What modifications have you made to your 197/200? What do you really think of them?

N0ddie

Platinum Member
Thanks to Dangerdaz for coming up with the idea.

As the title suggests. What modifications have you done to your 197/200 and what do you really think of them?

As Daz has done, if you could right a little piece on your thoughts for each modification and then give it a rating out of 10. Will be good to see the differing opinions of each owner/member and may be able to help persuade/dissuade others to follow in your tracks.

To start here is what Daz said:

Right.
Had my 200 cup since March 2011.
Its been modded extensively apart from engine, so here is my honest appraisal.

8x17 Oz ultraleggaras.£960.
Look awesome, the weight saving helps & also allows easy fitment of the pf brake upgrade.
Worth the expense/purchase again? Yes/yes.

Quaife atb differential.£1800 inc parts & fit.
Great on track, ok for the road.
Worth the expense/purchase again? No/no. I do lotsa track so i love it.

Kw clubsports.£2100 inc fit.
Great on road n track if tinkered with. Which is easy.
Worth the expense/purchase again? No/no. Not worth it unless you are a driving ace. Helps for sure in making you better but i would stick to the std cup stuff or at a push fit Kw 1s. (Which i did originally have).

Akraprovic exhaust evo system.£1100 inc fit.
7kgs weight saving & sounds fab.
Worth the expense/purchase again? No/possibly. Its probably 2-300 notes overpriced. But i love it.

Performance friction 330mm brake upgrade inc hel lines & uprated fluid & ds2500 pads all round.£1000 inc fit.
Amazing braking performance. You can out brake almost everything if u got the nads!
Worth the expense/purchase again? Yes/yes. Only if you do trackdays though. Ive tried all the set ups possible inc std size 2 piece etc. The pf kit is immense and is probably my fave
mod.

Remap & itg panel.£350
Get it done!
Worth the expense/purchase again? Yes/yes. Makes the car how it should be.

So there you go. Ive spent a shedload and could have purchased a track car etc instead. But its not the point as my 200 is a keeper. And will eventually be ripped apart n lightened etc.
This little article is designed to save you guys the cash after someone else has done it. No regrets but until you do it ya just dont know!
Feel free to ask qs...

Update..
So if i was to do it again, what would i get?

Oz ultraleggaras.
Adjustable topmounts from simoxino.
Akraprovic exhaust.
Pf 330mm brake upgrade & lines, uprated fluid & pads.
Remap

Total. £3500 saving nearly 4k.

Spend some of that saved on better tyres.
Ad08s, r1r's or 595 rsr's.
A few trackdays and most importantly instruction.
Still leaves enough for a great holiday or 2!
 
Engine;

64mm TB - Made a big difference to the urgency and low-down grunt. Has seemed to have widened the powerband/smoothed the transition from low to high lift. Easy to fit and setup, although it does need a bit of time to settle. I'd definatley do this again and it was well worth the price of £100. 9/10

ITG Panel Filter - Barely made any difference really in terms of performance. If anything I think the revs seemed a bit smoother but my old OEM filter was due a change anyway. Didn't make any real difference to the noise, maybe a little louder. In my mind it has to be better then a paper element and I wouldn't hesitate to use/buy one again for around £50. 5/10

Odyssey PC680 Battery - Not a modification to enhance performance on its own, but it saved me around 10KG in weight. Never missed a beat, good alternative (or better according to some people) to the usual Varley Red Top 25 (exact same dimensions) and this cost me £95 plus another £100 for the relocation so I could fit the V6 Airbox. A modification of neccesity, hard to say wether it was worth £195. 3/10

V6 Airbox & K-Tec Panel Filter - The single best modification I've done to Nicole. Noise, perofmance, everything just works right and further enhances the experience of driving one of these cars. You will need to move the standard battery to fit this, but it is well worth the extra work. I'd do this again in a heartbeat and with the Pipe, Filter and Airbox it cost me a total of around £130. 11/10

Exhaust;

Centre-Silencer Removal - More noise, more flatspot, but the noise outweighs the flatspot. No doubt I'd do it again, well worth £60. 6/10

K-Tec 200 Cell Sports-Cat - I didn't ever plan to fit/buy one of these but it came up at a very good price. I figure that it must be more free-flowing than the OEM part although research from various people has shown the OEM part to be very efficient anyway. Hard to say what effect it had on perfomance on it's own as it was fitted at the same time as the rest of the system. It keeps everything legal and the emissions are no worse than before fitting, hard to say wether on it's own it'd be worth (new) £300. 6/10

