Shuv's Racing Blue 200...................

Jeez you guys write some big replies! Just read your last few posts and what I say to you is if you are thinking of selling it’s for a reason! It’s a super clean car and you have it pristine but then again look what you did with the Corsa!

Your like me, you’ll always source a great car and possibly improve its condition every time, I stuck with a supra for 14 years feeling I had a bond with it, never thought I’d let it go, near like I owed it to stay with me as I’d had it that long! Sold it about five years back, best thing I ever did, lifted a weight sort of thing :smile: the r1 I’d owned for 13 years soon followed! Life’s too short!

I’ve had the Clio a year now, still love it, just had the belts and pump etc done, full mot and sitting pretty in my garage, but I’m still thinking about selling it! Tbh if there had been more of a scene in Northern Ireland and some meets it would have probably kept me I intrested but there is no intrest whatsoever.

Could be blowing it out in the near future same as yourself :smile:

As evidenced above, we like to rattle on a bit sometimes! :smiley:

As for your car, drive it mate. Hard. Don't change up until 7k rpm. I'll NEVER get bored of doing that! :smile:
 
As evidenced above, we like to rattle on a bit sometimes! :smiley:

As for your car, drive it mate. Hard. Don't change up until 7k rpm. I'll NEVER get bored of doing that! :smile:

I hear you but doing that in an exige might feel nicer! Plus my dad had just went and bought, what I can only describe as a show worthy Toyota celica ta22, yellow with black leather! Gona get first shout in my garage and as 3 would be too much of a squeeze, the Clio could be out on its ear shortly!

The celica is fresh in from japan and just restored, they rust at even the mention of the word salt and with the values heading the way they are on them, I want to keep this one pristine, id say it will be worth 30k plus next year in the condition it’s in.

Ps might come to your meet! Lol
 
I hear you but doing that in an exige might feel nicer! Plus my dad had just went and bought, what I can only describe as a show worthy Toyota celica ta22, yellow with black leather! Gona get first shout in my garage and as 3 would be too much of a squeeze, the Clio could be out on its ear shortly!

The celica is fresh in from japan and just restored, they rust at even the mention of the word salt and with the values heading the way they are on them, I want to keep this one pristine, id say it will be worth 30k plus next year in the condition it’s in.

Photos of the Celica in the Other Marques section please mate!

And yeah, it's fun in the Exige but as I always say, my Lotus has taken absolutely nothing away from the thrills I get out of the Clio! It will always be a fantastic car to throw down a B-road and one of the very last, great hot hatches.
 
Ace post mate! Although it's expected from you.

Regarding the cliques, as I said, that doesn't really bother me as long as the folks involved aren't being like "we're too cool to talk to you" which is definitely not the case from what I've seen. I do however very definitely share your view that there are a few (thankfully only a few) members on here who only post for themselves and make no effort to be reciprocal or get involved with the forum properly. That's selfish and not cool. I've identified the few that are and ignore them.

I also think there is a natural difference in how people use their cars that makes like-minded folk group together. Some have theirs only for track use. Some only for B-road fun. Some just like to clean them a look at them. Shared usage type is always going to help draw people together.

Holidays and travel, my god mate, you won't bore me to tears with that! Love travelling as I'm sure you're aware. Just back from an incredible holiday (maybe the best ever) in California. Spent most of it in two of their national parks looking at things like this:

View attachment 121633

Super pleased you enjoyed NYC so much that you're both so keen to go back. And I hope the kids fully appreciate the efforts you and Mrs Shuv are going to for them to have such an amazing trip!!!

By the way, it's only a short hop north to get to Boston from NY and I think that's a fantastic city too, but it doesn't quite have the bright lights of NYC. Also, if scenery is your thing, slightly further north is Vermont which is a wonderful place, one of my favourite states of the 12 that I have visited... NYC would be much better for the kids though no doubt. There's a vibe there huh? It's palpable throughout the whole city.

Ps. in my experience, accommodation in NYC is expensive no matter what. You'll save a bit with airbnb but not a huge amount.

Thanks for the kind words about Mrs M. She's done VERY well for herself. Super proud of her. She's keeping the Clio. I keep trying to persuade her to get an Elise but she has too much love for Tractor Boy to entertain anything else. As for keeping it and getting another car, I'd LOVE that :smiley: but there's no way I can seriously entertain it. We live in London and have three cars, in reality, we "need" none of them! :smiley:

Glad you have a daily mate, that makes a BIG difference huh? I just really hope that you stick with the Clio. You've come too far and built such a beauty, it would be a shame to let it go. It's not the usual case of upgraditis is it? So many people who mod their cars get to a point where they've done all they can do and move on to something else to start the process again. I understand if that's part of it. Modding cars is definitely addictive! I was kind of at that stage with the BMW. The only things left to do are huge things that can't ever be reverted back to standard. But since I've stopped modding it, I've REALLY enjoyed just using the car as it is and getting the most out of it.

