Frayz’s Inferno orange 182 - Back in the old flame

[frayz]

Indeed but tbh those kinds of speeds are not really acceptable(?) etc etc for most and I know that when Mark Fish bedded in my first pair he used his own method which worked fine.

Which is why I did it in the early hours after late shift last night. I have a local A road that runs between 2 roundabouts and is about 8 miles long.
I agree, the times acceptable to be able to do that are few and far between.
I followed it to the letter though and drove home after almost without touching the brakes any further at no more than 50mph to allow them to cool properly.

 

[frayz]

Well that’s the pads properly bedded in and heat cycled. They’re no longer yellow anyway. Ha.
Obviously not put them on track yet but the initial impressions were exactly as I was expecting. Good bite, solid pedal and loads of feel. Finally have brakes that inspire confidence when pressing on.
Also, zero squeal. ?

Also had my front belts re webbed in black, looking forward to getting these in and doing away with the continually dirty silver.

 

[frayz]

So she’s started getting grumpy on cold start and developed a cold misfire that clears within a few hundred yds.
Only on cold start, so wonder if this is an injector or temp sender going down.
She’s knocking on 125k now so either way I thought she could use a fresh set.
So fitted 4 new plugs and 4 new genuine Marrelli injectors tonight.

Plugs removed all looked clean with no nasty signs. All injectors also have perfect resistance between 14.6 and 14.8ohms

Certainly seems to start and idle cleaner, time will tell in the morning.

 

[frayz]

So finally nabbed some time to fit the black seatbelts and remove the rear bench. Black belts are standard equipment in almost all cars yet i really think they look better in here. The rear bench was never used even with the OEM seats in place, and absolutely cannot be accessed with the Pole Positions now fitted.
So as they were purely still there for decoration, I’ve decided to remove them and further add to my Clubsport theme.
So for a bit of fun, I had the boot mat embroidered with a logo i made up.

Lastly was the arrival of some 0.9mm wall T45 tube for another idea I have, so check back for updates on that.

 

[frayz]

Have to say another huge thanks to Alex @ AW Motorworks for fitting a pair of brand new driveshafts and poly boots in WZD this morning... and yet more gearbox oil. Its 5th lot of oil in the last 9 months Haha. Needless to say the gearbox oil was a clean as it went in.

I had a noise that i suspected could have been a shaft so ordered 2 new ones, fixed the noise which turned out not to be a shaft but fitted 2 new ones anyway... because why not

 

[frayz]

Turbo Testing

As said previously i was hoping to drive some turbocharged Clios this morning and thanks to some very generous owners, i was allowed a go in a pair of them.

Car 1)
This was a low boost 182 setup running approx. 240bhp on stock engine & gearbox. (7psi)
Boost controlled to limit midrange torque and allow boost to be held further up for peak power to be used on track.

Car 2)
This car was 172 Cup with switchable boost running no torque limit (13psi).
240bhp low boost, 300bhp high boost forged engine with a basic Engine Dynamics kit.

Both cars fitted with LSDs, proper tyres, brakes, dampers and all the trimmings to be done properly.

I'm no stranger to turbocharged cars having started out with a 350bhp/340lbsft Sierra Cossie when i was aged 19. Later on with what became a 575bhp/520lbsft Subaru Impreza.
Also owned a supercharged Mini GP running 250bhp+ and driven lots of big bhp turbo cars, the fastest on the road being a 700bhp+ 996 GT2.
So I went in with both my eyes and my mind open to turbocharging my own 182, as maybe this was the extra power and theatre i was perhaps after?

The LB 182 had a decent amount of low down torque which provided a nice amount of get up and go in 1st,2nd and 3rd gear. Thereafter the torque dropped off quite significantly and i was left wanting more. This was great for a bit of low down punch but thereafter felt similar to a standard car.
Personally this setup didn't suit me at all, but was done this way at the owners request for trackday use.
It was great to experience how they can be tailored to each owners needs should that be what you want.

The Cup LB was significantly quicker than the 182 being not torque limited and although only about 20lbsft more than the LB 182, it was the aggressiveness of delivery and the overall torque spread. A LB Clio in this setup makes for a suitably quick road car. Just borders on what's usable in all conditions and would hook up and drive well. For most people this would be more than enough.

The Cup HB in the damp was completely unusable in anything below the middle of 3rd gear due to the aggressiveness of the torque ramp. A proper ECU with boost by gear would be nice to use here as you could add some much needed flexibility.
Once on the roll it was a potently fast car with approx. 300bhp per ton comfortably putting in the same category as a Porsche 997 turbo.

I cant write everything here, but Alex and i spoke at length about what options i have for going boosted with my 182. Needless to say he is incredibly open and honest about what can and cannot be achieved, what i would or wouldn't be happy with too.

I went today really wanting the turbocharged route to be an easy decision, its cheap and easy, but it has been anything but. I wondered if when i got back in my own car that i would be feeling it was hugely lacking. But driving home was quite the opposite. I have been thinking lately about what i like about the Clio and that was how assessable it is to really enjoy driving it. The little lightweight car coupled to the tactility and delicacy of the NA engine.
The more I've driven it lately the more i have been enjoying using all the revs, the delivery that builds as the rpms rise and the crescendo of grabbing another gear and doing it again. The balance is great, and I've always loved how adjustable it is on and off the throttle mid corner too.

