The £1,000 Clio 172 Cup Project
Discussion
Hi,
So, you may have already read my TVR Chimaera readers car tread: http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... . The TVR has been truly superb and has been the backbone of some fantastic memories my girlfriend and I now cherish. It's been great fun too, but our situation has changed slightly, so an additional vehicle is required.
My girlfriend and I have always worked together, so we drive to work in her car. When we go kayaking, we use her car and when we go mountain biking, we use her car. However, she's just got a new job, which means I will need to find my own way to work and I really don't want to take the TVR in every day. She's also in the process of buying a new car and I don't fancy covering it in sand, sea water and stinking fishing rods!! In addition to all of this, I wanted something I could use in grass track slaloms, hill climbs and other timed events at the district car club, the TVR is too nice for this.
So my brother and I decided to find something for us to share which will double us as a cheap competition car, work commuter and a load lugger! It didn't take long for us to both agree on a Clio 172 Cup. We've been thinking about it for ages but have never got round to actually buying one. That was until a car came up for sale locally and cheap. Tatty wheels and bodywork, but generally seemed to be up together. So we put a bid in during the last few seconds of the auction, and won!
So, here it is: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/271468492408
Further details will follow when I pick it up tomorrow. I am quite excited!
On another note, I'm hoping to pick up my girlfriends new car today, more details on that shortly.....
Dan
So, you may have already read my TVR Chimaera readers car tread: http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... . The TVR has been truly superb and has been the backbone of some fantastic memories my girlfriend and I now cherish. It's been great fun too, but our situation has changed slightly, so an additional vehicle is required.
My girlfriend and I have always worked together, so we drive to work in her car. When we go kayaking, we use her car and when we go mountain biking, we use her car. However, she's just got a new job, which means I will need to find my own way to work and I really don't want to take the TVR in every day. She's also in the process of buying a new car and I don't fancy covering it in sand, sea water and stinking fishing rods!! In addition to all of this, I wanted something I could use in grass track slaloms, hill climbs and other timed events at the district car club, the TVR is too nice for this.
So my brother and I decided to find something for us to share which will double us as a cheap competition car, work commuter and a load lugger! It didn't take long for us to both agree on a Clio 172 Cup. We've been thinking about it for ages but have never got round to actually buying one. That was until a car came up for sale locally and cheap. Tatty wheels and bodywork, but generally seemed to be up together. So we put a bid in during the last few seconds of the auction, and won!
So, here it is: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/271468492408
Further details will follow when I pick it up tomorrow. I am quite excited!
On another note, I'm hoping to pick up my girlfriends new car today, more details on that shortly.....
Dan
Edited by zed4 on Tuesday 6th May 09:09
Top work! We bought one of these as a runaround/baby carrier last week - I utterly love it!
Bargain price as well!
Only thing I will say is that there is a worrying lack of cambelt/dephaser history...
The feel you get through the front end on these is incredible - I can now understand why everyone raves about them. It's the closest I think that we could have got to replacing my wife's DC2 like for like with the option for baby carrying and some additional safety.
Bargain price as well!
Only thing I will say is that there is a worrying lack of cambelt/dephaser history...
The feel you get through the front end on these is incredible - I can now understand why everyone raves about them. It's the closest I think that we could have got to replacing my wife's DC2 like for like with the option for baby carrying and some additional safety.
TBH for that price it's a gamble worth taking!
I'm just jealous as I paid nearly twice as much for mine and it still has loads of niggles to sort out that I didn't see on the test drive :/
And that I got it home and realised some bugger had removed the ISOFix bar from the back, which was one of the main things I used to sell the concept of the car to my other half
I'm just jealous as I paid nearly twice as much for mine and it still has loads of niggles to sort out that I didn't see on the test drive :/
And that I got it home and realised some bugger had removed the ISOFix bar from the back, which was one of the main things I used to sell the concept of the car to my other half
Well, I am shattered! 12 hours on the road to pick up my girlfriend's new Golf GTI DSG and then the Clio! Really happy with the Golf, what a car. The Clio needs a few things doing, but it's ok for the money.
1. Aftermarket stereo doesn't work and is hanging out of the dash. Might just pull it out to save weight! Wiring looks suspect.
2. It stinks of stale smoke, needs a thorough interior shampoo.
3. Lots of play in the front offside wheel! Not sure where it's coming from yet, but must be a ball joint gone.
Other than that it seems really good. It's great fun to drive. Looking forward to starting work on it tomorrow.
1. Aftermarket stereo doesn't work and is hanging out of the dash. Might just pull it out to save weight! Wiring looks suspect.
