Andy, I think you should either simplify the build spec so you can get the car running and driving or take it to somewhere that specialises in building track/race cars.
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The life of... SharkyUK's Trophy
SharkyUK
ClioSport Club Member
September 2018 - Update #1
Oh, where to begin... (random pics included to add filler to the post!)
I had a long old chat with Mick the other day to see where things were at with Trophy #165 and to discuss budget, focus and the direction in which to take the car. It's not easy at all. He has no idea what the intended plan was for the car and I simply dumped several boxes of parts on him in the hope that he would be able to figure something out! As a result progress has been slow and there's a hell of a long way to go yet. On the plus side, Mick is committed to the project and is determined to see it through to the end (which is great for me as I know how thorough and professional he is). It's been off the road for years now so I've kind of conceded that it will take as long as it takes to get the job done properly. I've also decided not to crush it (which was not an idle threat, I was very close to throwing in the towel).
(She used to scrub-up so well)
I am happy to report that some good progress was made on the Trophy last week. The EPAS is in and working (will be tweakable by having a custom dial added somewhere in the cockpit), the interior is back together and the standard electrics are pretty much back up and running - such as windows, lights and so forth. The security system will no longer work but that's easy to sort later with an aftermarket system. Continuing the good news, the digital dash and ECU also powered up without issue. Obviously they are not yet fully integrated and setup as the build needs to advance considerably further until that can happen. At least I know my brand new parts (which are now several years old) do actually work.
(MaxxECU, e-Throttle module, partial wiring harness, USB connection cable and 4x EGT sensors)
(Digital dash to completely replace clocks - fully customisable alarms / alerts, etc.)
Taking a closer look at the exhaust it was evident that the increased diameter and size of the system did not actually leave much room for the placement of the swirl pot (which was to be on the underside rear of the car). It was deemed a too risky to run the fuel lines and swirl pot so close to a red hot exhaust system. If something did go awry I would at least prefer a little bit of extra time to try and vacate the car before the whole thing went up in a ball of petroleum-fuelled flame! The most sensible option is to lose the boot and fit the swirl pot in there along with a high-pressure fuel pump. As the boot space is being lost, at least partially, it was decided to move the battery to the boot as well. The plan is to actually build a false floor in the boot space so at least a small amount of boot space is available should I need it. Of course this will be done properly, too - proper connectors and fittings for the fuel lines, etc. and not just lines fed through holes drilled through the chassis / underbody! The fuel system is giving a little cause for concern but the revised plan is much better and safer.
(Got to monitor those EGT's...)
(Peashooter)
Talking of fuelling, the sad news is that several parts I had bought for the build are actually missing - such as injectors and fuel rail. There are also other parts missing and I daresay more will come to light once Mick and I have gone through the parts inventory again. No gaskets, not much in the way of the original nuts and bolts, the list goes on. This is very disappointing and I'm not really sure what to do about it. I'm not sure there is much I can do about it as I have no paperwork for the items purchased and most were bought through SJM several years ago now. I may have to seek professional advice on that one but I'm not sure it's going to be worth the hassle; potentially an expensive lesson learned unfortunately.
(Fuel parts, some of which are missing)
(Intercooler and friends)
Still talking of fuelling, Mark (NorthloopCup) has kindly been helping and advising behind the scenes as he is pretty familiar with this sort of stuff. He recommended an R3 aluminium fuel rail hence Mick will be onto Renault tomorrow to enquire about the required parts. (Cheers Mark!) He has also been able to advise on the turbo as it is sometimes the case that roller bearing turbos don't always take well to having excessive amounts of oil fed through them, hence the potential requirement for an oil restrictor.
Thinking even further ahead Mick has been reaching out to businesses in an attempt to obtain quotes for custom interior work. Like myself, he is not too keen on simply bolting the digital dash to the existing binnacle - it would look absolutely crap to be honest. Hence, we are considering a custom binnacle design that incorporates the digital dash seamlessly. There are various options - 3D printing (cheap, but not the best finish), fibreglass-like composites (middle of the road, decent finish) or high-end composite carbon fibre complete with custom laser-etching and similar. I may opt for the carbon fibre if the price is right (with 'Trophy' and '165' laser etched somewhere into the design provided it's not too tacky and complements the overall aesthetic of the car). As said though, that's a long way off yet as there's a lot to get done before then.
