Sounds good to me. I'm not great at mechanics but stripping the caliper down should be easy.
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The life of... SharkyUK's Trophy
SharkyUK
ClioSport Club Member
There's always the Xbox or Blu-Ray collection should things get too difficult... 
I need to hit the sack now but I'll speak to you before the weekend mate
I need to hit the sack now but I'll speak to you before the weekend mate
SharkyUK
ClioSport Club Member
October 2014 - Update #1
Just a quick update to say that the components for my new radiator / fan setup have arrived and I'll soon be getting them fitted (all being well). A big thanks to Scott Morgan for his handiwork and fabrication skills Oh, and for the photos. Ignore the fact that the pictured Clio is blue... it's just the radiator setup I'm having but obviously shown on another customer's car!
All being well I shouldn't have overheating problems again.
Just a quick update to say that the components for my new radiator / fan setup have arrived and I'll soon be getting them fitted (all being well). A big thanks to Scott Morgan for his handiwork and fabrication skills
Oh, and for the photos. Ignore the fact that the pictured Clio is blue... it's just the radiator setup I'm having but obviously shown on another customer's car!All being well I shouldn't have overheating problems again.
SharkyUK
ClioSport Club Member
October 2014 - Update #2
Over the last few days I decided to remove my grille and refurbish it. After years of abuse the once-black grille had become somewhat grey-ish in colour. Things didn't quite go to plan when I accidentally broke the top of the grille when removing it. Whilst trying to be firm yet careful, I was a little too firm... Oh well, those top two clips didn't do much to hold it in place anyway!
With the front grille removed I got a good view of the crappy radiator than will soon be replaced (with the item shown in my previous update). I can't wait to be rid of it; too much of a liability.
With the grille removed, I set about sanding it down and cleaning it thoroughly. I then cheekily used the good lady's hair dryer to ensure it was fully dry before applying any paint. I simply used a spray can of Halford's primer and gradually built up 3-4 layers over the evening.
Having left the grille overnight to dry I began to apply the paint; again I simply used a spray can of Halford's satin black and gradually built up the layers over time. After 4-5 layers over the day I was happy with the finish.
Earlier today I took advantage of the decent weather and went to fit the grille back on to the car.
And here are a few more pics of the final result. I'm quite happy with how it's turned out.
Perhaps I should have added a couple of layers of lacquer for extra protection though. Oh well, maybe next time! And I really need to get the carbon fibre splitter sorted now...
Over the last few days I decided to remove my grille and refurbish it. After years of abuse the once-black grille had become somewhat grey-ish in colour. Things didn't quite go to plan when I accidentally broke the top of the grille when removing it. Whilst trying to be firm yet careful, I was a little too firm... Oh well, those top two clips didn't do much to hold it in place anyway!
With the front grille removed I got a good view of the crappy radiator than will soon be replaced (with the item shown in my previous update). I can't wait to be rid of it; too much of a liability.
With the grille removed, I set about sanding it down and cleaning it thoroughly. I then cheekily used the good lady's hair dryer to ensure it was fully dry before applying any paint. I simply used a spray can of Halford's primer and gradually built up 3-4 layers over the evening.
Having left the grille overnight to dry I began to apply the paint; again I simply used a spray can of Halford's satin black and gradually built up the layers over time. After 4-5 layers over the day I was happy with the finish.
Earlier today I took advantage of the decent weather and went to fit the grille back on to the car.
And here are a few more pics of the final result. I'm quite happy with how it's turned out.
Perhaps I should have added a couple of layers of lacquer for extra protection though. Oh well, maybe next time! And I really need to get the carbon fibre splitter sorted now...
SharkyUK
ClioSport Club Member
Yeah, it's a bit of a pain to sand down but I only really lightly keyed it before applying a few layers of plastic primer. I have a feeling it's only a matter of time until it starts flaking (although I took my time doing it!)... fingers crossed it will last a while at least. I just couldn't stand the washed-out grey colour it had become!
SharkyUK
ClioSport Club Member
Thanks mate. There are still a few outstanding issues to fix but it's getting there
Cub.
ClioSport Moderator
Looks good bud, and I like the new radiator. Shhinnnnneeeeyyyy.
You'd be surprised how long the grill lasts without repainting, mine has held up very well.
You'd be surprised how long the grill lasts without repainting, mine has held up very well.
If sprayed correctly they should last ages! Mines been fine for a good 10k miles!
SharkyUK
ClioSport Club Member
^ This is what I'm hoping!
