Renault Sport Clio 172 Ph1 - Cherished Weekend car
Discussion
Hi Pistonheads,
I have not done a car blog for many many years and have found myself becoming glued to Instagram, which is great for quick pics but not so for the details that go into these projects.
About myself; I started life with French hatches and had many great early years with 106 Rallyes, which is most likely where my joy for cars flourished. I have always enjoyed getting cars up to a high standard both cosmetically and mechanically and that has been a trend for all cars I have owned over the years. Achieving this standard I aimed for often took a year or 2 so most ownership's have lasted a reasonable time.
Past cars; I first owned a 106 Rallye which ended up becoming 16v'd and modified tastefully to a reasonable track spec. After growing older I craved a more desirable car and sorted myself out a Honda Integra Type R (DC2). Being still relatively young at the time the running costs for insurance etc were not great so after a fab years ownership I deiced to sell up for another cheap and easy 106 Rallye, this time the S1 variant. After again going to town with this one I fancied a change and found myself longing for an S2000 or Lotus Elise.
As I couldn't afford either model in a tidy condition I ended up with a Lotus Elan M100, which was a FWD 1600 Turbo convertible. What a great move, this ended up boosted to 200bhp with AP 4 pots, compomotive alloys on road semi slick tyres, s2k seats etc etc... this was a lovely driving machine. Having had 106 (&205) Rallyes and an Integra which both were known for great FWD handing the Elan was by far my favourite toy. I had this for a few years and ended up selling to fund bigger house renovations
I had a few boring years then of owning Octavia VRS's for the family car thing. I modified them all but they were never a drivers car and I got zero excitement from driving or owning these. The child in me would still rather have a hot hatch on the drive than flaunting some new VAG model. I had a brief love affair with a Suzuki Ignis Sport when switching between main cars, this was £ for £ cracking value and amazing fun.I highly recommend them to anyone looking for cheap hot hatch fun. After this the houses took most of my money (briefly had a Fisher Fury project, Zero time = never road worthy) I was left searching classifieds dreaming.
I ended up finally sorting another car itch in the form of an Alfa Romeo GTV V6 in Rosso Red. I had this for years and slowly spent money where needed, although it was in great condition so it was more preventive fun maintenance. The sound of the wizard exhaust system was glorious and still makes me smile now. After a few lovely years of FAULTLESS ownership (Bar 1 bad thermostat) I sold the old girl to fund a new driveway, again more money on the house.
After my driveway was complete 2 years back I went over to an Audi TT 225. On paper this offered cheap quattro motoring with decent power, a pretty car with a fab interior. Unfortunately like lots on that VAG platform I found it very dull to drive. The car done nothing for me, after changing suspension, bars, bushes etc etc the car never offered me any excitement. The car was quite high mileage but it had lovely history and I got it very tidy. Early last year I decided I didn't want to plough my money into this particular car and after frequently going to Castle Combe I was apparent that I needed to go back to my roots. There were other cars out there to offer what the TT did not!
I fancied something old, something I could cherish maybe something French. I wasn't looking for a cheap project but more a decent 90s model to build on. As most know its becoming hard to find decent 205s / 306s /106s / Renault 5s / Mk1 Clios etc... These had fell into the same future modern classic car dilemma. Now markets were on the up its was now strong money for a tidy one, half decent money for a half decent one that still needed money spending and then reasonable money for a poor example needing lots of money throwing at it.
It was then I stumbled across the Renault Sport Clio Ph1 172.... I overlooked these before due to being slightly newer than I wanted (2000 so not 90s!) and with them being rounded I always felt they were a bit to modern for my tastes. However other than that it ticked all my boxes!
1: Quick and fun to drive
2: A bit niche being the uglier shorter production run compared to Ph2s
3: Lots of advice online from enthusiasts
4: Plenty of parts
5: Potential to appreciate in price
6: Small enough for the garage!
There were not many Ph1s for sale when I was looking, those that were about were far away and had been up for a fair few months (never a good sign in my experience). After eventually viewing a few low mileage Ph1 172s I was a tad disappointed to see these were not as well looked after as I had hoped. One low mileage / 1 owner car resembled more that of a car with 200k miles and 15 plus owners. This should of been expected as with any popular cheap French hot hatch I suppose....
To be continued..
I have not done a car blog for many many years and have found myself becoming glued to Instagram, which is great for quick pics but not so for the details that go into these projects.