(Er, keyrings)
In the meantime Mick is looking to continue working on the car as and when parts and time allow. One of the first things to do is complete the loom, decide where to feed through the bulkhead (the loom will be using a block connector for quick fit/release of loom wiring either side of the bulkhead) and locate the ECU and e-throttle module; they are not fully waterproof. The wires from the 4x EGT sensors, oil sensors, etc. then need to be safely routed and readied for connection.
(Everything is awesome)
Talking of ECU, I am using a MaxxECU setup that isn't particularly common on RenaultSport Clios! I've gathered all the relevant documentation together (including wiring diagrams) and sent them over to Mick to aid his progress on the loom / harness and electrics side of things.
That's where we are currently at with #165.
Oh, where to begin... (random pics included to add filler to the post!)
I had a long old chat with Mick the other day to see where things were at with Trophy #165 and to discuss budget, focus and the direction in which to take the car. It's not easy at all. He has no idea what the intended plan was for the car and I simply dumped several boxes of parts on him in the hope that he would be able to figure something out! As a result progress has been slow and there's a hell of a long way to go yet. On the plus side, Mick is committed to the project and is determined to see it through to the end (which is great for me as I know how thorough and professional he is). It's been off the road for years now so I've kind of conceded that it will take as long as it takes to get the job done properly. I've also decided not to crush it (which was not an idle threat, I was very close to throwing in the towel).
(She used to scrub-up so well)
I am happy to report that some good progress was made on the Trophy last week. The EPAS is in and working (will be tweakable by having a custom dial added somewhere in the cockpit), the interior is back together and the standard electrics are pretty much back up and running - such as windows, lights and so forth. The security system will no longer work but that's easy to sort later with an aftermarket system. Continuing the good news, the digital dash and ECU also powered up without issue. Obviously they are not yet fully integrated and setup as the build needs to advance considerably further until that can happen. At least I know my brand new parts (which are now several years old) do actually work.
(MaxxECU, e-Throttle module, partial wiring harness, USB connection cable and 4x EGT sensors)
(Digital dash to completely replace clocks - fully customisable alarms / alerts, etc.)
Taking a closer look at the exhaust it was evident that the increased diameter and size of the system did not actually leave much room for the placement of the swirl pot (which was to be on the underside rear of the car). It was deemed a too risky to run the fuel lines and swirl pot so close to a red hot exhaust system. If something did go awry I would at least prefer a little bit of extra time to try and vacate the car before the whole thing went up in a ball of petroleum-fuelled flame! The most sensible option is to lose the boot and fit the swirl pot in there along with a high-pressure fuel pump. As the boot space is being lost, at least partially, it was decided to move the battery to the boot as well. The plan is to actually build a false floor in the boot space so at least a small amount of boot space is available should I need it. Of course this will be done properly, too - proper connectors and fittings for the fuel lines, etc. and not just lines fed through holes drilled through the chassis / underbody! The fuel system is giving a little cause for concern but the revised plan is much better and safer.
(Got to monitor those EGT's...)
(Peashooter)
Talking of fuelling, the sad news is that several parts I had bought for the build are actually missing - such as injectors and fuel rail. There are also other parts missing and I daresay more will come to light once Mick and I have gone through the parts inventory again. No gaskets, not much in the way of the original nuts and bolts, the list goes on. This is very disappointing and I'm not really sure what to do about it. I'm not sure there is much I can do about it as I have no paperwork for the items purchased and most were bought through SJM several years ago now. I may have to seek professional advice on that one but I'm not sure it's going to be worth the hassle; potentially an expensive lesson learned unfortunately.
(Fuel parts, some of which are missing)
(Intercooler and friends)
Still talking of fuelling, Mark (NorthloopCup) has kindly been helping and advising behind the scenes as he is pretty familiar with this sort of stuff. He recommended an R3 aluminium fuel rail hence Mick will be onto Renault tomorrow to enquire about the required parts. (Cheers Mark!) He has also been able to advise on the turbo as it is sometimes the case that roller bearing turbos don't always take well to having excessive amounts of oil fed through them, hence the potential requirement for an oil restrictor.
