Ongoing Project RS250

Thought I'd put up some photos of my Megane RS250

Was bog standard when I picked it with cloth seats and CUP pack. Collected the car late October / November last year but then broke my foot and had a house move + xmas etc everything got slowed down on doing bits to the car.

Since then though I've managed to between work have the following sorted.

Get the car serviced and checked over
Changed clear cluster headlights to ones with black inserts
De-badge the rear (Megane letters)
Fit KTECs induction kit
Fit KTECs silicon Inlet hose
Fit KW Coilovers and had them set up by Northampton Motorsport
Bought a set of OZ HLT wheels + 19" Steevs + custom set from COR Wheels in Florida who did ones for my GT-R
Fit KTEC front strut brace
Fit KTEC harness bar
Bought and retro fitted a set of Recaro CS Sportster seats with custom fabricated frames and runners to get them sitting where I wanted as found OEM ones sit higher than I wanted
Fitted set of wind deflectors
Fitted new discs and pads went with RC pads at front and DS2500 on rear
Decatted the car
Fitted full KTEC exhaust system
Had the car remapped by KTEC
Changed the gearbox and engine mounts
Fitted stud conversion kit

Got my harnesses to hang, a CAE shifter to fit, a rear strut brace and floor in progress to tidy things up as well.

By end of year I plan a complete overhaul of lots of parts and I'm going for big power. I imagine from the build I might find some weak parts along the way but will do the project in a safe manner with lots of testing as seems to be a lot of 'hear / say' and unknown areas around what stress levels certain parts can take. Obviously increasing power for example will decrease reliability but by how much I don't know so plan on getting a build done, running it and seeing how long certain parts survive and when they fail having created up-rated parts.

Anyway a few pictures

 

Thanks! Regarding the pads I bought them from KTEC and it's the RC5+ never used them before, really noise at first but once driven hard that soon goes away. I really liked the pads, I'd definitely get them again although I'll see what the RC6 ones are like next time.

Price wise they're really cheap I think at less than £120.00.

 

*EDIT

Didn't realise didn't mention I also fitted a FMIC to help with the temps. Went with a Black FMIC with no logo to keep it looking stealth.

Thanks, originally had it a little to low. On way home managed to take out the front arch liners and couldn't get on my drive (which is very steep at the entrance).

Lifted it up a 7mm on the front and 10mm on the rear and all issues went away, only time at Snetterton it was catching was exiting Bomb Hole where the front left wheel compressed into the arch due to nature of the corner, speed and dip into the bend.

I'd been recommended Northampton Motorsport from various sources and chap there seemed very knowledgeable, time to get it right wasn't an issue and he tested it and gave feedback. He decided due to the nature of the KW kit I had which is the KW V3 kit (which actually uses KW V2 rears and are the same from the 225 and 250 after we spoke on the phone to the chap who developed them for KW) it was recommended and decided that the car should sit lower at the front than the rear by around 5-8mm.

Anyway it totally transformed the car. Out the box the Megane handles fantastic and a friend has Clubsports but mine handles better at present. His 'kit' is obviously a step up and better especially with ability to adjust camber etc, but if it's not set up correctly then it doesn't really matter what suspension your running.

They corner weighted it for me as well so the cross weight is 50/50 and the front to rear is 65/35.

 

I got them from KTEC whilst there and they take around 3-5 minutes to fit via to metal clips to hold them firm that said they hold anyway without the clips.

They are HEKO though I think the prices range from £20-£40 for them depending on where you source them from.

I bought them as force of habit I always like having the window open a bit be it on track for fresh air if heaters are on in the summer months, or just because want to hear road noise and the car in winter, or if it's raining and just find them useful to stop water coming in when the wipers are on.

But that said I think they actually look okay at for the price they are, it was always a case of it didn't like them wasn't going to lose any sleep over that amount of money.

 

Thanks for the kind comment. To be honest Eddie_ even on videos, youtube etc it gives an unfair example of what it sounds like but it's pretty loud you really hear it sucking the air in. Me personally I like it, I prefer it over the sound of an atmospheric dump valve for example but it's preference I guess.

I'll try at some point get a video, I've an external mic I might pop near that corner of the car to capture the sound as the OEM microphone on GoPros are well on par I guess with the same sound quality of hearing people who buy Justin Biebers music is, which is basically muffled and distorted random noise.

I'll get some more photos up next week as I'm going to stick another set of wheels on which is my OZ Alleggerita ones, and also I've a full rear carpet to fit which covers the back where I've no rear seats in place.

 

KTEC do one for the Clio



But then also have the template for one for the Megane as well, so they've requested whoever they use to make me one. I've no idea how it'll fit, I think the quality of the carpet will be good, you can choose to have a logo or not and whatever colour edge stitching you want etc.

So I figured will take a punt and if nothing else I'll have the shape to template my plan which is basically a plywood base that will fix to existing seat belt lugs and then using the rear strut brace I've on order I'll copy what someone on here has done with there R26 and put a net between.

