Martin's 197 Lux Project

Martin_172 · Apr 3, 2022

Yorkshire Pudding said:
Makes it loads easier😂😂

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thats one way to do it!

am i being thick or can i not see an engine lifting point anywhere, certainly on mine anyway!

Krarl · Apr 3, 2022

Martin_172 said:
thats one way to do it!

am i being thick or can i not see an engine lifting point anywhere, certainly on mine anyway!

It comes in the towing pack mate. There'll be a lifting eye and the bolts for it too. Keeps it nice and fresh lol

aldo_87 · Apr 3, 2022

Martin_172 said:
I've had a 200 box with the shorter 1-3rd gear ratios for this for a while with new synchro's to fit and a new clutch to fit at the time but never got round to it until my Mrs used it for ONE DAY and managed to break it!!!!! in her defence the slave cylinder failed and she lost the clutch pedal so i pulled it home on a tow pole on the back of the kangoo work horse and dumped it at my house to come back to another day.

The legend @aldo_87 is doing the synchro's for me as he's got more experience than my zero!
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Surprize surprize the syncros are on their way out on that box too, the guy I bought it from did say they were ok! but obviously i was going to change them anyway.

This morning i went out with the intention of pulling the box to swap the clutch over ready for the box being finished but things got out of hand quickly when i decided i may as well pull the engine and box in one go and do the belts since they are long overdue (and it has a dodgy looking crankshaft damper pulley)
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I usually borrow an engine hoist from next door but decided its probably about time i had my own so its due Tuesday and ill finish the rest, ive just got the shafts to come out, gear linkage to remove and she should slide right out!

There's no warranty on the box btw... 🤭

Martin_172 · Apr 16, 2022

Been ticking away at this when I get time between other jobs!

5hrs from starting to having the engine and box out I was quite happy with!

Slave cylinder was leaking which was the cause of the loss of clutch pedal as expected, looks like its never had a clutch in its 80k miles and wasnt far away from needing done anyway!

Cleaned up the bay, I'm on the hunt for a new or good condition sound deadening for the rear of the bay as it was disintegrating . Also painted the alternator brackets, mounts and timing cover to give it a fresh look when its back together!

Gave the engine block a paint too while i was at it, Ill pull the inlets off and clean everything else up once its back in the bay.

Going to do the belts, and clutch this week. @aldo_87 shouldn't be far away with the gearbox and it can go back in!

Djw John · Apr 16, 2022

Surprised at the nick of that clutch for those miles.

But you knew when you bought it the gearbox would be off it before you sold it again.

aldo_87 · Apr 20, 2022

3rd and 4th synchros swapped, new bearing on, just waiting on a new locking bolt arriving.

Home made tool for driving the shift fork roll pin in. Hopefully it works 😬

Martin_172 · May 7, 2022

Finally back together, I hadn't ordered the camshaft seals, but the exhaust one was weeping slightly so I changed them, so that was a delay.
I couldn't get the crank sprocket off (if I knew it was keyed I wouldn't have bothered taking it off!!!) so had to use a bit of heat so wanted to change the crankshaft seal so that was another delay.
I managed to put a little crack in the ring round the crank sprocket when removing, so that was ANOTHER delay!

But finally everything arrived so that was tonight's job, All timed up and back together. This was the first time I've ever done an F4R belt so was much easier getting my head around it out of the car!, took me 3 attempts to get it spot on where the horseshoe would slide in perfectly.

so all together the car has had:

Cambelt kit
Waterpump
aux belt kit
dephaser
camshaft oil seal kit
crankshaft oil seal
crank sprocket
crankshaft damper pulley
exhaust manifold gasket
3rd and 4th gear synchros
input shaft oil seal and driveshaft oil seals
a few gearbox bearings

I'm waiting on a new 200 cup steering rack coming since the car has full 200 cup suspension, along with, now, a 200 cup gearbox with shorter 1st, 2nd and 3rd gear ratios so I may as well complete the full package!, Also i got new sound deadening material for the rear of the engine bay as the old stuff was falling apart and the steering column goes through it so I may as well remove the rack to swap it all over properly without cutting it!

