Stone's 172 Cup (member berries) track build...

[Jamesstone]

Very small update :

Drivers side fog light blanking plate (as the passenger side is feeding the air intake)

 

[Radugns]

I would be happy with 190bhp given the mileage, need to find the time to get it booked in some where, all those with good understanding/access of the stock ECU appear to be miles away.



New video should be up potentially tonight (editing it now) but more than likely tomorrow, been out recording some new M-car stuff today which appears to have a bigger following on the channel so takes priority, all about them views haha.

Bad news is the second dyno run with the decat I didn't actually get a recording of the drive there or back as it was chucking it down... and the car has been taken off the road for this month as I'm struggling to find time to get out for a drive with the other toys - good problem to have I guess lol



Correct, inlet advanced 7 degree's and exhaust is stock timing, we didn't see big gains for the pay of altering the exhaust timing (granted we never really went to town playing with it but full group N compromised power below 5,000 rpm)

Interesting gains without going full group N, but only "half" group n timing.
Shouldn't group N gives you more in this case? But with less under 5k.

 

[Faboka]

Love watching your YouTube videos on the Clio. Looks a really nice example.

How much advanced is the group N timings?

 

[Jamesstone]

Interesting gains without going full group N, but only "half" group n timing.
Shouldn't group N gives you more in this case? But with less under 5k.

All depends on your camshaft & intake setup, as the RS2 Intake has a much shorter intake runner length than the stock cast intake & even ITB's it performs differently in each application, you can spend so much time on rolling roads + calibration time trying to squeeze another couple of BHP out of a relatively stock engine it isn't really worth it (in my opinion) I can see the benefits if you have spent thousands building a race engine but for a weekend/odd track day toy I'm not looking to shave lap times just have some fun in this little car

Love watching your YouTube videos on the Clio. Looks a really nice example.

How much advanced is the group N timings?

Thanks, its certainly come along way the past year! its just 7 degree's, has a lovely off beat idle

 

[Radugns]

All depends on your camshaft & intake setup, as the RS2 Intake has a much shorter intake runner length than the stock cast intake & even ITB's it performs differently in each application, you can spend so much time on rolling roads + calibration time trying to squeeze another couple of BHP out of a relatively stock engine it isn't really worth it (in my opinion) I can see the benefits if you have spent thousands building a race engine but for a weekend/odd track day toy I'm not looking to shave lap times just have some fun in this little car



Thanks, its certainly come along way the past year! its just 7 degree's, has a lovely off beat idle

And in your opinion, what would be a good stock engine setup?
I am running fully ported head, inlet and tb. I am thinking of 197 cams or stock cams with group N timing, or even your setup. The only problem in Romania is mapping, so group N or 197 cams are more generic and could have a map for those.

Radu

 

[Jamesstone]

Surrey Rolling Road Video :

Finally managed to get the Clio 172 Cup dyno video together, wish I had taken more footage at the time! Small clip at the end of the Clio on a short run through some twisty roads, at the time this was the car running with the catalyst fitted, should hopefully get some footage with the decat in action/on board next month - Enjoy!

And in your opinion, what would be a good stock engine setup?
I am running fully ported head, inlet and tb. I am thinking of 197 cams or stock cams with group N timing, or even your setup. The only problem in Romania is mapping, so group N or 197 cams are more generic and could have a map for those.

Radu

In all honesty Radu (and from someone who has spent years chasing NA power gains) just enjoy it for what it is, before we started designing/producing the RS2 Intake manifold the most cost effective intake was the Espace V6 airbox with a direct feed from the fog light, 2'5" manifold back exhaust and a Fastchip calibration, for the money it worked really well.

I would contact Fastchip.nl as they can assist with your mapping requirements remotely

 

[Jamesstone]

Cotswold drive, pictures & something has broken....

Weekend before last a few of us went to the Cotswolds in the cars, the Clio delivered again for the pace and fun factor but towards the end of the drive something does seem to be making some noise on the front left corner, I'm assuming drive shaft is about to die as its been making some noise when driving on lock in the past which sounds like its getting worse, looking online a set of J&R shafts seem to be worth a go (if I can find the correct part number for 172 Cup fitment) or worst case scenario it could be the rack, not expensive but a pig of a job to change.

