My 2001 Renault Sport Clio
Discussion
So after a lot of umming and arring, about fifty "What car" threads in GG. I decided on a Renault Sport Clio.
Why?
I wanted something that COULD do 40mpg, that was well specced, that was comfy and could rival my beloved VTS' performance but keep the reliablity.
I decided on a 182, the cruise control being the deciding factor. I'm really geeky about gadgets, and Cruise Control is one of them things I "need" in a car.
Unfortunately, buying a Clio Sport is not a simple matter. Of the cars I saw on the internet, the good ones were already sold or sold before I could see them, or they were hundreds of miles away. The local cars were overpriced or sheds. Things weren't going so smoothly. I spent around a month going to see various 182s and 172 Cups. For some reason, dealers don't want to sell a RS Clio to an 18 year old. I obviously appeared as a timewaster, f
k knows how, but it pissed me off. Anyway I was looking over the classifieds one day and found this PH1 172 in Blue. Something about the car jumped out to me, and the owner was giving all the right signals. Upon going to see the car that evening I knew it was the right car, but I struggled to convince my head. My heart was set 
2 days later I went to pick the car up.
It has been modified, but maturely.. The previous owner was late 20's and was quite the Clio enthusiast (it would seem).... I did intend to get the car detailed this weekend and get some professional pictures, but the weather has been a b1tch today. I did manage to get some springs fitted. Anyway.. pictures tell a thousand words...the first are from my first drive in the car the day after getting it.
+ what I've been up to today:
Bought some new tools
Got the springs fitted
Before:
After:
Only a slight drop, hopefully the handling will improve. The handling isn't a patch on the Primera!
The car makes a slight noise as the window drops on the drivers side, I figured out it was the 182 interior door cards which don't quite fit right and are knocking on the glass. Upon refitting the door cards, the wind took my door and smacked it against the wall.
Hello MR Dint.
I was gutted, and absolutely fuming about how stupid I had been. That was at about 4pm and I've just about got over it (with thanks to Peter Griffin)
I have a few mods planned for the car, I'm not too keen on the alloys but I know they are good ones (OZ Ultraleggera) - perhaps they will grow on me.
I want to get the car breathing a bit better, get it serviced and maybe get rid of the cat
Untitled by danny2107, on Flickr
Untitled by danny2107, on Flickr
Untitled by danny2107, on Flickr
Untitled by danny2107, on Flickr
Essay over.
Dan
Why?
I wanted something that COULD do 40mpg, that was well specced, that was comfy and could rival my beloved VTS' performance but keep the reliablity.
I decided on a 182, the cruise control being the deciding factor. I'm really geeky about gadgets, and Cruise Control is one of them things I "need" in a car.
Unfortunately, buying a Clio Sport is not a simple matter. Of the cars I saw on the internet, the good ones were already sold or sold before I could see them, or they were hundreds of miles away. The local cars were overpriced or sheds. Things weren't going so smoothly. I spent around a month going to see various 182s and 172 Cups. For some reason, dealers don't want to sell a RS Clio to an 18 year old. I obviously appeared as a timewaster, f
k knows how, but it pissed me off. Anyway I was looking over the classifieds one day and found this PH1 172 in Blue. Something about the car jumped out to me, and the owner was giving all the right signals. Upon going to see the car that evening I knew it was the right car, but I struggled to convince my head. My heart was set 2 days later I went to pick the car up.
It has been modified, but maturely.. The previous owner was late 20's and was quite the Clio enthusiast (it would seem).... I did intend to get the car detailed this weekend and get some professional pictures, but the weather has been a b1tch today. I did manage to get some springs fitted. Anyway.. pictures tell a thousand words...the first are from my first drive in the car the day after getting it.
+ what I've been up to today:
Bought some new tools
Got the springs fitted
Before:
After:
Only a slight drop, hopefully the handling will improve. The handling isn't a patch on the Primera!
The car makes a slight noise as the window drops on the drivers side, I figured out it was the 182 interior door cards which don't quite fit right and are knocking on the glass. Upon refitting the door cards, the wind took my door and smacked it against the wall.
Hello MR Dint.
I was gutted, and absolutely fuming about how stupid I had been. That was at about 4pm and I've just about got over it (with thanks to Peter Griffin)
I have a few mods planned for the car, I'm not too keen on the alloys but I know they are good ones (OZ Ultraleggera) - perhaps they will grow on me.