Lets hope she doesn't go bang when I turn the key

..........

Poopensharten · May 7, 2022

Amazing mate! You’ve probably learned a good bit of knowledge along the way annaw!

Martin_172 · May 12, 2022

200 cup rack and new under bonnet sound deadening arrived thinks to @renaultpartsdirect awesome service as usual!

Started throwing it back in tonight this was the only pic I got due to it being dark but it's in, mounted and all wiring done so tomorrow is just the shafts, coolant and AC, fluids then moment of truth!

Martin_172 · May 16, 2022

I don't know how I managed to set my camera to some mad Instagram like mode with blurring backgrounds that the kids all use today but here we go! SHE RUNS! and runs well! its like a new car, the engine is super quiet (I had loads of rotational noise from the noisy water pump, worn damper pulley and worn aux tensioner)

Steering feels lovely with the fresh rack, alignment is slightly out as I done it by eye, but its booked into ProGrip a week today to get setup, then a fresh MOT!

Martin_172 · May 19, 2022

In today at Pro-Grip to have the alignment done after everything has been off and the rack replaced, I done it by eye and didn't get too far away haha

Then took it for an MOT and it sailed through with a clean pass once i refitted the standard rear lights with fog light (i no longer work at a testing centre!

)

What a difference it now drives like a new car, the steering is lovely, the shorter rack making it feel a bit more keen on turn in! and the shorter 1st 2nd and 3rd gear ratios make it feel a bit nicer around town, hides its weight a little better!

Krarl · May 19, 2022

Martin_172 said:
(i no longer work at a testing centre! )

That old chestnut, it's alright, you can be honest with us👀🤣

Bluebeard · May 19, 2022

@Martin_172 - have you left your job then??

Martin_172 · May 19, 2022

Daniel said:
@Martin_172 - have you left your job then??

aye, few weeks back, people do say you should never work with friends..... especially ones with anger issues

Bluebeard · May 19, 2022

Martin_172 said:
aye, few weeks back, people do say you should never work with friends..... especially ones with anger issues

Oh dear. You can’t leave it like that! Spill the beans!

Where are you working now then?

Martin_172 · May 19, 2022

Daniel said:
Oh dear. You can’t leave it like that! Spill the beans!

Where are you working now then?

Currently an unemployed bum, loving life, my Mrs leaves me a list every day, i take my wee lass to school, I knock it off by 10am and spend the rest of the day in the garage until school finishes

looks like it might be a return back to the good old supermarkets after summer!

No juicy gossip unfortunately, he threw his toys out the pram at me over a member of staff going off due to being covid positive, I told him to calm down and don't speak to me like that, we will sort it, he told me to f**k off and he stormed off in his car. I then handed over to the office and went home until I got an apology, heard nothing by day end so emailed in my resignation, I was then swiftly removed from the staff WhatsApp group (lol) and as an admin on the Facebook page (lol) then got an email a few hours later stating I was to return my keys and come in ASAP and pay my outstanding parts bill of £350 - even though I had put in a chunk of cash to support stocking the new showroom (he has since returned it all in full)

Got a half apology a week later saying he cant remember what he said in the heat of the moment and didn't know he had the choice to not accept my resignation and given it was the end of the financial year he was so busy that he tried calling, couldn't get through so didn't know how else to apologise to me. - but he had escalated it so much at every stage that there really was no going back

It may seem extreme walking out over something like that but tbh, I took a big pay cut to go there, as I was fed up of retail, fancied a new challenge, the bigger picture of where the company was going, and being part of that. - and getting to combine my experience with my hobby. - In the time I was there we tripled the turnover, doubled the amount of staff we had, opened a second site, I completely overhaled the recruitment, actually gave people contracts/policies and procedures, re done the branding, advertising, social media. Moved from paper diaries to a full computerised setup - I LOVED the job I was managing every day, on the tools some times, valeting others, driving a huge variety of cars etc. - BUT my background is so people focused that I would NEVER in a million years speak to someone the way I was spoken to, and I couldn't allow someone to speak to me like that either. There had been issues retaining colleagues before I started, and issues with moral (I can now see why) - I done it out of principle - expecting either an apology and to be back that afternoon, or to leave if he didn't apologise as he needs to learn from it! (and I don't want to work for a company that treats people like that!)

