How could I resist??

[user 980]

I feel your pain roblem: Lastnight I had to clean up behind the front plate ready for vinyl wrapping, and the previous owner had a private plate and I think they had a questionable obsession with sticky pads. Half a can of wd40 later and some dodo juice polish sorted it out.

Looks perfect now with the new plates!

 

[Alex_225]

Thanks mate, I think it looks just right now, clean and simple and nice to get the plates stuck onto a clean surface.

Don't you hate it when someone puts a million pads on. When I bought my first 172 and came to swap the plates, I found they'd used 7 pads per number plate.

What you having wrapped mate? The whole car? I fancy a wrap on the Clio but not cheap haha

 

[user 980]

7?! Mine had 5, but they were 5 stubborn ones!
I'm just getting the number plate recess done in gloss black and possible the lower lip to match as I think it would look strange without them both doing.
Yeah it's expensive. Only time I've seen a full wrap was on an astra, black to white. Was good apart from under the arches etc it wasn't very neat. Don't think I could wrap a 4 year old car too scared haha

 

[Alex_225]

Yeah that's always been my concern that they'd either leave imperfections and although the gaps might not be neat they'd potentially damage the paint while cutting round the edges.

Have you seen that Plasti Dip stuff though? You can effectively spray it onto a clean car, it goes on like paint but dries like a wrap. Check this video...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNY9Dx617N8

 

[Alex_225]

Well I've had a result, I had the exhaust looked at by the chaps that built the PowerFlow backbox and they've told me that it can be modified to accept a 2 1/2" centre pipe as not only is the crappy patent part too small it's blowing where it's rusted through.

So it means I'll now have a straight through stainless pipe from the cat back which I've been told will be b*stard loud but is the optimum for the set up I've got and should free up another 5-10bhp provided the welds on the pipe are similar to that on the K-Tec kit.

Plus it'll cost me £150 for the work to be done rather than the drive to K-tec (£40-50 in fuel) and the £500 cost of their cat back.

 

[Alex_225]

Another update on the Clio, I finally have a picture of my engine bay and it's looking a little bit brighter.

My mate offered to paint the engine cover for me as the previous owner had rattle canned it black and the finish was pretty rubbish. So as a homage to my Megane 225 the engine in the Clio is now Inferno orange!

Not very subtle but it's looks really smart, just highlights how badly the inlet manifold needs cleaning up though haha.

This is the K-Tec induction kit.

 

[MovingShadow]

Would look better with the silicone pipe also in orange/red

 

[Alex_225]

I would have gone for just that and did ask but they didn't have any colours in stock and the induction kit was a last minute addition to the work.

Just didn't want to leave it with the sh!t induction on it any longer than I had too! lol

 

[Alex_225]

Another mod for the Clio although not got any propers pics until it's on the car!

Can ya guess what it is yet!

 

[Chicken]

Orange and chrome wheels by any chance?
Or is it just new wheels and you stole that pic from elsewhere?

 

[Alex_225]

See now that would be telling lol

 

[Alex_225]

Ok will here we are with the Clio's latest update. I'd been debating wheels colours for the originals which were kerbed in places and I didn't like the grey colour.

Well when I saw these I couldn't resist as I'd been contemplating orange but didn't think the OEM wheels would work. So the originals are being kept as track wheels (needed two new tyres anyway) and these new Cades Eros Jaffa 15" rims with Toyo Proxy tyres are sitting under the Clios arches, along with a 40mm drop on Apex springs.

As much as I'm sure the car would look a little better maybe 10-20mm lower, this is low enough to remain practical. Plus the handling does feel more direct and less crashy all be it very firm.

Looks even smaller alongside the Duster now!!

 

[weebob]

Looks awesome Alex

 

[Alex_225]

Cheers mate, I think you're the only person on any of the forums Ive put it up on that has liked it.

Which makes me like it even more hahaha

 

[Alex_225]

Well I think the Apex springs are settling in now as the car actually looks lower now than when they first went on, guess that's likely to happen.

At least there's someone else who likes my wheel choice haha

Also been testing out a sealant on my car which is made by Serious Detailing, a company a friend of mine runs and all his own products. This is their Super Spray Sealant which I'll be testing over the winter.

 

[singlespeed]

With the super slow Internet access at work, I skipped the pictures.

I probably wouldn't have got them, but they certainly go well with the rest of the car which is plane and unfussy

 

[Alex_225]

You're not the first person to say that they like them but wouldn't have bought them.

Like you say because the car is fuss free and all silver it can pull off a lairy wheel colour. Thing is black and anthracite wheels have been done a lot, I'd contemplated orange but the OEM rims wouldn't have looked good at all in orange so these just clicked for me.

Plus if Porsche can do it, my Clio can hahaha

 

[Chicken]

I like the cades Eros but wouldn't suit my car so never got them. Look sweet on your Clio though, sort of makes a statement as the car is pretty bland without them no offence.
It's kind of like toast with peanut butter can be a bit boring but through some jam on there and bam. Sweet toaster yum yums

 

[MovingShadow]

I really like that combo of wheels and color choice.

Would love some adonized colored wheels on mine but it's expensive!

 

[Alex_225]

I like the cades Eros but wouldn't suit my car so never got them. Look sweet on your Clio though, sort of makes a statement as the car is pretty bland without them no offence.
It's kind of like toast with peanut butter can be a bit boring but through some jam on there and bam. Sweet toaster yum yums

Agree completely mate. The Clio 172 is a very very subtle looking performance car and in black or silver to the untrained eye it really does look like just another Clio.

The reason I think this car can pull off these wheels is because the car is quite plain. Ok, so black or anthracite wheels would have been a safe bet but wouldn't have brightened the car up like these have.

Would love some adonized colored wheels on mine but it's expensive!

I can imagine anodized rims would be somewhat price.

I have to admit though, some of the hydrodipping that's going on now is very impressive.