I did it properly so hopefully it will last in that case. Fingers crossed.A new lambda sensor and brake calipers to be fitted on Wednesday all being well (and I'll also get my set re-furbed courtesy of that geezer with a real nice Phase 1).
Keith185
ClioSport Club Member
Great work Andy, the rad looks lovely
Stunning as always.
Radiator looks amazing! (dammit - I want one now)
Radiator looks amazing! (dammit - I want one now)
SharkyUK
ClioSport Club Member
Cheers Keith. After feeling pretty down recently (with one thing after another breaking) I decided it was about time I got things sorted and started enjoying it again. Or, at least, got things fixed over the winter months in readiness for next year. I know the engine is solid (and loosening up nicely now) so I'm going to turn my attention to the other bits. Thankfully none of them are critical in the grand scheme of things; just annoying and a drain on the wallet. I really need to try and find time to get the car up to Fred's though; definitely need to get to the bottom of the gearbox issue.
Haha! Thanks George. It does look good. Thanks very much for the calipers. They will be going on tomorrow all being well. I'm keeping my old set and getting them refurbished courtesy of Scott. I'm finding that, as the Clio ages, it pays to have a decent set of supplies/spares in the garage... :smile:
Yeah, I'm waiting for the stone chips to start appearing. I fear it won't be a long wait!
Yes, but size isn't everything! So my good lady tells me... 😊 Indeed, the radiator setup from Morgan is not exactly cheap but I've come this far and I'm not skimping on things now! The engine was built on top quality components so I'm seeing that through with the radiator. It's a good job I'm never getting rid of the Trophy because it owes me BIG time now. LOL!
182cup & 172 racecar
Those polo rads were never meant for traffic, fine on the race car, because your always moving.
SharkyUK
ClioSport Club Member
Exactly Tony - and I knew this right from the off. Normally traffic is not an issue where I live hence the decision to run with the Polo rad for the time being. It was just unfortunate I got caught out on that one day with regards to the traffic and an unseasonally hot day! I know a few people running the Polo rad, but who are not running high-comp, and they seem to do ok as well. Still, the plan always was to get a proper solution in place (proper in terms of a solution that suited the Trophy as a road car and a part-time track car). Those plans have just been brought forward a little quicker now!
In other news, I have decided to leave the Sachs off the Trophy for the winter. They are in need of a rebuild and will be sent to Cornering Force in due course. I just don't see the point in subjecting freshly built dampers to a potentially harsh Welsh winter when I'm happily running 182 Cup dampers in the meantime.
They will be going back on next Spring I would imagine.Another shout out for Dan @ SJM as I went down there today to get a few bits done (including picking up the lambda sensor I forgot from last time). Replacement calipers went on (thanks to George182 for those) and the difference was instantly noticeable; no more seized caliper
My old set will be off to Scott very soon for a refurb. These will then become my 'best' set LOL! A bit of brawn and muscle also saw my exhaust straightened up again so no more melting rear bumper...Next on the agenda, work-wise, is the radiator and gearbox. I'm hoping to get up to Fred's (for the gearbox stuff) in the coming weeks.
Oh yeah, the Trophy may be sporting the 'driven' look again come this weekend's PFC Expo at Donington... :blush:
M2 Comp
Nice to see things are coming together Andy, I'm looking forward to seeing it again on Sunday. I think my Trophy may also be sporting the driven look!!
Any other plans suspension wise whilst the dampers are off? I've also been rocking some Cup dampers for the last few weeks as I'm planning to send my Sachs off for a refurb. It rides so much better on the Cup setup. I had thought about going for the Mark Fish springs and Koni rear dampers, but I'm a bit scared of messing with the suspension too much..... so it would be interesting to see if you have anything planned!
Any other plans suspension wise whilst the dampers are off? I've also been rocking some Cup dampers for the last few weeks as I'm planning to send my Sachs off for a refurb. It rides so much better on the Cup setup. I had thought about going for the Mark Fish springs and Koni rear dampers, but I'm a bit scared of messing with the suspension too much..... so it would be interesting to see if you have anything planned!
SharkyUK
ClioSport Club Member
Phew, I'm glad to hear that I won't be the only 'driven-look' Clio on Sunday! :tonguewink: I was planning on using Friday evening and Saturday to get it ready... but severe electrical storms and poor weather have put an end to that. Pfft.