Having experienced both turbo Clios for a decent real world drive, i think I've decided the turbocharged route is not for me with the Clio. Yes the allure of cheap bang for buck is superb. Its pennies to boost one of these which results in a significantly quick car.
The turbocharged car makes for a very potent little machine and is a bargain way to performance. If you have never experienced a fast turbocharged car, or you just want to go quick making some great noises, and not really caring how you get there, its great product. In HB it feels like you've been fired from a cannon and i would say is probably somewhat dangerous should you not be familiar with car control at the limit.

The turbo route certainly adds something to the Clio package, but for me i think it took away more than it added. It alters the way the car behaves and its power delivery (certainly for me) removed too much of how good the Clio feels to drive.

So i have to say I'm incredibly grateful for the experience in both cars, but i think I'll be exploring the NA route with whatever route that may be.

 

[SharkyUK]

Good decision mate

 

[frayz]

So couple of tiny jobs on WZD this morning that i wanted to do.
Firstly was fit new 12.9 hardware to the TCAs. I had previously zinc coated these and ever since I've been a bit twitchy about hydrogen embrittlement.
Deep down I'm sure they were fine but i couldn't shake it from my doubts and you can have doubt about a key fastener like that.

Next was to drop my front spacers from +16mm down to +10mm in an attempt to dial out some tramlining i was experiencing. Im happy to say this has made a significant improvement to the way the car steers and drives undulations now.

Lastly was something id been wondering about for a bit, brake ducts.
I am yet to see any setup that not only works but looks nice on the front of the car. The ebay offerings look pants IMO and don't follow the lines of the car properly, likewise the bass port idea also doesn't sit at the correct angle. The Cup racers are arguably the most efficient but look ugly and i wasn't prepared to hack up the bumper. I had an idea about rendering an OEM foglamp and 3D printing a duct that bolts into the existing housing exactly as per OEM.
I then found a guy who had done exactly that, but for the Clio 197/200. I had a pretty good idea that the foglamps were a carry-over item from the Mk2 Clio so was pretty confident they would fit.
This is just a trial fit for now. but they fit perfectly as per an OEM foglight and follow the lines of the front of the car perfectly. I'm really pleased with how these look and will soon fit them properly with some ducting and Cup racer deflector plates.

 

[Cue]

Only issue with using the fogs is I'm not sure it's a high pressure area for the airflow - might be worth checking with a bit of dye in some oil smeared on the lights, then going for a spirited drive?

 

[frayz]

Only issue with using the fogs is I'm not sure it's a high pressure area for the airflow - might be worth checking with a bit of dye in some oil smeared on the lights, then going for a spirited drive?

Without trying to come over as a “know it all twat” because frankly... I don’t! Haha.

My day job is running 8 chassis dynos and have 3 climatic wind tunnels, so see quite a bit of airflow around vehicles.
I’ve every confidence it will be adequate. ?

 

[SharkyUK]

Only issue with using the fogs is I'm not sure it's a high pressure area for the airflow - might be worth checking with a bit of dye in some oil smeared on the lights, then going for a spirited drive?

Do you know that @frayz guy? He's a bit of a "know it all t**t"... but you didn't hear it from me...

 

[frayz]

So...
Brake ducts in and plumbed up with some 2 ply 70mm silicone ducting, I’ve also picked up some Cup Racer deflectors which I may fit, I also have some ideas for making some blades to fit on the calipers however I think for fast road at the moment, just getting extra ventilation in there is more than adequate.

I’ve also picked up a couple of other items for WZD. Thanks to @AdamCup for the freshly powdercoated roll bar and Pflex black bushes. Once fitted, these will complete the entire cars refresh for every bush, mount, bearing and ball joint now replaced in the last 6 months.

Ive also found myself a new exhaust in the shape of an Orbisoud. This is a silenced decat version although I may cut and fit my OEM cat back in. She needs a bit of TLC, but I’m sure we can get there. Ive already sourced a new clamp, and started the overhaul of the brackets. I looked into buying new mounts but Orbisoud wanted €250 for those. So I told them they can keep them lol.
Quality wise it’s okay, but not sure why so many rave over it, it’s marginally better than my BTM but nowhere near the quality of my Simpson Race system the Impreza used to wear.
Anyway, I’m sure it will come up nice and looking forward to hearing it.

 

[glenn]

Yeah seen a few pics of orbisound and thought it ain't no Akrapovic or the likes

 

[glenn]

The car is unbelievable now and still waiting for the call to start mine

 

[frayz]

Yeah seen a few pics of orbisound and thought it ain't no Akrapovic or the likes

Don’t get me wrong, the material quaility is pretty good, you can feel it, but the weldings nothing to get excited about and neither is the finish.
Hopefully it will come up well and it sounds as good as they’re supposed to.

 

[frayz]

The car is unbelievable now and still waiting for the call to start mine

Haha. Remember it only a council spec 182 ??

 

[glenn]

Has to be a better car than a trophy now

 

[hoolio]

How are you polishing up the exhaust and with what product, that’s quite a difference. The stuff I’m using is using is not cutting it!

 

[frayz]

How are you polishing up the exhaust and with what product, that’s quite a difference. The stuff I’m using is using is not cutting it!

That was a very quick go with a soft wheel on a battery drill and some polishing soap. I’ve ordered some Optiglanz to do the job properly.

 

[Cue]

This thread is reading like a "how to guide" for a top class restoration. Great work.