Ricardos Petrol Blue Supercharged 182 Project

[Ricardos]

So this is a little background into how this project came about before I get into posting text and photo updates from now on.

As some of you local to me know I owned Christopher's old Racing Blue 182 before the Petrol Blue 182. The reason I sold the RB isn't the greatest story and how the supercharger project came about isn't either but it's kind of relevant and gives an outline of how it all came about.

So the bum note story is basically in November and December of 2012 I sadly lost my partner to cancer then 4 weeks later lost my nan to a stroke. I lived with my partner in her house so when the tragic circumstances came about I knew I had to move out and eventually try and make a new life for myself without her. For me the RB had to go as it was a Clio we'd spent time together with and it just didn't feel right to carry on with it so I sold it. I did toy with going diesel as I'd moved a bit further away from work and also wasn't sure what how things were going to be financially moving into new accommodation.

Between my late partner and nan they very kindly left me money. My partner knew I'd have to move on and move out so she kindly left me money to help with any deposits and bills I'd have to pay out up front. My nan left my brother, sister and me money too.

So the RB had gone, a derv was in the offing until the Petrol Blue came up in the CS classifieds. A colour that I'd always been interested in, the car even more so as the previous owner Alex had spent a small fortune not only on nice modifications but also on service items such a 4 new Michelin Pilots, Cambelt and Dephaser, oil and filter change to name a few. So after driving to Swindon to view the Petrol Blue I decided there and then to make the purchase and drive it home.

Don't get me wrong it's a nice all round Clio, good to drive and racked up plenty of fairly trouble free miles. BUT after owning 4 Renaultsport Clios before I became to be quite blunt bored with it. It was just a car, a Clio I drove everyday to and from work in. This is not how I wanted this to go and at 1 point put it in the classifieds thinking I may as well buy a boring car to drive and let someone else enjoy it and have their fun.

Anyway, I moved into a room in a 4 bed house and fortunately didn't have to pay any upfront deposit. I still had the inheritance money sitting there, my late partner knew I loved working on cars and had seen me practically build up the white phase 1 Clio on the driveway a year before back in 2011. I started looking into turbo kits and made a couple of phone calls to AndyRG about the conversion, I'd also seen the turbo kit Engine Dynamics too. Many a night soul searching thinking that this would be an ideal next step as I love the Clio deep down but needed a kick in the backside.

Well, 5 weeks ago a supercharger kit came up for sale in the classifieds at what I thought was a decent price. This was it, my time for bigger power and a good price. I bit the bullet, made the call and drove to Southampton the next weekend. So I used some of my late partners and nans money to buy the kit. I'm not the biggest believer but in some way think my late partner is probably looking down at me and thinking "Oh gawd here he go again!"

So the kit it purchased, the second part to this is needing a car to drive to and from work while the Clio is off the road. Friends of the family were emigrating to America on the 20th Feb, I bought the supercharger kit on the 12th Jan. This gave me 4-5 weeks to then start buying parts alongside the kit so when the time came I'd have everything there ready for the conversion. Well it's the 23rd today, I picked up a 1.9DCi Renault Laguna last Thursday as the trusty workhorse and so far with a little TLC it's not too bad a motor considering what I paid. This now means the supercharger conversion can commence, the Clio should be off to the workshop sometime this week to make a start.

So this is the car in question with a list of modifications done

SPAX full coilovers with K Tec solid top mounts
K Tec braided hoses
Ferodo DS2500 front brake pads
K Tec solid engine mounts with polybushed lower gearbox bushes
Scorpion exhaust with Scorpion decat

PBShoot 025 by Ricard o1, on Flickr

PBShoot 013 by Ricard o1, on Flickr

PBShoot 001 by Ricard o1, on Flickr

IMG_0217 by Ricard o1, on Flickr

IMG_0232 by Ricard o1, on Flickr

IMG_0238 by Ricard o1, on Flickr

IMG_0279 by Ricard o1, on Flickr

IMG_0282 by Ricard o1, on Flickr

The supercharger kit, 99% complete but wanted to change some of the parts as well to make it look more OE in the engine bay.

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IMG_0996 by Ricard o1, on Flickr

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So I ditched the blue hoses for a more OE looking black setup

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The waterpump has had it so I ordered a new genuine, then ordered more genuine service parts. The engine is being taken out so all the work can be done making an easier job of things.

