Browno's Clio 182 - 11 years on and counting
Discussion
With a recent set of events, I thought it was about time that I put a thread together to chart the history of our little clio 182, which is actually my wife's car - but has now been with us so long that it's part of the family!
So, we start by winding back to Autumn 2004 - my brother had just bought his other half a 172, and having been initially sceptical about this little french thing, had a go, and was hooked but the combination of a turn of speed, lovely handling and also lots of kit for such a small car! My then wife-to-be at the time was driving a bog-basic 2000 1.0 Corsa which had been a great reliable little car, but the clio was proving very appealing. So I started with the man-maths, and by late October, were the proud owners of a black gold clio 182 with the cup suspension and spoiler packs. This was bought right when the car supermarkets were getting a foothold with their parallel imports, and we ended up buying from Motorpoint at £11,699, compared to a Renault list of just under £15k - and the local dealership weren't willing to knock a penny off, despite motorpoint being only 1/2 mile away!
So, when it turned up, it looked like this, all shiny and new (it was, I believe, sourced through Cyprus, but brand new with 17 miles on, and we were the first owners).
My wife was a bit unsure about her new car at first (which I was quite happy about - I had an escort estate at the time, so was loving the clio!), but soon got used to it, and then really started to bond with it. I then added a pro-speed exhaust which I bought from cliosport, and then went to a few shows..
French Car Show 2005 at Bruntingthorpe with Cliosport
All was going well, and it was being well used, and then by spring 2006, I had bought myself a Cupra R to keep it company on the drive!
And thought I'd get a plate for the clio to make a decent (but not mega-bucks!) pair
The Leon lasted for a year or so until I decided I wanted a Defender... and came home with something a little less interesting after my wife had decided that a roll cage wasn't a sensible replacement for rear seats!
Then I decided I needed something fun too, so in Feb 2009, I added myself a toy (and we had put the house up for sale!)
And then 3 months later, as my wife was pregnant, I decided I needed a sensible family wagon... so bought a slightly unusual one with a bit of performance...
All this time, the clio is still running along nicely and still looking good - but then it was still under 30,000 miles - but still got it's first cambelt service at 5 years old, which was done at a mate's garage, with him ensuring all was well - and was a festival of swearing at the lack of space and access!
All was still good, then until Summer 2011 when I got itchy feet again, and decided to upgrade the Mazda...
which was all good, until I decided I fancied doing some more trackdays decided that the boxster was ok, but I wanted something a little more playful, and also cheaper on consumables!
so it was back to what I knew, and in summer 2012, the Boxster was replaced, with the Clio hitting the dizzy heights of 40,000 miles by this stage, and still going fine!:
So, I decided to treat the clio to a bit of a makeover in 2013 before MOT (at 43000 miles!), and replaced the Pro-speed exhaust that had frequently had issues with blowing on one of the silencer joints with a Milltek system, and also a new cat (it had killed on early in it's life due to a temperature sensor overfuelling, which had been replaced by a real cheapy - which was always marginal on emissions). Shortly after that lot was done it then had it's one and only failure to date - when the alternator went, meaning it need jumping to get it sorted and back for repair, but a couple of days later (and more swearing to the gods of french engineering!) it was all sorted.
Then roll on last year and at just 46,000 miles it was time for it's second cambelt change at 10 years old, and the dephaser was also starting to get a bit noisy, so that was added to the list. By this time, I was starting to wonder if we should swap it (or at least, buy another car and keep the Clio as a toy!), but my wife is now very attached to her little car, so we decided it is definitely staying for now! The cambelts on these are well known as a big job, and all of the guides will advise you to make sure that it is done on any 172/182 you might buy, and they are right - it is a big job, mainly hampered by the fact that the engine is installed hard-up to the inner wing, and that the engine uses floating cams, so it is essential to use the right tools to lock the cam and crank positions. Once again, I went over to my mate Dave's place for a day of tea and swearing...
So, all was good for another year of motoring, and this year I have built myself a nice new garage with lift, so pre-MOT this year gave it a good service and replaced all the discs and pads at home...
