Operation 'Ultra 197'

[james_h]

Hi all. I've introduced my self in the 'newbie' section, so i'll crack on with some of the work I've done so far. Having owned, restored and raced a few similar cars in the past I couldn't wait to get started on my new pride and joy...












First up was an oil and filter change...










A Clean up of the brakes next (had to be done) and all round inspection whilst all the wheels were off....




Coated the locking wheel nuts with a anti-corrisive primer and black smooth hamerite (pic makes them look awful but they came out really well) and new black wheel bolts all round...




forgot to mention adding the Renault Sport trims.. bit of a pain in the arse as I had to take the rear wheels off but worth it. I was undecided when I got the car to do it, as I preferred the understated look at first... but I think it really makes the back end look great..



Also replaced the 2 wind deflectors that were completely perished on each rear window/door..(common problem)




next up is a possible alloy refurb (not sure what colour yet), air filter change, brake fluid and coolent.


and if anyones still awake by now...some of my previous projects

 

[Foxspeed]

great work :thumbup1:

 

[Craig_B]

Drool over the blue rallye :drool:

Your paint on the 197 looks in lovely condition fair play!

Nice one

:bounce:

 

[luke3]

Mk2 rallye are amazing!!!
Like your car alot looks exactly like mine, where in brum you from??

 

[james_h]

Drool over the blue rallye :drool:

Your paint on the 197 looks in lovely condition fair play!

Nice one

:bounce:

Cheers craig. The bodywork is exceptional, apart from one or two minute stone chips and two very small dings it's like it's rolled out the factory! 19k miles also helps.

As for the MK2 rallye, it was the best car I have owned I think, I put years (and ££s) in to restoring it... feel free to have a look at all the photo's here. I was well known on the rallye forum and actually wrote the buyiung guide which is still there.
http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y81/Jameshigginson/?start=all

Mk2 rallye are amazing!!!
Like your car alot looks exactly like mine, where in brum you from??

Hi Luke. I'm in Rednal, I think I have seen you swinging round Longbridge roundabout a couple of times... an Ultra 197 with anthracites anyway. As above with the rallye, feel free to check out the link.. I love them.

great work :thumbup1:

Cheers mate, got quite a bit still to do so will post some updates. I think I mentioned in my newbie thread that I started a clio 172 cup project on cliosport.net a few years back to get it in to showroom condition again...I'm hoping this isn't as difficult!! lol

 

[Craig_B]

Cheers craig. The bodywork is exceptional, apart from one or two minute stone chips and two very small dings it's like it's rolled out the factory! 19k miles also helps.

As for the MK2 rallye, it was the best car I have owned I think, I put years (and ££s) in to restoring it... feel free to have a look at all the photo's here. I was well known on the rallye forum and actually wrote the buyiung guide which is still there.
http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y81/Jameshigginson/?start=all

yeah shall have a ganders though dude!

keep it up

 

[luke3]

Where's longbridge roundabout?
Will keep an eye out for you!

 

[james_h]

Where's longbridge roundabout?
Will keep an eye out for you!

lol, probably wasn't you then mate. I'm off the A38 in Rednal, SW bham, a few miles from Stourbridge.

 

[james_h]

Blew the dust off my diagnostic equipment and got it all back up and running yesterday. Been a while since I've used the Renault side of it as I have been learning the BMW stuff which is a completely different ball game! (a lot harder!)



ELM327 OBD2 which tbh I wasn't expecting to work. Works on earlier Clio's but wasn't 100% sure for the 197...



some random screen shots, not the data I was after but just checking what I could get from the ECU and what I couldn't...




Misfire fault code... which I couldn't be bothered to clear yet...common



Also had to reconfigure some of the apps/comm ports as I had changed this to suit the BMW interface...



Still working on getting some of the apps back up and running.

Used to spend quite a lot of time in the old days tinkering with this, even loaded a couple of different maps I had done for a couple of cars... just not worth the risk with modern ECU's.. I don't really fancy a trip to Renault if it goes tits up..

 

[Robo_#1]

Cars looking great pal, if you don't mind me asking what series did you used to race in??