. by Ricard o1, on Flickr

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IMG_1032 by Ricard o1, on Flickr

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Different length aux belt running the K Tec supercharger setup

. by Ricard o1, on Flickr

Painting the intercooler for the 'stealth' look

. by Ricard o1, on Flickr

Megane 225 crank pulley

. by Ricard o1, on Flickr

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Exhaust heat shield fixings as where the backbox is there seems to be some missing so it's rattling

. by Ricard o1, on Flickr

So this is where I am at the moment, this is the Laguna I bought for peanuts. A few scratches here and there but it runs and has 5 months tax and ticket on it

. by Ricard o1, on Flickr

. by Ricard o1, on Flickr

. by Ricard o1, on Flickr


So the aim now is to have the Clio off the road and in the workshop, I'm giving it about a month or so to complete the conversion. Then once it's all fitted and running i'll take it to Paul at RS Tuning to tweak the map that's on the ECU supplied with the kit. I say supplied as I'm still waiting for it to be posted to me. Apologies for the long winded story, it made sense in my head just to say it. So let the next phase commence in the coming week, there will be plenty of photos of the Clio with the engine out, new parts bolted up as we go along.

 

[imprezaworks]

Great read mate. Genuinely hope it works out for you. Sorry about your loss mate, wish you well

Dan.

 

[Cub.]

Great read, and I can only offer my thoughts after both losses.

Looks like you have been busy on the mail ordering front just like me

A lovely car that will be epic when Charged, I'll be watching this thread keenly as I hope to charge mine early next year

 

[Ashh]

So much love for Petrol Blue. Subscribed and will be checked back , goodluck!

 

[Coops Mk1]

great project chap and good luck with it all, should be a very unique car once done

 

[Chi]

This is going to be brilliant mate. Subscribed. .

 

[Advikaz]

Great work

 

[Rubicon_]

Sorry to hear about your losses.

Brilliant project though mate, look forward to it finished.

 

[Ricardos]

Appreciate the warm welcome chaps. So today I finished work a bit early, what with the sun out, hardly any breeze and the temp around 13 degrees I thought I'd spray the intercooler. A quick rub down, primer, and satin black from Halfords and jobs a gooden. I used the whole 300ml can of satin black, I'm also going to paint the supercharger body on the induction side in a metallic grey colour I have in a tin laying about just to tidy it up a little.

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[Chi]

Great stuff I think I'll do mine black..

 

[Timmsy]

Looks like this will be very interesting Sub'd

 

[Dan@SJM]

Tbh I'd be opting to run an uprated clutch.

 

[Ricardos]

Tbh I'd be opting to run an uprated clutch.

Do you not think the OE clutch will hold out on low boost (250hp)? I spoke to Adey and he seems to think the Valeo should be fine, this is what he had fitted when running 278hp in his supercharged 172

 

[Dan@SJM]

I'm running a standard clutch, but it's proper on its limit (even breath on the pedal and it slips) next time the box has to come out I'll be fitting a 4 paddle friction plate and keep the OEM cover. For the sake of £100 extra I'd sooner run an uprated item as it gives scope for further power later on.

 

[domsclio182]

Standard clutch will be fine mate, have done 12,000 miles on mine running 250 bhp plus the car sees a lot of track action and had no issues what so ever, but as dan says if you you going to be changing the clutch then I would also upgrade.

Good luck with the project, be nice to see another supercharged Clio rather than common old turbos.

 

[AlexW]

If you ever want a hand, I'll offer my help, it's going to be an epic build.

 

[Ricardos]

Standard clutch will be fine mate, have done 12,000 miles on mine running 250 bhp plus the car sees a lot of track action and had no issues what so ever, but as dan says if you you going to be changing the clutch then I would also upgrade.

Good luck with the project, be nice to see another supercharged Clio rather than common old turbos.

Thanks Dom, I have to admit to browsing your project a few times to see where the different pieces of the kit are placed. Regards the Valeo clutch I've bought it's brand new, I understand fitting the 4 paddle item while the box is off but it's a contradiction saying yours has done well for 12k with the trackdays too. Definitely food for thought, I was under the impression from more than one person the OE clutch would be ok for the power.

