SharkyUK
ClioSport Club Member
Sadly not mate, my missus needs it for daily duties over the weekend! Her Abarth is off the road so I'll be slumming it in the GT4! 🤣
Thank you, mate. I don't know why we put ourselves through it sometimes!
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The life of... SharkyUK's Trophy
Sadly not mate, my missus needs it for daily duties over the weekend! Her Abarth is off the road so I'll be slumming it in the GT4! 🤣
Thank you, mate. I don't know why we put ourselves through it sometimes!
SharkyUK
ClioSport Club Member
Yeah, broke my lower left rib!
SharkyUK
ClioSport Club Member
My missus has just informed me that it's dead again.
I give up.
I give up.
Probably alternator pulling all from the battery and killing it
SharkyUK
ClioSport Club Member
Yeah, think you may well be right fella.
davo172
ClioSport Club Member
TCR'd 172
Gotta be 50k plus total gone into this car now! I reckon think you really need to get rid mate tbh!
Stefan.
ClioSport Club Member
What would Andy realistically get for it. So I see where both sides of the debate are coming from..
davo172
ClioSport Club Member
TCR'd 172
All about cutting losses tbh all it does is cost money so whatever he gets for it will be better than keeping it imo
SharkyUK
ClioSport Club Member
UPDATE // 31-MAY-2023
Yup... still broken.
I think this really is the last chance as far as my relationship/ownership with #165 is concerned. I have arranged for the car to be transported to Mick at Diamond Motors once again in a bid to fix the remaining issues and to try and tease some life and enjoyment out of it. Right now, I'm 50/50 as to whether I want to keep it or sell it.
As it has literally been standing neglected since it broke down last July, it really has suffered in terms of cosmetic appeal. The inside is immaculate despite a brief mould invasion due to a failed window seal. That was cleaned up quickly and it now looks fabulous in there (apart from the melting steering wheel!) But my, the paintwork is a real mess. In cleaning off the green moss and pollen I have found more window seal/bonding issues, leaking lights, and the paintwork has become etched in places from prolonged exposure to pollen, dirt, and poor weather (and the odd bird poop, although I always try and clear those asap). It can be brought back but will require several days with the DA polisher and various pads and compounds. Mind you, it is also waiting to go for partial respray as that was on the cards until it broke down, hence I had to cancel with the body shop last July.
In readiness for the trip up to Mick's on Friday, I decided to at least try and get the worst of the crud and detritus off of it. In a cruel twist of fate, I lost some of the side skirt decal and the resulting message was, I think, quite apt. I kid you not, this was not intentional nor was it done for the likes! It did actually happen and I will need fresh decals. Again!
Despite having to push it around the driveway, I decided to grab a quick photo of the two T44s and the ASBO Abarth.
I'm sure I'll have more news in due course, but I'm still feeling pretty flat, numb and "meh" as far as #165 is concerned. I think our time together may be coming to an end. We shall see.
Yup... still broken.
I think this really is the last chance as far as my relationship/ownership with #165 is concerned. I have arranged for the car to be transported to Mick at Diamond Motors once again in a bid to fix the remaining issues and to try and tease some life and enjoyment out of it. Right now, I'm 50/50 as to whether I want to keep it or sell it.
As it has literally been standing neglected since it broke down last July, it really has suffered in terms of cosmetic appeal. The inside is immaculate despite a brief mould invasion due to a failed window seal. That was cleaned up quickly and it now looks fabulous in there (apart from the melting steering wheel!) But my, the paintwork is a real mess. In cleaning off the green moss and pollen I have found more window seal/bonding issues, leaking lights, and the paintwork has become etched in places from prolonged exposure to pollen, dirt, and poor weather (and the odd bird poop, although I always try and clear those asap). It can be brought back but will require several days with the DA polisher and various pads and compounds. Mind you, it is also waiting to go for partial respray as that was on the cards until it broke down, hence I had to cancel with the body shop last July.
