The Project that shouldn't really be a Project - Monaco Blue 172

[DannyR]

Well it seems once again I can't go 6 weeks without a 172 in my life! With a big chunk of savings laying in the bank I had to buy one.

The plan is to share with the Missus and she will sell her car, so unfortunately I couldn't get an "ugly" Ph1.

Found this in Clacton on eBay with FSH, every MOT and every Tax disc and only on 49k! Went to have a look and its in outstanding condition for a 10 nearly 11 year old car.

I later found out that the rear shocks were knackered so luckily I had a couple spare sets of coilovers so got those on with some spacers and sorted the ride height promptly.

I kind of like the big gay wheels which most people hate, they look massive now it's been lowered too!

Few short term plans are for the rear hub spacers to bring the rears out 10mm. Lower the seat as the seating position is dire after having bucket seats in past cars. Generally tidying it up, satin black most plastics as they're getting a bit grey and faded. I've got plenty of silver powder coated bits too so will get some of those on when I service it etc.

I'm also sure that LD02 BPV belonged to someone on here before. It's cost a small plate which is a tell tale sign and the guy I bought it off said previous owner was from Heathrow area and came on here. Would be good to know.

Anyway the project that shouldn't really be a project will hopefully help people out with small jobs as will try and get guides written when doing most bits.

 

[AdamDoug]

Love it! One of my favourite colours or a ph2!

 

[Chri5]

Looks very tidy mate, welcome to the Monaco fold lol

 

[Dan@M.A.D]

Looks fantastic.

Sitting and spaced perfectly.

Leave it as it is IMO.

 

[DannyR]

Thank you

The rears are very tucked, ill fit the spacers and see how it looks. If too much poke ill get them turned down to 5/7mm.

 

[Poopensharten]

Lovely example Danny, very nice.

 

[TimR26]

Nice Monaco

My Monaco's reg was LD02 BXC, I've seen three or four Monaco's starting LD02 B now. Think they were imported from Netherlands as my service book had a Dutch stamp in front.

 

[welshname]

Looks nice. Monaco Ph2's are the only Ph2 172 to suit the standard alloys in silver.

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

Gluton for punishment !!!

Right colour though... good work :approve:

 

[DannyR]

Tim, all it came up with when searching LD02 was you asking if it was your old one!

The wheels in silver do look good on Monaco. When its a sunny weekend I'll get them all sprayed up fresh and give them a good refurb.

Did have first problem today also. Wouldn't start. Also the Ph2 won't let you crank it over until it starts, does it for 5 seconds and then stops which is weird.

So I changed the Crank Postion Sensor, turned over and nothing a few more times, then started!

 

[Poopensharten]

How much did you pay if you don't mind me asking mate?

 

[TimR26]

Tim, all it came up with when searching LD02 was you asking if it was your old one!

The wheels in silver do look good on Monaco. When its a sunny weekend I'll get them all sprayed up fresh and give them a good refurb.

Did have first problem today also. Wouldn't start. Also the Ph2 won't let you crank it over until it starts, does it for 5 seconds and then stops which is weird.

So I changed the Crank Postion Sensor, turned over and nothing a few more times, then started!

Lucky it isn't my old one as it was a right shed when I traded it in.

Agree with keeping the wheels standard.

 

[dmallett]

I missed this! Looks nice danny, far to clean though!

Mines far from meeting the condition of yours lol

 

[DannyR]

How much did you pay if you don't mind me asking mate?

£2350

It's expensive at the moment for a 172 but the mileage was silly low with every MOT to back up. Cambelt had been done at a specialist I trust within last 6 months. It needed tax and two tyres but I still think it was a bargain!

It is very very clean, only two scratches and they'll machine polish out easy enough. Also about 4 tiny door dints on one side, but it is an eleven year old car!

 

[Poopensharten]

It's only expensive to the majority of CS, I'd be happy paying that all day! Lovely example!

 

[Jekyll]

Haha, you can't give up the clios eh Danny?!

Id suggest using gtechniq's c4 to do all the plastics as they'll come up really good and saves you taking off all the plastics to spray them.

 

[Stu.]

Looks tidy that! Would leave they wheels on it, Looks good at that height and its not very often you see them with standard wheels these days lol.

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

It's only expensive to the majority of CS, I'd be happy paying that all day! Lovely example!

Nail / Head.

Bargain.

 

[Djw John]

It's only expensive to the majority of CS, I'd be happy paying that all day! Lovely example!

Agreed, perfectly reasonable for the condition

 

[Greeny.]

Looks great Dan, I had no idea you had this until I saw you post these pics up on Facebook, we now both have 40k mint 172's! You keeping the standard exhaust or putting something subtle on it? Mine had the standard one on at 32k somehow, although the backbox did fall off shortly after I picked it up 2 years ago! :S

Are you on 15mm front spacers out of interest?

Cya on track in a few months!

 

[DannyR]

It's only expensive to the majority of CS, I'd be happy paying that all day! Lovely example!

Nail / Head.


Bargain.

Agreed, perfectly reasonable for the condition

True, it really is, although now having a weird starting issue

Haha, you can't give up the clios eh Danny?!

Id suggest using gtechniq's c4 to do all the plastics as they'll come up really good and saves you taking off all the plastics to spray them.

I really can't, although looks like the licence is going next week for a bit Thanks for the advice, I'll get some of that, planning on giving it a good going over outside.

Looks tidy that! Would leave they wheels on it, Looks good at that height and its not very often you see them with standard wheels these days lol.

Height is being raised as coilovers are coming off for a more refined ride.

