Running a Ph1 as a track toy

[roystinho]

Hi Folks

Just bought a Ph1 172 to use as a bit of a track toy. It will still be used as a bit of a daily car though, so not gonna totally strip it out.

Was wondering if anyone could give me some advice RE best tyres, brakes/brake set up

Already thinking gonna change the seats, probably for Recaro Trendlines like my old trophy in the short/mid term. Long term it will be fully stripped out and some fixed buckets, but for now as I'm saving for another car, I'll need the rear seats occasionally.

Any help or thoughts greatly appreciated

Danny

 

[roystinho]

Just picked up, it's got Hankook Ventus Prime tyres on. Anyone know if these are any good. Felt reasonable, but hard to tell in the wet and jumping out of a 200 into it

Cheers

 

[Aydon182]

Toyo R888 , HC brembo'd , Pagid's/ds2500 , goodrich braided

 

[welshname]

As above, although the R888's are a bit pricey for normal day to day use. I'd get yourself a second set of track wheels, run DS2500 pads with the brembo HC discs and braided lines.

 

[roystinho]

Thought about the HC discs and ds2500 pads and lines, it's what was about to go on my Trophy before I decided to sell. Thought I'd seen somewhere about taking out the foglights and creating a brake cooling system? Or am I just making that up?

R888's are retailing at about the £115 mark, again, was looking at Yokohama Advans as an alternative on a spare set of wheels as you suggest.

Just not been in a Mk2 clio for a bit, so asking in case something else different or better had come along

Cheers

 

[MikeLYR27]

The federal rsr tyres are supposed to be good, not far off 888 pace at all and a lot cheaper. Better in the wet from what I hear, these are my next choice of tyre.

 

[Martin.]

Thought I'd seen somewhere about taking out the foglights and creating a brake cooling system? Or am I just making that up?

You didn't make it up. I did this to mine recently. Really noticed a difference. Pushed the car harder and had no fade compared to a softer drive before when I did encounter it. Completely standard brakes at the moment.

Got my bits ready to be put on though. Brembo HCs discs. Ferodo DS2500 pads and Goodridge brake lines.

 

[roystinho]

You didn't make it up. I did this to mine recently. Really noticed a difference. Pushed the car harder and had no fade compared to a softer drive before when I did encounter it. Completely standard brakes at the moment.

Got my bits ready to be put on though. Brembo HCs discs. Ferodo DS2500 pads and Goodridge brake lines.

So is it a case of just taking the fogs out, or do you you need to create a vent/pipe to the brakes?

Cheers

 

[roystinho]

The federal rsr tyres are supposed to be good, not far off 888 pace at all and a lot cheaper. Better in the wet from what I hear, these are my next choice of tyre.

Cheers I'll take a look

 

[roystinho]

Also, anyone got any good suggestions for suspension set up? Ideally an adjustable one as it won't be just track work, I have the Yorkshire Dales as my playground too

No real restriction on cost, I'd rather save up and get the best, than run some cheap thing that I'll want to replace

 

[Chip-mk1]

TBH a set of eibach springs and some cup dampers although not adjustable actually does everything quite well.

 

[roystinho]

TBH a set of eibach springs and some cup dampers although not adjustable actually does everything quite well.

I was just going to go for a similar set up that you mentioned, however, in the long run it will be turned into a track only car (still road legal to get to circuits), and maybe trips to the 'ring,so something I can adjust I would have thought will be best long term.

Thoughts appreciated

Danny

 

[Chip-mk1]

Set of AST's then, but be prepared for them to cost as much as a phase 1, lol

 

[roystinho]

Yeah, thought they'd be about a grand. What's on it is ok for now, instead of getting a £300 set up, a couple of months will get me what I want.

Cheers

 

[Martin.]

So is it a case of just taking the fogs out, or do you you need to create a vent/pipe to the brakes?

Cheers

I just took them out, there's quite a direct route for air towards the wheel arch.

But others have made air scoops of all kinds.

 

[roystinho]

I just took them out, there's quite a direct route for air towards the wheel arch.

But others have made air scoops of all kinds.

I'll whip them out and take it from there then, cheers

 

[roystinho]

And a brucey bonus, didn't realise the Ph1 had a horn on the stalk, means I can change that horrible steering wheel for the Sabelt Renaultsport one

 

[Hoofy]

Just get on the track first and find out what you want to change after that. No point spending best part of a grand on brakes and tyres until you can actually appreciate the difference.

The guys are right about running track tyres on the road though, you'd be better off getting a separate set for road really.

Brakes wise, pagids are pretty pricey, but a reasonable set on the front will help the track use. Again, if you're running on the road too, I'd have 2 sets and just swap them over, brakes are an easy thing to change really.

 

[roystinho]

Just get on the track first and find out what you want to change after that. No point spending best part of a grand on brakes and tyres until you can actually appreciate the difference.

The guys are right about running track tyres on the road though, you'd be better off getting a separate set for road really.

Brakes wise, pagids are pretty pricey, but a reasonable set on the front will help the track use. Again, if you're running on the road too, I'd have 2 sets and just swap them over, brakes are an easy thing to change really.

Thanks for that

I'm gonna get the cambelt done for piece of mind by a Renaultsport specialist garage. Whilst it's in I'm gonna ask what the spec is on the components, like the brakes, that I haven't fully explored yet. If they're reasonable (and they feel it at the minute, even jumping out of my 200 into it), I'll change as and when. All this won't be going on instantaneously, it's more so I can have an image in my head about the total to be done over say a year or so. If I have a project, just having a list at the start of what I want to do, what needs doing, then prioritising makes sense (to me anyway). Also helps with budgeting.

