My track172 Project

[trackdayclio]

Hey, not been around for long, to know a little about my previous cars see here:
http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?t=419126

OK, so I was clean for 5 months, 5 months I tell theee, without a track-toy, but I've fallen well and truely off the wagon It's an addiction that I'm not going to bother trying to cure anymore, just going to live with it!

I repainted my garage floor very quickly in preperation for some new tyres

Now for pics of the car, see how many pics down it takes to realise whose it is/ was, this is how I pretty much picked it up

Interior has been semi-stripped, with the addition of a Cobra Evolution bucket seat...

Along with a pair of 3" 4 point Willans harnesses

It has a OMP 320mm steering wheel, complete with no horn lol

Still guessing?

Uh ho! Yup, Rexe's old Ph1 RS Clio 172, paintwork is alreet

So it's:

2001 RenaultSport Clio 172
2.0 16v
Max Powahhhh Induction kit, with CADs instead of fogs
Cobra Evolution seat
2x Willans 3" 4pt harnesses
YozzaSport Exhaust system with decat
Brembomax disks, with Ferrodo DS2500 pads
HIDs
Rosejointed Quickshift
Willams alloys
and also got a alloy bonnet, which is uber light thrown in aswell.

First impressions, I must say, are that I don't know why I didn't do one sooner, they pretty much perform from out of the box, very little been done to it, and I'm very chuffed.

On the shopping list that isn't allowed to be, so far, is a set of decent coilovers, and a diff

Your thoughts would be nice, however it probably looks just like everyone elses pretty much lol

 

[Guppy]

Looking forward to see what you do with this.

Pics look good

 

[maynard]

looks a good start that!

 

[Jay Payne]

Olly, welcome!


Loved your Nova bud, read the whole thread after you sent me the link on Youtube. Very impressed and I stole a few of your ideas for my car (AX wiper)

Looking forward to seeing what you can make of this car

 

[trackdayclio]

No way, so you're the Burp on my YouTube channel... wicked! haha

Already I'm after a set of decent coilovers, another Cobra Evolution bucket seat, or Suzuka... a plate diff too.

I do have some track-orientated questions about the chassis on the Clio's, is it best to ask here? or better to ask on a seperate thread you reckon?

 

[Jay Payne]

Ask away chap, im listening, I may be able to help but you may get more replies if you start a new thread. Best doing a search first as there is loads of info on here, very busy forum.

And if your not busy and fancy a read...........

http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?t=296190

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

Jay was just telling me about your Nova build, sounds and looks crazy lol!

I'll be intrigued as to what you can do with a 172!

 

[trackdayclio]

Burp, thanks for the link - another one added to my favourites that I'll begin to read ASAP ...

OK, so the first few questions I have, is...

Due to all the windows being bonded in (rear quarters and rear screen) as opposed to just held in by rubbers (ala Nova), does this mean they offer some significant rigidity to the chassis itself, like the windscreen? (read between the lines, ie: I wanna remove them/ smash them and rivet polycarb in there, so then I can lose the elecs, and gut out the door innards, and fit sliders)

Are fibreglass panels easily accessible for the Ph1s? ie: bonnet & boot, albeit I already have an alloy bonnet that I'll sling on

Finally, I presume coilovers are all just a 'personal taste' thing, similar to what was used on the Novas? ie: everyone raves about a certain make, but unless you try others, you'll never know? for instance I ran Spax RSX on my Nova and loved them, wouldn't have changed them for anything (albeit completely custom spring rates), yet, ask nearly anyone on PNG, and they'll all rate GAZ all day long, and Spax would be right at the bottom of the list! Is there any major ones to avoid?

Following on, spring rates, I ran 350lb fronts, and 450lb rears, is this a similar setup to what would be used on a track orientated Clio?

Sorry for all what might seem like easy questions to you french veterans

Dan, thanks for the comments matey, hopefully it'll turn into something nice - whose Jay?

 

[powey]

Gaz are the black sheep on CS and everyone will warn you to steer clear...

http://www.smdracing.co.uk/ do fibreglass parts

as for spring rates around 4-450lb is what most run up front

 

[Jay Payne]

Burp, thanks for the link - another one added to my favourites that I'll begin to read ASAP ...

OK, so the first few questions I have, is...

Due to all the windows being bonded in (rear quarters and rear screen) as opposed to just held in by rubbers (ala Nova), does this mean they offer some significant rigidity to the chassis itself, like the windscreen? (read between the lines, ie: I wanna remove them/ smash them and rivet polycarb in there, so then I can lose the elecs, and gut out the door innards, and fit sliders)

Not sure if they add strength tbh. I doubt it seeing as Renault have put poly carbs in the R26R Megane.

Finally, I presume coilovers are all just a 'personal taste' thing, similar to what was used on the Novas? ie: everyone raves about a certain make, but unless you try others, you'll never know? for instance I ran Spax RSX on my Nova and loved them, wouldn't have changed them for anything (albeit completely custom spring rates), yet, ask nearly anyone on PNG, and they'll all rate GAZ all day long, and Spax would be right at the bottom of the list! Is there any major ones to avoid?

