New Member - Looking to buy! :)

[oli99]

Hi all

New member here, looking to buy a Clio 182. No real preference on colour as I am aware from research that service history and quality have to be put first!

Currently in a 2019 Fiesta ST (amazing car) but planning on selling that v soon and move in to something much more cheap and cheerful after buying my first house.

Looking for tips on buying and interesting adverts that are worth investigating as well as things to look out for along side the obvious!
TIA

Oli

 

[Superwoman90]

Welcome to the forum.
Best advice I can give is be patient for the right car. Try and obtain the 182 Cup (Full Fat) model. Make sure dephaser, timing belt/tensioners, water pump etc have been done plus a good level of service history helps. These cars are pretty bullet proof if they have good service history.

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

Try and obtain the 182 Cup (Full Fat) model.

That's a contradiction in itself.


Buy the best model you can afford - don't get hung up on 172, 182, cups, packs, full fat this and that..

All (almost) utterly irrelevant, especially as the newest mk2's are 15 years old now, so buy on condition, not miles.

172 Cup has no ABS / TC and a cloth interior but are sky rocketing in value.

172/182 only major difference is the exhaust, apart from the colour of the paint.

Pick a budget, find a car - become a member - I'm sure there'll be cars for sale on here you like, and you generally get to see the cars history as well.


Good luck & welcome !

 

[Paulie031]

Welcome, it's pretty good in here having only bought my 172 18 months ago. Might be worth saying where you are in the country as someone local to you might be able to give you a few pointers 🙂

 

[Luke 172]

Make sure the dephaser and belt are done or the car is cheap enough to have it done.
Rush the gearbox and see if it crunches in 2nd / 3rd
Check for rear sill and arch corrosion fuel cap etc.
The rest is simple really, a very diy friendly car that’s rewarding to drive fast and actually not bad on running costs


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[plenty]

Buy the best model you can afford - don't get hung up on 172, 182, cups, packs, full fat this and that..

All (almost) utterly irrelevant, especially as the newest mk2's are 15 years old now, so buy on condition, not miles.

Absolutely this. These are 16+ year-old cars...the difference in condition between individual examples today far outweighs spec differences (which were all relatively minor) when they were new. The exceptions to that rule are the Phase 1 172 and the Trophy which are niche models.

 

[Darren S]

@oli99 - Welcome aboard!

If you find a decent one, they are still a cracking car. You'll be reaching for a gearchange far more often than what you'd probably do in your current ST and it won't feel as quick through the lack of torque. BUT - they are proper fun cars and as others - condition is far more important than mileage. By a country mile.

Typical problems and things to look out for, I'd say:-

• Check for cambelt/auxiliary history - not only for the times that it's been done, but also by who? A reputable specialist is a given as the fitting specifics required are key. Get them wrong and potentially its bye-bye engine.
• Rust is kept in check on these pretty well. However, key areas are the petrol filler cap (very common to rust from the inside out) and at the bottom of the cills.
• Mileage is a secondary thought if the car has been maintained well. 150k can easily be had on the clock with the recommended servicing.
• Gearbox and driveshafts can be weak. I had one of the latter go pop, pulling out of a junction. @NorthloopCup is the man on here to contact regarding any gearbox woes or concerns. Listen out for crunches - these could be indicative of a tired 'box. The gearboxes themselves aren't a fan of being rushed.
• The Govt. doesn't like these any more - considering the 2.0litre lump to be derty. You're north of £300 per year in road tax now.
• Exhaust manifolds are strong - but the flange area connecting them to the CAT gets tired after all these years. Very prone to corrosion and failing - noticeable with strong fumes entering the car when sat in traffic.
• Consumables such as brakes and tyres are totally acceptable for what the car 'is'. @George@RTR_Parts is the go-to for brake options here.
• They are very frugal on oil. Although it's always best practice to check regularly and put decent stuff in there - they aren't as fussy as the high-revving Honda units.
• I find that they run a lot better on a diet of super unleaded. Mine is mapped to that anyway now, but even in standard form - I always put the decent stuff in.
• Saggy exhaust tips aren't necessarily a danger sign. The hanging brackets and fitting can be a test of patience and some people simply don't bother. In the highly unlikely event that your new purchase has an OEM backbox - get rid. Weedy peashooter exit pipes - noise that is quieter than a Nissan LEAF, very heavy and rust like buggery. Just crap all round.
• Set aside a couple of £hundred for fresh bushes, TREs and wheel alignment. A whole myriad of poor driving experiences have been sorted in the past by relatively cheap replacements and making sure that that front end is running straight.

Whereabouts are you, btw? There might be a specialist nearby to you who would probably be happy to spend a bit of time with you to discuss these further?

 

[oli99]

Huge thanks for all the replies everyone, a lot has happened over last two weeks and I haven’t updated this! I picked up an 04 titanium 182 at end of last week as my fiesta sold much faster than expected and I was stuck carless!

As for the car it is in decent condition with fsh and 99k, all belts last changed at 72k but was nearly 7 years ago so they’re top of my list to get sorted after I get paid at end of month as I know it won’t be cheap but fortunately got the car at a price that left me room to get them done ASAP A few other less serious bits to be done over next few months by myself, am looking forward to the project

I am based in Warwickshire so am thinking of visiting Sean Edwards in Solihull/Shirley to get the car looked over and to do the big belt change.

Totally different experience to the ST but surprisingly I don’t miss it, it’s turbo and all it’s mod cons one bit!... yet 😬