The Odyssey (Phase 1 172) - By Coops

[Coops Mk1]

Couple more niggles sorted tonight, when indicating right the fog light light on the dash kept coming on, i'd already cleaned up the earths so it was the cluster itself on the rear of the car
so fitted new light panels I had in shed to it from phase 1 I broke years ago, sorted!

and then sorted the blown bulb in the clock display in the top dash which had been annoying me, again from stock in the shed, same as the old valver ones so nicked from a mk1 Clio clock!
Have to take a large amount of top dahs apart though, just for one measly little bulb!!!lol!!

before

in bits

kippered little bugger, all that for just this!!

and done! much better!

cheers

Ben

 

[Clio_fool]

Sounds like you've got a right treasure trove of spares in the shed mate. And it's very handy to have by the sounds of it!

 

[182_steve]

Yeah sounds like you have a good hoard of parts to pick from, good stuff!

That's a mission for just a small bulb taking half the dash off!!! Renaults 🙈

 

[Coops Mk1]

Yeah I've got what the missus calls ' loads of crap all over the place' lol!! Comes from killing a number of clios over the years

 

[Coops Mk1]

Decided to have a crack at cleaning the rear of the car fully to remove the dog hair today...... things escalated quickly!!! lol!

bit of muck here and there to clean up but nothing terrible for a 16 year old car that's done her time as a daily! and done it well!

Had a small argument with the rear seat retaining bolt too, me and mr angle grinder won the battle......but the wars not over, stud extractor or similar going to be required me feels!

@mintno1 is providing me with a new rear bench over Easter with any luck as the plastic seatbelt retaining guides were snapped on mine, as such, I have stripped them down to get the material off them for a snappy refurb of the steering wheel at some point.

I was going to fit the vmaxx coilovers today too, but unfortunately I'm missing the top caps, so hoping seller has them and can forward them on

so that was a no go and instead decided to spend bit of time on the paintwork, its not bad but loads of scuffs, scratches and stress cracks on the plastic bumpers etc, about par for a 144k 16 year old motor I'd say. scrubs up not bad really.

I clay bar'd the car too and happily very little contamination on the paint, apart from the bonnet randomly which was ditched! only pic I took was of the bar from this panel

got a good polish in and one layer of wax too, enjoyed pottering tbh for couple of hours!

cheers

Ben

 

[Coops Mk1]

oh and here is my phase 1 rust candid snaps, not rotten, in fact not bad at all really. I'll be scrubbing the worst off, giving it a good fettle with a prodding stick to test structural integrity and then coating in the fabled hammerite kurust.

 

[KitsonRis]

Exactly how my inner sills look. I had a poke down mine the other day while I was in the back, and was plesantly surprised. I Kurusted them the other year but wouldn't mind doing it again.

 

[Djw John]

Never ever take the sideskirts off!

 

[Coops Mk1]

Exactly how my inner sills look. I had a poke down mine the other day while I was in the back, and was plesantly surprised. I Kurusted them the other year but wouldn't mind doing it again.

ai that's the plan, kurust the s**t out of them!lol!

Never ever take the sideskirts off!

absolutely no intention of doing this, ever!lol!

 

[Coops Mk1]

Results of many hours of polishing and waxing, want to get another later or two of wax on this weekend as well hopefully but its beading quite nicely now for 16 year old French paint

 

[Rojer]

Looks lovely, don't suppose you have a throttle body for a 182 in your pile of parts?

 

[Coops Mk1]

Looks lovely, don't suppose you have a throttle body for a 182 in your pile of parts?

unfortunately not chap i'm afraid, most if not all of my 182 stuff is gone now pretty much

 

[Rojer]

No problem, keep up the good work. I always enjoy coming back and seeing the updates.

 

[Coops Mk1]

No problem, keep up the good work. I always enjoy coming back and seeing the updates.

cheers chap, will do! enjoying tinkering with the car tbh!

 

[Coops Mk1]

Love a little parts delivery on a Monday to cheer me up

The rs badge is a marmite thing on a phase 1 but personally since seeing @Phase1sr car I knew I had to do it.

And new header trank and type D coolant to go in too after a good system flush!

 

[Coops Mk1]

More progress last night

Refitted my ECU brackets after spraying them satin black, I'm going to replace the battery positive terminal too I think as the cover has broken loose and looks a mess!

Then I scrubbed back the surface rust in the inner sills and treated with a coat of hammerite kurust. I will repeat the treatment at the weekend and then coat the lot in waxoyl underseal before refitting the doorcards

and then the fun job, fitted my new R.S badge. Was very happy with how this went as after talking to @Phase1sr he informed me he had to chop the badge down to fit in the grill and then use a small self tapping screw to hold it in place. After a bit of head scratching and not wanting to put a hole in the grill (even if couldn't really see if the badge was removed etc, but still..) I just trimmed a small amount off the sides of the badge (still a harrowing thing to do to a fairly expensive item!) and low and behold it clicked into the grill like it was made to fit!!! quelle surprise!!
I know its a bit of a marmite mod, but I love it! and I will get some decent pics of the car as it stands now with the badge once I get another layer of wax onto it!

cheers
Ben

 

[Coops Mk1]

Quick pic in the sun with the badge fitted. Crying out for coilovers!!