I want to get the car breathing a bit better, get it serviced and maybe get rid of the cat
Untitled by danny2107, on Flickr
Untitled by danny2107, on Flickr
Untitled by danny2107, on Flickr
Untitled by danny2107, on Flickr
Essay over.
Dan
Edited by DannyVTS on Saturday 14th May 22:03
Edited by DannyVTS on Saturday 14th May 22:06
5charlie46 said:
looks dead smart that, maybe a bit too much black for me but does look good! My friend has a 172 and he gets no where near 40mpg but I guess thats his driving lol
Pottering about to Barnsley today I got 36mpg :\ Not hard at all!Oh and the "detail" colour is a light graphite grey, my iPhone makes it look black though!
The wheels/engine cover/door badges/wing mirrors/interior door handles/speaker cover/badges are all the same colour
Mastodon2 said:
Looks like a good un - did I read wrong, this is a 172 isn't it? At least the last owner had the good sense to get a 182 style exhaust on it, it really "makes" the car imo, and if it's aftermarket then it's likely a good custom built stainless steel unit and not the st one RS supplied the cars with.
Has he removed the foglights and converted them to cold air feeds? Looks clean as under the engine bay, enjoy it!
The exhaust is a custom one and is a very good job. Made by Tony Banks in Leeds, when I was under the car yesterday I got really good vibes from the car just by seeing his workmanship!t one RS supplied the cars with.Has he removed the foglights and converted them to cold air feeds? Looks clean as under the engine bay, enjoy it!
and yes, the foglights have been removed and one of them is used as a cold air feed, not too sure on it myself but if it works it works... Don't fancy driving it like this in the Autumn though!
Having problems with my photobucket account, so can't upload all the "during" pictures of todays detail, but here are the after shots
Big thanks to my mate for doing this for me!
RenaultSport Clio by danny2107, on Flickr
RenaultSport Clio by danny2107, on Flickr
DSC002RenaultSport Clio12 by danny2107, on Flickr
RenaultSport Clio by danny2107, on Flickr
RenaultSport Clio by danny2107, on Flickr
RenaultSport Clio by danny2107, on Flickr
RenaultSport Clio by danny2107, on Flickr
Really happy with the outcome, the car really is beautiful
Dan
Big thanks to my mate for doing this for me!
RenaultSport Clio by danny2107, on Flickr
RenaultSport Clio by danny2107, on Flickr
DSC002RenaultSport Clio12 by danny2107, on Flickr
RenaultSport Clio by danny2107, on Flickr
RenaultSport Clio by danny2107, on Flickr
RenaultSport Clio by danny2107, on Flickr
RenaultSport Clio by danny2107, on Flickr
Really happy with the outcome, the car really is beautiful
Dan
Thanks for all the replies glad you all like it
This weekends been productive
With the help of friends the Milltek decat (sorry hippies) was fitted along with some fresh Gulf Fully Sythnetic oil (thanks OpieOils)
I'm in need of a standard airbox though still!
Dan
B.J.W said:
I remember driving one of the first 172 Sports when they came out in 2000 - thought it was a cracking little car then. It was a few years before I bought one (well, actually it was Lady B.J.W who bought it)
As with your's it was sympatheticaly modified (adjustable shocks and dampers to iron out the overhard suspension for crap GB roads, and a re-map to sort out the mid corner issues with 2nd/3rd gear) Cracking little car - really miss it.
Yours looks really nice, and in VGC. I am sure you will enjoy owning the car. Accept that something electrical will 'develop' at some point and it will always be one of the best point to pointers sub 10k.
Thats a cracking looking car, I did go see a cup and as nice a car that it was the service history with it was inexistant and the dealer was a knob end.As with your's it was sympatheticaly modified (adjustable shocks and dampers to iron out the overhard suspension for crap GB roads, and a re-map to sort out the mid corner issues with 2nd/3rd gear) Cracking little car - really miss it.
Yours looks really nice, and in VGC. I am sure you will enjoy owning the car. Accept that something electrical will 'develop' at some point and it will always be one of the best point to pointers sub 10k.
This weekends been productive
With the help of friends the Milltek decat (sorry hippies) was fitted along with some fresh Gulf Fully Sythnetic oil (thanks OpieOils)
I'm in need of a standard airbox though still!
Dan
Haven't updated this in a while, but over the past few weeks the cars had a decent clean up and my mate did a cracking job at getting most swirls out of the paint, there are still a few but it's a lot better now.
