New potential track car... dirty old mk1 clio!
Discussion
My first post on pistonheads!
Going to have a look at this on saturday! Just wanted to see If you guys could throw any general information my way.. Anything to look out for other than the norm?
Also im planning to take the stripping to the extreme.. angle grinders.. stripping of wiring loom etc..
What bits can you guys suggest I concentrate my efforts on?
So far on my list of stuff im thinking of doing is:
Remove sunroof and cover with somthing
Cut out inner door skin
Sound deadening
What weight would you estimate the car to be now and whats acheivable? (sorry for spelling!)
Thanks adam
Going to have a look at this on saturday! Just wanted to see If you guys could throw any general information my way.. Anything to look out for other than the norm?
Also im planning to take the stripping to the extreme.. angle grinders.. stripping of wiring loom etc..
What bits can you guys suggest I concentrate my efforts on?
So far on my list of stuff im thinking of doing is:
Remove sunroof and cover with somthing
Cut out inner door skin
Sound deadening
What weight would you estimate the car to be now and whats acheivable? (sorry for spelling!)
Thanks adam
Just for trackdays or for racing?
If the former, I reckon it's good to go. Wouldn't worry about sunroof and stuff. Chuck the door cards out if you feel you have to 'make a difference', but otherwise spend money on trackdays and fuel (and tuition if you're new to track driving).
Enjoy
(and welcome to PH)
If the former, I reckon it's good to go. Wouldn't worry about sunroof and stuff. Chuck the door cards out if you feel you have to 'make a difference', but otherwise spend money on trackdays and fuel (and tuition if you're new to track driving).
Enjoy
(and welcome to PH)V8mate said:
Just for trackdays or for racing?
If the former, I reckon it's good to go. Wouldn't worry about sunroof and stuff. Chuck the door cards out if you feel you have to 'make a difference', but otherwise spend money on trackdays and fuel (and tuition if you're new to track driving).
Enjoy (and welcome to PH)
Thanks! Yeah it will be used for trackdays only. Im not going to be spending any money on making it faster, just going to be removing weight, it will give me somthing to do as a hobby over the summer. Im sure theres plenty more to loose!If the former, I reckon it's good to go. Wouldn't worry about sunroof and stuff. Chuck the door cards out if you feel you have to 'make a difference', but otherwise spend money on trackdays and fuel (and tuition if you're new to track driving).
Enjoy
(and welcome to PH)Ive done one trackday last year in my 172. My next one is booked for Donny GP on the 28th March!
pit5top said:
Possibly down to 750kg? Should be a fun and quick car
Looks like 850kg should be do-able without spending money on plastic windows etc.I cant see why people think I should leave the car as it is? If its going to be a track toy only why WOULDNT I take out some extra bits to make it go round corners better/stop better/ go better/ use less consumeables..?
Its currently running 158bhp rolling roaded so close to 200bhp per tonne is on the cards potentialy... hes mentioned the figure of £1000... seems a pretty decent price to me! Cant go wrong surely..!?
Thats a real bargain for a grand, great cars the mk1's. If its just for the track, and your not going to use it on the road again, strip it out, you will be amazed how much weight you can still get out of the car, it might sound a bit sad, but have a set of bathroom scales to weigh everthing you take off, enjoy the car, I wish I still had my 172 track car, I loved every minute of it, they are alot of fun.
You could strip the old tar/sound deadening stuff out, it's suprisingly heavy for what it is, but not a great amount. It's a right pain of a job to do as well. Just need a heat gun and decent scraper to get the big bits off, then some sort of solvent to wipe the residue off.
Won't be painted underneath, but if you don't care what it looks like, then who cares. My car is a right mess inside, but I don't care.
I've stripped all door cards and pretty much everything else from the interior. It's just the seats and the dash left. There's a few cables and other bits that make it look a bit messy, but all the bits that aren't needed have been taken out.
Hopefully it has good service history, think the cambelts are due every 35k miles. There's some running costs in my profile for a few things.
I'd also check out Clio16Valver.co.uk if you haven't already. Some really knowledgeable people on their. I got a great mechanic based in Bristol as well if you're not too far away and ever need any work doing.
The msot common problem with the MK1s is the rust! Mine's pretty much wasting away!! I'd make sure the arches and sills are sound and then try and have a look underneath to see what it's like. Mine just failed the last MOT with some rust on the sill, only £90 to put right, but it's gunna be a yearly thing. most likely!
They're not the quickest cars on trackdays, but they are soo much fun, you won't care!
Won't be painted underneath, but if you don't care what it looks like, then who cares. My car is a right mess inside, but I don't care.
I've stripped all door cards and pretty much everything else from the interior. It's just the seats and the dash left. There's a few cables and other bits that make it look a bit messy, but all the bits that aren't needed have been taken out.
Hopefully it has good service history, think the cambelts are due every 35k miles. There's some running costs in my profile for a few things.
I'd also check out Clio16Valver.co.uk if you haven't already. Some really knowledgeable people on their. I got a great mechanic based in Bristol as well if you're not too far away and ever need any work doing.
The msot common problem with the MK1s is the rust! Mine's pretty much wasting away!! I'd make sure the arches and sills are sound and then try and have a look underneath to see what it's like. Mine just failed the last MOT with some rust on the sill, only £90 to put right, but it's gunna be a yearly thing. most likely!
They're not the quickest cars on trackdays, but they are soo much fun, you won't care!
Slagathore said:
You could strip the old tar/sound deadening stuff out, it's suprisingly heavy for what it is, but not a great amount. It's a right pain of a job to do as well. Just need a heat gun and decent scraper to get the big bits off, then some sort of solvent to wipe the residue off.
You saw the photos in the OP, right? 
V8mate said:
You saw the photos in the OP, right?
Here's a before pic from my car:
That's what was there before I scraped it off. He's got the same, it's just red.
There's the sound deadening matt stuff around the front of the car and beneath the carpet, and then under all that is this tar stuff. Pretty much most of the floor is covered in it. I really should have left mine on, to be honest, it's probably all that was holding my car together
MrBrightSi said:
V8mate is right, unless youre going to get into racing seriously and competatively, try keeping the car as intact as possible.
If however you want to strip it out and look the part, why not try sprinting or hillclimbing?
this is absolutely good advice, no advantage to be had for track days ripping everything out, just end up with a worthless shell that is unpleasant to use you cant make much difference to track day fun by ripping everything out - get some tution first, then some better brakes, then some sticky tyres then some more tuition.If however you want to strip it out and look the part, why not try sprinting or hillclimbing?
Thanks for the replies, Ive had one 20min session of tuition and plan to take some more at my next day too.
On another note ive been to see the car now, its as good as it looks in the pictures. It was built up, used a few times and then garaged for 5 years, until my friend baught it (current owner).
Its done 77k miles total with loads of history past mot's etc to verify. Bodywork looks good and couldnt see too much rust, even around the arches. It has a current MOT with a few months left. Its had £1500 of headwork including cams, ported inlets (I think? somthing like that lol) all with recipits. Also has a custom map (again with recipit). And a rolling road print out 156.6 bhp. Hes also changed the gearbox oil and engine oil twice in the 18 months hes owned it.. and refreshed all of the other fluids too.
Only thing I noticed is the engine is a little tappy for the first few mins from cold and also there apeared to be some exhaust gas leaking from the exhaust manifold, which seemed to seal as it heated up. - Any advice on these two things?
Also the cambelt was changed when the engine was built. Its done around 3k miles on the belt but its 7 years old - would you guys risk not changing it?
Ive just agreed a rough price with him of £1000.. that will also include;
Fitted car cover
5L fully Synth engine oil
4 brand new tyres
He agreed to get it MOT'd for me again when the current one expires and pay the cost of the MOT(!)
Fairly likely I'll be taking him up on this.. what do you guys think.. bargain?
On another note ive been to see the car now, its as good as it looks in the pictures. It was built up, used a few times and then garaged for 5 years, until my friend baught it (current owner).
Its done 77k miles total with loads of history past mot's etc to verify. Bodywork looks good and couldnt see too much rust, even around the arches. It has a current MOT with a few months left. Its had £1500 of headwork including cams, ported inlets (I think? somthing like that lol) all with recipits. Also has a custom map (again with recipit). And a rolling road print out 156.6 bhp. Hes also changed the gearbox oil and engine oil twice in the 18 months hes owned it.. and refreshed all of the other fluids too.
Only thing I noticed is the engine is a little tappy for the first few mins from cold and also there apeared to be some exhaust gas leaking from the exhaust manifold, which seemed to seal as it heated up. - Any advice on these two things?
Also the cambelt was changed when the engine was built. Its done around 3k miles on the belt but its 7 years old - would you guys risk not changing it?
Ive just agreed a rough price with him of £1000.. that will also include;
Fitted car cover
5L fully Synth engine oil
4 brand new tyres
He agreed to get it MOT'd for me again when the current one expires and pay the cost of the MOT(!)
Fairly likely I'll be taking him up on this.. what do you guys think.. bargain?
Seems a good buy for £1k!
As said above, It's not that expensive to get the cambelt done on these, might as well have it done. My car was a similar situation, over 5 years had gone, but the car had only covered a few thousand miles. Still had it changed for peace of mind.
I also had the tapping noise from the engine, it was a combination of the weather being cold and the car not being used much. Mine used to go away when the car had warmed up. If you search on Clio16valver, you should see plenty of posts on it.
Can get a cambelt kit from Renaultpartsdirect for about £100, should be able to get a discount if you say you're a member from Clio16valver.
As said above, It's not that expensive to get the cambelt done on these, might as well have it done. My car was a similar situation, over 5 years had gone, but the car had only covered a few thousand miles. Still had it changed for peace of mind.
I also had the tapping noise from the engine, it was a combination of the weather being cold and the car not being used much. Mine used to go away when the car had warmed up. If you search on Clio16valver, you should see plenty of posts on it.
Can get a cambelt kit from Renaultpartsdirect for about £100, should be able to get a discount if you say you're a member from Clio16valver.
Well its 90% ill be picking this up on saterday pending a test drive of it, which im assured will be fine 
Its also just had £250's worth of engine mounts on it too I remembered.
Ive got my heat gun and scraper on standby!
Will probably be putting my 172 up for sale in the next few days! - Anybody on the lookout for one?
Cant wait to go racing!
Its also just had £250's worth of engine mounts on it too I remembered.Ive got my heat gun and scraper on standby!
Will probably be putting my 172 up for sale in the next few days! - Anybody on the lookout for one?
Cant wait to go racing!
I had mine for a couple of years, although I fitted a 172 engine in 2009 and never looked back. It ran 173hp/165lbft. Fully caged (through to the struts, around 50kg) I got it down to approx 830kg with two seats, everything cut out, lightweight bootlid/bonnet, polycarb windows etc - ran it on dunlop slicks and it was a quick fun car. To give you an idea... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdDZ9RDU3G0
I ended up getting bored after 2/3 years of track days and moved on to something new, although it was a very good car. Any questions about it drop me a message and I'd be glad to help.
I ended up getting bored after 2/3 years of track days and moved on to something new, although it was a very good car. Any questions about it drop me a message and I'd be glad to help.
Edited by f0xy on Friday 17th February 00:29
Gassing Station | Track Days | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff