The TT conversion is underway now

[Alan]

Wicked..

 

[Rage]

Fairplay mate.

f**k all the people saying it should be in a VW shell....Looking forward to seeing the finished article

 

[Mike@Rentech]

hey if we all liked the same thing what a boring world it would be.
I'm doing it for a bit of a challenge as I'm not a tuner and like to see what I can do. Recon once its all done Ile have something a bit different.
Wanted something rapid and as a Renault specialist I would rather stick with a Renault parked outside my garage, wouldnt look rite with a scooby or BMW sat outside.

 

[Ian_182]

Good luck with that mike.

Now get some bloody pics up to show us the work

 

[Graham Gooch]

Should of put an ej20 in it lol.

VAG is a good conversion if you want to go fast.

Best of luck with it. Will be watching the progress

 

[fmp_]

will it be a Rentech conversion available to all if it goes well???

get some pics up!

 

[Chrisjk]

Mike , see if you can get an audi interior to fit, or at best a full red leather retrim just like a TT's that'd be lush.

 

[Mark5290]

Well over the last 10 months I have purchased little bits and peices off ebay so has cost very little.
I expect total costs to be £3k max, have spent £1k so far and thats BAM 225bhp engine, Gearbox that I suspect has a limited slip diff in it already, alternator, starter motor, clutch, flywheel, exhaust downpipe, throttle body, and a few other bits.

You done well getting that lot for £1k, all the 225 BAM engines i have found have been around the £2k mark!.

 

[trailerparktrev]

Mike knows when there's a bargain to be had. I'll have to take a butcher's when the car's in at the end of the month.

 

[Ali]

Been done before...

yup, I've seen a 500bhp one in a Mk1 shell... now that's f**king mental!

Silly silly! Matt's old shed only had 400 and something and that was a pain in the ass to even start.

 

[foxon]

should be gud when finished n bloody cheap 2!!

 

[phil1988]

cant wait to see this finished fair play to ya this should be ace

 

[Mike@Rentech]

Pictures of work so far.....

In the process of making mounts up.

Slight modifications to subframe....

KO4 Turbo in clio engine bay

 

[Chrisjk]

Nice work, i expect it'll be a monster when its done.

 

[Mike@Rentech]

Standard clio rack with no power steering.

 

[cK]

Should of put an ej20 in it lol.

VAG is a good conversion if you want to go fast.

Best of luck with it. Will be watching the progress

2jz*****

 

[.GAZ.]

da shizzo ma nizzo

 

[paul_h172]

looking good, should be awesome when its finished

 

[edde]

Silly silly! Matt's old shed only had 400 and something and that was a pain in the ass to even start.

Thats down to mapping though.

I would expect Mike fancies a change from pissing about with an engine that has surpassed it's possible tuning potential with something a little more playable.

Mike hadn't srted on the tunning potentail though there loads could be done but its very expensive vs a VAG engine power.

Standard clio rack with no power steering.

How coem your binnign the PAS rack or least not using an electric one?

Are you keeping the air con etc what about the wiring cutom made or are you going to use the UCH etc for lights etc?

 

[Mike@Rentech]

Power steering and air con are not an issue for me, my clio is not an everyday car now use my Scenic all the time.
Lights and so on wont be affected, custom loom for the engine using the Emerald ECU I already have that run the throttle bodies.
Loads of work to do yet, probably 40 or 50 hours worth, just hope its worth it in the end.

 

[Chili Red]

I wouldn't for one moment tell anyone how to spend their money, what Mikes doing isn't a good job or wheather it makes a good car or not, call me old fashioned, narrow minded even but I just don't get it...........that's all.

Well as he's a very good mechanic, he knows what he's doing and it's something he enjoys - so why not?

It's not like getting someone else to do it for you, it's a project which'll cost him a lot less than you or I!

 

[DH_GTI]

nice work !!!

 

[mini-valver]

Awesome. It's good to see more and more people breaking from the norm with F4R engines! Top work fella, looking forward to seeing it done......

 

[ashusie]

whats the wheelbase of a 4x4 TT ? :clown:

 

[Dave@Rentech]

this clio really will have the va va voooooooooooooom

 

[hoggaz]

If only an rb26 engine would fit.

 

[The Seer]

Had a bit of spare time today, the job I had booked in didnt turn up
So said to Dave what you going to do, well with that he had my clio on the ramp whipped the engine and box out of it in record time
So finnished the jobs I had to finnish off and sat at work now is my clio with a TT engine in the engine bay.
Still needs loads of work, spent tonight cutting the subframe so engine would sit in enought for me to shut the bonnet.
ECU has been sent off for upgrading to emeralds latest firmware.
Taking the camera in tommorow to get some pics, and as promised Ile do a TT conversion guide.
All being well I hope to have the car up and running by january, plenty of time IMO.