About myself; I started life with French hatches and had many great early years with 106 Rallyes, which is most likely where my joy for cars flourished. I have always enjoyed getting cars up to a high standard both cosmetically and mechanically and that has been a trend for all cars I have owned over the years. Achieving this standard I aimed for often took a year or 2 so most ownership's have lasted a reasonable time.
Past cars; I first owned a 106 Rallye which ended up becoming 16v'd and modified tastefully to a reasonable track spec. After growing older I craved a more desirable car and sorted myself out a Honda Integra Type R (DC2). Being still relatively young at the time the running costs for insurance etc were not great so after a fab years ownership I deiced to sell up for another cheap and easy 106 Rallye, this time the S1 variant. After again going to town with this one I fancied a change and found myself longing for an S2000 or Lotus Elise.
As I couldn't afford either model in a tidy condition I ended up with a Lotus Elan M100, which was a FWD 1600 Turbo convertible. What a great move, this ended up boosted to 200bhp with AP 4 pots, compomotive alloys on road semi slick tyres, s2k seats etc etc... this was a lovely driving machine. Having had 106 (&205) Rallyes and an Integra which both were known for great FWD handing the Elan was by far my favourite toy. I had this for a few years and ended up selling to fund bigger house renovations
I had a few boring years then of owning Octavia VRS's for the family car thing. I modified them all but they were never a drivers car and I got zero excitement from driving or owning these. The child in me would still rather have a hot hatch on the drive than flaunting some new VAG model. I had a brief love affair with a Suzuki Ignis Sport when switching between main cars, this was £ for £ cracking value and amazing fun.I highly recommend them to anyone looking for cheap hot hatch fun. After this the houses took most of my money (briefly had a Fisher Fury project, Zero time = never road worthy) I was left searching classifieds dreaming.
I ended up finally sorting another car itch in the form of an Alfa Romeo GTV V6 in Rosso Red. I had this for years and slowly spent money where needed, although it was in great condition so it was more preventive fun maintenance. The sound of the wizard exhaust system was glorious and still makes me smile now. After a few lovely years of FAULTLESS ownership (Bar 1 bad thermostat) I sold the old girl to fund a new driveway, again more money on the house.
After my driveway was complete 2 years back I went over to an Audi TT 225. On paper this offered cheap quattro motoring with decent power, a pretty car with a fab interior. Unfortunately like lots on that VAG platform I found it very dull to drive. The car done nothing for me, after changing suspension, bars, bushes etc etc the car never offered me any excitement. The car was quite high mileage but it had lovely history and I got it very tidy. Early last year I decided I didn't want to plough my money into this particular car and after frequently going to Castle Combe I was apparent that I needed to go back to my roots. There were other cars out there to offer what the TT did not!
I fancied something old, something I could cherish maybe something French. I wasn't looking for a cheap project but more a decent 90s model to build on. As most know its becoming hard to find decent 205s / 306s /106s / Renault 5s / Mk1 Clios etc... These had fell into the same future modern classic car dilemma. Now markets were on the up its was now strong money for a tidy one, half decent money for a half decent one that still needed money spending and then reasonable money for a poor example needing lots of money throwing at it.
It was then I stumbled across the Renault Sport Clio Ph1 172.... I overlooked these before due to being slightly newer than I wanted (2000 so not 90s!) and with them being rounded I always felt they were a bit to modern for my tastes. However other than that it ticked all my boxes!
1: Quick and fun to drive
2: A bit niche being the uglier shorter production run compared to Ph2s
3: Lots of advice online from enthusiasts
4: Plenty of parts
5: Potential to appreciate in price
6: Small enough for the garage!
There were not many Ph1s for sale when I was looking, those that were about were far away and had been up for a fair few months (never a good sign in my experience). After eventually viewing a few low mileage Ph1 172s I was a tad disappointed to see these were not as well looked after as I had hoped. One low mileage / 1 owner car resembled more that of a car with 200k miles and 15 plus owners. This should of been expected as with any popular cheap French hot hatch I suppose....
To be continued..
Edited by Kenich on Thursday 9th April 12:24
Good choice , the Ph1 , price wise , is gathering momentum , so now is the time to buy before they go silly imo .
I have a ph1 Exclusive , marmite to some , but I love it , puts a smile on my face every time I use it . My advice would be to keep it 100% original , some owners put a Cup spoiler on and ph2 rear bumpers etc , but originality is the key imo .. Check sills too , whip off the rear door cards and check for rust , this is a weak spot on them with drainage holes getting blocked ..easily fixable if your handy or not too expensive to have fixed ..apart from that they are ageing well ..Enjoy .