For those that follow the build on Instagram will have seen I recently fitted a PGR harness bar to prevent any nasty spinal compression from where I had run the original harness points to, happy with the quality of the kit and finishes off the look in the rear!

The car will soon be played up for winter as the e46 M3 is out for North Coast 500 next month so I can't see much more use for the Clio this year but I should have some finishing videos to add to the progress thread, next updates for next year will obviously be live mapping to get everything running safely and dialled in for full power.

As always, comments welcome.

 

[Conor03]

Love the look of the shifter and the inlet. Plan on watching your YouTube videos later tonight

 

[CliosportCal]

Love how clean this build is

 

[frayz]

Any updates on this at all James?
Surely you cant have been playing ALL bikes and M3s over lockdown?

 

[Jamesstone]

She returns to the road (still needs a new drive shaft )

The Clio 172 Cup returns to the road this month, passed it's MOT with flying colours which was a result and until I went for a drive this week I had forgotten about the clicking drive shaft joint which I need to replace (dilemma's of having more than one car & not using this one very often)

Filmed the almost 4 years later video and took some pictures whilst parked in the sunshine, still looks so good for the age especially as it hasn't been polished in years - good detailing session is on the cards!

The latest Youtube video (plenty of the JMS RS2 Intake manifold in action) :

 

[Jamesstone]

No major updates for the little Clio 172 Cup lately, gave it a quick clean but this year has been pretty naff on the social front for drive outs/ meets with the Covid destruction.. still cleans up well for 133,000 miles

Have another video in the pipe line for the Cup but looking like this "may" be one of the last for this year with the wet weather & dark evenings rolling in as I'm keen to avoid grimey road driving to keep the chassis as clean & rust free as possible.

As always hope your enjoying the journey & apologies to a few of you that messaged and only just received a reply, I don't get on this page as much as I used.


Thanks,
James

 

[Jamesstone]

Starting to get the ball rolling again on the project

Chosen a bad time of year to even entertain driving the Clio out (old car + salty roads + no ABS) but I've been in talks with Engine Dynamics about getting the car mapped soon, feels like its the final piece of the puzzle for the build this year, the projects have taken a slight stall for those that have seen my Instagram/ Youtube channel due to my e92 M3 being stolen/recovered at the beginning of the month which left me feeling a little deflated to be honest but I have pulled the cup out and given it a good clean.

So once mapping is completed it would be nice to just get some miles covered in it next year so hopefully attend the big meet on hear in the summer and cover some track time, the future plans looking around the car today, granted some time away yet due to a JDM Honda S2000 "project" arriving in the collection that needs some serious work!

Plans -

• Limited slip diff
• Fiberglass/ GRP bonnet
• Fiberglass/ GRP boot

Due to the lack of cage I'm keen to keep the standard doors at this time to provide some form of side impact protection but would be cool to see what weight can be achieved.

 

[dave120]

Looking good James. Must be very cool to be able to pull that out of the garage now and then! Will look forward to your updates.

 

[Jamesstone]

Looking good James. Must be very cool to be able to pull that out of the garage now and then! Will look forward to your updates.

Even though it’s the slowest of the collection it never fails to put a smile on my face when giving it a good run out (well expect one time in 30c weather when I was stuck in traffic with no aircon & a fully stripped interior lol)

MK2 Clio sports are becoming a rare sight now on the road even more so the Cups especially with the amount of Fiesta ST’s about

 

[MrBlonde]

With all the driving i do,i also never hardly seen any other 172/182's or even any RenaultSports.But i take that as a good thing & like you say,always see Fiesta ST's/Golfs about.

 

[jp_lcr]

Where abouts in the country are you? If fancy it come and have a go at sprinting at Curborough lots of clios so it's practically a mini Cliosport meet everyone we race haha. Make a good video of a day out too I reckon.

 

[jp_lcr]

If you popped rear seats back in would be allowed in road going MSUK class (and car would be competative, all your planned mods would be allowed too) don't need a cage only recommended.