It went through the MOT, having just ticked over to 50,044 miles with no issues, and all was good - so I went off for a business trip to Asia happy that all was well with the world... until I got a phonecall on week 1 of a 3 week trip that my wife had been out and about, and had been bumped from behind in the Clio! My wife was all ok, and the other guy (in a Kia Sorrento) was all insured, and happy to let the claim go through his insurers, so that was ok, but what about the car? My wife sent me pictures, and got it checked at the garage, and it looked like just a light and a cracked bumper, so that's all ok...
So, our insurance company were called, and the car taken away to be assessed and repaired... until a couple of days later the call came, that it had been assessed that it was an uneconomical repair. So obviously, we were a little surprised at this, and did wonder if there was hidden damage, but accepted the verdict, but immediately asked for the car to be returned as we would like to buy it back (if nothing else, I was thinking of a new track car!). So with the car back to us, we then waited for discussions on values. I assumed that we would be in for a fight, due to the relatively minor damage, but actually the first offer that came back was actually very reasonable, and pretty much what I would have been looking to argue them up to. So we agreed a settlement, and the car was ours for a charge of just under 20% of the settlement (and classed as a Cat D) - now what to do next! I would say thought that insurance company have been good through the whole process, and handled everything smoothly throughout - I know we see varying reviews of the "nautical" insurers sometimes, but I can't fault them.
Obviously, before we had even settled, I was off to Ebay looking for the bits I might need and had pre-emptively ordered a pair of tail lights and managed to snag a bumper in the right colour - so I thought that would get us started and I would see what lay beneath the surface. So, with the settlement agreed, it was time to get it in the garage and get it stripped down...
Stripping off the bumper and light revealed that actually all was pretty much fine beneath the surface - there was one locating tab on the light that had got slightly bent and needed straightening, and a plastic bracket on the bumper had snapped, but other than that it all looked structurally sound - Result!
Unfortunately, the new bumper was missing the bracket, so I plastic welded that for now until I can get a new one, but then started building it up to see if everything would line up ok...
Light all went on ok... how about the bumper?
I would call that a result - all fixed for £85 of used parts, so then to satisfy the insurance company that it had been repaired it went off for it's second MOT in 6 weeks, having only covered 138 miles since the last one, and funnily enough passed without any issues.
So now it is all back in action, and ready to keep going for a bit longer - I might even treat it to a mini-makeover once Christmas is done with, so give the wheels a refurb and give it a good detail to get it looking back to its best - ready for the next 11 years, as it's definitely here to stay for good now!
So, we start by winding back to Autumn 2004 - my brother had just bought his other half a 172, and having been initially sceptical about this little french thing, had a go, and was hooked but the combination of a turn of speed, lovely handling and also lots of kit for such a small car! My then wife-to-be at the time was driving a bog-basic 2000 1.0 Corsa which had been a great reliable little car, but the clio was proving very appealing. So I started with the man-maths, and by late October, were the proud owners of a black gold clio 182 with the cup suspension and spoiler packs. This was bought right when the car supermarkets were getting a foothold with their parallel imports, and we ended up buying from Motorpoint at £11,699, compared to a Renault list of just under £15k - and the local dealership weren't willing to knock a penny off, despite motorpoint being only 1/2 mile away!
So, when it turned up, it looked like this, all shiny and new (it was, I believe, sourced through Cyprus, but brand new with 17 miles on, and we were the first owners).
My wife was a bit unsure about her new car at first (which I was quite happy about - I had an escort estate at the time, so was loving the clio!), but soon got used to it, and then really started to bond with it. I then added a pro-speed exhaust which I bought from cliosport, and then went to a few shows..
French Car Show 2005 at Bruntingthorpe with Cliosport
All was going well, and it was being well used, and then by spring 2006, I had bought myself a Cupra R to keep it company on the drive!
And thought I'd get a plate for the clio to make a decent (but not mega-bucks!) pair
The Leon lasted for a year or so until I decided I wanted a Defender... and came home with something a little less interesting after my wife had decided that a roll cage wasn't a sensible replacement for rear seats!
Then I decided I needed something fun too, so in Feb 2009, I added myself a toy (and we had put the house up for sale!)
