RM04 MOR - Arctic Blue 182

[HaveaCuppa]

I put the car back into storage recently as I’ve got a new daily shed - A MK1 Berlingo 1.9D It fits the bikes in the back and I can leave it without worrying if it’s going to get pinched, so it’s a win win. A 70hp non-turbo diesel lump takes some getting used to though…

So, I pulled the Clio out of storage for its MOT today. Annoyingly, I noticed the drivers headlight was high and the rear lights had a bad earth. I didn’t have time to fix them, so it initially failed. Once sorted it passed with flying colours.

Managed to wash all the crap off it too, as I didn’t have time to wash it before storing it.

Sorted the CTEK comfort connector , so
it’s easier to hook up the charger conditioner over winter.

It’s off to Rentec at the end of Nov for belts etc. It’s the yearly 4 figure pre-winter bill

 

[ldubl]

I managed to get a few bits done on the car this evening.

First up was sorting the aerial.
View attachment 1606893
Old base off.

View attachment 1606894

View attachment 1606896
View attachment 1606897
New base and aerial on.

Now the only issue is that I’ve replaced my boot struts with cheapo knockoff jobs and they are slightly too long, which means the spoiler catches the aerial when the boot is open. So new struts will be ordered this week. Buy cheap, buy twice…

View attachment 1606898

Oh, and if anyone else tackles this job at home, the aerial base is a git to remove with a socket. I used an old lambda sensor tool and it worked a charm.
View attachment 1606899

Up next was sorting the crack cup spoiler light - which didn’t work. I’d bought a new light as well as a new board, just incase. The new board wasn’t needed, so happy days!
View attachment 1606900
Old cup light. You can see the corrosion on the solder here.

View attachment 1606901
New cup light. Pretty mint board.

View attachment 1606902
Gave the spoiler a quick clean inside and then refit everything.

View attachment 1606903We now have a working high level brake light and zero cracks

looks amazing!

did you just use a trim tool to prise the third brake light out?

where did you get the replacement?

 

[MRBILLYUK]

looks amazing!

did you just use a trim tool to prise the third brake light out?

where did you get the replacement?

Sorry for jumping on somebody else's post.
There's a guy on Facebook called Craig Cockburn who was selling new led boards for the brake light. It might be worth dropping him a message if he has any left. They were £30 posted.

 

[HaveaCuppa]

I’ll be adding to this over the next few days updating this - I always forgot!

So, belts, waterpump etc were sorted by Barry and the folk at Rentec as well as the service. Top job as per usual!
This was the drive to the unit once I had picked the car up…

Tucked up with some very tidy stable mates for the winter…

Ticked over 113k

Fast forward to May and it’s time to bring it back out of storage.

Met up with @Hamish Laurie for a run in the sun with his arctic blue 182. I think I may have mentioned this route before but if you’re in the Scottish Borders, give it a run, it’s brilliant. It’s the Selkirk to Moffat road and up to the devils beeftub.

After this run I noticed it was blowing through coolant. Roughly half a litre in 100 miles. A quick look under the engine bay and it looked like there was a leak coming from the thermostat housing. So back up to Rentec it went for a fresh gasket and the once over to make sure all was well.

Picked up and all sorted. Next on the list was to sort the lack of gearstick gator that’s been bugging me for months. Finally managed to nab a cover from RPD.

 

[HaveaCuppa]

As always, a very late update. I must keep on top of this!

The car has changed a bit since my last post. I managed to get hold of an OG Carbon RS2 I let from Stu at Renomotive. I had been after one ever since buying the car, so I couldn't say no.
I booked the car into EFI for mapping and began to fit it - only to find it wouldn't quite squeeze in the engine bay with AC.

So, with 2 weeks until mapping, Stu managed to get me a Cup non-ac setup and sorted me out. Crisis averted haha!

The bonnet latch is very very tight up to the inlet. I think I'll be sourcing a fiberglass bonnet when the car is laid up in storage for the winter.

I ran around in it for a week or so before the rolling road session, to iron out any issue with it.

There were a couple of minor issues. It would hunt on idle - turned out to be a perished seal for the map sensor.
The seal around the VVT was on its last legs and it was chucking oil all over the engine bay. Fish Brothers in Peebles managed to get me a seal the day before mapping so big thanks to them.

With the above sorted, it was good to go!

Early start as it was a 170ish mile each way.

Annoyingly, I forgot to chuck the 197 injectors in the boot. The plan was to swap them into the car outside EFI, ready for its run. Bugger.
Chris confirmed that the car had a flash on the ECU already - RSTuner with a piss poor 167bhp on it.