Whatever mate, your 197/200.net support / therapy group is here to help! :smiley:

Regarding a meet up, fook yeah mate, as soon as the weather is good, let's go for a hoon and some banter. Well up for that.

"Class is permanent" ...likewise mate, likewise.

:thumb:

Or email pics to me Anthony @Cossers ; syershulver1@gmail.com.....and i'll get them up for you. Be a pleasure buddy.

OH MY LORDY Mes.....that picture and that Holiday sounds incredible ! You lucky pair you. Tell me more about it please...did you travel around much, did you do any hiking / yomping / camping out in the wilds.....what was the weather like this time of year ? Do i remember reading you hired a brute of a muscle-car too while you were away ? What about that ?

Yes - spot-on ! Not really about 'upgrading'. Possibly alot of the Clio with me - as a serial modder - is about having a vision where you wanted it to be when you bought it, getting it where you want it - and then for some reason then feeling the project is finished and immediately wanting to move on and start again. How the hell does that even work ? I'm not being blase but i know my own standards and know i have one the best driving / maintained examples you could wish for; and built on a low miles / solid base to start with. And i possibly want rid ? It's an affliction. I'm not quite finished yet though. I've still got the OZ's in the box to be fitted and the bonnet to sort and get resprayed. Bare with me in the cold wet months. I will get that done. Shortly hopefully when the weather warms up enough to make the spraying worthwhile.....
 
Or email pics to me Anthony @Cossers ; syershulver1@gmail.com.....and i'll get them up for you. Be a pleasure buddy.

OH MY LORDY Mes.....that picture and that Holiday sounds incredible ! You lucky pair you. Tell me more about it please...did you travel around much, did you do any hiking / yomping / camping out in the wilds.....what was the weather like this time of year ? Do i remember reading you hired a brute of a muscle-car too while you were away ? What about that ?

Yes - spot-on ! Not really about 'upgrading'. Possibly alot of the Clio with me - as a serial modder - is about having a vision where you wanted it to be when you bought it, getting it where you want it - and then for some reason then feeling the project is finished and immediately wanting to move on and start again. How the hell does that even work ? I'm not being blase but i know my own standards and know i have one the best driving / maintained examples you could wish for; and built on a low miles / solid base to start with. And i possibly want rid ? It's an affliction. I'm not quite finished yet though. I've still got the OZ's in the box to be fitted and the bonnet to sort and get resprayed. Bare with me in the cold wet months. I will get that done. Shortly hopefully when the weather warms up enough to make the spraying worthwhile.....

Mate, it was AMAZING. Seriously. As with you guys and NYC, we're itching to go back.

Mrs M doesn't do camping. She's far too much of a diva for that! We stayed actually in the park in the first one. In a really nice lodge. And for the second park we stayed about a 45 min drive from the park entrance. Which was no bad thing as I woke up every morning super keen to do the utterly amazing drive out there. WISH I had my car with me!

Weather was perfect. Full on sunshine and warm for some days. Full on snowy winter wonderland for others. Really got to see the best of both worlds.

Car was a Camaro SS. So a 6.2ltr V8 to play with. Car was ok, but my GOD what an engine!!!

As for "how the hell does that even work?" my god mate, if I knew I'd have spent a LOT less money :smiley:

An addiction to making cars better I guess. It's totally understandable and I think that's a lot of where I was with the BMW when I was thinking of getting rid. There was nothing more I could do without going crazy. But, I've settled right into just enjoying it now and not thinking about mods. It's been cathartic!
 
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The Clio is staying. I kinda half heartedly (?) replied to a couple of "Clio wanted" ads recently; seeing where the land lay. Including a 'Best available' Clio 200 wanted. Despite that poster having a great budget and hounding me to sell in the end once i sent him details and linked him to this thread; we didn't get around to discussing a final sale price before i finally realised i'm not ready to see it leave my possession at any price right now. I imagined waving 'it' goodbye as the new owner exited my road. And that was enough. These cars get under your skin. And stay under your skin it seems.......

So back to doing what i do best :flushed: And with Easter weekend looming up large i'm planning a self-contained, one-man, humongous paint-loving festival in minute detail ! I'm planned and ready for a full 4 day exterior detail if that's what it takes for me to be happy. That's no interior, no under the hood, no wheels - just solely me working on the Blue bits.....:tonguewink:

And that's once i've resurrected the poor thing after living here for the last 5 or 6 months: (Fingers crossed i have no issues and the battery tender, dehumidifier and cover have all done their jobs).

26407693379_ca15df203d_b.jpg

The Clio will only ever now be a summer / sunny weekend toy. With that in mind - this time around i'm going to use (possibly) less long-lasting but (hopefully) better looking products. All applied by hand as i HATED the non-tactile process of DA'ing last time around......and the paint is in great shape anyway after a detail not long before it was tucked away.