K-Tec (Magnex) Cat-Back System - Not much needs to be said that hasn't already been said. It's another modification that enhances the overall package of the Clio. When fitted with the 200 Cell Sports-Cat it eased the flatspot almost completley and definately helped the engine right through the rev-range. Well worth it in my opinion and although you can no longer get this particular variant, the current ones should be just as good and are around £450. 8/10

Chassis;

HEL Brake Hoses - As a matter of course I always uprate these on my cars. Never had an issue, very well made and perfect fitment. I'd say it's worth fititng them to refresh the old rubber items but apart from a slightly firmer pedal (could also be down to fresh fluid) you'll be hard pushed to feel any real difference on the road. Don't buy these expecting for a night and day difference but if you enjoy trackdays or hard-driving then you'll get more feel and they're not bank-bursting at around £55. 5/10

Clio 197 Cup Dampers - Fitted with the H&Rs and they work brilliantly together. This was a night and day difference over my original FF setup. I think they're a part which should be replaced after 4/5 years anyway to keep everything as it should be. I would definately fit these again and with the H&Rs they form a very good and very stable setup without burtsting the bank. These are made by KYB and cost me £200. 10/10

H&R -30mm/-40mm Springs - Hard to say what they did on their own as they were put with Cup Dampers from the off and weren't tried with my original FF ones. As above, they work very well indeed with the 197 Cup Dampers but I cannot comment on how they work with anything else. This setup is a lot stiffer than the 197 FF setup so I would say this is something you should try before you buy if possible. Suspension is a very individual thing and not everyone will have the same idea of what is comfy and what is harsh etc.., but to me these are well worth £185. 10/10

Bodywork;

De-Badged - Horses for courses, makes her bum look even chunkier which I like. Cost me £0. 10/10
 
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ITG Panel Filter: 6/10

Felt it breathed a tad better, and gave a gruntier sound aswell IMO

H&R 30/40 Springs: 9/10

IMO best mod I've done so far. Gave a near enough perfect drop for me, on the standard dampers. Didn't really notice much difference, other than the car feeling stiffer over bumps and through the corners.

Cup Spoiler: 8/10

When I first bought the car, and signed up to this site, I wasn't a fan of the cup spoiler. I seen one come up cheap so bought it and had it sprayed. Fitted it, and loved it ever since! I love how the rear looks now!

Phillips Diamond Vision Headlights: 8/10

Bought these as I have the Projector headlights on mine, a nice crisp white comes out of these, and matched with white LED sidelights they are even better!

CLIO Debadge: 9/10

Also did this mod on a whim. Looks way better!!
 
ITG panel filter bit better air flow and lasts longer than cotton one.5/10

ITG maxogen more grunt sounds good.8/10

ITG maxogen set up with 90 degree samco pipe,pulls lots better low down and better air flow.10/10

varley red top 15 had no probs at all with great little battery and makes life easyer to get to the maxogen to clean the filter of if you want to do any tweeks.10/10

K-tec cat back sounds great and lighter than standard,get the odd rattle now and again but can be ajusted.9/10

35/40 lowering springs meant to H&R but not sure ha!makes the car look a lot better and the ride is ok and good in the bends.6/10

OZ ultraleggeras17 x 8.0 lighter than standard and wider look great but a mare to clean.8/10

got shot of the clio badge looks tad better.5/10

Last mod was a remap at RS tuning and makes the car more alive.10/10
 
Oz Ultraleggaras- 8"x17" ET55

Look superb. The considerable weight saving is also very noticeable.
Worth the expense/purchase again? Yes.
Rating- 10/10

Kw Clubsports

Great on road and track if setup correctly. Initially the setting I had was very bumpy. Another major advantage with this setup is the ability to adjust front camber. Ride quality is on the harsh side. Does help in making the car look more aggressive also.
Worth the expense/purchase again? Yes.
Rating- 9/10

Akraprovic Evolution Exhaust

The substantial weight saving with this exhaust (7Kgs IIRC) is very handy. The sound of this exhaust is ideal as its quiet when just driving normally, but comes to life when your on it. My favorite modification on the car.
Worth the expense/purchase again? Yes.
Rating- 10/10

Performance Friction 330mm Brake Upgrade inc HEL Lines & RBF600 brake fluid & Ferodo Racing DS2500 pads

