Monaco 172 - De-chav/tidy up

[GilesB]

I was going to wait till Saturday to start this as thats when the real progress starts. But I just couldn't wait.

After owning, running and breaking Scooby's over the last 5 years I decided I'd had enough of expensive repair bills and unreliable performance. With my car having sat in my garage for the last 10 months needing a new clutch and an ECU fault sorting I got fed up. One friday night my friend put a 172 up for sale and it got me thinking. It wasn't going for the right price but it planted a seed. I thought I would stick my car up on scoobynet and see if there was any interest, not expecting a great deal I was shocked when I was inundated with PM's. It sold for the asking price on the Sunday... No going back now.

My first car was a Mk2 Ph2 all of 10 years ago so I have a bit of history. Ive also owned and loved a Valver.

My criteria was simple - CHEAP!

I was looking and bidding on a few on ebay that all needed a bit of work when I spied a car nice and local on Gumtree. When I turned up it turned out that I vaguely knew the guy. After a bit of banter back and forth a deal was done, he took £900 of my cash and i drove home the best smiles per £ car I've ever owned.

The good - It has 89,000 and has just had brakes and a cam belt change.

The bad - Its a long list!

Exhaust
Missing headlight washer
Needing a service
Sh1t rear lights
Wheels and bullets were white
No headunit
Dodgy 6x9's in the parcel shelf
No centre headrest
Reverse switch
Missing foglight
It has one amber and one clear side repeater :/

Theres probably more but thats the ones I can remember.

So over the last month I've been collecting a few parts. Ive got a K-Tec stealth (2.25" mild steel one) getting fitted saturday, new standard wheels, new bullets, new rear lights, new headlight washer, all service bits and currently buying other parts to get it done over the bank holiday weekend.

The one thing Im still desperate to source is a bumper that hasn't been cut for an exhaust.

I'm planning on giving it a BIG detail when all the parts are on.

 

[GilesB]

.........

 

[GilesB]

If these don't sell I'll keep these for the odd track day...

 

[GilesB]

 

[Ash']

Brilliant start mate! A lot of people when they first get a car for a project start being new parts etc but then forget to service the car. Nice to see your going to service it as one of your first things to do!

What are your main plans for the car?

 

[GilesB]

Cheers mate, I was brought up well

Plans are keep it simple, get it nice and tidy, and just enjoy it. Going to do a few track days in it so maybe a brake upgrade and play with the suspension but nothing drastic. Its a brilliant car out of the box and all I want is something reliable and fun. Quite like the idea of the RS Tuner as well but I'll see.

 

[Jardo]

Where are the AO48's for sale? How much? 16"

Nice Monaco, best color

 

[GilesB]

They're in the for sale section buried from a week or so ago, search my threads. Got them up up for £200 but willing to listen to offers.

 

[alexr19]

this will look good when its tidied up
apologies if ive missed it but i assume youll be getting a new back bumper seen as though that ones been cut?

 

[Ash.]

I miss my Monaco I'll be keeping my eye on this thread monaco the best colour for a 172!!!

 

[GilesB]

Yeah, it does say it amongst all the other ramblings.

I'm on the lookout for decent uncut one. Trying to track one down is getting impossible. There was one on ebay this week, he ended early though. Im just gutted i didn't message him with an offer first.

 

[TomNorthcott]

I'll be keeping an eye on this thread ;-) Monaco FTW

 

[daveski]

Good plans and they'll be easy and quite cheap to sort too. Bargain for £900!

Should have taken this opportunity to buy some nicer wheels though!

 

[GilesB]

To be honest the only other wheels I'd have would be Turini's or 2118's or maybe F1s and that would of blown my budget out of the water. I'm happy with the look of the car as standard and standard wheels are nice and cheap.

Would rather spend my budget on getting it tidy than nice wheels. Maybe at some point down the line though.

 

[rollerdan]

Your Off to good start mate ! Will look alot better without that exhaust!

 

[GilesB]

^ Just to add as well... Essentially these wheels have cost me nothing. I have already got a buyer lined up for the white ones, which have mismatched tyres with the front two needing replacing soon anyway, so I've paid for the silver ones the same as what I've sold the whites ones for. it will of cost me a new set of Toyos which I wanted anyway and the fuel to Chelmsford to pick them up.

 

[GilesB]

Your Off to good start mate ! Will look alot better without that exhaust!

Cheers mate lets hope all goes to plan at he weekend!

 

[daveski]

Best thing about 15s though is the (much) cheaper tyre prices more than make up for the cost of new wheels, just have to look out for some cheap enough.

 

[GilesB]

This is very true! I'll keep my eyes peeled and if anything pops up for a good price I may make a purchase.

I love a bargain, I once paid £50 for a nice set of F1's with tyres!

 

[GilesB]

My old valver

 

[Duffman_172]

Nothing quite like a de-chav session lol, glad you are making the changes mate, will make a world of difference!

 

[Evandim*]

excellent look forward to seeing this... and I know all too well about tidying up a car you've just brought hopefully your wont be in such a state mine was lol

 

[GilesB]

excellent look forward to seeing this... and I know all too well about tidying up a car you've just brought hopefully your wont be in such a state mine was lol

Funny enough your thread was a massive inspiration!

Its so fulfilling taking something that's been neglected and abused and returning it to its former glory. It's all the niggly bits that people ignore and just don't bother with that all add up.

 

[Duffman_172]

It's all the niggly bits that people ignore and just don't bother with that all add up.

Here here :approve:

 

[Evandim*]

Funny enough your thread was a massive inspiration!

