Joe's Monaco story

[joe_112]

After owning this 172 for 6 months and with a lot of updates coming i thought it was about time i started a thread and continue the story.

Back in June I had a trip to the Ring booked and was looking for something other than the Vectra work horse to go in, so suggested to a good friend @rob_sri that if he was thinking of selling id have it straight away. Some of you will have been following his old threads and will know the standard of the cars he owns and the work that goes into them. Here's a link to his thread from when he's owned it and you'll soon understand why i wanted it so much. Within a few weeks a deal was done and i took ownership

https://www.cliosport.net/threads/rob_sri-monaco-172-project-thread.765892/page-4


Unfortunately, the clio lived up to the french hatchback rumours and as soon as i got on the motorway home, had a misfire and it went into limp mode which is where the story starts

 

[rob_sri]

cant wait to see this progress mate! nice to see it being shown some love

 

[joe_112]

Pulled the car into the hard shoulder, done the only thing i could think of, turned it off and turn it back on again. Of course it started up and drove fine, for a few miles, same thing again. only thing i noticed was that it happened when i was accelerating so got off at the next services checked all the connectors which were fine and carried on back to Birmingham. Trying to be smooth on the accelerator, i eventually got it back locked it up and left it a few days until i had the time to look at it.

I got my code reader out and showed injector fault, i cleared the code and pulled off the tails one by one, no difference. took it for a drive, same issue check for codes and showed up a different injector. after a lot of phone calls and advice from rob seemed to be getting no where. After getting a 50% off code at ECP i decided to eliminate the injectors plus so far they are one of the things that haven't been replaced by rob. A couple of weeks later made the trip back to London to get the spares Rob had sorted out for me including a spare loom, coil pack, leads and a host of other parts.

First thing i wanted to check was leads and coil pack so unplugged the coil pack and low and behold there was the issue, all this hassle and getting more and more pissed off with the car for something as simple as..

a broken cable in the plug

So easy fix, chopped the loom and replaced with the plug off the spare loom, happy days, soon changed my feeling for the car, and what a car i had.

 

[Clio_fool]

Nice to stumble on a fix like that, you could have been chasing the fault for ages!
I love a bit of Monaco, subscribed. [emoji106]

 

[joe_112]

Next on the list was to replace the bearings in the pms top mounts as they were creaking and Rob being Rob had already brought some and put them in with the spares. i put this task of purely as i didn't want to mess up the suspension settings. After having a good look at it i decided to jack the car up and release the strut from the top and once the solid mounts were undone could get them off from the arch no messing with the lower suspension at all. After a game getting the old bearings out the new ones went in all fitted back together and ready for another drive. No creaking and so much more direct steering.

Slowly getting ready for the ring trip and it keeps throwing up little things but all things that mean i won't have these issues again.

As this is only a weekend, fair weather car it spend a lot of the time sat parked up. One day i noticed the exhaust wasn't sitting straight,

clearly the old powerflow exhaust was fitted using non standard hangers.

so i ordered a new mount and a power flex insert which was fitted and intact sorted the exhaust and where it sat perfectly. Had to get a photo with my Personal Trainer's CL55 AMG, what a beast.

 

[joe_112]

Now all the problems (or so i thought) had been sorted i started to think about what my plans were for the car, keep it as it is or do i go for more of a club sport spec.

I came across a group buy thread by Simon for door cards https://www.cliosport.net/threads/g...s-from-£40-delivered-6-sets-available.805861/ which made up my mind so out came the rear interior. With everything masked up i sprayed it all with black stove paint as i've found in the past this is very easy to touch up with just a quick spray. Not bad for an afternoons work. ( 3 months later i still have the front door cards waiting to be fitted) I will get round to it.

In fact this is the best thing i could have done, no more rattles

 

[joe_112]

All this time i had been preparing myself for a photoshoot, was a massive thing for me but was also the best thing i've done, sticking to a strict diet and having 6 meals to prepare for each day, gym twice a day, as well as work meant no social life but the results were worth it.

 

[joe_112]

I was now ready for a break, bring on the Ring Trip. Car sorted packed and ready to go. The watermelon was to replace @Raceface_13 who couldn't make the trip.