Amazing braking performance. You can just keep going and going and going on into the braking zone and when you hit the brake pedal they will stop you superbly well. Definitely made the biggest difference to my track driving.
Worth the expense/purchase again? Yes.
Rating- 10/10

Cup Spoiler

Bought one after initially hating them. At the time of installation I really liked it, however as time went on it wore on me and ultimately has been removed today in favour of the naked rear look.
Worth the expense/purchase again? No.
Rating- 3/10

Projector Headlights

Changed the front end of the Cup no end. Much more aggressive than the chrome standard headlights and are considerably better at emitting light.
Worth the expense/purchase again? Yes.
Rating- 10/10

Cup Racer Wheels- 8"x17"

At the time of installation I really liked them on the car. However as time wore on, having the clean them every 3-4 days ground me hard. Ultimately resulting in them being removed from the car this week.
Worth the expense/purchase again? Yes (Only as I got the cheap for a brand new set)
Rating- 6/10
 
Akrapovic Evo

£1088

Went straight for this after doing a bit of research and speaking to N0ddie on here. Build quility is amazing and had no issues with it what so ever. no nocking etc. huge saving on weight and also the evo system alowed me to remove the main cat while still being road legal. had it for well over 15,000 miles now and performes well. subtle enough at cruising speeds to have a convosation with your passenger but crazy enough that when you plant your right foot it goes crazy. pops on upshifts are great. Comes with CF tail trims too :smile:

Rating 9/10

Buy again? YES

K-Tec Panel Filter

£30

Put this on at the same time as my exhaust so have no definitive conclusions if it made any difference

Rating 5/10

Buy again? Maybe

Cup Dampers and Eibach Springs

£470

Made an immediate change to the looks of the Clio going from FF suspension. Made it corner a lot flatter. Could certainly feel the firmness in the damper and spring combo. Value for money was good and has held up very well on track and for fast road use

Buy again? Yes (No if could have afforded the AST setup with adjustable top mounts)

Rating 7/10

Buy again? Maybe

Yokohama AD08's

£440

By far the best thing i have done to my car. Firstly im sure the Conti CS3 are a good tyre and have been prooved for that but i didnt seem to get on with them. lack of feedback and just didnt grip in the wet. maybe it is my driving style. Did a bit of research on the AD08s and they came very highly recommended from friends with Evos and Exiges. So i took the plunge and got a full set and the difference was incredible. Turn it was sharper, more feel, more responce. i now know 100% what the front wheels are doing.

They were simply incredible on track too. had 3-4 comments at Cadwell about how i was staying stuck to the road

Goes back to that age old saying, 'Power is nothing without control'. does matter what mods you have, if you cant put it to the tarmac its irrelivant

Rating 9/10

Buy again? Yes

Ferodo DS2500 Front and Rear Pads

£220

I upgraded the standard pard when i got my Clio as i was sick of the squeeling from the standard items and i knew that i would be giving them some stick on track.

Again these have been great on track andeven in the intense heat and my addiction to late braking at Cadwell these held up fine on track. Was pretty much outbraking everything providing i had the balls to do so

Rating 8/10

Buy again? Yes

K-tec Sprint Spoiler

£150 + Spray and Fit

Really liked the look of this when i was looking for a spoiler. didnt want the cup one (too common and i think it ruins the rear, does suits the clios softer lines)

Went for this on instead. Quite rare especially on Storm grey. Simple as that

Rating 8/10

Buy again? Yes
 
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Modified 197

Hey guys


I'm new to this forum. I currently own a blue '07 197 and absolutely love the car even though I live up at the reef and the car suffers from some altitude sickness. I have been looking at a black '07 with around 70 000kms , the car is modified with a new exhaust, a re-map , K&N air filter as well at H&R springs . I drove the car and it feels great, really fast, no flat spot such as I have on my car, the gear box also feels great. I am however worried that the car may be unreliable . Are my worries unfounded?


Any help would be appreciated
 
Hi Sean, welcome to the club first of all!!!

Secondly, as long as the car has been serviced well and the correct oil has been used then don't worry about it being pre-modified. :smile:
 
Besides an ITG panel filter and a bit of cosmetic stuff nothing it's good enough for me as it is:jase:
 
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Gonna try and do some that aren't performance orientated :wink:

Kenwood BT60u Radio £200~ all in
Hands free, bluetooth everything Cd playing ipod playing radio. Excellent addition and replacement to the standard radio.
Getting the right bits to wire the radio up was tricky but it was worth it in the end.