Thinking even further ahead Mick has been reaching out to businesses in an attempt to obtain quotes for custom interior work. Like myself, he is not too keen on simply bolting the digital dash to the existing binnacle - it would look absolutely crap to be honest. Hence, we are considering a custom binnacle design that incorporates the digital dash seamlessly. There are various options - 3D printing (cheap, but not the best finish), fibreglass-like composites (middle of the road, decent finish) or high-end composite carbon fibre complete with custom laser-etching and similar. I may opt for the carbon fibre if the price is right (with 'Trophy' and '165' laser etched somewhere into the design provided it's not too tacky and complements the overall aesthetic of the car). As said though, that's a long way off yet as there's a lot to get done before then.
(Er, keyrings)
In the meantime Mick is looking to continue working on the car as and when parts and time allow. One of the first things to do is complete the loom, decide where to feed through the bulkhead (the loom will be using a block connector for quick fit/release of loom wiring either side of the bulkhead) and locate the ECU and e-throttle module; they are not fully waterproof. The wires from the 4x EGT sensors, oil sensors, etc. then need to be safely routed and readied for connection.
(Everything is awesome)
Talking of ECU, I am using a MaxxECU setup that isn't particularly common on RenaultSport Clios! I've gathered all the relevant documentation together (including wiring diagrams) and sent them over to Mick to aid his progress on the loom / harness and electrics side of things.
That's where we are currently at with #165.
Tim.
ClioSport Club Member
That feels like a very positive update, mate. Great to see this thread flip back in a positive direction again. We’re all behind you ?
NorthloopCup
ClioSport Moderator
JamesBryan
ClioSport Club Member
NorthloopCup
ClioSport Moderator
Nice one James. ??
SharkyUK
ClioSport Club Member
Thank you, Tim.
I look forward to catching up with you in a week or so.In for a penny...
It's already cost a fortune mate. But I'm in deeper than a conrod in an F4R block following a mistimed downshift. Or words to that effect. Going forward it's about careful spending on the right parts, the right work and having every penny accounted for.
Thanks buddy. Yeah, it was good to chat with Mick. That said, we chat a lot anyway but this was just a little longer conversation than normal and we tried to avoid slagging each other off or putting the world to rights! ?
Thanks gentleman! I made a typo in my post and I cannot change it - it should have read R-Sport! Cheers
Cheers Mossy! I'm glad I've only got the one RenaultSport to stress over...
massiveCoRbyn
ClioSport Club Member
Several
Nice to see a (mostly) positive update on this. Keep at it.
Jamess182
ClioSport Club Member
Great news, happy for you!
SharkyUK
ClioSport Club Member
Cheers buddy!
There are a few for sale at the moment... although it's hard to find a wholly standard Trophy these days! The better (mint and standard) examples tend to be in car collections nowadays but there are still some fine examples for sale. You might have to pay a bit more for the right one, though!
That explains @NorthloopCup question the other day!! My advice Sharky is to make sure you at least order the banjo bolts for either end of the fuel rail. I didn’t and then ended up ordering it the other day with some other parts. Each time John at R Sport has been extremely helpful ??
SharkyUK
ClioSport Club Member
Noted - thanks mate!
scotiamr2t
ClioSport Club Member
Mazda 2, Ph1 172
This R3 rail sounds like what I’m after. Any details on it @NorthloopCup
NorthloopCup
ClioSport Moderator
It’s for a mk3 mate, so bolt spacing won’t be the same as on a mk2.
SharkyUK
ClioSport Club Member
No mate - I've not had chance to follow-up due to work, house move, family health and a million other things. Hoping to touch base with Mick next week.
SharkyUK
ClioSport Club Member
Hi mate. Honestly, I'm so busy at the moment I don't even know what's been happening with the Trophy. Mick may have already got the parts but I haven't spoken to him for a while. How's your build coming along?
