Newbie

[DaveK101]

Hi All,

I'm hoping to get myself a Clio Cup for some track days. The search has started and I've got a couple I'm going to have a look at. Most of the cars all appear to be either needing a Cam Belt urgently or not far off needing one. I understand the costs involved and which bits should be done at the same time. My question is recommendations for a Renault savy specialist / garage in the Warwickshire area? I'd prefer to hand the car over to someone with knowledge of the cars rather than just a random garage.

Thanks all

Dave K

 

[Jenesaisqoui]

Hi All,

I'm hoping to get myself a Clio Cup for some track days. The search has started and I've got a couple I'm going to have a look at. Most of the cars all appear to be either needing a Cam Belt urgently or not far off needing one. I understand the costs involved and which bits should be done at the same time. My question is recommendations for a Renault savy specialist / garage in the Warwickshire area? I'd prefer to hand the car over to someone with knowledge of the cars rather than just a random garage.

Thanks all

Dave K

Hi Dave,

It's imperative the work is done by a specialist, as even the most minor deviation in timing will lead to a huge loss in power and an engine which, put frankly, runs horribly. The first 182 I owned (before I realised the importance of cam timing on these engines) had a set of belts from a regular garage, of which I can only speculate did not have the correct timing tools nor experience to work on these engines. The thing sounded like a tank, drank fuel quicker than my old m3 and produced power akin to the 1.2 Dynamique I had as a wee teen. I couldn't believe it was the same engine after having the belts changed at a specialist, the difference was simply staggering; huge improvements in MPG, acceleration and sound - the whole shabang (running a healthy 183 bhp)!

Cost wise you'll be looking at upwards of £500 with the full belt kits. I also recommend changing the water pump at the same time, it's extremely cheap and is usually done in conjunction with the belt change, and gives you peace of mind in the long run (search water pump failure on here for further info).

Best of luck in the search, these vehicles really are a joy to own (well, most of the time).

 

[Mar172]

Welcome dave

 

[DaveK101]

Hi Dave,

It's imperative the work is done by a specialist, as even the most minor deviation in timing will lead to a huge loss in power and an engine which, put frankly, runs horribly. The first 182 I owned (before I realised the importance of cam timing on these engines) had a set of belts from a regular garage, of which I can only speculate did not have the correct timing tools nor experience to work on these engines. The thing sounded like a tank, drank fuel quicker than my old m3 and produced power akin to the 1.2 Dynamique I had as a wee teen. I couldn't believe it was the same engine after having the belts changed at a specialist, the difference was simply staggering; huge improvements in MPG, acceleration and sound - the whole shabang (running a healthy 183 bhp)!

Cost wise you'll be looking at upwards of £500 with the full belt kits. I also recommend changing the water pump at the same time, it's extremely cheap and is usually done in conjunction with the belt change, and gives you peace of mind in the long run (search water pump failure on here for further info).

Best of luck in the search, these vehicles really are a joy to own (well, most of the time).

Thanks for the detailed reply. TBH this was my expectation hence looking for a specialist who knows what they are doing with these engines. The tip on the waterpump is appreciated also. I just need to find someone in my area that is trustworthy!

 

[Jenesaisqoui]

Thanks for the detailed reply. TBH this was my expectation hence looking for a specialist who knows what they are doing with these engines. The tip on the waterpump is appreciated also. I just need to find someone in my area that is trustworthy!

Not sure I can help with your local specialists being tucked away in the South West haha.

What kind of budget do you have in mind? There are some absolute bargain 172/182's which come up on here and benefit from a recent specialist belt change. My best advice would be to shop around, there's a pretty constant flow of well loved examples coming onto the market, so don't rush a sale (been there done that). If you do decide to purchase one needing belts, see if you can use that as a means of haggling a better deal buddy.

 

[20vKarlos]

Welcome along bud :smile:

I've always had a rule for myself.... 'if it's worth the drive, go'
I use this for many things, Car Shows, Meets, Work(Taxi Driver), Modification work etc..
I'd have a look at who you WANT to do the work, or maybe somewhere you don't mind travelling to and get the work done.
I shall most likely be trailering my car to Mark Fish at some point, he isn't close, but to me, it's worth the travel.

Also, perhaps you could kill two birds with one stone, travel down early one day, leave your car with selected garage and stay overnight and explore that area? Worth a thought bud

Enjoy :up:

 

[DaveK101]

I don't mind travelling for the right person but there must be someone within reasonable distance of the Midlands.

 

[Coops Mk1]

Mick at Diamond Motors in Nottingham area tbh

 

[Christopher]

Welcome.

 

[Coops Mk1]

oh and welcome, apologies!lol!

 

[DaveK101]

Thanks all.

Now the hard / fun part. Finding a car

 

[Typhoon]

Welcome to the club mate.

As mentioned, Mick at Diamond Motors in Nottingham is more than likely the closest and also definitely worth any journey.

His forum username is @MicKPM if you want to drop him a message.

Good luck on the hunt for the new motor!