New Member

[Gordon]

Hello Everyone

Many thanks already for the hundreds of tips and suggestions I've read so far. I don't actually own a Trophy yet but by the end of February I hope to have one nailed down.

I was hoping I could get a little assistance from you all.

Servicing:

Clearly RenTech are the men. Taking it to them will also not invalidate the warranty right?. Any other suggestions? Avoid most main 'stealers' is a must by the sound of it. I used to think Peugeot were bad with the Rallye's I own. Renault sound horrendous.

Valeting/Cleaning/Detailing:

When I collect a Trophy I intend to get it fully cleaned. Underside, under arches, paint work and interior. Ideally I'd like the paintwork cleaned with a block, poished to wet gloss level, then I was thinking about PermaGuard. To PermaGuard or not to PermaGuard, any suggestions? Also can someone give me the part number for Trophy touch up paint.

Oil:

I see OpieOils are active here already. Great bunch. I regularly purchase litres and litres of Silkolene Pro S 5w40 for the 106 Rallye (road) and 106 Rallye (rally) from them. I'm glad people are informed and know what they are talking about. One Trophy I looked at had it's first service conducted with Mobil 1. Any opinions on this? I understand Renault suggest Elf 5w40 fully synth as the oil to use.

Tyres:

Michelin look the way to go. Stay with OEM as they are trick rubber and the Yoko's are a compromise in wet vs. dry.

Mud Flaps:

Really contentious issue I know. The thing is the cross country driving I'll do is classic B road and I really want to avoid stone chips. Even with mup flaps the Rallye's rear arches get stone peppered. I only ever put the flaps on the front if it makes anyone feel better. Do Renault sell a mud flap for the Trophy? The S1 Rallye only liked S1 flaps. Sadly they eventually disintegrated and S2's had to be put on. Now the new Clio is out will the prior fitment still be available? I know how fast manufacturers move on.

Interior mats:

The Rallye is now 13 years old and carpets mint. Good use of mats. Do Renault make a good set. Or can another be suggested. I'd ideally want rubber ones.

Collecting the Trophy:

What should I be looking for? Wheel nuts (locking), jack in boot with tyre foam in velco holder etc. Are there any other things specific to the Trophy over buying any other car, like the usual both sets of keys, Logbook correct, service history etc. I should be looking for?

The infamous 'Pin' issue:

I've seen several Trophys and all have been different on this topic. One had the red dials/taps so caked in mud it was impossible to see the grub screws. Another, on the O/S you couldn't see the grub screw so I guess it was 'round the back'. On the N/S I could see a thread but not the grub screw or allen key head. Does this mean it's been removed already or is it counter sunk? Therefore if I pushed an allen key in there it would connect with the grub?

Special secrets:

What an awesome little thread, drinks coolers, dash lights testers, intermittent wash wipe stalk (I'll be buying one of those instantly I think) and more. Top class guys/girls.

Interior:

Is there anything I should look for that's out of place? One Trophy I saw had little D-Rings behind the Recaros under carpet flaps. Are they for clipping after market four point belts into? I saw some you can use for trackdays then remove in Evo once. FYI I won't be taking my Trophy on a track and want to acquire one that never has been on track. Rallying is sufficient fun for me.

If you can help with that lot I'd really appreciate it! Looking forward to being a proud Trophy owner.

 

[nickc]

Not had mine long but the only thing that I could think of to check that I don't think is in one of the main threads is the front seat opereration.

Mine had a problem where the passenger seat wouldn't tilt and slide to let people in the back, it would tilt but not slide. So it was really tricky to get in the back. It appears to be quite a common problem with both seats.

Other people had the same problem and reckoned it was an easy fix, but as the car's still under warranty I took it to a reno dealer and got it fixed there. Took a couple of hours and she was back.

Just something to check....and the wiper mod is the best and simplest....

 

[Gordon]

Thanks Nick. I noticed that all of the Trophys that I've looked at have had very reluctant seats. They only tilt a small amount and needed a huge shove to move them forward.

Most people have said to me "I don't think the back seats have been sat on" so I guess you might expect the Recaro's to be stiff.

Good one to watch for anyway.

Cheers.

 

[nickc]

Its true that it can take a bit of effort to slide the seat forward, I guess due to the weight. But it does seem to be a common problem where they don't slide at all - it makes it really tricky to get into the back. Just check it when you look at one and if both seats don't slide forward get it fixed before you buy.

Reno can fix it under warranty but why should you have to go throught the hassle?

 

[g40steve]

Hello,
First, i have a fantastic relationship with my Renault service centre so mine would never go anywhere else. They have replaced all the usual faulty parts & more without any worries. They also trust me when i say a part needs replacing, so when Neal fitted my brakes & noticed a weak engine mount one phone call & bits were ordered.
I'm maybe the only one on here that has such a good relationship.
I use Shell Helix Ultra 5W 40 in mine & have used this for many years so i do not believe all the hype surround oils. I believe a certian owner had engine failure from using one of the 'hyped oils' :shock:
Mudflaps, your having a giraffe :roll:
Michelins a must for the road, but better tyres for track work.
HPI, before you buy any!

Where you based?
If your local come & have a blast in mine :wink:

 

[Gordon]

Some dealers can be great of course. Glad to hear you have a good one.

The oil thing can get really out of hand I know. I'm very happy with Silkolene and I'm likely to keep using it. As long as it's the right viscosity for the engine and blend (semi/fully synth) any brand is up to the individual. You said you use 5w40 and I think that's what Renault stipulate so everyone's happy.

Mud flaps, I know, I know but I really don't see the issue if it stops the nice Trophy stickers becoming peppered in stone chips, which they will.

