Finally bought a Renaultsport Clio: My PH1 172.

[alex-avfc]

After wanting one for so long, and patiently making my way up with a couple of decent cars in between, I've finally bought one.

Here's the 106 GTI I impulsively decided to sell to fund the move:

Actually pocketed £500 out of selling the GTI and buying this, GTI's really command a premium. £250 was spent on the difference in insurance price mind. Didn't quite get it under £1k as I hoped, but near enough with me turning 21 come renewal.

So here she is, paid £1250 for it, 104k, full service history, cambelt done at 75k (due next year), lots of big invoices for work done. Drives very, very well!

Anyone on here used to own it? I recognise the number plate from somewhere and someone has sprayed the badges black, seems a bit of a CS kinda mod.

 

[Mr Burns]

Lovely mate, very nearly bought one myself!

 

[.Stevo.C.]

Looks very nice mate. It should have the aluminium bonnet and the shift light with it being a W plate.

 

[alex-avfc]

Lovely mate, very nearly bought one myself!

Cheers mate, don't think you can grumble at your tidy little line up!

Looks very nice mate. It should have the aluminium bonnet and the shift light with it being a W plate.

Yes, forgot about that mate, it has. Featherweight! Only time I've seen the shift light so far is on start up

 

[.Stevo.C.]

Haha yeah you will be seeing it a lot more mate

 

[Danith]

best cars i ever had. 2nd one was a W plate titanium too. Beast. Yours looks quite high up?

 

[alex-avfc]

Yes, it's had replacement shocks and I have heard pattern part ones can make them sit high so I wouldn't be suprised if it's that. Been getting ripped about the height locally lol!

Eibach sportlines will be my first purchase.

 

[Danith]

Good choice. I like the look of Apex but if I'm honest they're awful for the ride. Think I might get Eibachs for my cup too, shame they don't drop em just a little bit more though. Has it got the std ph1 rear clusters still?

 

[BREMBO]

Nice one, looks super clean

 

[fraz101]

Looks nice and clean!!!!!

 

[alex-avfc]

SteBurns will tell you all my cars are always super clean!

Just a quick tidy up on Sunday; quick wash, run over with the quick detail spray, went over the wheels with some polish, vaccuumed the interior out, leather cleaner on the leather, wiped the plastics down, then applied a bit of tyre gel. That's enough to make it presentable for me

 

[geordie]

Looks nice and clean!!!!!

+1

 

[welshname]

Been waiting for this thread alex. I'm in the same boat as you have been, wanting a Renaultsport clio but insurance just not allowing it. Think my next purchase will be a 106 GTi due to insurance being extortionate!

 

[JoeyD]

+1 Insurance is horrendous on Clios!

Looks super clean though - if you previous Clio, ZS & GTI are anything to go by this will turn out awesome

 

[alex-avfc]

Been waiting for this thread alex. I'm in the same boat as you have been, wanting a Renaultsport clio but insurance just not allowing it. Think my next purchase will be a 106 GTi due to insurance being extortionate!

Haha, you'd be following in the footsteps of a great 1.2 Clio to MK5 ZS to 106 GTI to PH1!

I don't mind the fact I've had to wait as I've had chance to sample a couple of decent cars in between, learning a lot about them and driving in general. Been good experience and makes me appreciate the 172 all the more now.

It's worth biding your time though, I've been able to afford to buy and insure one for a while now, I just couldn't justify payng over £1k in insurance. Got it for £1079 in the end, close enough lol :rasp:

+1 Insurance is horrendous on Clios!

Looks super clean though - if you previous Clio, ZS & GTI are anything to go by this will turn out awesome

Cheers Joey. Have a few plans in mind; Eibachs, HIDs, PH2 lights (the PH1 rear bumper is staying!!) and maybe black wheels.

Someone has already done the badges black so I figured the latter might go well with that.

 

[welshname]

Thanks a lot mate.

Haha, you'd be following in the footsteps of a great 1.2 Clio to MK5 ZS to 106 GTI to PH1!

I don't mind the fact I've had to wait as I've had chance to sample a couple of decent cars in between, learning a lot about them and driving in general. Been good experience!

The 172 is worth the wait, I've been able to afford to buy and insure one for a while now, I just couldn't justify payng over £1k in insurance. Got it for £1079 in the end, close enough lol :rasp:

It will be a while before I can insure one tbh. I'm paying circa £1800 on the ZS at the minute. Bad times. And yeah some cracking cars you've owned, think they are good stepping stone cars to learn to drive properly, think if I'd gone from a 1.2 and got straight in a 172 it wouldn't have ended well.

Good look with this one, sure it will be just as good as your previous cars. Now stop being a pikey student and pay your membership!