And then 3 months later, as my wife was pregnant, I decided I needed a sensible family wagon... so bought a slightly unusual one with a bit of performance...
All this time, the clio is still running along nicely and still looking good - but then it was still under 30,000 miles - but still got it's first cambelt service at 5 years old, which was done at a mate's garage, with him ensuring all was well - and was a festival of swearing at the lack of space and access!
All was still good, then until Summer 2011 when I got itchy feet again, and decided to upgrade the Mazda...
which was all good, until I decided I fancied doing some more trackdays decided that the boxster was ok, but I wanted something a little more playful, and also cheaper on consumables!
so it was back to what I knew, and in summer 2012, the Boxster was replaced, with the Clio hitting the dizzy heights of 40,000 miles by this stage, and still going fine!:
So, I decided to treat the clio to a bit of a makeover in 2013 before MOT (at 43000 miles!), and replaced the Pro-speed exhaust that had frequently had issues with blowing on one of the silencer joints with a Milltek system, and also a new cat (it had killed on early in it's life due to a temperature sensor overfuelling, which had been replaced by a real cheapy - which was always marginal on emissions). Shortly after that lot was done it then had it's one and only failure to date - when the alternator went, meaning it need jumping to get it sorted and back for repair, but a couple of days later (and more swearing to the gods of french engineering!) it was all sorted.
Then roll on last year and at just 46,000 miles it was time for it's second cambelt change at 10 years old, and the dephaser was also starting to get a bit noisy, so that was added to the list. By this time, I was starting to wonder if we should swap it (or at least, buy another car and keep the Clio as a toy!), but my wife is now very attached to her little car, so we decided it is definitely staying for now! The cambelts on these are well known as a big job, and all of the guides will advise you to make sure that it is done on any 172/182 you might buy, and they are right - it is a big job, mainly hampered by the fact that the engine is installed hard-up to the inner wing, and that the engine uses floating cams, so it is essential to use the right tools to lock the cam and crank positions. Once again, I went over to my mate Dave's place for a day of tea and swearing...
So, all was good for another year of motoring, and this year I have built myself a nice new garage with lift, so pre-MOT this year gave it a good service and replaced all the discs and pads at home...
It went through the MOT, having just ticked over to 50,044 miles with no issues, and all was good - so I went off for a business trip to Asia happy that all was well with the world... until I got a phonecall on week 1 of a 3 week trip that my wife had been out and about, and had been bumped from behind in the Clio! My wife was all ok, and the other guy (in a Kia Sorrento) was all insured, and happy to let the claim go through his insurers, so that was ok, but what about the car? My wife sent me pictures, and got it checked at the garage, and it looked like just a light and a cracked bumper, so that's all ok...
So, our insurance company were called, and the car taken away to be assessed and repaired... until a couple of days later the call came, that it had been assessed that it was an uneconomical repair. So obviously, we were a little surprised at this, and did wonder if there was hidden damage, but accepted the verdict, but immediately asked for the car to be returned as we would like to buy it back (if nothing else, I was thinking of a new track car!). So with the car back to us, we then waited for discussions on values. I assumed that we would be in for a fight, due to the relatively minor damage, but actually the first offer that came back was actually very reasonable, and pretty much what I would have been looking to argue them up to. So we agreed a settlement, and the car was ours for a charge of just under 20% of the settlement (and classed as a Cat D) - now what to do next! I would say thought that insurance company have been good through the whole process, and handled everything smoothly throughout - I know we see varying reviews of the "nautical" insurers sometimes, but I can't fault them.
Obviously, before we had even settled, I was off to Ebay looking for the bits I might need and had pre-emptively ordered a pair of tail lights and managed to snag a bumper in the right colour - so I thought that would get us started and I would see what lay beneath the surface. So, with the settlement agreed, it was time to get it in the garage and get it stripped down...
Stripping off the bumper and light revealed that actually all was pretty much fine beneath the surface - there was one locating tab on the light that had got slightly bent and needed straightening, and a plastic bracket on the bumper had snapped, but other than that it all looked structurally sound - Result!