 

[Jamesstone]

ECU Calibration time at Engine Dynamics

This was the final piece of the puzzle for 2020 on the Clio 172 Cup & something I had wanted to complete on the car for some time as I knew after the Surrey Rolling road day she had more to give (even though the trusty F4R had now covered over 133,000 miles)

I had been speaking to Andy at Engine Dynamics about the specification of the engine via email a few weeks previously & after going back & forth with a few messages he got the Clio booked in the diary, I had heard of engine dynamics for many years previously but more so for the turbo conversions they were completing at the time when I was active in the Renault Sport scene.

Andy requested the car first thing to allow a good chunk of his day to be dedicated to mapping, being in and around the industry I have built up a relatively good understanding of ECU's/Mapping but speaking to Andy yesterday made me feel as if I was back to basics lol but he was more than happy to run through the process and the things he would be adjusting along with the potential outcomes.

We often get caught up on the peak numbers but ultimately its easy to forget how important the numbers are below that in real world driving, the car had a slight "hick up" shall we say around 2,500rpm if you were to slam on the throttle, Andy quickly identified it running lean at that part RPM and spent the time making sure the entire power curve was smooth and consistent.

The before & after power overlay, as you can see big increases in the lower & upper RPM

The final flywheel power figure - 194.7 BHP & 153.8 FTB

Overall a really great day & very impressed with the team at Engine Dynamics, made me feel very welcome & were than happy to explain everything along with advising of further upgrades to enhance the power output/reliability, genuinely great cars - Keep up the great work Engine Dynamics .

 

[Jamesstone]

If you popped rear seats back in would be allowed in road going MSUK class (and car would be competative, all your planned mods would be allowed too) don't need a cage only recommended.

Don't give me ideas, already have far to many projects/ hobbies to consider racing too haha!

 

[frayz]

Agree, Andy is very helpful. Mine was due to go for taming change and cal earlier in the year, but the hub dyno install wasn't quite complete at the time.
New setup looks good.

 

[Jamesstone]

Agree, Andy is very helpful. Mine was due to go for taming change and cal earlier in the year, but the hub dyno install wasn't quite complete at the time.
New setup looks good.

You won't be disappointed mate, really impressed with the entire day (Andrew makes a grand cuppa tea too )

 

[dave120]

Good write up. Making nice power and torque now.

 

[Jamesstone]

Happy New Year! (final shots from 2020)

Shall be washing the Cup today & putting it away for a few months, the old girl doesn't usually come out this time of year but with it being on the road for Engine Dynamics last month I got some pictures with Matt's Clio 200

The MK3 Clio 200 with a few upgrades really is a fantastic car & certainly good fun to drive but it does still lack that magic balance of power/weight the MK2 RS Clio achieved - Video below for those interested



Wishing everyone the best for 2021 & fingers crossed things start returning to normal shortly!

 

[dave120]

I do like a 200 but the Cup does look pretty awesome next to it.

 

[Jamesstone]

I do like a 200 but the Cup does look pretty awesome next to it.

agree, the MK2 just has something magical about it (it still hadn’t been washed when the images were taken so the shiny 200 had a slight visual advantage lol)

looks fresh again now for the next couple of months off the road until the dry, warm & salt free roads return

 

[Jamesstone]

Small update for the Clio 172 Cup OEM+ Build, dusted it off for a short video to recap & go over the future plans for the little french pocket rocket for 2022!

• 197/200 camshafts
• 197/200 injectors
• Pure motorsport fancy exhaust manifold
• Limited slip diff (undecided if to go for a road friendly unit or all out monster)
• Lightweight fly wheel

I would like to poly bush the rear beam but the thought of old bolts on the floor makes me think this should wait for when I have a ramp, see how the summer goes really and if I fancy eyes full of road grime & rust

Due to the severe lack of comfort I'm gonna look to book a track day at Bedford or Brands, just need to make sure its not on the hottest day of the year!

 

[Jamesstone]

Looking back through the post I forgot to drop the Engine Dynamics video on the build! Obviously with the new parts fitted it will be back to Engine Dynamics to hopefully break the 200BHP mark with all the new parts set up on the dyno!

