Evo's RB Clio 200 CUP

[EvoClio]

First and foremost, welcome fellow petrol heads, car enthusiasts and lurkers to my Project/Progress Thread. I am the proud owner of a Clio RS200 CUP MK3 (2009) in Racing Blue; purchased in February 2019 with approximately 79,000 miles. As of writing this post, I've owned the car for 4 days...

The purpose of the Clio is a bit of everything, I recently sold my Limited Editing Abarth Punto (1 of 10 in the UK) as it was being abused as a daily (it didn't deserve the mileage). I wanted something cheaper, just as fun but yet practical and this is where the Clio slotted in to place.

The Clio will serve as a daily for the dreaded work commute (it's practical and comfortable 'enough') yet ready for a blast out on the twisties on the weekend. I'd also like to get booked in to Brandshatch and experience a few track days - it's the perfect territory for them; given their handling ability.

Shameless plug, I'll be sharing my thread and various photo's via my Instagram page: EvoClioRS



Collection Day: I spent several hours in the pilots seat cruising around, learning the new 'car noises', the accelerator, clutch, brakes and the general feedback from the car. First impressions are good, handling is confidence inspiring, although the N/A Engine & VVT power delivery will take some getting used to. First stop was a full tank of fuel, then off to Halfords for some new wiper blades, screen wash and air freshener - it's the little things in life! A quick snap from collection day below:



Day 1: The following day was spent scanning through forums, eBay and various online shops for inspiration for mods, upgrades and such. Needless to say, I now have a list which is 30 bullet points long and would be enough to wipe my out a few months salary. Majority of the work is refurbishment and subtle touches, with a few performance mods such as the Exhaust (NOISE!) and a remap.

• Refurbishment and Repairs
• Exterior Mods
• Interior Mods
• Engine Bay Mods
• Performance Mods
• Audio Upgrades

First things first, I'm OCD when it comes to the exterior of my vehicles and the alloys needed a refurbishment. I contacted a local place as the alloys no longer retained any level of gloss, signs of paint cracks, chips and rusty bolts - they offered me £100 discount if I dropped it off the same day - so off she goes for the following:

• Repair/Refurbishment and Respray in Gloss Black
• Respray Centre Caps in Gloss Black
• De-buckle Rear Wheel
• Gtechniq C5 Cermaic Coating
• Black Wheel Bolts, locking nut and covers

Day 4: I'm itching to drive the car, due to collect it tomorrow with her new set of shoes! I've got a few concerning area's to address as soon as possible which I identified from the short space of driving it.

• Ticking Noise - Suspected Exhaust Manifold, I hope it's nothing more serious. The welds are known to crack and the outcome is an irritating ticking noise in sync with the revs.
• Brakes - There's no bite on the first 10% or so when you apply pressure to the brake pedal and then you get it's all. Doesn't make it easy to smoothly brake, suspect there is an issue with brake setup - brake fluid, pads, pistons or discs.

More details and posts to come soon - stay tuned!

 

[Sean197]

If the manifold has cracked then it's a good idea once repaired to fit yellow powerflex torque mount and lower engine bushes as these reduce engine movement and protect the manifold.
The brakes sound like they need a strip down and good clean. This usually solves any issues. It's best to do this at least once a year to keep on top of them.

 

[EvoClio]

If the manifold has cracked then it's a good idea once repaired to fit yellow powerflex torque mount and lower engine bushes as these reduce engine movement and protect the manifold.

Good call! I need to ascertain if it's most definitely the manifold and if so... what my plan of action is. I'll likely go aftermarket or custom built but can't imagine it being to cheap - I have intentions of a catback exhaust so probably best to do it all together.

If the manifold has cracked then it's a good idea once repaired to fit yellow powerflex torque mount and lower engine bushes as these reduce engine movement and protect the manifold.
The brakes sound like they need a strip down and good clean. This usually solves any issues. It's best to do this at least once a year to keep on top of them.

My sentiments exactly, I'll give it a go myself - They need a fresh lick of paint too, might be a good opportunity to do them both.

 

[Pav]

looking good...

 

[Sean197]

Good call! I need to ascertain if it's most definitely the manifold and if so... what my plan of action is. I'll likely go aftermarket or custom built but can't imagine it being to cheap - I have intentions of a catback exhaust so probably best to do it all together.



My sentiments exactly, I'll give it a go myself - They need a fresh lick of paint too, might be a good opportunity to do them both.

Most go for a toyosport manifold, at under £200 it's decent value. There are other aftermarket manifolds but they're upwards of £600.

 

[EvoClio]

Day 5: Collected the Clio, ready to begin enjoying the car and I was presented with a little treat on the dashboard. Not off to a great start!

 

[Pav]

try turning the egine on and off..maybe give your lambda sensor a wiggle..