Greg's Albi Blue Clio 200

So, after all the lurking and getting to know my car, I have decided to make a thread!

I bought my 59 plate Albi Blue Clio 200 last December from half way up the country. I waited a while for the right one to come up for me. Ticked all the boxes for me, leather seats, cup pack, and the best colour :wink:

When I got it, it was a bit rough around the edges. The wheels had seen better days. The previous owner must have hit every kerb in the Wirral. Also, every tyre was different, and all were ditch finders. Having just bought it, I had to live with it till payday.

I did the "must do's" that every Clio Sport owner must do. I changed all the interior bulbs to white LED's and changed the front and rear indicator bulbs to chrome bulbs to remove the egg-yolk look. I then got pressed plates to remove the ugly dealer plates that were past their best. I like them but I know some people hate them, marmite! I then got wind deflectors and fitted them and the de-CLIO'd the boot. I was then (for the time being) happy with the car.

After a few weeks, I noticed that a few things weren't quite right, mainly the fact that the rain sensor wasn't working. Off too eBay, and purchased a gel pad as there wasn't one on the sensor(!). Fitted that with a lot of swearing and got them working. I also changed the rubbish washer jets to fan jets. The side B pillar weather strips, like most people on here have experienced, had perished. Again, you guessed it, too eBay, and purchased some textured weather strips and fitted them.

I then started noticing a pattern, that most problems other people had with their Clio's, if I checked mine, I had the same problem! It's amazing the fact that Renault didn't sort well known problems. I checked the rear quarter window weather strips, which like most on here have experienced, were torn and damaged. I then ended that section with:

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A few months went by, and nothing much happened as I was busy with work etc etc. I kept checking eBay and the classifieds here for Speedlines. I then struck GOLD. 4 Gloss Black Speedline alloy wheels, not a mark on them for £400. I went for them and after a few weeks, they arrived. I then decided to ditch all the tyres I had and get 4 brand new Goodyear Eagle F1 AS3 XL tyres and get them fitted to the Speedlines. This, coupled with Raptor6767's 20mm spacers, really made the car sit how it should from the factory.

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Now, I am quite anal about my car being clean, heck I have a detailing bag in the boot that is used almost daily. If I had the chance, I could quite easily spend all of Sunday cleaning it and making it shinier. I can always find something that isn't quite right.

After getting it looking the way I wanted, I then set about getting it to sound and drive how I wanted. I first fitted the Powerflex lower engine mount bush and the upper torque mount bush. The lower mount went on fine and I have had no problems, but the upper mount kept breaking, but with Powerflex's lifetime warrantly, and 3 bushes later, it is on and it hasn't snapped, so thumbs up to them.

I was a bit unsure of how I wanted it to sound. I wanted it a bit deeper but not too raspy, so I first removed the silencer. It sounded good, but the flat spot was appalling. Pulling away smoothly was getting a chore so I set about looking for a new exhaust system completely. I spotted that Euro Car Parts do (did, you'll read later) Scorpion Exhausts. I added the Scorpion Resonated exhaust to the basket, and then went about doing other things. I then got an email stating that items in my basket were eligible for a 15%, but I didn't think it'll work as it says excluding tools, performance parts etc. I tried anyway and to my surprise it worked, so I got quite a bit knocked off the price of the exhaust. So I went ahead and purchased it and fitted it that weekend at Ramp It Up in Bristol. Fantastic garage to work on your car yourself. I also gave the car a service here as well. Fresh oil and filter, gearbox oil, air filter and spark plugs.

I then hit a 4" deep pothole and buckled two of the alloy wheels, stranding me in the middle of nowhere...

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It's booked in next Friday to have both alloy wheels I bought sprayed gloss black. I did not realise they don't come in Gloss Black, only Satin Black?

