172 Cup
Hi everyone,
Thought post this in the 'Projects' section even though this post is really introducing myself and my car.
(I will be doing a lot of work on it over the next few weeks)
After a lot of saving and research I’ve finally gone for it and bought a 172 Cup for track days, so hope to catch some of you at events in the future.
Was £1500 for an ‘03’ with 79kmiles on the clock.
The car has clearly been tracked before with well kerbed front wheels and a normal tattered steering wheel making things a little suspect.
Service history is basic but regular – full Renault up to about 45k, and then local garages every 10k and changed owner a couple of times since.
Whoever had it between around 2008- late 2010 was a member of ClioSport as his membership card was still in the tax disc holder – anyone know a Daniel Cook from the North West?
I’m guessing whoever had it after him has had the same agenda as me – so I hope that there is still some life left in it!
So – my aim is to make sure it has got the best chance possible of lasting me a few more years of track days.
I would greatly appreciate any guidance of ‘must dos’ / ‘must checks’ / ‘must replace’ for a Clio that I effectively know nothing about – so I’m taking everything as a worst case really.
(I know about the dephaser pulley – I can’t work out if it’s knocking or it’s the sound of the injectors ticking away. Anyway, it’s not as bad as some of the videos from ClioSport on YouTube!)
What I have done / planning to do to in preparation (I’ve got everything listed already - going to be fitted over the Easter Weekend and the following one):
My only concerns remain with the fact that the ‘bottom half’ of the engine (alternator / water pump level) is very corroded, and there was plenty of collected power steering fluid crap all over the pump / alternator and old aux belt – probably a leak but I hope nothing too much to worry about.
My fear of course is that I am about to put all of the above into a dud of a car, but that’s always the feeling you’re going to have – it’s seen 79kmiles before falling into my hands of course.
Without doing anything the car does run okay. It has started every time and there is no noticeable engine / gearbox knocking (although most sounds would be drowned out by the currently exhaust which is on it).
I’ll start putting up a few pictures of the work I am carrying out over the Easter Weekend.
Any comments or guidance would be very much appreciated.
Nigel
Thought post this in the 'Projects' section even though this post is really introducing myself and my car.
(I will be doing a lot of work on it over the next few weeks)
After a lot of saving and research I’ve finally gone for it and bought a 172 Cup for track days, so hope to catch some of you at events in the future.
Was £1500 for an ‘03’ with 79kmiles on the clock.
The car has clearly been tracked before with well kerbed front wheels and a normal tattered steering wheel making things a little suspect.
Service history is basic but regular – full Renault up to about 45k, and then local garages every 10k and changed owner a couple of times since.
Whoever had it between around 2008- late 2010 was a member of ClioSport as his membership card was still in the tax disc holder – anyone know a Daniel Cook from the North West?
I’m guessing whoever had it after him has had the same agenda as me – so I hope that there is still some life left in it!
So – my aim is to make sure it has got the best chance possible of lasting me a few more years of track days.
I would greatly appreciate any guidance of ‘must dos’ / ‘must checks’ / ‘must replace’ for a Clio that I effectively know nothing about – so I’m taking everything as a worst case really.
(I know about the dephaser pulley – I can’t work out if it’s knocking or it’s the sound of the injectors ticking away. Anyway, it’s not as bad as some of the videos from ClioSport on YouTube!)
What I have done / planning to do to in preparation (I’ve got everything listed already - going to be fitted over the Easter Weekend and the following one):
- New Belt kit – incl. Tensioner Pulley and Aux Belt.
- New Water Pump – and obviously coolant
- Transmission Fluid
- Forte Engine Flush
- Oil Change& Filter
- Forte Fuel Flush
- DOT 5.1 Brake Fluid
- NGK Platinum Plugs & Inlet Manifold Gasket Change
- Completely new exhaust – Cat through to and incl. Silencer & New Hangers.
- DS2500 Front and Rear Pads
- Brembo Front ‘Standard’ Vented Discs
- Mintex Rear ‘Standard’ Vented Discs
- Pipercross Basic Induction Kit (came with car unfortunately)
- Cold Air Feed Pipe.
- Exhaust Manifold Heat Wrap
- OMP Front and Rear Strut Braces
- Completely cleaned out the engine bay as much I could – was a bit of a sorry state when I got it.
- Replaced Fuses with new ones.
My only concerns remain with the fact that the ‘bottom half’ of the engine (alternator / water pump level) is very corroded, and there was plenty of collected power steering fluid crap all over the pump / alternator and old aux belt – probably a leak but I hope nothing too much to worry about.
My fear of course is that I am about to put all of the above into a dud of a car, but that’s always the feeling you’re going to have – it’s seen 79kmiles before falling into my hands of course.
Without doing anything the car does run okay. It has started every time and there is no noticeable engine / gearbox knocking (although most sounds would be drowned out by the currently exhaust which is on it).
I’ll start putting up a few pictures of the work I am carrying out over the Easter Weekend.
Any comments or guidance would be very much appreciated.
Nigel