 

[Markey Mark (BD)]

Nice to see you over on this site now Ricardo mate

Nice to see you gone the supercharger route, if Adey's old one was anything to go by yours will go well. I've decided to go the turbo route with my 172

 

[tom172cup]

Ecu is boxed up and will be sent out tomorrow

 

[Wick]

Sorry to hear the sad news Rich, never nice

The PB looks superb, charging will be epic.

 

[Mr R.]

Gonna be epic, i love the colour to.


Im so sorry to here about your loss, you are alot stronger than me.

 

[Ricardos]

Gonna be epic, i love the colour to.


Im so sorry to here about your loss, you are alot stronger than me.

Appreciate that Scott, while you're here I don't suppose you have those Forge hoses still? I'm thinking once the Clio is off the road I could sell the K Tec induction kit to recoup some of the hoses outlay

 

[Ricardos]

Ecu is boxed up and will be sent out tomorrow

You're an absolute star Tom, I appreciate you finding the time to sort it out for me

 

[Mr R.]

Appreciate that Scott, while you're here I don't suppose you have those Forge hoses still? I'm thinking once the Clio is off the road I could sell the K Tec induction kit to recoup some of the hoses outlay

Yes mate, i thought i replied to your pm?

 

[Ash']

Lovely car, been wondering when i'd see the project thread pop up. I like that you've sprayed the intercooler making it more subtle. Other then supercharging have you got much else planned like changing the wheels, interior bits etc?

I think it would be epic to keep it looking OEM exterior wise then surprising pretty much everything on the road.

 

[Fantom]

Sorry to hear about the circumstances. The project will be epic though

 

[Ricardos]

Yes mate, i thought i replied to your pm?

You certainly did but was too busy to reply earlier at work, I can take this to PM

 

[Ricardos]

Lovely car, been wondering when i'd see the project thread pop up. I like that you've sprayed the intercooler making it more subtle. Other then supercharging have you got much else planned like changing the wheels, interior bits etc?

I think it would be epic to keep it looking OEM exterior wise then surprising pretty much everything on the road.

Exterior wise it stays just as it is, I might buy a second set of wheels but this is well after the project is finished. But I like how it looks with the anthracite wheels and actually think they suit the Petrol Blue colour quite well. Once everything's all bolted back together I'll need the suspension geometry setting up again, so I'll probably lower it a tad more, 2 degrees negative camber and a tweak of toe out for trackdays.

The interior is completely standard, my thoughts are to maybe go Bimarco Futura bucket seats, 3" harnesses and lose the rear seats. Now I have the Laguna as the everyday workhorse the Clio is now a second car. Anyway for now I'm happy to keep the interior completely standard and to focus on the supercharger setup as it's good enough.... bar a half decent interior valet

 

[Stefan.]

Love the colour!!

Sorry to hear about what has happened

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

Ooh.. shiny things.

Paint them all white !

Cub.

 

[-J-]

Were you the chap with the stunning caged white 172?

Either way very sorry to hear of your loss, heartbreaking start to what will be a great project!

 

[Ricardos]

Were you the chap with the stunning caged white 172?

Either way very sorry to hear of your loss, heartbreaking start to what will be a great project!

That's me, i bought it as a shell and built it up using new parts and donor parts from another phase 1 Clio 172. It made it to CS11 and drove it over to the Nurburgring for a weekend in October that year.

 

[Korky]

Love what your doing with this buddy, will it be the only charged petrol blue one?

 

[Connor19]

Great read! really nice colour

 

[Ricardos]

Love what your doing with this buddy, will it be the only charged petrol blue one?

Thank you, yes i believe it will be the only one charged

 

[Ricardos]

Another little update, I popped over to Phase1sr after work to purchase the Forge coolant hoses set. I thought it would be rude not to as I've changed the boost hoses from blue to black, so this is all in keeping with the OE look. At least I know they'll be replacing hoses that are 10 years old, and much better looking. Top marks to Scott, a really nice chap, passionate about the Clio. I look forward to seeing your phase 1 back on the road

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[Mr R.]

Great to meet you Rich.

Good luck with the project, im already looking forward to seeing it finished.

 

[welshname]

This looks like it will be a good project.

 

[George@RTR_Parts]

This is going to be awesome when finished, keep up the good work!

 

[Eddie.]

This looks tremendous, I can't say how much I appreciate a project with good photos, this is one of those projects.

Looking forward to seeing more.