Unfortunately, the new bumper was missing the bracket, so I plastic welded that for now until I can get a new one, but then started building it up to see if everything would line up ok...
Light all went on ok... how about the bumper?
I would call that a result - all fixed for £85 of used parts, so then to satisfy the insurance company that it had been repaired it went off for it's second MOT in 6 weeks, having only covered 138 miles since the last one, and funnily enough passed without any issues.
So now it is all back in action, and ready to keep going for a bit longer - I might even treat it to a mini-makeover once Christmas is done with, so give the wheels a refurb and give it a good detail to get it looking back to its best - ready for the next 11 years, as it's definitely here to stay for good now!
Edited by browno on Monday 7th December 15:03
Edited by browno on Monday 7th December 22:43
Very interesting read, and nice selection of cars as well.
May i ask what boxster engine you had? And how you found it compared to the 182 ?
I had a racing blue 182 with recaro seats last year and absolutely loved it! (some of the adventures/meets etc it had been to: http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... )
Unfortunately similar thing happened, got hit on a roundabout and it got written off, though i didn't buy it back.
I replaced it with a Jag S-type R (4.2 supercharged V8) which drives and sounds (custom exhaust) great, but i do miss that fun factor i had in the 182, and i'm still looking at a replacement for it.
I've looked at and tried a few VX220's and Elise's, but they are a bit snug, small and have no lugage space, and i'd like to go abroad in it so i've actually started looking at Boxsters this last week (986 3.2 S model, 2003 onwards) so i'd love to hear your views about the two. Is the boxster a similar fun factor as the 182 ?
May i ask what boxster engine you had? And how you found it compared to the 182 ?
I had a racing blue 182 with recaro seats last year and absolutely loved it! (some of the adventures/meets etc it had been to: http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... )
Unfortunately similar thing happened, got hit on a roundabout and it got written off, though i didn't buy it back.
I replaced it with a Jag S-type R (4.2 supercharged V8) which drives and sounds (custom exhaust) great, but i do miss that fun factor i had in the 182, and i'm still looking at a replacement for it.
I've looked at and tried a few VX220's and Elise's, but they are a bit snug, small and have no lugage space, and i'd like to go abroad in it so i've actually started looking at Boxsters this last week (986 3.2 S model, 2003 onwards) so i'd love to hear your views about the two. Is the boxster a similar fun factor as the 182 ?
Cracking read. I didnt miss my 172 until i read this. Got rid last December after 8 years and a 106,000 miles! Stupid how attached you can get. I travelled europe in ours and it was our daily. The wife gave birth to our first on the passenger seat ffs.
Fair play on fixing it. I did the cambelt 3 times in all those years. It was mint but towards the end everytime I pushed on it felt it was going to fall apart.
Fair play on fixing it. I did the cambelt 3 times in all those years. It was mint but towards the end everytime I pushed on it felt it was going to fall apart.
Thanks for the replies folks, glad this is of interest as a bit of a story!
Just to reply to a couple of the comments - the boxster was a 3.2s, and was good, but less lively than the Mazda (or Clio), more safe and stable than lively and playful... So,e more comments on the differences in this thread:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=3&a...
Sorry to hear of another being written off - but the Jag sounds good, one of those cars that I occasionally stalk in the classifieds!
Sounds like yours definitely became part of the family, hairy maclairy! One that must have been hard to part with!
The mini is indeed mine too - an even longer-term ownership prospect than the Clio - I bought that in 1993 before I could even drive, and still haven't quite finished the rebuild!
There is a summary of the mini build on about post 10 of this thread - quite a lengthy tale in itself! Next job is to get cracking on that over this winter!
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=105...
Just to reply to a couple of the comments - the boxster was a 3.2s, and was good, but less lively than the Mazda (or Clio), more safe and stable than lively and playful... So,e more comments on the differences in this thread:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=3&a...
Sorry to hear of another being written off - but the Jag sounds good, one of those cars that I occasionally stalk in the classifieds!
Sounds like yours definitely became part of the family, hairy maclairy! One that must have been hard to part with!