Looks great Dan, I had no idea you had this until I saw you post these pics up on Facebook, we now both have 40k mint 172's! You keeping the standard exhaust or putting something subtle on it? Mine had the standard one on at 32k somehow, although the backbox did fall off shortly after I picked it up 2 years ago! :S

Are you on 15mm front spacers out of interest?

Cya on track in a few months!

I'm very sneaky and secretive before I buy stuff Unfortunatly mines now on 51k after a trip to Heathrow, I did see 44 MPG the whole way though which was nice. Exhaust is staying standard, if it breaks it'll go standard. I imagine this is now the second as its looking a little rusty now.

Using 25mm spacers on the front, and have 10mm ready for the rear.

Only Trackday I'm on this year is the Nurburgring trip, and that depends how long I lose my licence for, but good to know your coming to the 'Ring

UPDATE:

Anyway, its been having a funny starting problem. Sometimes it just won't start, changed crank sensor and still does it. Doesn't look like an immobiliser fault either.

Secondly, as saving for a house the coilovers are going as I can get brand new Cup suspension and the Cooksport springs for the same price as crap coilovers and have great handling, just won't be as low. But at the moment comfort and good handling is what I want. RS didn't spend millions developing it for no reason

So I've spent £280 and now have these boxes stacked up and waiting!

 

[dmallett]

Any news on the license front Danny? I completely forgot about it until Ben asked me last night, must be nearing 6months now!

 

[DannyR]

Well for those that don't know, I was caught doing 120MPH in the old supercharged Clio. I hadn't heard anything until last week and then received the summons.

I will be up in court in the next week to find out I'll definitely have a ban of some description, just hoping its over before end of May!

 

[dmallett]

Sucks hopefully it will be a quick and simple ban!

Gemmas brother heard yet?

 

[DannyR]

Yea, same day and only a speeding offence! Lucky fucker!

 

[dmallett]

Very lucky!

 

[P17 TOO]

Least you got caught doing a decent speed

I guess your's is starting eventually rather than never like mine??

 

[DannyR]

Yea, you leave it 5 mins and then it starts. I've only done it once and missus done it once when I wasn't there,

I'm still confused so can't wait until yours is sorted! Car is off the road after this weekend anyway so it shouldn't cause any issues. I'll then get it to the warehouse and start getting it to factory condition

 

[Paul182]

Very nice Danny whats the plan for this one??

 

[domsclio182]

Really like the car Danny. Hope the bans not to bad.

 

[DannyR]

Thanks Dom.

Paul, its just to keep looking nice and highly maintained aswell as a yearly Nurburgring trip.

So today I fitted all of my new suspension. This consisted of;

2 x Front 172 Shocks
2 x Rear Shocks
4 x Cooksport Springs.

Not too bad of a job but I did forget the top hats as was doing it at my dads which was a bit annoying as the Coilovers use their own ones.

I also slotted the top hole of the standard shocks so I could get a bit of negative camber. Hole was 14mm and I stretched it too 16.5mm.

Also sprayed the little ABS sensor brackets as they were very rusty.

I'm loving having a normal feeling 172 again, but the suspension seems a bit soft. I'm getting a lot of rubbing on the inner arch in harder corners. Unfortunately the bumper brackets are where I'm hitting. Any decent ideas to get rid that doesn't involve hitting with a hammer?


I also lowered the seats while the car was jacked up, seats lowered about 10mm by removing the spacers, makes hell of a difference.

Also went and bought a new battery which has cured my trip reset problem, and it hasn't had a problem starting since too!

 

[Stefan.]

i take it the seat wont rattle by doing this?! i must admit the seating position does annoy me! wouldnt mind giving this a go

 

[Scrooge]

Very smart, I love a Monaco

 

[Jekyll]

Can you not take a dremmel to the inner arch bracket and just cut it off. I bent mine up against itself but I did that with a hammer, which you don't want to use.

Also shame about the ban. Remember speaking to about it at css12 and thought by nice you might have gotten away with it. Lets hope it's not to bad.

 

[DannyR]

Cheers Scrooge.

The seat doesn't rattle no, I did it on previous one years back and was always fine.

I may have to take a hammer to it, could probably cut it off as the bumper seems sturdy, just seemed a bit of a s**t design. We're Renault not thinking of the modified market

Yea, I had until January 28th for them to summon me. So its been a long time coming!

 

[dmallett]

s**t design on the bumper? much better than the ph1 bumper, you dont need to use any bolts to hold it on either which is a plus. Saying that in a few weeks time mine will no doubt fall off and ill run over it or something.

 

[DannyR]

Lol, yes the bracket that sits even with the arch so the wheel is constantly hitting it when turning,

 

[dmallett]

Bar that though its better! im no doubt going to have to smash mine when my spacers turn up! Fitted the 10mm rears yet?

 

[Greeny.]

Same rubbing problem that I always had on mine with spacers on the front Dan, its a pain in the arse tbh! My fix was to bend it slightly, fit smaller spacers and set my coilovers stiffer!

I wanna lower my seats but need some washers I think so they can still slide? confirm/deny? Also need to drop my exhaust to get to the bolts and cba in this weather

 

[DannyR]

Bar that though its better! im no doubt going to have to smash mine when my spacers turn up! Fitted the 10mm rears yet?

It's a better fit definitely. I haven't, getting a degree taken off

Same rubbing problem that I always had on mine with spacers on the front Dan, its a pain in the arse tbh! My fix was to bend it slightly, fit smaller spacers and set my coilovers stiffer!

I wanna lower my seats but need some washers I think so they can still slide? confirm/deny? Also need to drop my exhaust to get to the bolts and cba in this weather

I'll bend it or cut it off and see how it goes before smaller spacers.

I think that's true as my seats are very stiff to now move back and forward. I didn't have that problem on the Ph1 though?

Why do you need to drop exhaust? Can get to them easily.