Pioneer ts-q131c speakers £70
The standard items are carp and 200's don't come with tweeters (or mine didn't) so these are a much better. Maybe don't push a lot of bass but masses of clarity over the standard floppy cardboard coned items.

Felt padding under the parcel shelf Free
God damn it rattles without it, recommended for sanity purposes.

Hel Braided lines & Motul RBF600 fluid £120 fitted roughly
When I eventually got the correct lines on in combination with the fluid the pedal is a lot firmer on the limit and it seems this gave a much greater ability to control the braking force. I end up braking with my toes rather than my full foot and the car responds much better to small changes in force.

Ferodo DS2500s Front £120
One of the best changes, the standard discs are fine but the standard pads just gave up after a while. Really couldnt take the pressure and I think I ended up cooking the fluid at the same time as the pads. These in combo with the lines just step up the feel and longevity of what the braking system can stand up to.

KTec Panel Filter £20-30
I can't really recommend it as the rubber split for no apparent reason, see ITG below.

ITG Panel Filter £50
Really wish I'd just got this in the first place (tight yorkshireman?) the quality of the construction itself is far better than the Ktec item and the amount of filtration/foam is quite a bit more.

Cup Racer Speedlines £350 wheels , £200 refurb
One thing fur these, these wheels looked frikkin amazing. Check the flickr link in my sig for pictures. Really very nice, slightly wider meaning they aren't lost in the arches as much.
Downside, ridiculously heavy. Seriously they might as well be made of lead. I lost count of the times I did my back in carrying these around. they must be made to stand up to hitting kerbs down at Oulton over and over but I'm sure they don't need to be as heavy as they are for strength.
Looking back for looks they're worth it but performance wise not at all.

OZ Alleggerita Alloys 17x8 ET55 £1200
I was going to go for Ultras but to be honest, everyone else has had/got or is getting some. I really like to try something different sometimes.
These are more expensive and they do them in a single colour and you have to pay extra for colours to the point where I think now they'd be about £1400-1500 a set. I got them in matt black which seems quite hard wearing so far and suits my sketchy cleaning routine :wink:
Demon Tweaks did me a good deal on price matching another supplier, they were a bit awkward about it in the end but the wheels are seriously worth it.
So light it's unbelievable, the standard 200 wheels (the light ones) are around 9.8kg, these are around 7.0kg per wheel. That's a lot of unsprung mass really and you can feel it when driving.
Much more keen to turn in (yes it's possible :wink: ) and just generally makes the car feel a little less sluggish. Mostly you can feel it in the weight of the wheel though, they're also a bit wider so you can fit a slightly wider tyre without stretch/bulging.

Toyo R888s £540~
I was treating myself in combination with the OZ wheels these are a serious package, so much grip it's hilarious. Really the best tyre in the dry I've ever experience.
In the wet they're bloody scary though even driving carefully! On the road you never get enough heat into them in bad weather so pucker up time.

So many little things I've forgotten about but hey....
 
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Cup Racer Speedlines £350 wheels , £200 refurb
One thing fur these, these wheels looked frikkin amazing. Check the flickr link in my sig for pictures. Really very nice, slightly wider meaning they aren't lost in the arches as much.
Downside, ridiculously heavy. Seriously they might as well be made of lead. I lost count of the times I did my back in carrying these around. they must be made to stand up to hitting kerbs down at Oulton over and over but I'm sure they don't need to be as heavy as they are for strength.
Looking back for looks they're worth it but performance wise not at all.

....

Did you notice any difference in turn in/heavy steering at all?

Reason i ask is i'm interested in some but have two different types of wheel on my track day alfa (over a kilo difference) and the lighter pair give me a sharper turn in on cornereing, i can tell which wheels i have on.
 
Hi All,

I'm looking at possibly doing the following to my 200;

KTR/ITG Maxogen induction kit - £288

and either

KTR Pro Performance 197/200 Sports Catalytic Converter - £298

or

KTR Manifold Pre Cat Delete Pipe - £142

or

KTR Pro Performance 197/200 Decat Pipe - £66

Am not looking to change a huge amount and so wouldn't want to be getting full exhaust system etc. Any opinions on the above and what would be the better things to look into further just for that little bit extra? After any changes i'd also possibly look into a remap.