The mini is indeed mine too - an even longer-term ownership prospect than the Clio - I bought that in 1993 before I could even drive, and still haven't quite finished the rebuild!
There is a summary of the mini build on about post 10 of this thread - quite a lengthy tale in itself! Next job is to get cracking on that over this winter!
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=105...
Lovely car mate, I had one from new (Black Gold 04 like yours) for 3 years and 60K hard miles and it never gave me any problems, great car, shame the latest version seems to list it's magic.
See you have the obligatory CS sticker, was a good forum with plenty of very knowledgeable people.
See you have the obligatory CS sticker, was a good forum with plenty of very knowledgeable people.
I also had a Blackgold with both cup packs. Bought it at 18months old with 8500 miles on the clock and I loved it. Flogged it nearly 7 years and 50k miles later.
It was reliable in the sense it never broke down but the first and second service I had done were £800 and £600 respectively which nearly made me sell it but the servicing settled down after that.
The only other issue I had was a split damper but this coincided with a bulge in the tyre so I suspect the person I had lent it to a few days before spotting it had hit a curb or a big pothole.
Had lots of fun in that car, lots of road trips, surprised a lot of unsuspecting passengers in that lovely little car.
Alas, it was a bit too small for us as we had a little one on the way. I do think I would like another one, especially as they are so cheap now...
It was reliable in the sense it never broke down but the first and second service I had done were £800 and £600 respectively which nearly made me sell it but the servicing settled down after that.
The only other issue I had was a split damper but this coincided with a bulge in the tyre so I suspect the person I had lent it to a few days before spotting it had hit a curb or a big pothole.
Had lots of fun in that car, lots of road trips, surprised a lot of unsuspecting passengers in that lovely little car.
Alas, it was a bit too small for us as we had a little one on the way. I do think I would like another one, especially as they are so cheap now...
browno said:
the boxster was a 3.2s, and was good, but less lively than the Mazda (or Clio), more safe and stable than lively and playful... So,e more comments on the differences in this thread:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=3&a...
Sorry to hear of another being written off - but the Jag sounds good, one of those cars that I occasionally stalk in the classifieds!
Thanks for the reply, and the link to the other topic, very usefull reading, though it has made me wonder if i want an mk3 MK5 instead now.... So many choices, i probably just need to try a few different cars.http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=3&a...
Sorry to hear of another being written off - but the Jag sounds good, one of those cars that I occasionally stalk in the classifieds!
I was instrumental in an old girlfriend getting one of these in the same spec at about the same time. Absolutely loved it and have had a soft spot ever since. She had narrowed her choice down to this or a Civic Type R, the Clio won hands down after the test drives (much to the confusion of the man from Honda who thought that the Type R was top of everyone's wish list).
Glad to see that you have stuck with yours and are still enjoying it.
On the subject of the accident, how rediculous to write off a perfectly good car with a history like that, for the sake of a bumper and tail light!
Glad to see that you have stuck with yours and are still enjoying it.
On the subject of the accident, how rediculous to write off a perfectly good car with a history like that, for the sake of a bumper and tail light!
Cheers for the comments again! I think that these are such great value little cars - and definitely going to have an ongoing strong following. I would see it as pretty much the last bridge between the raw 205GTi-type hot hatches and the modern, fast, but more insulating hot-hatches. It has a lot more safety and comfort kit than the peugeot, but hasn't lost too much of the raw appeal (and it feels a lot quicker than the peugeot does in modern traffic too).
Medic-one I would make sure that if you are trying a mk3 MX-5 that you try a well sorted one - as standard, the gemoetry can be all over the place, and on getting mine sorting the geometry and lowering made a decent difference but it was still quite wallowy - the coilovers really did transform both the ride and the handling, by matching the lower ride height with decent damping.
I am still amazed they wrote it off - but at least I got the opportunity to get her back on the road!
Good spot on my plate - I haven't lost the plate, but that was an early picture of the vectra before the plate went on - as seen here in it's natural habitat!
Medic-one I would make sure that if you are trying a mk3 MX-5 that you try a well sorted one - as standard, the gemoetry can be all over the place, and on getting mine sorting the geometry and lowering made a decent difference but it was still quite wallowy - the coilovers really did transform both the ride and the handling, by matching the lower ride height with decent damping.