I think to this day he thinks the reason we are not talking is because he told me to f**k off (and that I was being petty), not the actual reason of how much he escalated it at every stage and because he's stubborn, I'm stubborn - everyone's lost out and 15yrs of friendship has gone.

Krarl · May 20, 2022

Well done for having some self worth though Mart

Mates are only mates if you can brush it under the carpet afterwards. If he's not bothered to come round your house and sort things then he's not a mate

Bluebeard · May 20, 2022

Martin_172 said:
Currently an unemployed bum, loving life, my Mrs leaves me a list every day, i take my wee lass to school, I knock it off by 10am and spend the rest of the day in the garage until school finishes looks like it might be a return back to the good old supermarkets after summer!

No juicy gossip unfortunately, he threw his toys out the pram at me over a member of staff going off due to being covid positive, I told him to calm down and don't speak to me like that, we will sort it, he told me to f**k off and he stormed off in his car. I then handed over to the office and went home until I got an apology, heard nothing by day end so emailed in my resignation, I was then swiftly removed from the staff WhatsApp group (lol) and as an admin on the Facebook page (lol) then got an email a few hours later stating I was to return my keys and come in ASAP and pay my outstanding parts bill of £350 - even though I had put in a chunk of cash to support stocking the new showroom (he has since returned it all in full)

Got a half apology a week later saying he cant remember what he said in the heat of the moment and didn't know he had the choice to not accept my resignation and given it was the end of the financial year he was so busy that he tried calling, couldn't get through so didn't know how else to apologise to me. - but he had escalated it so much at every stage that there really was no going back

It may seem extreme walking out over something like that but tbh, I took a big pay cut to go there, as I was fed up of retail, fancied a new challenge, the bigger picture of where the company was going, and being part of that. - and getting to combine my experience with my hobby. - In the time I was there we tripled the turnover, doubled the amount of staff we had, opened a second site, I completely overhaled the recruitment, actually gave people contracts/policies and procedures, re done the branding, advertising, social media. Moved from paper diaries to a full computerised setup - I LOVED the job I was managing every day, on the tools some times, valeting others, driving a huge variety of cars etc. - BUT my background is so people focused that I would NEVER in a million years speak to someone the way I was spoken to, and I couldn't allow someone to speak to me like that either. There had been issues retaining colleagues before I started, and issues with moral (I can now see why) - I done it out of principle - expecting either an apology and to be back that afternoon, or to leave if he didn't apologise as he needs to learn from it! (and I don't want to work for a company that treats people like that!)

I think to this day he thinks the reason we are not talking is because he told me to f**k off (and that I was being petty), not the actual reason of how much he escalated it at every stage and because he's stubborn, I'm stubborn - everyone's lost out and 15yrs of friendship has gone.

I’m in an almost identical situation mate, it’s bizarre I could almost write that word for word about how I left Ellani.

But yesterday I was the bigger man and I made contact. I don’t want to lose the friendship but I sure as f**k won’t be working with him again.

Good luck to you. Takes a proper man to stick to his principles over money and I take my hat off to you. We’re a dying breed.

Martin_172 · May 20, 2022

Yorkshire Pudding said:
Well done for having some self worth though Mart

Mates are only mates if you can brush it under the carpet afterwards. If he's not bothered to come round your house and sort things then he's not a mate

Cheers mate, I agree, it wouldn't have been a hard thing for him to come sort if he wanted to.

