Newbie

[G182]

Hi All,

Have just registered on the site and thought i'd introduce myself. I don't have a Trophy just yet but I'm looking to get one in the next few months. I'm currently driving a JDM FD2 Honda Civic Type R which I imported approx 18 months ago. The car's an absolute cracker but unfortunately it's become just a weekend toy as the fuel costs have put an end to it being a daily driver. Sadly I have just too much money tied up in the car for it to sit there idle for best part of each month and so I have come to the decision to sell it. Hence why I have signed up on here. I'd been thinking for a while about what I could replace it with and have finally settled on the Trophy. Performance and handling shouldn't be too dissimilar but the biggest bonus is purchase cost and subsequent running costs.

I have a friend who has owned a 172 cup for approx 5 years and has had various modification made along the way. I've always been impressed by his car which did a very good job of keeping up with my FD2 (in fact he pulled away from my previous EP3) With it being a much lighter car (he's lost some of the weight along the way) he even manages a resonable 40+ mpg if he's not driving it too hard. This is mere dream in my current Civic.

So I'm looking out for a bit of advice about the Trophy, what to look out for when buying, what kind of mpg do you guys find you get, recommended modifications etc. I'm sure I'll find out a lot of this by trawling the forum but if anyone wants to post their thoughts then it would be much appreciated too.

Looking forward to joining the elite owners club of the Trophy.

Cheers

Geoff

 

[trophy380]

Hi Geoff, Welcome to the forum.

I've had a 182 FF Clio and currently have a Trophy which I use everyday. It's used mostly on local runs where it returns about 28mpg - about 30mpg. I calculated fuel costs from a full tank of fuel on a long trip (so from full to almost empty!) and it worked out at 33mpg. These are honest figures, I've had nowhere near some of the figures people shout about. But for a 2.0 16v engine I would say it's pretty good considering my 1970 Rally prepared Mini only does about 9mpg!

 

[Sam_K]

Welcome!

M-way driving i usually get around 38 mpg, going around normally it doesnt really drop below 30 tbh.
Your right there is absolutely tons of info on here so get searching! :wink: Main things at the moment though are the dampers and belts done

 

[G182]

Hi Guys thanks for the responses. I've read a little bit about the dampers and the belts but need to investigate these further.

Are we talking just the cambelt that needs changing - what mileage does that need to be done?

What are the main issues with the dampers, is it just a question of regular servicing and eventually a rebuild? I know most aftermarket coilovers require a certain amount of servicing or are there more serious issues with the Sachs?

Cheers

G

 

[trophy380]

There's a huge post of about 20odd pages on this forum with loads of information on the Sachs Dampers, and I'm sure if you type 'Sachs Dampers' in it should come up. With regards to the belts: the auxiliary belt needs changing I think around 36k or every 5years and the cambelt every say 72k or every 5 years if I remember rightly, but again there's loads of posts about the belts on here. If there's any information your looking for on a Trophy it's pretty much on here already.

 

[roystinho]

My belts are being done this month for £470 and the dampers are about £500. Try look for one with these done, or negotiate off the price. I did the 2nd so I knew they were done :wink:

 

[PeterGinger]