2. It stinks of stale smoke, needs a thorough interior shampoo.
3. Lots of play in the front offside wheel! Not sure where it's coming from yet, but must be a ball joint gone.
Other than that it seems really good. It's great fun to drive. Looking forward to starting work on it tomorrow.
zed4 said:
Well, I am shattered! 12 hours on the road to pick up my girlfriend's new Golf GTI DSG and then the Clio! Really happy with the Golf, what a car. The Clio needs a few things doing, but it's ok for the money.
1. Aftermarket stereo doesn't work and is hanging out of the dash. Might just pull it out to save weight! Wiring looks suspect.
2. It stinks of stale smoke, needs a thorough interior shampoo.
3. Lots of play in the front offside wheel! Not sure where it's coming from yet, but must be a ball joint gone.
Other than that it seems really good. It's great fun to drive. Looking forward to starting work on it tomorrow.
Ball joints are quite easy to do, hows the back suspension, does it feel floaty?1. Aftermarket stereo doesn't work and is hanging out of the dash. Might just pull it out to save weight! Wiring looks suspect.
2. It stinks of stale smoke, needs a thorough interior shampoo.
3. Lots of play in the front offside wheel! Not sure where it's coming from yet, but must be a ball joint gone.
Other than that it seems really good. It's great fun to drive. Looking forward to starting work on it tomorrow.
Also get it to Fred at BTM (if nearish to B'ham) to get the belt etc done..
Check engine mounts for play? you prob needs some.
Any knocking at all?
How does it sound with the bonnet up when the engine is on? does it sound a bit like a diesel?
Good choice - we've had our 182 from new, and it's coming up for its 10th birthday this year, and we've no plans to change - I think it might be treated to a spruce up for good service! It had a Milltek exhaust last year (nice subtle sound, and quality bit of kit!), so I'm thinking maybe wheels this year along with the necessary belt change.
Will be interesting to see how you get on with making yours work well at its dual roles - keep us updated!
Will be interesting to see how you get on with making yours work well at its dual roles - keep us updated!
Congrats! Just don't go too mental. I've used Track Club's virtually boggo 182 Cup a few times. It has a bolt in cage, no rear seats and uprated pads and it is an absolute hoot; especially around corum at Snett 
The guys who start stripping them to a bear bone completely compromise their cars for no real benefit. Unsurprisingly, the build threads are often followed by for sale threads. The amount of projects you see which never actually made the track is funny/absurd in equal measure.
The guys who start stripping them to a bear bone completely compromise their cars for no real benefit. Unsurprisingly, the build threads are often followed by for sale threads. The amount of projects you see which never actually made the track is funny/absurd in equal measure.
joe_90 said:
Ball joints are quite easy to do, hows the back suspension, does it feel floaty?
Also get it to Fred at BTM (if nearish to B'ham) to get the belt etc done..
Check engine mounts for play? you prob needs some.
Any knocking at all?
How does it sound with the bonnet up when the engine is on? does it sound a bit like a diesel?
I'm on the south coast, only a few miles from K-Tech actually. Also get it to Fred at BTM (if nearish to B'ham) to get the belt etc done..
Check engine mounts for play? you prob needs some.
Any knocking at all?
How does it sound with the bonnet up when the engine is on? does it sound a bit like a diesel?
I'll check the engine mounts in a bit. It does make a nasty noise on hard acceleration in first and second, so I reckon a mount may have gone.
No knocking, seems to drive really well actually.
No idea how the engine is supposed to sound TBH. It doesn't sound great, but I wasn't expecting it to!
LordHaveMurci said:
Great cars, had mine 4yrs now, used as a daily & a hillclimber with a 996 as a weekender
Good luck & enjoy (good advice about cliosport.net by the way).
Sorry to hijack.... I was interested in how competitive these are Hillclimbing?Good luck & enjoy (good advice about cliosport.net by the way).
Do you run yours in 'Standard road car upto 2000cc'?
What is the competition like?
(Interested as I fancy buying one too....
)Ste Mars said:
LordHaveMurci said:
Great cars, had mine 4yrs now, used as a daily & a hillclimber with a 996 as a weekender
Good luck & enjoy (good advice about cliosport.net by the way).
Sorry to hijack.... I was interested in how competitive these are Hillclimbing?Good luck & enjoy (good advice about cliosport.net by the way).
Do you run yours in 'Standard road car upto 2000cc'?
What is the competition like?
(Interested as I fancy buying one too....
)
Spent all day today cleaning the stinking, stained interior. It stank of cigarette smoke and the seats were all stained. Cleaned it thoroughly with Autoglym interior shampoo and then treated it all to Autoglym odour eliminator. Smells nice now! Also ordered two new track rod ends to sort out the wobbly front wheels and have found out at least one engine mount is gone.
So much for the car being "mechanically sound"!! Luckily it's all cheap repairs so far.
So much for the car being "mechanically sound"!! Luckily it's all cheap repairs so far.
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff