A Caravan of Clios - Mk1 16v, Mk2 Sports
Discussion
Bonjour
Figured I'd pop a possibly never ending post up to assemble all my. French scrap into one contingent yet probably unintelligible heap here.
I've always had Clio's, probably as I'm cheap, every since I passed my test in 2001. As such despite numerous other vehicles in-between, around and alongside there's always been one or two in the stable.
Currently on a fleet of four as follows:
2004 182 - cup packed, carbon infused daily that sees track from time to time. Just clicked over 215k miles on original engine and gearbox and it's still a hoot to drive every day on my Derbyshire A and B road commute.
2001 172 - phase 1, been a daily all its life until I picked it up 3 years ago for a small chunk of change. Spent some time and money resurrecting it after ear marked as a breaker and now a keeper, lovely thing.
1994 1.8 16v - bought over a decade ago as low boost turbo car. Went high boost under my jurisdiction and took me to low 12 second quarter miles in basically road trim. Blew up under the demands of track work and left to rot since. My forever car though so slowly being revived
1993 1.8 16v - track car, replaced the above as the naturally aspirated heart just works for all the abuse it takes. 212bhp and 860kg is a riot and all the bolt on goodies leaves a very capable heap!
Anyway few pics and I'll perhaps update a bit going forward if anyone cares.
Cheers
Ben
Figured I'd pop a possibly never ending post up to assemble all my. French scrap into one contingent yet probably unintelligible heap here.
I've always had Clio's, probably as I'm cheap, every since I passed my test in 2001. As such despite numerous other vehicles in-between, around and alongside there's always been one or two in the stable.
Currently on a fleet of four as follows:
2004 182 - cup packed, carbon infused daily that sees track from time to time. Just clicked over 215k miles on original engine and gearbox and it's still a hoot to drive every day on my Derbyshire A and B road commute.
2001 172 - phase 1, been a daily all its life until I picked it up 3 years ago for a small chunk of change. Spent some time and money resurrecting it after ear marked as a breaker and now a keeper, lovely thing.
1994 1.8 16v - bought over a decade ago as low boost turbo car. Went high boost under my jurisdiction and took me to low 12 second quarter miles in basically road trim. Blew up under the demands of track work and left to rot since. My forever car though so slowly being revived
1993 1.8 16v - track car, replaced the above as the naturally aspirated heart just works for all the abuse it takes. 212bhp and 860kg is a riot and all the bolt on goodies leaves a very capable heap!
Anyway few pics and I'll perhaps update a bit going forward if anyone cares.
Cheers
Ben
Cheers all, I'll do a mini feature on the past, present and future of each car over next week or so as time allows.
Robmarriott said:
Did the grey Mk1 have a C1J in it many moons ago?
It didn't no chap, the plate was a homage or a nod really as it was boosted but on the newer F7P engine it was equipped from factory with. Right, I'll begin at the end as it were with the newest to the stable
2001 Renaultsport Clio 172 - phase 1 in odyssey blue.
Current spec:
- Cup spoiler
- 10mm rear stub spacers
- 16mm front hubcentric spacers
- Bilstein B14 road spec coilovers
- Clio 182 Trophy oem fit Recaro Trendline seats
- Andrew Mayer (also known as snappy) steering wheel retrim in blue leather and grey suede
- ktec stealth resonated stainless exhaust
- Sony mini disc head unit
- few flocked bits
- garment carrier parcel shelf
- early model aluminium bonnet retrofit
Bought the car back in 2017 for 600 quid on a whim as needed some bits for my mk1 track car and this came with few tasty parts, so idea was kill it for spares. However drove the thing for a few weeks and realised was waaaay to good to break. I'm the fourth owner, cars just now clicked over 154k miles but looks and drives half that mileage. Very solid chassis, these early model sports are buggers for sills rotting from the inside out. Comprehensive service history and the car is currently with a very well reputed Renault specialist having engine out mega service consisting of:
- cambelt kit
- aux belt kit
- dephaser pulley
- harmonic balancer aux pulley
- sump gasket
- crank oil seal
- aircon seals
- all fluids and filters
- clutch
- control cables
So should be immaculate when back.
Plan is to basically enjoy the car and continue to tidy up the paintwork this year. Clean and waxoyl underside over winter when off the road and full subframe and rear beam off suspension refresh next year.
Anyway, her she is, one of only 116 made for the UK market in this colour.