As of this moment, I don't have any other real plans for the suspension (other than rebuilding the Sachs); as far as I'm aware everything else (suspension-wise) is ok at the moment. I had intended to get a Whiteline ARB at some point but I've just seen the new Pure Motorsport kit so I'm trying to decide what to do. As far as the Cup setup is concerned, I'm not as happy with it as you seem to be with yours. Don't get me wrong, it's a RenaultSport Clio that feels great, handles great and can run circles round most cars. I just don't find the Cup setup as confidence-inspiring as the Sachs. I'm not trying to big-up the Sachs just because I'm a Trophy owner, but I do personally find them to be incredible for the driving I do and enjoy; whether on the road or the odd track day. Sometimes I do look at the Trophy and wish it were a little lower though... but I'm loathe to change things when it handles so well. And it's ultimately the drive that I find more important than the aesthetics.
Evo 5 RS
Had the same issue with the pro-alloy rad in truth. Just didn't cope with stop starting. Great bit of kit though. Also don't talk to me about suspension. If it makes you feel any better the MPS is going in next week for new dampers. Car drives itself at the moment when you put your foot down
SharkyUK
ClioSport Club Member
November 2014 - Update #1
Time for a quick update...
As mentioned in a previous post I had a problem with one of my brake calipers a while back. Thankfully George came forward and kindly sent me his old set, and these did the job nicely. At that time, a rather kind gent by the (user)name Phase1sr also offered to refurb my old calipers for me (including new seal kit, etc). I was more than happy to accept his generous offer and I'm happy to report that I have now received them back and they are looking good. A big thanks to both George and Scott for their time and efforts.
My intention was to post up some pics of the newly rebuilt / refurbed calipers but - alas - my DSLR has thrown a wobbly and the only thing I can get out of it is error codes so... they'll have to wait until another update. In the meantime, here are a few pics that Scott kindly sent me.
The old (and faulty) set as he received them.
After a quick wash in the tank.
You can see the scoring on the piston.
The new seal / piston kit that Scott sourced and fitted for me.
At this point I'd normally post the pics of the reassembled items but - due to the camera fail - they'll have to wait...
So, in other news I decided to treat the Trophy to it's winter coat and protection today. I'd also opted to get the paintwork colour corrected but the Welsh weather wasn't playing ball so it's been postponed until another time. However, it did get a thorough clean inside and out and a good old polish, wax and seal. I would like to say I worked tirelessly on it... but I would be telling porkies. Being extremely busy at the moment I decided to ask a friend of mine (who just happens to be a professional valeter and detailer) to come over and do it. Considering the awful conditions he did a great job. Here are a few pics courtesy of Sean at Pure Auto Valeting.
Whipping up the lather.
Giving the belts (seat, not cam) some love.
Looking a bit nicer...
Despite not being able to colour correct the paintwork I'm still more than happy with the job. It looks superb and was sorely needed (remembering that this was the first proper clean in almost two years!) The paintwork felt like sandpaper, now it feels silky smooth. And the beading is back as opposed to the clumping! Happy days Thanks to the boys at Pure Auto Valeting for another quality job
Of course, as nice as it is to have a clean car these cars are all about fun. And I decided to take it out for a blast the other weekend. Thankfully the weather was dry and cool, the roads were empty and a route to a favourite cafe was plotted. And it was... ok. It's come to light that there appears to be an issue with the mapping. I suspect this is due to the fact (maybe?) that the new engine was mapped on a faulty lambda sensor and now that I have a new one the map is off a little (especially lower down the rev range). At higher speeds the car drives nicely but, sadly, those speeds are too much for the public roads. There seems to be issues around the 2.1k and 3k marks with flat spots and misfires. The rear end of the car is also covered in black soot and fumes are rather... strong! It's just another thing to add to the list of outstanding issues I guess *sigh*.
I'm hoping to get the following done over the coming months:
Time for a quick update...
As mentioned in a previous post I had a problem with one of my brake calipers a while back. Thankfully George came forward and kindly sent me his old set, and these did the job nicely. At that time, a rather kind gent by the (user)name Phase1sr also offered to refurb my old calipers for me (including new seal kit, etc). I was more than happy to accept his generous offer and I'm happy to report that I have now received them back and they are looking good. A big thanks to both George and Scott for their time and efforts.
My intention was to post up some pics of the newly rebuilt / refurbed calipers but - alas - my DSLR has thrown a wobbly and the only thing I can get out of it is error codes so... they'll have to wait until another update. In the meantime, here are a few pics that Scott kindly sent me.
The old (and faulty) set as he received them.
After a quick wash in the tank.
You can see the scoring on the piston.
The new seal / piston kit that Scott sourced and fitted for me.
At this point I'd normally post the pics of the reassembled items but - due to the camera fail - they'll have to wait...