In readiness for the trip up to Mick's on Friday, I decided to at least try and get the worst of the crud and detritus off of it. In a cruel twist of fate, I lost some of the side skirt decal and the resulting message was, I think, quite apt. I kid you not, this was not intentional nor was it done for the likes! It did actually happen and I will need fresh decals. Again!
Despite having to push it around the driveway, I decided to grab a quick photo of the two T44s and the ASBO Abarth.
I'm sure I'll have more news in due course, but I'm still feeling pretty flat, numb and "meh" as far as #165 is concerned. I think our time together may be coming to an end. We shall see.
If that’s not a message from God I don’t know what is! 😕
dann2707
ClioSport Club Member
What's actually wrong with it mate?
From the post it seemed like just paintwork issues but is there something underlying?
From the post it seemed like just paintwork issues but is there something underlying?
JamesBryan
ClioSport Club Member
I thought it just needed a new alternator and battery.
SharkyUK
ClioSport Club Member
Thanks for the suggestions, folks!
The alternator is still an issue but I have a replacement and, hopefully, this will fix the majority of the current nagging electrical problems. Current. Electrical. Fnar fnar. Sorry. Seriously, I'm hoping that that is all that's needed. It's nothing major but it has just worn me down over the years and it all adds up. There may also be a niggle with the loom but I'm 99% certain it is the alternator causing the problems.
Minor things that need addressing include new side repeaters (they fill with water), the rear window glass needs de-bonding (un-bonding) and then re-bonding as it has failed in the lower corner, and it needs a bit of paint/respray where I fixed a bit of rust where the rear licence plate had been screwed through the metal skin. I had it booked in for respray actually but had to cancel when it decided to stop working again last July.
Other than that, it needs a good detail due to the neglect.
The alternator is still an issue but I have a replacement and, hopefully, this will fix the majority of the current nagging electrical problems. Current. Electrical. Fnar fnar. Sorry. Seriously, I'm hoping that that is all that's needed. It's nothing major but it has just worn me down over the years and it all adds up. There may also be a niggle with the loom but I'm 99% certain it is the alternator causing the problems.
Minor things that need addressing include new side repeaters (they fill with water), the rear window glass needs de-bonding (un-bonding) and then re-bonding as it has failed in the lower corner, and it needs a bit of paint/respray where I fixed a bit of rust where the rear licence plate had been screwed through the metal skin. I had it booked in for respray actually but had to cancel when it decided to stop working again last July.
Other than that, it needs a good detail due to the neglect.
Cub.
ClioSport Moderator
If it gets sold, can you sort a club send off please. Seems like part of the family this car.
What, like @Hixle ’s trophy? (Is it yours I remember on fire at the unit?)
E90 M3
Krarl
ClioSport Club Member
The curse of the red Renault
I feel your pain Andy. I too have spent far too much modifying a Pink car only to realise I was a f**king r****d for doing so. Instead, I should have withdrawn thousands of pounds in cash and set fire to it. At least the fire would have kept me warm
I feel your pain Andy. I too have spent far too much modifying a Pink car only to realise I was a f**king r****d for doing so. Instead, I should have withdrawn thousands of pounds in cash and set fire to it. At least the fire would have kept me warm
Sir Nancy Flowers
ClioSport Club Member
M140i
Ill put myself forward to buy the Trophy and then totally disappear off the face of the earth like the rest of CS when this happens 🤣
SharkyUK
ClioSport Club Member
I take comfort in the fact I'm not the only idiot with a pink car (with all due respect, sir!) I'm down to my last tenner and there's no way I'm putting it towards the Trophy. I'm just about to set fire to it now (the tenner, closely followed by the Trophy). Come join me and we can be warm together.
I'm going to have to stop the list... far too many people approaching me and asking if I'd be interested in selling it to them! Is my project thread not clear enough? It's bl00dy cursed!
