Clio 172 - Daily, but a few track days
Discussion
I've had a fair few RS Clios in my time, I generally sell each one, and decide I'm too old for Clios so buy something else, but always tend to end up back in one
Here are my previous ones
This was my second 172, after someone wrote my first black one off. I love this car, and ended up owning it twice. It took me and my now wife round Europe in 2008
I between the two ownerships, I tried a 182 but didn't get on with this one
I eventually sold the Flamer, to buy a 200 CUP brand new. The ride was horrendous for everyday roads, so it only lasted 6 months in my possession
I bought this ultra rare Sunflower Yellow 172 needing work, and experienced my one and only track day in it
And my last 172, a resprayed Storm Grey 172. Again, I bought it needing work
I've had a few cars since, but as my wife's MK7 Golf R has just gone back, and we now have a '17 Tiguan, I don't need a big car, as my wife carries our 15 month old round in hers, so I meant i could get a small hot hatch again. I nearly bought a Golf GTi, and looked at Polo GTis, along with MG ZR 160s, and 206 GTi 180s, but I was again drawn to the RS Clio.
My brief was simple - as cheap as possible. The prices don't seem to have changed much in around 2 or 3 years, I think they've reached the bottom and are staying there, however the cars are getting older, and the drivers younger. I wanted a standardish car, which are rare!
The cambelts on these are a big job, needing doing every 5 years. With most of these now around 15 years old, and the job costing around £600, people don't get them done. I'm a tech for Audi, so I'm confident on a cambelt. I've also done 2 before on the 172s. I came across a 172 on eBay, localish, great advert and no reserve. I asked the all important cambelt question - not done since 2007, and the aux belt (due every 36k and common in snapping and wrapping round the crank pulley) had never been done. He also mentioned the engine was very noisey, possibly the dephaser. I bid, and got outbid. However, 30 mins later I get a 2nd chance offer - the winner couldn't collect quick enough, and his new car came that week. Likey story, I'm not sure.
I went to get it, and to my suprise with a 15 year old Clio, the guy had EVERY receipt from new, in date order, all set out in a nice file, with every MOT from new, along with any correspondence like recall letters etc. The engine however was very noisey, but I was slightly confident it was the dephaser, which I'd change with the belt anyway
A very steady 50mph jaunt back up the M62 followed, thinking 'belt please don't snap'
Here she is
I'm not putting it on the road til the end of the month, so I've a few weeks to get stuff done. I plan on doing one or two track days, nothing heroic, just an amateur blasting round a track! I'm also skint, with a housewife for a wife, and a toddler, so there'll be no big roll cages or fancy seats unfortunately!
Yesterday, I tackled the cambelt. Correct special tools are the key with these, they hold the floating cams correctly. The timing was out, as I'd thought
Multitasking
I also added some Cooksport springs. I like how these make it sit, also at 32, I'm wondering is it looking slightly to 'youth' for me?
And that's how she sits at the moment
I've just booked a track day, just a steady circuit at Blyton Park, so I'll need to have a think about tyres as I'm quite sure the rear 'Three As' that are on in wont survive a track day!
I'll try and update this with any updates!
Comments welcome
Here are my previous ones
This was my second 172, after someone wrote my first black one off. I love this car, and ended up owning it twice. It took me and my now wife round Europe in 2008
I between the two ownerships, I tried a 182 but didn't get on with this one
I eventually sold the Flamer, to buy a 200 CUP brand new. The ride was horrendous for everyday roads, so it only lasted 6 months in my possession
I bought this ultra rare Sunflower Yellow 172 needing work, and experienced my one and only track day in it
And my last 172, a resprayed Storm Grey 172. Again, I bought it needing work
I've had a few cars since, but as my wife's MK7 Golf R has just gone back, and we now have a '17 Tiguan, I don't need a big car, as my wife carries our 15 month old round in hers, so I meant i could get a small hot hatch again. I nearly bought a Golf GTi, and looked at Polo GTis, along with MG ZR 160s, and 206 GTi 180s, but I was again drawn to the RS Clio.
