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My Clio Journey



  Clio Ph2 172
Had my car for a while now, and never started one of these threads before. But with my story, I thought I should. We'll start from the beginning,

Having gone through a few hot hatches and never making "The Bond" I went in search for a Clio 172. The initial plan was to get a PH1, but then I found this.

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I bought it in early September 2010 for £2500 with just 23k on the clock. FSH, HPI clear, it was all clean as whistle. The back seats had never been sat in and it the interior overall was in fantastic conditions and still smelt new. For some strange reason though, the driver’s side mat was missing annoyingly. I’m guessing it’s because she went through the mat with her shoe and kept on catching it. The belts hadn’t been done either, so the car stood me at 3k.

I was a happy man! The car pulled strong and I felt just great and so confident in it. My friend bought a 206 GTI 180 shortly after and in all honesty there rubbish to get moving and low range. They just don’t feel as eager to go as the Clio. Mind you once there going, there pretty much the same mid-range and top end. No mods were planned at the time; I was just enjoying having my Clio. I always wanted one, and now I had a mint one!

Christmas came, and my brother returned from Australia and was in need of a car. With the Clio being a second car and me having use of a company van I happily let him borrow mine. Christmas came and went but on 9th of January, I was woken to a phone call I just didn’t need at all.

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Somehow, he ended up smashing into the kerb from the driver’s side, but in my brother’s defence, the roads were just appalling. I very nearly hit my own car when I went to see it!

The stub axle was destroyed and the rear axle was probably bent considering the wheel had been ripped off. The dent less body now had damage to the rear quarter and the rear bumper was cracked. What made things worse was the side airbag had gone off, along with the driver’s and rear passenger seat belt pretention going off. My new car smell interior was ruined. Whilst my brother went to hospital to check himself out. I stayed with the car waiting for the recovery truck, thinking this car was finished and how bloody slippy and FREEZING it was. A few hours later, someone opposite the roundabout lost central and smashed into the kerb smashing there axle to bits!

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The recovery depot my insurance was with was a no show. I hadn’t eaten all day and I was really really, REALLY COLD! The police then got involved and said I needed to get rid of it soon or they would. I therefore took it upon myself to get it recovered myself and work something out with the insurance later.

After weeks trying to sort the insurance out, long story short, I decided not to claim on my insurance. With running two cars and having a claim on my record, I was financially better off not claiming. And for saving the insurance company money they thanked me by making my car a CAT C. (Another stab from the insurance)

With a now a worthless car, I planned on stripping it, but I just couldn’t bring myself to it. I wanted one of these cars for so long and I barely got drive it. If I stripped it, I wouldn’t buy another. So I fixed it up instead and I would just keep it to till the end.

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Total cost to repair was a little over £1500 which was well over what I expected. (Did have a few misses on parts) but I don’t care. It was worth every penny. When I go a run out and blast it down the country roads all is well and I’m happy.

So what’s next? Well I’m in the middle of moving house at the moment, so the Clio will be staying as it is. But I’d like to have it running at 200bhp and doing away with those springs for some coil overs!
From this experience I would give the following tips
- If you loan your car out, always make them aware of your terms. This whole thing nearly cost me the relationship I have with my brother and if you have the ground rules in place then there’s no arguments.
- Insurance companies will always try to pull your pants down!
Thanks for reading.
 
  172 ph1
Be strong mate. You don't have to argue with your brother about that, s**t happens and we all know that...

Take care of your car, as you previously did so, and always remember to have fun with it.
 
  clio 1.2
seems like bad luck the money is a kick in the teeth but i bet the car means much more to you know after seeing it at its best and worst time and no back better then before
 
  Bus w**ker
I might be being dumb here, but how have the insurance company categorised it if the claim was never completed?
 
  Megane RS 250
Good story...I had an accident too recently and the repair cost was around 2k euros (respraying a few additional panels), but I decided to fix it and go on.
I wouldn't raccomend a 172 to anyone who doesn't want to fix, service and upgrade the car and just want something to go around with no worries, but it's so good to drive and it has such talents (power to weight ratio, comforts, mpg, handling) that when the moment to replace it will come I'll regret it.

I agree with you about loaning the car to anyone, just tell them loud and clear that if they crash it they have to fix it...
 
  Clio Ph2 172
seems like bad luck the money is a kick in the teeth but i bet the car means much more to you know after seeing it at its best and worst time and no back better then before

Money was a bit onthe steep side, but your right it means so much more to me now than it did before. Think I would probably regretted it, if stripped it.

I might be being dumb here, but how have the insurance company categorised it if the claim was never completed?

I went through this with the insurance, there argument was once an engineer has assessed the damage and given it a catergory it is marked on the database. the whole situation just went round in circles, and I was just getting no where. But I agree, if you don't claim sure your car isn't put down as catergory? Seemed to fall on death ears tbh
 
  Clio Ph2 172
Good story...I had an accident too recently and the repair cost was around 2k euros (respraying a few additional panels), but I decided to fix it and go on.
I wouldn't raccomend a 172 to anyone who doesn't want to fix, service and upgrade the car and just want something to go around with no worries, but it's so good to drive and it has such talents (power to weight ratio, comforts, mpg, handling) that when the moment to replace it will come I'll regret it.

I agree with you about loaning the car to anyone, just tell them loud and clear that if they crash it they have to fix it...

I would recommend a 172, but just warn them that servicing and parts can be pricey. But I agree, for the price these cars go for now, you can't get better for less. Although my car has cost me allot of money. I still think I've got value for money. I love it!
 
  Clio Sport 1.2 16V
A car is a car at the end of the day, shame stuff like this happens I can't afford to have anything done to my Clio right now insurance is crippling me at £2500 a month up from £900 since I hit the side of a focus, you paid a lot less than me for the car I paid £3500 for my Clio, devastating stuff. Hope everything goes well looks like a real mint example of a well kept car
 
  1.2 Dynamique 16v
Looks like a lovely car. Shame that happened to it, but glad you didn't lose your bro because of it!
 
  Clio Ph2 172
A car is a car at the end of the day, shame stuff like this happens I can't afford to have anything done to my Clio right now insurance is crippling me at £2500 a month up from £900 since I hit the side of a focus, you paid a lot less than me for the car I paid £3500 for my Clio, devastating stuff. Hope everything goes well looks like a real mint example of a well kept car

Insurance is crippling everyone at the moment. I thought my days of paying insurance over 1k were well over, but I was so wrong. that was one of the main reasons why i didn't claim on my insrance was the increase the premium was going to be. And with running two cars, it would of finished me!

Looks like a lovely car. Shame that happened to it, but glad you didn't lose your bro because of it!

Thanks mate, as he saying goes...Bro's before ho's!
 
  306 GTI-6
I would be surprised if you cant have that category taken off, as no claim was ever made.

NIce to see it looking good though.
 


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