SharkyUK
ClioSport Club Member
It's beat me, mate
💀 I've simply had enough so sent it packing to the scrappy in the sky. I didn't get a great price for it but I was past the point of caring and decided to be rid of it before spending even more on the damn thing. I wouldn't have wished #165 on anyone.Looks great that mate. 😍It's beat me, mate
View attachment 1646957
I hope people believe that instead of it being picked up to go to Mick'sIt's beat me, mate
View attachment 1646957
SharkyUK
ClioSport Club Member
I hope people believe that instead of it being picked up to go to Mick's
It's not out of the woods yet!
Cub.
ClioSport Moderator
Krarl
ClioSport Club Member
It's a good job youre filthy rich
At this point Mick is 1 step away from being your mechanic and butler👀🤣
At this point Mick is 1 step away from being your mechanic and butler👀🤣
Clio trophy, standard. Lovely condition. £58,367.28.
SharkyUK
ClioSport Club Member
I wish! I haven't got 2x million-pound bundles of crisp bank notes to rub together at the moment.
Donations and GoFundme accepted.Mick? Yeah - he's already mine...
I couldn't afford the column inches mate!
Knowsit! It is actually standard and in very lovely condition.
SharkyUK
ClioSport Club Member
UPDATE // 19-OCT-2023
I'm not really sure where to start. I've kind of lost track of where things are at with #165! In fact, with life and cars in general! The reality is that cars have been quite low on the priority list for the last 18 months, and will remain so for the foreseeable, but I also thought that a cheeky little update would not go amiss. That's not to say I haven't been able to enjoy one or other of my cars; heck, they are very much a release and afford me a level of freedom and enjoyment that has worked wonders in terms of well-being. Please forgive my lack of creative writing and, no doubt, numerous grammatical errors and smelling pistakes. I'm absolutely knackered writing this and feel emptier than my GT4's fuel tank after a 250-mile blast around the hills and valleys of Wales.
I'm still very much 50/50 whether or not I want to keep #165. On the plus side, it's now driving very well after Mick (Diamond Motors) was able to identify, and fix, some corrosion/sensor issues with the engine loom a short while back. The only problem I've had since then was an EML due to a failing O2 sensor. No biggie and easily sorted. So yeah, #165 is driving well, the engine feels lively and strong, and it is undoubtedly a lot of fun to drive. The amusing thing is that I've probably put more miles on it in the last few months than I have over the last decade! Whilst they haven't all been "fun" miles (commuting and hospital runs), an awful lot of them have been for the sheer pleasure of it. So it's not all bad.
What to do, what to do... and that's the problem, isn't it? The Trophy continues to age, parts are expensive and difficult to source (if you can find them at all), and maintenance headaches and bills become larger and more frequent. And then you go and jump in it, enjoy a superb drive on some amazing roads, and find yourself sucked back into that lovely, warm place as the Trophy continues to deliver the driving thrills that belie its vintage.
That's what happened last weekend. I won't lie, I was very much in need of a driving weekend and the weather forecast for both Saturday and Sunday was perfect for a bit of warm, autumnal sunshine driving. I flipped a coin to ultimately decide which car to take out on each day and, first up, it was hot-hatch Saturday (I won't bore you here with the content of Sunday's sports car drive).
Enough incoherent waffle, here are a few snaps. Talking of waffle... you can't beat a good drive out with a quality cuppa and a huge slice of diabetes (no disrespect to my diabetic friends out there).
As long as you didn't look too closely, #165 looked "kinda" ok.
I expect a few people are familiar with this part of Wales (or this section of road).
And there we have it, #165 is alive and well. Although I fully expect I've just b*ggered it up by uttering those very words. It needs a lot of TLC to bring it back to a standard I'm happy with. There is the list of outstanding work that I want to complete from over a year ago and that has had to take a back seat, plus there are other bits and pieces that have cropped up, too. The most important things are that a) it seems to be running very well, b) it has been reliable, and c) the rust gremlins are staying away. Inside, the interior is in fabulous condition and the seats look like new. Of course, the steering wheel has melted and a new wheel was on the todo list. Oh yes, and the gear gator base (plastic clip) has snapped meaning that each gear change is now accompanied by a flapping gearstick gator and a view into the workings of the gearshift mechanism! I will either look to buy new (if I can get the part) or just ghetto fix with some careful centre console removal and self-tapping screws.
