Laxy - ITB' White 172

[laxy]

Had the car for a year now. should have made a blog from the start, would have been much much easier. will try and get it all up from the start, will let most of the pics do the talking!!

After a 14 hour round trip to chichester i bough the rolling shell of FMP for a fairly decent amount of money.

looked like this...

I then bought an engine and box and full loom of ebay for pennies

Putting that a side, I had the plans for the car.

Full rewire,
Throttle boddies,
Get rid of ABS, full braided hoses through the car,
Buckets and enjoy.
Set about the car.....

Set about the car removing all the blow heaters, abs block, all the copper brake lines and anything else in my way in the engine bay!!!!

 

[laxy]

Interior looked like this

I then set about buying a few little goodies

All hoses made to suit with already made unions (made like so much easier but a pig to measure)

When I bought the clio, the bay looked s**t to be honest to decided to clean it up use the compressor and paint it. Prep is a nightmare

 

[laxy]

Paint J

Then lacquer

Couple of more bits arrived

 

[laxy]

Started running the brake lines

New goodies from yozza, went for the boddies without the wiring package as I knew the car was getting rewired and didn’t need to pay the extra £1k to k tec for it.

Then after the engine had head gasket done, cup alternator set up, all belts replaced, and full service, a lick of paint and she was dropped in...

 

[laxy]

Then time for all 5 wheels to have a lick of paint and some new rubber

And a couple of more goodies

Then it was a made rush getting everything ready to take it to Curtis for full AST coilovers, harder set up, top mounts the works, this is a 6.5 hour trip just there for me, so killed 2 birds with one stone and after this was set up, headed over to Northampton to bobby (wire wizard) http://www.wizardracelooms.co.uk/ for a full rewire.
Ready to go

Loaded it up on the trailer on Friday ready for a long and early start on Saturday, had to be at powerstation for 8

 

[laxy]

Put it in my dads works to keep it safe lol, thats not my garage.

Powerstation

And after 4 hours, this was the stance on the trailer

After this, it was dropped off at bobbys workshop and he worked his magic, disaster happend and the car was not running right. It was meant to be fully rewired then sent of for mapping and I would pick it up. (around 3 weeks) I had to pick the car up early, and set about finding the problem, yet another 8 hour round trip to Northampton.

Pics of wiring

Had never had chance to clean the car so give it a quick wash

 

[laxy]

After a few tests, found a sticky valve to be at fault, so head was stripped off and sent away for rebuild. Also got the rocker cover powder coated at same time, needed doing so was perfect opportunity.

Was over the moon with the look, another 8 hour trip was made to drop the car of with bobby who was going to take the car to Richard longman for mapping. All went ok, engine mounts where causing problems, so a full k tec set was ordered and upgraded. And throttle cable was playing up. Made 201bhp,
A week after the car was tested, I had booked a trip to the ring, had to do it, so with an untested car, stupid I know, went to the ring, what an experience, car did great apart from a throttle cable failure. Soon sorted and got a full lap in.

Couple of pics

Needed a good clean once it was home,

Then decided to buy some more goodies

In inside of the car was as badly painted as the bay when I got it, so, with the help of my dads body shop, it had to be painted. But door bars had to better lol

Strippage

This is all of my internal wiring, including ecu, relays, the full schizzle

This is after paint and starting to build back up, door bars look much better now imo

 

[laxy]

 

[laxy]

Looked so much better, did a great job,

Got my carbon interior kit from bic fitted the day before fcs (don’t have any pics) and finished the interior of mint

Unfortunately, 5 laps into my track time, disaster struck

I lost a rod

So the car is sitting like this now, looking sorry for itself

I have decided to rebuild the engine to a strong spec, forged pistons and rods, all new bearings and shells, uprated cam springs port and polised head, 421 cams, just a decent spec, not expecting hugh figure, but I think 230 is achievable, and have a really good box, seq. I would love but cannot afford at the min, so maybe a decent spec box will do, its all about gearing, so hopefully I can get it right. Sold the seats also, want one seat, its only going to be a track car when it comes back out.
Few new goodies since fcs

4 more slicks and another 2118, thanks guppy

421’s

Pistons of yozza, these rods wont be going in

And so far that is it, going to be ordering my rods in the next 2 weeks then can build the bottom end up once I get all new shells, water pump ect.
Will keep this updated,
Mark.

 

[Tom@JMS]

beautiful

 

[powey]

absolutely epic!!

 

[480bhp.com]

Awesome work Mark, i can't believe how close this looks to my project (once it's finished) even down to the wiring, yet i knew nothing about this one.

Chris

 

[theduck]

Looking good mate! Look forward to seeing what you do to it.

 

[maynard]

bloody hell, complete transformation! how unlucky with the engine problems, although it will come back stronger!

 

[laxy]

lol chris, it is close mate. will be good to get them out on track together.

thanks everyone, will be reliable on track lol fingers crossed

 

[Matt@Stealthsport]

Wow looks amazing is it going to be used for racing or as a trackday toy?

 

[Adamio]

That's awesome and going to be even better with the new engine

 

[rsclio182]

wow!!! alot of time and effort (and money) spent but looks like its well worth it. wish i was this skilled to do something like this. well done mate!

 

[Si]

not bad.

 

[laxy]

ahahhahahah si, you crack me up,

track car at the min, see what happens in a couple of years, maybe time attack

 

[Guppy]

So so, Hew

 

[Matt@Stealthsport]

ahahhahahah si, you crack me up,

track car at the min, see what happens in a couple of years, maybe time attack

Awesome I hope to eventually do the same sort of thing to my car so I hope you take it to some of the Renaultsport days.

 

[DIDITNO]

biiliant, bloody brilliant. let me know when your selling it.

 

[Russ Rallye]

Very nice, some interesting bits in there. Who made your brake lines up btw, was thinking about full braided as its a lot easier than messing about with cooper, flaring all the ends etc. Also what sort of money did the custom rewire set you back, take it you're on omex or similar aswell?
Russ

 

[Jonny1*2]

very nice matey. love the work. beautiful looking motor :approve:

 

[H12EAY]

Haiiii Laxy! love this.

 

[stuart1989]

wow.. excellent work

 

[W4tson]

Thats great work...good effort with the rod inal!!!! (Tho a shame) Great car matey

 

[R20 CWH]

looks superb. shame about the engine issue, but once shes sorted at 230bhp it will superb.

 

[GavC]

Looks gorgeous in white Best of luck with the rest of the build, it looks awesome!

 

[latza]

i want that car, will you be using it on the rodes from time to time or is it just track?

 

[DannoTheGreat]

fuckin savage!

 

[Chris205]

never got chance to see this yet mate but the pics look awesome, it isnt official until you get your private plate on it ;-)

 

[geesus69]

looking very nice mate

that wiring is the shizz!

 

[172Ben]

One word.

Awesome.

 

[Slammed172]

Good read.

Good luck.

 

[chrispy.clio]

Now thats a proper job.

Some very nice bits and pieces on it too. Love the cage.

Do you have any idea of how much it weighs?

 

[Falcon82]

great!
good luck

 

[Carlos Fandango]

All these really hot road registered Clio's, makes me want to get the cup racer road registered!

 

[Nickharding]

Looks mint mate!