So:

39176245670_6dfefd42f4_b.jpg

After washing and drying i'll first be claying with a hand concocted lube i'll make for the job.

Then i've got: A Lake Country Hydro-Tech hand pad; or a Scholl concepts polishing puck to apply the ever popular Autoglym SRP to the paint; and the Poorboys BlackHole to the Gloss black bits.

I'm then planning on a base layer / couple of base layers of Dodo-juice Supernatural Hybrid (Which is more like a sealant) with plenty of time to cure between layers. I've experience of this product - and imo its mega long-lasting. That's all i need from a base layer.

Then i shall be using BiltHamber Double Speed Wax as my top coat(s). On the back of winning this test in 2015 (I believe) 2017 and 2018 and being highly rated elsewhere - not to mention chip-as-chips:

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/accessories-tyres/63776/best-car-wax-and-car-polish

I'm going to apply the Speedwax primarily using a Scholl Concepts finishing puck, with smaller foam applicator pads for the tighter areas.

Then maybe right away after curing (Or if not in the interim washes / as a drying aid) i will be using my favourite Hybrid quick-detailer which comprises of 1/3rd Sonax BSD, 1/3rd Bouncers Done + Dusted and 1/3rd Autoglym Rapid Detailer. After some experimentation i've found this to be a fantastic combo which seems to bring out the best attributes of each - with none of the negatives.

I've purposely not so much as even lifted the cover off the car during winter. So i'm actually really looking forward to seeing it again now.....

37018921293_9f004a6e04_b.jpg

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Hope y'all enjoy your Easter weekend too :smile:
 
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I think you’ll be amazed how much of a novelty it is once again when you lift that cover. The colour, the condition, the customisation, the seats, the overall design of the Mk3, and its handling will all play part in you using it more than you think you will when the weather’s good! I reckon you’ll fall in love with it all over again. Definitely not a car that’s worth selling anytime soon.
Enjoy!
 
The Clio is staying. I kinda half heartedly (?) replied to a couple of "Clio wanted" ads recently; seeing where the land lay. Including a 'Best available' Clio 200 wanted. Despite that poster having a great budget and hounding me to sell in the end once i sent him details and linked him to this thread; we didn't get around to discussing a final sale price before i finally realised i'm not ready to see it leave my possession at any price right now. I imagined waving 'it' goodbye as the new owner exited my road. And that was enough. These cars get under your skin. And stay under your skin it seems.......

So back to doing what i do best :flushed: And with Easter weekend looming up large i'm planning a self-contained, one-man, humongous paint-loving festival in minute detail ! I'm planned and ready for a full 4 day exterior detail if that's what it takes for me to be happy. That's no interior, no under the hood, no wheels - just solely me working on the Blue bits.....:tonguewink:

And that's once i've resurrected the poor thing after living here for the last 5 months: (Fingers crossed i have no issues and the battery tender, dehumidifier and cover have all done their jobs).

View attachment 121906

The Clio will only ever now be a summer / sunny weekend toy. With that in mind - this time around i'm going to use (possibly) less long-lasting but (hopefully) better looking products. All applied by hand as i HATED the non-tactile process of DA'ing last time around......and the paint is in great shape anyway after a detail not long before it was tucked away.

So:

View attachment 121907

After washing and drying i'll first be claying with a hand concocted lube i'll make for the job.

Then i've got: A Lake Country Hydro-Tech hand pad; or a Scholl concepts polishing puck to apply the ever popular Autoglym SRP to the paint; and the Poorboys BlackHole to the Gloss black bits.

I'm then planning on a base layer / couple of base layers of Dodo-juice Supernatural Hybrid (Which is more like a sealant) with plenty of time to cure between layers. I've experience of this product - and imo its mega long-lasting. That's all i need from a base layer.

Then i shall be using BiltHamber Double Speed Wax as my top coat(s). On the back of winning this test in 2015 (I believe) 2017 and 2018 and being highly rated elsewhere - not to mention chip-as-chips:

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/accessories-tyres/63776/best-car-wax-and-car-polish

I'm going to apply the Speedwax primarily using a Scholl Concepts finishing puck, with smaller foam applicator pads for the tighter areas.

Then maybe right away after curing (Or if not in the interim washes / as a drying aid) i will be using my favourite Hybrid quick-detailer which comprises of 1/3rd Sonax BSD, 1/3rd Bouncers Done + Dusted and 1/3rd Autoglym Rapid Detailer. After some experimentation i've found this to be a fantastic combo which seems to bring out the best attributes of each - with none of the negatives.

I've purposely not so much as even lifted the cover off the car during winter. So i'm actually really looking forward to seeing it again now.....