I'm sure there are things I've missed, but that's the lot for now. I am tired and I need to put a couple of hours into Starfield before I go to bed.
I'm not really sure where to start. I've kind of lost track of where things are at with #165! In fact, with life and cars in general! The reality is that cars have been quite low on the priority list for the last 18 months, and will remain so for the foreseeable, but I also thought that a cheeky little update would not go amiss. That's not to say I haven't been able to enjoy one or other of my cars; heck, they are very much a release and afford me a level of freedom and enjoyment that has worked wonders in terms of well-being.
Please forgive my lack of creative writing and, no doubt, numerous grammatical errors and smelling pistakes. I'm absolutely knackered writing this and feel emptier than my GT4's fuel tank after a 250-mile blast around the hills and valleys of Wales.I'm still very much 50/50 whether or not I want to keep #165. On the plus side, it's now driving very well after Mick (Diamond Motors) was able to identify, and fix, some corrosion/sensor issues with the engine loom a short while back. The only problem I've had since then was an EML due to a failing O2 sensor. No biggie and easily sorted. So yeah, #165 is driving well, the engine feels lively and strong, and it is undoubtedly a lot of fun to drive. The amusing thing is that I've probably put more miles on it in the last few months than I have over the last decade! Whilst they haven't all been "fun" miles (commuting and hospital runs), an awful lot of them have been for the sheer pleasure of it. So it's not all bad.
What to do, what to do... and that's the problem, isn't it? The Trophy continues to age, parts are expensive and difficult to source (if you can find them at all), and maintenance headaches and bills become larger and more frequent. And then you go and jump in it, enjoy a superb drive on some amazing roads, and find yourself sucked back into that lovely, warm place as the Trophy continues to deliver the driving thrills that belie its vintage.
That's what happened last weekend. I won't lie, I was very much in need of a driving weekend and the weather forecast for both Saturday and Sunday was perfect for a bit of warm, autumnal sunshine driving. I flipped a coin to ultimately decide which car to take out on each day and, first up, it was hot-hatch Saturday (I won't bore you here with the content of Sunday's sports car drive).
Enough incoherent waffle, here are a few snaps. Talking of waffle... you can't beat a good drive out with a quality cuppa and a huge slice of diabetes (no disrespect to my diabetic friends out there).
As long as you didn't look too closely, #165 looked "kinda" ok.
I expect a few people are familiar with this part of Wales (or this section of road).
And there we have it, #165 is alive and well. Although I fully expect I've just b*ggered it up by uttering those very words. It needs a lot of TLC to bring it back to a standard I'm happy with. There is the list of outstanding work that I want to complete from over a year ago and that has had to take a back seat, plus there are other bits and pieces that have cropped up, too. The most important things are that a) it seems to be running very well, b) it has been reliable, and c) the rust gremlins are staying away. Inside, the interior is in fabulous condition and the seats look like new. Of course, the steering wheel has melted and a new wheel was on the todo list. Oh yes, and the gear gator base (plastic clip) has snapped meaning that each gear change is now accompanied by a flapping gearstick gator and a view into the workings of the gearshift mechanism! I will either look to buy new (if I can get the part) or just ghetto fix with some careful centre console removal and self-tapping screws.
I'm sure there are things I've missed, but that's the lot for now. I am tired and I need to put a couple of hours into Starfield before I go to bed.
If it helps at all, the gear gaiter is still available new, 8200071449 is the part number, includes the plastic ring with the clips that always snap. If you're going down the snappy steering wheel re-trim route at some point, he can retrim the gaiter in some decent leather too.