I just like to tidy it up a little bit and enjoy little custom touches to project mess about with where you've something visually pleasing but also functional or serves a purpose. End of the day it's not a show car, it'll be aimed toward track use but if I can get it looking nice as well then it's win win.

I'm after at moment a bonnet so I can make my own carbon one as well. Just need one so I can create the mould and don't fancy using mine as would mean no bonnet on car for a week or so.

 

So ordered another set of wheels today, used for the first time Projex UK and spoke to a chap Matthew who was most helpful.

I had rang Rimstyle, RTec and few others and all said Italy had no stock, other places like Larkspeed, Demon Tweeks were all £500+ for the same set more expensive. Tyre-Leader list them for £331 a wheel with a 7-10 timescale but having a look at the reviews and fact they're not UK based it was putting me off.

Anyway Projex UK came back with cheapest price, free delivery and reckon they can have them shipped from Italy to me within roughly a week so once they arrive these wheels will be going straight onto the car.

In fact my Michelin 235/40/18 (91Y) N4 Pilot Sports are sitting in the back of my daily driver right now which I only ordered from BlackCircles yesterday! to go onto them.

My 19" Steev's were sold to a chap on the Facebook Megane group but I've realised now it's actually the member 'Starkey' on here who has listed the 3 x Steev wheels. He bought my 4 new ones and tyres and is selling his 3 off as I think 1 of his was marked up. Made a 8 hour round trip to collect them on Sunday so if anyone is interested in buying his wheels having met him in person I can clarify he's a sound chap and genuine regardless of fact at present he's only posted twice on here.

 

Thank you.

235/40/18 Federal 595 RS-R tyres, never used them before seem okay for what they cost to use on track.

 

Chap on here was selling them as he'd upgraded to Xenon's so I drove to near Leicester took them off his hands. Came from an RS265 not sure if standard or optional extra but they are indeed a genuine Renault product although I know for around £85 replica's are available on places like eBay.

 

Did Evening session at Rockingham tonight was pretty good, was wet at first very greasy did around 10 laps was struggling for grip then materialized a Golf was chucking oil out everywhere as well so they red flagged it till clean up.

It then dried out a bit I went out and to be fair put in another 8-10 laps nothing really getting by was following a very quick Civic that was extremely well set up with a pretty decent driver.

Went out again another 10 laps and nothing passed me in whole session I was lapping about 10 seconds quicker as track dried out.

Finally stint went out was literally going to do 1-2 more laps then as came past pits onto the oval section of the International circuit around 100mph my tyre blew out giving me brown pants moment, not really sure how I controlled it, or whether it was luck but escaped without damage! bar tyre and wheel.

Anyway that was about 7.30pm, it's now 12.30am and I've just got the car back on the drive at home! Will try get the videos up tomorrow so you can see how quickly things went South

 

It was just as I turned in past the pit, level with where you'd join from pits basically. Because it was still in few spots greasy I was lifting a fraction to reduce some speed letting it go through then around 1/2 way through the bend foot back to the floor up to the first bend.

Had it gone mid way through or towards the exit when the car was really gripping and then let go I've no doubt I'd have been on here today with photo's of a write-off and a long list of parts I was breaking from the car.

Because it happened where it did just as I turned in the car wasn't that unbalanced and was a little more predictable. It was majority of luck as to where the tyre went, the fact it wasn't one of the fronts, that it happened late on when the track was dry and therefore traction / friction rather than just me wet sliding into a concrete wall, that no other cars were within 5 seconds behind me so they had time and space to not have me take an innocent bystander out.

Of course in the grand scheme of things I'd rather not have had this happen at all but I'm viewing it as it could of been a lot worse than tyre and wheel.

 

So not driven car since Rockingham mishap till today (1/2 a mile).

I took the wheel to be balanced to see how much damage was done and it was completely on the piss so thats defo a dead alloy. I did however managed to pick up 1 x OEM wheel from Ebay from a chap in Southend so during the week ventured down and picked up another wheel so I've a set of 4 again.

In the mean time my OZ wheels arrived and Thursday I stuck some shoes on the wheels and this morning put them on after last night coating them with Gtechniq C5.

For now afraid it's just poor photos from an iphone but you get the idea. Really pleased with how they look and sit.

 

Cheers guys, OZ Alleggerita 18x8.5J ET55.

The centre bore on these OZ wheels are 75 and the Megane is 66.1 so got some OZ spigot rings. Projex UK sorted them for me a chap called Matthew basically undercut everyone buy over £200, included the spigot rings (OZ sell them for £120 as patent item and metal over plastic) and roughly a 1 week delivery from Italy when everyone else was saying none were in stock.

So light it's crazy. 7kg a wheel

 

Drop an e-mail to matt@projexuk.com regarding the wheels you want and he'll get back with best prices.

Alternatively ring ProjexUK and ask for Matthew. He took my details and got back to me within the hour with best price last time.