2001 Renaultsport Clio 172 - phase 1 in odyssey blue.
Current spec:
- Cup spoiler
- 10mm rear stub spacers
- 16mm front hubcentric spacers
- Bilstein B14 road spec coilovers
- Clio 182 Trophy oem fit Recaro Trendline seats
- Andrew Mayer (also known as snappy) steering wheel retrim in blue leather and grey suede
- ktec stealth resonated stainless exhaust
- Sony mini disc head unit
- few flocked bits
- garment carrier parcel shelf
- early model aluminium bonnet retrofit
Bought the car back in 2017 for 600 quid on a whim as needed some bits for my mk1 track car and this came with few tasty parts, so idea was kill it for spares. However drove the thing for a few weeks and realised was waaaay to good to break. I'm the fourth owner, cars just now clicked over 154k miles but looks and drives half that mileage. Very solid chassis, these early model sports are buggers for sills rotting from the inside out. Comprehensive service history and the car is currently with a very well reputed Renault specialist having engine out mega service consisting of:
- cambelt kit
- aux belt kit
- dephaser pulley
- harmonic balancer aux pulley
- sump gasket
- crank oil seal
- aircon seals
- all fluids and filters
- clutch
- control cables
So should be immaculate when back.
Plan is to basically enjoy the car and continue to tidy up the paintwork this year. Clean and waxoyl underside over winter when off the road and full subframe and rear beam off suspension refresh next year.
Anyway, her she is, one of only 116 made for the UK market in this colour.
Swervin_Mervin said:
Ahh, takes me back. I think I vaguely remember you from all those years ago on Williamsclio etc. Here were my 2 valvers:
Love a bit of Ph1 Mk2 action as well
Ai I remember you too matey from the Williamsclio days, presume your out the Clio and perhaps even Renault game now?Love a bit of Ph1 Mk2 action as well
Coops-Clio-F4R said:
Swervin_Mervin said:
Ahh, takes me back. I think I vaguely remember you from all those years ago on Williamsclio etc. Here were my 2 valvers:
Love a bit of Ph1 Mk2 action as well
Ai I remember you too matey from the Williamsclio days, presume your out the Clio and perhaps even Renault game now?Love a bit of Ph1 Mk2 action as well
Occasionally I do think about finding a nice valver again for the garage, but there's too many other options on my list!
Are they still horrendously costly to run? That's the one thing I seem to remember from those days - the costs when broken down to £/mo were eye-watering! I guess parts aren't that easy to come by anymore either?
Swervin_Mervin said:
I am chap. Got myself a 197 in '08 but still had ULF. That took an off-road knock and I never got around to fixing the subframe. In the end someone bought the valver to break (the shell was knackered tbh). Sold the 197 in '12 - I never gelled with it like I did my valvers, and nothing Renault have done since has interested me. That and the customer service I had with the 197 convinced me I'd never have another new one. I've been in an E91 330i ever since. The high-revving N/A bug has never left me at least!
Occasionally I do think about finding a nice valver again for the garage, but there's too many other options on my list!
Are they still horrendously costly to run? That's the one thing I seem to remember from those days - the costs when broken down to £/mo were eye-watering! I guess parts aren't that easy to come by anymore either?
Tbh I've never found just running costs an issue, it's modding....particularly turbocharging that causes the bank account pain!Occasionally I do think about finding a nice valver again for the garage, but there's too many other options on my list!
Are they still horrendously costly to run? That's the one thing I seem to remember from those days - the costs when broken down to £/mo were eye-watering! I guess parts aren't that easy to come by anymore either?
Yeah know few folks who bailed out on the mk3 cars and the couldn't find a decent mk1 to go back to and thusly gave up. Shame as the mk1 and mk2 are great cars. But yeah parts and chassis in good nick for all of them are getting harder and harder to source. Luckily Mat Brown is still going and has most of the bits we'll all ever need....for the right price
Coops-Clio-F4R said:
Anyway few pics and I'll perhaps update a bit going forward if anyone cares.
Yes please! 
I secretly fancy "flimsy Frenchness", as si_xsi put it (although seem to recall that Mk2 attaining a class-leading Euro NCAP at the time
).Out of interest, what sort of ballpark would the mega service on the Mk2 phase 1 set you back? And what should one aim to pay for a looked-after example (either phase 1 / 2)?
Nice to see that the engines are capable of high miles when looked after!
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