Cleaned and sorted the interior now too ready to fit once I drill out and sort the snapped bolt

And also picked up an aluminium bonnet and couple of other bits from @mintno1 steering wheel to get snappy'd included

Cheers
Ben

 

[mintno1]

Quick pic in the sun with the badge fitted. Crying out for coilovers!!
View attachment 183337
Cleaned and sorted the interior now too ready to fit once I drill out and sort the snapped bolt
View attachment 183338 View attachment 183339
And also picked up an aluminium bonnet and couple of other bits from @mintno1 steering wheel to get snappy'd included
View attachment 183340
Cheers
Ben

Car was looking good yesterday, look forward to seeing the bit's you picked up on the car, nice to meet you :up:

 

[Coops Mk1]

Cheers @mintno1 she scrubs up okay for an old girl! And good to meet you too

 

[182_steve]

When that's on coilovers, it's going to look awesome!!

.... not that it doesn't already, you know what I mean :laughing:

 

[Coops Mk1]

When that's on coilovers, it's going to look awesome!!

.... not that it doesn't already, you know what I mean :laughing:

I concur, needs 'da lowz'

 

[182_steve]

I concur, needs 'da lowz'

"innit"

 

[Coops Mk1]

Few more bits sorted
Top caps for da coilovaz haz arrived, in a very fetching blue colour........least they'll be hidden!
also finally managed to drill out and retap the bolt for the rear seats, what a nightmare that was, I swore, a lot, in fact i'm swearing in my inner monologue still.
and then smashed some underseal down the inner sills now the two coats of kurust have set

Top Caps here

Drill and retap complete

underseal smashed

oh and I did another buy, had to really as I have a norev one for my mk1 also!

coilovers to be fitted Friday hopefully! weather permitting as its threatening rain now!

cheers

Ben

 

[182_steve]

I nearly bought that model myself!!!! Great price, more fitting for you tho as you have a phase 1 :up:

Progress is good :grinning:

 

[B-shaw557]

Model has better wheels on :wink:
Good progress though dude. I'd forgotten about that RS badge mod. Planned to do it on mine originally.
I need to go through @Phase1sr thread again for inspiration I think. After all, it was that car that made me buy one in the 1st place!

 

[Coops Mk1]

Had to have it @182_steve
And lol @B-shaw557 your sort of right in a way, original wheels will need to find thier way back on eventually. And Scotts thread is literally the phase 1 bible @Phase1sr

 

[Coops Mk1]

Coilover fitting today!! yeeeeeeeey lol!

simple job really, just unblolt old, set new and fit. Went for as low as they'll go with the rear adjustment platforms still in and front left as they were when I got them.

so out with the old

in with the new

rear platform lower section bolted in to rear beam

spring and shocker fitted

front strut assembly fitted

and before, with arch gap:

after, less gappage!

happy with how its sitting currently and once the rear interior and spare etc are all refitted the rear will sit a bit lower, at that point I will then lower the front to match, like to keep a small amount of front rake on the car

couple of close ups of arch gaps before and after:

front

rear

cheers

Ben

 

[imprezaworks]

Much better

 

[182_steve]

Yeah that looks much better!

 

[Clio_fool]

Was it off road spec before? Looks spot on now.

 

[KitsonRis]

Where did you get that model from?! I might have to find one myself....

 

[Djw John]

Loads better.

Mine currently sits about standard height even though it's on sportlines, looking forward to eventually getting coilovers!

 

[Jekyll]

Muchos betterer!

 

[Coops Mk1]

The before pics it was on h&r's which sit about same as sportlines but the rear interior is out so looked high! Tractor spec! Lol!
Model came from for sales on here matey @KitsonRis

 

[Coops Mk1]

Small update, I put the interior back in a wound the fronts down another 10mm to match, but didn't get any pics

I have some 20mm front spacers coming to get the front wheels sat right on the lip of the arches

and then this happened.......so new caliper on order!lol!

 

[Coops Mk1]

Well

new caliper fitted and bled up, so got my brakes back and car is useable again!

then stuck the 20mm spacers on the front too, so its stitting tight to the arch now. will get some decent pics after she's had a bath!

cheers

Ben

 

[Coops Mk1]

And low

 

[Coops Mk1]

Oooft, lol!

 

[Djw John]

Getting closer and closer to standard like you wanted!

 

[Coops Mk1]

Getting closer and closer to standard like you wanted!

I know it's incredible how things just fall into place sometimes. I'm like a wizard or something....