Danny

 

[2Damnsly Andy]

Just to warn you brakes that feel good on the road won't stand up to 20 minutes abuse on track. The reason everyone upgrades the brakes is because they are a harder compound discs and track/fast road pad. I run blue stuff front pads with the HC discs front and standard rears and they are fantastic on track, I have done three trackdays on them and no signs of brake fade (maybe a little coming into the Melbourne loop at Donny). My foglights are coming out and I am getting braided lines fitted early May. For now I am running standard suspension but I am looking at the cup kit as I am not too fussed about expensive kits less it gets binned, the car after all is purely for track day abuse so no point spending a fortune unless you are happy to lose it all.

 

[roystinho]

In the long run it will be a shared car with a close friend, that's why it's a bit easier to stomach the cost of some parts. But I take your point about suspension, maybe going the cheaper option is best. Looking on K-tec the dampers say 172 cup ONLY, I take it these will be fine with a set of eibach pro lowering springs?

Cheers

 

[roystinho]

Anyone know if I can fit the 172 cup suspension onto a Ph1? I know there's some differences on cup and non cupped 182s and the bolt spacings are different that's all but not sure on the Ph1

Cheers

 

[Chip-mk1]

Yes cup 172 dampers will fit and are a good upgrade.

 

[roystinho]

Yes cup 172 dampers will fit and are a good upgrade.

Cheers

 

[Russ_16v]

Try Renault for the dampers, they can offer pretty good discount when asked - Tom on here can supply bits (Westa Renault)

 

[roystinho]

I've got a good parts guy already on the inside at Renault, but thanks

 

[Steve]

Whats the cost difference between buying a fully prep'd car & doing one up?
Seen a really high spec one in a thread somewhere but cannot find it?
It was not for sale but guy was thinking of selling.

Re tyres, the RSR's are fine for road & track use, got some in garage to go on.

 

[Chip-mk1]

Money modifying a 1*2 is pretty much dead money, you can buy car that was 3k and that someone has then poured 10K into and is now only a 5K car if you take your time, but obviously it will be to their spec not yours.

 

[roystinho]

My initial budget is £2k, plus the £1500 to buy. But half of the fun is buying the bits and doing it yourself. I doubt if I made all the alterations I could sell for £3500+ unless someone realised what I'd done and was wanting that exact spec.

 

[roystinho]

Just browsing for the Eibach Pro springs. These sort of say they are the same thing, but then say they lower the car by different amounts. Anyone tell me if they ar actually different products, and if so which ones are best. Cheers

http://www.larkspeed.com/index.pl?c...=Eibach-Pro-Kit-Lowering-Spring-Kits-Renault-

http://www.k-tecracing.com/show_product.asp?id=849&appid=2

 

[Russ_16v]

Pro's only tend to lower approx 15-20mm, if you want it a little lower then sport lines should drop it circa 30mm.

I had pro's on my 172 and did many a track mile in it and was great

 

[roystinho]

So is the Larkspeed link labelled wrongly do we think?

 

[mark smith87]

My car has DS2500 pads all round, braided lines and DOT5.1 fluid. Brembo HC front discs. The foglights are still there and I don't get any brake fade on track or fast driving over mountain roads. Toyo R1-R tyres for track and road use but the grip in heavy rain is a bit limited on the road but on track they are superb. Induction is a green cotton air filter element in OE 172 air box. Engine mountings K Tec, and Powerflex dogbone bush. Full interior. I've done 15 track days and had no problems at all.

 

[roystinho]

Bit more help. It's an X reg car in sliver. Titanium or Iceberg? Also is it one with the alloy bonnet?

Cambelt done, power flex dogbone mount, new exhaust mount, and now it's feeling much tighter. Gonna fix on some cup dampers and eibach pros after payday after a small leak on a front damper was found on a health check.

A weeks driving and loving it, miles more fun than the 200

 

[James23]

have a look if your colour code is 640 or 647. 640 is iceburg and 647 is titanium. will be on a sticker that i think is on the bottom of the b pillar when you open the drivers door?
lift the bonnet - if its really light it's alloy. if not then it's not lol
more fun in what way?

 

[roystinho]

have a look if your colour code is 640 or 647. 640 is iceburg and 647 is titanium. will be on a sticker that i think is on the bottom of the b pillar when you open the drivers door?
lift the bonnet - if its really light it's alloy. if not then it's not lol
more fun in what way?

It's just a bit more 'raw' for want of a better word. Don't get me wrong the 200 is fantastic, but I'll liken it a bit like the 200 to a 250 megane. 250 is miles faster than a 200, but is less involved, you feel a little less attached. This is the same from 200 to 172, the 200 is probably faster, corners better at the minute, but the 172 feels more alive in your hands and bum. Well that's my feelings anyway...

Thanks for the info, I'll have a peek in the morning

 

[mark smith87]

Iceburg silver is darker than Titanium. Titanium is bright silver and Iceburg is more like a grey colour. The Ally bonnets are really light.

 

[roystinho]

It's titanium according to the colour code. The bonnet doesn't feel really heavy, though not lifted one for a few years so hard to gauge when you have no reference.

Cheers guys