Here's a few photo's from the trip, over the 1,119 miles as well as passing the 130000 miles on the clock, even with a pull on the Autobahn that had the needle on the 160mph before i had to lift was still pulling and doing over 100 all through France just so we reached the tunnel in time the car still done 38.5 mpg, thats better than the vectra.

The focus st with the clio is rob's current daily ( yeah running an st and a supra is not good on the old back account)

 

[t90_lle]

Glad you sorted issues! Could have picked a better title for the thread though :weary: lol

 

[joe_112]

Unfortunately, the trip back highlighted a new problem. This time again was electrical and turned out to be the connector to the throttle body, my list of jobs over the winter is growing ever bigger.

When i arrived home the car got the clean it deserved. It really had made up for all the issues previous.

I have also fitted some carbon bullets and washer blanks from @cs_dave for any of you eagle eyed enough to notice

 

[Jamess182]

Looks nice and clean mate, any ring pics?

Surprised it took so long to notice the broken coilpack plug though, would have been one of the first things I'd have check! Live and learn eh, French cars for ya.

 

[joe_112]

on the 29th August there was a midlands group rolling road day booked a dynodaze and i really wanted to see what power the car was running as it was about even with rob's St. We knew it was a good one but it pulled 177bhp and 154 torques, no wonder it felt quick

 

[joe_112]

Glad you sorted issues! Could have picked a better title for the thread though :weary: lol

Its as good as it gets at this time of night when i have a brainwave i'll change it

 

[joe_112]

up until the beginning of october i've been busy with work getting money together so started to look at buying a few bits that have been on the cards for a while just waiting for some good deals and the right bits to come up.

After a visit to see @Raceface_13 seeing his roll cage moved that swiftly to the top of the list, i'm picking it up from the powder coater tomorrow in the the same silver as the wheels.

I've got a Scenic shifter and yahoo stiff shift to fit unless i can get a PMS shifter, still got front door cards to fit and to replace the throttle body connector.

i also have something on the way in the post which i will reveal when it arrives.

Only thing i need to actually buy is Bucket seats and harnesses, looking at Corbeau RRB's as this will be used on the road as well as the odd track day so like the idea of recliners and when sat right up its like sitting in a fixed back seat.

Now i'm up to date will try to keep on top of this

 

[joe_112]

Looks nice and clean mate, any ring pics?

Surprised it took so long to notice the broken coilpack plug though, would have been one of the first things I'd have check! Live and learn eh, French cars for ya.

tbh was more me not wanting to mess too much. i had taken it on a off a couple of times it was just because i moved the wire out the way to take the coil pack off that the wire came out. yeah its been a learning curve for sure

All ring pics are on my Facebook, will add some more later in the week

 

[Jekyll]

Where did you pick up the stiff kit from?

 

[joe_112]

Where did you pick up the stiff kit from?

I got it from a member on here used. @Dr_Jekyll


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[joe_112]

About a month ago along with @Raceface_13 a lot of swearing, cut hands and Oreo’s I got the cage fitted. Again, i can't fault Sweeney and Sherlock in Birmingham for the Powdercoating.

 

[joe_112]

Then the 197 cams arrived in the post, not in a rush to fit them just yet but got them at a good price so hopefully get them in and the car mapped at EFi before the next trip to the ring.

 

[joe_112]

As i already said i wanted a set of Corbeau RRB's after sitting in a friends's but reluctant to pay £400 a seat plus mounts harnesses etc for a clio. Been on the look out for a bargain and this one came up second hand but in great condition and have also brought a Sabelt Harness to match the steering wheel and door pulls i have for the lightweight door cards. Also tidied up the Scenic shifter and fitted the stiff shift kit and carbon gearknob. Again the list keeps building but as its parked up and not being driven it will be like a different car when it all gets sorted and driven next year. i must admit i do miss driving it a lot.

 

[Raceface_13]

About a month ago along with @Raceface_13 View attachment 1348731

Using the driver seat as a counterweight to stop the car rocking still makes me chuckle 😂😂
cant wait to see what the 197 cams are like...I might have to do a buy in 2018:sweatsmile: