Purchased a small French lightweight hot hatch - Renault Clio 172 Cup & NOW 182 Trophy

[Gibbo]

You can get just as good result with some laundry detergent in a bucket of warm water and a brush, not need to buy any fancy chemicals. I had to do the belts on my Clio 200 and they were like new afterwards.

TBH I can't remember what I used. I remember that I didn't buy anything specifically for cleaning them, so I would have just been what I had in my garage at the time. I just soaked them in a bucket as best I could then attacked them with the pressure washer.

Thanks guys, just done this all the browning came out once hit with pressure washer but the more stubborn black mould or similar is refusing to budge, so think when I have more time I shall go with the soak in bucket option for an hour and then pressure wash again.

 

[Gibbo]

Hi there

Sorry for lack of updates, been rather busy just with life and work, plus the 360 has been a priority for sorting the ceramic coating and polishing I was doing.

Anyway a few minor items done:

I noticed all music noise was front only, once moving sound to rear it sounded very farty, so removed the rear speakers:

















That explains the farting noise, so replaced with the go to Clio recommendation:





















This solved the issue, the stereo system is half decent as its a modern Pioneer DAB/USB/Bluetooth radio with Focal front component speakers.



I then did the easy trick of sprucing up the back with a fresh number plate light:















Simple but effective.
I've also spent a lot of time cleansing the interior, a full anti-bacterial cleanse with Gtechniq interior cleaner, following by a further cleanser with dash plastics restoration. Carpets, seats all cleaned and a lot of dirt came out, still not perfect, also did the seatbelt trick of trapping them in door and pressure washing, worked a treat for bringing them up after a quick rub down with some APC, great improvement and may perfect that by letting the belts soak in a bucket of APC for an hour in the future. Interior is transformed though:





















The drivers seat bolster has some damage which I intend to have professional repair done on, I may also opt for a proper cleaning too as I feel even after all my cleaning that there is still dirt in the seats.

The car was dropped off with a local specialist this morning who races Clio's so is very familiar with everything to do with a Clio. The car last had a major service (everything) in 2019 and has done 9000 miles since. It was then serviced 500 miles ago (oil / filter) but to place it safe the car has had the following today using all genuine parts:
- Dephaser pulley
- AUX Belt kit
- Cambelt kit
- A full mechanical check over and inspection for rust/corrosion.


Mechanic has come back in short saying the car has had a lot of money spent on it and not too long ago as every bush has been replaced with poly bushes which are in good condition, its got Brembo disc and pads all round, there is no oil leaks from engine/transmission or shock absorbers and the car is rust/corrosion free, in fact he said if clocking a car to read higher mileage was a thing he said this car on the underside is more like a car with half the mileage. In short a used and enjoyed example but seems that its never been skimped on or abused.

I raised the complaint that the brakes are nowhere near as good as my Clio 172 Cup was, he thinks the reasoning is because he believes this car was running a Brembo 4 pot conversion as the rear calipers have metal braided hoses, but the fronts are on regular flexi hoses, as such he suspects its been put back to stock. He can also see the car has stock Brembo pads so his suggestion to start with is put braided lines in the front and then perform a full bleed and refill with performance fluid. If that is still not to my liking then try some PBS brake pads as those are a big step up.

Otherwise he can't find any more work to do on the car, I shall be collecting shortly, admittedly I took the gamble on my drive this morning that no belts would snap so once warmed up I absolutely thrashed the car, proper fun, reminds me exactly of my 172 Cup, the latter had better brakes both feel and performance but hopefully the recommended tweaks will solve that, but accelerating hard through a corner, even in the wet I can feel the improved sophistication of the Trophy suspension setup, power wise I can't really tell any difference between either, but it has also been like 4 years but the 182 comes on cam very strong, akin to old school VTEC so you really notice and feel it. Of course gamble paid off, made it to garage with no snapped belts, the mechanic did say cambelt looked fine but the AUX belt certainly had some wear showing but did not suspect it was in danger of letting go yet.


P.S. I also notice this car has traction control, out of habit I just turned it off this morning and it was wet, something I noticed was on a long sweeper to join the dual carriage way I had to lift of a little as I was pedalling it pretty quick and was immediately greeted with lift off oversteer, not something I really remember in the 172, it was easy to catch but I wondered is the traction control in the car also stability control? If so does it grab the rear brakes from side to side to try and reduce lift off oversteer or is it just basic TC and best turned off?

 

[Gibbo]

Hi there


Been enjoying the Trophy and had all following done between a local specialist and Birchdown, the latter who gave the car a full check over and clean bill of health. They also solved the odd horse trotting noise the car had ever the cambelt was done, something they have seen many times on genuine belts due to raised writing on the belts, a quick sand down on the writing and the noise was gone.
Also had PBS race pads and Motul RBF600 brake fluid change, the brakes are now as good as my 172 Cup was, absolutely incredible.
Also done an oil change, fitted new solid exhaust mounts and all the timing double checked as I felt is was off and Birchdown confirmed it was out, nothing to cause any issues apart from down a bit on power, which they also resolved.

The car drives absolutely amazingly well, I maybe even prefer it to the GR:








I've done a machine polishing on the car, heavy cut in some areas to remove engrained stains from bird droppings which had burnt the top coat and heavier scratches. It is by no means perfect but from six foot looks spectacular, but of course with 125,000 plus miles it is no show car and stone chips are many as are scratches and swirls, but after the polishing it is much better. Not perfect by any means but I still added a coat of Gtechniq CSL and EXO which is a 5yr protection sealant.

I was gonna respray but to do to my standards it will be £1500ish and it gets to the points where do I stop, where do I start to worry about driving it hard for sake of a stone chip. So I've polished it, protected it so it looks great but at same time should I gain additional stone chips I shall not be worrying or getting upset, it means I can enjoy the car. Mechanical it is now perfect, fresh belts, fresh oil, fresh brake fluid, fresh brakes and hoses. Ready for enjoyment and wanting for nothing now until it brakes or its next oil change.

Not much of a project as it turns out that the car is a really solid car in very good mechanical condition and no rust.

My next plans are a snappy steering wheel retrim or maybe a smaller Renault sport wheel, some seat lowering mounts and I am gonna attempt a leather repair myself on the drivers bolster, got the kit on the way, wish me luck.
I did polish the headlights but not come up to my standards so might hit them again but with more grades of wet sand papering, and then some machine polishing.

 

[Gibbo]

Hi there

Made a quick 4K video of the car with its Gtechniq coating, really impressed with the CSL coating, my fears over applying were unfounded, for a 5yr coating it is easy to do, an hour later I apply a coating of EXO which is even easier.

Absolutely over the moon with the results, for a 125,000 mile example it looks absolutely pristine, I might go as far as even changing out some of the rusty screws/bolts to freshen it even more, but won't go too far as its also a car to enjoy and drive hard, as its now on race pads I can sense a visit to the track happening also.