View attachment 121908

View attachment 121909

View attachment 121910

Hope y'all enjoy your Easter weekend too :smile:
Glad to read that the car stays. Hopefully our paths will cross sometime & I'll get to see this beauty in the metal. Enjoy your detailing fest & then enjoy driving the car this summer.
 
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Love the colour, and love the car!!!

Always been a fan of this combination. You got many more plans for it?
A detailing project, that just happens to be lots of fun? Or a toy that’s just very well looked after?

I will have to have a proper read through this later!
 
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Hopefully the car is in pristine condition once you lift the cover and you spend all weekend thrashing the tits off it...! (I joke of course)

Hard to see how it can be detailed anymore than it is but you clearly know what you’re doing and I hope you get some decent weather to work in. Pictures on BH Monday a must:thumb:
 
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I think you’ll be amazed how much of a novelty it is once again when you lift that cover. The colour, the condition, the customisation, the seats, the overall design of the Mk3, and its handling will all play part in you using it more than you think you will when the weather’s good! I reckon you’ll fall in love with it all over again. Definitely not a car that’s worth selling anytime soon.
Enjoy!

Thanks Micah. Got to get through next weekend first. Isn't it meant to be -10 in some parts with plenty of the White stuff again ? Bloody hope not.....

Glad to read that the car stays. Hopefully our paths will cross sometime & I'll get to see this beauty in the metal. Enjoy your detailing fest & then enjoy driving the car this summer.

I'm hoping not being an everyday any more; makes me not take for granted how special these were......(are !)

This year for sure Jon on a meet-up. TBH i just wanna meet a boy-racer who's 1/. Older than me 2/. Has more of a sticker fetish than me and 3/. Had the balls to go through with the wheel colour change :smile:


Love the colour, and love the car!!!

Always been a fan of this combination. You got many more plans for it?
A detailing project, that just happens to be lots of fun? Or a toy that’s just very well looked after?

I will have to have a proper read through this later!

Thankyou Martin. 100% on both in answer to your ponderings. I love being outside the garage of a weekend, radio on and tinkering / improving on anything my skills allow me too...

Most of the 'major' up-to-date specs are on the first page i think. But likely there's literally tens and tens of subtle OEM+ touches i've done; that unless you know about you'd possibly miss.

Initial plans are to get the bonnet repainted as soon as its back into operation / my man has time / weather plays balls etc to get rid of a couple of small rock-dings. After that we'll see what summer brings :smile:
 
Hopefully the car is in pristine condition once you lift the cover and you spend all weekend thrashing the tits off it...! (I joke of course)

Yo bud.


Can't remember if i garaged the Clio before or after i got thrown the tuned GTR for wedding duties. After i'm sure...

Either way; literally the fastest thing i've driven for a while has been our TD works van. Most of the winter having been spent in 973cc's / 3 cylinders of Vauxhalls finest. Economical, cheap but completely gutless of course.

In no way would i ever describe a 200 with all the normal breathing mods etc as quick or even brisk. Nippy+ maybe. But if i don't watch out - I'd not be surprised if i end up in the nearest hedge if i attempt to go straight into loony mode :smile:
 
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Super SUPER pleased to read that post mate. She's a keeper for sure. Really good to see her again and she's looking as glorious as ever. Hope you think the same when you take the cover off. GREAT news though!
 
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Have to agree, you can loose the intrest easily over the winter crappy months but with the better weather coming it’s easy to get all the enthusiasm back for the car :smile:

Just going to the meet got me intrested in the car again! Then again I’m strange when it comes to cars. I can take a notion and have it sold in a few days! But, the little albi did shine well yesterday!

That’s some cleaning fest your taking on! Hats off, don’t think I’ve ever spent that type of time on a car but id love to at some point, the pics of yours (I take it from late last year?) look superb! By the time you get all done the water will just run off it and you won’t be able to get a lather up! Lol

Plenty of pics when you do get her done and as you do it if you have time to take the pics as I do like to see the process too :smile:
 
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4 day detailing sesh eh....when can I book mine in? :wink: (In all seriousness, I bought a DA a few months back and I'm too scared to use it...)

Seriously happy to see that you're keeping it, I've been half expecting a Facebook notification with a For Sale ad over the last few weeks!

Fingers crossed for no issues when it gets uncovered, I get the feeling if you do keep it long term it could well be one of the cleanest (if not - THE cleanest) examples of a 200 in years to come. I don't care what anyone says about only certain cars appreciate, this will be worth a huge amount to you, both in physical and sentimental value.

I've honestly missed last summer's witty banter from you, @///M and the likes, hopefully now cars are coming out and TD's are being done, that can begin again!!

GOT to sort something out later in the year, I have to see this car in the flesh - same goes for yours Mes.

P.S. Super jealous of the NYC trip and would love to do it myself.