Also when you changed your oil, what did you do with the used stuff?

 

[james_h]

Cars looking great pal, if you don't mind me asking what series did you used to race in??

Also when you changed your oil, what did you do with the used stuff?

Hi mate.

It was my brother in law who competed in the Midland Speed Hillclimb Championship in the Rallye, he is a member of the MAC
http://www.shelsley-walsh.co.uk/

I also have another friend who competes in the same Championship in a Reynard FVL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puAqrUa9NVc

I just help or watch..

I've done the odd event at curborough etc, but nothing major.

Used stuff went the oil bank at the tip

 

[Robo_#1]

Nice one, I've been looking at Hill Climb myself. I'd love to get in to some sort of motorsport in the future but just don't have the cash at the moment. My brothers in law all race go karts (in Ireland) even my niece races, but at the moment its a little too expensive. Plan is to get a track day car and progress from that to entry level hill climb events etc.

Nice car your brother has, they're pretty bloody quick those things aren't they!

 

[james_h]

Nice one, I've been looking at Hill Climb myself. I'd love to get in to some sort of motorsport in the future but just don't have the cash at the moment. My brothers in law all race go karts (in Ireland) even my niece races, but at the moment its a little too expensive. Plan is to get a track day car and progress from that to entry level hill climb events etc.

Nice car your brother has, they're pretty bloody quick those things aren't they!

I'd love to have the money to do it, and the time. It's best to start with just the odd track day... join a club and enter a few events, then work up ( a full season is expensive). You have to get your MSA licences etc as well as other fee's.

as for the rallye..
I always preferred the 1.6 to the 1.3, better chassis and engine, but the 1.3 is the original rallye. 100bhp and very revvy engine (due ot cams etc) and light as a feather, but lacks a bit of torque for hill climbing (due to only being 1300cc)... better on the flat circuits...

I built the rallye for modified production class, but the competition was so strong he put it back in the standard class..

Could be wrong but a 1.3 rallye used to hold the class record for standard production cars (up to 1.4 say) for curborough in Lichfield...

 

[Raptor6767]

A red 197 = GREAT.

Keep us posted with the updates.

 

[james_h]

no, it's not artificial insemination

Just gave the coolent a check over yesterday and it's all good. :thumbup1:

Will change at some point as it's due a change, but no need to rush.

 

[jostheboss]

Nice one, I've been looking at Hill Climb myself. I'd love to get in to some sort of motorsport in the future but just don't have the cash at the moment. My brothers in law all race go karts (in Ireland) even my niece races, but at the moment its a little too expensive. Plan is to get a track day car and progress from that to entry level hill climb events etc.

Nice car your brother has, they're pretty bloody quick those things aren't they!

Cheapest way in to Motorsport is to work in it!! I've been to 8 F1 races this year for free!!

Hard work mind you!!

 

[james_h]

Had a great day out at Shelsley Walsh today and managed to get a few fancy countryside snaps, I don't usually bother as I'm not a great photographer...

Got a few jobs to be getting on with soon so will keep some updates going. alloy wheel refurb, coolent/brake fluid changes, B post/rear window seal replacement (again ggrr).

 

[Arran]

Looks good.

 

[james_h]

Been busy today.... fitting new rear window/B post sound/wind seals.:thumbsup:

Common problem of them splitting/degrading over time as they do get compressed by the door. :thumb1:

Was a right bitch!, not sure if there is a guide for this?? but if not I might write one..



First up was getting the old seal out... just prise it out


heat up the old residue/glue (using a hair dryer), and using a mixture of cellulose thinners, white spirit and engine clean scrape out the old stuff... It was an absolute nightmare.. I used a soft rag and a piece of plastic that wouldn't damage the paint... took me hours to get it all off the glass..



You need the to get the glass super clean and bone dry. Once this was done you would need a fabricate a couple of plastic tools, one thin one thick. I sued some old guttering!


New seal ready to go, heat the back gently with the hair dryer, and again heat the glass.


Place the new seal in and using the tools press in from behind on to the glass. It's quite tricky, and you must get it right first time.


End result :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[Willis]

Looks good mate and loving the old Rallye's too.