I've also had a small problem with the throttle body sticking at low revs, a common Ph1 problem which makes me sound like a right 'tard when parking etc. The idle likes to sit between 1-2k rpm and hunts quite a lot.
Cleaned up the original as it was in a state, but that didn't solve it
Before:
After:
Just ordered another TB off a member so hopefully that'll solve it.
I also took the rear seats out when bored one day but they went back in so I could take my mate to FCS. They might be coming out again if I can find some carpet to match the floor of the boot.
Also playing about with induction kits at the moment. I can't spend on a V6 airbox yet due to going to Magaluf (chavaluf perhaps?) in about a month so perhaps after that I will.
My Pre FCS clean pics:
Untitled by danny2107, on Flickr
Untitled by danny2107, on Flickr
Untitled by danny2107, on Flickr
Headlight restoration:
My favourite pic so far of the car, thanks to Feirny @CS.net:
IMG_1747 by feirny, on Flickr
Thanks
Dan
I've also had a small problem with the throttle body sticking at low revs, a common Ph1 problem which makes me sound like a right 'tard when parking etc. The idle likes to sit between 1-2k rpm and hunts quite a lot.
Cleaned up the original as it was in a state, but that didn't solve it
Before:
After:
Just ordered another TB off a member so hopefully that'll solve it.
I also took the rear seats out when bored one day but they went back in so I could take my mate to FCS. They might be coming out again if I can find some carpet to match the floor of the boot.
Also playing about with induction kits at the moment. I can't spend on a V6 airbox yet due to going to Magaluf (chavaluf perhaps?) in about a month so perhaps after that I will.
My Pre FCS clean pics:
Untitled by danny2107, on Flickr
Untitled by danny2107, on Flickr
Untitled by danny2107, on Flickr
Headlight restoration:
My favourite pic so far of the car, thanks to Feirny @CS.net:
IMG_1747 by feirny, on Flickr
Thanks
Dan
Arthur Daley said:
Looks like a nice example, no cruise control though being a PH 1, they really are great to drive, I had a titanium w plater for a year, great car.
I can't say I like any of the mods though, needs to be on 15" F1's, someone will cream over those ultraleggas on ebay though..
Yeah I think I may have to take some of the goodies off the car to afford the insurance next year! I can't say I like any of the mods though, needs to be on 15" F1's, someone will cream over those ultraleggas on ebay though..
Anyway, some pictures from Rockingham:
Few pics of my car at FCS, copyright robmcdougall.org
Also had a bit of trouble with my clock falling back into the dash... hat to take the entire top of the dash off which was a big f*ck about but its done now ...
Diesel Fury said:
Seems far more likely that someone else took the photos (if the giant COPYRIGHT symbols are anything to go by) and want a tenner for each one. (EDIT): And he actually says in the post that they're copyrighted by someone else 
Which personally, I would not pay. They're good, but a tenner EACH? I think not! Come to think of it, can someone else copyright a photo with you in it without your permission?
Anyway, really nice looking car Danny! Always fancied one these, how are you finding it day to day so far?
Glad you got it... They're good as far as it's good to see my car in pictures, but I don't think they're "professional". Granted it must be hard having to take thousands of pictures of cars but meh...Which personally, I would not pay. They're good, but a tenner EACH? I think not! Come to think of it, can someone else copyright a photo with you in it without your permission?
Anyway, really nice looking car Danny! Always fancied one these, how are you finding it day to day so far?
Err, the good massively out weighs the bad. It gets great MPG for the performance you get, it looks great and the handling is superb.
The bad bits would be the incredibly hard suspension, not helped by the Apex springs that I don't think I will keep long! The gearbox is pretty terrible at best (this is true on all of them though) and the driving position is becoming increasingly annoying. Just taxed it for 6 months too, £135
Also, insurance for next year. I was expecting to pay around £17-1800. Managed to get a quote for just shy of 1400 fully comp which isn't bad at all considering my age.
Depressing however, when I put in a more economical, comfier eurobox cruiser - insurance is near enough half of that :|
It's head or heart... again...
y2blade said:
Defcon5 said:
Mastodon2 said:
I didn't, it's not in his "recently started topics" list either.
Ner ner made you look 
t, gutted for him"
Snails said:
Saw the car in Bury St Edmunds a few weeks ago, I'm guessing being driven by a new owner?
How did it look??? Miss it tbh 
Btw, I'm now driving this.. http://pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&t...
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