Following on, spring rates, I ran 350lb fronts, and 450lb rears, is this a similar setup to what would be used on a track orientated Clio?

If you search on here then H&R are very popular. They have fixed damping and imo are too stiff for the road and too soft for track use. I had them but wasnt that keen on the stock spring rates also. As you say alot of it is down to personal taste. Stock they were 400lbs front and a progressive rear, I ended up with 800lbs srpings on the rear to get the car to stop understeering (axle ratio of 2:1 means they were effectively giving a spring rate of 400lb)

Most of the coilover kits availabe keep the rear spring in the stock position (On the axle)

The AST's in running now convert to a coilover rear shock in the same way as the race cars used to run (very few kits do this and its apparently much better)

Springs are 450lb front and 400lb rear, I have some 450lb rear springs on order for a similar reason as with the h&r's (understeer) I like the rear of the car to be a little looser than it is now.

So going by my findings id say that the spring rates need to be similar front to rear, just my opinion on my car. The next person my disagree.

The beauty of having the ast's for m is the guy who supplies/builds them in the uk is based 5 mins away from my house so servicing/parts etc is easy. Plus he can build them to what ever spec you like (3 way adjustable if you have the £££)

Will be getting mine rebuilt and revalved this winter, more track focused, maybe with 600lb springs

whose Jay?

That would be me

 

[trackdayclio]

Awesome, plenty of info for me to getting into there, thanks for your time in replying

Secondly, apologies for not know you're Jay... I'm still gonna call you Burp if ever we meet

Ok, so I can remove all the glass from the car, which is good news, I'll get a sheet of polycarb ordered so I can make some replacements up, 2mm FTW for ultimate lightness lol

I hear ya on the coilovers, and it sounds like we have similar driving style where we like the rear end to be a little lighter than most when turning in.

Not sure if you saw on my Nova, but on my rear suspension, because I didn't want to turret the rears, but I still wanted height and damper adjustability, I did this (links below), which enabled to keep the spring in the stock location (on the beam) and the shocker only in the arch, so I didn't have any clearence issues, might be worth me looking into doing something similar again maybe

here
http://www.pngclub.com/forum/showpost.php?p=879076&postcount=1019

here
http://www.pngclub.com/forum/showpost.php?p=879079&postcount=1021

and here
http://www.pngclub.com/forum/showpost.php?p=879080&postcount=1022

 

[trackdayclio]

Bought another Cobra Evolution seat and subframe, need to collect it from Swindon soon.

On the lookout still for some coilovers at the moment too

 

[Jay Payne]

Ah see what you mean now about the rear springs, did see it in your Nova thread but it was such a long read id forgot, Lol. Suppose it could be done to a Clio. Not seen it done on one before so you could be the first. Alot of people take out the adjusters to get the car as low as possible bu sometimes its still not low enough for them.

Mine is actually quite high compaired to some on here, lower isnt always better for handling

 

[trackdayclio]

You're certainly correct on that front! the main reason I left the adjusters in was for cornerweighting.

Loving yours btw, replied on your thread, took me nigh 2 hours, but well worth it

 

[Tony Hunter]

Look's like another interesting one coming along.

 

[trackdayclio]

Thanks for the comments/ interest chaps.

Opted for coilovers allround instead of doing what I did on the Nova on the rear, that way it's easier for me to change and mess around with spring rates, and lengths accordingly

Bought a stealth exhaust system today (2 silencers), along with a KTR silenced decat, which should keep the dBs to a more sensible rate for the tracks.

This also enables me to sell on my Yozzasport system & decat

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

Are you a photographer m8? I really like the lighting used on the interior shots

Soz for going off topic, but I thought I'd ask

 

[trackdayclio]

Yup, certainly am

My website is awfully out of date, but feel free to check it out anyway

www.NeoCapture.co.uk

 

[trackdayclio]

Just ordered some coilovers allound, opted for 450lb allround, with Jays help deciding - cheers bud

8" open length front and rear, 2.25" ID at front, 1.9" ID at rear

Should be here soon, along with new seat & exhaust system, then I can start progressing

 

[f0xy]

nice progress, hopefully meet it and you on a track sometime soon!

 

[trackdayclio]

cheers f0xy, I've been constantly watching your project thread too!

I'm looking out for some solid top mounts, to complement the coilovers, I presume there is a huge difference between Comp-Brake, AST, Mark Fish and K-Tec ones...?

 

[f0xy]

I think some require the strut tops to be drilled, and others fit without drilling...

I have the AST ones, which require no drilling, straight fitment...Ive not been in a car with any of the others, but I can say solid top mounts by far made a noticeable difference to the drive, and the 'feel' a lot more 'together' compared to standard top mounts....well worth the money!