standard.
I even enjoy listening to the totally naff tape deck and digging up all my tapes from back in the day! The best thing is the handling though - Id never lower a Williams as it relies on the full travel to give its amazing handling on my local twisty Welsh B-roads (the sort of places that Evo have to come to get some decent roads).
A cared for car speaks for itself and Im not sure what the fuss is about with low mileage cars having bought one myself (54k). Im now doing the jobs on my Williams that my Valver needed at 105k - most things wear with age, not mileage. Oh, and most of the "mint" cars in the classifieds are actually overpriced sh*tters. Budget for wheel refurb, drivers rear arch and a little bit extra as a bare minimum.
Williams: The original homologation special, 400 RHD cars, numbered individually and made in late 1993. Basically, Renaultsport took advantage of FIA Rallying rules that allowed engine capacity of up to 2.0 litres when a car was homologated (at the time, they were using the 1764cc Clio 16V as the homologation car). In order to do this, they had to make 2500 road-going 2.0 Clio examples. The car was named the Williams to celebrate the Nigel Mansel/Williams/Renault F1 victories, although it was basically untouched by Williams F1 Engineering Ltd. Nevertheless, Frank Williams is among the Clio Williams more famous owners.
The original edition was based on the Phase1 Clio 16V, with the various modifications basically concentrated on making the best hot hatch of the day an even more fitting home for the new Group A/N rallying 2.0 F7R engine. The Willy also wore that unmistakable trademark combination of 449 Sports Blue bodywork and gold/silver rimmed Speeline wheels, with wider tracks filling the 16Vs already pumped-up arches and sporting a larger rear lip spoiler. The suspension, transmission and interior were also revised.
The distinguishing features over the Williams 2 and 3 are the Phase1 exterior/interior trim ("retro" would be kind), lack of sunroof/electric mirrors/ABS/basic sound system. None of the three editions have any mechanical differences worth mentioning.
Williams 2: Such was the public and press reception for the original Williams (see http://www.cliosport.net/articles/williams-2.asphttp://www.SPAN style=COLOR: windowtext">cliosport/SPAN.net/articles/williams-2.asp), that Renault produced a second batch of Willies in 1994: much to the anger of the original Williams owners. Still, with numbers of RHD cars at less than 400, these are again very rare. These were also Phase2 cars, which in line with the general Clio range are smoother-looking and more soundproofed cars - see elsewhere for more details. The Willy 2 gained some of the refinements of the Clio 16V lost on the original Williams, such as electric mirrors. Still no sunroof or ABS and still 449 Sports Blue in colour.
Williams 3: Renault again gave in to the pressure and produced a final edition in 1995. These cars were again limited to under 400 RHD examples and were Phase2 models. They are distinguished by their Monaco Blue pearlescent paintwork (shared with the Clio 16V), which is a lighter colour than the 449 Sports Blue. These final editions came with an electric sunroof as standard, with ABS as standard (I think, or at least a very popular option).
My opinion is that none of these cars is generally in better condition as a group than the other. I looked at all three when buying mine and thought that they were about the same, with the Willy 3 in fact being the catergory of high milers. To some extent at least, its the look and your view that decides your favourite: Willy as the original rally homologation, Willy 2 the best of both worlds and Willy 3 as the refined final edition.
Willy 1 for the plaque, Willy 2 because it was a more modern car, Willy 3 for the better colour but definitely NOT for the sunroof.
Whatever one I went for, mods would be restricted to mild engine and exhaust work, replacing the zorst for a stainless system like a Magnex and then just a K&N element in the airbox and perhaps some 270 cams and mild headwork. No cosmetic changes whatsoever, perhaps put some 285mm 4-pot anchors up front as well.
IMO Williams 1 for the plaque and the fact its the original williams, Williams 2 for the few changes i personnaly perfer the general appearance of the 2 to the 1, but would not say no to a 1, apart form engine mods breaks and exhaust do you really need to change anything else, i think not.
http://erc.qmuc.ac.uk/cliosport/gallery/full/1076623656__headon.jpg
I just dont think they need exterior mods of any kind.
i didnt like the wheels too much so i went back to standard, morrettes and a ful prima racing kit, maxi spoiler, ecu which revved to 8k, scorpion exhaust k&N panel filter, magnecore leads and Power boost valve, this thing went like the clappers, until an old boy wrote it off, broke my heart in several places
Replaced with a willy2 only differences leccy mirrors and side impact bars in the doors and it is low as can be! oh and no plaque, but i have the old one!
hehe was gunna say...........the only problem with willy 2s n 3s.....is
evry time u look at the dash.........u KNOW theres summat missing.............yes its the plaque........and then u know u shudda bought a willy 1
as for mods.........well iv turned mine from a 15.3 1/4 miler to a 14.6 with basic zorst n filter mods, no chip. that is all about to change for this season tho cos ive opted to buy/tune a megane 2.0 instead of moddin the willy lump (keepin it standard)
susp mods.....i fitted AVO coilovers a while ago and they work just fine ........lot less roll than standard and rides the same height
eves
ClioSport Club Member
An old banger!
I prefer the colour on me willy 3 to the other two!
Ive considerably lowered my williams and have had different wheels put on the car and have also opted for a full magnex exaust!! personally i think these mods make the car look so much more attractive!!
Nice pics Raj!!! You can see my williams to the left of Rajs!!!
Agree with eves not Lax Power at all. Not everyone wants to stay standard and its not OTT and all looks revesiable if needed.
fair comment brazo - the thing with my williams1 was that people honestly liked it like that, my new willy2 is standard, just lowered, i have a panel filter and im hoping for a set of quads front and rear, i didnt like the rear spoiler too much on the willy1 but the car had charecter, it just stood out a bit, the kit to the untrained eye would not be noticed and i opted for the standard speedlines and sold the 16s on. It looked better with the standard wheels!
Again a fair comment! (mutual appreciation society!) I do actually really like the Willy and since Strombas been hinting that its is going to get a fantastic write up in EVO Im sure this will have a positive effect on resale prices.
I therefore searched Autotrader and was pleasantly surprised at the prices but shocked by the mileages on offer!
There are more Willy 2 and 3s on the market if my experience is anything to go by and I was looking for a Phase2 myself back when I was buying.
The thing is that a mint Willy 1 came up and it was too good to ignore. Having now got a Willy 1, IMO theres pretty much nothing youd miss apart from the electric mirrors. The thinner door strips, old-school grille and heater switches do look older at first, but I dont think thats enough to ignore a Willy 1 and therefore reducing your choice, looking back in hindsight.