A few months back I purchased an Elise S1 with the intention of having the VAG TT conversion by AutoTeknix and Gugleimi Motorsport. I rode in the 250 hp demonstrator. The accelerative thrust was very endearing!!! Although required some skill to pilot it through the twisty stuff. Didn't follow through with the conversion and sold the Elise several months later.

I suspect torque steer will be a big problem in the Clio with serious hp. A friend has a Toyota Starlet Turbo with nigh on 300 hp. He's using a quaife lsd and still suffers too much wheel spin while cornering due to the turbo torque. I believe those Starlets weigh in at circa 850 kgs, wonderful power to weight. Not so wonderful driving characteristics. I suspect your car will follow suit.

 

[The Seer]

If only an rb26 engine would fit.

If it did the handling will be totally ruined unless of couse it was placed in a more midship mounted fashion.

 

[bill]

awesome conversion, the more of these that get done the better!

 

[hoggaz]

If only an rb26 engine would fit.

If it did the handling will be totally ruined unless of couse it was placed in a more midship mounted fashion.

Yeah. The drivetrain would have to swapped and altered drastically. The engine would have to sit in the back too as I don't think theres anywhere near enough room under a clio bonnet.

 

[u33db]

I just believe that a Renault shell should have a Renault engine.......full stop!

I agree with that TBH.

I've had engine swaps in two vehicles now but always renault into renault and always lots of fun.

I can appreciate the effort gone in but i'm not seeing the point in a renault tuner doing it from a business perspective. I mean at the end of the day its not really a renault anymore! That being the case I can't see whats going to differentiate him from an audi/vw tuner which is arguably going to know more and frankly thats whats going to attract people and make money.

As I said fair play for putting in the graft.

 

[bill]

how many more people on here are in the process of converting your clio into a tt engine'd clio, sure i've read comments before?

 

[trailerparktrev]

I just believe that a Renault shell should have a Renault engine.......full stop!

I agree with that TBH.

I've had engine swaps in two vehicles now but always renault into renault and always lots of fun.

I can appreciate the effort gone in but i'm not seeing the point in a renault tuner doing it from a business perspective. I mean at the end of the day its not really a renault anymore! That being the case I can't see whats going to differentiate him from an audi/vw tuner which is arguably going to know more and frankly thats whats going to attract people and make money.

As I said fair play for putting in the graft.

Mike isn't a Renault "tuner" he runs a Renault specialist garage - he's just doing it, for doing it's sake. It's not as if he is trying to sell TT conversions for Clios. Anyway I think he needs the space in the corner of his workshop, where the TT engine was for some shelves or something.
I say fair play to him, i wish I had the skill and patience to try do something like this.

 

[Mike@Rentech]

I'm not doing it for retail reasons and would never offer this type of work to anyone, doing it for myself for a bit of fun and a challenge.
If I run a tuning company which I dont then Renault engine tuning and development would be the way to go for business reasons.
Its my own car and hope to attend a few more track days and events next year, which is something I have not really been able to do for the last 2 years.
Oh and getting the space back in the workshop is always a plus.

 

[Day]

He's doing it so he can keep pace with the younger generation aint that right Mike

 

[Graham Gooch]

Get it finished soon so I can have a passenger ride when I book my service!

 

[Jay Payne]

Ready for the Haynes meet in january?

 

[GarethM]

looking good mike

good luck with it all

 

[MATT BLACK]

Well 3 years on and im glad to see iv'e started something of a trend ....this will be the 4th one now on the road.

If you need any info mate just pm me

( If your struggling to get the lump to fit unpluck the reinforcers off the underside of the bonnet - this will give you extra room for the inlet manifold. Also the 2001 - 2005 shape bonnet gives you about another inch at the front end so when youve removed the reinforcer it closes perfect )

 

[Andyman]

I just believe that a Renault shell should have a Renault engine.......full stop!

I agree with that TBH.

I've had engine swaps in two vehicles now but always renault into renault and always lots of fun.

I can appreciate the effort gone in but i'm not seeing the point in a renault tuner doing it from a business perspective. I mean at the end of the day its not really a renault anymore! That being the case I can't see whats going to differentiate him from an audi/vw tuner which is arguably going to know more and frankly thats whats going to attract people and make money.

As I said fair play for putting in the graft.

Folk want to go quick for the cheapest price. A Clio has very limited potential with out spending silly amounts of money and then theres still the question of reliability on top when you do.

Out the box a TT conversion makes perfect sense. I belive it has just about the same dimensions as the F4r hence the reason to use a Vag based engine, is very light, out the box it packs 225 and has potential that any Clio could only dream of and thats without even breaking a sweat!

Because a mini has say had a bike engine conversion, you wouldnt call it a bike would you?? A engine is just a component part all be it a major one. A car is based on its body so it would always still be a Clio

Think any tuner who could offer a TT conversion for a realistic price will have plenty of customers

Im sure if there was a Renault engine that could move the Clio Sport game on to the next level taking into account cost etc that would be the choice but there simply isnt one