I have a ph1 Exclusive , marmite to some , but I love it , puts a smile on my face every time I use it . My advice would be to keep it 100% original , some owners put a Cup spoiler on and ph2 rear bumpers etc , but originality is the key imo .. Check sills too , whip off the rear door cards and check for rust , this is a weak spot on them with drainage holes getting blocked ..easily fixable if your handy or not too expensive to have fixed ..apart from that they are ageing well ..Enjoy .
Edited by Armchairracer on Thursday 9th April 12:34
I did indeed buy myself a little 172! I had messaged someone on a forum about theirs at the start of the search, they then came back to me after a few months when they were ready to part with it. Its was definitely a Ph1 that I was more than happy to spend my time improving.
The car had a lot going for it with a comprehensive service history (something I love to document neatly in a folder). I can honestly say I will be happy keeping hold of it for many years to come.
I will update this thread with whats been carried out on the old girl as and when I can.
The car had a lot going for it with a comprehensive service history (something I love to document neatly in a folder). I can honestly say I will be happy keeping hold of it for many years to come.
I will update this thread with whats been carried out on the old girl as and when I can.
As you can see the Clio is Titanium silver. Yes boring to some however I personally love clean silver cars and to me the Renault Sport Clio Ph1 172 was known as a silver care, much like I see Honda Integras known as being Championship white etc etc..
I collected the car on a stunning warm late summers evening. I had a great faultless (bar a blown rear speaker) 90 mile drive home down the M3 / A303 which gave me a good chance to stretch its legs. When I came off those roads and out onto the cross country B roads I quickly reminded myself why I wanted to go back to a small French hatch!
The car came back and went straight under a fleece lined cover while I cleared the garage out ready for its home.
I collected the car on a stunning warm late summers evening. I had a great faultless (bar a blown rear speaker) 90 mile drive home down the M3 / A303 which gave me a good chance to stretch its legs. When I came off those roads and out onto the cross country B roads I quickly reminded myself why I wanted to go back to a small French hatch!
The car came back and went straight under a fleece lined cover while I cleared the garage out ready for its home.
Lovely, I agree that they look particularly good in silver (and it's usually one of my least favourite colours in general).
You've had a good list of cars there. Particularly like the GTV and Elan. Perhaps you should chip in on this thread? https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
You've had a good list of cars there. Particularly like the GTV and Elan. Perhaps you should chip in on this thread? https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Armchairracer said:
Good choice , the Ph1 , price wise , is gathering momentum , so now is the time to buy before they go silly imo .
I have a ph1 Exclusive , marmite to some , but I love it , puts a smile on my face every time I use it . My advice would be to keep it 100% original , some owners put a Cup spoiler on and ph2 rear bumpers etc , but originality is the key imo .. Check sills too , whip off the rear door cards and check for rust , this is a weak spot on them with drainage holes getting blocked ..easily fixable if your handy or not too expensive to have fixed ..apart from that they are ageing well ..Enjoy .
Slightly OT that exclusive looks lovely. Very much enjoyed mine which appears to still be going strong with a lad in Derby. I have a ph1 Exclusive , marmite to some , but I love it , puts a smile on my face every time I use it . My advice would be to keep it 100% original , some owners put a Cup spoiler on and ph2 rear bumpers etc , but originality is the key imo .. Check sills too , whip off the rear door cards and check for rust , this is a weak spot on them with drainage holes getting blocked ..easily fixable if your handy or not too expensive to have fixed ..apart from that they are ageing well ..Enjoy .
Edited by Armchairracer on Thursday 9th April 12:34
OP yours is lovely and actually the colour is growing on me. Ideally I'd love to get a sunflower yellow one for a toy, though they may be getting a bit rich for my tastes.
First jobs on the agenda were to address the usual problem areas (inner arches, fuel filler cap and sills etc). On purchasing the car I used the phone torch / camera to check as best as possible there were no horrors. Upon getting it home in the garage inspections shown tidy bodywork behind the filler cap, with some love this would be very respectable. Rear inner arches were already protected in a waxoyl product though I wanted to clean this back as I could see some surface rust there as expected.
In the inner arches I cleaned back the assumed waxoyl, wire brushed (drill attachment) all the areas showing surface rust. Treated the rust, then anti-rust primer, paint etc... then finished off with another few courses of waxoyl. I appreciate newer more advanced products are out there, but the cars clean and dry and the drain holes are clear inside. I certainly won't use it much out in the rain and on top of all of that will be inspecting it yearly anyway
Then on the filler cap, with this removed all plastics are cleaned up (Fuel filler / cap neck etc). Behind in the arches all grime was cleaned away, took off any slight concerns with wire brushing / wire wool etc. Same treatment again, primed and painted. New stainless fixings in place to aid easier removal in the future if needed.