Cheers,
Steve
 
K&n panel filter, little difference in power and abit more noise 7/10
Middle box removed, flat spot is hurrendous but if driven rite you cant notice it as much 6/10
Debadged rear (done by previous owner)
 
Akrapovic Evolution Exhaust - £1088

Superb piece of kit!! Little on the expensive side but very well made and still allows the car to be driven normal without sounding stupid until you floor it and it comes alive!! 10/10

Remap - £220

Had this done even though i had no flat spot issues with the Akrapovic. However i occasionally had a few cold start issues which cured it instantly and the rev range felt more responsive. Fuel usage was also sightly bettered. 10/10

Ktec panel filter - FREE

Was given this as my friend got rid of this 197. Cant see any noticeable difference, just a little bit of a grunt when flooring it but no doubt it was breathing slightly better. After a few cleans though, the rubber has split in many places so when i buy a new one it won't be one of these unfortunately. 3/10

Cup spoiler and tailgate inc spraying - £1500

Had one of these on my old 200 and wanted a unique Raider so it was a no brainer for me and was worth the expense. 10/10

Mtx Audio component speakers front & back - £100

Was recommended these as the standard poverty spec ones don't allow the radio to go over 25 before massively distorting which was a big let down as well as not being able to put the bass up much. These have greatly improved clarity and bass and could also be amped in the future if needed. Also can be turned up to full whack and have very slight distortion with the bass on full. 10/10

Plasti dip coated wheels and other areas - £60

If your like me and you are anal about keeping items like new then this is the stuff for you. It's a matt rubber coating that can be simply peeled off if you don't like it. Great to prevent stone chips and also very minor scuffs to the wheels if you ever catch the lip on anything. If enough coats are put on then the lifespan is great too. Had it on my wheels since new (9 months +) and still is performing superb. Comes in a variety of colors and at £10 a tin, you can't complain at all. Only downside is that the brake dust beds in to the surface but can be shifted with a good wheel cleaner or very easily with Car Pro's Iron X. 10/10

JL Audio 320w 2 channel amp and 10" 300w sub woofer - £380

Had this from my previous 200 and for the money, its bang on for buck. Seems expensive for the low wattage but punches way above its weight and is not over powering with very good clarity and the bass is superb (being used with the standard head unit also) so a more powerful unit would be even better. The sub doesn't take up much room in the boot and the weight is not ridiculous. For me, JL are the audio masters. 10/10




From my buying experience, i have simply asked people for their opinions and also seen things in the flesh to hear sound etc before purchasing anything. Everyone is different and have mixed opinions so before you take the plunge on laying out a lot of money for something, the best bet is to find someone with it first.
 
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ITG PANEL FILTER Defo a simple mod really easy to swap out, never really noticed a difference in performance but gave abit better sound when on the throttle. "8/10"

TOYO PROXES T1Rs To me one of my fav tyres all around good performance on road and on track, very good in the dry and just as good in damp conditions, do wear quickly though "9/10"

CAZAN RACING CARBON EXHAUST TRIMS Very good quality and look great finish of the rear perfect. Nice and easy to fit and a very good price."10/10"

CARBON FANATICS CARBON CUP SPOILER ENDS Another great quality product they look fantastic just what the cup spoiler needs, retains the Renault Sport lettering which is great as other companys carbon ends are plain. Great little mod "10/10"

OSRAM DIADEM INDICATOR BULBS Nice bulbs look so much better than standards and a nice alternative to the usual upgrade of the silvertec bulbs. Defo a dirt cheap mod that's well worth it "9/10"

BLACK RENAULT BADGE COVERS An ok mod badge covers are slightly on the cheap side made from plastic which after a time has start to loose it's colour but still good alternative to removing the badges to paint "6/10"

EDGE AUTOMOTIVE GAITOR RETRIM AND STREAMLINE GEAR KNOB INSERT Both are great quality, I will def be having a full interior retrim in the future and if the quality of something as small as the gaitor is to go by I cannot wait. The streamline carbon gear top insert is again a great small mod that's easy and makes a nice detail to the interior but a little ££ for what it is "10/10" "8/10"

OFFICIAL RENAULT RS CENTRE CAPS A hell of a lot better than the standard silver centre caps (I still never understand why Renault painted them silver) look smarter and go with the Speedlines spot on only down side is there price, with a fair bit of searching I found some on Spanish eBay and paid £40 posted which is a lot more like the price they should be. "8/10"