Daniel said:
I’m in an almost identical situation mate, it’s bizarre I could almost write that word for word about how I left Ellani.

But yesterday I was the bigger man and I made contact. I don’t want to lose the friendship but I sure as f**k won’t be working with him again.

Good luck to you. Takes a proper man to stick to his principles over money and I take my hat off to you. We’re a dying breed.

I didn't realise you had left too mate, what you doing now?

People did warn me it's never good to work with friends or family but I thought it would be fine as we were both enthusiastic driven people but just shows.

At first I was just gob smacked at how little I appeared to be worth to him and told him my feelings and said I'm not falling out over it, but as time has gone on it's been eating at me and I want nothing to do with him now.

Bluebeard · May 20, 2022

Martin_172 said:
Cheers mate, I agree, it wouldn't have been a hard thing for him to come sort if he wanted to.

I didn't realise you had left too mate, what you doing now?

People did warn me it's never good to work with friends or family but I thought it would be fine as we were both enthusiastic driven people but just shows.

At first I was just gob smacked at how little I appeared to be worth to him and told him my feelings and said I'm not falling out over it, but as time has gone on it's been eating at me and I want nothing to do with him now.

It’s the reason friendship and business shouldn’t mix. We all end up seeing a side of people that we don’t like and had we seen it before we were friends, we wouldn’t have been friends.

I’m doing nothing. Been unemployed for about 2.5 months now iirc. I’ve no idea on timescales, the days blend in to one. 😂
When I left Ellani I had around 10 cars in his showroom so I took all of those and I e been selling them one at a time from my driveway. To be honest if I can make it work, i’ll just keep doing it. I see the kids loads, I’ve got loads of DIY done and I’ve gone from working 6.5 days a week to working around 1.5-2 days per week and I’m earning the same. So I’m in no rush to change. But that said, being at home this much does play havoc with my mental health.

What about you? What’s the plan now??

Martin_172 · May 20, 2022

Daniel said:
It’s the reason friendship and business shouldn’t mix. We all end up seeing a side of people that we don’t like and had we seen it before we were friends, we wouldn’t have been friends.

I’m doing nothing. Been unemployed for about 2.5 months now iirc. I’ve no idea on timescales, the days blend in to one. 😂
When I left Ellani I had around 10 cars in his showroom so I took all of those and I e been selling them one at a time from my driveway. To be honest if I can make it work, i’ll just keep doing it. I see the kids loads, I’ve got loads of DIY done and I’ve gone from working 6.5 days a week to working around 1.5-2 days per week and I’m earning the same. So I’m in no rush to change. But that said, being at home this much does play havoc with my mental health.

What about you? What’s the plan now??

I'm laughing away here as that is exactly what I'm doing 😂 - 6 weeks in, DIY, being a dad, selling cars, managing to make just enough for me to entertain myself.

I've said I'm taking the summer off, if at the end of the summer I've managed to keep myself earning enough to live, I'll see if I can keep going with it for a while, if not I'll go back to supermarkets (I'd rather not, but I know it's fairly easy for me to get in and make a decent living from it)

RustyMojo · May 20, 2022

Gents, sorry to read that you both have suffered similar abrupt changes to your employment. One of the great things about the motortrade is the ability to operate from home, at a reduced scale, but at a point where you can live and earn during periods of transition. Taking the summer off as a hiatus sounds like a great option for refocusing and assessing life. Ultimately I’m sure the changes will be for the better for you both! @Daniel, embrace the time to reflect mate. You have a great business ethic, which is completely devoid of most people in our industry. I genuinely believe the change will be absolutely positive for you old bean.

Clio_fool · May 20, 2022

It's a shame @Martin_172 and @Daniel aren't close as you would surely be a bloody good team! It takes big balls to stick to your principles and walk away but it's those principles that will see you both be successful. Best of luck to you both.

Martin_172 · Jun 6, 2022

Running sweet as a nut now, been putting miles on it and really really enjoying it!