So, in other news I decided to treat the Trophy to it's winter coat and protection today. I'd also opted to get the paintwork colour corrected but the Welsh weather wasn't playing ball so it's been postponed until another time. However, it did get a thorough clean inside and out and a good old polish, wax and seal. I would like to say I worked tirelessly on it... but I would be telling porkies. Being extremely busy at the moment I decided to ask a friend of mine (who just happens to be a professional valeter and detailer) to come over and do it. Considering the awful conditions he did a great job. Here are a few pics courtesy of Sean at Pure Auto Valeting.
Whipping up the lather.
Giving the belts (seat, not cam) some love.
Looking a bit nicer...
Despite not being able to colour correct the paintwork I'm still more than happy with the job. It looks superb and was sorely needed (remembering that this was the first proper clean in almost two years!) The paintwork felt like sandpaper, now it feels silky smooth. And the beading is back as opposed to the clumping! Happy days
Thanks to the boys at Pure Auto Valeting for another quality job Of course, as nice as it is to have a clean car these cars are all about fun. And I decided to take it out for a blast the other weekend. Thankfully the weather was dry and cool, the roads were empty and a route to a favourite cafe was plotted. And it was... ok. It's come to light that there appears to be an issue with the mapping. I suspect this is due to the fact (maybe?) that the new engine was mapped on a faulty lambda sensor and now that I have a new one the map is off a little (especially lower down the rev range). At higher speeds the car drives nicely but, sadly, those speeds are too much for the public roads. There seems to be issues around the 2.1k and 3k marks with flat spots and misfires. The rear end of the car is also covered in black soot and fumes are rather... strong! It's just another thing to add to the list of outstanding issues I guess *sigh*.
I'm hoping to get the following done over the coming months:
- New radiator (still waiting due to radiator core being on backorder)
- Gearbox (still no third gear when enjoying a spirited drive / trackday)
- Map tweaks (to try and address the flatspots and misfires)
- Sachs dampers (to be rebuilt as one has completely failed, and will be re-fitted after winter)
Always happy to help a fellow enthusiast!
I am so pleased it's all coming together for you mate - I hope you can see the light at the end of the tunnel!
I am so pleased it's all coming together for you mate - I hope you can see the light at the end of the tunnel!
SharkyUK
ClioSport Club Member
Thanks mate. To be fair, I am feeling a bit miffed again as I was hoping to get a track day or two in before the end of year (and/or some spirited drives) but am now resigned to the fact that these will have to happen next year. The light at the end of the tunnel is waning a little right now but I'm sure it will come good soon enough. I'm hoping the T will repay me in kind after the TLC heaped on her today!
Sir_Dave
ClioSport Trader
Cannot believe the bad luck you've had with this car!! Think i would have set fire to it a long time ago lol ... Fingers crossed it gets sorted soon
SharkyUK
ClioSport Club Member
Thanks mate - all fingers and toes are crossed here, too. If I'm in a similar position this year next time then I'm probably just going to cut my losses and crush it.
Clio RS
Hi, where can i buy this Restauration kit for the Brakes?
Cub.
ClioSport Moderator
Looks good clean
Perseverance my friend. It is an epic car, just needy that's all.
Perseverance my friend. It is an epic car, just needy that's all.
SharkyUK
ClioSport Club Member
Thanks mate. With regards the aircon I had it completely removed (Pure Motorsport aircon delete kit).
Er, yeah... sorry about that :tongueout: Some say the recent Ebola outbreak was also due to the Trophy... In other news, yes; get your winter protection done now. Before the weather gets even worse!
I'm not sure where @Phase1sr got it from; but I'm sure he can provide details when he has a moment.
I'd forgotten just how good the Capsicum Pink comes up when given a decent posh-wash... I reckon another year or so and the whole car will be colour-matched; handles and all!
Needy you say? You're not wrong! Teething issues I believe they are called... At least it keeps me out of trouble (mainly due to the fact it's swallowing all my money hence I can't do anything else to get into any kind of trouble! LOL!) Swap? :tongueclosed:
Shame about the gearbox, hopefully it'll be running trouble free soon!
Looks great Andy. Reminds me that i need to do my belts.
Here are a few pictures of the finished calipers that i sent back to Andy.
005 by scottieraven, on Flickr
011 by scottieraven, on Flickr
006 by scottieraven, on Flickr
Cub.
ClioSport Moderator
Yes bud, no problems. :smile:
Cub.
ClioSport Moderator
Clio RS
oh nice! Thanks for the Link! Thats soooo cheap!
