Newbie

[Backie]

Hi all , I’m interested in buying a Clio rs for some B road excursions and probably tracking any help / advise on do’s n don’ts etc would be grateful, cheers Mark

 

[bedoef]

Biggest piece of advice is find one with full service history that hits all the major service milestones if you can. They might cost more, so unless you are handy with a wrench, I suggest spending that extra bit so you get a good example that does not need major servicing before you can enjoy it.

Service history to look for:
- dampers after 60ish k miles
- bushings and ball joints all around around the same mark
- timing belts done at least every 4 years
- gearbox shifts smoothly into 3rd and 4th, both up and down at higher revs (synchros are known to go bad)
- fluids changed regularly
- engine and gearbox mounts changed recently
- top of the exhaust manifold is still solid (they tend to crack up by the flange at the head due to weak mounts)
- calipers dont look too corroded otherwise you might be looking at a rebuild in the near future

Anyone else want to chime in? This is not a comprehensive list.

Actually, do we have a buyers guide post made yet for the 197/200 yet?

 

[Backie]

That’s a pretty comprehensive list, and should be very helpful,many thanks .

 

[Foxspeed]

welcome

 

[bedoef]

Much more comprehensive guide:

Clio 197 buyers guide.

At its launch in 2006 the Clio 197 was met with almost universal praise from the British motoring press as here was a quick little hatch that felt much more mature than its 1*2 predecessors and rather than the typical stiff suspension associate with cars of its class, the 197 was equipped...

clio197.net