During the process new springs fitted (H&R 20mm) but no new shocks as this Clio as nearly new 172 Cup shocks already fitted. Also done the calipers while in there, these being painted silver to keep the car as clean / OEM as possible. Apologies for dirty discs!
Overall the cars sound, no holes in the old girl yet and even better I know the general condition I got to play with. I wanted to make sure the car was good for it before progressing any further.
In the inner arches I cleaned back the assumed waxoyl, wire brushed (drill attachment) all the areas showing surface rust. Treated the rust, then anti-rust primer, paint etc... then finished off with another few courses of waxoyl. I appreciate newer more advanced products are out there, but the cars clean and dry and the drain holes are clear inside. I certainly won't use it much out in the rain and on top of all of that will be inspecting it yearly anyway
Then on the filler cap, with this removed all plastics are cleaned up (Fuel filler / cap neck etc). Behind in the arches all grime was cleaned away, took off any slight concerns with wire brushing / wire wool etc. Same treatment again, primed and painted. New stainless fixings in place to aid easier removal in the future if needed.
During the process new springs fitted (H&R 20mm) but no new shocks as this Clio as nearly new 172 Cup shocks already fitted. Also done the calipers while in there, these being painted silver to keep the car as clean / OEM as possible. Apologies for dirty discs!
Overall the cars sound, no holes in the old girl yet and even better I know the general condition I got to play with. I wanted to make sure the car was good for it before progressing any further.
Edited by Kenich on Friday 15th May 09:09
With the arch liners / filler necks removed and both rear arches having had a really good clean it was time to move underneath the rear end for a quick wipe down and check on things. Under the car there is minimal rust, but work needed to brighten up the place.
Under the boot floor all areas cleaned of Waxoyl. All surfaces wired brushed back where needed, surface corrosion / oxidation worked with wire brush wheel before applying Hammerite Kurust. The treatment was applied over various days, inc additional wire brushing / cleaning after treatments to ensure correct bonding / application. All areas then primed using Etch / Wruth Rust-Stop before applying enamel underbody paint / final coat of matching original silver enamel paint.
With rear springs removed (replaced with new), rear beam and brake lines all cleaned down and the beam repainted where practical. Brake calipers / carriers removed, cleaned back with clutch / brake cleaner / IPA, then repainted in matching silver VHT paint. Boots replaced and greased on sliders, and all bolts replaced or cleaned up.
Exhaust system removed inc mount and heat-shields. Heat shields cleaned back with clutch / brake cleaner / IPA. Painted in VHT silver paint to finish, inc exhaust hanger bracket (poly mount cleaned). Exhaust cleaned with IPA and polished with pink grit / auto-sol. Once under body repainted heat shields fitted back with new fixings. Existing parts under body towards the front of the car have been left / topped up with Waxoyl where needed. Undecided if to tackle removing and painting this in the future, however left as is for now.
Wish I had a decent ramp to take better photos! I will get some at some point over the summer.
Under the boot floor all areas cleaned of Waxoyl. All surfaces wired brushed back where needed, surface corrosion / oxidation worked with wire brush wheel before applying Hammerite Kurust. The treatment was applied over various days, inc additional wire brushing / cleaning after treatments to ensure correct bonding / application. All areas then primed using Etch / Wruth Rust-Stop before applying enamel underbody paint / final coat of matching original silver enamel paint.
With rear springs removed (replaced with new), rear beam and brake lines all cleaned down and the beam repainted where practical. Brake calipers / carriers removed, cleaned back with clutch / brake cleaner / IPA, then repainted in matching silver VHT paint. Boots replaced and greased on sliders, and all bolts replaced or cleaned up.
Exhaust system removed inc mount and heat-shields. Heat shields cleaned back with clutch / brake cleaner / IPA. Painted in VHT silver paint to finish, inc exhaust hanger bracket (poly mount cleaned). Exhaust cleaned with IPA and polished with pink grit / auto-sol. Once under body repainted heat shields fitted back with new fixings. Existing parts under body towards the front of the car have been left / topped up with Waxoyl where needed. Undecided if to tackle removing and painting this in the future, however left as is for now.
Wish I had a decent ramp to take better photos! I will get some at some point over the summer.
Edited by Kenich on Friday 15th May 10:13
After cleaning down any lines / cables and wiping over the fuel tank the rear was lowered back down so I could make a start on the front arches.