My brief was simple - as cheap as possible. The prices don't seem to have changed much in around 2 or 3 years, I think they've reached the bottom and are staying there, however the cars are getting older, and the drivers younger. I wanted a standardish car, which are rare!
The cambelts on these are a big job, needing doing every 5 years. With most of these now around 15 years old, and the job costing around £600, people don't get them done. I'm a tech for Audi, so I'm confident on a cambelt. I've also done 2 before on the 172s. I came across a 172 on eBay, localish, great advert and no reserve. I asked the all important cambelt question - not done since 2007, and the aux belt (due every 36k and common in snapping and wrapping round the crank pulley) had never been done. He also mentioned the engine was very noisey, possibly the dephaser. I bid, and got outbid. However, 30 mins later I get a 2nd chance offer - the winner couldn't collect quick enough, and his new car came that week. Likey story, I'm not sure.
I went to get it, and to my suprise with a 15 year old Clio, the guy had EVERY receipt from new, in date order, all set out in a nice file, with every MOT from new, along with any correspondence like recall letters etc. The engine however was very noisey, but I was slightly confident it was the dephaser, which I'd change with the belt anyway
A very steady 50mph jaunt back up the M62 followed, thinking 'belt please don't snap'
Here she is
I'm not putting it on the road til the end of the month, so I've a few weeks to get stuff done. I plan on doing one or two track days, nothing heroic, just an amateur blasting round a track! I'm also skint, with a housewife for a wife, and a toddler, so there'll be no big roll cages or fancy seats unfortunately!
Yesterday, I tackled the cambelt. Correct special tools are the key with these, they hold the floating cams correctly. The timing was out, as I'd thought
Multitasking
I also added some Cooksport springs. I like how these make it sit, also at 32, I'm wondering is it looking slightly to 'youth' for me?
And that's how she sits at the moment
I've just booked a track day, just a steady circuit at Blyton Park, so I'll need to have a think about tyres as I'm quite sure the rear 'Three As' that are on in wont survive a track day!
I'll try and update this with any updates!
Comments welcome
Small update - sorry the photos are on their side, stupid iPhone!
When I changed the water pump, I noticed the coolant was a mucky brown colour. My first check was oil - it wasn't thankfully, I put it down to having been run low on anti freeze additive, rusting the block internally. I did ask the previous owner if it was rad weld, but he denied ever using it in the 10 years he owned the car. It was the inside of the coolant hoses that were crusted up
Working for Audi, I have access to my ramp at work, so up she went for the coolant to be drained again
The stuff that came out was like a mucky puddle!
I poured boiling water and 5 crushed dishwasher tables into the new expansion tank, and ran the car for half an hour. I then drained it, this time adding 3 tablets and again ran it up to temp
The last time I added 2 tablets. Each time I also removed the radiator top hose and blasted that through, and also the hose that went to the thermostat. The water got clearer each time, and lots of rusty coloured flakes came out. On the forth fill, I added the correct coolant, and we'll see how we get on
The last time I went on track (only time), it was my tyres that were the weak point, so I came across some 4mm Nankang NS2Rs in 15", so jumped on these. They're off a Ginetta race car, tbh I've no idea what they'll be like, but the Three As on it would be worse! I then bought the cheapest 15" alloys I could, these Wolfrace ones - they're a snug fit over the callipers!
I always change the gearbox oil on my cars, the lil actually came out quite clear which is good
Finally for this update, I changed the front pads. I got some Mintex M1144, I ran then last time and they were brilliant. I've also bought some fog light delete cooling ducts, which I'm going to run some pipework to cool the brakes, as with 3 drivers in the car at the track day I've booked, I'm worried they'll cook!