I am still amazed they wrote it off - but at least I got the opportunity to get her back on the road!
Good spot on my plate - I haven't lost the plate, but that was an early picture of the vectra before the plate went on - as seen here in it's natural habitat!
Time to bring this thread back from the dead (and probably should change the title to 14 years...)
So, why the bump, and what do I have to report on the 182? well, it has been running well - with not a lot to report initially, just a service and a straightforward pass for the first MOT, and then for the test late last year, I discovered a crack I hadn't noticed in the windscreen, and that the millek exhaust was leaking from the joint at the back of the middle box.
So it was time for a new screen (auto glass through my insurance - to their credit, they also replaced all of the side and top trims too), and then to Milltek, who provided a replacement middle box under warranty with no issues (as I am the original owner of the system), so I could pick that up from their HQ in Derby and fit it.
I also treated the lights to a good clean-up as they were getting very hazy:
Untitled on Flickr
In the meantime, to keep the more general story filled in, I have been busy with some other projects - Firstly, I got cracking and finally finished off my Mini project that had been a work in progress for 23years - so was due some attention!
Untitled on Flickr
bought another MX5 (to go alongside the mk3) from a colleague that was rusty - with the initial plan of a restoration - but after some chopping, I have got a little more brutal!
Untitled on Flickr
Which is looking more car-like (but differently shaped!) - and now through its IVA test...
IMG_9620 on Flickr
and I also replaced my Vectra VXR with a cliche (very good, but almost too competent)
Untitled on Flickr
So, back to the clio, and we are back once more where I was at the beginning of this thread. My wife was driving though a green light and was hit from the side by someone that had come through a red (having mistaken a green filter for his light). The car has a crumpled wing and door and bent track rod - and so was once again back in the hands of the insurers.
Untitled on Flickr
Untitled on Flickr
This time, we have bought a new car for my wife (a 5-door Evoque), so, since the lease on the golf has now finished, I get the 182 - which I have today agreed a payment for and have retained the car (for £417, I couldn't not do, really!).
As I began gathering parts and looking for a wing and door with original paint, I was a little impulsive and bought myself some trophy turinis (which cost almost as much as buying the car back!)
Untitled on Flickr
So, having picked up one door in black gold, I decided that it was ok, but the paint was a bit rough, and so I managed to find another black 182 breaking with a good wing and door - so headed to Aylesbury to pick them up, and both are in good condition, which was good.With the parts gathered, it was game on to start the repairs...
First job was to get the car on my ramp and take a look at the tie rod and track rod end... which was fairly well bent!
Untitled
on Flickr
all replaced with shiny new bits, which meant the wheels are pointing in a more similar direction to each other!
Untitled
on Flickr
So, then I started stripping back the damaged panels
Untitled on Flickr
Untitled on Flickr
Unfortunately, when I first tried the replacement doors (both of them!), they didn't fit properly - and with a closer look, and a compare to my brother's cup, we could see that the lower hinge had been knocked in the impact - as the other car had slid along the door it had pushed the hinge back. So we thought we would try some delicate persuasion to massage it back into line - by use of my mate's Land Rover, a block and tackle and some kevlar sailing rope through the hinge pin hole.
Untitled on Flickr
After a few attempts at pulling with slight adjustments in direction, the good news was that the door would now fit and close, but wasn't well aligned (with a big gap at the front, and tight at the back), so needed some more adjustment. So, with the help of a bit of wood and grips and some adjustment of the striker, I managed to greatly improve the fit - it's still not 100%, but is a lot better than it was, and I am going to get it perfected by a local bodyshop once I have it all built up and sorted. So after a bit more building up (including a good clean out under the side skirts both sides - amazing how much crud was in there) it looked reasonably decent.