A good clean down again in the front with all arch liners / calipers and suspension struts removed. Area was rust free so a quick bit of loving and into the moving parts!
Replaced with new 172 cup shocks, bump stops and H&R springs. Car previously had new top mounts, track rods etc so all in good condition down there. Driveshafts had a bit of surface corrosion on the go, so a brush off and rust treatment brought them back to stock black.
Again the brake calipers we cleaned up, with carriers removed, cleaned back with clutch / brake cleaner / IPA, then repainted in matching silver VHT paint. Boots replaced and greased on sliders, and all bolts replaced or cleaned up.
Arch liners scrubbed back and cleaned up. A few rivet repairs where needed, however replacements needed once they are found.
A good clean down again in the front with all arch liners / calipers and suspension struts removed. Area was rust free so a quick bit of loving and into the moving parts!
Replaced with new 172 cup shocks, bump stops and H&R springs. Car previously had new top mounts, track rods etc so all in good condition down there. Driveshafts had a bit of surface corrosion on the go, so a brush off and rust treatment brought them back to stock black.
Again the brake calipers we cleaned up, with carriers removed, cleaned back with clutch / brake cleaner / IPA, then repainted in matching silver VHT paint. Boots replaced and greased on sliders, and all bolts replaced or cleaned up.
Arch liners scrubbed back and cleaned up. A few rivet repairs where needed, however replacements needed once they are found.
Edited by Kenich on Friday 15th May 10:03
chrismc1977 said:
Nice work.
As a relatively cheap & fun hot hatch they are hard to ignore. Certainly when you look at residuals for DC2’s nowadays...
I’m fortunate I got my DC2 when I did. I wouldn’t swap it for the world now...
Yeah completely, something I enjoy about having a cheap French hatch to tinker about with. I would like to think one day it will be a sought after model being the shorter run Ph1. Regardless great fun and at the moment cheap motoring As a relatively cheap & fun hot hatch they are hard to ignore. Certainly when you look at residuals for DC2’s nowadays...
I’m fortunate I got my DC2 when I did. I wouldn’t swap it for the world now...
Your in a good spot with the Integra! The DC2 always held their money relatively well, though clearly as of late values doing great. I bought a DC2 for 4k and owned it for around a good year, then sold it on for 5K. At that point and for a fair few years around it they all seemed to sit between 4 / 6k depending on condition / climate, and I am talking a good 10 years ago now! I don't think I would ever get bored of sitting in those Recaros with that VTEC soundtrack.
After ensuring the rear arches, sills, boot and filler cap were all sound I turned some attention to the engine bay. It didn't take much of a clean to ensure it was looking pretty fresh. I replaced various clamps, nut /bolts etc for stainless or black items. This helps enable a clean look as most were tarnished or rusting. Hose clamps made the biggest difference in here!
The battery tray was fully removed for aqua blasting to get it back to original condition, this was one of the main things letting down the engine bay along with the dulled inlet. The inlets / throttle body / engine mount / fuel rail guard- etc will also be sorted in due course, however I plan to get these portmatched and gasflowed at the same time. A common piece of work carried out hose Clios.
With the battery tray removed the engine mounts have been replaced for OEM item. Also at the same time the other 2x engine mounts were also swapped out. I have gone for black series polybushes from powerflex for these ones. Yes they are stiffer than OE / yellow / purple variants, however the feedback they give and lack of engine / gear-stick movement is lovely, there are added vibrations of course which for me is not an issue. No problems with that trade off my end, plus they are very discreet!
ECU Removed / Cover cleaned up / lacquered
The battery tray was fully removed for aqua blasting to get it back to original condition, this was one of the main things letting down the engine bay along with the dulled inlet. The inlets / throttle body / engine mount / fuel rail guard- etc will also be sorted in due course, however I plan to get these portmatched and gasflowed at the same time. A common piece of work carried out hose Clios.
With the battery tray removed the engine mounts have been replaced for OEM item. Also at the same time the other 2x engine mounts were also swapped out. I have gone for black series polybushes from powerflex for these ones. Yes they are stiffer than OE / yellow / purple variants, however the feedback they give and lack of engine / gear-stick movement is lovely, there are added vibrations of course which for me is not an issue. No problems with that trade off my end, plus they are very discreet!
ECU Removed / Cover cleaned up / lacquered
I really should of updated this more ?? I have spent 3 years tidying this Clio right up. Most things have been replaced or refurbished now.
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Edited by Kenich on Tuesday 21st March 11:31
Edited by Kenich on Tuesday 21st March 11:32
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