5 runs later the car was at a healthy 189.4bhp, so I'm calling it 190bhp. Im chuffed to bits with that figure considering it's just got the RS2 inlet and a Miltek on it.
The injectors are at 100% duty cycle at the top end though, so the 197's need to be dropped in soon and the map adjusted.

I think I've done about 2000 miles in the car since being sorted and it's night and day different. No more hot start issues, far smoother in traffic and it just feels more refined.

Pt1.

 

[HaveaCuppa]

With the engine pretty much where I want it (apart from injectors and possible cams in the newer future), I've been spending most of the summer just enjoying the car.

The clutch it's getting high and my gearbox is leaking like a sieve. It's not just the Renault sweat anymore, it's full on pissing out. Perfect time for a fresh box.
So again, Stu to the rescue. He's got a nicely refreshed box for sale, so that's being picked up in the next week or two.

A few smaller bits I've done in between other things.
The plastic handbrake cover was swamped for a trimmed leather one.

Gave everything a decent clean in the engine bay. Currently in the process of pulling the Aircon motor out as I've got a carbon bulkhead plate to replace the metal one.

And that's really it. There's a few little bits to do:
1) Advocult power steering line kit - the standard one only just clears the new inlet

2) I need to source a 197 dipstick and dipstick tube as checking the oil level is a nightmare unless you can break your hand in 7 places.

3) I could still do with a new windscreen but that's me just being picky.

4) fiberglass bonnet and aero catches for clearance.


Made the most of the decent weather recently and went for a drive on my favourite route. Selkirk to Moffat, then onto devils beeftub. 120 mile loop and has some of the best roads in the borders. Spoiled slightly by my mates 172 chucking it's read pads out the caliper, but hey ho 😂

And a bonus shot of poor @Hamish Laurie's Clio after ejecting the pads.

 

[Mr Underhill]

I wish I could take good photos. The cars look amazing.

 

[HaveaCuppa]

I wish I could take good photos. The cars look amazing.

Haha thank you mate! Truth be told, they are just camera phone shots with a bit of editing. They come out well though!

 

[rachel morrison]

This looks absolutely incredible fair play! So happy to see it’s being looked after since I had it 💙

 

[HaveaCuppa]

Dropped the Clio at Rentec in Leith for its MOT and service.

To be honest, I was expecting a fail due to to sheer amount of gearbox oil we are leaking at the moment, but it landed a pass with only one advisory - Gearbox leak

The gearbox is a job for the new year. I picked up a freshly rebuilt 130 'box from Stu at Renomotive last month, along with a few other bits and bobs. Toying with the idea of a lightened flywheel - depending on if one pops up second hand...

So, in the new year the new box will be put in as well as a fresh clutch. After that, it'll be a trip back down to EFI to get the 197 injectors mapped in ready for spring 25. I'm hoping to get out to more shows next year - CSF hopefully as well as finally getting it on track at knockhill/croft.

Anyone had a windscreen replaced btw!? Mine really could do with a new one but I've read a few stories with the wrong windscreen being fitted - no rain sensors in it etc.

 

[ChrisP_182]

The car looks great! I don’t suppose you remember which size eyelet the Ctek comfort connection is?

 

[Mr Underhill]

Dropped the Clio at Rentec in Leith for its MOT and service.

To be honest, I was expecting a fail due to to sheer amount of gearbox oil we are leaking at the moment, but it landed a pass with only one advisory - Gearbox leak

The gearbox is a job for the new year. I picked up a freshly rebuilt 130 'box from Stu at Renomotive last month, along with a few other bits and bobs. Toying with the idea of a lightened flywheel - depending on if one pops up second hand...

So, in the new year the new box will be put in as well as a fresh clutch. After that, it'll be a trip back down to EFI to get the 197 injectors mapped in ready for spring 25. I'm hoping to get out to more shows next year - CSF hopefully as well as finally getting it on track at knockhill/croft.

View attachment 1712180

Anyone had a windscreen replaced btw!? Mine really could do with a new one but I've read a few stories with the wrong windscreen being fitted - no rain sensors in it etc.

Autoglass replaced my screen a fews back when the bonnet went through the screen. They couldn’t find me an exact replacement so I lost the rain sensors but it was a good fit.

 

[HaveaCuppa]

The car looks great! I don’t suppose you remember which size eyelet the Ctek comfort connection is?

