I've owned my 197 just over a month now. Generally a good car, plenty of receipts, 70k but it's 15yr old and feeling its age.
When I bought it:
The car was always going to be gradually built up to be for track but with not much MOT on it I wanted to just go through it and see what it needed. It definitely needed a good clean, engine bay was filthy, turns out the under tray was missing and managed to get one 2nd hand. All wheels off, power washed arches and underside.
I also cleaned up and painted alot of the engine bay brackets and replaced missing clips and fixings.
Whilst looking around I noticed both front subframe arms were perished. These are a nightmare to get new, nothing available from renault and pattern ones are not correct for the 197/200. Luckily I got some good ones 2nds hand and cleaned them up. The rad support bracket was also past saving so replaced this, £60 with me welding the old rad leg bracket on.
Putting the front end back I cleaned all the front panel down, treated and painted any rusty bits. Replaced some fixings with stainless, fitted back anything flapping around and put a set of the black headlights in.
I one of the O2 sensors was hanging down and been gashed up with some tape so sorted this out and cleaned up some brake joints whilst i was there. I'm going to underseal the car when the MOT is out the way.
This week I've been concentrating on the rear axle, it was a bit crusty in places and there was some tie wraps loose around the axle and I couldnt tell why, turns out there some new braided hoses replacing the solid pipes. Rust treated, primed and painted, pipes tied in better etc
Next up is MOT this week and the the cars booked in for belts, water pump and dephaser later in the month. Then im going to give it a service, oils, gearbox oil, plugs, fuel filter, ITG panel filter. Then I can start getting the car ready for a track day in April, discs, pads etc.
Thanks
When I bought it:
The car was always going to be gradually built up to be for track but with not much MOT on it I wanted to just go through it and see what it needed. It definitely needed a good clean, engine bay was filthy, turns out the under tray was missing and managed to get one 2nd hand. All wheels off, power washed arches and underside.
I also cleaned up and painted alot of the engine bay brackets and replaced missing clips and fixings.
Whilst looking around I noticed both front subframe arms were perished. These are a nightmare to get new, nothing available from renault and pattern ones are not correct for the 197/200. Luckily I got some good ones 2nds hand and cleaned them up. The rad support bracket was also past saving so replaced this, £60 with me welding the old rad leg bracket on.
Putting the front end back I cleaned all the front panel down, treated and painted any rusty bits. Replaced some fixings with stainless, fitted back anything flapping around and put a set of the black headlights in.
I one of the O2 sensors was hanging down and been gashed up with some tape so sorted this out and cleaned up some brake joints whilst i was there. I'm going to underseal the car when the MOT is out the way.
This week I've been concentrating on the rear axle, it was a bit crusty in places and there was some tie wraps loose around the axle and I couldnt tell why, turns out there some new braided hoses replacing the solid pipes. Rust treated, primed and painted, pipes tied in better etc
Next up is MOT this week and the the cars booked in for belts, water pump and dephaser later in the month. Then im going to give it a service, oils, gearbox oil, plugs, fuel filter, ITG panel filter. Then I can start getting the car ready for a track day in April, discs, pads etc.
Thanks