The handy part is my good friend Matt is about to go Catcam's on his 200 so standard parts inbound

 

[Jamesstone]

Finally got the Cup 195 on track and it was fantastic!

I needed to do a few jobs in preparation for the track day, oil service and brake fluid change so figured it would be a good idea to put a together a little guide for the channel (simple enough job)



The track day had been booked months in advance after having such a good time with Track Obsession previously, the only problem was the queens funeral would take place the day the before so I did have concerns the track day would be going ahead and if we would still be staying at our hotel that was booked for that evening as the day had become a bank holiday.

The other issue was I live 15 minutes from Windsor and the funeral had closed a lot of the surrounding roads on the day so it pushed us pretty late to arrive at the hotel (which was thankfully still operating) but the restaurant on site was closed so it was off to the village near the hotel to find dinner & beer!

The following morning it was up for 7:00am to get fuel and drive the 20 minutes to the circuit, take a moment to appreitate the last time my wheels will look this good for a while!

I spent the morning learning the track and not going mental, Clio felt absolutely awesome and provided plenty of confidence and feedback, finally cool to have taken it on track after the build going on for so many years!

Lunch time came round and it was time to stop, on the final lap I started to hear a knocking/rumbling on tight turns which began to get worse very quickly which from previous experience felt like loose wheel bolts (even though they had been torqued the week before on the service) literally down to 15 mph I crawled back to the pits fearing the wheel would be over taking me! thankfully made it back and they had undone to around half a turn (thanks to the chap with the rapid M140i that had the torque wrench next to me in the pits)

Misses was enjoying the morning but as the pace picked up was starting to make her nausea's so she opted for filming track side for the video and when in the pits sitting on the slam panel to warm up lol

I noticed the PBS pads were starting to make a right state of the wheels, they were performing superb though for stock discs/calipers

Overall absolutely awesome day! So much so I'm looking to book Snett 300 for October in the Clio although the long straights may make for a challenge compared to Cadwell's relatively tight & nimble layout which really suited the Clio's power/weight.

Back home the wheels did not look great, I've run through a few attempts of Bilberry wheel cleaner but may need a refurb although a few mentioned on the 172 Cup facebook page trying Autobrite's fall out wheel cleaner so will give it a go.

Vide of the day also live

 

[Mr Underhill]

Cadwell as well. Perfect track for Clios.

 

[Jamesstone]

Cadwell as well. Perfect track for Clios.

Completely agree, as mentioned in the video I had more fun in the Clio than the M3 at Anglesey track earlier this year!


Few pictures from the official photographer

 

[finch wxm]

Great build, also watch your YouTube content being an avid petrolhead 😆

 

[gez 172]

Epic pictures!

 

[Jamesstone]

Great build, also watch your YouTube content being an avid petrolhead 😆

Thanks mate & glad your enjoying the content on the channel

Epic pictures!

The onsite photographer is awesome, even more so as there all included with the price of the track day

 

[yeecup]

always enjoy your videos and especially renault content. maybe time to invest in a set of track based 15s to save your turinis.

 

[Jamesstone]

always enjoy your videos and especially renault content. maybe time to invest in a set of track based 15s to save your turinis.

This has been on my mind for a while, treat it to some proper sticky rubber on 15's.. the issue is I would love a set of white 2118's which would literally be the worst colour for track pads 😅

Glad your enjoying the content, beeb really pushing the channel this month to see if it makes a difference to the growth

 

[JamesBryan]

This has been on my mind for a while, treat it to some proper sticky rubber on 15's.. the issue is I would love a set of white 2118's which would literally be the worst colour for track pads 😅

Glad your enjoying the content, beeb really pushing the channel this month to see if it makes a difference to the growth

Don't know what you're on about 👀😂

 

[Jamesstone]

Winter hibernation over for the 172 Cup!

Finally took the cover off the 172 Cup and attempt to repair the damaged wheels from the brake pad compound, after trying various popular wheel cleaners that failed to lift the stains I'm pleased to report so Auto Finnese saved the day!

Treated the old girl to a quick wash and a few drive way pictures

Also completed a cost review video and some shots of the wheel revival