Hi there G182,

I currently have a Trophy and have had it since it was 6 months old. Before that I had a 172 cup, which I purchased new.
These cars seem very cheap for the first 3 years, as your only major bill apart from fuel etc is tyres (fronts every 12K at £130 per corner fitted). The 36K service is the first major big bill. It includes auxiliary belt and cam belt. Mine is due in 2K. Mark fish does all the work for me. He has quoted around seven hours labour for the job. A ball park figure of around £700 is not unlikely, especially if done at a dealer, or if something else comes up. I'm also getting his solid strut mounts at the same time, as the standard rubber ones are really noisy and annoying. Damper servicing is also needed around this time. Most people do it every 3 years, mainly to keep the costs down. Some are unlucky and they fail sooner. You'll find out how to see if it has failed in the sachs thread. Bear in mind BG Motorsport at Silverstone is the only place in the uk who can do this. You either take them off yourself/mechanic and send them to BG, or arrive and pay them to take them off and reassemble. With this option it goes up to £600.
Engine mounts are another weak point, they wear out. Rubber perishing etc. They are basically standard clio ones and are not really up to the job with this size of engine. K-tek do uprated ones for around £200 plus fitting.
I replaced my front brakes at 24K. I went for Brembo Max carbon at £130 plus fitting. Pads its up to you, they are between £80 and £200. Rear discs last for about 50K, but are £150 as they include wheel bearings and ABS sensors.
Standard rear pads are cheap.
As for the driving, it is great. You can get away with so much. Believe me, I've tried lol. On an airfield day, I was able to post identical lap times to my brothers then standard S1 Elise. That is quite something. The car is very nose heavy, which is why it doesn't understeer much. It is very tail happy, but you shouldn't ever come across this on the roads.
It is possible to steer the car from the rear eg. oversteer.
Personally I'd say on balance, the Jdm Civic is probably the better car, certainly on a par. But I understand your decision to sell. If you want to bypass the Sachs Damper servicing, you could always go for a 182 cup instead. They are cheaper to buy too.

I hope all this has given you an insight in to the real cost of ownership.
Good luck with your decision and search.

 

[G182]

Hey Peter,

Thanks for the thorough response, it's much appreciated. Lots to think about there. I have considered the 182 / 172 cup and with the right mods it might just be the cheaper option. The only problem is that whether I buy a Trophy or Cup I'd really be looking for one which has only had one previous owner and I thought that this was more likely with a Trophy than a Cup but I might be proved wrong.

As with all these things, money will be the final decider.

Cheers

Geoff

 

[PeterGinger]

Most Renaultsport clio's are purchased new as a pre-registered car. The log book will show the garage as the first owner. I don't know if this bothers you. Matters not really. The old car buying adage applies. Buy on condition and trust your instincts. At least you may find a 182 still at a dealer, I don't know. But certainly not with a Trophy. Is it going to be mainly a road car?

 

[G182]

A pre registered car with one extra owner would not bother me. Ideally I'm looking for a car where it's only really had one owner and they can tell me everything about the car (hopefully from an enthusiast on here)

The car will be half and half track day car and road car although it will not be used everyday. Eventually I would be looking to turn the car into a pure track day car only. Do you think this should influence my decision as to which model to get?

Geoff

 

[PeterGinger]

Most Trophy owners, although they do mods, They like to keep the fundamentals the same. Like the recaro's, suspension, etc. If you want to strip out and mod, best off with a 182. Have you heard of www.cliosport.net?

 

[G182]

That makes sense. The recaro's are one of the main selling points for me for the Trophy over 182 and 172 (with both of these I'd have to change the front seats)

My friend with the 172cup is currently having some bilsteins fitted to his car which is something I would likely do too if I got a cup but with the Trophy the work is already done (except the maintenance of course) but that is true with all aftermarket race spec suspension.

I'm drawn to the Trophy as it's the ultimate Clio in this guise and has a certain individuality over the other renault sport models, which is a big attraction for me. That said I can't fault my mates 172 cup and after all the mods he's done I have no doubt that it will be as quick (if not quicker) than the Trophy. Although with a bit of weight loss I might get that back.

Geoff

 

[PeterGinger]

Have a look at AST suspension. :mrgreen:

 

[G182]

That's what I'm running on my JDM Civic. Upgraded the suspension back in October last year. My mate discussed the AST suspension option with the guys that fitted mine but in the end he went for the Bilsteins as they were recommended above the AST's. It's alll down to individual preference I think though.

 

[Sam_K]

A pre registered car with one extra owner would not bother me. Ideally I'm looking for a car where it's only really had one owner and they can tell me everything about the car (hopefully from an enthusiast on here)

Geoff

Thats why this forum is good because when i bought my car, the 2 previous owners were on here so all its history is documented more or less, i mean i knew that one point my car had a big dent in the door but it got repaired etc etc