Poopensharten · Jun 7, 2022

That is looking awesome mate, very well done

Iain C · Jun 10, 2022

Great project that. Amazing work

Martin_172 · Jun 10, 2022

Love how wide it looks while still being subtle in black! - Id love a 200 diffuser for it, keeping my eyes open for a reasonably priced one!

Martin_172 · Jun 19, 2022

Gear knob had always let it down! Was at the scrappys today and seen a Laguna coupe, ideal as I knew what I wanted from it 😂

Clio_fool · Jun 19, 2022

Now that's a great swap. I'm going to have to ring some scrap yards now 😂.

Martin_172 · Oct 1, 2022

Not much to report on this lately! The ABS and ESP light came on with a warning for the rear ABS sensor so assumed it would be the brackets that hold the ABS sensor in as its fairly common for them to corrode to nothing....

While i was there i done rear discs and pads on it since the discs were due anyway, and decided to give the arch liners a tidy up! (Excuse the red brake line not my doing!!!! replacements on route as one has been cut and joined.)

Martin_172 · Oct 1, 2022

another silly job, while at the scrappys i grabbed good condition rear eyelets from the rear foot well as mine were rusty! - A small job but they all add up!

Martin_172 · Nov 23, 2022

I just keep getting deeper and deeper on this thing!! - When I done the rear brakes I found that the rear brake pipes on the beam had been cut and joined at some point, assume due to an MOT failure which is odd as the rest of the pipes are like new! - Luckily they are still available from Renault so ordered a pair

no fitted pics as its a shite job to do, outside in the cold, and you cant see much for the diffuser! - I took the chance to stick a set of KTR braided brake hoses on while i was at it, when fitting the fronts it remembered me how s**t the front calipers looked, and how poor the motor factor special front brakes were!

Big order from Kam Racing, both front calipers, set of brembo HC discs and Mintex M1144 pads

I did order a new fitting kit too but, tbh, i dont like them and have instead ordered the better pins with the R clips that dont seize in the calipers! - So waiting on them coming so thats where im up to!...

The gates thermostat that i fitted last year appeared to be sticking open causing it to struggle to get upto temp, that will be why...

In the bin it went and a genuine one now in its place!

Stefan. · Nov 23, 2022

Awesome!

Martin_172 · Mar 11, 2023

Been daily driving it so not many updates, just loads of visits to the petrol station.

I did treat it to a new gear gaitor though from kolourKoncept.co.uk really nice addition

Martin_172 · Mar 23, 2023

a delivery from Mr Henk @ Fastchip!

Usual quality of map from Fastchip, awesome, From cold start the car is transformed, it used to kangaroo and be borderline dangerous joining the motorway 30 seconds from my work when it was cold.

Car has also gained a little mid range where it needs it most but most surprisingly the last 2000rpm in the rev range is where I've noticed the biggest difference much keener - Money well spent!

Surprisingly the average MPG risen 1MPG and climbing too!

Martin_172 · Nov 14, 2023

Ahhh good old MK3 ownership! - it had been using a bit of oil which was unusual for an F4R in my experience as none of mine have ever used any, not an issue as I do about 1000 miles a year in it, except with my new job I've been banging it back and forward to Glasgow and hadn't given it too much thought....... anyway, it says oil OK every time I start it.......

Cue coming flat out into a roundabout one day chasing @SSN11 in his 200 cup being followed by BEEP BEEP BEEP and oil pressure failure on the screen. Took almost 4 litres to get it back onto the dipstick!

thought I had got off lucky until the following day i heard a slight knock on throttle, balls!

Stu @ Renomotive sorted me out with a 200 engine with 65k on the clock, so yesterday i got tore in!

My clutch is just over 12 months old and my box was rebuilt at the same time so it was a straight swap over for those, new engine has just had genuine belts, dephaser, waterpump etc recently so i quickly pulled off the end caps to check the timing, spot on, so in it went!