When I changed the water pump, I noticed the coolant was a mucky brown colour. My first check was oil - it wasn't thankfully, I put it down to having been run low on anti freeze additive, rusting the block internally. I did ask the previous owner if it was rad weld, but he denied ever using it in the 10 years he owned the car. It was the inside of the coolant hoses that were crusted up
Working for Audi, I have access to my ramp at work, so up she went for the coolant to be drained again
The stuff that came out was like a mucky puddle!
I poured boiling water and 5 crushed dishwasher tables into the new expansion tank, and ran the car for half an hour. I then drained it, this time adding 3 tablets and again ran it up to temp
The last time I added 2 tablets. Each time I also removed the radiator top hose and blasted that through, and also the hose that went to the thermostat. The water got clearer each time, and lots of rusty coloured flakes came out. On the forth fill, I added the correct coolant, and we'll see how we get on
The last time I went on track (only time), it was my tyres that were the weak point, so I came across some 4mm Nankang NS2Rs in 15", so jumped on these. They're off a Ginetta race car, tbh I've no idea what they'll be like, but the Three As on it would be worse! I then bought the cheapest 15" alloys I could, these Wolfrace ones - they're a snug fit over the callipers!
I always change the gearbox oil on my cars, the lil actually came out quite clear which is good
Finally for this update, I changed the front pads. I got some Mintex M1144, I ran then last time and they were brilliant. I've also bought some fog light delete cooling ducts, which I'm going to run some pipework to cool the brakes, as with 3 drivers in the car at the track day I've booked, I'm worried they'll cook!
Edited by Faxo on Wednesday 26th April 18:37
In a similar boat to you: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Good luck with it! Not sure I want to tackle the dephaser though!
Good luck with it! Not sure I want to tackle the dephaser though!
CABC said:
why dishwasher tablets? i thought they were good degreasers whereas the cooling system is probably gunked up with non-greasy stuff?
I've used them too clean out a heavily stained coolant expansion tank. Nothing I'd tried before it touched it. Much like the OP said, bits of crap just flaked off and come out. Couldn't tell you why it works,it just seems too.illmonkey said:
In a similar boat to you: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Good luck with it! Not sure I want to tackle the dephaser though!
Yours is a good thread, done things I'd like to do if I had any money!Good luck with it! Not sure I want to tackle the dephaser though!
Dephaser is easy really, just use the correct tools. I bought them brand new fir £138, then just sold them for £120! No brainer really!
Nice work, one of the last 172s by the look of it. Looks like you had a lucky escape with that belt 
I know exactly how you feel OP, I kept my old silver 172 for 5 years running it as my daily but sold it to scratch a Civic Type R itch. The CTR was ok, but really missed the Clio, so now I'm now back in an lovely Racing Blue Clio 182. I've no plans to sell now, I bought it on 42k miles last year and it's only just on 46k miles now so it'll last ages. Mines also on Cooksport Springs and I'm 41 years old
I know exactly how you feel OP, I kept my old silver 172 for 5 years running it as my daily but sold it to scratch a Civic Type R itch. The CTR was ok, but really missed the Clio, so now I'm now back in an lovely Racing Blue Clio 182. I've no plans to sell now, I bought it on 42k miles last year and it's only just on 46k miles now so it'll last ages. Mines also on Cooksport Springs and I'm 41 years old
Faxo said:
It was recommended to me, along with non biological washing powder. At 99p for 10, it was worth a try!
live and learn.1x2 is an itch of mine too. i suspect these old school cars will actually rise in value a little, nothing major but justifies spending the ££ to fully enjoy it at least. good thread.
Faxo said:
illmonkey said:
In a similar boat to you: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Good luck with it! Not sure I want to tackle the dephaser though!
Yours is a good thread, done things I'd like to do if I had any money!Good luck with it! Not sure I want to tackle the dephaser though!
Dephaser is easy really, just use the correct tools. I bought them brand new fir £138, then just sold them for £120! No brainer really!
I'd happily give it a go, again the car was (relatively) cheap, for me to work on and learn. I was told it's a bugger to get timed up correctly afterwards too, but not sure how if you use the right tools. I'll look into it a little more and maybe give it a bash!
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