Its so fulfilling taking something that's been neglected and abused and returning it to its former glory. It's all the niggly bits that people ignore and just don't bother with that all add up.

Thank you thats really nice to know that maybe in a small way my tread has saved another poor clio

Oh I hear you there very true about the little niggly things and its usually the little jobs you think will be easy to sort are the ones that turn into a right a nightmare too lol...

 

[GilesB]

Had a couple of annoying set backs the last couple of days. I've fitted the K&N - nice and easy. Removed the dash to investigate why the display isn't working and sort to sort out the random wires. I came to the conclusion that the display must be broken, found one for £10 delivered and bought it last night, when I investigate further this morning I realised its just the bulbs gone - annoying. Anyway live and learn, bought some bulbs.

That was f@ck up number one. Number two was the fact that I had bought an 'update list' stereo and not a 'tuner list' stereo that I need. Although it plugs in they are not interchangeable, who knew? Clearly not me. Anyway that's £30 down on stuff that's not needed. Live and learn... Again.

Dash is still off, I'm going to tidy up the wiring, fit a parrot and stick the dash back on ready for a new stereo to arrive (hopefully e right one this time).

On top of all this I have to strip put all the audio from my girlfriends old E46 so it's ready to get weighed in to tomorrow!

Anyway... Exhaust goes on tomorrow, bought a new mount for it on my lunch. Possibly going to modify the mount if I get time, if not I'll just buy a Prima one in a few weeks.

Hopefullymthis is the end of my run of bad luck on this car although they do say it comes in threes.

 

[daveski]

At least you can sell on the update list stereo to minimise your loss.

 

[GilesB]

At least you can sell on the update list stereo to minimise your loss.

This is true. It's not so much about the money more the annoyance that I didn't check first. It's only, I'm just going to take it out on work colleagues and facebook idiots all afternoon. I shall be less stressed by the morning.

 

[daveski]

Take it out on all the people panic buying petrol instead, do us all a favour.

 

[GilesB]

Take it out on all the people panic buying petrol instead, do us all a favour.

To top off I actually had to fill up with petrol on my lunch break (because I was on the petrol light not because I panicked) so many idiots in this country. It didn't help my stress levels.

 

[daveski]

I had to do the same last night, not happy!

 

[GilesB]

New exhaust on. 100 x better than the chav box that was on there before. It doesn't rattle and knock about and it sounds spot on.

Also received my headlight washer from Wests and my new foglight. Just waiting on rear lights, bullets and CTR aerial. Then head unit and Parrot. I can't wait for next weekend to get fitting everything and having the car look halfway decent.

Still need to source a rear bumper. Also my parcel shelf, engine cover and rear bench fell through

Gonna do an oil change and give it a splash of water tomorrow.

 

[GilesB]

Yesterday I fitted my Parrot CK3100 and tidied up the wiring including removing all the old wiring for a sub and amp that was left in the the car and also removing the 6x9's and rewiring in the old speakers. Dashboard is back in now (thank f**k) and I'm just waiting forthe new head it to arrive. It's come from a breakers though so I'm probably going to have to get a code for it.

Didnt get time to give it a quick wash or oil change so I'll do that tonight or tomorrow.

Just waiting on the last few bits to arrive now. I've decided to put up with the rear bumper until a decent one pops up nice and local to me.

Had a nice little drive out last night with a few friends. Just made me love the exhaust even more. The one thing it did highlight though is the need to squeeze out a bit more power. Thought I'd be happy running standard power but with my friends all in Type R's and Focus ST's a feel a bit off the pace. Can't fault it in the corners though.

 

[GilesB]

I was taking a few pictures of a friends CTR and decided to grab a couple of the Clio while I was at it.

I think it looks quite pretty even though its dirty and missing bits.

 

[GilesB]

Just bought a Yozzasport decat.

Also my rear lights ad side repeaters turned up. And... My stereo, which turns out is faulty! Just my luck. Stereo number 3 now needs to be sourced.

 

[PaulClioSport]

Good write up! Post some pic's of the parrot was thinking about one myself. As for your mate's being quicker in a straight line, the cost to drive a ST or CTR will be waaaaayyy more then a 172 and will they have such a high fun factor as the clio? I've had faster cars then my current Flamer, but they didn't have the fun factor my Clio has!

 

[GilesB]

Cheers mate!

Ive mounted the Parrot on the bit of trim to the right of the steering wheel. Seemed like the neatest and most logical place to put it. Will take some pics tomorrow. Well worth buying and very easy to install.

Yeah to be honest i don't want to get into chasing power figures, but that being said a bit of extra grunt wouldn't go amiss. It didn't even cross my mind until my missus said to me "doesn't it bother you being the slowest now" - b**ch! Ive gone from a 300 odd bhp scooby to almost half that in the Clio. But yes the reliability and running costs FAR outweigh the bragging rights and are no more or less fun, you are right.

 

[GilesB]

Looking a bit sorry for itself...

I took the front bumper off to fit the headlight washers and foglight to find that one headlight was pretty much fucked. So going to source a pair of good ones. I wanted some anyway so not the end of the world.


Also found the front bumper in a bad way, can't find the wiring for the fogs or the hoses for the washers :/


Had better weekends on the car. Now left it as it is until I can at least find some decent headlights. Still need to sort out the parrot and speakers and hopefully getting a new rear bench this week. At least the inside might be finished.

 

[GilesB]

Almost forgot I bought this as well the other day... (Yozzasport decat)

 

[flat-eric]

Anymore updates, i have a monaco also and going for the OE look, its difficult with so many parts on offer though.