 

[Jimbo_M]

Looks very tidy dude, should look great with some sportlines on. How do you rate it so far compared with the GTI?

 

[alex-avfc]

Same here mate. Learnt loads about driving in the ZS and even more so in the GTI. Nice to get a feel for different cars and understand their characteristics!

Good call :rasp: mind you, it keeps me out the for sale section for the time being. Once you start buying bits it's a slippery slope!

 

[alex-avfc]

Looks very tidy dude, should look great with some sportlines on. How do you rate it so far compared with the GTI?

Cheers Jimbo, do you have them on your Cup?

Good question, I think it blows the GTI out the water to be honest.

I found the GTI to be the perfect car when on a blast but at other times a bit frustrating, found the power delivery quite peaky and flat in normal driving, felt like it needed to be revved everywhere, whereas the 172 has a nice bit of punch low down.

GTI handled better and was a lot more playful, the 172 seems to roll a lot, but does handle well when you trust it.

The gearchange on this seems solid and nicely weighted compared to my 106 which as you know with Pug/Cit is poor, then again you could really whip it quickly up and down the box whereas with the 172 I find you have to be a bit more patient with it.

What do you think of the two cars compared, I know you had a VTS yourself?

 

[JoeyD]

Cheers Joey. Have a few plans in mind; Eibachs, HIDs, PH2 lights (the PH1 rear bumper is staying!!) and maybe black wheels.

Someone has already done the badges black so I figured the latter might go well with that.

That sounds like a tasty recipe. And thank christ you're keeping the PH1 rear bumper! It's how PH1's belong!

 

[Jimbo_M]

I do have them on the cup dude, they are a great mod imo. Helps freshen up the steering/turn in and also drops just enough to improve looks

Nice to hear your enjoing it, I Will keep an eye on this thread pal!

 

[Silent_Scone]

Looks very well that. Enjoy it

 

[Goodj]

Nice looking machine, looks like it could even handle a bumpy road without incident!

 

[alex-avfc]

Haha yes...not quite as well as my old GTI mind you! Rides firmer and doesn't corner quite as well.

I will be inviesting in some Eibachs as said but that is an approved 'mod'.

I'm not into 'lowz' and I'm not really a modifier but the carefully selected bits I did to my GTI did actually improve it without spoiling it or making it annoying to live with daily.

That said, I am really enjoying having a standard exhaust system, it's BLISS!

 

[mark smith87]

I've had my Ph1 172 for three and a half years. I replaced the rear dampers with standard Renaultsport ones after one developed a leak. The ride height is standard Renaultsport. The handling is really good. I've uprated the brakes to Ferodo DS2500 pads all round with brembo HC front discs. Toyo R1-R tyres, K Tec engine mountings and Powerflex dogbone bush. Scorpion Catback stainless exhaust. Green cotton air filter element. My insurance is really cheap but I'm 54 so that's probably why. My wife's Astra is £50 dearer than the Clio and it's a 1.6 automatic.

 

[alex-avfc]

Sounds like a nice spec that, Mark. What mileage is it on? I'm all for doing bits and bobs to sharpen them up and keep them fresh, without changing anything too drastic.

If you see my 106 thread I only made very minor changes to that, to the untrained eye it would appear unmodified.

 

[Goodj]

Ah, ****

2 threads op[en at the same time and I reply in the wrong one.

 

[Christopher]

Love Ph1's so much.

Miss mine.

 

[Scott™]

Nice standard example that. Nice one.

 

[mark smith87]

Mine has 122,000 miles. It's still sharp and really quick. It gets driven hard on the road and on trackdays. Done 15 trackdays since I've had the car and each one gets better than the last one.

 

[andywa]

Lovely mate.

 

[alex-avfc]

Mine has 122,000 miles. It's still sharp and really quick. It gets driven hard on the road and on trackdays. Done 15 trackdays since I've had the car and each one gets better than the last one.

That's reassuring to know. Mines on 104k. A lot of people have commented on the mileage but I'm pretty laid back about it from what I've read on here! It has the history and it runs well!

 

[alexr19]

looks lovely mate.
whats that underground looking car park it looks oddly familiar?

 

[mark smith87]

High mileage isn't an issue with these cars as long as they are properly serviced at the correct intervals and decent oil used. Modern engines will do hundreds of thousands of miles now.

 

[D4nny]

Looks nice and sounds like its in good hands aswell and ur old gti looked nice also im a fan of suttle mods aswwlluch like you snd alot of people on these forums

 

[welshname]

Massive thread bump! Wonder what Alex is up to and driving these days.

 

[superpotter80]

Looks a lovely clean example and if it's your first clio 172 then I'm sure you will enjoy every minute of it

 

[leeds_182]

3 year thread anniversary.