To strip...or not to strip...

[Addicted]

That looks epic, because you have no stupid holes - really like the black on white details. Now THAT is mint.

 

[MarkX]

That looks epic, because you have no stupid holes - really like the black on white details. Now THAT is mint.

thank you! It was a lot of work but enjoyed it and I'm happy with the result :up:

 

[Budgie]

Don't give him an excuse for anymore tarty white bits.

 

[KitsonRis]

This is the same questions I am having myself about mine. I know mine is a bit more stripped as I have no carpets, but I want to remove the roof lining and poly the windows too. I am looking at a few cars this weekend for the longer journies and daily drive so I can go full race car on the Clio.

 

[Cub.]

I had mine like yours, kept the carpets etc etc, I've just done a more thorough strip job but cut the plastics to keep some of them. With the painted floors and a bit more cabin noise I have to say it adds to the experience, wish I'd done it earlier, plus it just makes me smile, because racecar :smile:

That looks brilliant. And it certainly hasn't helped my decision. Balls!!

That's exactly what I'd want mine to look like. Great work!

 

[Adamm.]

Pointless exercise imo.

 

[Fletcher]

I disagree with a lot of the comments saying stripping doesn't make a difference, it does! My 172 is quite a bit quicker now it's stripped out, very noticeable when you drive mine and a standard 172 back to back, and I still have quite a bit more to do regarding weight loss, Fiberglass doors, boot, bonnet and polocarbonate windows (once I sort a trailer out)

...But I would only strip yours out Oli if it becomes just a pure 'track toy' it's plenty quick enough already and still fairly comfortable for longer journeys/ road miles.

 

[Christopher.]

Id listen to Fletcher........ Just don't let him strip it out.

 

[Bluebeard]

Whilst I agree, stripped out cars feel awesome fun and genuinely feel faster, you either have to go balls out (a la Sam) or not at all.

Unless you want to properly strip it to the bare bones, don't bother.

 

[Steven103]

I thinks the positives are somewhat outweighed by the negatives on this particular car.

Feels much faster (already significantly fast in a straight line & better than most around a corner thanks to the Direzzas).
Free (you're not exactly in the "buys non-gen rear discs to save £8" category).

vs

Is only slightly faster.
The exhaust drone driving 3 hrs there & another 3hrs back after a further 6 hours on track now drives you up the wall.
You have to explain to passengers why there's no interior every time you go on a weekend drive.
Looses the gentlemanly "club sport" appeal you've somehow managed to impart on a Renault Clio.

 

[KitsonRis]

Another option is to remove all the sound deadening and then refit the upper layers. Like Someone mentioned to me refit the head lining after the stuff under neath had been removed. Still has its refinement and removes weight. However you can't really do that when it comes to pollying the windows........

 

[MarkCup]

As someone who asked myself this exact same question I went ahead and took it back to bare metal inside, removed both airbags, anything at all that wasn't functional in me getting around a track was removed.

Yes it made it faster by quite some margin but it was certainly no more fun and it made it much more of a chore to drive...and I started to fall out of love with it. In the end I never looked forward to driving it and it was a relief when I climbed out of it.

So if I were asking myself that question again I'd resolutely say no!

 

[Jekyll]

Just go clean shaven.

 

[DannyR]

When I supercharged mine I filled it back up.

Ph2 dash and interior plastics, bucket seats, harnesses, roll cage and made a rear carpet, even filled the rear arches with insulation to keep inside noise levels down!

 

[TimR26]

It's a tricky one really pros and cons to both option.

I would probably remove the sound deadening/tar and plastics keeping the front centre console and door cards.

Then saying that one thing I like about my R26 is driving on track with a full interior and aircon on while overtaking the stripped out track cars.

You've got the power to not need to strip the interior as well.

 

[DannyR]

With 250bhp, 50kg less isn't making a difference!

 

[neil a]

Unless your only using it on track I would leave it as is. It's a good mix of track and comfort justnow. I use to hate driving my stripped out car home after a track day, now stick it on the trailer and drive home in comfort.

 

[alistairolsen]

I have a stripped and caged car on spherical bushes and used it on the road - fun when you're on it, but pretty miserable driving to work, in a city, in traffic, in a suit.

Love it on the track though, much more raw and to be honest, you can feel a 50kg weight saving (although you'll have had the lion's share of that in the seats already).

If its being kept off road there are other considerations, like interiors like getting damp and horrible

 

[JoeMarano]

I hear touring cars run full interiors because its faster that way.

 

[Hixle]

Do it. Gives me an excuse to come see you and help/watch.

 

[Cub.]

Do it. Gives me an excuse to come see you and help/watch.

You've become a ghost of late, so would be good to catch up!

 

[cpaterson76]

Unless your only using it on track I would leave it as is. It's a good mix of track and comfort justnow. I use to hate driving my stripped out car home after a track day, now stick it on the trailer and drive home in comfort.

Have to agree with Neil mate, if you want a racing car strip it, if you want something you can use to travel about in leave it be.

They are so loud stripped, engine and road noises terrible, drowning exhaust magnified and on a wet day worse!! Of course shove the helmet on a fly round the track and its forgotten about, but track fun is nothing like road use :tongueout:....!

 

[Russ_16v]

It is a tough one.

I have probably had about 8 stripped ones, and 22 ones with interior still in.

Stripping my Williams engined 16v mk1 took my 1/4 mile time from 14.2/14.3 @96mph to 14.0 @100mph all day long, so to gain that amount over 1/4 mile is actually quite tough.

So yes, it makes a difference to the performance.

Also it definitely makes it more raw.

But bear in mind it will be a lot noisier and also you will need to have your suspension setup redone as it plays havoc with corner weights.

 

[Trackslag172]

I have just stripped my 172 this afternoon as its going to be a track only car, wouldn't do it if its a day to day car. Just took it for a blast down my local duel carriageway and could defiantly notice a difference in acceleration, not huge but defiantly noticeable. It is much noisier though

 

[Filters]

No disrespect meant Cub but why? The way your car was going at blyton...you could of had a dead body in the boot and still been just as quick.

 

[MarkCup]

I have just stripped my 172 this afternoon as its going to be a track only car, wouldn't do it if its a day to day car. Just took it for a blast down my local duel carriageway and could defiantly notice a difference in acceleration, not huge but defiantly noticeable. It is much noisier though

Very loud!

I managed to borrow an industrial spec very accurate decibel meter and recorded the levels at full chat at high speed on a dual carriage way.

I can't remember the exact reading (there's a thread I posted from around 2010 with it in somewhere on here) but in my stripped and decatted 172 Cup it was equivalent to having a pneumatic drill in the cabin.

I'd suggest spending 99p on some foam earplugs if you don't want tinnitus.

 

[Trackslag172]

Very loud!

I managed to borrow an industrial spec very accurate decibel meter and recorded the levels at full chat at high speed on a dual carriage way.

I can't remember the exact reading (there's a thread I posted from around 2010 with it in somewhere on here) but in my stripped and decatted 172 Cup it was equivalent to having a pneumatic drill in the cabin.

I'd suggest spending 99p on some foam earplugs if you don't want tinnitus.

Already got tinnitus so no worries there, mines not decatted yet, but it will be as soon as a decat pipe come up on here :smile:

 

[Rob]

You've become a ghost of late, so would be good to catch up! :smile:

*cough*

Still don't do it