I'll have a look tomorrow for you and snap a pic. Im sure I had to slightly drill the hole a touch larger, but it's spot on now

Autoglass replaced my screen a fews back when the bonnet went through the screen. They couldn’t find me an exact replacement so I lost the rain sensors but it was a good fit.

I did think that might be the case! To be honest, I'm not too arsed about the rain sensors. Thanks man, I'll get auto glass to have a look over the winter months.

 

[Clio_fool]

The auto wipers are s**t anyway so that's no loss, but I'm sure they stopped doing the athermic coating on them so you'll lose the blue tint it has from the outside.

 

[Mr Underhill]

The auto wipers are s**t anyway so that's no loss, but I'm sure they stopped doing the athermic coating on them so you'll lose the blue tint it has from the outside.

Yeah that as well.

 

[HaveaCuppa]

A bit of an update on this. Lots to do as always but being back at uni has meant it's been hard to get time to work on the car.

Spent the best part of this afternoon doing a few bits. Popped an order in for a fiberglass bonnet, so that'll be collected soon.

Removed the rest of the A/C gubbins and finally got the carbon bulkhead panel fitted. What a ball ache of a job!

I didn't take many pics but here's a couple.

Putting the heater unit back in.

Carbon bulkhead panel on

I do need some nice new fixings but it's looking far better!

I've been losing coolant recently too, and finally found the issue. The main pipe that comes off the heater matrix and splits under the battery tray is leaking, so I'll need to investigate that soon. Tempted to replace the jubilee clips with something better if I'm honest.

Once the bonnet is picked up and fitted, I'll put everything back together and get it on the ramp to check over.

It was nice to get a few hours on the car though. For all I moan about the never ending project, it's one of the best ways to spend an evening. Roll on getting it back together and out for the summer

 

[PerthRS]

And that's really it. There's a few little bits to do:
1) Advocult power steering line kit - the standard one only just clears the new inlet

Have you got yourself the Advocult P/S line kit yet?
Since you've got the non AC setup now. I'd be interested to see how it goes.
As I think the lines are cut to length for AC equipped cars.

 

[HaveaCuppa]

Have you got yourself the Advocult P/S line kit yet?
Since you've got the non AC setup now. I'd be interested to see how it goes.
As I think the lines are cut to length for AC equipped cars.

Hi mate,

Not yet! I've got a few bits to do first (trace a coolant leak and fit the fiberglass bonnet), but once that's all done, it'll be the next job to get the new gearbox in and get a set of advocult PS lines in.

Hopefully some point in the spring I think. They've been recommended to me by a few folk who run a non AC setup, so I think they are pretty damn good.

 

[PerthRS]

Yeah sweet. Would be keen to see how you go with the installation process!

I was in communication with Thomas from Advocult a few weeks ago regarding their kit. Mainly due to the sample imagery only showing a car with AC, so wasn't sure if it was compatible.
Yet to fit the 172cup delete to my car. Just don't want to bend the OE high pressure line. In case I want to fit the AC back, due to our brutal Perth summers. Thankfully winter is on its way.

 

[HaveaCuppa]

I'll keep you posted!

Stu @ renomotive (the man for clios in Scotland) bent my standard PS lines to clear the AC delete. He said it's fine to run for now but ideally they need changed to the advocult setup for a proper tidy job. You may as well do it properly though to be honest if you want to retain the ability to put it all back to standard.

If Id had known, I'd have bought the advocult lines prior to having the AC delete fitted, but I didn't have time as mapping was booked etc.

 

[HaveaCuppa]

Quick update on this.

It's being dropped off at renomotive this weekend for stu to work his magic.

New gearbox and clutch to be fitted.
197 dipstick to be fitted
Advocult PS lines to be fitted.

That's then pretty much the car sorted - short of a new windscreen and 197 injectors.

Annoyingly, we had builders installing a heat pump in the property and they've done a number on the rear quarter of the car. Partly my fault for not storing it in the unit but things have been hectic recently.
Obviously not the end of the world, but really annoying after having the quarters done a couple of years ago. The whole car was pretty bloody mint! Not sure if it's worth trying to claim for it?

Either way, it'll be back at protek at some point getting this sorted and a few other body work bits and some lacquer on the inlet.

The advocult lines were delivered the other day too and they are lovely things. Braided AN hoses etc

Excited to get this back and get some miles on it. I've taken it on a few local runs recently and I'm always amazed at how many folk stop to chat about it. These cars seem to attract the genuine enthusiasts in all sorts from exotic stuff to classics. It's fantastic and honestly adds to the ownership experience.