It’s come to a big fat halt again due to work, person problems and another home project (the bathroom) to do. Happy wife = happy life!! Once that is done there are no more big home projects so I can work on the Clio guilt free ? Plus gives me more time to save up for the bits I want to make sure we do it once do it right ?
SharkyUK
ClioSport Club Member
Ah - bad news mate. I hope the problems are soon a thing of the past. I'm sure things will be back on track in no time.
But yeah, keep the missus happy. Essential!
SharkyUK
ClioSport Club Member
October 2018 - Update #1
Nothing much to report as I have been stupidly busy of late. In fact, I've hardly given the Trophy a second-thought over the last month or so! However, I have turned my attention to the "Trophy Room" - a little place that Trophy #165 can call home when she's ready to return.
Still a work-in-progress but it's great to finally have a decent garage to put the cars in and to be able to work on them. Not that I know what I'm doing.
It's been acid-washed and currently has a single coat of floor seal / paint. The floor will be finished when the walls and ceilings are complete (which are undergoing a 50/50 mix whitewash before a couple of layers of paint are thrown at it).
I'll hopefully have some more updates in the coming weeks when I've cleared my current to-do list and things are back on track.
Nothing much to report as I have been stupidly busy of late. In fact, I've hardly given the Trophy a second-thought over the last month or so! However, I have turned my attention to the "Trophy Room" - a little place that Trophy #165 can call home when she's ready to return.
Still a work-in-progress but it's great to finally have a decent garage to put the cars in and to be able to work on them. Not that I know what I'm doing.
It's been acid-washed and currently has a single coat of floor seal / paint. The floor will be finished when the walls and ceilings are complete (which are undergoing a 50/50 mix whitewash before a couple of layers of paint are thrown at it).
I'll hopefully have some more updates in the coming weeks when I've cleared my current to-do list and things are back on track.
SharkyUK
ClioSport Club Member
You f**ker! (with all due respect!) FLOL!I wouldn't spend that much money on the garage, just keep the T outside in the pissing rain, broken, with no intention of working on it.
Natural habitat
Stefan.
ClioSport Club Member
What car you putting in there sharky? ?
Hope you get it back soon as its just gone on so long now it's madness really.
Hope you get it back soon as its just gone on so long now it's madness really.
SharkyUK
ClioSport Club Member
The missus' Type-R! What else?!
We could squeeze three in there but it would be a bit cosy and I'm not sure I could cope with three Clios!
It would break me.Yeah, the lighting will need addressing. So... are you a sparky? Rates? Availability? Hahahaha!
Yeah, the lighting will need addressing. So... are you a sparky? Rates? Availability? Hahahaha!
I’m an Electrical Engineer, I work in a power station ? But I worked my way up to where I am, so I know a bit about electrics ?
For you mate I’d do it for beer ? and burgers ? ? As I said it’s unfortunate I don’t live closer ?
SharkyUK
ClioSport Club Member
Hahaha, that's very kind of you mate. Well - seriously - if ever you find yourself with a free bit of time then I'd gladly sort you out a few beer tokens and keep you fed and watered. Oh, and plenty of room in the new house for you to stay over. Think of it as a little holiday in South Wales. South Wales isn't that far away...
LOL!(Did it work? Are you tempted?)
Hahaha, that's very kind of you mate. Well - seriously - if ever you find yourself with a free bit of time then I'd gladly sort you out a few beer tokens and keep you fed and watered. Oh, and plenty of room in the new house for you to stay over. Think of it as a little holiday in South Wales. South Wales isn't that far away...
(Did it work? Are you tempted?)
Maybe ?
SharkyUK
ClioSport Club Member
He's cracking... Wales is lovely!
?Not really, buddy. I'm still in pretty much the same boat as per the last update. Between being stupid busy with work, ill (again) and sorting out the new house I have hardly given the Trophy a thought. I'm not sure if much will be done between now and the New Year anyway but I'll speak to Mick soon and see where things are at.
The only car-related update I have at the moment...
November 2018 - Update #1
I have no idea what state the Trophy is in but - yay - the garage is complete and ready for filling with junk. Or cars. Or both.
Cheers