So that's been the life of the car in the last 10 months, and sorry for the wall of text, I will update this thread when anything else happens :smile:
 
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Good stuff, glad to see you're enjoying the car. Can't beat a bit of Albi action; )
 
looks very nice..all it needs now is some coiles and lower it..it will look/handle 100% better..
sorry to hear about your wheel..looks like a nasty damage..
keep it coming
 
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Can tell you're anal about cleaning the car, it looks immaculate in the pics! What are your go to products for cleaning/waxing?

Shame about the buckled alloys, hope you manage to get them sorted mate :worried:
 
Firstly car looks great with the black Speedlines really goes well with the black bumper/diffuser. I tried to get pressed plates for mine but couldn't get them without postcode/BS number on them and wanted the clean look so went for gel plates instead and really happy with them. Bad news about your new alloys I would have been raging! Try Swissvax Autobahn wheel wax on your newly painted wheels as it contains PTFE so less dirt sticks to them, as a clean freak myself that buckled wheel looks filthy. :shocked:
 
@Pav Yeah, I do agree, I just can't afford B14's. I was tempted with lowering springs but would that affect the handling?

@LOCKE They were coated about 2 weeks before that picture and they hadn't been washed in over a week so that's my excuse :tongueout:
 
Really good start to the thread, I enjoyed reading that! The car looks very nice and well looked after! Rotten luck with the pot hole, you must have been raging at that! Hope you get it fixed up soon :smile:
 
@Pav Yeah, I do agree, I just can't afford B14's. I was tempted with lowering springs but would that affect the handling?
well it depends..which lowering springs do you want to go for??the golden rule is that if you lower your car,the damping will be affected no matter what..generally speaking Eibach,h&r cooksport etc are the ones people go for....
this may help deciding: Suspension options
 
I was looking at Kam Racing, they have H&R Sport Springs, but every Mk3 I have seen lowered had coilovers. I might just save for a bit and get B14's :wink:
 
I have had a quick look around but can't see anything, most are just over £650ish

In other news, I contacted a local company about when refurbs and they wanted £100 a wheel! I think I'll stick to my £60 a wheel quote :tongueout:
 
I have had a quick look around but can't see anything, most are just over £650ish

In other news, I contacted a local company about when refurbs and they wanted £100 a wheel! I think I'll stick to my £60 a wheel quote :tongueout:


Is £60 a wheel for a drive-in / drive-out service ? (Tyres removed and refitted, balancing included etc)

Its £250 down this way for that.....so yours is about the going rate id say ?
 
Is £60 a wheel for a drive-in / drive-out service ? (Tyres removed and refitted, balancing included etc)

Its £250 down this way for that.....so yours is about the going rate id say ?

Drive in, Drive out same day. They don't take the tyres of, just pop the tyre off the bead. I'm only having two done, the new one that is satin that I want black (doesn't have a tyre) and one that has slight kerbing.

The trouble is, in the location I am, there is no place available that deals with "performance cars" and doing modifications etc, only Dan in Glastonbury.
 
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Now Xmas is on the way, the misses has said I need to pick one things out of a list of a few things. For me, it is between:

New retrimmed steering wheel
Cup Spoiler
Rear windows tinted

I can't for the life of me decide. The steering wheel would look nice as mine has all but peeled off, the cup spoiler would set the car off nice, but then i'd need to drill holes in the book and I wouldn't feel confident doing it/if I don't like it in the future I am screwed, and I am worried the rear tints will chav the car up a little. Help me out guys, what would you go for out of those 3?
 
Firstly - LUCKY MAN !

Sounds like the wheel is "needed" and the rest would be for aesthetics ?

I'm expecting my re-trimmed wheel back next Wednesday. I'l be putting up some pics on my thread to tempt you......:smile:

But in order if your car was mine i'd go:

1/ Steering wheel
2/ Spoiler
3/ Tinting
 
I have the Cup spoiler (and front splitter) on my R27 which also comes standard with rear tints. Can't imagine without the spoiler and tints don't look out of place, quite smart actually.