I don't intend to be on the track so Michelin fine for me.

I'm south so Loughborough is a long stretch for just coming round for a razz, but really appreciate the offer.

HPI I agree.

 

[SirSimon]

First of all Welcome!

I agree with Steve, with regards to the Mud Flaps. I hope you're pulling our leg?
Once you go Trophy, there is no turning back!! :wink: :lol:

 

[Gordon]

:? really don't see the issue with mud flaps but hey. Each to their own.

Perhaps if I actually see a Trophy with them (unlikely by the sound of it) or the Renault mud flaps themselves I'll change my mind as they look so hedious...

 

[Cue]

i don't think you can fit mudflaps anyway so it's a bit irrelevant. you can get clear film applied after the PG to protect the paintwork.

Ren-tech is as good as it gets. If they're close to you 1. your lucky and 2. you've no need to look elsewhere.

if you're not intending to take it on track then there's no need to mees with the damper pins, you won't need them any stiffer for rally use so i'd leave 'em.

Permagard get 10/10 from me - i had mine done from new and can't praise them enough evertime i get it re-done.

Oil, i use silkolene pro s 5w40 and again had no issues, I remember when i switched from the oem stuff it felt as though it ran a lot smoother although that could be just done to the service.

 

[Gordon]

Thanks Cue. I'm near enough to Portsmouth for piece of minds sake.

PermaGard's sounding better and better. Especially if I can avoid mudflaps and put protective film on, you guys have converted me already!

Can anyone suggest a valet/detail service in the London area to polish it up before PermaGard applied? Guys that can do a serious pro job with clay block etc.

I'm a huge fan of Silkolene, I've noticed the difference in my rally car and road going 106 Rallye.

Question on the damper pins was really about what they look like when removed and when not. I've seen different Trophy's with different pin/grub screw situations. One had a threaded hole on the red dial but I couldn't see a grub screw allen key head. Because I could see the screw thread (but not grub head) does that mean the grubscrew had been removed or are they countersunk deep into the red dial, therefore I wouldn't be able to see the grub screw allen key head anyway?

I don't want to buy a 'molested' Trophy or one that's been tracked, as I don't intend to take it on track days myself. What to look for with pins in or pins out might help me sniff out those that have been de-pinned and therefore possibly taken on track.

Appreciate the help.

 

[vamos]

And this is what a 182 with mudguards looks like. I quite like it

[/img]

 

[Cue]

the pg guys will strip any pretreatment stuff, they chemically clean it first to remove all grime, dust, everything.

the grub screw only holds the dial on - the pin is a seperate item put there by the swines at reno.

the screw is burried deep into the dial, you can't really see it without a light and at close quarters.

 

[Gordon]

Nice pic Vamos. I don't think they are very OEM though! :lol:

Nice little Grp N car. I was witness to a very quick young Fin testing a Super 1600 JWRC Clio at Phil Prices Rally School in Wales a couple of years ago. Rude.

The noise the thing made was awesome. So well engineered, but they couldn't start it to begin with, they took the plugs out as it wasn't firing, never seen plugs like it. Tiny things and no L shaped contact like a normal plug. Just looked like a flat button.

In the end they only got it started if you had two of the fans running. Very odd. They said it was the "bloomin' French engineers at RenaultSport building in little tricks so other non Renault trained people could run them as well".

Some how I don't think so but funny at the time.

 

[Gordon]

Nice one Cue. I just thought PermaGard was a treatment sealant rather than them prepping the surface first. I'll call the main number at the East of London address on the main website.

Many thanks as well on the grubscrew info. It sounds like the Trophy I saw still had the pins and grubscrews in then.

I'm glad to hear they are countersunk and someone hadn't done a botch job on one side and the other had been left. Although I couldn't see the hole on the OS as it was 'round the back'.

I was worried someone might have tampered with the NS and given up with OS.

I know what I'm looking for now.

 

[g40steve]

Most will of been on a track at some time in there life & would not worry about this.

If you don't track it chances are previous owner will of :-w :-#

I know of several that this is the case & new owners are none the wiser :shock:

 

[Cue]

i don't personally see the issue with pre owned cars that have been tracked, as long as the owners know what they're doing and has looked after the mechanicals, then most of these cars will be in better condition than most 'road only' ones.

The owners I have met at track days know more about how to look after these cars than some others who don't go to track. One (can't remember who) didn't even maintain the mft's service schedule net alone reduce it by half like most track owners.

 

[stephenhunter]

Hi Gordon,
369 for sale if you are interested. Its on Pistonheads and Autotrader website if you want some details.

 

[hoolio]

With Cue on the 'tracked' vehicles, they are far more likely to be well looked after and at the end of the day you've only got the owners word that it's not been near a track.

You might want to look at the car that Allvehicles has with the upgraded Mark fish suspension, Steve thinks this is the best handling one he's driven, you'll be paying a little more but that M. Fish work will account for a big hunk of that.

 

[Gordon]

Hmm, food for thought g40. I'm not too enamoured with a car that has been tracked and the owner doesn't know. But as you say how are you ever going to know...

 

[Gordon]

Cue, that sounds very sensible. It's the same with second hand rally cars. Those in the know and involved in competitive motorsport will respect the fact the machinery needs looked after. Also will know a car needs an oil change before 12k miles!

Missing the service schedule is just stupid. Go buy a 1.1 Fiesta and drive it into the ground, performance cars are wasted on those idiots.

The thing with track use is the stress on the mechanicals and no matter how good a bunch of drivers we are (all brilliant I'm sure :wink: ) tracks are hard on mechanicals and gearboxes. I'd just rather avoid a car that has led a stressful life as it will shorten the life of components and therefore be more costly in the long run.