Untitled on Flickr
Untitled on Flickr
Which meant that I had to then swap the wheels and drop on my turinis, which I am happy with:
Untitled on Flickr
Since then, I have given it a good once over, and cleared the mass of tools and bits that had accumulated inside, and took it round the block to scrub the crud off the brakes, and have dropped it off for MOT this morning (it still has MOT, but insurance companies will want to see a fresh one before covering it) - and having borrowed my brother's cup a few times recently, I am looking forward to getting it back on the road!
So, why the bump, and what do I have to report on the 182? well, it has been running well - with not a lot to report initially, just a service and a straightforward pass for the first MOT, and then for the test late last year, I discovered a crack I hadn't noticed in the windscreen, and that the millek exhaust was leaking from the joint at the back of the middle box.
So it was time for a new screen (auto glass through my insurance - to their credit, they also replaced all of the side and top trims too), and then to Milltek, who provided a replacement middle box under warranty with no issues (as I am the original owner of the system), so I could pick that up from their HQ in Derby and fit it.
I also treated the lights to a good clean-up as they were getting very hazy:
Untitled on FlickrIn the meantime, to keep the more general story filled in, I have been busy with some other projects - Firstly, I got cracking and finally finished off my Mini project that had been a work in progress for 23years - so was due some attention!
Untitled on Flickrbought another MX5 (to go alongside the mk3) from a colleague that was rusty - with the initial plan of a restoration - but after some chopping, I have got a little more brutal!
Untitled on FlickrWhich is looking more car-like (but differently shaped!) - and now through its IVA test...
IMG_9620 on Flickrand I also replaced my Vectra VXR with a cliche (very good, but almost too competent)
Untitled on FlickrSo, back to the clio, and we are back once more where I was at the beginning of this thread. My wife was driving though a green light and was hit from the side by someone that had come through a red (having mistaken a green filter for his light). The car has a crumpled wing and door and bent track rod - and so was once again back in the hands of the insurers.
Untitled on FlickrUntitled on FlickrThis time, we have bought a new car for my wife (a 5-door Evoque), so, since the lease on the golf has now finished, I get the 182 - which I have today agreed a payment for and have retained the car (for £417, I couldn't not do, really!).
As I began gathering parts and looking for a wing and door with original paint, I was a little impulsive and bought myself some trophy turinis (which cost almost as much as buying the car back!)
Untitled on FlickrSo, having picked up one door in black gold, I decided that it was ok, but the paint was a bit rough, and so I managed to find another black 182 breaking with a good wing and door - so headed to Aylesbury to pick them up, and both are in good condition, which was good.With the parts gathered, it was game on to start the repairs...
First job was to get the car on my ramp and take a look at the tie rod and track rod end... which was fairly well bent!
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all replaced with shiny new bits, which meant the wheels are pointing in a more similar direction to each other!
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So, then I started stripping back the damaged panels
Untitled on FlickrUntitled on FlickrUnfortunately, when I first tried the replacement doors (both of them!), they didn't fit properly - and with a closer look, and a compare to my brother's cup, we could see that the lower hinge had been knocked in the impact - as the other car had slid along the door it had pushed the hinge back. So we thought we would try some delicate persuasion to massage it back into line - by use of my mate's Land Rover, a block and tackle and some kevlar sailing rope through the hinge pin hole.
Untitled on FlickrAfter a few attempts at pulling with slight adjustments in direction, the good news was that the door would now fit and close, but wasn't well aligned (with a big gap at the front, and tight at the back), so needed some more adjustment. So, with the help of a bit of wood and grips and some adjustment of the striker, I managed to greatly improve the fit - it's still not 100%, but is a lot better than it was, and I am going to get it perfected by a local bodyshop once I have it all built up and sorted. So after a bit more building up (including a good clean out under the side skirts both sides - amazing how much crud was in there) it looked reasonably decent.
Untitled on FlickrUntitled on FlickrWhich meant that I had to then swap the wheels and drop on my turinis, which I am happy with:
Untitled on FlickrSince then, I have given it a good once over, and cleared the mass of tools and bits that had accumulated inside, and took it round the block to scrub the crud off the brakes, and have dropped it off for MOT this morning (it still has MOT, but insurance companies will want to see a fresh one before covering it) - and having borrowed my brother's cup a few times recently, I am looking forward to getting it back on the road!
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